DISCLAIMER: I do not own High School Musical or any related characters.

A/N: Okay, so now all of you are going to find out why Troy reacted the way he did. Anyway, this is going to be the first basketball game of the season. I'm not quite sure how the American system works, but I figured from watching the movie, that if they were playing the championship after Christmas, then their basketball season would have had to start a couple of weeks into September, which is the first term of school. So I'm going with what I've figured unless someone tells me differently.

Dangerous Fascination

CHAPTER 7

READY

He'd screwed up. For the first time ever, he'd screwed up and it wasn't sitting well with him. He hadn't meant to kiss her, especially in the middle of the park where anyone could have seen. But that wasn't what was getting him, what was getting to him was the fact that he had lost control over what he was doing just because of what she'd said and the way she'd said it. He'd understood and he'd lost control because of that, he'd screwed up by letting what she'd said get to him and acting on an impulse that had intensified into a need that he wasn't used to as soon as her lips had touched his. A need that told him to find her weak points and exploit them, a need that told him to touch her in places he was sure no-one had ever touched before. A need he'd squashed ruthlessly as soon as her hand had touched his side. It had all been so out of his control, the impulse to kiss her, the need that had surged as soon his lips had found hers, so out of control that he'd become furious. The temper that had always been in his control, breaking free as he'd pulled away and she'd looked up at him in that split second before fear had taken over, with a look in her eyes that told him what he had just done meant something to her. As soon as he'd seen it, anger had taken full rein and he'd told her to leave, to get out before he did something he would regret, she hadn't understood and he'd been grateful for it. He knew that what he had wanted to do to her in the park, would have taken over completely if he had responded to the urge to kiss her again and he knew that whatever she thought, there was no way in hell that she was ready for what he wanted from her.

Getting out of his car, Troy shouldered his sports bag and locked the car. Shoving the keys into his pocket carelessly, he didn't even glance at the people who shouted out good luck as he walked towards the front doors of the school. For a moment, he paused and his eyes flicked over the students milling around the front doors, most dressed in red and white and many chattering excitedly about the first game of the basketball season. The start of the season that would dictate his future. Shaking the thought from his head, Troy shoved his hands into the pocket of his white tracksuit and began to walk up the concrete stairs that led into the school. Walking in, Troy immediately saw his teammates. The white home tracksuit they all had to wear stood out from the rest of the school and instantly made them the celebrities of a school that focused so much attention on basketball. Dodging a few students, Troy ignored the way some students ducked out of his way as he walked down the hallway. He thought it was a smart move to avoid him, he'd already had several outbreaks of barely controlled temper that had left some people trembling during the week and Troy figured that another one would see the entire student body avoiding him like the plague. Reaching his locker, he pulled it open for show and stood there watching as people chattered excitedly about the first game of the season and who was going to win.

"Game Day!!" Troy barely moved at Zeke's loud, excited yell. Instead, a genuine grin spread across his face as he slapped hands with his over-excited teammate.

"Game Day. You ready for it?" Troy asked and Zeke looked at Troy like he was insane.

"Ready for it? I've been praying this day'll come all summer!" Zeke replied and Troy merely raised his eyebrows at how enthusiastic his friend was at the prospect of playing forty minutes of a long, hard game.

"Dude, you waste all your energy now and you won't have anything left for the game." Troy said with a chuckle of amusement and Zeke opened his mouth to respond when he saw his friend's eyes darken. Glancing up the hall, Zeke's eyes narrowed as he caught sight of Gabriella who glanced up at Troy. Curiously, Zeke watched as she bit her lip before looking away from Troy and turning her attention to the girl beside her who had missed the way her friend's eyes had strayed to Troy and the flash that Zeke interpreted as a mix of hurt and fear went through her eyes. Looking at Troy, Zeke noted the taunt muscle in his jaw and glancing back at Gabriella, pieced two and two together.

"What happened?" Troy glanced at Zeke as soon as the question left his mouth. His blue eyes were dark and hard, and Troy knew if it had been anyone other than Zeke, they would have immediately made a stumbled apology about the question or bolted.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Troy said and Zeke rolled his eyes at Troy's denial, watching as he glanced back at Gabriella again.

"Sure you do. You've been angry all week, and I'm guessing that it has something to do with the girl that just walked down the hallway, looked at you and then kept walking." Zeke said and merely stared back as Troy made a movement that suggested to Zeke that he would have been slammed into the locker if he had been anyone else.

"Well, aren't you just the shrink." Troy snapped coolly and Zeke shrugged at his words.

"No. I'm just guessing, and right now, I'm guessing something happened between you two that isn't sitting too well with you and whatever it is, it's hurting her." Zeke replied and folded his arms at the way Troy's eyes hardened at his last words.

"How do you know its hurting her?" Troy shot at him and Zeke shrugged, narrowing his eyes slightly at something in Troy's tone that said a lot more than anything else he could have asked.

"Her eyes when she looked at you." He replied and Troy didn't respond to it, instead he frowned and leant against the lockers. "So, here's my full guess. Whatever's been going on between you two in the last couple of weeks, hit something like its milestone when you were at the park. My guess is you ran into her while you were heading home or going to the courts and while you were exchanging your usual pleasantries with her, you did something that you're now furious about because whatever it was was completely out of your control." Zeke said and Troy stared at him in disbelief. Not quite sure what to make of someone being able to tell him exactly what was wrong with him; it was a new and very unwelcome experience that had his eyes narrowing after the disbelief had faded.

"How did you put that together?" He asked quietly and Zeke heard the danger in Troy's voice, but answered anyway.

"You only get this on edge when something happened that you wanted to happen, but happened when you weren't in complete control of yourself. I only figured something happened with you and Gabriella when you walked into school on Monday and refused to even acknowledge her, when we all know you've been entertaining yourself with her ever since school started. Now the only thing you're going to tell me, is exactly what happened to put you in this mood?" Zeke said and Troy's eyes darkened even further and Zeke suddenly realized he'd pushed his luck with Troy. Stepping away from him, Zeke's look of apprehension had a few students evacuating the area around Troy's locker quickly.

"Do you want to run that by me again, Zeke?" Troy asked, so softly that someone might have missed the threat in his eyes. Zeke, however, saw the threat and swallowed slightly as he took a step away from Troy whose hands had curled into fists.

"Is there a problem here boys?" Troy swallowed at the sound of Principal Matsui's mild voice and slowly uncurled his fist as he turned to face the principal and fought to keep the smile on his face.

"No sir, just discussing the game." He replied and glanced at Zeke as he nodded vigorously.

"Well, I do hope that's all," Principal Matsui said glancing from one boy to the other, when both nodded he smiled at them. "I hope the game goes well, I have to miss it, unfortunately, I have a meeting. But I'm sure you'll do East High proud. Now, get off to homeroom." Troy and Zeke both nodded as they watched the principal make his way down the hallway. As soon as he was sure the principal was out of earshot, Troy turned back to Zeke.

"Push me that far again and you won't ever see the first game of the season." Troy said menacingly, slamming his locker shut and shouldering Zeke as he walked past. Zeke closed his eyes as Troy pushed past him and turned and watched as his friend walked down the hallway, ignoring people pointedly, whether they were saying good luck for the game or simply dodging him.

Troy found himself standing in front of his homeroom before he realized he'd been heading there in the first place. Rubbing a hand over his face, Troy seriously contemplated skipping homeroom and his classes until it was time for the game. Glancing down the hallway, Troy could even see his escape route. For a moment, the serious contemplation almost turned into an actual movement before someone spoke.

"If you skip, everyone's going to know." Gabriella's quiet voice had his jaw clenching as he turned around to look at her.

"How would you know?" He shot at her, his voice quiet and annoyed. She bit her lip at it and then shrugged.

"Because everyone has been watching your every move ever since you arrived this morning. Skipping would gain heaps of attention." She replied and Troy closed his eyes as he realized she was right.

"Since when do you pay attention to things like that?" He asked and watched as she became defensive.

"Since the entire school has been talking about this basketball game for weeks," Gabriella shot back and Troy rolled his eyes at her words.

"You hang out with McKessie, you guys barely know that a basketball game's going on, let alone pay attention to the hype that's going through the school." Troy snapped at her and Gabriella's eyes flashed at his words.

"Just because you've categorized me into that particular one, doesn't mean I don't pay attention to what's going on outside it." Gabriella shot at him, her breathing hitching as he glared at her.

"You're right. It doesn't mean you don't pay attention to what's outside your bubble. But tell me, if I wasn't involved in the hype, would you pay so much attention?" Troy asked her, his tone cold and emotionless.

"How do you know I'm paying attention to the hype because of you? What if I was listening to it, enjoying it because I've never been part of a school as involved with something as simple as a basketball game?" She asked him furiously and Troy shook his head at her, his own eyes blazing at her words.

"Because you wouldn't know the difference between a basketball and a football!" He snapped at her and Gabriella closed her eyes at his tone.

"Why are you so mad at me?" She asked quietly and Troy nearly jerked at her the suddenness of her question.

"What made you think that?" He asked her, struggling to control his temper that was much to close to breaking point as he watched her open her eyes and stare at him.

"Why didn't you kiss me again?" Gabriella asked quietly and Troy's face hardened at her words. His temper froze at will and the coldness of his eyes had her stepping back as he looked at her.

"Don't ask questions you don't need the answers too." Troy said harshly and walked into their homeroom, leaving Gabriella standing in the hallway, biting her lip and forcing away hurt that had sprung as soon as he'd spoken. Hurt that said more to Troy than he let on and convinced him more than ever that whatever he wanted from her. She wasn't ready for.

A/N: Well, I was actually going to continue on, but I think I'll leave it there. I hope that explained why Troy was so…furious in the last chapter. I hope you all enjoyed it!