Author's Note: -yayme- I'm still alive. You guys rather strangled Mackenzie than me, I like that. ;) Here's the promised update. Because of exams I might only be able to update at the end of the week, but I hope this chapter makes up for it in advance. Enjoy reading!!!

Chapter 10: I Love You

Troy was nibbling on his girlfriend's ear, when she let out a disabled moan that made her stomach move up. Troy was smirking into her cheek and started to make his way down her cheek to reach her mouth. He kissed her hungrily and she responded by wrapping her arms around his neck, going through his messy hair with her fingernails.

Troy was lying on top of Gabriella in his bedroom on Wednesday afternoon, both occupied in their first heavy make-out session after they got together. Gabriella's hands were now moving from his neck down to his chest, where she opened the first button of his shirt to reveal a bit of his muscular chest. She made him sit up, so that she was able to lift up her body as well. Gabriella started butterfly kissing down his chest by unbuttoning his shirt one button after another. Troy threw his head in his neck closing his eyes, obviously enjoying the touches of his girlfriend.

Gabriella stripped off the shirt of Troy's upper body and gulped noticeable. "What is it?" Troy asked her out of breath a little concerned. She smirked and pushed him over, so that he was lying with his back on the bed now.

"Oh nothing. I just never knew you were that well built" she whispered into his ear, while running up and down Troy's chest with her hands. Gabriella was driving him crazy with her touches. No matter where her skin met his, it made him get goosebumps all over his body and a heavy shiver was running down his spine. He opened his mouth again to kiss Gabriella again, who was just looking into his eyes without moving her hands an inch.

He pressed his lips onto hers again and pulled her closer down to himself. Troy moved his hands slowly down her back, feeling the clasp of her bra under his fingers until he reached her jeans and put his fingers into her beltloops. "Gabriella Anna Montez, you don't even know what you're doing to me" Troy spit out moaning slightly while moving his hands under her yellow tank top to unclasp her bra.

Gabriella cringed and Troy instantly took his hands out of her shirt. "I think we shouldn't do that now, Troy" she said severe kissing him on his nose before she got off him to find her shoes in the room. She could see the disappointed look on his face. "I'm sorry, sweetie, but I'm not ready for this" she said apologetically and put her black ballerina flats onto her feet. He lifted himself out of the bed and wrapped his arms around her stomach from behind.

"Don't worry, Ella, we have every time in the world" Troy whispered while kissing down her neckline.

Gabriella bit on her lower lip. "I have to go now. And you and your kisses don't make that very easy" she said smiling while turning around, looking into his eyes. She could drown in the aquamarine colour of his sparkling eyes. Caressing Troy's cheek with the back of her hand, she asked gently: "Are you picking me up in the morning?"

"Uh-huh" he said kissing her once more on her swollen lips before releasing her to let her go over to her parents' house.

"Oh by the way," Gabriella said already standing in the doorframe. "I overheard my mom talking to your parents on the phone yesterday. We're all eating dinner at our place Friday night" she explained grinning at Troy.

"Nice" was all he replied returning her grin, before she finally left his room.

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Gabriella was walking through the halls of East High looking for a certain tall dark haired boy. She looked into the gym, where she expected him the most, but the locker rooms there were empty. She asked Sharpay on her way to the cafeteria if she had seen him, but she denied. When she finally saw him sitting outside of the school listening to some hip-hop music on his iPod, she ran over and stood in front of him, shadowing him with her body.

"I still haven't found that stupid locket!" Gabriella almost spit out looking despaired.

Zeke was looking up at her taking his headphones out of his ears. "What locket?" he asked her confused and motioned her to sit down next him.

"You remember the silver necklace with the clinger we were looking for two days ago in the gym?" Gabi asked him. "It still didn't surface."

Zeke looked bewildered at the pretty brunette next to him. "And that's so bad why? I'm sure somebody found it and will give it to the lost-and-found office" he tried to calm her down.

"Yeah, that's what I'm afraid of. If anyone finds it, I'm screwed" Gabriella said now almost crying.

Wrapping an arm around her shoulders and pulling her closer to himself, Zeke gave Gabriella a questioning look.

She sighed. "This locket reveals my past, Zeke. It contains a picture of me and Cameron and words that will give away that he's my son. I can't have Troy find out about it that way. That's the reason why I didn't want to start a relationship with him in the first place. He means so much to me and finding out about Cameron will hurt him, especially when it's not coming from me" Gabriella whined into Zeke's shoulder and snuffled.

"Do you love him?" was the only thing Zeke asked.

Gabi gulped and thought about it for a moment. "Yes…I do" she whispered. She knew this was all going way to fast and she'd only met Troy two weeks ago, but she could honestly say that she loved him. Maybe even from the very first moment she saw him in the classroom that Friday.

Zeke smiled at her answer. "I can see that" he said. "And I'm pretty sure Troy feels the same way. So just go tell him about Cameron as soon as possible and I'm sure he'll understand." Gabriella nodded into his chest. "And don't worry about the locket. I'm sure we'll find it" Zeke assured her and kissed her on the forehead.

Gabriella was so grateful that she had someone to talk to. And she knew Zeke was right. She had to tell Troy, the earlier the better. Gabi gave Zeke a soft peck on the cheek, breathed 'thank you' into his ear and ran back into the school. The next class started in less than a minute, but Gabriella didn't really care. All she was thinking about was how to tell Troy about Cameron. She thought tonight would be a good opportunity, since he had no basketball practise in the afternoon and she was planning on spending the evening with Troy anyway.

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Troy tossed his Nike backpack on his messy bed and lay down next to it. He hated Thursdays, because although he had no basketball, the classes were totally wearing him out. He failed at the Botany exam third period today, because he basically forgot they were even writing it, his teacher in European History told him that he had to work harder to pass the class and the rest of the day wasn't the best either. His highlights of the day were the car rides with Gabriella this morning and a few minutes ago. She definitely knew how to build him up again after a day like this by only smiling at him with her special Gabriella Montez smile.

Troy couldn't stop grinning when he thought about his girlfriend. "What are you smiling about?" Amanda Bolton asked her son, standing in the doorframe with a tray of cookies in her hand.

He blushed noticeable. "Awww, nothing mom. Can't I just be happy in general?" Troy asked his mom shrugging. Amanda Bolton had an inkling what Troy was smiling about, but kept it to herself.

"I baked some cookies today and I thought you might like some" Amanda said while walking towards Troy's bed. "And there was this letter in the mail for you without an addressor" she continued placing the tablet and the letter onto Troy's bed.

"Thanks mom" Troy said smiling at Amanda.

"Anytime, sweetie" she returned the smile. "By the way, is Gabriella coming over again tonight?" Amanda asked Troy casually.

"Uh-huh" he mumbled already having half a cookie in his mouth.

"Aww, great. Just let me know if you guys want to eat something for dinner, okay? I'll be downstairs knitting a new sweater for Lexie" Amanda said excitedly.

Troy just smiled at his mother before she left, leaving him alone with his thoughts. He grabbed another cookie and shoved it into his mouth. His mother baked the best cookies in all New Mexico, he'd swear on that. Troy crumbled on his bed sheets, when he noticed the soft pink envelope lying in front of him. He grabbed it and looked at the front. 'Troy Bolton' was written there in neat handwriting. He tossed the letter around, but like his mother said, there was no addressor mentioned.

Carefully he opened the envelope and falling out of it was a little note written on the same pale pink paper and a familiar locket. "What is Ella's locket doing in that letter?" Troy mumbled curiously. He looked at the note and read: Hey Troy, I thought you might be interested in this. Just look on the inside, there will be a surprise for you.

Troy was totally confused now. Did Gabriella send him this letter? It wouldn't make any sense at all, since he knew she was still looking for that piece of jewelry, but who could have an interest in showing him what's inside of the locket? Troy had to admit he never asked Gabriella about it before. He knew she got it from her best friend in Chicago and he didn't want to hurt her by asking questions that might bring back certain memories.

Now he really wondered what the inside of this locket revealed and he opened it carefully.

Troy instantly dropped the necklace on his bed and sat there with an open mouth. He couldn't move, he couldn't think, he couldn't speak. All he was doing was sitting there deeply shocked.

He could feel a hand on the back of his shoulder. "Are you alright, Troy? You look pale" Gabriella said, who just came into the room seconds earlier, looking at him concerned. He still couldn't say anything. He just got up from the bed, took the locket into his fist and walked over to the window to breathe.

Gabriella had an irritated look on her face. She walked over to Troy and wrapped her arms around his chest. "What is it, sweetie?" she asked him afraid and tried to lock eyes with Troy. He shook her off and looked into her eyes for a few seconds, only to take her hand and put the locket into it.

He walked over to his bed again running his hand through his hair. Gabriella on the other side of the room felt her jaw drop. She had her locket back, but she also knew what this meant. "I wanted to tell you every day, Troy" she walked over to him despaired and took one of his hand into hers. He didn't say a word. "Seriously, I wanted to tell you since I first saw you making contact with Cameron." Gabriella tried to look him in the eyes, but his gaze went to the side the whole time. She caressed the knuckles on his hand. "Please don't be mad" she whispered now.

Troy couldn't hold it any longer. He slipped off his hand hardly and looked Gabriella straight into her brown eyes. There was no sparkle left, all she could see was hurt in his eyes. "Then why didn't you, Gabriella?" He hadn't called her that since they first met. "Why didn't you tell me you were already a mother? Didn't you trust me? I barfed my soul in front of you and you didn't care enough to tell me this little detail about your life" Troy called out very pissed off.

Gabriella started to cry and Troy instantly wanted to wrap his arms around her, but he knew he couldn't. She sat down on the very edge of his bed, covering her face with her hands. "I really wanted to tell you, Troy. I just didn't know how" she confessed without looking up. Troy was still hopping mad.

"What about 'Hey Troy, before we start dating you should know that I have a son who we pretend to be my brother when other people are around'. Huh, what about that? Doesn't seem so hard to me" Troy yelled at her, which made Gabriella cry even more.

Troy again walked over to the window looking out into nothing. He just couldn't face her right now. They spend a few minutes in the room not saying a word. Gabriella still on the bed and Troy at the window. He could feel her coming over slowly to him, but she didn't touch him this time.

"Look at me Troy, please" she said with a sick voice. He didn't move an inch. "Please, Troy!"

Slowly and carefully he turned around, his arms folded in front of his chest. He looked at her emotionless. "I didn't want you to get hurt again" she whispered. There it was again. The sentence Gabriella said after they first kissed. It suddenly made sense to Troy.

"What about the father?" he said with a dry voice looking down at his feet.

Gabi sighed in relief. He finally started talking to her again. "He's out of the picture. He left me before Cameron was even born. He blamed the pregnancy on me" she said gentle putting both her hands into his and he let her.

"How did you…? I mean how…?" Troy tried to form a question.

"I was taking antibiotics and it immunized the pill" she explained. "I didn't know about that and as chance would have it, we didn't use a condom that night either" Gabriella said trying to be 100 honest with Troy now.

"What an asshole" Troy whispered, still not looking at Gabriella. "So that's why you moved here?" he continued asking.

She only nodded and moved a step closer to him. "Troy, I need you to forgive me. I didn't want to fall in love with you. I really fought against it, but I lost. I'm head over heels in love with you, Troy Alexander Bolton and I don't want this secret to ruin everything we have.

She looked him into the eyes now, tears running down his face similar than on her own. She cupped his face with her hands and kissed him with more devotion than ever. Troy felt her soft lips on his and kissed her back for a short second, before he moved away a few inches.

"I can't" he said sorrowful, able to see the hurt in Gabriella's mimic. "I really can't. I trusted you and you lied to me. I guess you were right when you said I wasn't ready for a new relationship!" Troy said softly still holding Gabriella's hands in his.

Now Gabi knew why the face she was looking at looked so familiar. It was the same face she was looking at when she first met him. The same hurt soul she was trying to heal with her own.

He let go off her hands and turned to the window again, shaking. "I want you to go now, Gabriella" Troy whispered determined.

She nodded sad at heart, even though she knew he couldn't see her. With a hanging head she left the room and Troy could swear he heard her say 'I love you' before she turned off into the hall.

Arriving in her own room after what seemed like an hour to her, Gabriella jumped on her bed, letting out all the tears she didn't want to cry in front of Troy. From her bed she could look out of the window and normally she instantly started to smile when she saw Troy sitting in his room. But this time it saddened her even more, because the dark blue curtains were closed. They were never closed before. Not even at night.

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You can shoot me now. I'm prepared. ;) Please R&R, I'd love to hear what you think.