This is a Chyan with a pretty large side helping of a one-sided Rypay that pretty much makes Sharpay a big villain. Hope you like it. Also:

Disclaimer: If I owned this would I still live with my oppressive parents? Haha, no.

Chapter One: Roommates

The day was finally here. He'd been waiting for eighteen long years to get out of Sharpay's shadow. She was off to Julliard. He was going to Rice University. It was known as 'the Ivy League University of the South'. He hadn't realized he could make it into a school like that. Daddy's money could send him anywhere, yes, and his grades were excellent, but in today's elite private college world, that wasn't always enough. But with the glowing recommendation letter from Ms. Darbus, and his class ranking, grade point average, and boards, he'd ended up with a full ride, which shocked him.

It had taken nearly a day and a half to drive from his home in Albuquerque, to school. Houston was full of opportunities. A metropolis in its own right. Though it had phenomenal professional theatres, he honestly wanted to be a part of something else. Being an Evans twin back home had been like being an Olsen twin. No, it didn't mean anorexia and drug abuse. It meant he had no identity apart from Sharpay. It would have been rare to be asked to do something alone.

He checked his dorm assignment: room fourteen oh six. He hoped his roommate wasn't allergic to natural fibers, or that they had an aversion to hats. He grabbed a hefty looking box from the SUV he'd gotten for graduation, while his mother carried his suitcases, and they headed up to meet Mr. Left Side Of The Room.

"Chad Danforth?" This roommate situation was looking up.

"Ryan Evans? I was anxious all summer I'd get some sort of scary guy with tattoos and a lip piercing. This is what I get for waiting to find out. Someone I know and get along with."

"I can't say I'm disappointed. I had no idea I'd know my roommate either." That was surely a subtle understated way of putting it. Ryan was a bad crusher. Without saying a word his friends always knew who he was into. Regardless that he strived to be anything but obvious. Where he would shamelessly flirt with friends he had no interest in, a crush would get the silent treatment. He clammed right up. That was the dead giveaway. You knew he was interested when he got shy. Kelsi had been the first to accuse him of a crush on Chad, at which point he'd opened up to her but asked her to keep quiet about it. He'd tried really hard to cover it up.

"So is this your mom?"

"Oh, yes. Chad, Mom. Mom, Chad."

"Nice to meet you, Mrs. Evans."

"Well thank you. I'm glad to know my son is living with someone he knows." Ryan had the thought that he was sure they'd all met before, but reminding Chad that he'd caddied for them and served them dinner could not be a good way to start out an equal roommate friendship.

He was actually sort of disappointed Mummy didn't recognize Chad. He had an excellent relationship with her, and could talk to her about anything. Why didn't she recognize the guy he'd been rambling about for ages? It's not like there are so many guys with gorgeous hair like that. But maybe she did. What could she say without giving him away?

This would be awkward on his part though. All that crushing he'd done. To hide it socially is one thing, to hide it when you slept in the same room, it's quite another.

Chad had been there for a couple of days already, so his mother had already gone home. When they'd finished unloading the SUV, Ryan's mother insisted on taking the two for dinner. Though Ryan would have preferred to order a pizza, seeing as his mother would probably take them to some chi chi restaurant that even he would feel a little uncomfortable with, he settled on pulling her aside and attempting (unsuccessfully, of course) to convince her that Olive Garden was fine.

Just as he'd expected, dinner was uncomfortable. Neither he nor Chad knew what anything on the menu was, except for the fettuccini alfredo. Chad had attempted to order a Dr. Pepper to drink, and the waiter told him "we do not serve Dr. Pepper. Perhaps you would like an Italian cream soda?" Then when the salad came, Ryan asked for ranch dressing, which apparently was a very dirty word. And thank goodness Zeke liked baking, or Chad wouldn't have known what anything on the dessert menu even was. Ryan would have to have a talk with his mother before she attempted to do that again. Thankfully, she was leaving in the morning.

Once they got back to their room, Mummy said she wanted some time alone with Ryan before she left, and took him for a drive. Not seconds after she started the engine, she went for the jugular, so to speak.

"So you are now sleeping four feet apart from the boy you've been crushing on for at least eight months."

"What do you want me to say to that, Mum? Yes? You knew that. Are you expecting me to wax poetic? I'm kind of freaked."

"I know honey, I was just wondering what you thought."

"I'm thinking I'm glad our beds are bunked so there isn't so much ample opportunity to stare awkwardly at each other."

"Look at the bright side, sweetie."

"Such as...?"

"Such as you'll get to know each other, and maybe something good will happen."

"Geez, stop with the positive mom thing, already."

"Okay, Duckie, I'm sorry. What did you want me to say, that it's awful?"

"Well it is."

"Is it? You get to spend a lot of time with him. And you don't even need to come up with a reason. Now come on, I seem to remember the two of you spending a lot of time together on the baseball field in high school. Isn't Chad the one who got you to try out for the team your senior year?"

"Oh, really not a good time, Mum. Chad got me on the team to get my mind off the huge fight that makes Sharpay and I twins biologically only now. You know that."

"Well what does that say to you? He didn't 'get you on' the team, Ryan. You did that yourself. What he did for you was convince you that you could. He built up your self-confidence. And what's more, you said yourself that you weren't even all that close then. What he did for you, its not a favor that an acquaintance does. He gave you something you had lost. And if you think I don't thank the heavens every day for that, your crazy. I just can't figure out why the two of you haven't figured out how much you mean to each other yet."

"Because I mean nothing to him, Mum. We weren't close, but we were friends. He did what any friend would do."

"Just promise me you aren't going to worry all the time. I know this will be good for you."

"Okay."

If only she understood what it was like to be an eighteen year old college guy who was in love with his roommate. But he supposed no ones parents would ever understand a thing like that. He wished he had a friend he could talk to about this. But these days, the only person he was closer to than Chad was Kelsi. That wasn't saying much, for he felt he was probably as close to Chad as he was to his cousins in Phoenix. He doubted they even knew about the growing rift between he and Sharpay. And except for Chad being for him during all the Sharpay mess, they didn't hang out any more than acquaintances. In fact, he hadn't seen him, until today, for two months.

Besides, he couldn't talk to Kelsi about it right now, anyway. She was off in Greece or Luxembourg or some small country that borders the Mediterranean, learning from some well renowned twenty-six year old concert pianist for the next three months. If her life were any bit as charmed as it ought to be, girl that she is, she'd be learning a bit about love herself right now, from a pianist in Europe. He could email her, but he couldn't be sure she'd get it, she'd told him the net connections were a slow dialup at best and that she was relying on the odd weekend trip to the wireless café to talk to people back home.

Damnit, starting college at a school like Rice University is hard enough without sleeping in the same room as the guy he'd been dreaming about for months. He doubted he would sleep well. He'd have to go to the school doctor to get sleeping pills. He'd turn into the poster boy for "troubled young rich kids".

No, he was already that. He always did this. He stressed over things that weren't worth it. He got sick headaches over things that were, like whether or not Sharpay was going to come into his room and attempt to seduce him. That was what had started the end of their relationship. He'd been denying those feelings since puberty, and he'd never intended on stopping the denial. He was quite happy with unresolved crushes like Chad. He'd had a few girlfriends, a couple of boyfriends, and they'd all done their part in convincing him to continue the denial. He didn't want to want his sister this way! He'd successfully resolved that it was the worst idea ever. But Sharpay! She'd come into his room wearing one of her sparkly halter tops, shaking her hips, and telling him just what she wanted him to do to her! He was getting a sick headache now, just thinking about it. And then one day, she'd come in wearing some sort of lingerie. He remembered her whispering to him, attempting to convince him that it was fine. That had driven him mad. Of course, he wanted to allow her to win. But he couldn't, he wouldn't let himself. She'd pressed her body to his, and then her lips. He'd allowed himself one kiss. He knew he had to have a taste of it before he pushed her away. And then the fight started.

"But Ryan, I know you want me."

"Yes, Sharpay, I do. But I know better. Obviously, you don't." People always said she was the cold one, but if you'd been a fly on the wall, he's the only one who could have been described that way that night. They were shouting, screaming, no matter. Mummy was at a spa for the weekend, Daddy away on business.

"Know better? Better than what? Being with the one you love?"

"Love? Like what, Shar? A sister? We can't be together. It's not like we're gay. We can't go to Massachusetts. Hell, we can't go to Canada. There's not a country in the world where it's legal. And there is a damn good reason. We're not meant to be together, because you are my sister."

"But Ry, love transcends the law."

"Get. Out. Now.", he seethed.

She was crying. She walked out the door, and that was the weekend he'd moved into the best suite in the south wing. That way he wouldn't have to share a bathroom with her. He locked all doors whenever he was home alone with her. Shockingly, things were still good between them at that point. They would have late night conversations in her room, where he would be in the situation to leave and lock her out. All the things twins with college in the near future dealt with, they were going through together.

Then one night he'd come home late. Ironically he'd been out with Chad and some other Wildcats. He'd left his shoes at the door, and after spending that time with Chad, he'd been in the mood to sexually relieve himself in the shower. He'd thought Sharpay was at a sleepover and that he had the house to himself. He'd begun undressing, knowing he would pick up his clothes later. By the time he'd arrived in his room, he was clad in only his boxers. He'd walked into the bathroom and started up the shower, going back into his room to grab some fresh clothes for after, when he saw her. She was even more scantily clad than the other time. Had she been any other girl on his bed in that particular position, likely he would have forgotten all about Chad and that shower. She was nothing if not theatrical, and he wondered what actress (or possibly, playboy bunny) she'd studied to find such a pose, let alone that husky tone she spoke with.

"Are you sure you don't want to reconsider?", she'd crooned.

Colder than ever before, he spat "what part of this is so hard for you. The answer was, is, and always will be no." He hadn't expected for her to just get up and walk out at that. He'd figured there would be another fight. Apparently, she'd decided to go for another tact. His shower forgotten, he'd called Chad and asked if he wanted to go for a drive.

It had been late that night. Expecting a no, he'd thought he'd have to drive himself. He didn't think that was safe, driving angry had caused him to have wrecks before. He couldn't stay in the house, though. He'd been surprised when Chad had said yes. They'd ended up in the dugout at the high school baseball field. He'd been so angry, and Chad had been such a good listener. He didn't want to tell anyone, but he needed to talk about it. Wondering why here and now, with Chad, seemed like such a good time, he started confessing. Starting with the flirting, telling him about the kiss, the seduction, the fight. Finishing up with what had just happened. Somehow, amidst all this, Chad was holding him and he was sobbing.

"Shh, Ryan, breathe. You are going to have to cut her off."

"Chad, weren't you listening to me? I told her nothing was going to happen."

"No, that's not how I meant it. I mean if she can't be around you without trying to seduce you, just stop talking to her. Pretend she doesn't exist. Then maybe she'll learn to be able to hang out with you fully clothed."

He'd attempted to do just that. He'd thought it would work. But if there was anyone who could ride through a freeze out, it was someone who was highly experienced in the extreme cold shoulder herself. Suddenly he was begging her to come back. He wanted to repair their relationship to the way it used to be, when they were the all powerful Evans twins, when people feared and respected them. But somehow she'd turned the tables on him. She'd given him an ultimatum. She'd said either they take their relationship to a sexual level, or she'd never speak to him again.

It had destroyed him. He didn't want to lose her. She was his twin. That was what had made him struggle over what choice to make for weeks. He'd even gone so far as to let her come on to him. They'd been in Sharpay's 'room' at Lava Springs. It had served many purposes, but mainly, it was an unused room that she'd taken over, going so far as to decorate with couches and more pink sparkles. He'd come looking for her there when he couldn't take being away from her. She'd pulled the dark velvet drapes shut, and locked the door. They were both nearly naked and breathing heavily when an ice cold feeling ran through his blood. He couldn't do it. He wanted to throw up. He pushed her away, and she seemed surprised. She must have thought that after letting her get so far, that he'd changed his mind. So when he told her he just couldn't do it, she got even angrier. She called him a tease, and told him they were never speaking again.

It had been ten months, and she'd kept her word. He had tried to talk to her, but he hadn't heard her voice save for Christmas and two other occasions, since late November. One of those occasions was when she was in a wreck and Mummy and Daddy were both out of state and she needed someone to talk to the doctor, so he didn't count it. In January, Chad had convinced him to try out for the team. In May they'd graduated, Sharpay breaking her cone of silence for the occasion, for Mummy's benefit. And in June, the boys had won the state championships, each player seemingly having a personal cheerleader, save for Ryan.

Chad, Zeke, and the others had talked him into dating Gabriella that summer, who had been dropping hints left and right that she was interested, to get his mind off things, though only Chad actually knew what Sharpay had been up to. Even his parents and Kelsi didn't know what had caused their split. One day, about two months after they'd started dating, they'd been making out, and Gabriella slid her hand under his shirt. He'd started to reciprocate, but the feeling of her smooth skin only reminded him of that time with Sharpay, and suddenly he was revolted. He apologized, but it had happened again later that week, and days later they were broken up. It was the last time he'd ever touch a girl that way.

He'd been so wrapped up in the angry memories of his recent past, that he'd completely forgotten what lay in the near future. When he walked into his new room, he remembered why he'd started stressing to begin with. Quickly clenching his jaw shut, so as to keep it from dropping, he nodded a greeting to the shirtless Chad, and logged into his email, hoping for something from Kelsi and still wishing for some attempt at making up from his sister. He wondered how much Chad had forgotten in the two months since he'd seen him. He'd gone to visit those cousins in Phoenix for most of the time. Sharpay was noticeably missing, but since she had an ironclad excuse, as she was taking summer courses back home, he never made mention of their fights. No need to burden them with sad stories. A couple of those weeks he'd actually spent in New York with his family and Kelsi. She like no other understood what it was like dealing with Sharpay, and since she wasn't talking to him, Mummy had told him to bring a friend along. While Mummy and Daddy were busy unpacking their darling daughter, he and Kelsi were living it up in the city that never sleeps.

He had received something from Kelsi.

Hey Ryan,

As you are reading this, I'm two weeks into my stay here in Greece. It's not as glamorous as I had imagined. I knew I'd be spending most hours of my weekdays at the piano, but I didn't imagine all the criticism. I know I came here to improve, but I can't make it through one phrase of a song without a complaint from my teacher or his assistant. On the other hand, I have started making friends from all over the world, and the food is wonderful. We find lots of amazing things to do on the weekends. Well, I hope you like your roommate, it's been what, a day now? What's he like? I hope Sharpay talks to you soon.

Love ya, Kelsi

He shot back a short reply, telling her he hoped her class got better, that his roommate turned out to be Chad, and that he hadn't heard from Sharpay. When Chad went into the bathroom to brush his teeth, he quickly changed into some flannel pants and a t-shirt.

"Well, well, well. This is not what I expected." Chad said when he returned.

"What are you talking about?"

"No silk coordinated pajamas with a smoking jacket?"

"What is this, I Love Lucy? Even guys with a sense of fashion want to sleep comfortably."

"Sorry, dude. Look, now that your mom is gone, I wanted to ask you. How are things with Sharpay?"

So he did remember. "She's still not talking to me. I try not to let it get to me, after all, it's been almost a year. I should be used to it by now."

"You shouldn't have to. She was a bitch. I try to be open minded, but damn, she gave you a fucking ultimatum. And since you didn't pick the right choice, she decided to treat you like hell. No one ever liked her very much before, but speaking for me, Kelsi, and probably everyone else who noticed her freeze you out, she needs to go to charm school or something, Learn how to treat people with respect."

Such passion. He wondered where it came from. "Yeah, but you have to remember Chad, she's my twin. Not only were we together so much that it took getting used to being apart, but we have—had—a connection. I don't know, I guess somewhere in her head she'd heard so much about how sex makes an already close relationship closer, maybe. I don't know what her thought process was, but I can't figure out why if she wanted that so badly, that she went to so much trouble, why she wanted it all or nothing the way she did. I would have thought it would have been like she would take what she could get. But when I wouldn't give her what she wanted, she pretended I didn't exist. What gives her the fucking right to tear our relationship apart that way?"

He was shaking now. Every time he got worked up over this particular subject, it was like this. He was trembling or sobbing or punching walls. The sheer mixture of anger and hurt from such a personal experience, it killed him inside.

"Ryan you can't let her do this to you. You can't control her, but you can control how you react to it. She's never going to take you back if you're angry about what she did to you. If you get past it, learn to be an only child, so to speak, find others who make you happy, that will hurt her worse than any anger. And the great ego that is Sharpay won't be able to take that. Maybe she'll apologize and try to fix all this mess if you make her realize you don't need her."

Ryan wasn't a vengeful person. That was Sharpay's area of expertise. But seventeen years with her taught him enough about it. He saw Chad's suggestion as about as vengeful as anything else. Chad was right, Sharpay could take a lot, unless she thought apathy towards her was involved.

"How is that going to work from here? She's not talking to me already."

"Were you talking to her back home? Or attempting to?"

"Maybe once a week I'd try to let her know what was going on in my life, and ask her about hers. But she never answered."

"Well keep it up. Email her once a week for a couple of weeks or so. Then just stop. Let her think you're so busy with your new life that you don't even have time to email her. Then she'll start thinking you don't even think about her."

"Thanks. I just might try that. It's worth a shot." Why was he doing this? What part of this was so interesting to Chad that he wanted to help. He knew Chad hadn't told anyone, because had he done that, the rumors would have been flying. As it was, they weren't. His parents even thought that his and Sharpay's prolonged fight was over their choice of schools and knew nothing of Sharpay's seductions. And while Kelsi had understood that there were major problems going on and that Sharpay had stopped speaking to him, he'd never told her why.

All of this meant that Chad showed a genuine concern for Ryan. But why? He just didn't know. This was going to be one hell of a first semester.