Zacharyandvanessa- thank you for your long review :)

EternalEquality- I have no idea what phase you got over but maybe you can PM to explain lol

Babyvfan- thank you for the story idea but I don't have any current plans to continue writing Troyella stories

Lifesuxthenudie- I need to concentrate on publishing my work I feel. I love fanfiction and all of my loyal supporters but…well I'll never say never ;)

Thank you everyone for reviewing :D

CHAPTER 4

Gabi was stuck in goal. Apparently it was part of her punishment to be on the receiving end of the ball while the rest of team got to run up and down the pitch the way she ached to.

The ball bounced to her feet and she lifted it and kicked it over the heads of the practicing team; rolling her eyes as the fumbling net keeper the other end looked up to watch her ball pass into the goal. That was the second goal she'd scored just from a goal kick and she had serious doubts this could be a winning team if they let goals in that easily.

A few cheers sounded and a few high-fives later, she was ready to receive the next round of shots on goal from the 'opposition' which happened to include the loving Chad Danforth, just her luck. He'd managed to hit her in the boob twice already and she had a feeling it wasn't by accident. She was glad she'd worn a bra and a crop top under her jersey to protect her fragile breast tissue.

It wasn't until later at home that she let guard down and showcased her vulnerability, checking her body for scratches and bruises gingerly. It had been a while since she had trained properly and the boys' training was twice as hard as she was used to doing herself so she would pay for it, she knew.

A long soak in the bath allowed her sore muscles to ease and while she lounged she smirked in memory of the surprise the team had expressed at her instant show of talent even though she was relegated to goal. She had a feeling that she might have actually found somewhere she belonged- as long as Chad didn't make her life difficult, she mused.

Gabi dried herself and padded into her room, pausing and looking around her suspiciously as she sensed something; but couldn't place the odd feeling. She quickly slipped on her panties and had a heart attack as a clipped knock sounded on her bedroom door- but not the wooden one inside the house; the glass French door that opened onto her balcony.

Who the fuck was prowling around on her balcony watching her get dressed?! What kind of perverts did Albuquerque house, she wondered storming over with gritted teeth and her football trophy in her hand as a weapon. No point hiding now, she mused as she ripped open the door and lifted the heavy prize to clonk whoever was on her balcony around the head.

Troy Bolton's confused-looking face paused her violence, but her breath caught in her throat as his gaze worked up her naked form and rested on her breasts as the cold breeze puckered her nipples. Or maybe it was his intense look that caused that reaction, she wasn't sure. She didn't care, really. The guy was staring at her like she was a porcelain doll and it irked her.

"Pervert!" She hissed and stomped inside to grab her silk night-dress, not ashamed of her naked body but blushing hard at his silent appraisal of her.

"Are you coming in or what?" She asked tersely as he blinked a few times and opened his mouth to speak but nothing came out.

"Do you always open you French doors naked?" He wondered, stepping inside, his eyes intent on hers and his permanently puzzled look in place. He looked like he couldn't work out why he was there.

"No!" She fumed, looking up into his face. "Do you always peek on girls while their naked?" She arched.

He had on his long jacket, his headband and fingerless gloves. She kind of wanted to grab him and kiss him but she didn't know why he was here yet and he'd told her off before about kissing him so she fought the urge off.

"No, just you," he replied in the easy-teasing way he answered most of her absurd questions.

The affectionate twinkle in his eyes made her jut her chin.

"Ok, you saw my boobs." She took some breaths to calm herself. "No big deal."

Troy stepped forward and kind-of smiled. "Big deal," he argued, still recovering from the sight of Gabi practically naked.

Gabi ignored him and met his eyes after rolling hers around the room first.

"Why are you here?"

He cupped her cheek and leaned down, laying soft, warm lips against hers. He didn't push, he didn't force her, but her mouth opened to his of its own accord and she let her body press into his for the moments they stood and kissed.

He smiled boyishly as he pulled away and wrapped her into his jacket.

"Did you come to capture me?" She wondered, remembering her words to him before about not hugging him. She'd said that because she couldn't afford to fall for him the way she thought she might be. Hugging only encouraged falling, she mused.

"No," he licked his lips. "I got distracted," he opened his arms to let her loose and he paced across her room.

Gabi turned to follow his movements, watching him sink into her mattress.

"Couldn't this have waited?" Gabi asked him with a sigh.

"Look, I just don't get you," he admitted softly. "And I haven't seen you since we talked on my porch…"

She pursed her lips. She had kind of been avoiding him since that conversation and it had been kind of hard seeing as she'd had to stay at his house all night and go to school with him the following day but somehow she had managed it.

She had to remember why she was here; and it wasn't to jump into bed with the first boy she met. If only Troy wasn't so damn tempting, she mused.

"I've been busy," she excused gently. "You came here to talk about that?" She added incredulously.

He frowned, just a little and she thought she saw hurt flicker across his face. He kind of sighed and kind of opened his mouth to talk, and then he rolled up from her bed.

"Yeah, I'm sorry," he conceded. Maybe it was a little weird of him, he mused.

He went towards the balcony and as he passed her, she turned, her breath catching in her throat as she smelled his warm, soapy scent.

"Troy," she called and he paused with a stutter, then turned to squint at her next words.

"Don't go yet."

/

Troy laid himself on Gabi's bed and stared at the blank ceiling, not sure what he might find there, but finding it easier than looking at the girl laid beside him.

Okay, in hindsight he could see it was a little strange to turn up unannounced on her balcony of all places, especially at night and now that he knew what she did at night, he felt even more awkward. But she had started the kissing thing and now he felt like she was in control of it, too. So where did that leave him?

"Is your mom home?" He enquired, just curious that she may have heard them talking.

"Yeah, why, were you hoping she wasn't?" Gabi asked back.

"No, I just wondered if she might have heard…" he posed.

"Pfft, I doubt it," Gabi arched. "She pretends she cares but really, she doesn't know the half of it…"

"Oh, yeah?" He tipped his head at her and grinned.

She felt her own lips curling in response. "Don't be dirty."

"I'm not," he denied, flicking fond eyes down her face.

"If you're thinking she would hear us making out, I think we'd be safe," she added.

"Actually, I wasn't thinking that."

"Oh," she frowned, not sure if she should be insulted or touched.

"Not that I don't think about that ever," he adjusted quickly on hearing her disappointment in his statement. "I just wasn't, then. I was thinking if she heard us how much more trouble I'd be in."

"Surely that fits your plan for permanent grounding?" She guessed.

"Well being grounded isn't ideal because then she drives me to and from ballet…" he conceded.

"So it's just detention you're after…"

Troy squinted. "Do you think I'm weird?"

Gabi let out a splutter of laughter. Then saw his crestfallen look. "Well, no, not totally weird…" she added quickly.

He sighed and looked back to the ceiling.

"Troy," she called him with a pang of regret at her laughter. "I don't think you're weird."

He twisted his lips. "Sometimes I just wish they cared about more than my talent, you know?"

Gabi pursed her lips beside him. "If it makes you feel any better my mom is going to Sri Lanka next week and asked my Aunt Deb to babysit me."

"You have a babysitter?" His head tipped sideways again and she met his gaze reluctantly.

"Yes…"

"Is your mom ever here?" He wondered quite curiously, not meaning anything from his words but Gabi appreciated his sentiment all the same.

"Doesn't seem like it." She admitted.

"What's your aunt like?"

Gabi shrugged. "She's cool. She'll let me out for play dates."

"Play dates?" He semi-frowned, semi-smiled.

"Yeah you know, when I'm allowed out to play…" she flirted.

"Gabi, you do know I-"

"Gabriella Anne Montez that better be the TV I can hear and not a boy in your room!" Maria Montez called through the closed door and Gabi startled at the sudden interruption.

"Shit!" She hissed, shoving Troy onto the floor where he fell with a thud and an 'ow!' until she forced him under her bed.

She strolled to her door and smiled innocently at her mother while she opened it, her TV on in the background and now on silent.

"Sorry mom, I wanted to see the last episode of House."

"What was that loud bang?" Maria squinted behind her suspiciously.

"I tripped over my duvet getting up," Gabi explained.

"Why are your French doors open?"

"Hot," Gabi answered to her next question, wondering how many more there would be.

"We came here for a new start, Gabriella. I do not want a repeat of Harry Grainger thank you very much…" Maria clipped.

"Mom!" Gabi protested. "Do you see Harry Grainger in this room? No. Do you see any boy in this room? No. I learned my lesson." She added solemnly.

"Good," Maria sighed. "Go to bed as soon as it finishes," she added of her programme and Gabi nodded, closing her door with a thankful sigh as she closed her eyes too.

"What the hell is this?" Troy's confused voice pierced her quiet moment and she popped her eyes open, remembering she had hidden him.

He stood from under her bed and held up the small bullet-shaped vibrator that she had stashed under there, away from prying eyes. And now he was stood there holding it with a puzzled expression. She felt her cheeks flush and her face contort with a frown and then she licked her lips and swallowed, deciding to brave it out.

She walked over and took the device from his fingers. "That's my vibrator," she said very evenly, meeting his eyes as if daring him to say more.

His brows furrowed, his eyes flickered and then a heat spread over his own face as he realized her meaning.

"Oh." He swallowed, finding that information a little too much in his present state.

"Yes, oh," she agreed smugly and put it into her top drawer out of sight. "Time you were leaving…"

"Uh…oh…sure," he turned toward the door and picked up his jacket.

"See you in school…" She lifted her brows as she walked him to the balcony edge and she watched him straddle it before launching into her tree with cat-like precision.

"Goodnight," he told her with no other words as he easily dropped down the branches and to the ground.

Leaving her grateful he had left without asking anything else. About her vibrator or the boy her mother mentioned. She just wondered how long it would be before he did…

/

"Who's Harry Grainger?"

Well, that wasn't long; Gabi mused as she emptied her locker and rolled her eyes up. Troy was wearing a cream thick-knit jumper and soft jeans with boots, his burgundy bandana wrapped around his forehead and his earring present. He really did look like Rob Lowe, she mused. In his hey-day. All that rugged, romantic manliness she seemingly enjoyed by the response her body was having to him. Some kind of cross between tingles and itches.

"Who?" She repeated, deliberately delaying her answer.

"The guy your mom mentioned…" He prompted. "Last night…" He added when she didn't respond.

"Last night, huh?" Chad Danforth chose that moment to interrupt and Gabi sighed in annoyance. She still bore the bruises from their football practice. "You two finally did it, then…"

"Piss off, Danforth," Gabi advised with dark eyes.

"Hey, team-mate," he lifted his brows with a crowing grin. "That's what the boys talk about-get used to it. Who you laid, how many times…" He looked at Troy. "Was he any good...?"

Troy merely smirked his lips at the black boy, not joining in his game.

Gabi tilted her head and smiled sweetly at the jock. "Yeah, I laid Bolton. I lost count though- was it five times?" She lifted her brows to Troy. "And yeah, he was good," she smiled with pleasure, coming close to Chad and breathing in his face. "He was real good…"

Chad kept Gabi's gaze with his four seconds longer than needed and she felt something hit her stomach in realization. Chad fancied her! Jesus, why hadn't she seen it? All that male bravado, the insults- the punishment. He was intimidated by her! He liked what he saw but he couldn't fathom it when she kicked balls around and he should be after one of the curvy cheerleaders like everyone expected of him.

He dropped his gaze and smirked. "Ha-ha, Montez," he conceded. "Too bad I know Bolton is still a virgin…"

Troy squinted at the boy he barely knew and wondered if he was going to join the list of kids to avoid at East High.

"Don't sweat it, dude," Chad told him. "You'll soon lose it round here…"

With that the black boy wandered off and Gabi turned her gaze back to Troy.

"Well, there you go," she mused of Chad's advice.

"Yeah," Troy agreed, but didn't voice his thoughts. Instead he mumbled something about seeing her later and loped off down the hall, leaving her more confused than ever. He really was such a strange boy! But somehow, she liked it.

/

Gabi decided that her underwear alone was not going to be enough to shield her from the deliberate attempts to hit her with the ball during her hazing period. She may have earned her place on the football team but she hadn't yet earned the respect of her team mates; and she had to practice with the boys during P.E. so that she could still go to detention with Troy for the next week.

When she had finished showering up, ready for the next task Coach Phillips set them, she shoved her bandages into her bag and silently thanked them for saving her gentle skin even though she was sure she was still covered in blue patches from unprotected areas that were hit.

She was tired today, she didn't know why. Maybe it was the feeling she would never be accepted here; maybe it was the feeling her mother was abandoning her again. Or maybe it was the way Troy had asked her about Harry and the answer she knew she had to give.

He was sprawled attractively in his chair as she came into the classroom and on the board there were instructions.

"What's this?" She frowned, sitting beside him with a wince.

His eyes flicked down her and noted her sign of pain; but he flicked his eyes back to the board before she could tell he'd noticed.

"We have to write an essay," he explained. "Coach Phillips is trusting us to behave alone and if we don't have 1000 words by time he's back, we have to sit another hour of detention."

Gabi groaned and laid her head in her arms. "Please, god no!"

"The brief for the essay is 'Why I believe detention is an effective method of punishment.'" Troy phrased.

Gabi looked up to him. "Why do you sound okay with this?"

He shrugged. "Anything is better than picking condoms off the field…"

"True," she sighed and pulled out her notepad, neatly writing her name and the essay title before she glanced over at her partner in crime.

Yes, he was definitely avoiding talking to her, she could tell. He'd only looked at her once when she had come in and he was already a quarter of a page into his work. Now why was that? And why did it make her feel bad?

She pressed her lips together and swallowed, wanting to clear the air before she started her essay.

"I'll tell you about Harry Grainger," she murmured, wondering if he had heard because he kept writing. Then his pen paused but he didn't look up.

"Now?" He wondered, hoping she wouldn't because although he wouldn't mind another detention, he didn't know if he wanted to hear the story or not.

"When you're ready," she offered, sensing that the time was not now.

He lifted his head and looked over. "Is your mom picking you up?"

She shrugged. "I walk mostly."

"Gabi, I told you we could take you-"

"It's okay," she smiled, interrupting him. "Your mom already did enough."

"Come for dinner?" He half asked, half hoped.

To his surprise, she nodded. "Okay."

He let out a breath. "Okay."

"Miss Montez," Coach Phillip's voice sounded before he entered the room. "I'm sorry I wasn't here when you arrived but I assume Bolton had explained the task to you?"

Gabi looked up. "Yes, sir."

"Good. Forty-five minutes left," he looked at his watch. "Best get going…"

Gabi nodded and began to write quickly; something she wasn't really used to doing. She did her homework to keep her mother off her back and give her less chance to ban her from football, but truth be told, writing was not her strong point.

Something she found out when Coach Phillips marked their papers and graded her with a C- while Troy got a B+.

"That's not fair!" She whined as he held up his sheet and gloated over his mark.

"Read it and weep, soccer-girl!" He crowed.

She stood and sulked. "I thought your talent was dancing, twinkle-toes," she arched, heading down the hallway as he followed beside her, smirking gleefully.

"Well, what can I say? I'm a romantic; I like reading and writing…"

"A romantic?" She blasted out a disbelieving puff of laughter.

"Yeah," he looked affronted. "What's wrong with that?"

"Name one romantic thing you did," she challenged.

"Held your hand," he quipped right back and she frowned into his face as they stood at the gates waiting for Mrs. Bolton.

"That's romantic?" She fronted, not pleased he had an answer to her challenge.

"I gave you my jumper when you were cold…" He added, liking the look of frustration on her face. It just made him want to kiss her even more.

"Big wow," she rolled her eyes and he moved, standing in front of her.

"Okay, Miss-Hard-To-Please," he addressed. "Tell me what your idea of romantic is…"

"As if," she denied.

"You can't go belittling my romantic-ness and not give an explanation," he chided.

"Well…" She huffed and puffed for a moment. "What about rose-petals on the bed covers? Or love-notes?" She suggested.

He blinked, twice and she had trouble avoiding his gaze.

"We've not slept together for me to be able to put rose-petals on your bed covers and who said I hadn't written love-notes?" His voice was low and she didn't like what it intimated. This was Troy! Sweet, innocent Troy. Why did he sound like he wanted to bed her then? Rose petals or otherwise…

"Not to me," she stammered of his expression of having written love-notes.

"No," he agreed. "But I have written them."

She darted her eyes to his, shocked and kind of hurt at this news. He had loved someone? Who? Is that why he didn't want to jump into anything with her? But they'd only kissed…she'd only offered him…well, she blushed at that thought. Maybe she had been a little presumptuous in thinking they would just fall into bed together.

Beep beep!

Julia Bolton's arrival could not be worse-timed; Gabi mused as she gritted her teeth and got into the back seat with Troy, deliberately staring out of the window.

So they both had secrets.

That was kind of strange. She hadn't expected it of him, despite his oddness and the way his appearance did not mesh with his easy-going nature or his apparent lack of experience; but he had been in love.

She just didn't know who with and to find out, she'd have to reveal all about Harry. Something she was not looking forward to. Troy was…well, he was kin, really. They both shared similar experiences and she was just getting used to having him around. She didn't want to lose him just yet. But she worried she might.

Still, his own past could be as murky as hers and she shouldn't be so quick to assume he would think any differently of her after she told him about Harry.

She licked her lips and ventured a look to him as they pulled up in his drive.

"Gabriella, is crab-cakes okay for dinner?" Julia asked and Gabi made a face to herself. Crab-cakes? Was that like fish-cakes?

"Uh, sure, Mrs. Bolton," she replied politely and Troy rolled out of his seat leaving her no choice but to do the same. As she went to open her door, she realized he had come round to help her out, something gentlemanly she hadn't expected.

"You want romantic?" He asked her as Julia headed inside, out of earshot. "I'll give you romantic…"

He followed inside and deliberately waited for her to go through first, doing the same at his room until she was settled and then he sighed and crashed out on his bed beside her.

He tipped his head so it touched hers. Gabi knew he wanted connection, he craved it unlike she; who was so used to being parted from her loved ones that she became resigned with isolation. So when her fingers twitched, she frowned at herself. She would not hold hands with Troy Bolton, she told herself sternly. Only her fingers twitched again and she sighed and looked down a little, finding Troy's fingertips just mere centimeters from her own and it was like he had wanted to hold her hand first, but had stopped himself.

Why was that?

Did he want her to move first? Either way, she rolled her head back and as subtly as she could possibly manage now, she curled her fingers until they touched his. His moved to accommodate hers and their fingers twined, wordlessly while they lay there, each deep in their own thoughts.

His about their epic day and hers about their budding friendship.

"Apple pie for dessert?" Julia Bolton's warm tones filled the doorway and Troy startled onto his elbows.

"Mom," he said accusingly, as if to tell her she shouldn't burst in on them.

"The door was open dear," she said. "As it should be. Apple pie?" She asked again.

"Yeah, sure," he nodded and sighed as he lay back down and felt Gabi's fingers curl back through his.

"Apple pie is nice," she said and he found a smile curling his lips.

"I think Anna; our house-keeper makes it." He offered.

"Home-made, even better."

"Do you bake?" He looked over and found her quietly laughing.

"No!" She offered through her giggles.

"Why's that funny?"

"How many girls do you know who play footie and bake?" She wondered.

"Well, I didn't know any girls who played football till I met you…" He excused shyly.

"I don't bake, Troy," she made that clear. "I'm sorry."

"Why sorry?" He rubbed his hair against hers.

She shrugged. "You're trying to be romantic and I just don't fit the bill."

He rolled over and propped on his elbow to look at her laid beside him. Her fingers missed his but she soon grasped his free hand and began tentatively touching his fingers, exploring the way his hand was made.

"Those bruises you have, they're from the game?" He guessed and she looked to him for a second, surprised he'd noticed.

"How did you know?" She murmured, rubbing his thumb with hers, a little suggestively if he wasn't imagining things.

"Well, you answered your door naked the other night…"

"Not my door," she amended. "My window…that you stalked me on…"

He rolled his eyes. "Still, I saw some bruises."

"Chad was kicking the ball right at me and I didn't go prepared," she admitted. "Now I have…padding."

"What kind of padding?" He wondered as her thumb rubbed over the top of his as it might run over the top of his- he gulped, swallowing at the image that filled his mind.

"I'll show you…" She rose from the bed and he watched her with a forlorn look, half glad her sensuous little hand-massage was interrupted and half disappointed, too.

She unzipped her bag and took out a bundle of bandages and held them up.

"These."

He frowned. "You wrap them around your body?"

She nodded, wrapping one over her vest; over her bust to show him how.

"They aim for your chest?"

She sucked her lower lip and avoided his gaze while she put the bandages back in her bag. As she lowered onto the bed again, he felt her reticence to discuss this, but the thought of her being targeted upset him.

"He caught me in the boob a few times," she admitted lightly.

"That is so wrong…" Troy murmured and she shot him a worried look.

"Don't try and get him back," she said. "It's not you and I don't want it to be."

"It hurts me that they're hurting you," he admitted.

"You have the cheerleaders. I have Chad," she reasoned.

"Yeah," he nodded of his nemesis.

"Have they done anything to you lately?"

Troy grasped her hand gently in his and brought it to his chest where the back of it touched his t-shirted skin.

"Shar said my earring made me look gayer."

Gabi giggled. "Is that the best she could come up with?"

"The weird thing is, when I was coming in from basketball in P.E, I took my top off as I walked down the hall and she was stood there staring at me the whole time…"

Gabi smiled and flicked her eyes to his. "You do have a nice chest, Troy."

She remembered this from their pool 'escapades'. She'd hardly think she could forget to be honest, but it didn't surprise her that Sharpay wanted a good look.

He offered her a little lop-sided smile that made her heart flutter. Jesus, that wasn't good! What was she? A little girl in love? Her heart didn't flutter for anyone, especially not the side-smiling, ruffled-looking, soft and delectable Troy.

"I'm glad you think so," he managed to husk out in response to her compliment.

"She was probably gutted she had been so horrible to you when she didn't know there was a hottie hiding under all that gay exterior," she joked and her dancing eyes met his.

"Hottie, huh?"

When he spoke to her in that low voice, she forgot all about him being a ballet dancer, forgot all about him being sweet and innocent and all those things that made her kind of like him all the more. When he spoke to her like that, she just felt hot, deep inside, between her thighs and outside, too, where her skin flushed with attraction. Jesus, he was hot, she couldn't deny it. It was okay to find him attractive; however it was not okay to get too attached.

So when she curled her hand around his neck and reached up towards the kiss he was leaning down to give; she reminded herself this was nothing more than a brief high school romance, no more no less. In a few months she'd be moving again and she'd have a new set of friends to meet, new boys to flirt with and the same missing mother she'd grown up with. That was her life, that was just the way it was….and this kiss was way too distracting to think about anything else she realized as she gave into the feeling and let her body soften in trust.

Troy leaned softly against her, not pushing, just experimenting with his tongue against hers and his chest against hers and she felt safe under his gentle weight; not trapped, not held; just embraced of her own accord. As her fingers drove into his tethered hair and she angled for a deeper kiss; a distant calling roused them from the deep.

As Julia Bolton knocked sharply on the door, they sprung apart instantly, panting a little and guiltily shifting to face her.

"Hi mom!" Troy rolled over and greeted, grasping his blanket to drape across his body.

"Dinner is ready." Julia clipped. "Gabriella, I'll drive you home after." She added.

Gabi lifted her brows at the meaning behind those hard words. She swallowed hard- against Julia's judgment and against the tingles across her body from where Troy's had been touching hers.

"Okay, Mrs. Bolton," she demurely slid off the bed and came around it to wash up, throwing Troy a look before she went, which he smiled wanly at.

Great timing! He cursed his mother for the second time that evening. He was so into that kiss, his body had reacted with the thought of what might else come after it and he was reminded of his innocence all over again. Teen guys did not get horny after one little kiss, he chided himself.

Luckily his mother left with a few clipped words about his friendship with Gabi and he was given a few moments reprieve to calm his teenage hormones.

Gabi wasn't the first girl to turn him on; but she was the first he wanted to have sex with. He just wasn't sure she wanted it, too. Yeah, she liked kissing him but that didn't mean she wanted more. And for the right reasons. When he remembered her flirting from before and his accusation that all she wanted was sex, he felt an awkwardness run over him. He didn't want to be that guy, either. The guy she just used for a means to an end.

No, he was sure if they kept on being 'friends' then something more might come of it. He just hoped his mom wouldn't ruin it all.