The tutor sessions had had no effect on Troy.
They occurred daily and Gabriella was starting to believe that maybe Troy didn't even need the help…there was something that just didn't add up about him. It was as if he didn't want to even try, destining himself to fail. At first, she had thought he wanted this, a new start, he'd been cocky enough about it. Now he was just...quiet, strangely quiet. He was a mystery waiting to be solved and she liked that about him, though she'd never admit it.
She'd been keeping her distance from him as she tutored him, not wanting a repeat of the previous week even though now she was becoming sure that the distance was not completely necessary. He was like a book in a foreign language, unreadable to her. Troy was emotionless to her, sometimes she even wondered if he had even done that, maybe she just dreamt it. Why had she not been pinched? What she didn't understand was that she was actually bothered by the fact that he was not showing any interest in her anymore.
"Gabs, you still coming over today?" Taylor asked, grabbing her friend's arm as she passed her in the hallway at the end of the school day, breaking her away from her thoughts.
Feeling her mouth hang open, Gabriella snapped it shut. Was she really blowing off her friends lately, like she thought she was? "Shit I completely forgot, Tay, I'm so sorry. I have to tutor," she groaned, trying to show that she was annoyed. But she wasn't annoyed, not in the least bit. She didn't know why but for whatever reason, she liked spending time with Troy...almost enjoyed it. He was just…different. He had been from the start, she never doubted that.
"It's fine," Taylor said with a laugh, walking backwards towards the main door of the lobby where her blonde friend was waiting. "Have fun!" She called with a wink, shaking her head as she turned around and left the building. Gabriella hadn't gotten into details when Taylor had picked her up that day she'd stomped out of Troy's house. Though she would not spill, Taylor had a way of knowing things, she always had since preschool. It was like the Taylor Mckessie gift.
Upon arrival, the gymnasium was empty, dead silent, so still that she could only hear her own footsteps and breathing. It took Gabriella's mind a few seconds to register that there hadn't been a basketball practice that day. All she had to do was slip into her father's office to pick up her bag where she'd stored it earlier that morning. She hated empty gymnasiums, glancing around was enough to give her the chills.
"I don't know what it is, Gabs," Sharpay said in a low tone, glancing from her friend to the blue eyed boy who sat at the end of the lunch table, looking like he was intentionally staying away from her. "…but something tells me that you and the new kid had some sort of rundown," raising her eyebrows to emphasize what she truly meant.
"Shar…" Taylor warned, her eyes wide, searching Gabriella's to see if the statement had bothered her in anyway, looking for some kind of truth or confession. Taylor hadn't been informed of everything that had happened so she did have suspicions like Sharpay, she was just more quiet about them, never forcing information that she knew wouldn't be dished out.
Gabriella shook her head lightly with a shrug, seemly unaffected by what Sharpay had accused. Her friends always had the gift of knowing when something wasn't right, when something had to have happened, big or small. Raising her head from where it was focused, her eyes no longer staring at the tabletop underneath her, looking at nonother than Troy who was sitting across the lunch table, looking at her as well. She would've turned away, blushing that she had been caught but she couldn't. Mesmerized, she kept her gaze fixated on him. Damn he was so smug. For a short-lived moment her chocolate eyes connected with his icy blue ones. The second they locked eyes, she felt him.
She didn't worry about getting caught in the boys locker room after school hours, the only faculty member that would've found her there was her father. Taking her time, Gabriella slugged her backpack over her shoulder, gripping one of the straps with her hand as she turned off the lights in her father's office and made her way back to the gym so that she could exit the area.
That was when she felt as though she'd walked right into her own nightmare.
The gym lights were definitely still on when she'd first entered the gym. Now, barely any sunlight leaked into the gym, only a small ray of light that poured through the tiny window on the door.
It was so silent all she could hear was her labored breathing until she heard the squeak of someone's shoes on the linoleum.
"Who's there?" Gabriella tried her hardest not to sound too panicked. No answer. Walking briskly towards the door, she tugged, only finding it locked. She cursed under her breath.
"I know someone's there."
Then she heard the laugh. Not just any laugh, it was his laugh.
"Troy! This isn't funny!"
"I find it rather humorous," He said, and just like that, he was directly behind her, dangling a set of keys right by her ear. "Finally, I found your weakness. Afraid of the dark? Montez, I thought you would do better than that."
Gabriella rolled her eyes. "I have no weaknesses," she stated this boldly, clearly a mistake.
She could feel his presence, his body moving closer to her, his warm breath hitting her neck, causing her to shiver.
"That's an awfully brave thing to say."
"It's true though," She wondered if her voice shook, deceiving her and giving away that she was lying. His hand fell on her hip, his fingers flexing over the curve, pulling her back into his chest.
This was not apart of the schedule.
Even though she wanted to pretend to be disgusted, she wasn't. Troy was that boy that parents warned you to stay away from, the type that you could just picture on a motorcycle with the symbol that made you stare sewed onto their leather jacket. He was the kind that you were supposed to glance at but then never look back or else you'd be hooked like a drug that you just needed, couldn't get out of your system. He gave off this dangerous vibe that was everything but repellant to Gabriella.
She rolled her shoulder back, seemingly aggravated, a weak attempt at brushing him off. No such luck.
Shuffling his feet, Gabriella now knew he was up to something, his movements causing her to move with him. He was making his way backwards, pulling her along gently. "Troy…"
He hushed her, only stopping when he'd backed into the gym wall. Only then did he release his hold on her, turning swiftly to cage her body between his and the wall. "Troy," She repeated a little louder this time, a little more assertive.
Rolling his eyes, Troy captured both of her hands in his, twining their fingers together tightly, giving her hand a squeeze. Gabriella closed her eyes as he pinned her hands above her shoulders, causing her breathing to grow heavier, Troy could see this. He could see her change in posture. Unlocking one of his hands from hers, he lightly brushed his finger across her cheek.
What was he doing? He never touched a girl like this, never looked at a girl like this. He was Troy Bolton. He got what he wanted and then ditched. This was still only a bet...right? Nothing had changed, nothing ever would. He too closed his eyes, silently cursing under his breath. He wasn't mad at her exactly, he just didn't know what made her so different. When Gabriella repeated his name for the third time in nothing more than a whisper his eyes met hers and he could feel that familiar spark light inside of him. He could almost groan in frustration.
Sensing the unease in her angelic voice, Troy pressed against her, letting his head fall to her shoulder, his lips tickling her ear. "Are you afraid?" This triggered her senses. He was taunting her, testing her. Gabriella knew that she could do the same to him.
"Never."
He could vividly remember the last time one word had awakened some kind of monster inside of him…but it was involving something completely different…painful.
"Bolton."
"Danforth."
Their glares intensified as they lined up midcourt, ready for the ball to drop. Who would gain possession? Well, that was up for grabs.
"You think you can handle the heat?" Zeke Baylor taunted for the side opposite of Troy, trying to get in his head.
"No he can't handle it," another wildcat mumbled.
Troy could barely hear his own teammates stringing together reassurances to keep his sanity. It was times like these when Troy knew that words couldn't bring him down, no words could ever upset him, tear down his wall. At least that's what he thought.
"He's going to die," Chad drew out the word knowing that the very sound of the sentence was chilling Troy right down to the bone. His face ashen and pale white, looking as if he'd seen a ghost, Troy left the court, walking off, never even looking back.
Before he even came to senses as to what he was doing, Troy slammed his lips against hers, feeling her own lips respond to his with equal pressure and he knew she wanted it just as bad. Nibbling at her bottom lip lightly, Gabriella allowed him to fill the space in her mouth with his tongue.
Exploring each others mouths, tongues battling, Troy let out a low moan when he felt her suck lightly on his tongue. He let her hands go, only to pull her closer by her waist, keeping on hand there while the other slid to her hips. Wrapping her arms around his neck, Gabriella tugged at the small hairs on the back of neck, sending a shiver down his own spine. Pulling away abruptly, he had to make sure if this was real, if he hadn't fallen asleep in class and it was all simply a dream. Taking his thumb to her lips where his had just previously resided, he brushed it across her bottom lip.
Looking anywhere but into his eyes, Gabriella almost immediately regretted it. All should could wonder was how many? How many other girls did he do this with? How many times in his life had another girl allowed him to do this? Why couldn't she be the only one?
She shied away, turning her face to the side, leaving Troy to stroke her cheek with his thumb. "Brie."
When she turned her head the slightest bit, his eyes, those blue eyes, penetrated hers and she couldn't let herself turn away. She shook her head and this time, Troy let her go without protest.
"I'm sorry."
They were the only words she spoke before she left, leaving him in the dark without a single clue about what had just went on.
