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CHAPTER 4

A hand slammed down on the locker next to Gabi and made her jump with the unexpected noise it brought and she swirled, finding Aidan there and smiling brightly at him.

"Hello Aidan." She greeted with fake pleasure.

"I heard that Wildcat wants to bed you." He accused and Gabi looked at him blankly, placing a hand against his chest to push him away. He didn't move.

"Which one?" She arched a brow.

"The one that thinks he's god's gift. The pretty boy." Aidan squinted at her, as if testing her reaction.

"That's nice for him." She replied in measured tones.

"They got some kind of bet going on, him and that mate of his. They want to take a cheerleader and cause a storm." Aidan explained, looking either side of him before he looked back to Gabi.

"No-one is going to 'take' me." Gabi bit out pointedly.

"I think I should make you mine before they even try it." Aidan threatened, his hand driving between her thighs to cup her between the legs and she whimpered, pushing him away, her hair falling forward with her anger.

"Don't ever touch me again. Do you understand?" She asked in a tight, stony voice.

"What, you'd rather have one of those Wildcats finger you up, make you wet?" He asked crudely and Gabi's eyes turned dark with her hatred for him.

"I'd rather you leave me the fuck alone." She stated, grabbing her books, slamming her locker shut and heading to class.

Now she knew, she really knew. Troy's motive had never been clear until right now and strangely, she didn't feel upset by Aidan's revelation as to what the Wildcats were planning. Because as long as she knew what their objective was, she could deal with Troy Bolton and his gang. And she had an idea just how she would do that.

But first things first, she had to work out how she was going to deal with Aidan. And without getting herself in trouble. She'd already been in enough trouble for her payback schemes; she didn't need to get in any more.

Chewing on her pen as she slid into her seat for class, she considered the possibilities.

"Hey, Gabi." Taylor greeted her as she sat next to her.

"Hey, girl." Gabi smiled back, noticing Taylor's new bob, her bright, preppy clothes. "You look nice." She told her friend.

"Oh, thanks, I just bought some new stuff…" She blushed.

"Oh yeah, anyone I know?" She wondered.

"No!" She answered quickly and Gabi pulled a face.

"Erm, okay. Stressed much?" She teased.

"I'm sorry; I'm just fed up of people asking me that. Life doesn't revolve around boys you know." She answered tersely.

"Ok sorry, Tay." Gabi apologised, studying her friend.

"Are you ok? I saw Aidan bugging you this morning?" She checked.

"Well funny you should mention him, but I was just planning my revenge…teach him once and for all that messing with me comes with its downfalls." She mused.

"Maybe you should date someone, let him know you're off limits." Taylor shrugged.

"But that's against my rules remember?" Gabi smiled. "No boy gropes me and gets away with it, you'll see." Gabi promised with a lip curl.

"Gabi, you're scaring me…" Tay said with a funny look.

"Oh, sorry, hun. Don't be scared, I'm just saying I need to find a way to teach him a lesson, that's all." She shrugged.

"I'm gonna walk home with you, to make sure you're okay." Taylor promised.

"Not tonight. I have something to do after school." Gabi explained.

"Text me when you're home, then." She begged.

"Of course." Gabi replied to ease Taylor's worrying.

She had a little expedition to take after school and it didn't involve going home. It involved going to East High and starting some of this pay back she talked about.

--

"Hi Troy."

"What the…!" Troy gasped, having slid into the driving seat of his truck and started the engine, he was shocked to see someone sitting in the rear seat, only having just made him aware of their presence. He flicked a look over his shoulder.

"Gabi?" He questioned as she sat, legs crossed, in his back seat.

"Let's go somewhere…private." She suggested with a calmness that put him on edge.

"Fine, but lay down or something 'cos someone might see you." He instructed moodily, not liking that she had risked coming to East High. There were too many dangers around for her to be wandering around looking for him.

He drove out of the parking lot and out of town toward the point.

"You know, I might just make this easier for you…" She commented after a while as she sat back up and he flicked his eyes to his rear-view mirror, seeing her unstrapping her high heeled shoes and dropping them into the foot well.

"What are you talking about?" He frowned, his focus back to the road.

"Well, you want to take me, don't you?" She asked in a sultry voice and he swallowed at it, his gaze back to the mirror, seeing her sliding down her long socks, flashing her naked legs to him from under her little black dress.

"Take you where?" He quizzed, licking his lips, wondering what in the heck she had taken because he didn't recognise the girl in his back seat.

"Take me, Troy. As in, fuck me. Make me yours…" She explained with such crudeness that he closed his eyes, and then swerved to miss the curb; finally realising he was in no state to drive as he pulled over.

"Well here I am!" She called, swiping her dress over head and leaving her curves naked for him.

He twisted in his seat, flicking his gaze over her tiny, but perfectly proportioned body.

"What are you doing, Gabi? Please, just get dressed." He asked, popping his door open.

"Oh here he comes!" She narrated to herself as she unhooked her bra and brushed the straps down her arms so that by the time he had reached the back door, her breasts were bared for his gaze and her mouth pursed into a tempting shape.

"Sweet Jesus…" He sighed, wanting to look at her beautiful naked form until his eyes burned out, but knowing something wasn't right.

He closed his eyes, her small but amazing breasts imprinted on the other side of his lids. He took a breath and counted to five.

"Oh, don't be shy…" She husked and he opened his eyes to find her laid out on the seat, facing him, her thumbs hooked under her panties and about to discard them.

He reached into the cab and pressed his thumbs against hers, very careful not to touch her other than to stop her.

"No." He said firmly, keeping his darkened blue eyes directly on hers.

"But this is what you want isn't it? Isn't this the bet? That you could bed me?" She queried and Troy felt a worming through his tummy. He almost felt sick with it, the knowledge that she had found out about Chad's stupid suggestion.

"Please, just put this on." He begged, picking up her dress, turning it in the right way, lifting it so she could put her arms straight in.

"You wanna do this dressed?" She asked with an eyebrow arch, scooting down the seat so that she was closer to him. "Just fuck me from the back seat, Troy. You're a man, right?" She accused more than asked.

He took another breath, stared at her with steely eyes, and then hitched himself onto the backseat, closing the door behind him and holding the dress up once more, sat beside her.

"Please, Gabi." He begged and she giggled, but he felt her arms go into the dress and he let go, keeping his eyes shut until he guessed she must be dressed.

He popped open one clear blue eye to check and she was sat next to him, re-clothed and waiting.

"Are you done?" He asked gently, turning sideways to face her.

She turned, too and her eyes were a colour he had never seen before.

"I was just saving us a lot of time. Get it out of the way, you know…" She stuck the knife in.

"Don't you remember my promise?" He asked, appealing to her hard brown eyes.

"But that means nothing does it, Troyby? When you're with your friends, it's easy to get caught up in their silly little bets. I mean, what is a body anyway? Just take it." She said lightly, her words so heavy against her tone that he could almost feel himself drowning in her sceptism.

"I would never just 'take' anything, Gabi. I meant what I said. If anything happens with us, it's only if you want it as much as I do." He swore vehemently.

"I want this to be out of the way." She said, her voice raising. "I want sex to not be an issue anymore and for god's sake for you boys to stop acting like I'm this possession to fight over!" She shouted now, balling her fists.

"It's like, all that matters is who gets to sleep with me. Doesn't anything else matter? Anything?" She begged of him, her brown eyes softening now and tears formulated at the corners, shocking him.

"You matter." He answered easily, touching his forehead to rid his fringe from his eye, his other hand itching to reach out to her.

"I wish one of you would just fuck me and end this whole stupid fight." She bit out.

"No, you don't." He argued softly, reaching out now for her hand which lay in her lap, tightly bound together with her other hand as she stared ahead.

"And how do you know, Bolton?" She asked, turning her tearful eyes to him as he encouraged her fingers into his palm, his other hand dropping to take her other hand.

"Because I know you, Gabi. You have your rules, remember? You could have slept with any one of us by now." He broached.

"Maybe it's time to break the rules…" She argued, her eyes meeting his and testing him now.

"No, it's not time, it's not the right time." He assured her, his curly lashes hitting his cheeks before he looked back up at her.

"There's never a right time." She spoke softly, entranced by his eyes, by the calming effect his hands had, brushing against her fingers so gently.

"You'll know…" He smiled.

"Because you'll tell me?" She wondered.

"No." He denied her again. "Because you'll tell me." He replied, confident in his answer that he was the one she wanted to be with when she made that decision.

"What if it's not you?" She challenged, her brow arching in that way he loved.

"Then so be it." He offered.

"And that's it? Your bet goes un-finished. Incomplete?" She wondered.

He lifted one of his hands to brush her cheek, frame her face.

"I don't care if they want me to bet my life away. When I make love to you, it's going to be because you want it, Gabriella Montez. I won't take you any other way." He said softly, leaning forward, kissing the side of her mouth where she jolted with a whimper.

But she looked into his dark eyes for another moment, so close to his face she could feel his breaths. She let him kiss her top lip, opened her mouth so he could kiss her bottom lip and as his other hand lifted to brace her face, she sank into the all-consuming joining of their mouths, here in the backseat of his car.

He pulled away, staring into her eyes.

"You know what this means, don't you?" He asked and she frowned.

She had no idea what anything meant anymore. He had taken her dress and covered her up when she was offering herself to him in the most basic way. That had confused the hell out of her when she was sure he was going to take her offer and finish his bet.

"No." She replied.

"Well, they're going to expect me to be hanging out with you, while I 'convince' you to sleep with me." He grinned into the dark of the truck. "So we can be seen without worrying about being caught."

She squinted at him, bemused. "You're going to double cross your friends?" She wondered.

He nodded. "If that's what it takes, then yeah." He agreed.

"If that's what it takes to do what?" She cocked her head, reaching out to brush his fringe back, tucking it behind his ear and smiling as it dropped down again.

"If that's what it takes to make you trust me."

---

"Oh, dude! You sure are a fast worker!" Chad berated as Troy headed out of class and toward basketball practice.

"Huh?" He frowned, looking to his friend.

Chad held up a small, black bra and Troy felt the blush stain his cheeks. The bra that Gabi had stripped off in the back of his truck. She'd obviously left it behind after he had dropped her home. Damn.

"You didn't tell me you'd done the deed already!" Chad jeered.

"I haven't." Troy denied, snatching Gabi's underwear from him and tucking it into his bag.

Their twice weekly meetings for practising skating would be back on track as of tomorrow night now that he had managed to smooth things over in regards to the bet.

"Oh, okay, dude. Tough nut to crack, huh?" Chad reminded him.

"Look, nothing happened okay?" He said tersely.

"Well you gotta at least tell me if she's a handful?" Chad elbowed him in the side and Troy gritted his teeth.

He wanted to shout out that she was the most beautiful creature he had ever seen and he didn't want to hear the crude words they insisted on using when they were talking about her. He wanted to tell them, you know what, her breasts are about the most amazing breasts he had ever seen and he couldn't wait to taste her skin. He wanted to tell them, fuck you and your bet, Gabi is worth ten of you.

But he couldn't and he knew he had to pretend for at least a little while longer. But he closed his eyes, fighting against his very soul as he thought of what he could say that would please Chad and not upset Gabi. He didn't care if she couldn't hear him; he didn't want to be two people anymore. He wanted to respect her, all the time.

"She's perfect, man." He shrugged, barrelling off to the changing room leaving Chad following him with a disgusted look.

"Yeah, but does she have a rack?" Chad insisted.

"I don't know, dude." He lied, an image flashing up of her pert breasts from when she had revealed herself to him.

"You're holding back, Bolton. You got the girl's bra off, I'm pretty sure you got a feel." His friend teased.

"What is it with you? Maybe I just don't want to talk about it, huh?" He challenged angrily, shouldering Chad.

"Whoa, dude. You better not be getting all girly on me here. You're supposed to be seducing her, not the other way round." Chad warned in a low voice.

The rest of the team filed in and Chad grinned knowingly.

"Hey guys! Bolton got a feel of Montez' titties last night!" Chad crowed. "Tell us what her rack is like?" He called out and Troy glared at his friend, hating him for putting him in this position and hating himself for ever being friends with these people.

"You know what; it's none of your damn business…" He stated and stalked off, picking up a basketball and throwing it with great force against the wall to dissipate his anger.

"I might just have to have a feel myself then." Chad whispered in his ear as he followed him out, making Troy's back go stiff as a rod at his words.

He had to take deep breaths. He couldn't let the game away. Chad mustn't know about his growing feelings for Gabi.

"I'd like to see you try." He challenged, knowing this would placate Chad even if it made his own tummy dive at his words.

He just had to make sure he got to Gabi before Chad did.

--

The knocking on her balcony door was a surprise to say the least. Gabi rolled up from her bed, her hair curling in its natural craziness, her small form dressed in a vest and French knickers.

She peeked through her curtain, her eyes widening at the sight of Troy. Grabbing the first thing from her chair, she threw on the jacket and unlocked her balcony window, pulling him in by his jacket lapel.

"Hey!" He complained as he softly fell into her room and stood, staring at her.

"What, Troyby?" She asked back, annoyed, folding her arms.

"You're wearing my jacket." He stated, eyeing her, liking how his clothes drowned her.

She looked down on the too-long sleeves.

"Oh shit…" She swore and pulled the garment off, leaving him to gaze at her nearly-naked body. "Stop doing that!" She threw at him, her arms flapping by her sides.

"What?" He appealed.

Gabi looked at him, his messy hair was crazy as usual, he was wearing his usual converse and jeans and some kind of red wildcat t-shirt that she should find repellent but somehow, suited his muscled form. His jacket was dark and the collar flicked up and his hands were in his pockets. But ever since she had let him in, his distracting blue eyes had not left her and she felt entirely naked under his gaze. Even more so than when she had actually been naked.

"Stop looking at me like that." She complained softly.

He shook off his jacket and stepped up to her.

"Like what?" He demanded, his smile starting off her own.

"Like you fancy me or something…" She accused sulkily, lifting her hands as he came closer and stopping him before he could make contact.

"Fancy you? Nah, not me. You must have the wrong guy." He teased, flicking her a lop-sided grin that curled her toes.

"Why are you here?" She asked, grabbing her dressing gown and tying the belt fiercely around her waist.

"I brought this…" He said, returning to his jacket and pulling out her bra.

She smiled in memory of last night and took it from him.

"Oh. Thank you." She said quietly.

"Look, I came for another reason…" He broached.

She pointed to the bed and sat with him against the wall, curling toward him.

He let his eyes drop down her from head to toe.

"Can I just say you look amazing in your night wear?" He asked with a gentle smile.

She swiped him.

"No."

"Okay…well, look…err…." He sighed. "Chad found that in my truck, so he thinks we made out…" He explained slowly and Gabi actually smiled.

"That's good, right?" She asked.

He shifted uncomfortably.

"Well it is except…except he kept going on and on about it." He closed his eyes, opening them when he felt her hand on his thigh.

"And…" She prompted.

"And I wouldn't give him the answers he wanted and he threatened to find out for himself." He said gently, unconsciously tensing up, wanting so badly to wrap her into his arms but knowing she wouldn't let him.

"Find out what, Troy? What did he ask you?" She wondered.

"About your…" He sighed again, tipping his head back.

"My boobs?" She supplied for him and he nodded, still not looking at her.

"I swear to god, if he touches you…" He warned, sitting forward.

Gabi wrapped her hand around his tensed arm, taking a gasp at the feel of his obvious muscle, seeing his gaze turn to hers instinctively.

"I'm not yours, Troy." She reminded him.

"Is it so wrong that I want to protect you?!" He demanded, scooting off her bed and stalking around her room.

She jumped up too, rushing over and placing her finger over his lips, stilling him.

"Shhh!" She warned, eyes wide.

"Is it so wrong?" He asked again, more softly, squinting.

Her hidden eyes told him she was keeping something from him.

"I have it all day from Aidan. He keeps telling me that he'll make me his before you guys can get to me." She shuddered. "He touched me…intimately…the other day and I swore to myself he wouldn't do it again. I'm going to make him pay." She shared.

His eyes were burning holes into her now and he didn't even think before he pulled her against his body.

"I'll make him pay, alright." Troy swore against her hair, his ragged breaths dragging strands in and out with each breath.

"Why are you like this, Troy? Before that day in the park, I never even spoke to you." She couldn't work it out, he knew.

She didn't know how long he'd been watching her from afar, silently but slowly falling for her. He'd decided a long time ago he wanted to make her his girl but he knew there had to be a right time for it. And maybe that time was now.

Her hands relaxed against his chest just as her body did against his and he held her a little while longer.

"Because you're different with me, Gabi. You let me in." He argued and she knew this was true.

He was the only guy she had let close to her like this since she had moved here in the summer. And she still couldn't explain to herself, or anyone else, why that was.

"We have so much work to do for the competition…" She began as she pulled away. "We can't afford to get involved." She reasoned.

He felt his body cool where she had once been laid against him.

He nodded, pursing his lips, gathering up his jacket which he swung on.

"Just be careful, Gabi. Please, be careful of Chad." He begged as he exited her room and climbed down her balcony, leaving her rubbing her arms as the cold night air seeped in.