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

A/N: Okay, so this is the first chapter of 'Cat and Mouse' and I know that in the beginning this Troy is increasingly similar to the Troy in 'Dangerous Fascination' but I've revised this and I already know what Troy in this is going to be like so, hopefully, you'll all notice the differences between the two. Like Troy being cocky instead of confident. Hopefully, I can keep up with two stories going at once!

Cat and Mouse

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CHAPTER 1

WHO WOULD'VE THOUGHT?

Troy glanced around the room, his eyes flicking over the hoards of students dancing against each other, noticing, assessing and then dismissing. He wasn't surprised that he was bored out of his mind, his enjoyment of parties only came when something interesting happened and at the moment, the 'exclusive' East High parties that he'd been attending where about as fun as having his teeth pulled, especially this one. It was meant to be the biggest party of the year, the New Year's Eve one where they didn't have to worry about noise complaints because the neighbors were out and could get as smashed as they wanted and not have to worry because their parents wouldn't be home the next morning and see them hung over. Lifting the beer he'd been nursing for the past hour, Troy took a sip as his eyes continued to flick around the room, this would definitely be fun for a junior maybe or even a sophomore that had managed to get in. But not a senior who had out grown high school by his junior year. Seeing a leggy brunette make her way toward him, Troy groaned silently and waited as she stopped in front of him.

"Hi Troy." She giggled and Troy looked at her and estimated that in another half-hour she'd be passed out in one of the many bedrooms upstairs.

"Clare." He acknowledged and she giggled again, stumbling slightly as someone brushed past her. Troy rolled his eyes at her and turned his attention back to surveying the room. Finding the various couples making out on the dance floor or up against a wall about as amusing as watching a daytime soap opera.

Hearing yelling, Troy turned his head to his right and grinned slightly as he watched one of his friends take a drunken punch at another or his friends head. His other friend, slightly less drunk then the other managed to dodge it and stumbled slightly. Troy watched for a moment, laughing slightly as they both tried to make contact with each others faces and failed miserably, strolling casually over to the circle around the two. Troy ignored the way people shrunk away from him slightly and instead calmly grabbed the slightly less drunk guys arm stopping the punch, which would have connected solidly with the other guys jaw, only few inches away.

"Guys, enough. Its only fun before someone gets hurt." Troy said his tone light and casual, his grip on the boys arm tightening as he gave both boys a warning look. Both nodded sullenly and Troy gave both of them a slow, dangerous smile.

"Glad we agree." He said letting go of the boys arm and watching as the crowd and two guys dispersed. He watched in pure amazement as the teenagers who had been watching the fight, quickly forgot about the fight and the disappointment of it breaking up and returned to dancing and gossiping.

For a moment Troy stood still, contemplating leaving the party and then as his eyes swept the room once again, they landed on something that made his eyes narrow. One of his teammates had a girl pinned to the wall, Troy couldn't see exactly where his hands were but he knew where they weren't. His eyes snapped to the girls face and her tear stained face as she tried to push him off her, was enough for Troy to cross the room. Hands shoved into his pockets, eyes dark with anger, people moved out of his way once they saw his face, some followed as they wondered what exactly had the normally calmly controlled Troy Bolton show emotion.

"Stop! Please!" She begged him as Troy reached them, her eyes snapped to him and widened in terror as she saw Troy's face. She struggled more violently against the boy who had her pinned to the wall and then closed her eyes as Troy's hand shot out from his pocket and gripped her captor by the shoulder.

Troy spun the guy around and he stumbled as the girl sank to the floor, gasping for air and shaking convulsively. His teammate looked him up and down and then his face turned into a sneer, knowing exactly why Troy was there.

"Ooooh, look it's the bad boy, Troy Bolton. What you going to do Troy? Beat me up?" Troy let out a dry 'ha' as Greg, his teammate, sneered at him, the amount of alcohol he'd consumed slurring his speech and intensifying the malicious glint in his eyes.

"Dude, what I would do to you is much worse then beating you up." Troy said, the dangerous glint in his eyes giving away the calmly controlled tone of his voice. Greg either didn't notice or didn't care as he looked up at his teammate. Both ignoring the pounding music cutting off as more people began to notice what was happening between the two and beginning to nudge the person next to them, whispering that Greg had to have done something bad for Troy to be showing signs of barely controlled fury. Even in a drunken stupor, no-one dared approach the two or the girl curled up at their feet, her knees against her chest, her head buried in her knees for fear of waking up the next morning with a broken nose.

"But wait, what are we discussing Troy? Why did you pull me away from my fu-" Greg was cut off as Troy slammed him into the wall, ignoring the way the girl at his feet gave a shudder and a cry and the people around them gasped in shock.

"Dude, if you ever pull something like what you were doing to this girl again and I'm around, you'd better hope to God you wake up the next morning. I can tolerate a lot, Greg, but when a girl tells you to stop and you don't? You'd better hope that someone up there likes you. Got it?" Troy hissed at him, his blue eyes flashing furiously, his jaw set dangerously as his teammate struggled to pull his shirt out of Troy's grip. When he didn't answer, Troy slammed him into the wall again. "I asked you if you got it Greg." Troy spat at him and Greg nodded feebly.

"I got it." He managed to groan and Troy let go of his shirt. Greg leaned against the wall for support as Troy turned from him and to the girl. Bending down, he grasped her arm and ignored the way she began to shake again, pulling her up; Troy made a movement to lead her away and then turned and hit Greg in the jaw. The group around them winced as a sickening crack echoed through the silent room and Greg fell to the floor in pain.

Grasping the girls arm again, Troy pulled her through the crowd of people who had slowly begun to understand that they weren't going to find out anything from Greg as they looked at him on the floor, twitching in pain. No-one dared approach Troy or the girl as Troy pulled her out of the room, grabbing his jacket as he left the silent party. Continuing to propel the girl forward, Troy pulled her down the street, ignoring the feeble protest as he continued to walk and pull her along with him. With a flash of grim amusement, Troy suddenly realized that this was not how he'd pictured the celebration of the coming year playing out. Well, the dragging a girl away from the party part wasn't what he'd imagined anyway. When they were a block away from the party, Troy stopped walking and pulled her in front of him.

Looking down at her, Troy suddenly realized who she was. Pushing away the flare of anger as he recognized her, Troy's eyes swept over her as she trembled, searching for any visible injuries that Greg may have caused. When he couldn't find anything, Troy draped his jacket over her shoulders, knowing that she was shaking violently from shock and the cool air. He disregarded the look of surprise on her face as his eyes continued to sweep over her as she pulled the jacket tighter around her shoulders. When his inspection of her was complete, Troy's hand dropped from her arm and he shoved one hand in the back pocket of his jeans.

"Where do you live?" He asked quietly and she looked at him, the fright from what had happened faded from her eyes and was replaced with a look of mistrust. Troy noted it with the same grim amusement he had before, liking the way she didn't trust him.

"Another block from here." She replied and he nodded.

"Good. I'll walk you there." He said and she opened her mouth to argue and then closed it again, as the look he sent her silenced her and the mistrust in him deepened.

She knew him, everyone who went to their school did. He was the one that you noticed after the snide comments, exaggerated stories and obnoxious laughter of his friends. He was the one all you had to do was look at and you knew that he pulled the strings, the calmly controlled one that never gave anything away. He was the one that the entire school never argued with, the one that no-one challenged. His looks and basketball captaincy keeping him in the teacher's good books and his tightly controlled emotions and calm, often dangerous, authority keeping the students of East High, wary about what they said and who they said it too. All of them knowing that while Chad put on the show, Troy directed it all.

"I know who you are." She said suddenly, breaking the tense silence they were walking in. Troy looked at her, amusement in his eyes as he took in her face.

"Oh yeah?" He asked, sensing the annoyance in her at the amusement in his voice.

"Yeah. You're Troy Bolton. East High's legendary bad boy. Your reputation precedes you. Any student transferring to East High more often then not, knows about you before you know about them. You're the one behind every scheme that goes on at East High, you never get caught though, you're too smart to get caught, but not smart enough to cover the reputation that you have." She said and Troy grinned at her lazily, amused by the way her eyes flashed when she spoke.

"You know Gabriella that sounds about right." Troy said as she stopped in front of a dark house. She turned to him, her eyes sharp as she looked up at him. Feeling thoroughly disconcerted that he hadn't responded at all to her words the way she'd expected him too.

"I wasn't finished," she snapped at him and Troy raised his eyebrows at her, his eyes drifting over her and for the first time taking in what she was wearing. He almost nodded in approval at her choice of skinny jeans tucked into tall black boots, a black thick spaghetti strapped top that floated down to half way down her thighs. Her hair was loose and the glossy black curls reached just past her shoulders. Whether she knew it or not, she was dressed to entice.

"Okay. What else were you going to add to the dissection of who you know I am?" Troy asked and Gabriella glared up at him, finding it unsettling that he wasn't showing any emotion but amusement and that emotion was one that everyone saw on a daily basis. Her eyes flicked over him, taking in the faded blue jeans and the light blue buttoned down shirt with the sleeves carelessly folded up to show his tanned forearms. Glancing up at the short, brown hair that was incredibly reminiscent of bed hair, Gabriella suddenly became very aware of how devastatingly attractive Troy Bolton was.

"Do you know that everyone calls you the 'bad boy with morals'?" Gabriella asked and Troy raised his eyebrows at her, stepping closer as he thought about the words.

"What's that meant to mean?" He asked and Gabriella shrugged, stepping away from him.

"Well, you do these things that are the complete stereotype of a bad boy, do you know that? You cause trouble, you don't care about the trouble you cause, you don't care if you hurt someone, and you'd rather use your fist then your brain. All of those are stereotypical of a bad boy and then you do something like tonight." Gabriella said and Troy raised his eyebrows at her.

"Something like tonight? What's that meant to mean?" He asked and Gabriella shrugged again, feeling very uncomfortable as to where the conversation was leading, which seemed to be where ever Troy wanted it to go.

"Well, saving me from Greg and then threatening him. I don't know who instilled whatever it is which takes you out of the stereotype of a bad boy Troy, because I'm not sure if its morals per se, that does that. But whatever it is, it's the same thing that made you pull Greg off me tonight." Gabriella said, pushing the memory of what had happened out of her mind and looking up at Troy, who seemed to be thinking about what she had said seriously. Suddenly a grin slipped onto his face and he took another step toward her.

"You know Gabriella, for someone who's only been at East High for what? A semester? You seem to know a hell of a lot about me." Troy said and Gabriella froze as she saw the danger in his smile. Not the same danger he'd had when he'd been threatening Greg, a different one. One that was dangerously seductive and carelessly teasing, a deceptively sexy combination.

"Do I? Or are you just saying that because you want to screw me?" Gabriella snapped at him, trying to fight the unfamiliar sensation of want that had coursed through her at his smile. His eyes darkened at her words and he took another step toward her. Gabriella felt her back hit the power pole and felt her breathing to become short. Realizing that this had been his aim all along.

"Ah Gabriella. You do realize that if I wanted to screw you, I wouldn't have bothered to walk you home? I probably would have done it in one of the bedrooms back at the party." Troy said and Gabriella swallowed at his words and wished vigorously that the feeling in her legs would come back as one of his hands settled on the power pole next to her head, his body leaning into hers, his face close to hers. Her mind flashed to what happened at the party and then the memory was pushed out as his other hand slid under the hem of her shirt and began to caress her upper thigh carefully.

"Would you have?" She asked, forcing herself to ignore the feel of his hand on her thigh, biting down on her lip, Gabriella focused her attention on Troy's mouth. Finding it easier to look at it then his eyes.

"Maybe. Now it's my turn to tell you what I know about you." Troy said and Gabriella's eyes snapped to meet his own. "You're Gabriella Montez. East High's sweetheart. You don't have a black mark to you name, you don't even have a reputation. You volunteer at the animal shelter on the weekend, help the elderly with their shopping and are in every AP class known to man." He said and Gabriella's eyes narrowed as he spoke.

"You've been watching me." She accused him and Troy shrugged, not really put off by her tone.

"Maybe just a little. But then I could accuse the same of you." Troy replied and tilted his head, placing his lips on her neck and kissing up to her jaw line. Listening to the strangled moan Gabriella gave as he nipped her earlobe and grinned.

"Troy don't." Gabriella said opening her eyes and glaring at him. Troy smirked at her, pressing up against her, the hand that was caressing her upper thigh, shifted, lifting her leg and wrapping it around him.

"You want to know what else I know about you Gabriella?" Troy whispered in her ear, his tongue flicking over it slightly as her arms slid to encase his neck.

"What?" She asked, a hand slipping beneath his collar and running over the back muscles that rippled just beneath his shirt.

"If you didn't want this you would have stopped it by now." He said with a smirk and Gabriella suddenly realized he was right and made an attempt at pushing him away. Feeling the resolve to never get involved with someone like him, fade as he pushed her more firmly against the power pole and drew soft, strangled moans from her as his mouth began an exploration of her neck. The hand on her thigh, sliding up and creeping to her stomach, which quivered at the touch of his hand.

"Troy…" Gabriella started to say and he looked at her, his eyes dark with something close to desire.

"You know what else we know about each other Gabriella?" He asked and she shook her head, biting her lip as his hand slid behind her back and tickled her bra clasp. Leaning close to her ear, Troy bit it softly before he spoke. "East High's bad boy is more then a little attracted to East High's sweetheart and he knows the East High's sweetheart is more then a little attracted to East High's bad boy." He whispered, listening to her gasp as he snapped her bra clasp and guided it to her waist. Gabriella bit down on her lip harder as she realized how true his words were, she wouldn't know anything about him if she wasn't more then slightly attracted to him and he certainly wouldn't know anything about her if he didn't feel the same way.

"Is that a ploy to get me into bed?" She asked as he pulled the bra out from under her shirt, Troy pulled back and grinned at her.

"Whether you like it or not Montez, I'm going to screw you, whether it's up against this pole or in your bed." Troy said and Gabriella found she liked the idea a lot more then she had when she'd first been pinned up against the pole.

"Bolton, I don't care where it is as long as you do it." Gabriella said pulling him even closer to her and Troy smirked, liking the idea of Gabriella having a less innocent side.

"You won't regret it in the morning?" He asked trailing torturously slow kisses around her mouth and listening to her groan in impatience. Hearing a faint countdown, Gabriella smirked and ran her tongue along her lips in an innocently inviting gesture.

"If you wait five seconds, there'll be no need to regret anything because a new year means a new beginning." She replied and then pulled his mouth down to hers when she heard the countdown reach one. Feeling a strange weakness in her, Gabriella moaned against his mouth and felt him swallow it greedily. Pulling away, Troy looked down at her and then smirked.

"East High's bad boy and East High's sweetheart, together, who would've thought?" He said with a grin and Gabriella couldn't be bothered to respond, pulling his head back down to hers and pressing herself against him, not caring who would have thought about them together.

A/N: So hopefully, you've all read that and I'll get the second chapter up soon! I almost forgot, I've got to thank Rizmu, I've been contemplating continuing this for ages and her PM gave me the extra nudge to start it!