Back home at Gabriella's

Her mother had come home when she still where at school. Scaring the shit out of her when she came home that day.

" Mum, where is that f'''k remote? " She had almost turned their living room upside down inside outside to find the little darn thing. But after five minutes with out result she gave up.

" Gabby it's on the TV " Her mother shouted back from her office in the house. And if it wasn't the only place Gabriella hadn't looked at. Of course it was laying on the TV. Taking it she flipped it to the basketball channel (have no idea of what you call it, don't look at it myself) Just as they showed her fathers game last night.

Talking about timing.

She smiled as the showed her fathers goal in slow motion. Could she be more proud of him? Didn't think so. And so took the reporter over the screen to talk about the famous Blake.

" To night Blake made almost his highest score in the league this year, showing us he is still going strong " Gabriella smiled, of course, he was still her daddy

" And talking about Blake, there is a lot of rumors of his long time on and off girlfriend Anne Montez have flied the country with their 17 year old daughter " He said showing a picture of the family just eight months ago.

" Oh yes, you're right Mike. The famous daughter Montez- Blake, have been missing for a while now " Said a feminim voice out of picture. Making Gabriella roll her eyes. No they hadn't flied the country, just moved away from her dad once more, and down here where she could have a life. A life, ever heard about that people, life! But the reporter kept on with the subject

" There are also rumors that they are living here at the small high class city down in New Mexico "

This made Gabriella drop her jaw, they had found her that easy? The picture showed the town around and also the Wild Cats game. But it had to be an old game, because she didn't recognise any of the cheerleaders. Breathing out the voice of the man in picture said.

" Yeah, well, you know Mary. They reporters around here are devastated, missing their favorite photo object " He laughed slightly. Well, Gabriella thought, she sure didn't miss them anyway " But what do we know, miss Montez-Blake haven't been known for her wild partying " Gabriella laughed, he had no idea

" Or for her constant showing up in the tabloid. So she might still be there. Blake, himself, won't say anything about his daughter, as usual " Smiling she could always count on her dad to be quiet about his personal life, not reliving where they had moved this time. Now finally they left the subject and continued with basketball. Shaking her head she turned the MTV on instead to listen to some music, maybe get some inspiration from the videos. They needed some new dance moves on the team.

Troy at the basketball court day after….

He couldn't believe her. It wasn't, unfortunate, the first time he thought that thought. Looking at Zeke shooting another basket. He wasn't really into basketball today. Couldn't say he had nothing else then Gabriella on his mind. She hadn't called him. He wasn't furious or anything, just confused. She had really warmed up to him that night at the beach.

Oh, he knew he shouldn't have let her go that night. Blowing out the last smoke before he had to put it out.

" Hey you want it? " Zeke was on his way to pass him if he wanted it, a quick decision. Nodding he got the ball, dribbled and shoot a basket. No surprise. If he didn't understand girls, he sure understood basketball. It was much simpler. Taking his seat again he watched the door from the gym open up. Some cheerleaders walking out to the sun in their uniforms. She had to be inside there now.

" Why don't you go for her? " Zeke asked him from the real world, making him wake up to realise he wasn't alone. He just looked at Zeke, hoping it would be enough " You know she always stays behind after practice " He said, pushing him in the direction he wanted to go.

" What do you want Zeke? " Lighting a new cigarette.

" Just, would you at least think of me " He almost cried, walking towards him " I have to listen to Sharpay every night complaining about you two not being together " He said putting the ball down on the ground.

" So? "

" SO!?!? Man, come on! You know you want her. And just judging from this Saturday she has pretty warm feelings to you to " Zeke told him nodding towards the gym " You know I'm right! " He said and picked the ball up for him. Taking his bag as in a cue to leave " It's your ball " Troy watched Zeke walk away from him with a direction already pointed out for him. Taking a deep breath, he looked down on his cigarette. Putting it out on the bench and started to walk, passing the basket he shoots one. Feeling a little bit more self-confident, he walked into the gym.

Zeke was right, she was alone in there. Watching her from the entrance, he saw her practice some new steps she made up. Dancing to music he couldn't hear himself. Probably the tunes were inside her head as she just started to dance around. It didn't seem to be something for cheering. Just a lonely girl dancing around. He liked just standing there. She didn't have a uniform, just a simple black top and shorts. Hair in a pony tail on her head, and from his view he couldn't see any make up on her face.

It was just Gabriella. Simple.

He probably made a move, because she stopped in the middle of a step. Looking in his direction, focusing on him. If he didn't know any better, he thought he saw a flush on her cheeks. She was just, maybe, ten meters away from him. A few seconds past and none of them moved a muscle, just watching. Then she just stroke a pose of a cheerleader, her hand on her hip locking her eyes with his. Leaning her head on the side she somehow made a wall come between them.

" Hi! " Her voice was a mixture between a surprise and cocky. He couldn't really decide.

" Hi, to you to! " He said and took a step into the gym, closing the door behind him, the echo echoed for every step he took in the quiet hall " You practice now? "

" Yeah… kind off! " She said with a small smile, laughing uncertain. She was cute when she was like this. Just her "What are you doing here Bolton? " Damn, they where back to last name now? What was with this girl?

" Eh, well… " 'okey get yourself together Bolton, if she would be like this, okey.' " Just wanted to see who was doing a hell for the cleaning ladies not leaving school ground on a school day " He said as casually as he could.

" Oh, I see. " She said starting to turn around to walk away. She didn't get a chance before he caught her wrist.

" And… " She looked at her wrist and then his face " ... And I wanted to talk to you " He saw her eyes, he couldn't get any eye contact with her. She didn't want to look at him, what had he done this time?

" Troy… " Her voice was so low it could pass as a whisper " I, I don't know " She looked into his eyes. But it wasn't anything he wanted to see, she had something he couldn't figure out.

" You don't know what? " He was tiered to be tossed around and be the second guy in her life " You don't know why you didn't call me? Or you don't know… what do you not know? " She turned her eyes down again, refusing to have eye contact with him.

" I can't " She walked away. This was at least the second time she walked away from him. And he could do nothing to stop her.

Troy watched her. She walked away to the benches picking up her bag still looking down on it. She just stood there. He couldn't move either, not even lift a finger. Something, just looking at her, made him wake up. Suddenly he could walk and breathe again. He couldn't just let her go like that. Had to do something. Walking towards her, he could see she could hear him come. Her spine became stiff as he laid a hand on her back. Took a breath as she turned around. This time she looked different, determent.

" Bolton, what are you doing? " She asked with a new voice, cold. Well not really cold, but it was a more of a business woman. He looked at her, there was no way in hell she would just slip away from him now.

" Doing? Why don't you do something? " In his own mined he added, do it for Zeke's sake. Just as he remembered their conversation.

" Me? What? " Now she was confused, looking into his eyes she couldn't believe him. How those blue eyes could talk to her like that. Just as he was to say something her phone started to play Christina Augilera in her bag. He had disappointment in his eyes as he rolled them and turned around. Looking at the display it blinked 'daddy'.

" Hi dad? "

" Hey Sweetie, how's school? " He asked her cherish as if he was on drugs. Well, talk about Chicago. Came to her mind.

" I'm there right now " She said not trying to sound to stressed about it all " Did you want something dad? "

" Oh yeah right " She could hear the traffic in the background and her dads hard breathing " What are you doing on your Christmas break? " Taking her backwards and twisting her back of, cool it down daddy cool. Gabriella just didn't answer right away, just looked over her shoulder. Watching Troy dribble the ball he had found somewhere.

" Nothing, I'm doing nothing, dad " She finally spoke. Troy didn't listen to her phone call, in such a case he wouldn't have still be playing basketball.

" Good, you could come back here. Meet your old friends and play some basketball with your old man " He started to rabble his usual way. Gabriella still watched Troy play, something just grabbed her heart. Didn't really pay any attention to what the voice in her ear said to her. Shaking her head she came back to reality.

" You know what dad? Eh, I got to go. Mum's waiting at home, with dinner. So.. " Waiting for him to say good bye and then she just dropped the bag with a bang to the floor. Troy looked her way, confused about the new Gabriella standing there.

" Give me that ball! " She demanded more then questioning him. He just gave her a strange look before he through the ball at her. Grabbing the material around the air inside of it. When she looked up to meet his eyes she had eyes who were on fire " Let's play this! " She said with a smile.

" Let's! "


Troy couldn't not stop smiling as he woke up that morning. She hadn't said a word on the way home, but he could feel her emotions as if they where written on her forehead. Taking a shower he passed his father in the hallway down for breakfast.

" So son? You were out late last night " He said not even looking at Troy.

" Well, me and some others where playing last night " Not a complete lie there.

" Very well then, just gave me a headache that's all. You mother can really hit the high note sometimes when you don't answer the phone we gave you " ' Oh dame! Not so good Bolton! '

" Well, I, eh, I didn't want to break it or anything so I had it in my bag "

" Silence mood? "

" Since school " Troy took his seat next to his father for breakfast. It wasn't that big of a lie, and they surely didn't need to know everything either. He kept quite the entire time, just to scream as his little sister dropped her plate on his foot. Yeah right, an acceded sure! Making a run for it, before his mother could ask him about the night before. In the car was a safe zone, and now he didn't need to take the same ride as his little sister either.

Making sure he didn't hit his dads car on his way out, he drove off to school. He wanted to see her face. If she was any different, or if she had turned on him again. He had no idea of what he should expect. She had really turned all warm and friendly to him last night. But the last time, she had giving him the cold hand, just the other day. If she only could be like any other opponent on the basketball court. He could read them easily, but Gabriella was not like them. She was just, too much. And here he compared Gabriella to basketball players. He hited himself in the forehead.

Good, stupid Bolton.

" Trying to find your brain? " A brunette was leaning against his car smiling down at him. Troy laughed, at least she hadn't run away as she saw him. Good sign. He got out of the car to trying to catch her. Here on the parking lot would give them some privacy that they surely wouldn't get inside of the buildings.

" You found me anyway " He answered. Kissed her not giving her any room to escape now. This time, no games or what ever she had in her mind. He didn't like it, he liked her.

" Mm, like that breakfast " She smiled like the sun in his back " But… " Kissing her again. He didn't want her to leave, he knew what she was about to do. She would give him her cold hand one more time.

And how many times did he have to tell her, he didn't like it?


Hehe a quick look inside a guys head there... And what do you know, now you know why I have the title ' Let's play a game' Hehe... Well TBC --->

Love

S