A/N: Sorry this update was delayed, I hope it's worth it though. Thanks so much for your reviews. Keep letting me know how you think I'm doing with this story. Good, bad, I'm an obsessive author who wants HONEST reviews. That's why I FINALLY opened anonymous reviewing last chapter, I didn't even know it was disabled! But yes, so if you are a lurker and would like to comment on the story, you've got your chance now. As very few of you know, this story is INSANELY important to me right now, but everyone's going to find out why eventually, I just don't want to ruin the surprise ;)

And just a heads up, I won't be updating til sometime next week. This weekend is going to be insane/hectic/awesome/no sleep. Thanks so much for reading!


"You okay, Dad?"

Gabriella's mocha eyes glanced up from the torturous math book she had dug herself into at the sound of something slamming against the granite, almost shaking the house beneath its wake. Her entire slim frame tensed and jumped as she watched her father, dressed in an attractive heather gray suit. She felt her fingers immediately start to twitch in fear, a reflex that always occurred when her father was on a rampage. The pencil like strip of mustache above his lip seemed to be on fire. His dark skin almost looked like an inferno had been set to it. Adrienne gazed at him with concern while Gabriella crouched in her seat, too frightened to even breathe.

He knew… he just found out… she was going to be dead.

"Jose?" A sweet voice sung from behind the junior as Gabriella twisted her body around to see her slightly voluptuous shape hovering in the archway towards the living room. The TV was running unheard in the background as three of the four Montez women stared at him in horror as he ripped his ginger tie off his neck as though it was choking him.

"The asshole took the case. Carter's headed to County," Jose's raspy voice seemed to slice through the still room as Gabriella then closed her eyes almost painfully. "Screw Bolton."

"Oh sweetheart…" Maria rushed to him like the perfect wife would and threw her arms around his stiff neck. Gabriella and Adrienne both glanced warily looks at each other while their parents found solace in each other's hug. The two daughters knew exactly what that meant though, and Gabriella couldn't help but tense up at the immediate reaction. Jose would be in a bad mood, which meant she would have to endure listening to his rants about her boyfriend's family.

Fantastic.

"I'm sorry Dad…" Adrienne mumbled, adjusting her thick rimmed glasses she wore only at night. Gabriella twisted her knuckles uncomfortably in her seat. Was she sorry? She should have been. If she was a loyal daughter she would have felt the same anger towards the Bolton family as she should have. But Gabriella was a traitor. She knew it deep within her heart. Yet, she knew that if it would have been difficult to say no to the temptation of her forbidden lover. "You'll get 'em next time."

Troy and Gabriella were better, but not as they were before. Gabriella could still sense the stress in the air he breathed. She could feel the stiff muscles of his back and chest. Jealousy was poisoning those cobalt irises. It was driving her insane. She wanted things to go back to how they were before she went out with Matt. The way he looked at her now was just… too much for Gabriella to handle. He held her as though she might slip through his fingers. She didn't want him to feel this way, but what could she do? The wedge between them was growing every time Troy secretly glanced at her in the hallway with Matt at her side. But she was friends with him, and wasn't going to cave to some stupid male ego driving Troy's madness.

"Thanks Adrienne." Jose peeled himself away from his wife and bent his tall body over to kiss his eldest on the forehead. Adrienne smiled brightly up at her father before Gabriella felt legs vibrating obviously beneath the table. Jose's dark eyes lifted and met hers, suddenly Gabriella bit her tongue to keep herself from letting anything vital slip. He knows.

Her father snuck her a weak smile as well before rotating around the table once again and pressing his burning lips to her forehead. Gabriella felt as though she had left over biochemicals on her skin. If only he knew who else kissed her olive face. Her lips, her neck, her…

"Where's Anna?" He asked curiously with his depressed face swiveling around to see if he could find the youngest.

"She went to bed early." Maria softly informed him, just before Gabriella slowly rose from her sturdy chair as well and sighed.

"I'm headed there too. Night." Gabriella scurried over to both parents after gathering her huge pile of pointless homework and gave them each a kiss goodnight. Jose pulled his tight arm around her, Gabriella once again holding her breath just incase Troy's scent was still on her.

"Night Ella…I love you."

Guilt crept through her veins as though it was sucking all the blood from her slim body. She gritted her teeth and forced a pathetic smile out just before taking a step towards her escape. The lies kept boiling in her stomach like acid. She was tired of lying, tired of sneaking around. Especially when they had been so good to her. Her family and Troy. It seemed that she couldn't be happy and hold both in her heart.

"Love you too." She whispered before rushing up the steps, away from half of her heart, to call her other half.

Aaron Bolton knew his time was limited.

"To Jack's case!" Jack Bolton's partner, Frank Goldberg, smirked with triumph as he lifted his glass with the other five people occupying the maroon room. He feigned a smile while the four adults drank the blood colored wine at the table as he scooted his chair on the decorative rug forward. The excitement of the room was heightened with the laughter that bounced off in echoes. Even if Jack and Lucille would never let Aaron drink in their presence, for they still prayed he didn't, he was invited to spend the evening with the victors as a celebration. Everything was perfect.

Except his idiot brother was cooped up in the dungeon of his room.

"You know, I haven't seen Troy all night. Where is he?" Frank asked brightly, his square demeanor exhilarated.

"Good question." Aaron mumbled sourly before he took a long sip of his Mountain Dew.

Aaron couldn't deny how irritated he was getting with his little brother. He knew it was selfish, but the eldest Bolton was leaving at the end of summer to be shipped off to Duke on a scholarship for his 400 meter freestyle. Even though he was ecstatic to be leaving, it frightened the immovable Aaron Bolton. One, he'd be on his own at college, making important decisions daily. And two, he wouldn't see his best friend every morning. Aaron expected his senior year at East High to be filled with memories, laughter and enjoying the precious moments with Troy that would soon be lost.

But Troy found it much more interesting to either be in his room or be out with his friends.

"I think he said something about a paper he had to write," Lucille shrugged her shoulders while gently placing a hand on her husband's forearm, beaming as though she had just won mother of the year. Aaron rolled his sparkling eyes, knowing that her happiness was derived from pummeling Jose Montez into the ground. He couldn't deny that it also brought a grin to his own face. "Did you sign up for your placement test yet, Aaron?"

It bugged him, to no end that Troy wasn't pushing aside his friends to hang out with his brother. Not that Aaron didn't have his own friends to hang out with. And he was also getting closer to Amanda as well, even if she was just a fun sex buddy. In the last year, Troy was much more distant around the family. It seemed he was sleeping over at Chad's or Jordan's every weekend. Aaron wasn't stupid to not believe that he wasn't at Sharpay's some nights, but really… couldn't he spare a couple minutes? Especially since Aaron would be gone in less than six months?

"Uhhh… yeah. I did today." The captain of the swim team scratched the back of his neck uncomfortably. Weren't the celebrating? Not harping on colleges? Troy would have made some snide comment if he was up here.

"Lucille… sweetheart, let's not put pressure on him alright? We're celebrating!" He giddily pressed his lips to Lucille's attractive temple, Aaron chuckling inside. The last time he had seen his father this illuminated was the night his Wildcats won State.

Aaron sighed again and glanced behind his built shoulder just incase his brother may make a camo. "Yeah… celebrating."

"You are trying to kill me aren't you?"

Troy was perched on his bed with his legs curled upwards to provide a make shift desk for his sleek laptop that was resting on his thighs. He had gray sweatpants to cover his muscular calves and a black t-shirt that practically made his skin radiate off the bright light from the corner of his room. He leaned his cheek against the warm surface of his phone while his hungry ceruleans scanned the picture of a Hispanic seventeen year old in a green and white stripped bikini top that revealed her perfectly rounded breasts to his liking.

"Aren't you supposed to be writing that essay?" The angelic voice on the other line scolded as Troy frowned. His long fingers furiously clicked away at the photos of Gabriella lying in the sun lazily while on the beaches of California with Taylor during Thanksgiving break.

"Erm… I'm finished?" His voice was slightly higher as his starving eyes surveyed the blue and white screen that kept distracting his mind.

"Liar. You're Facebook stalking, aren't you?" Gabriella's accused as Troy bit the side of his thin lip, caught like his hand was in the cookie jar.

"I'm sorry but my story about how John-Pierre and Claude went to Laker's game is far less interesting than your fucking Facebook with pictures of your practically naked body." Troy referenced the story he was supposed to write in French but was procrastinating mercilessly.

"I'm not naked!" Gabriella protested, but Troy chuckled in response, adjusting his position so his butt would not get numb.

"You might as well be." He murmured with a grin.

"French Troy. I can even help." She offered.

"Yeah? How?" Troy asked with a devious smirk on his face.

Gabriella's angelic laugh run out."Je veux tu dans moi lit." Oh God. Troy felt a tug beneath his boxers.

"Again with the murder." Troy groaned just before his chestnut eyebrows narrowed.

Troy clicked the "Gabriella's Profile" link and watched his Macbook swiftly return to the original page. His ceruleans once again scanned her Wall, and suddenly his heart stopped beating. The blood in his veins turned cold as he viewed a tiny icon plastered with a picture of his girlfriend and Matt Kliss's dirty little grasp tightly pulling her shoulder towards him. Horror washed over him as he opened the window, to take in his worst nightmare. There were pictures from the party last week. The photos of Matt with his hands on her waist, on her shoulder, her arm, laughing almost gleefully poisoned Troy's mind. It was like being thrown into a pit of snakes and told to escape. Troy felt the beat of his heart escalade and the monster in his stomach curl with hate.

"You there…? I'm really not trying to murder you…" Gabriella's voice mused distantly but Troy was silent. He was addictively scanning through the disgusting pictures taken at that demon party. He couldn't help it. It was like a gruesome car accident; too terrible to look at yet he couldn't tear his eyes away. "Hey… talk to me!"

Troy's dry mouth opened almost stupidly. Taking in these pictures suddenly made him want, no, NEED to see her. It was a pull beneath his abdominal that drove the pure torture he had without it. In some bizarre essence, Troy suddenly felt a need to prove his love to her. He wanted to show her how much she meant to him, and since the tension was still present as they were with each other, Troy felt the desire for her to be his arms even stronger than usual. "Come over." His voice whispered fervidly.

Silence erupted from the other side of the phone. His heart was ramming against his chest with every second that ticked away. "Are you insane?" Gabriella's voice was dangerously soft, as though she was really questioning his sanity.

"Probably," his husky voice sounded as his eyes flicker back to the bright screen with the haunting picture of Matt's arm around her slim figure. The fire raged through his veins once again. "Everyone's upstairs celebrating."

"If I'm caught…"

"You won't." Troy promised passionately while trailing his wide knuckle across the surface of his laptop. "Please…just do it okay? …I didn't get to be with you Saturday night, come now…"

Gabriella hesitated once again. "You're… you're looking at the party pictures aren't you?" she wasn't stupid, that was one of the things he loved so much about her.

Troy sighed. "It doesn't matter. Just come… you'll be fine. I promise, okay?"

Another defining moment of stillness and Troy held his raspy breath. He counted the ticks that she should have answered. The fear in his stomach rumbled uncomfortably as she paused. This wasn't good. He wanted to see her, to be with her. And she wasn't answering. Was she still that upset with him? He knew they weren't back to normal, but he still wanted to try to mend what was stressed last weekend.

"Leave your window open. I'll be there in fifteen."

This was suicide.

Gabriella crouched down, gazing up at the ghost like house from the barriers of the lush bush that concealed her terrified face. The full moon cast an eerie shadow on the enemy's quarters, the long shadows both a blessing to hide in and a curse for fright. Her adrenaline was rushing swiftly through her veins as she pulled back a prickly branch to formulate a plan to execute. She could see the fire-orange glow of the slim window that revealed a sliver or Troy's bedroom. That was her destination.

She knew with every inch of her body that this was the most idiot thing she had ever done. Had she gone over to Troy's house previously? Of course. But this was different, in previous visits Mr. and Mrs. Bolton had been away and Aaron had been at someone else's house. There had been no way that any other trace of a Bolton would be inside at the same moment that she had been. But now? They were all sitting happily at the large kitchen table with drinks in their hand and laughing over their triumph. Even if she was dating their son, Gabriella still couldn't help but feel a twinge of disgust that her father was not the one who won the case. Old habits die hard.

Leaning forward on her already ripped jeans, Gabriella crawled hurriedly to another bush where she could get a better shot of being unnoticed. There was a giant window that looked over the warm dining room about ten feet away from where Troy's baby glass was. It was like jumping into the heart of the lion's den with "EAT ME" plastered to her chest. This was the worst idea in the universe. Yet, here she was… huddling in the bushes about to make the stride of death. She had gone insane.

Though Gabriella was very aware Troy wasn't just looking for a booty call. She picked up the distress in his voice and could tell how much he was hurting. It took awhile for Gabriella to realize how MUCH she had hurt him last weekend. Troy was tormenting himself. His jealousy was torturing him ruthlessly. She knew she didn't owe him anything, but if there was anything Gabriella couldn't handle, it was watching Troy in pain.

Repeat. Gabriella would have rather suffered herself than allow Troy's agony.

"You can do this Montez." She encouraged herself while feeling hot adrenaline race through her body once again. Her fiery eyes opened swiftly, determination flashing as they shined in the moonlight. She took a giant breath, as though it was her last breath. Now or never.

With that, Gabriella bolted across the exposed lawn.

Her arms thrusted behind her as she felt her stomach upturn in the long shadows on the ground. Gabriella sprinted as her life depended on it, her heart slamming violently against her chest. She wheezed panicking, praying to some higher power that no one would glance towards the side. Her heavy lids squeezed shut. She couldn't look, for if she did she knew she would catch her foe's angered gaze.

She wasn't taking in oxygen and her head felt like it was going to pop. But she had to keep fighting, keep moving. The gap between them was closing slowly, and she could see a looming shadow deep within the glass of the basement window as she powered towards it. The pressure her body felt was astronomical. Doubt was poisoning her mind. What if she fell? She was so close now, what if she messed it up? What if they decided to close the shades and took in a full view of her? Her limbs pumped with fury. Any moment now… any second…

Gabriella slid towards the opening window, a tiny beam of hope exploding in her stomach. Her jeans rode up her rounded butt as they ripped against the earth, causing vicious grass stains. The blood rushed furiously through her ear drums as she dove towards the sliver of light shining brightly through the twilight. It opened swiftly, before she saw two hands fluidly grab her slim ankles. She felt a burn at the contact, before wiggling her mile long legs through the opening that she could easily ease through. "Careful…" She heard a husky voice mumble from the depths of the basement before seeing a flash of a cobalt glow.

She arched her back slowly, still not able to breathe just in case the giddy Boltons would hear her rattling ribs. Troy gently pulled her into the opened window. He carefully placed her hands on her thighs and then her curvy bottom before Gabriella acrobatically performed a limbo through the glass. She was horizontal momentarily while Troy's strong grasp supported her bent back. He quickly brought her upward, just before she wrapped her legs around his rock of a torso. Her elbows rested on his shoulders and all the adrenaline seemed to be dumping through her uneven pants.

She did it.

The stress that had built up in anticipation for her run over was crashing down upon her slim frame. Her head felt like it was filled with hot helium and everything around her seemed to be spinning. However, she couldn't control the sudden giggles that erupted through throat. Post traumatic events could cause bizarre responses from one's body. "I…"

A sudden palm cupped her mouth as her mocha eyes bugged out fearfully. Troy's face was a rock as his ceruleans shifted upwards nervously. He seemed to be counting to something, yet keeping her silent at the same time. It dawned on Gabriella once again that they were not the only ones in the household, and she was stupid enough to briefly forget in the rush of her entrance. Her warm breath grazed Troy's skin slowly, evening out after the sprint. Finally, Troy lowered his eyes. She felt a fluid rush of cold air after his palm was removed just before his lips caught hers feverously.

Ah… the reason she came.

"You okay?" Troy whispered in a strained voice as he pushed her to the bed and jumped on top of her. Her arms immediately encircled his shoulders just before his moist tongue darted inside her mouth, silencing her from his answer. The kiss was passionate, wanting. Troy's eager hand traced down her stomach before creeping up her shirt, doodling little circles with his thumb around her bellybutton.

"Ye…yes…" Gabriella breathlessly replied before Troy shut her up again with his desire. Her fingers dug into his black tee and pulled him closer and her calf slipped around his, pulling their groins together.

Troy shoved his laptop to the floor causing a ruckus just before pushing her further up the bed and attacking her neck as though his life depended on it. Gabriella arched her spine once again, a soft growl rumbling from his throat. The euphoric feel of her boyfriend hovering over her was most definitely worth every second of her worry getting into the house. "Thanks… for…coming…" His voice was hitched as he nipped aggressively at her flesh.

Gabriella could feel his strained muscles beneath her fingertips. Again, the sudden fear that he was hurt appeared in her brain. It would explain his fierceness towards her now, and how he was kissing her as though the breath would be suctioned from his lungs if he didn't. Troy's hand slid up her shirt before it found the gold mine of her breast. Gabriella gasped at the sensation of Troy's caressing her supple skin. "Troy!"

"Shhh… baby…" He hushed her with his electric lips once again. The movement was hurried, almost torturous.

Troy finally pulled away from her and for a moment it was like Gabriella was suspended on air. His navy orbs gazed down upon her, unlike her favorite color of blue. It was the look that almost broke her heart. Gabriella immediately shot her hand to the back of his head while his face dropped, panting. "I hurt you…" She whispered carefully.

He tired to lean away from her palm. "We went over this on Sunday. We already talked about it."

Gabriella shook her head, trying to get him to look at her again. "Troy… I'm in your house while your parents are here because you were upset over pictures. You're obviously not okay…"

"Just seeing it… him… Why can he be with you so openly and I can't?" Troy finally lifted his heavy head back up to send lust through his eyes. "Why can't I prove to everyone you're mine? It's not fair…"

"I know…" she mumbled while threading her fingers through the short fibers on the back of his neck. "It's not fair. But we knew that going into this."

Troy sucked in a deep breath once again. "I'm just tired of them Gabi. I'm tired of trying to fight with them."

Gabriella bit her bottom lip. She didn't even realize how much strain was put on him to keep his cool while guys swarmed around her. With him, it was a little easier because Sharpay was keeping him off limits. As long as Sharpay was his fake girlfriend, they at least didn't COMPLETELY drape themselves over him. But Troy had to watch the other's hands on her, the flirtatious moves, everything.

A sudden tainted thought rushed through her head. Would it just be easier for him if he didn't have to compete anymore? If maybe he just found someone else he didn't have to fight for…?

"Troy…" Troy finally leaned his rosy cheek into her palm, breathing in the sensation of the intimate touch. Gabriella stared up at him with her own torment as he kissed her hand gently. She couldn't help the moan that slipped through her parted lips as Troy's tongue flicked outwards as his mouth danced across her hand. Sensually, he suctioned the curve between her pointer finger and her thumb. It was almost as though he was imitating what he would be doing between her legs.

They began to move their lips against each other lovingly, not hurried as before. It seemed now they were actually kissing for the sake of love, not because Troy wanted HER to feel that he loved her. His hand trailed down her side again, moving his head from her chest to her bicep, pressing little sprinkles of his passion onto her skin.

Now was not the time to think about anything else but him. "Baby…" He then began to make his way up her arm before finally meeting her jaw again. He kissed her soundlessly one more time, the moment of doubt whisking away for the moment. All logical thoughts were tossed carelessly out the window as Gabriella felt his lips deepen the feel. She was completely lost in bliss, so consumed with the man she loved…

Until the sound of the doorknob twisting filled the room...