Eek. I get so nervous posting. But then I get amazing reviews. Thank you for that.

Enjoy.

Ang.

CHAPTER 9

"So what's it like dude?" Max asked Troy as he stashed his books in his lockers.

"What's what like?" He wondered, frowning.

"Bedding the rival cheerleader. She's hot, right?" Max pursued and Troy sighed.

"I'm not gonna talk about it." Troy stated.

"Why not, I mean, she is one hot piece of ass, Troy. You got West High good and proper…" He winked largely.

"That's my girlfriend you're talking about when you say hot piece of ass, Max, just remember that huh?" Troy suggested.

"She give good head?" Chad called out down the hall and Troy tensed, turning. "She better give good head if she's worth losing your best mate over."

Troy's eyes turned a steely grey.

"I wonder if my 'best mate' will quit insulting my girl?" He asked aloud.

"How many times you wanna say it, Troy? We all know it's a big façade. As soon as we whip their ass in the last game, you won't care about their little slut." Chad challenged, walking up to Troy now, meeting his gaze.

"There's no pretending from me." He assured.

"No, but what about her? Did you ever think the joke is on you, Bolton? She's got you right where she wants you. One word from her and you'll be fighting anyone to protect her- where does that leave you for the game?" He wondered.

Troy squinted at him, hitching up his bag.

"She didn't ask me to fight anyone." He defended

"No, but you would. And don't for one minute think she isn't capable of the same as you- duping you to protect her own school." He planted the seed in Troy's mind and Troy tried to shake it free.

"She wouldn't do that." He said vehemently.

"Wouldn't she? Do you know why she left her old school?" Chad asked, not waiting for an answer. "It's not because her mom just decided to move this summer. It's because she was caught making out with the rival basketball team Captain." He lifted his brows, producing a photo.

"More than making out in fact, looks like she's fucking him silly in the back of his truck." Chad stated, handing the picture to Troy and patting his shoulder. "And when all hell broke loose…Little Miss Montez went riding off into the sunset, not seen for dust." Chad finished, walking away to homeroom, leaving Troy standing in the corridor, stunned and confused.

--

"What's he like then?" Kelsey asked Gabi as she assembled her squad, her usually pretty face marred with a frown and the insults echoing around the halls even when there were none.

"Not now, Kelsey." Gabi sighed, starting up the music and warming up.

"What, you don't wanna dance for me now?" She asked, facing her squad.

"You're sleeping with the enemy." Helen accused.

"Look, okay, I broke my rule, I fell in love. So what? I still want this trophy more than anything. I'm still a Bear." She assured them; frowning at herself for saying she was in love because she was sure that she wasn't.

Was she?

"You're wearing his necklace." Kelsey pointed out.

"So? Does that make me a Wildcat?" She challenged.

"Maybe."

"Oh, guys." Gabi sighed. "Come on, two days ago, you trusted me. I know I was hiding something, but you didn't doubt my passion for this team." She argued. "I've been seeing Troy since start of semester so just understand that it doesn't change anything." She begged.

"We know about your last school, Gabi. Someone told us you started a war between the two rival teams." Helen piped up and that's when Gabi's heart sank.

No. They couldn't know. Nobody knew about that except her and her mom…

Oh god, how could everyone have found out? Her worst nightmare; the night she had to fight for her life, her dignity. Twisted, turned, made out in the school paper like she was some kind of hussy that only slept with the rival team captain to cause trouble.

She'd been tricked into the photo, dragged into his truck, almost raped.

Gabriella Montez swore that no-one would ever see her break down. She was strong and tough and all that anyone needed to know of her that she was unbreakable.

But now she collapsed in tears, into a tiny shell of herself, sobbing her heart out as she realised her past had caught up with her and she couldn't hide who she was anymore than she already had.

--

The knock on her balcony window wasn't unexpected but she knew what she was opening her window to. She knew what accusations Troy was going to throw at her and she knew how he would be feeling right now. Because if the facts were put to her the other way round, she would believe the worst as well.

She opened the window and walked away, her tiny cheer shorts and Troy's Wildcat t-shirt keeping her warm as she balled up.

He didn't speak until he was inside, the window safely closed.

"Hey, that's my t-shirt." He said gently, surprising her.

Just get on with the shouting, she thought. I'd rather you just call me a bunch of names and go. Don't drag it out.

"Yeah, apparently I'm a Wildcat now." She said bitterly.

"Because you're dating one?" He asked, bemused, hands in pockets, attempting to get closer to her as he slowly edged toward the bed.

"Yeah, apparently." She repeated.

He nodded, sitting on the opposite side, seemingly pausing for a moment.

She looked over her shoulder at him, frowning.

"Ah, can I join you?" He asked nervously and she looked stumped.

"Why would you want to?" She asked as he unlaced his converse and rolled his legs up, spooning her on the bed, or at least trying to but she was balled up.

"Hey, relax, beautiful…" He encouraged, spreading his hand at her waist and she lengthened her body, letting him hold her a little.

"Don't call me that." She protested.

"Why, 'cause you're not?" He chuckled. "You got your period?" He wondered.

"You know what." She accused quietly.

"Oh. That. Some stupid article they got from your last school paper." He added, to make sure she was aware he had all the facts.

"Just get it over with, Troy. Ask for your necklace back; tell me I'm a slut- whatever." She begged.

"Whoa, wait a minute." He objected, brushing her hair back, trying to look into her face. "I'm not gonna ask for my necklace back, what are you talking about?" He asked.

"I know what you must be thinking." She sobbed and he had never heard the sound.

"Look at me." He said, touching her upper arm with a warm hand.

"No."

"Look at me, Gabi," he commanded.

She turned and studied his face. He had the cutest freckles along his cheeks and across his nose. His eyebrows were thick and commanding above his penetrating blue eyes. His brown hair almost covered his eye because it was so long and his soft, bowed lips pressed together as she waited for him to speak.

"You wanna know what I'm thinking?" He asked, his eyes intent on her face.

"I'm thinking, god but I have such a beautiful girlfriend and she hasn't told me half of her story, only the bits she wants me to know. I'm thinking, why didn't my girl tell me she was maybe raped in the back of some prick's truck as some kind of sick game between the basketball teams at her last school? I'm thinking, what can I possibly do to take that pain away and get her to trust again?" He murmured, stroking her hair, looking into her eyes.

"I wasn't raped" She offered in a small voice, placing her hands on his chest.

"But they attacked you didn't they?" He asked, rubbing her arm.

She nodded, not wanting to talk about it, not knowing what to say. Troy's concern for her was genuine and sweet but there really was nothing he could do to change what had happened.

She rolled off the bed and wrapped her arms around herself, looking out onto her patio.

"I know why you hate being touched, Gabi. I'm sorry that you had to go through that." He said softly as he approached her and hovered behind her.

"You're the only one who kept your promise." She smiled to herself, watching as the moonlight highlighted the tiniest movements outside her house.

"Because I'm in love with you." He admitted, his heart throbbing in his chest as she stared into the dark, not connecting with him, not acknowledging him.

Until she turned, her brown eyes wide with surprise.

"I didn't do anything." She frowned, wondering how he could possibly say that to her when all she did was tease him.

"Oh, but you did." He smiled, beamed even. She was confused but touched. And she knew she had fallen for him, too, because there was no-one else she would talk to like this. No-one else she would share with.

"I called you Troyby and turned you on." She scoffed.

He blinked, his eyes a soft baby blue. He stepped forward and brushed her cheek where she fiddled with her hands at chest level.

"Ok, you turn me on, I can't deny that. I'm not even going to try to because let's face it; it's not something I hide very well." He smiled into her face, tipping his head, making her smile back at him.

"I'm a tease." She acknowledged.

"But you also helped me- when I probably didn't deserve to be helped, when I couldn't prove I was genuine, you gave me the benefit of the doubt." He was genuinely grateful to her for her support.

She shrugged. "Anyone would have." She argued.

"No, they wouldn't. And we both know it." He added.

"You helped me, too. You told me to be careful, you protected me." She replied.

"You didn't need me to." He grinned at her and she smiled back, pressing her hands into his chest.

"Stay with me?" She begged and he lifted his eyes, his lips twisting as he thought about his answer.

"Do you promise not to seduce me?" He asked with smiley eyes.

"Nope." She said and walked away, making her bed tidy.

"Damn." He muttered, following her, sitting on the edge of her bed once more.

He unbuckled his jeans and slid them down his muscled legs to the floor, flipping his top over his head, leaving him in his boxers.

Gabi sat against her head board and waited for him to roll into bed, sliding down next to him.

"You look cute in my wildcats tee." He complimented.

"I just wanted to feel close to you." She admitted, pressing her hands against his bare chest. He loved to feel her hands there, against his skin.

"Can't get much closer." He joked softly, catching her in his arms and cuddling her.

"I can think of one way…" She whispered back, leaning her mouth to kiss him, the hesitant, tender kiss turning into something more desirable as they pressed into each other, barely clothed bodies rubbing with delicious friction.

"I wish you would quit rubbing my thigh like that…" He panted, pushing her back into the bed, his thigh between her smaller ones where she arched against him.

"But it feels so good…" She teased, feeling his lips crash down on hers once more, letting him climb between her parted legs as he pressed his needy arousal into her soft body.

Clutching at his muscled arms, she arched into his hips now, the friction so much hotter and more intense.

He let her pull her tee top up with slow precision, bending his head to drop warm kisses up her ribs, her soft moans at each touch hardening him even more.

The sight of his T nestling between her breasts reminded him starkly that she had given herself to him, in all ways but one. She still hadn't told him she loved him.

He wondered if it should matter to him, her skin was so sweet as he continued his worship and her nipple was budded for his lips as he sucked her there. But he had promised when he made love with her it would be because she wanted it- because she wanted him

And right now, he didn't know that she did.

Her hands were ruining his hair as she pulled his mouth ever closer to her breast and he found himself kissing back down her body, stopping at her shorts as he palmed her backside, his thumbs dipping under her waist band, ready to undress her.

"I promised, Gabi. I promised we would only do this if you wanted it…" He panted, arching into her as he gripped her hips and tried to hold his body back from the pleasure she could bring, even now.

"I want you, Troy." She assured, helping him remove her shorties, leaving her completely naked under his gaze which flickered over her, stunned, awed.

"It's not enough." He argued, even as he ran the back of his fingers up her thigh, brushing against her intimacy.

"What do you want?" She asked, touching her hands to his shoulders, down his taut back, lifting her hips and squirming for him to touch her where she needed it most.

"I want you to love me." He whispered, dipping his finger into her heat, giving into her at the very same time he wanted to stop. He wanted to stop this whole thing until their feelings matched, until he felt safe in sharing his body with her.

He couldn't live with having her walk away. He couldn't live with loving someone who didn't love him back.

She drove her hips upward as he flicked another finger into her dampness, kissing her lips to swallow her agonised moan.

"It's never been like this, Troy. Oh my god, I have never felt like this." She murmured, striking her fingers back into his hair, pulling his mouth to hers for a messy, passionate kiss.

Her hips just kept shooting upward, seeking more, seeking his heat as he peeled down his boxers and shifted between her thighs again, ready to fulfil her.

She applied his sheath with care, smiling as she let her hands encompass him, feeling his need, seeing his gaze turn grey and desperate.

"Don't you know I am in love with you?" She whispered, letting his hands lift her hips to his own liking as he awkwardly entered her, his inexperience touching her as she felt his heat fill her deeply, completely, his face showing his utter relief.

His kiss was so gentle, so strong and she couldn't stop the frown that controlled her face as she tried to kiss him back with the same passion, the same urgency.

His thrusts were jerky, sometimes jabbing, but slowly, she guided him into a rhythm, whispering to him, encouraging him as he found a pattern and brought her body alive with his passionate strikes.

She couldn't remember what had started this, she didn't know where it would end, all she knew was that right now, joined with Troy in this most intimate way, nothing else mattered. She was wrong, cheerleading didn't matter at all. All that mattered was this, him and her, their shared love, their physical release, their bodies and souls becoming one.

Straining, groaning, sweaty and messy, she didn't care. Troy had finally got what he wanted. She belonged to him now, no-one else.

--