Thank you to Ratzilla and Isarodas10 for offering to translate for me, Isarodas will be translating for me and you both will have a part in the story I am writing :) (Assuming you still read my stuff by time it comes out lol)

Thank you everyone for your reviews :)

Chapter 16

"Why is it I wake up every day in an empty bed?" Troy asked the two guests at the breakfast table with a sleepy brush of his fingers through his hair.

Gabi giggled and sipped her milkshake. "You laze in bed," she told him.

"I wh-" he chuckled. "I guess I do…"

"Chad made pancakes…" She hopped up and put some in the microwave to heat.

"Did he now?" He smiled at Chad bemusedly.

"No, she did, but she's pretending I did," Chad admitted with a tired smile.

"Chemo today, right?" Troy checked and his friend nodded.

"Can you get me a new cast while you're there?" Gabi wondered. "This itches like hell…"

"Does it still hurt?" Troy checked, touching her fingers gently as he passed to pour coffee.

"Yeah," she sulked. "It's my own stupid fault."

"Hey, you did the right thing. He deserved that punch. I'm just sorry you got hurt doing it…"

"Will you guys sign it?" She asked of her cast and they both obliged her.

"I'm going to go and make sure Dex hasn't murdered Solo overnight…" Gabi stood up to leave. "Take care of Chad today," she told Troy and kissed his cheek before rushing out.

"How does she do that?" Troy chewed on his granola and awed at her ability to be so awake and swift so early.

/

"Guess what?" Gabi's brown eyes were brimming with child-like enthusiasm as she ran in and sank into the sofa; squeezing between the two guys so that they had to shift over.

"What?" Chad asked her; his tired eyes showing how difficult his day had been.

Gabi paused from giving her news. "You know what, it's no big deal…"

"You can't run in here all excited and not share the reason why!" he complained, then flopped back against the sofa cushion.

She couldn't look at him and Troy at the same time so she flicked Troy a look before focusing back on the tired Chad.

"The RaceCar organisers are putting on a celebration dance-thing on Saturday night and I got an invite!" She shared happily.

"A party?" Chad checked and she nodded eagerly.

"That's amazing, Gabi. You're gonna have so much fun…."

She turned to Troy and took a courageous breath. "Would you go with me? As my date?"

Troy hid his instant smile and met her gaze. "You asking me out?"

She smirked. "I got asked by three people at the track today so think yourself lucky I said no to every one of them so I could take you…"

"Three?" He awed, then frowned. "I'm not sure I'm happy about that…"

"They probably felt sorry for me with this on;" she held up her cast.

"They definitely did not ask you out because they felt sorry for you," Troy assured.

"So, will you go?" She asked again.

"I wouldn't miss it for the world," he confirmed softly, making her smile.

"I have to find a dress! Oh my God, I've never worn a dress before…"

"You'll look amazing, whatever you wear," he complimented.

"How was treatment?" She turned back to Chad to check.

"Mean," he sighed. "Really mean."

"I'm sorry," she sighed and hugged his arm for a minute. "I love you, Chad."

"Hey, don't be making our boy jealous now; I can't be taking punches." He teased, hugging her back awkwardly.

"Ok, I'm going to shower and make dinner." She jumped up and vanished again, leaving both guys chuckling.

"She leaves us in her trails of dust;" Chad joked.

/

Gabi frowned into the reflection in her mirror; wondering if the dress she had chosen was right for the dance.

Having never worn a dress before, she didn't really know what to look for and she had no female friends to help her so she had relied on her instincts and a few suggestions from the sale staff.

The dress was short, black and dotted with silver glitter. The skirt was gathered and layered, almost like a tutu, but edgier. It was strapless and the bodice fitted her perfectly, enhancing her small breasts.

And the shoes she had found to go with it were amazing. She had never loved shoes like she loved these ankle-strap black suedette shoes before.

But it was short. And although she had toned legs, she wasn't sure she could pull it off. So she picked her way down the stairs to ask for another opinion. A male opinion.

"Chad? What do you think of this-" she came through the door and paused as she found her friend leaning over his knees as he sat on the sofa. "Are you okay?" she quickly changed tack, coming over to sit beside him.

"I don't know, I just felt dizzy all of a sudden…you should stay back in case I feel sick…" he warned woozily.

"Don't be silly," she rubbed circles on his back. "Have you taken any meds today?"

"Just my usual stuff…" he assured. "Gabi I don't feel so-"

His words were followed by the distinct retching sound of his vomiting; which landed right at her feet as she sat beside him and tried to ease his discomfort.

"Oh, god, I'm calling an ambulance;" she stood to do just that, wincing at the sight of Chad sicking up with no energy to help himself.

"Hey, I'm home!" Troy's voice called down the hallway and Gabi sighed in relief as he came through.

"Thank god your home, Chad's been sick, we need to get him to hospital…" Gabi recounted, watching his brows rise and his gaze flicker over her.

"That's a pretty dress…" he commented distractedly.

"Troy! Stop being a guy and help me!" She begged.

"Huh? Oh…" he looked round the door to see the predicament and snapped into action. "Sure, sorry…"

"He can barely sit up, can you drive him to ER while I clean up?" she asked.

Troy was already supporting his friend into a semi-standing position as he looked over to her.

"I'm sorry that your shoes got ruined." He offered softly.

"It doesn't matter, all that matters is that he's okay," she assured as Troy trailed his friend out of the house and to the car.

Gabi stood and took three deep breaths before she let her tears fall and she moved to clean up while they fell; silently and painfully all the while she worked.

"Please help him," she begged toward the ceiling to whoever was listening. "He doesn't deserve this."

/

"Are you sure you're gonna be okay?" Gabi asked Chad for the third time that evening; the night of the ball and three days after his second hospital visit since she had come to stay.

"I'm fine," he assured. "Now go already." He said to both his friends.

Gabi was in her short dress and cleaned shoes and Troy was in a smart black suit that matched her.

"Dude, just call me, any time ok?" Troy insisted.

"Okay," he nodded dutifully, laying on the sofa with a blanket over his legs.

They both looked at each other and then to him again nervously.

"Just go!" he laughed. "I'm old enough to take care of myself I don't need a babysitter."

"It's not a problem to stay home," Gabi added unsurely of his conviction and Chad groaned and rolled his head back.

"Dear God, I love you both and I appreciate everything you do, but I am begging you to please go out tonight and have fun."

Troy linked his fingers through Gabi's and nodded. "Okay, bro."

Gabi nodded too and let his argument win her over.

"Okay we'll be back early and don't try and argue."

"Fine," he sighed and rolled his eyes.

/

"Should we have stayed home?" Gabi looked up into Troy's face as they danced later at the party.

Troy licked his lips. "I'm flying out to LA tomorrow so I guess it's nice to have some time for 'us'," he broached and she sighed and lay her cheek against his shoulder as her arms went tighter around his neck.

"I don't want you to go."

"I don't want to go," he agreed. "But I'll be back before you know it."

She pulled back and smiled into his face bemusedly. "How did this happen?"

"What's that?" he wondered.

"Me, missing a guy already? We only met two months ago and I never got involved before that." She puzzled.

Troy shrugged. "I'm glad you did with me," he smiled.

"I blame Dex," she realised in hindsight. "He pushed us together."

"So without Dex we would never have..?" he posed.

She tilted her head and smiled at him flirtily. "I guess we would have."

He leaned down and kissed her lips, once. "I'm so glad you fainted that day."

"And that you were at the race…" she added.

"Two weeks is going to seem like forever without this," he squeezed her to show what he meant.

"Then we should make the most of tonight," she smiled felinely.

He squinted at her. "Are you suggesting what I think you're suggesting?"

"If you think I'm suggesting that we cut this party to go make out, then yes," she nodded.

"Gabi Montez, what have I created?" he mused, letting her lead him from the dance floor with her inimitable sexy wiggle.

"I really can't walk in these shoes," she bemoaned.

"You look alright from here," he husked behind her, enjoying the feminine definition in her legs as the heels accentuated her muscles.

She rolled her eyes at him over her shoulder, then skidded to a halt as she faced back forward only to find someone blocking her path.

"Leaving so soon?" Solo Marlade smirked. "What about my dance?"

"I punched you once, Marlade, don't think I won't do it again," Gabi smiled without humour.

"In this room full of people? That's not very ladylike is it?" He goaded.

"No, but calling me a slut isn't very gentlemanly either," she pointed out.

"Is there a problem here?" Troy stepped up behind Gabi to reinforce her words to Solo.

"Oh, there you are," Solo smirked as though he had only just seen Troy. "Nice girl you have," he added.

"I know," Troy squinted. "And she told me what happened so I suggest you walk away before I let my angry side get the better of me…"

"Oh! The angry side of Troy Bolton. I quiver in my boots…" Solo smiled with supreme arrogance.

"If you don't mind I'd like to go and fuck my boyfriend. Please move," Gabi told her nemesis; knowing her words would shock him into moving. It worked, because Solo stood to one side.

"Who am I to stop true fuck?" he joked. "Give her one for me," he told Troy as he passed and Troy twisted his neck at the jibe, swiftly turning to punch Solo in the face.

"You are one son-of-a-bitch," Troy glittered as his violence caused a mini-mayhem in the dancehall.

"Let's just go," Gabi tugged on his hand and he followed her, panting from the adrenaline filling his veins.

When they got outside, he checked his knuckles for damage and saw only a light swelling from his hit. He'd got off more lightly than Gabi had he mused.

"Are you okay, did you hurt yourself?" She asked as they took rest outside.

"No, I'm okay." He assured softly, blinking in the moonlight as the dark shadowed her face and her eyes looked black for a moment.

"That means we have both hit Solo Marlade…" she mused.

"Just Dex to go and we're on a roll," he returned lightly.

Gabi leaned back against the wall of the building and sighed. "Where did it all go wrong?"

Troy came around to face her and stroked her hair. "When we started dating."

She smirked. "Great timing."

"He's just jealous," Troy murmured, tracing her face with his eyes, landing on her lips.

Gabi reached up to touch her hands to his chest. "Are you okay with that? You got kinda angry in there…"

Troy leaned closer to touch his forehead to hers. "I'm sorry."

"Actually," she smiled a little. "I kinda liked it…"

"You did?" He frowned at her surprising words. Of all the women in the world, he never expected Gabi to like his dark side.

"Yeah," she smiled and ran her fingers into his hair at his neck. "You were kinda sexy…"

"Sexy huh?" His breathing quickened as he leaned closer still, pinning her to the wall as his hands cupped her waist.

"Uh huh," she nodded, sighing as his lips grazed her collarbone, then dropped a kiss between her breasts.

"You look amazing tonight," he whispered, letting his hands slide around to cup her backside and he brought her body flush with his; his thigh through both of hers.

She clung onto his shoulders as her breaths became rapid. "Kiss me already…"

He lazily smiled at her, nuzzling her nose before taking her mouth in a kiss that wasn't even a fraction of the tenderness they usually shared; but completely filled with urgency from the fraught moments before.

Troy consumed her, with his mouth, with his tongue and his hard body pressed into her; showing her exactly what he wanted, exactly what he needed and exactly what he was going to take to ease his hunger.

"Jesus," he panted, groaning as Gabi arched her body to rub against his thigh for her own pleasure and maybe a little of his, too.

"I need you…" she puzzled at their fast rise to this level of intimacy and need.

"I know," his voice was strained against the lump in his throat; the one that matched the swell in his trousers.

"There must be somewhere we can go…" she beseeched, melded to him and urging for more.

He kissed her once on the mouth. "I know somewhere. But we have to walk…"

She moaned at the thought of letting go. "Can't we just do it here?" She sighed.

Troy grinned at her, stroking her hair back. "Not unless you want to be filmed," he pointed to the CCTV up on the car-park lamp post.

"Oh, shit," she closed her eyes as she realised she would have to let go for the moments it would take them to find a safer place to make out. "Okay, let's go, Bolton…"

Troy let her unravel from his aching body before he took her hand and walked, fast, towards his temporary garage.

"Here?" Gabi came in and cuddled her arms around herself as the cold air of the work shop infiltrated her skin.

"This way," Troy pulled her through to the back-room where he swept his hand across his desk of paperwork and fluttered everything to the floor.

It was warmer in there; and the moonlight filtered through the blinds, striping them both in clean white light as Gabi came over and reached under her arm to slide down the zipper of her dress, her breath just visible in the cool room.

She slid the garment down, revealing her underwear as she hitched her backside onto the desk and hooked her heels against the side, laying back as she waited for Troy to move.

As she lay there, her lungs filling with nervous sharp breaths she wondered if he was ever going to move and then she saw his shadow as he did. He shrugged off his jacket, slipped off his tie and came toward her, leaning between her open thighs to bend over the desk.

"You are so beautiful, Gabi," he told her as he touched her face with a tender thumb and finger and she smiled softly, right before she let her hands drift to his shirt and her smile changed, from one of sweetness to one of seduction.

Her hands sharply ripped the two sides of material apart and buttons scattered across the empty desk.

"Stop talking and kiss me," she begged on a whisper and she groaned when his hard lips attached fast to hers, making her squirm.

She pushed down his shirt, wriggling up to reach for his trousers, but his hand blocked hers as he flicked the fastening open with one hand; their kisses fervent and unending as they mated their tongues; just like they wanted to mate their bodies.

"Jesus, Gabi," Troy sighed, kicking away his trousers as he came back between her thighs and this time he kissed her skin, every part of it he could reach, all while his hands played over her. Softly at first, then harder as he searched for more and eventually he was taking rough handfuls of her flesh and sucking hard on it to evidence his desire.

"Troy," she curled, wrapping her legs around his middle to bring his arousal jutting into her softness, right where she wanted to feel him, deeper inside.

"Oh, god," he closed his eyes against the urge he had to ejaculate right then as he sighted her arching body, her breasts now bare, only her panties and his boxers separating them and he could see every curve of hers in the moonlight and the glow of unmistakeable need in her dark eyes.

"Troy," she panted again and he fastened his lips to hers as he tugged her underwear off and slipped his boxers down to enable him to sheath himself in her slick beauty; hot and wet and waiting for him.

She moaned out loud and curled to take him deeper, her arms stretching out behind her and leaving her whole body bare for his touch.

He thumbed her peaks and thrust, testing her reaction, closing his eyes and swallowing as he felt his control damn near slip again. "Not yet," he told himself on a whisper.

Gabi arched again, begging for his fill and he obliged her with slow, measured control until he gave up pretending she was as innocent as she pretended to be and finally gave into the animalistic thrusts his body ached for; taking everything she had and maybe a little bit more as he lost control.

As his body juddered and he emptied his seed into her; he opened his mouth in silent shock at the intensity of their coming together, like nothing he had ever experienced before.

"Oh, god, oh, Gabi…" he stroked her hair down and down.

"Shh, don't worry," she clutched him close.

"I didn't have a condom…we didn't…"

She kissed his cheek, holding him close. "I'm on the pill. It'll be okay…"

"Shit!" He cursed into her hair, still regaining his breaths. "What happened there?"

She smiled slowly and looked into his eyes. "I think you were claiming me."

"You think?" He bewildered. "Jesus."

"Got some of your anger out?" She twinkled and he stared at her, awed.

"You're amazing, you know that?" he wondered. "That was just…"

She stroked his sweaty hair back and giggled. "Amazing?" she offered.

He smiled slowly. "You're not so innocent," he accused softly.

She shrugged. "You went all alpha-male on me…"

"You wore that skimpy dress," he argued in his defence.

"Oh so that's why you wanted to hit Marlade," she irked her brow.

He stroked a large, caring hand down her side right down her thigh. "No that's why I wanted to hit him. Because what we have is special."

She nodded, squirming under his touch. "I agree. But can I get up now? My back kinda hurts…"

Troy grinned slowly at her request and stood back; his bare form pleasing to her eyes as he helped her sit up.

"Come here," he murmured, then scooped her into his arms to cuddle her.

"Can I get dressed again? It's cold in here…" she asked from his arms, her fingertips tickling his hair.

"Mm, do you want your dress?" He checked and she smiled.

"Well your shirt is no good…"

"Oh that's right…you ripped the damn buttons off," he crinkled.

She smiled felinely. "That was fun."

He groaned. "Please don't start…"

She hopped down from his arms; re-linking her hands at his neck as she pressed her body up against his in an attempt to match his height but she still fell short.

"We only have tonight…"

"You were cold a minute ago," he reminded her and she pouted.

"We should go home and finish this."

He grinned and cradled her close. "Great idea."

"After we check on Chad," she added with a glimmer in her eye.

"Way to ruin the party," he grumbled as she let go to find her dress and he slung on his trousers and jacket to follow her; both of them keen to get home.

/

Chad checked on and okay, they headed back to Troy's room and came together again, in softer, slower ways than before.

It was like the frustrated need of before lent way to tender; sweet love-making that neither had experienced before, with equal intensity every time they came.

Troy held Gabi close that night, as though the tighter he held her, the less chance there was he'd have to let go and even though they both managed to sleep for a few hours; they both slept with the knowledge they be parted the next day.

And so they woke early, just sharing soft touches and tender kisses and most of all, sharing words to affirm their feelings before their time apart ate into their happy mood.

"We should get up," Troy suggested lightly, tightening his arms in juxtaposition to his words.

Gabi rubbed her hand across his chest and sighed. "If we don't get up, we can pretend it's not real."

"Maybe I can miss my flight," he added to her theory.

"Just tell them we had to make out," she agreed.

He kissed her hair. "I love you."

"I love you, too."

"I'll be back in no time," he promised again.

"I know," she agreed sadly.

"We really should get up. I want to spend some time with Chad before I go…"

Gabi hugged him a little tighter around the middle. "Okay."

"You're hugging me tighter," he mused.

"I know."

"When I have to get up…"

"I'm stopping you."

"What about Chad?" He enquired, peeling back one of her curls with his finger to kiss her forehead.

"He can wait."

Troy chuckled. "Gabi…"

She made a sulking noise and burrowed closer.

"Gabi…" he beseeched again.

She kissed his chest. "I think I hate Chad."

"No you don't…"

"No, I don't," she sighed as she flopped onto her back and threw her arm out.

Troy ached at the loss of her small body against his. "I miss you already."

She rolled her eyes. "Don't be corny," she announced as she jumped up and headed for his shower.

"Hey," he threw his pillow at her. "I was being romantic and you just walk away?"

Gabi picked up the pillow and looked at him with a smirk. "Romance is for suckers," she accused before catapulting the pillow back at him expertly, making him laugh at her words.