"I don't want you to be alone out there, you're waiting in my dad's office and that is final!"

"Since when are you my dad?!" she snapped back at him. Sure Drew had threatened her but that was no reason to hide away and not go on living like normal. Besides she had Troy, Chad, coach and most of the basketball team looking out for her so it's not like Drew could get close enough to do anything to her.

"Since you don't look after yourself"

"I do look after myself!"

"No you don't! You look after everyone else but not yourself. I don't want you to get hurt!" he yelled at her pacing back and forth in his room. They had met up at Troy's so that he could drive them both to the basketball game. East high was meeting San Antonio spurs in the championships, Troy had been anxious about the game all week long, running extra practices almost everyday after school with his team mates at the house. The basketball court in their backyard wasn't big but they managed. If they one this championship game he would make history being the first wildcat captain to lead his team to back to back championships.

"I won't get hurt okay, I promise to stay in your dad's office" she sighed plopping down on his bed in defeat. Troy's expression softened and he walked over and sat next to her and wrapped his arms around her hugging her tight as she rested her head on his shoulder.

"I know you don't want to do this but I just want you to be safe, I don't want what happened to Ryan to happen to you, you mean to much for me to let that happen" he laid his cheek against the top of her head.

"I know and that's why I'm staying in your dad's office"

"Troy! Taylor! Time to get a move on!" Troy's mom yelled up the stairs making the two jump apart and run down the stairs, yelling a quick bye to Lucille and Cameron Bolton the two made their way over to East high for the game that would make or break them.

-----

"Bolton fakes right, breaks left, he shoots, the balls in! East high wins at the buzzard 79, 67 the championship is all Wildcats!" the announcer yelled in the mike as everyone on the bleachers jumped up to congratulate the team on their win. Troy looked all around himself to try and find the girl that meant the most to him. He saw her as she was the only one who came running towards him laughing and smiling. He caught her on the run and spun her around as she laughed loudly in his ear.

"You did it, you won!" she said excitedly grinning at him from ear to ear as she stroked some of his bangs from his sweat covered forehead "Bet you wish Sharpay was here to plant one on you right now huh?" she asked with the grin still firmly in place.

"No she makes me sick and I like our tradition" he said puckering his lips and waiting for his kiss. Ever since Troy made the team as a freshman Taylor had come to all of his games and cheered him on and after every game she would give him a quick peck. They knew it was weird with two best friends kissing like this but they liked it and they wouldn't change their tradition for anything. He leaned in for his kiss but stopped when he saw her leaning away from him "Hey where's my kiss!" he cried sending Taylor into another fit of giggles.

"Your dad is watching" she whispered.

"So what he knows what we're doing he's seen it before"

"Yeah well I think we should stop with this tradition your starting college and then we won't be able to continue with this tradition"

"That's college but right now is high school and all through out high school I've gotten a kiss so give me my kiss" he said cupping her face and kissing her, as he pulled away from her he could see the shock on her face as her mouth hung open "you might wanna close your mouth unless you wanna catch some flies" Troy joked. Taylor punched him lightly in the arm as he laughed at her cheeks going pink.

"Troy, the team voted you MVP although I don't know why we even vote you're always the MVP every freaking year" Chad said trusting a small trophy in Troy's chest before walking towards the locker room.

"Come on, the sooner I shower the sooner we can get home" Troy said grabbing Taylor's hand and dragging her towards the locker room. As they entered the team started to wolf whistle Taylor as she kept her head down not wanting to see anything that wasn't meant for her eyes to see. Troy lead her to his dads office and opened the door for her to walk in as soon as she was settled in coaches chair and had turned all the way round in it a few times Troy left her with the promise that he would be done in five minutes. A minute later coach came in the room and smiled at Taylor as she continued to turn around and around in his chair.

"I swear you and Troy both act as if you were five sometimes" he said with a smile setting down his clipboard on the desk.

"With Cameron around we need to be in contact with our inner child so we can come up with new and creative games for us to play with him so he doesn't get bored" Taylor said in a monotone voice making her sound like Ms. Stevenson the English teacher. Coach smiled at her and shook his head.

"I know you to well to even try and believe that"

"I wouldn't believe it either" Taylor said as she started to spin once again "wait I forgot my sweater in the gym, I'll be right back"

"If you're not back in a minute I'm coming after you so don't try to run away"

"I won't" she called as she made her way out of the locker room carefully watching her feet as she walked past the showers. Letting out a sigh of relief as she made it out to the gym she looked for her sweater. Spotting it she quickly made her way over to it, she didn't even reach it before she felt an arm around her waist and a hand clamped over her mouth as she was being dragged out of the gym and outside by the dumpsters.