Chapter 10: Caught

Gabriella would be lying if she said she wasn't nervous beyond belief. Actually, that would be a lie too, she had already passed the point of being nervous out of her entire being—now she was just frozen and completely paralyzed with the anxiousness that rushed through her body. In that anxiousness, she could also feel the hint and tingle of excitement, of daring and seductive desire that just whispered the risks and dangers that she was about to face by going out, in public, with her professor.

It scared her, paralyzed her, and excited her all at once.

So needless to say, it wasn't that hard for people to believe her when she said she had suddenly come down with something, blaming it on a bad scone she had probably eaten in the last few days. The nervousness that paralyzed her kept her still and clammy so that her fellow students and musicians could only offer her sympathetic glances and apologies that of all days she would fall ill, it had to be their only and last free day. Gabriella has graciously accepted their sincere sympathies, and assured them that she would be fine, staying in the hotel room alone, and that they should all have fun while she rested up.

Kelsi lingered behind as everyone filed out of the room, whispers growing into excited chatter about what they were going to do for the rest of the day.

"Are you sure you'll be ok alone?" Kelsi asked,

"I will, don't worry Kelsi, you should go have fun," Gabriella assured her friend,

"Maybe I should stay…just in case…"

"No!...D-Don't miss out on a free day because of me, it'll make me feel bad that I made you stay when you were so excited," Gabriella quickly recovered. Kelsi bit her lip, looking as though she was unsure if she should leave her ill friend by herself,

"Well maybe I should just let Professor Bolton know how you're feeling…" Kelsi said slowly. Gabriella could feel her heart palpitate at the mention of his name, and she was sure some red was tinting her cheeks,

"T-That would be fine if it makes you feel better," Gabriella said quickly. Kelsi bit her cheeks, nodding,

"I'll try to come back as soon as I can," Kelsi said,

"Don't worry Kels, I'll be knocked out from medicine anyway, so I'll probably try to catch up on as much rest as I can, take your time and have fun." Gabriella assured her friend once more. So it was with great reluctance that Kelsi left their shared hotel room, passing by their professor as he was on his way to visit his ill student. Kelsi went to join her other friends, sparing a quick glance back.

Gabriella did look like she was uncomfortable…maybe she just thought too much, Kelsi decided.

XXX

It didn't take long for the room to be cleared before Gabriella shot out of bed and into the washroom. If she was right—and usually she was for these types of things—Troy would be walking through that door (or knocking at least) in a few minutes, and she only had those few minutes to go from being 'sick' to being ready for a date (Was this a date?) with her professor.

How was she supposed to look? Should she go casual—that way she wouldn't seem too eager. But then what if he interpreted that to mean she wasn't interested?

Gabriella considered doing her hair, fix her make-up and perhaps a cute skirt and floral top with leggings and boots—that was outside her normal wear…but this was also not normal. But then would she seem too eager then? She had read somewhere that boys didn't like it when girls seemed too eager.

Would it be too weird if she tried to look sexy? She knew Kelsi had brought a black mini skirt that she would be able to borrow that would hug her body nicely. Paired with a pair of black tights and heels and some make up even she would admit she was ready to head somewhere to be noticed. But would it be too weird for a student to look like this for her professor?

Gabriella shook her head in frustration. This was completely and utterly ridiculous and hopeless. There was no precedent for such a situation like this. There was no guidebook, or poll or articles from the nearest Cosmopolitan to guide her in this. After all, who in their right mind would write an article on "How to Dress for a Date with your Married Professor"?

She finally settled for a pair of comfortable leggings, a floral tank top, and the simple leather jacket paired with a warm white scarf. Did she realize she had pulled on the jacket she had worn the same night they had spent the night together? If it didn't, it was because that idea was at the crevice of her mind, and if she did realize it, then Gabriella was probably more of a flirt and tease than she thought she was.

Outside the door, Troy cleared his throat and waited as the last of his students filtered out of the hotel room. If anyone asked, he was here checking up on a sick student under his watch.

Nothing out of the ordinary…to the naked eye.

A closer look would show that Troy had opted for a pair of comfortable black jeans, and light grey sweater that wasn't too large, but wasn't too tight either, hinting at the obvious physique he possessed. His hair was a tussled mess that fell alluringly over his blue eyes, and he would have to admit to standing in front of the mirror for a few minutes more just to make sure he looked good, but not to the point where he was obviously trying for attention.

When was the last time he had focused so much on his looks like this? One year, two year? It must've been before Sharpay and he had gotten married…back when they were young, clueless and innocent.

He tried to calm himself, but there was no denying that he felt like a teenager again, nervous at a level he never thought he would reach, and sweating in places he never knew could sweat (all of a sudden biology class just seemed so important).

"Straighten up Bolton, you're a grown man, not a teenager," his mind gave him the all too familiar pep talk. But this time the pep talk wasn't that helpful.

He was a grown man, and he was about to take a young woman (the age difference far greater than he cared to think about) on a date…while he was married, after they had slept together, and had been close to doing so again less than 24 hours ago in one of the most prestigious performing theatre in England.

No, this was nothing like his teenage years.

Which was why he knocked on the door, and waited for her to show up in front of him, because this was nothing like he had ever experienced, nothing like he could ever imagine?

It was seductively and fatally attractive.

Gabriella opened the door and shyly lifted her eyes to be caught in a sky blue trap. Her heart fluttered and her body reacted to him standing there, and his soft but alluring cologne invaded her clean air.

She was trapped, and she was done for.

Troy's eyes slowly trailed her body and drank in the sight of her. The leggings encased what he knew to be tone, slim and powerful legs and—his breath hitched, was this seriously what he thought it was?—the leather jacket that he so clearly remembered unzipping and peeling off her body now encased her silhouette as if to taunt him that it hid what he couldn't (or tried not to) have.

"A-are ahem are you ready?" Troy asked as casually as he could, failing to hide the break in his voice. Gabriella only let out the smallest of smile, whether amused at him, or that she was just as nervous. Either way, she nodded her head as she quickly closed the door, and made sure it was locked. She followed him from behind as he led her to the elevator and punched the button to go to the garage level. She looked up at him,

"It'll be easier if we avoid the main entrance, there's less chance in getting caught and…I rented a car for today so it'll be easier to go to places that the rest of the class wouldn't be in." Troy cleared his throat as he kept his sight forward. In his mind he felt like he was justifying all the reasons why he wanted them to be so far away, but deep inside he knew if someone saw, it would be the end for both of them—her life as a young teenager and his career.

Gabriella nodded, feeling red fill her cheeks. She knew there was a reason why they were so discreet, and for all she knew this could be the first and only time they would be out like this. But she ignored that fact purely for the fact that the pumping of her heart took over all sense, logic and reason.

Because there was no sense, no logic, and no reason in the situation they were both in right now. There was no black and white, they were treading, swimming even in the grey. And neither of them wanted out.

XXX

Troy had rented a simple small smart car that made it easy for them to maneuver through the twist and turns of England roads. Gabriella sat quietly as she gazed out the window, seeing history fly by in blurs, and people passing without noticing them.

England was such a beautiful place, she decided, full of history and a sense of calm despite its bloody past. There was a sense of comfort that she found in this country, a freedom she hadn't been able to feel in a long time.

And part of her believed that this freedom came from the man currently trying to get used to driving in a different side of the car.

"Where are we going?" Gabriella asked softly. Troy gave her a side glance and a lopsided smile,

"Coast line," he said simply, "I thought we could have some peace and quiet time there,"

The gesture, and thought of the whole idea was so simple, and straight forward it had caught Gabriella off guard. So far, their entire relationship (if this was a relationship) was anything but simple, and yet their upcoming activity was something so normal that it shocked her, and excited her at the same time.

"I haven't been to the ocean before," Gabriella said excitedly, clasping her hands in front of her like a child glowing in Christmas. Troy chuckled beside her,

"Really?"

"Really! My parents never really had the time to take vacation, and I was always taking extra classes…" Gabriella trailed off, clearing her throat at the obvious uncomfortable subject. Troy caught how she tensed as the mention of her parents, instinctively placed a hand on her thigh for comfort. His touch surprised her, but she accepted it gratefully.

"The shoreline is beautiful, it'll be a little cold, but it'll be a nice sight," Troy said. He then rambled on about the musical history in England, and Gabriella found herself hanging onto every single one of his words—partly due to her passion in music, but mostly because she couldn't help but be attracted to the sound of his soft, deep voice that matched his gentle blue eyes.

Their drive lasted a little bit over thirty minutes before Troy parked the car in a relatively empty parking lot. Slightly confused, Gabriella stepped out of the door, her senses instantly assaulted by a salty breeze and moist air.

"The ocean?" Gabriella squeaked her eyes lit up as she took in her surroundings before landing on Troy. Troy held a lopsided smile that sent her heart running as he shoved his hands in his pocket and shrugged.

"It's pretty far out from the hotel and main tourist district…" Troy trialed off, unsure of what to say. Truth be told he couldn't think of what to say when he saw her delighted expression and the excited twinkle in her eyes. It left his mind blank, and that was the only thing he could think of to say.

If Troy had caught the slight dip in her excitement at his words, he didn't react. Gabriella bit down the unknown twinge in her chest when he said that as she decided to focus on the view around her instead. She started walking off on her own, walking closer to the edge of the raised cliff where it was fenced so that people could not reach the shore below during high tide.

For the longest time the pair walked in silence, the sound of waves crashing onto the shore being the only sound between them. Troy couldn't help but be aware at their close proximity. It wasn't that he was making himself aware of it, he couldn't help but to be aware of it. The way the ocean breeze brushed passed her hair and mixed her scent with the salty scent in the air that served to wash him of all coherent thought.

What was his reason to bring her here?

There was none…other than the fact that the one thing he wanted to see was the same, blissfully carefree face he had seen when he first bumped into her on her first day at Julliard's. The look of wonder and innocent amazement tugged at Troy deep inside him, and he found it to be endearing. The past few days, she had not bore that face, and as much as he hated to admit it, Troy knew he was the reason. And he wanted to do something to see that face again.

He was limited to what he could do…both being in a foreign country and because of his position as her professor. As they walked by the shoreline, he found himself absently vowing that he would take her out again, to see that same blissfully carefree expression on home land. The fact that he had promised himself that this fledgling relationship (if this was indeed a relationship) would continue once at home slipped his mind.

"Oh!" Gabriella gasped, bringing Troy out of his reverie. He looked down and a smile tugged at his face when Gabriella toed around a shell lying on the sandy beaches. "Look!" She picked it up with vigour of an eight year old on Christmas and beamed at him, shoving the delicate object at him.

"It's a seashell," Troy pointed out the most obvious. Gabriella mocked glared at him,

"Thank you Professor Obvious," she rolled her eyes playfully, "I know what it is, just look how pretty it is!" her innocent beaming smile was back, paired with her rosy cheeks that showed her happiness. Troy wished he had a camera; he wanted to take a picture of what she looked like right now.

"You know what a seashell is right?" Troy said teasingly. Gabriella looked at him like he was insulting her, and he continued, "They're home to all sorts of sea creatures. You never know what might be living in there right now." Gabriella scoffed at him (scoffed at him!), and made a show of confidently turning the seashell around to prove him wrong. No sooner had she done that, little legs and a head popped out. Gabriella let out an unintentional squeal, and flung the shell away from her, hitting Troy squarely on the chest before falling back down to the sandy earth, where the tiny shellfish scurried away.

Gabriella gasped and her hand flew to her mouth to hide her laughter, her eyes wide. Troy's eyes looked at her, and his face was blank. Gabriella had to admit that was the funniest face he had ever seen.

"I-I…I am so, so sorry…" Gabriella wheezed out breathlessly between her fingers. Troy blinked again, and it took him a full minute before he cleared his throat,

"Did you just throw…a shellfish at me?" He asked in such a simple way that Gabriella had to stifle her explosion of giggles.

"I-I swear I didn't it just—I slipped I swear…you should have seen you face…" Gabriella's sentence lacked all sense of coherency as she dissolved into giggles once again. Troy could feel the faint (and frankly foreign) rumble of laughter he tried to suppress inside him. Instead he bent down, eyes still connected to hers, and picked up the shellfish that tried and failed to scurry away. Gabriella's eyes widened,

"You-You wouldn't…" she whispered stepping backwards. Troy only smirked,

"Would I?"

"You wouldn't dare—EEK!" Gabriella squealed and shot off running to the other direction, Troy hot on her trail. There were only a few scattered people and couples here and there, and it made their chasing that much easier without worrying about bumping into people. Gabriella had no idea where she was going, only knowing she had to be as far away from the shelled creature as possible—that in itself was proving to be difficult, seeing as Troy had the stamina and speed that one wouldn't associate with a music conductor.

"Got'cha!" Troy shouted as he wound his arm around her waist, trapping her to him. Gabriella's laugh echoed in his suddenly hollow head as all he focused on was her warm body in his arms, and the way she struggled against him to be free.

"I'm sorry! I give up! Let me go!" she laughed struggling against him. The two failed to realize the looks they were getting from the strangers around them, some shaking their heads with warm and understanding smiles. Gabriella turned around, her cheeks red and chest heaving,

"I give up." She repeated with finality. Troy smirked, loosening his grip on her.

"No one ever throws shellfish at me and gets away with it." Troy smirked in triumph. Gabriella harrumphed but had a smile on her face. As they attempted to untangle themselves, they unintentionally bumped into an elderly couple who had also been looking for a peaceful stroll.

"Oh! Oh I'm so sorry," Gabriella quickly apologized. The elderly lady smiled gently and chuckled,

"Not a problem dear," she said with a thick English accent, "Such a young and lovely couple, I remember the days when I pranced around as you did, with this old bugger here," she teased her elderly husband affectionately.

"I-we're not…" Gabriella stuttered, Troy blinked, the comment taking a while to sink in. His wedding band caught light in the setting sun, and he suddenly felt like a ton of rocks had settled in his stomach. Troy and Gabriella excused themselves politely as they made their way back to the car in a more demure mood than before.

"I think—"

"We should head back." Gabriella finished for him. Settling into the car, their car ride back to the hotel was just as quiet as the ride there, now with an unspoken shield between them.

XXX'

When Gabriella got back to her room, Kelsi was still absent. Gabriella knew that was a good thing because that meant that she had snuck out, and got back without anyone noticing her unexplained absence. But a small part of her wished her friend was there, and that she had someone to talk to about the hole she had dug herself.

She took a warm shower, got into her t-shirt and shorts and snuggled into her bed. Minutes after, the room door opened signaling Kelsi's return.

"Gabby?" Kelsi's voice was quiet and cautious. Gabriella let out a small noise of acknowledgement. She was supposed to be sick so that would suffice, and besides she wasn't sure how she would answer any questions Kelsi might have had if she asked after her health.

"Are you…are you sleeping?" Kelsi asked again softly. No answer. Sighing the auburn brunette quietly took her shoes off, her mind spinning in a thousand directions.

"Hey Gabs…did you…you didn't go out today did you?" Kelsi asked softly, expecting no answer. "You mustn't have…but why do your shoes have sand on them?" Gabriella froze underneath the blankets.

"Gabriella…we're friends right?" Kelsi was approaching her now. Gabriella could feel the dip in her bed at Kelsi's added weight. She could feel the weight on her shoulder when Kelsi placed her hand on her. She gently peeled the comforter back, revealing the back of Gabriella's head as she laid on her side, facing the wall. Gabriella squeezed her eyes shut, praying for her friend to just go to sleep.

"Gabriella…" Kelsi stopped for a moment, "you weren't here when I came by this afternoon to check on you…"

Gabriella's breath hitched.

"Gabriella…where did you go?"

This isn't my longest chapters and I apologize. I know it's been a long time since I've updated, and I did promise to try to update as soon as I can. All I can say is I am sorry and that please bear with me while I finish up my last year of University. Work and school has been taking a toll and unfortunately I need to place them as my priority. So please bear with me and I appreciate all of your support.

I hope this update finds everyone well, and I wish everyone a happy new year and the best of 2013!