Playing With Fire



Summary: One night drastically alters the course of senior year. Now, graduation is the last thing on their minds as the gang are faced with problems that none of them could imagine, putting their relationships, their futures and even their lives at risk.

Pairings: Chaylor, Troyella.

Warnings: Possible mild language, violence, mentions of adult themes.


7. I Know What You Did

Troy couldn't sleep. All night, he stirred in his bed, perturbed by thoughts of Asher. Asher and Gabriella. His mind was in a constant battle against itself as one half of his logic tried to convince him that it must have been a lie and the other half was wracked with scepticism and suspicion. He trusted Gabriella. He hated himself for doubting her. But there was a part of him that he tried to suppress that knew that his distrust was called for. The signs had been staring him in the face for the past two weeks. He'd noticed, but tried to ignore them, hoping it would all just go away…

Why was he thinking like this? Gabriella would never do something like that to him. They loved each other. She was the most honest, loyal person he knew. She wouldn't cheat.

When Sunday morning finally rolled around, Troy considered it a blessing. He finally had an excuse to get out of bed. It didn't matter that it was still early. Within half an hour of leaving his mattress, he was on Gabriella's doorstep. He rang the bell many more times than was necessary and didn't stop until he was finally greeted by the sight of his dishevelled girlfriend in her dressing gown.

She stood at the doorway, rubbing her eyes, having clearly just woken up. Her hair was a mess, and her dressing gown was tied in a wonky fashion. Yet, to Troy, she still looked stunning. For just a second, when she smiled upon realising who she was addressing, Troy forgot why he'd come over in the first place. But only for a second.

"Troy." She continued to grin, pleasantly surprised and no longer bothered by being hastily dragged out of bed.

He scratched his ear, gave her a curt nod of the head, then made his way past her and into the house without a word. Gabriella shut the door behind him and followed him into the living room where he walked to the sofa but didn't sit.

"Is everything alright?" She asked. She stayed at a distance on the other side of the room. Troy's unusual behaviour was slightly distressing and his unexpected arrival had gone from a romantic surprise to a nerve-racking mystery.

He began to pace back and forth the small distance between the sofa and the coffee table. "I saw Asher yesterday." He told her, taking a moment to drag his gaze from the floor to her face to assess her reaction. It wasn't encouraging. Her skin visibly paled.

Biting down on her bottom lip, Gabriella tried to remain calm. But the cat was already out the bag. Troy knew. She knew he knew. "What did he say?"

"He told me you and him kissed." Troy said, the words repulsing him, even as he spoke them.

Gabriella could do nothing but stay silent. She could barely breathe, let alone talk. This was bad. This was so very, very bad. To Troy, his girlfriend's speechlessness spoke volumes. Devastating volumes. He felt his heart deflate and wanted to crumble to the floor right there and then.

"I guess it's true then." He said bitterly.

Gabriella crossed the room so she could stand right in front of him, desperate to force him to look at her. "It was nothing." She assured him frantically. "Really. Just an accident."

"Then why didn't you tell me?" Troy let his gaze fix on her bare feet. Her toes in the carpet with their shimmering purple nail-polish.

"Because it didn't mean anything." She tried to explain but struggled to put into words what she'd rationalised in her head. "I didn't want you worrying about it. I didn't think you'd understand."

Troy looked into her eyes but couldn't stand what he saw. His eyes returned to their previous position, but this time only looked at the carpet. "So you didn't trust me to believe you? Why?"

She didn't have an answer to that one. It bothered her. "I don't know." She should have trusted him. What did that say about their relationship?

"You don't know…" Troy repeated her words harshly, though he seemed far more upset than angry. "Neither do I." He said regretfully. "And that's not enough." This cryptic statement was the last thing to pass his lips before he headed to the front door and exited without looking back.


Chad brought the cigarette to his lips and inhaled a long, deep drag, delighting in the sensation as the thick smoke filled his lungs. It felt good, warming. Yet it stung the back of his throat. He was used to that now. He held the lungful of smoke for a while before leaning out of his open bedroom window and blowing it out into the fresh air. It was like releasing all his anxieties and watching them blow away on the wind.

As he prepared to take another puff, there was a knock at his bedroom door. He panicked. If his parents caught him smoking, he was dead. He stubbed the cigarette on the windowsill and tossed it out into the backyard. He shut the window. Grabbed a nearby can of deodorant and sprayed it around generously. Then he sat down on the edge of his bed and grabbed a sports magazine in an attempt to look like he'd been doing something.

"Come in." He called out.

The door opened at once and his mother poked her head in. "There's someone here to see you." She told him, taking a moment to sniff the air curiously before disappearing. In her place stood someone Chad least expected to see.

Taylor. She walked in, her face showing confidence, her feet showing apprehension, a large plastic box in her hands. It looked heavy and Chad instinctively rushed to her to take it. For a second they stood face to face, their hands touching on the handles of the box. Then she pulled away.

"I thought you'd want your stuff back." She said. Here eyes flickered between his face and the floor.

Chad said nothing and carried the box to his bed. "Thanks." He spoke quietly, secretly devastated. When he saw her, he'd sort of hoped… But returning his belongings was like drawing a line under their relationship. A line that spoke loud and clear. They were over. "I don't think I have anything of yours." That was a lie. He had one of her t-shirts at the back of his wardrobe. It still held her scent. He was keeping it.

Her job was done, but Taylor refrained from leaving. Her real intention today, the real reason she was here, was to tell him about the pregnancy. But how was she supposed to do that? Just come out and say it? She'd felt better after telling Gabriella. But this was a different story. Chad's reaction was everything.

She'd wait, she thought. She'd stall for a bit, get her thoughts together. Her one rule was that she couldn't leave Chad's house today without having told him. "D'you want some help unpacking it all?" She offered, crossing the room to stand beside him. Unintentionally, she stopped so close at his side that their shoulders touched. She felt him look at her but kept her eyes fixed on the box.

"Sure." He said, the surprise evident in his voice.

He started to pull random items out of the box and toss them carelessly onto his bed. Taylor did the same. Every once in a while, their hands would brush. A millisecond of bliss as they sorted through Chad's miscellaneous things; a baseball cap, magazines, CDs, socks, a stuffed animal…

"You can keep this." Chad said softly, holding the fluffy giraffe out to Taylor.

She seemed hesitant to take it as if such an offer was unheard of, but eventually relented. "You sure?" She asked, unconsciously clutching the teddy to her. Her fingers brushed through its soft fur. It made her feel warm inside.

Chad nodded. "It was yours anyway." He told her. "I won it for you, remember?"

She remembered. That date. The summer sun setting, turning the sky a luscious orange. The funfair was almost empty, the young punters heading home for the night. But Chad insisted on dragging Taylor to a stall where you threw plush basketballs into tiny hoops. She'd never forget how determined he was. He scored every one. He let Taylor pick their prize. They named the giraffe Galileo.

A fond smile now showed on both of their faces as they simultaneously reminisced. Those were better times…

"Chad, I have to tell you something."

The happiness of their memories had restored confidence in Taylor. She trusted the love they'd once shared and remembered why she'd always believed in Chad. Why she still believed in Chad. He had a kind heart. No matter what, he would stick by her.

Chad turned to her, and the concern on his face was all the more encouraging. "What's wrong?" He placed a hand on her arm and stared into her eyes with commanding care.

"Nothing." She shook her head. "I don't think-… I don't- I don't know." This was a lot harder than the speech she'd rehearsed all the way here. "It's not 'wrong' but…" She sighed. Recomposed. She was ready. It was simple. Just say it. "I'm pre-"

Chad's ringtone cut through her sentence with harsh brutality. He glanced at her apologetically and pulled his cell from his back pocket. Having checked the caller ID on the screen, Chad answered instantly.

"D, I'm kinda busy-" He smiled guiltily at Taylor.

She crossed her arms with impatience. She'd been so close. Now, that spontaneous confidence was gone.

"Why?" Chad continued. "Wh-… Is something wrong? Did I do something?" He paused and began chewing nervously on his nails. Then a smile lit up his face. "Really? Yeah, yeah. Alright, I'll be there." He hung up and looked back at Taylor.

"Uh…" He shuffled awkwardly. "Look, I'm really sorry but I've gotta head out."

Taylor nodded, wanting to cry. Chad priorities had just become very clear. The notion that he'd stick by her no matter what had proved itself wrong. "Right." She said brightly, trying not to sound bothered. "Yeah, no, of course. You- you go."

Chad pursed his lips guiltily but hurried away still. This was important. Damon had called to tell him that Trevor was impressed with his recent contributions to the gang. That was big. Trevor was the top dog. He was the unofficial boss of Chad's neighbourhood. And he wanted to see Chad to welcome him into the gang.

As bad as he felt about it, Taylor could wait.


Troy had turned his phone off. Gabriella knew because every time she tried to call him it went straight to voicemail. And she'd called him a lot. It was night now. She'd spent half the day fretting, hoping he'd come back, they'd sort it out. By noon, when none of the above had happened, she started ringing him. At first he just allowed it to ring. Eventually he turned his phone off completely.

Gabriella wasn't even surprised. She'd know all along that this would happen. From the very second that Asher's lips touched hers she could see how it was destined to end. This outcome was far from inevitable though. If she'd just been honest with Troy from the start then it wouldn't have been blown so disastrously out of proportion.

Exasperated, Gabriella decided it was about time she went to sleep. Things would be better in the morning. She hoped. Monday had a certain promise that made her feel like everything would get sorted out, one way or another. So, she hopped up from the rug on which she sat in the centre of her bedroom and switched on the stereo.

The lyrics filled her mind with anything but the thoughts of Troy and Asher and she was soon dancing around the room like a child. As she swayed and spun, a smile on her face, she removed her clothes in preparation for her pyjamas. But, by the time she was down to her undies, something just didn't feel right.

Her dancing slowed. She felt self-conscious. As if the room was suddenly full of people. She hurried to her wardrobe and threw on an oversized t-shirt before travelling to the window to shut the curtains.

There was someone in the backyard.

She caught just a glimpse. It was dark. It could have just been a shadow. Must have been. But there was movement. A person. In the garden. Watching her.

Gabriella was terrified. She snatched the curtains in both hands and flung them shut. She made sure there were no gaps. Then she rushed to her bed and climbed in, pulling the duvet right up to her chin. She didn't turn the light off. She couldn't. She even considered calling her mum from downstairs. But it was probably nothing. And if there was someone, they'd be gone by now.

God, the thought of it. A person watching her. She felt exposed. Violated. There was no way she was sleeping tonight.


A/N: Much love to the people who are still reviewing despite my unreliable-ness. It's nice to see new names added to the list of readers as well as the regular ones that return and leave their opinions each time! Keep it up people, I love it.

Pamylz, pumpkinking5, chaylorXtraylorlover, LadiiSmoothCriminalz, ChaylorTwilightQueen10, HSMtwilightLOVER, anonymus123 and the latest person to discover my story Team-Jacob10244- I'm glad you're enjoying it!

So we finally got our Troyella confrontation! I know it wasn't overly dramatic but I really don't see Troy getting all shout-y about it, do you? Don't be afraid to tell me if you think differently. And a Chaylor moment because I simply couldn't resist. I've kept them apart for far too long. The ending of this chap was kinda creepy :P Can you imagine seeing someone staring at your bedroom window at night?! OMG I'd actually die! And A little teaser for anyone that's bothered to read this far… Next chap; Troyella continue their discussion- but will it lead to reconciliation or will it just make things worse?

xX M Xx