Thank you EVERYONE for reviews, I am so happy how much you love Chad!
Juli93- thank you! I post quick because I have so many stories to put out lol
SethMatthew- thankyou! Do let me know if I get anything wrong :/
MissElenaSalvatoreEfron18- lmao
Cncgrad02- thank you, I appreciate that you picked out your fave bits!
Bluebell- glad I could help ;)
Elizabeth- I'm glad my story touched you in some way, I hope I get the details right!
Happy Halloween everybody :)
Chapter 9
"Gabriella Montez," Solo Marlade marvelled as she and Dex walked across the parking lot toward the start line for the second round of auditions.
"Solo Marlade," she smirked back and Troy watched her work her ice-queen magic on yet another male.
"You're not trying out are you?" He asked, even though it was clear that she was.
"Yep," she nodded proudly.
"So's my cousin, Ben," he pointed out her new friend.
"I know who Ben is," she smiled flatly.
"I bet you do. Well good luck, little lady," he offered glibly.
"I hope I burn rubber rings around him;" Gabi offered sweetly back and Troy snickered behind his clipboard at her put-down.
"Hi, Troy," she greeted simply, only her brown eyes giving away her affection for him.
"Hey, welcome back."
"Aren't you two living together?" Marlade asked loudly, making Ben and the other driver, Luke look up.
"So?" Troy squinted, not attempting to deny the obvious.
"So isn't that an unfair disadvantage?"
"We share a house, Solo. It's not gonna make me a faster driver," Gabi pointed out.
"If you're sleeping with the boss, it makes all the difference," Marlade grinned. "What's the deal, a blow job for an extra second? Is she any good by the way?" He directed to Troy.
Troy ground his teeth together and started forward, only to be stopped by Gabi pressing her hand into his chest.
"He's not worth it," she told him.
"Nice and tight is she, virgin an' all?" Marlade further goaded and Troy threw down his clipboard to lunge for the man; wrapping his hands around his neck.
"Don't you dare talk about her like that…" Troy warned, his blue eyes like slivers of ice as he spoke.
"There's the Bolton we all know and love," Marlade smiled with satisfaction. "Isn't that what made you come off the track, huh? Isn't that why you couldn't get it up…"
Troy dropped his hands and staggered back, staring at Marlade for long moments before he took a deep breath.
"Someone get him out of here," he whispered, turning to stalk away.
/
"What. The. Heck. Was. That?" Dex looked to Gabi and she chewed her lower lip.
"I don't know…"
"You don't know? Marlade was talking about you when he cracked like that…"
"So it's a guy thing, they don't like it when other guys talk about their girls like that," she excused.
"He was ready to kill, him, Gabi," Dex shared.
"Sounds like someone else I know," she lifted her brows.
"Hey I never-"
"You threatened to tear him apart," she reminded.
"Oh. Yeah. I guess I did." He sighed.
"So you tell me, where does it come from?"
"I guess he's just protecting you," Dex allowed.
"But he's not usually like that…" Gabi frowned.
"It's the race," Dex explained. "The testosterone is flowing…"
Gabi nodded.
"You don't want him to be that guy?" Dex asked and she shrugged.
"I've never seen him be that guy."
"You have now."
"Do I need to be afraid?" She looked up at him and as her brother, he wanted to tell her yes, be afraid, don't go out with a guy like that; but he knew from the look on her face that he couldn't. Troy had been good for her and even he could see that.
"No, man," he made a face. "It's just showing off."
"I'm gonna go check on him…"
"Okay, be ready when you get back," he told her, realising for the first time in a long time, she wasn't even thinking about the race.
/
"Troy?" Gabi ventured into the hollow cabin at the edge of the abandoned air field they were using for the try outs.
"In here," he called and she came through to the little office he was using for the paperwork.
"Are you okay?" She licked her lips as she came in and he looked up at her with an amused breath out.
"I don't like that person I was out there just then," he admitted and she felt helpless for a moment.
And then she took a breath and came over to him, placing her hands on his shoulders with the intention of massaging his worries away.
"Hmm, that's nice," he smiled and flopped his head back at her touch.
"Marlade is a jack-ass and he always says that stuff to rile people up…"
"I just didn't think I'd fall for it," he mused. "I thought I was over all that."
"He was talking about me, not just anyone," she argued.
"That's the problem," he conceded.
"I am?" She panicked, stilling her hands.
"The way I feel about you," he adjusted and she distractedly ran her fingers down his neck as she thought.
"If it's such a problem then maybe we shouldn't-" She swallowed her hurt down. "Maybe we shouldn't do this…"
"What?" He looked up at her like she was crazy, then span his seat round to face her, gently tugging her into his lap. "Come here…" he begged on a murmur.
Gabi sat in his lap and twisted her lips.
"That's not what I meant at all…"
She licked her lips. "Oh."
"I'm just saying that I didn't expect to feel this way about you…like I could rip some guy's throat out for even thinking about you naked…" he shared.
She blinked shyly. "Well no-one ever saw me naked so there's no need to be jealous."
"I know," he smiled at her assurance, and then cradled her in his arms. "And I love you for that, but I have to control my anger. I don't want that part of me back…"
"You…what?" She looked at him in confusion.
"I don't want it back…that part of me that was an animal…I worked so hard to keep it under control…"
"No, before that," she whispered breathlessly, her heart pounding heavily in hope.
"I never saw you naked?" He made a face.
"You said you loved me for it…for being a virgin…" She repeated shakily, barely daring it to be true.
"Oh," he pursed his lips, looking down shyly, then allowing a smile to creep over his lips as he revealed his happy eyes to her. "Well, yeah…I do."
"You do what, Troy?" She challenged.
"I do…love you," he admitted. "I do love that you're so innocent and feisty and tomboyish all at the same time…"
She took a breath, her eyes never leaving his. "I love you, too."
He grinned at her, bracing her face and leaning up to kiss her; their mouths mating with slow sweetness at sharing their feelings.
"Hey, would you two quit making out and get out here, already." Chad's voice broke them apart. "There's gonna be a mutiny if you don't come out…"
Troy chuckled and rested his forehead against Gabi's for a few seconds. "You do know this changes everything?"
She nodded sadly. "I know."
"You're definitely gonna have to whoop ass now otherwise I will be beaten to a pulp by the others…"
/
"Two, ten," Ben stopped the clock and nodded to Troy, seemingly placated at being able to check Gabi's score time himself.
"She's still the fastest," Dex said knowingly and they all looked to him. "What? She's my sister."
"I'm out at round two," Ben sighed in defeat.
"Round Three is real-life track laps." Troy explained. "It's gonna get harder."
"I'll make sure she has practice," Dex assured, if only to himself.
"Well?" Gabi ripped off her helmet and let her hair stream down.
"Two, ten, winner," Dex told her and she squealed, hugging him, then Chad and finally smiling at Troy.
"I made round three?"
"I'm afraid so," he confirmed.
"Thank you for giving me this chance," she re-iterated,
"You're welcome."
"So, are you coming home?" Dex asked Gabi and she looked to her feet.
"Soon, Dex."
"But we're okay now…" He frowned.
"I know, but I have people who need me." She explained.
"If you move in with Bolton now it'll never last," Dex warned.
"It's not Troy that needs me," she told him gently and he squinted at the guy in the wheelchair.
"Him?"
"He's having treatment and I want to be around to help. I've made friends, Dex." She added hopefully.
He sighed and nodded. "Okay. Just call me when you need me."
"I will. I love you," she told him and hugged him around the neck.
"I'm just going to remind Bolton not to mess with my sister and then I'm off…" he muttered heading for Troy.
/
"Would you like to go for dinner tonight?" Troy asked Gabi softly as they walked side by side back to the apartment, linked by their hands.
Gabi looked up and smiled apologetically. "We shouldn't leave Chad."
"He's is not coming on our date," Troy said firmly and she softened.
"I didn't mean that…I meant we should stay in with him…"
"He told me not to do anything differently for him," Troy assured her.
"He won't know, we'll just act normal."
"It was his idea we go out, remember?" He pushed.
"You're right, he'll kick us out anyway…" she sighed.
"Do you want to?" He checked. "I mean… we don't have to…"
"Troy," she pulled on their joined hands to garner his gaze. "Of course I want to."
"Then that's a yes?" He checked.
"It's a yes," she affirmed.
/
"Dude, which tie?" Troy whispered to Chad as he held up two designs against the black shirt he had chosen.
"Never mind the tie, brush your hair," Chad complained and Troy ran a hand through the tousled mess known as his hair.
"It's always like this…" Troy sulked.
"Come here, dude," Chad grabbed his hair styling cream and ran his hands through Troy's messy locks, trying to tame them somewhat.
"Oops, sorry…" Gabi's voice sounded behind Troy, followed by a giggle.
"Oh, okay, laugh at me," Troy teased back. "Does it look ok?" he turned to ask her.
She smiled. "It looks great."
Troy only then let his gaze wander down her; taking in her beautifully neat hair tamed perfectly straight and her choice of outfit; something feminine, but not too much so and he thought he might actually love her more for it.
She'd chosen an all-in-one harem pant-suit in black that showed off her tiny waist and curvy hips perfectly.
"The tomboy scrubs up," she offered nervously, her made-up eyes meeting his. "Just don't look at the nails…"
"You look amazing," he stated with a soft husk in his voice.
"Better than the overalls?" She checked and he smiled.
"Not quite. Are you ready?" He checked and she nodded.
"Well, kids, have a good time," Chad piped up from behind Troy. "Don't do anything I wouldn't do…"
Troy turned and gave him a blank stare. "Thanks Chad."
"Bring me back dessert," he added and Gabi smiled.
"We will."
"Okay, let's go," Troy held his hand out for Gabi to take.
"Bye Chad!" She called behind her.