Hi all! Here's my next chapter :) Thanks to everyone who read the first part, I hope you like this chapter too. I will probably be updating now on about once or twice a week depending on whole RL goes.

Just wanted to say thanks to the following reviewers:

pink.marshmellows – Thanks for the review. I'm glad you like the story. Hope you read and review again :)

Lela-of-Bast – Thanks! Please review again :)

dreamer 3097 – Glad you like it. Please comment again :)

2TheMaX – Glad you like the first chapter, hope you read and review again. I'll remember to use 12 hour clock from now on, thanks for that tip! I do worry that I'm saying the wrong thing or getting dialogue wrong ;)

MilksFavoriteCookie22 – I'm glad you find it suspenseful, that's what I'm aiming for! Hope you like this chapter too :) Please review again.

TheDiamondPrincess – Thanks for reviewing first! Hope you like this chapter too and comment again. Gonna be quite a lot of angst in this story, Troy's gonna have a hard time. Hope you enjoy :)

OK, carrying on now :)

A Family Affair.

Chapter 2

Gabriella woke up immediately. It took her a few seconds to realise she had not been woken up as usual by her alarm clock but by her mobile phone. She glanced across at her clock and was surprised to see it was 5am.

Yawning, she reached for her phone with was perched on her dresser. She saw it was a number she didn't recognise calling. A feeling of dread come over her. Why would a stranger be calling her at this hour?

She answered the call with a nervous; "Hello?"

"Gabriella?"

"Yes?"

"It's Coach Bolton."

Gabriella was wide awake at once. Troy's Dad? Why was he calling?

"Hi Coach, everything OK?"

"Eh, actually Gabriella, no." He said, sounding irate. "Can I speak to Troy, please?"

She was shocked. "Um, Coach? I don't understand?"

"It's perfectly simple, Gabriella!" He dropped all pretense of politeness now. Gabriella realised how furious he was. Her feelings of panic increased. "Troy has a big game today and said yesterday that he'd get some practice in with the guys this morning. Now, what goes on between you two is between you and I've always respected that. But for him not call is unlike him and damned irresponsible! Now can you put him on the phone? Right now?"

Gabriella felt sick. Where was Troy?"

"Coach Bolton," she said, quietly, "Troy isn't here. He left early last night, around nine."

The line was quiet for a moment. "Coach Bolton?" Gabriella whispered.

"I see, I'm sorry to bother you then. I've gotta go."

"Coach, please wait.. didn't Troy..."

Coach Bolton paused before telling her; "His bed wasn't slept in last night and Troy's not answering his mobile. His Mother and I just presumed he stayed the night at yours. Everything was OK when he left yours wasn't it? You two didn't have a fight or anything?"

Gabriella hesitated. Troy did leave hers in a sour mood but surely he wouldn't have gone off somewhere on his own? All night? Things between them weren't that bad, were they?

"Gabriella?" Coach Bolton urged her. He could hear in his voice that he was worried. Troy had never stayed out all night before without letting his folks know where he was. If something had happened to him and it was her fault, she would never forgive herself. But neither would Coach Bolton..

"No," she said, closing her eyes, "Troy was fine when he left here. He just had a headache and wanted to rest before the game. There wasn't any problem. I'm sure he'll turn up at school. He's not gonna miss the game is he?"

"I'm sure your right. Thanks Gabriella. See you at school."

He hung up.

Gabriella cancelled the call herself and instantly tried Troy. His phone rang and rang. When it went to voice mail, she stopped the call and dropped her phone on her bed. Gabriella sat up, staring at her phone. That feeling of dread was now spreading to her gut, nearly choking her. She remembered how scared Troy had seemed last night, how he had mentioned someone following him. What if he had been right? What if something terrible had happened to him and Gabriella could have prevented it just by taking more notice of his fears?

Knowing that she wouldn't be able to go back to sleep now, she decided she may as well get ready for school. Heading off to have a shower, she tried to put her worries for Troy out of her mind, hard as it was. She knew what Taylor would say; she'd tell her friend that there had to be a hundred, perfectly reasonable, not at all sinister, explanations for Troy not getting home last night. He'd be waiting for her at school, big grin on his face and giving her his best puppy dog look, ready to make things up for their silly argument last night. Everything would be just fine. As long as she kept telling herself that.

XXX

Troy opened his eyes and winced. His head was killing him. He looked up at the ceiling and was surprised he didn't recognise it. There was no light and the roof was made of wood. He got up carefully, holding his head and gazed around the small wooden room.

It was then that the events of last night came flooding back to him. Someone had grabbed him in the street! He groped around in his jeans pocket trying to find his mobile phone. But of course, it wasn't there. Swallowing his fear, he looked around the room he had found himself in.

The room was nearly bare, with only a table and chair in the centre. He glanced at the "bed" he had awoken on and saw it was simply a few blankets and pillows piled up together. There was one window in the room, to small to climb out through but at least it provided some daylight.

Troy's eyes finally rested on the large wooden door in front of him. Not hesitating, he rushed forward and tried the door. It was locked. He pulled on it a few times before realising it was hopeless. Panic began to set in. Who had locked him in here and why? Why would anyone grab him. What use was he? His Mom and Dad had no money, it wasn't as if they could pay any ransom. OK, there was the basketball, his team had beaten a lot of others through the years so he knew he'd made plenty of enemies but surely noone would go this far. This was just insane!

Troy walked back over to his makeshift bed and sat down, staring straight ahead, trying to stay calm. Getting scared and freaking out was not going to help the situation. He needed to think about what had happened to him and see if he could work out any clues as to who had taken him. He remembered last night, his row with Gabriella and then, as he was walking home, being grabbed from behind by that big guy. He'd terrified Troy, he had just been so creepy and sinister. And he had knocked Troy out so the Wildcat had no clue where he had been taken too.

Troy glanced up at the window, trying to see what was outside. The window was just to high. He smiled when he saw the table, jumped up again, ignoring the ache in his head and tried to push the table towards the window. It wouldn't budge. It was only wooden, how could the table be that heavy? He tried the chair. That wouldn't move an inch either. It didn't take Troy long to work out that the furniture was fixed to the floor. Whoever had snatched him really had thought of everything. He got up on the table and tried to peer through the window. With a sinking feeling, he could make out nothing but trees. There were no other buildings that he could see and defiantly no other sign of life. Was he is a wood or something? If he was, how would anyone ever find him?

Troy turned towards the door quickly. Someone was unlocking it! He hurried down from the table as quietly as he could muster and rushed over to his messy blankets. He laid down and shut his eyes, deciding the best plan was for him to pretend to still be unconscious.

The handle on the door turned and the door swung open with an ominous creak. Troy listened as he heard a man's footsteps entering the room. He heard the man cross the small room and place something on the table. Then, much to Troy's horror, the footsteps came closer until he knew the man was standing over him.

His kidnapper kicked him in the leg, hard. It took all of Troy's self control not to move but he did manage to stay still. The man chuckled. He then knelt down beside Troy and to the boy's disgust, put his hand up Troy's sweater and rubbed his chest. Troy wanted so badly to push the man's hand away but he didn't move. Tears threatened to spill when he felt the man move his hand down towards Troy's groin. The Wildcat was going to throw up. He screwed his eyes even more tightly shut, praying the man would stop.

At that moment, there was muffled yell from downstairs. The man stopped touching Troy and with a disappointed sigh, stood up.

Troy shivered as the large man addressed him;

"The fun's gonna start for real when you wake up, pretty boy."

There was another shout. The man yelled back. "Alright, I'm coming!"

Troy listened as his hurried footsteps again crossed the room, he heard the door being slammed shut and the key being turned in the lock. Then, he was alone again.

He opened his eyes. He was trembling. He didn't think he had ever felt so disgusted and scared. His kidnapper was a perfect. Just what the hell was he going to do. He saw that the man had left a glass of water and a couple of pills. Troy almost laughed. Oh, maybe he does care after all.

Troy leant his head against the wall. There was nothing funny about his situation. He laid there, listening out for the first signs that someone was coming.

Now, panic was setting in. Actually, if the Captain of the Wildcats was being completely honest, he was absolutely terrified.

TBC.

Hope you all liked that.

Next time: Things get scarier and stranger for Troy! And Gabriella and Troy's Dad are worried when Troy doesn't turn up at East High.

See you soon!

NB - Sorry for the delay with chapter 3. I wanted to post it this week but probably won't have a chance now. It will be up early next week though :) Again, my apologies!