Jadiee- LOVE YOU! Lol x

Toogoodtobetrue- I'm updating! Best reviewer everrrrr ;)

DayDreamingOfYou- Ah thank you! I wish my school was that cool too lmao.

Crystal- glad I could make you laugh :D

BoOkWoRm- this story is actually finished and I write like crazy so no fears there ;) I am so pleased you're enjoying it, it makes sharing my stuff so worth it.

Nikki- thanks for the review, I know you'rre busy!

Zanessafaith- haha what a fall-out huh?

Fanficfan1122- Updated!

Fishing- thanks!

AddyD90- Ta, mate.

Midnight113- Ah thaaaanks :*)

Batzmary- *sigh* so true…

Ilovechiz2199- OMG thank you! I sorta chose George for the similarity lol.

Hisboo13- I know a lot about fronting and being stubborn hehe

Pumpkinking5- yay thank you.

MariaTyler- so glad :)

NeverSayNever- update is heeeere.

Juli93- hmm, I wonder?

Stars Walk Backward- shy, uncomfortable Troy reminds me A LOT of Zac :)

Bluebell140- thank youuuu.

Dyeitrouge- :D

Aly- thank you!

Dancedivaw1309- I freaking love your review too.

Cncgrad02- thank you for that comment I worked so hard at making that feeling so I'm glad it came across :)

Chapter 9

So who do I go to when I have a problem? Gabi pondered the irony of her hobby- the fact that she helped half of Albuquerque's needy teens but she had no-one to talk to when she felt her world closing in.

She could call Kelsey…she considered briefly, then decided against it as she realized her friend would no doubt start quizzing her about Troy again…What about Ryan? Too busy with drama club, she sighed.

There was one other person…one who knew what having cracked parents was like, but she had only said Goodnight to him an hour ago and there was no way she was going to give him the impression she needed him. Not on this earth. Never. No way.

BlueEyes: You're up late.

Gabi's IM startled her and she smiled down sadly at her frequent customer.

TezzyG: So are you.

BlueEyes: So what's bothering you?

TezzyG: Nothing. How are you?

BlueEyes: You don't get out of it that easily…

TezzyG: I'm the helper, remember? Not the helpee…

BlueEyes: Just for one night can you pretend to be? It might make me feel better…

TezzyG: What knowing someone is worse off than you? ;)

BlueEyes: Just not thinking about my problems for once.

Gabi sighed. She couldn't argue with that.

TezzyG: Well you remember how I said my dad did something bad?

BlueEyes: In bad-ass Detroit, with a gun…

TezzyG: Well he's in prison. And will be for a while. And he wants to see me.

BlueEyes: You don't want to see him?

TezzyG: He's my father, but I hate what he did. And it scares me.

BlueEyes: Going inside?

TezzyG: It's his home, not mine.

BlueEyes: It's a hard decision

TezzyG: No magic answers?

She smiled at her teasing question, relief flooding her that he understood wordlessly how she felt. She panicked for a minute that he might judge her for having a convict for a father.

BlueEyes: Do you love him?

TezzyG: Yes of course. Even though I hate him, too.

BlueEyes: Then you should go. You'll always regret it if you don't.

TezzyG: What if I hate it and wished I never went?

BlueEyes: That's a risk you'll have to take…is there anyone you can take with you?

TezzyG: My mom, I guess…

BlueEyes: A friend?

TezzyG: Nobody knows…I want it to stay that way.

BlueEyes: I wish I was your friend, Terri. I'd go with you.

She felt tears threaten at BlueEyes' sweet offer and wondered for a moment if he was right. Should she confide in someone and share this burden?

TezzyG: It's your turn to spill…

BlueEyes: Not tonight. Goodnight, beautiful x

Gabi gasped at the compliment and watched as the 'logged off' message came up; leaving her panicking that he might know who she was. But then he wouldn't call her beautiful if he did, she mused with a self-depreciating eye roll. Silly girl, she berated herself.

But what did he see that was so beautiful? Her words?

She restlessly laid in bed and tossed half the night as the news of her father and her ensuing conversation with BlueEyes tumbled together in one big mess.

So much for beauty sleep.

/

"What happened to you?" Kelsey, ever the discreet demanded the next morning as Gabi staggered off the bus and peered through bleary eyes.

"Late night," she excused, sighing.

"Your hair is flat…" Her friend observed.

"And you're wearing sweat pants…" Ryan added, horrified.

"I'm what?" She looked down, realizing she hadn't actually changed out of her lounge clothes or styled her hair this morning and she quickly wrapped the messy curls up into a bun and pretended she wasn't wearing grey sweats tucked into ugg boots and a tight white vest with nothing to cover her arms.

"You should go home…" Kelsey offered gently. "You're not well."

"I'm perfectly well, thank you," she snapped tetchily.

"Perfectly well-formed!" Jason cross called as he loped up behind them and Gabi gave him a tight smile.

"Thanks for that totally inappropriate and badly-timed comment, Jase," she sarked, closing her eyes as she felt dizzy.

"Sorry," he held his hands up and glanced back at her. "Nice rack!" He called before he headed inside and Gabi looked down her front, not seeing what Jason saw.

"I have no rack…" She murmured confusedly and looked to Kelsey.

Her friend shrugged. "That vest is kinda tight…"

"Ryan, give me your tank top," Gabi held her hand out expectantly towards her friend who wore a pink shirt and a pink knitted tank with diamonds on.

Ryan looked affronted. "My outfit…" He beseeched and Gabi let out a frustrated roar.

"Oh alright! I'll flash the entire of East High with my 'tight' vest then shall I?" She bemoaned and sank her head back to pray for divine intervention.

"Who mentioned flashing?"

Troy's voice joined the circus and Gabi didn't think she could take much more. Luckily her friend answered for her.

"Gabi forgot to get dressed this morning and is having a crisis over that vest," Kelsey pointed to Gabi's attire and Troy leisurely assessed the offending item.

His eyes shone as he flicked his gaze from her small, perfect breasts down to her tiny, impossible waist and then he stopped as the thin band of flesh between her vest and her pants hinted at the curve of her hips. Those shirt-dresses did nothing for her figure, he decided of her new, tight top.

There were many things he could have said- most of them teasing, but he merely pursed his lips against the urge to wind her up even more and lifted his eyes to hers.

She looked at him expectantly.

"Do you want my hoodie?"

Apparently that was also the wrong thing to say because she glared at him with her usual hatred.

"No I do not want your hoodie! What would people think?" She cast out.

"That you borrowed his hoodie…" Ryan offered hesitantly.

"That is so not what people would think;" she glared at her friend and he held his hands up.

"Sorry…"

"Gabi, calm down," Kelsey gripped her upper arms and looked into her face. "Do you want my top?"

Gabi gritted her teeth. "It's a halter-neck, Kelsey. Just where do you think I'm going to find boobs to fill it?"

Kelsey sighed and gave up, taking Ryan's hand to lead him away while Troy was left to fend for himself in the firing line of the angry Montez female.

"The offer still stands." Was all he said.

"Why are you still here?" She wondered, surprised at his staying power when her friends had walked off.

"You look like you had a bad day," he shrugged. "Or night…" He added.

"Maybe both," she sighed and let her shoulders sag in surrender.

"Do they always walk off like that?" He asked of her friends.

"When I'm having a hulk moment, yes," she recognized.

"Hulk moment?" His eyes twinkled with amusement as he slipped his bag off his shoulder and laid it to his feet. "Nah, I've seen worse…"

She watched him pull his hoodie over his head; messing his hair in the process but that wasn't all she noticed. She also saw the flash of that belly when his tee-top rode up for a second while he pulled off his jumper.

"Here," he was handing her the top as she stared. "Gabi?"

"Huh?" She snapped her head up and met his amused gaze.

"The top?" He held forth his hoodie.

"Oh right, of course;" she nodded and took the warm jumper and looked at it.

"If you don't want people to see you wearing it just say the word and I'll drop you home to get changed…" He ventured at her distracted gaze.

Gabi quickly snapped into action. "No, it's okay. It's just a top, right?" She asked.

/

Just a top?

Nice try, Montez, she sighed to herself as the fifth cheerleader of the twelve-strong group approached in that day.

"Are you wearing Troy Bolton's top?" Amelle asked, o'ing her mouth.

"No, it's my brother's," she quipped with a dull eye-roll.

"You don't have a brother…" Amelle commented as Gabi walked on.

"Go figure…" Gabi remarked on a sigh and accidentally bumped into the next student who apparently liked walking down the hall backwards.

"Watch it!" She hissed as her books fell to the ground.

"You watch it, Swotty," Chad Danforth turned and smiled at her.

"Don't call me that," she gritted her teeth and bent for her books.

"So you put out then…" Chad remarked and she sighed and stood, books rescued with no help from the arrogant black boy.

"What?" She sighed irritably.

He reached out to grasp the shirt, making her step back where she faltered, not sure of his intent as his fingers gripped right above her breast.

"You're wearing Bolton's top. That means you gave out…"

"Of course it does, how stupid of me," she said levelly and went to move.

Chad had other ideas and his fisted handful of her top kept her trapped.

"Want a go behind the gym later?" He lifted a brow.

"As inviting as that sounds," she quipped. "No thanks."

"Hey, Montez," he pulled her back again, just gently, so no-one around them would suspect. Her hard eyes met his. "Don't forget your place." He warned.

He let go of her top and she conscientiously rubbed out the ruck he had caused as she walked on; bumped by another body as she went.

"Jeez, this is one of those days," she sighed, then looked up. "Sor-"

She paused as she looked into blue eyes.

"What did he say?" Troy wasn't even looking at her anymore, she realized, he was squinting down the hall.

"Who?"

He twisted his lips in annoyance. "Chad."

"Nothing," she frowned, surprised to him tense with anger.

"He's had it in for me ever since I quit the team…" He commented and Gabi nodded.

"Explains a lot."

Again, those blue eyes searched hers. "Did he hurt you?"

She tilted her head. "You don't need to protect me, Troy. I can look after myself."

"This isn't about you," he assured with a glitter in his eyes that she hadn't seen before. "This is about Chad bringing you into something he doesn't need to…"

"Are you two fighting?" She wondered.

He avoided her gaze. "No."

Good, right. Glad I asked…

"I'm going to be late," she said of his blocking her route to class.

"We have math, anyway," he said flatly.

"I know."

"I'll walk with you," he stated and she followed him inside the room, choosing to sit with Kelsey and not fuel any more rumours about the status of her and Troy's friendship.

"Where have you been- making out?" Kelsey hissed across the desk as Gabi slid into her seat and the dark-haired girl groaned and lay her head into her arms.

/

"I would rather be wearing a dress than these sweats," Gabi grumbled as Troy pulled up in the drive of his house for their homework assignment.

"I wouldn't," he grinned back and she blushed.

"These are not sexy," she arced as she slid out of the high truck just as Troy came round and he stood, awkward at missing his chance to help her down.

"Oh…okay…" he fidgeted and turned toward the house where she followed, lifting one brow to his back.

Why had he gone all weird on her, she wondered?

"Mom!" he called. "I'm home!"

Gabi hugged her books to her chest and swallowed nervously, even though she had met Mrs. Bolton and the lady had let her go up to Troy's room unannounced the last time she came. Somehow tonight was more… official.

"Hello, son," Mia Bolton greeted as she came into the hallway. "Hello, Gabi…"

"Hello Mrs. Bolton," Gabi smiled shyly.

"It's nice to see you again…"

"You too," she ventured nervously.

"Well, I've just put some party food in the oven so when it's ready you can just come down and help yourselves whenever you're ready…" she offered.

Gabi licked her lips. "Sounds lovely."

Troy remained quiet while they climbed the stairs to his room and he let her inside, finding a more tidy version of the previous pig-sty she remembered.

"She's nice," Gabi said of his mum. "It's hard to imagine…" She broke off, not wanting to broach that subject.

"It's hard to imagine her screaming her head off?" Troy looked to her. "Well wait till my dad gets in, then you'll be surprised…"

"Why don't they get on?" Gabi wondered, sitting on the edge of the bed and Troy sat beside her, shrugging.

"God knows."

"They argue about everything?" She checked and he nodded, solemnly.

Gabi was reminded of the mystery boy she talked to online with the same difficulties and she squinted at the boy beside her, for one second wondering if he wasn't one and the same…No, she laughed to herself. Troy wasn't like the guy online. He wouldn't understand her situation with her father or make her feel better without trying…

But then, he did, she conceded. Sometimes just the sound of his voice or the pull of a funny face made her smile and she considered that every time she had been annoyed to see him; had been a moment she was also secretly pleased to see him.

But then when would she not be secretly pleased to see him, she mused? He was tall and muscled and owned a tummy to die for…what sane girl would not want to date Troy Bolton?

She looked up, surprised to see his intent stare on her face- on her lips to be precise and he leaned toward her, his intention clear and she took a small gasp in that parted her lips and it annoyed her even more that she couldn't be this close to him and not want to kiss him…since when did she want to kiss anyone, she wondered?

Especially Troy Bolton.

Especially Troy Bolton and his soft, sweet lips; and his softer, touchable hair…and yes…those wide shoulders and beautiful neck to grasp onto with shaky need as her small body pressed to his-

"Troy…?"

The call of his mother broke them apart and Gabi sat back in shock, swallowing as she touched her lips in surprise.

Had she just kissed him? Troy? She'd just kissed him! She'd kissed him and clung to him like her entire life depended on it and now he was staggering across his room like he was drunk on the back of it, his hair sexily messed by her hands…

"Uh…" He looked back on her, as if not wanting to leave her and wanting to bolt in the same moment. He licked his lips and blinked away the desire of the last moment.

"It's okay, go…" She murmured, needing a moment to herself to recover and remember who she was and what the hell she was doing in Troy Bolton's bedroom? KISSING him of all things! She groaned and leaned back on the bed.

What was she thinking?

Well, she wasn't, she mused. She clearly wasn't thinking and it was all down to that stupid belly he flashed her this morning in giving her his top; and maybe a little to do with the said top, too, seeing as it smelled of his musky scent and other things besides.

That was it, she reasoned, flinging his top off onto the bed and giving it an admonishing stare.

"Stupid top…" She told the inanimate object, flopping back on the bed while she waited for Troy to return.