Authors' note: This story continues in our "Extra Innings" universe.

Advice

"So I said to her, 'Who do you think I am -- a Fraser?!' I mean, puh-LEASE!! Can you BELIEVE that?!"

When Sharpay got no response, she turned to look at her brother, who was lounging on the next chaise. She couldn't see his eyes through his sunglasses, and she suddenly wondered if he'd fallen asleep.

"Ryan?"

No response.

"Ryan!"

Nada.

"RYAN!!!"

Her brother was so startled he practically fell off the chaise.

Sharpay glared at him -- how dare he fall asleep when she was telling him important gossip?!

"Sorry," he mumbled, lying back down and resetting his hat on his head. "I was kinda spacing."

"'Kinda'?"

Ryan gave a contented sigh. "I was just thinking -- maybe it's time to take my relationship with Chad to the next level."

Thoughts of Brokeback Mountain filled Sharpay's head. "EW!!!" she said, shuddering at the sudden image of her brother and Chad 'staying warm' in a tent.

"Listen, Ryan. You know that I'm...okay with you and Mr. Big Hair. But no details, PLEASE!"

Ryan turned and looked at her blankly. "What do you mean?"

Sharpay just stared at her brother, patiently waiting for him to figure it out.

"Oh!" Ryan blushed as the light finally dawned. "I didn't mean like THAT -- I meant, I think it's time that Chad and I went out on a date."

"A date?"

"Well, so far our 'relationship' has only consisted of us making out during dance lessons. And while that's incredible," he said as a satisfied grin slowly spread across on his face, "especially when he--"

"T.M.I.!" Sharpay interrupted. "T.M.I.!"

Ryan nodded, remaining quiet as he momentarily stayed lost in the thought. By the look on his face, Sharpay was definitely glad she'd gotten him to stop talking.

But eventually he went on, "But that's not exactly ROMANTIC, you know?"

Sharpay grinned. "If you want romantic, Ry, you've come to the right place."

She was excited -- her plan to romantically ensnare Troy Bolton earlier in the summer had failed, but now she had a new project to work on.

"You'll have to take him someplace nice for dinner," she began. "And REALLY expensive -- that will impress him. Someplace with several courses -- he's a teenage boy, so I'm sure he loves to eat. And he's probably only used to fast food, so a nice sit-down, CANDLELIT dinner will be just the thing."

"And you'll definitely have to dress up -- romance is all about looking good. Let's see," she said, thinking of the multitude of options in Ryan's closet, "you look really handsome in that black pinstripe suit of yours, so you should definitely wear that. But does Chad even OWN a suit? Maybe you should take him shopping first and buy him something nice -- he could use something in his wardrobe that's not a t-shirt."

"And of course you'll have to buy him flowers -- girls love...I mean...guys...love...?" Sharpay trailed off, confused.

"I don't know," she said after some reflection. "Do guys like flowers?"

Ryan shrugged. "I do."

Sharpay rolled her eyes. "Of COURSE you do, Ryan." But would Chad?

Maybe planning this date thing was going to be harder than she'd thought.

-----

"Hey, Kels."

Without missing a note, Kelsi nodded at her friend. "Hey, Ryan."

"Mind if I join you?"

Kelsi nodded and scooted over on the piano bench, giving the boy room to sit.

The first time he'd joined her at the piano like this, Kelsi had freaked out. After all, she was WORKING, and she was terrified about what Mr. Fulton would say. But naturally he'd said nothing -- he couldn't exactly scold HER for something that an EVANS was doing. So now Kelsi had grown accustomed to Ryan's frequent visits.

"How was your day?" she asked.

She could feel Ryan shrug next to her. "Okay, I guess."

Kelsi smiled at the keys in front of her. "Sharpay driving you crazy?"

Ryan laughed. "How'd you guess?"

Now it was Kelsi's turn to shrug. "I figured it was a good assumption."

"ALWAYS a good assumption!"

Ryan sat quietly next to her for a few minutes while she continued to play "mood music" for the Lava Springs diners.

Finally, he asked, "Kelsi, do you mind if I ask you a question?"

"As long as it's not a request to play 'Moon River'."

Ryan laughed. "No, nothing like that. I was just wondering -- where would YOU like to go on a date?"

Kelsi's fingers slipped, causing a discordant sound which she quickly tried to remedy.

"I beg your pardon?" she asked, certain that she had misheard the question.

"If you were gonna go on a date," Ryan repeated, "where would you like to go? Or, you know, what would you like to do?"

She hadn't heard wrong! It took every bit of concentration for Kelsi not to hit more clunkers, so she didn't answer right away. Instead she focused on playing the piano while she sorted everything out in her mind.

She simply couldn't believe that Ryan Evans was asking her out on a date! He had never seemed interested in her that way.

Actually, he'd never seemed interested in ANY girl that way, so she'd simply assumed he was….

Kelsi shook her head -- apparently not ALL her assumptions were good ones!

Kelsi had never really considered Ryan as a potential boyfriend before. But thinking about it now, there wasn't anyone more perfect for her. Like Kelsi, he loved music -- he was one of the best singers she knew if not THE best dancer. And he was nice, at least when he wasn't around his sister. And with those pale blue eyes and debonair hats he always wore, he was rather easy on the eyes. She could definitely imagine the two of them making beautiful music together.

Ryan was certainly a better match for her than Jason. She had been trying to attract the jock's attention, without success, all summer. But here was Ryan Evans, approaching HER!

Kelsi smiled, suddenly feeling bashful. 'What should I answer?' she wondered. Obviously she was going to say yes, but he'd asked her what she wanted to do. Maybe it was best just to defer to his better judgment.

"I'd be happy doing anything," Kelsi finally answered, allowing herself to quickly turn from the keys to smile shyly at Ryan.

But Ryan's response was to stare blankly at her for a moment before a sudden look of embarrassed horror crossed his face.

"Oh, Kelsi!" he said quickly. "I didn't mean--"

"Oh, I didn't think you did!" Kelsi interjected quickly, feeling like an utter fool as she realized she'd totally misinterpreted his question.

Ryan looked incredibly uncomfortable and guilty. "I'm really sorry, Kelsi," he said, shaking his head as he started to stand. "Maybe I should just--"

"No, don't go," Kelsi said, stopping the song she was playing mid-measure so she could grab Ryan's hand. Ignoring the stares she was getting from various diners, she tried to convince Ryan to stay. "Let's just start this entire conversation over again, okay?"

She smiled hopefully at Ryan, who reluctantly gave in and sat back down next to her on the bench.

"Mind if I join you?" he asked, somewhat chagrined.

"Please do," she said. "I believe you were gonna ask me a question?"

Ryan nodded, choosing his words carefully. "If you were gonna go on a date -- with someone that wasn't me!" he clarified, smiling meaningfully at her, "-- what would you like to do?"

Kelsi shrugged, suddenly aware of the fact that she no longer heard music. Quickly turning back to the piano, she started playing a new song before answering, "Well, me personally, I'd love to do something involving music." Her voice suddenly because excited as she remembered, "Actually, the symphony is playing a concert in a few weeks, and I would LOVE to go to that."

She watched Ryan nodding in her peripheral vision as he mumbled to himself, "The symphony's not really his type of thing."

Kelsi noted the pronoun and smiled to herself. 'So my initial assumption WAS correct,' she realized.

"But hey," Ryan said cheerfully, "I just remembered -- we have an extra ticket to that concert. It turns out my dad's gonna be out-of-town that night. You wanna go with us?"

Kelsi beamed. "I'd LOVE to go. That is, as long as you're certain your…," she paused, trying to find the most diplomatic word to use so she didn't make a fool of herself again, "…your 'date' doesn't want to go."

Ryan shook his head. "No, YOU'D get a lot more out of it." He stood, walking around to the side of the piano where Kelsi could easily see him. "So it's a date!" His smile faded as he quickly clarified, "But not THAT kind of--"

"I know, Ryan," Kelsi assured her friend before he turned and left, walking to the beat of Kelsi's music as he exited the dining room.

-----

Gabriella replaced the skimmer on its hooks, finally satisfied the pool met her standards of cleanliness.

"So, what are your plans for the morning?" she asked, sitting next to Ryan at the edge of the pool where he was dipping his bare feet in the water.

Ryan shrugged. "Gonna throw a few pitches with my dad a little later."

"That's great!" Gabriella cheered, putting her arm around his shoulder to give him a little hug. "I think it's awesome that you're bonding with your dad over baseball."

Ryan nodded. "Yeah, it seems like that's the only thing we have in common these days. He's always been really supportive of the drama stuff, but he doesn't really 'get it,' y'know? Mostly I think he just indulges Shar and me because he knows it makes us happy." He smiled affectionately. "But it's nice to feel like me and Dad are speaking the same language again."

"Very nice," she agreed.

They sat in comfortable silence for a moment, before Ryan finally spoke up again.

"Gabs," he said hesitantly, "can I ask you a question?"

"Of course!"

"Um...you and Troy...you guys go out, right? On dates?"

Gabriella smiled at her friend, hoping to ease his discomfort. "Sometimes even by ourselves!" she teased.

Ryan nodded, but Gabriella could sense that he had more on his mind.

"That's not all you wanted to know, is it?"

"What do you guys...y'know...do?"

"Do?"

"Yeah...do." Ryan made a vague gesture with his hands, unable to articulate it further.

Gabriella chuckled, unable to resist teasing him. "Like, details?" She raised her eyebrows meaningfully, adding, "You mean Troy doesn't already give you the play-by-play?"

Ryan suddenly blushed crimson. "No, no, of course I don't mean THAT! I mean, where does he take you? Do you eat dinner...see a movie...what do you do?" He ducked his head, embarrassed.

"It's okay, Ryan!" she laughed. "I knew what you meant. I'm just teasing you."

Ryan looked up, finally able to meet her eyes again. "I just...I'm still kinda new at this 'having friends' thing. The teasing...you gotta go easy on me, Gabs!"

Ryan seemed earnest enough, but Gabriella knew better. "Uh-uh, you don't fool me, Ryan Evans." She tugged his hat back with one hand, ruffling his hair with the other. "We ALL know that you give as good as you get! You can't use that as a defense anymore."

"Touché," Ryan admitted sheepishly, chuckling as he pulled his hat back down on his head.

"Well," Gabriella stated, "to answer your question, usually Troy and I do something casual and fun. Like we'll have a picnic or go to see a movie or something like that. Nothing big or fancy."

Ryan nodded, considering her answer.

"Actually," she continued, "now that I think about it, we don't spend a whole lot of time alone! Most of the time we're in a big group with the Wildcats or on a double-date with Chad and Taylor." She looked at Ryan, smiling. "Guess that's all in the past now, isn't it?"

"Sorry," Ryan mumbled, abashed.

"You don't have anything to be sorry about!" she assured him. "Things change. But that's okay." She wrapped her arm around him, giving him another squeeze. "Change is good."

-----

As the baseball slammed into his glove, Vance Evans marveled at the strength behind the pitch. Try as he might, he had not yet adjusted to the fact that his Little Leaguer was not so little anymore.

"You're throwing low today," he coached, standing and throwing the ball back to his son, who caught it easily. "Straight, but low. Aim a little higher to make sure you're in the strike zone."

Crouching back down to wait for the next pitch, Vance watched Ryan wind up. The boy stood on one leg, shifting his center of balance in order to put more power behind the throw. The move was almost balletic in its grace -- it was hard to believe that something so elegant could produce such a mighty force.

THWACK!

Although none of Ryan's pitches were going quite where they should today.

"Something on your mind, son?" Vance asked as he tossed the ball back.

Ryan nodded, absently digging his foot into the ground for a moment, lost in thought. Finally he looked up. "Can I ask you a question, Dad?"

Mr. Evans nodded. "Of course -- anything."

His son considered the question a moment before asking, "Where did you take Mom on your first date?"

Vance chuckled. "Why the sudden interest in ancient history, son?"

Ryan shrugged, ducking his head -- a gesture his father recognized as embarrassment -- and Vance suddenly regretted asking the question.

Vance Evans loved his son, but he knew that Ryan wasn't 'straight.' He had long given up on the notion of expecting grandchildren from his son -- that responsibility now rested squarely on his daughter's shoulders. That didn't bother him so much.

It was also Vance's understanding that Ryan was currently seeing another boy. That didn't really bother him either, but it wasn't something that he liked to think about. And it certainly wasn't something he liked to TALK about. He simply didn't understand it. Luckily, Ryan seemed to sense his father's unease, saving all such conversations for his mother instead.

Now Ryan was reaching out to him with a question about his own parents' courtship. Although Vance sensed that Ryan had an ulterior motive, he truly WANTED to connect with his son; he was just never sure how. But now he was being given the opportunity and he was going to take it.

"Well, let me see," Vance said, crouching down to get ready for another pitch. "I guess for our first 'official' date I took your mom to the Hotel St. Francis in Santa Fe."

Ryan raised a questioning eyebrow. "You took Mom to a HOTEL for your first date? Isn't that a little presumptuous?"

Vance shook his head. "Oh, it wasn't anything like that! I took her for afternoon tea. Your mother was always talking about how she longed to go to London and have a proper English high tea, just like in the books she'd read as a child. And I couldn't exactly fly her to London for a first date -- well, I guess I COULD'VE, but THAT would've been presumptuous! -- so instead I drove her up to Santa Fe and gave her the next best thing."

Ryan smiled. "That's really sweet, Dad. I'm surprised Mom's never told me about it."

Mr. Evans laughed. "With any luck, she's completely forgotten all about it!"

Ryan gave him a curious look, and Vance continued. "The clotted cream had gone bad, and your mother ended up getting terrible food poisoning from it. It must've taken us three hours to drive back home because I kept having to pull over at the side of the highway so she could throw up."

Ryan winced. "That doesn't sound like fun."

"It definitely wasn't. But lucky for me, the sour cream didn't sour HER from going out with me again." Mr. Evans winked at his son as he added, "And I guess lucky for YOU, too."

Ryan nodded. "I guess so! Thanks for sharing that, Dad." He smiled warmly at his father. "It...means a lot," he added as he started winding up for his next pitch.

-----

"Whoa!"

Troy quickly side-stepped his pupil to avoid being clocked by the powerful backswing.

"Easy there, Wildcat!" Troy teased, "I kinda like my skull intact!"

"Sorry," Ryan said, chagrined. "Are you okay?"

"Hey, no harm, no foul," Troy assured him. "Just check to make sure there's no one standing behind you before you swing again!"

Ryan nodded. "I will," he promised, adding, "I'm sorry I'm such a space cadet today. I'm just not...I mean...I..." He trailed off, sighing frustratedly.

"Your head's not--" Troy started to offer, but he was quickly cut off by Ryan.

"Troy Bolton, I swear to Sondheim that if you say I need to 'get my head in the game' I will beat you to death with this driver." He held up his golf club menacingly for a moment, causing Troy to take a cautious step backwards.

Ryan then laughed, relaxing his stance and lowering his club to the ground. "Though I do have years of stage combat experience, so it's not an entirely idle threat," he teased.

Troy shook his head, laughing. "That's okay. It wouldn't be a golf lesson if someone didn't threaten the teacher's life."

Ryan fixed him with a puzzled gaze for a moment, then caught on. "Oh, you're joking."

Troy nodded. "Pathetic, I know. But it's what I've got to work with. This is why everyone says Chad's the funny one, not me."

Troy noticed that Ryan's eyes lit up at the mention of Chad's name, but he decided not to pursue it. Instead, he retrieved another bucket of golf balls from the cart and dumped them on the ground. "Let's keep practicing the full swing. Your form is nice and your backswing is flawless, but you're losing some of the power on your downswing. Keep it strong on your follow-through."

"Gotcha," Ryan said, nodding as he dragged a golf ball from the pile with the head of his driver. However, try as he might, he just couldn't seem to master it. Shot after shot went wide, and finally Ryan sighed in defeat.

Troy put a reassuring hand on his pupil's shoulder. "Hey, don't sweat it, man. You just play for fun anyway, right?"

Ryan nodded. "Yeah, just with my family."

"Then don't worry about it. You can't be good at everything," Troy said with a laugh. "Maybe you'll never be Tiger Woods, but you CAN dance and sing and act circles around everyone at East High. That's something, right?"

Ryan smiled proudly. "As far as I'm concerned, that's EVERYTHING."

Troy laughed. "And you've even got lead-footed jocks dancing like Gene Kelly!" he continued enthusiastically. "Chad was showing us the lindy hop during lunch break the other day. I had no idea he could move like that. None of us did!"

Ryan beamed at the praise. "Well, he's a good student." His eyes lit up once again. "Hey -- you're Chad's best friend, right?"

"Of course," Troy answered automatically.

But now that he thought about it, he wondered if that was really true anymore. These days, Chad seemed to spend all his free time with Ryan, which made Troy wonder what prompted the question.

He looked over to Ryan, who seemed to suddenly find the perfectly-manicured grass utterly fascinating. "What's up, man?" Troy asked.

Ryan dug his driver into the turf, his gaze still focused on the ground. "Um...so what kinda stuff does Chad like to do? What kinda food does he like?"

Troy laughed. "Dude, you spend more time with him than I do!"

Ryan looked up, shrugging dismissively. "Just at dance lessons. We just...you know...talk about dance stuff."

Something in Ryan's expression made Troy doubt that, but he decided it was none of his business. Instead he focused on Ryan's question.

"Well, Chad pretty much loves food, period! Pizza, hamburgers, fried chicken, tacos... Name a fast food place and Chad loves it."

Ryan frowned. "What about...SLOW food?"

Troy laughed. "Dude, why don't you just ask Chad what he likes?"

Ryan shrugged, chewing his lower lip as he stared at the ground.

"C'mon," Troy said, "You're not paying me to talk about Chad. Let's try working a bit more on your downswing -- I want you to show up Sharpay the next time your family plays a round."

Ryan grinned, the sparkle of competition in his eyes. "Okay, Coach, what do I need to do?"

-----

"Mom, I've been thinking..."

"What about, Ducky?" Darby Evans asked as she poured her son a cup of darjeeling.

"Well," he began, considering his answer as he spooned sugar into his cup. "I'd really like to take Chad out. You know, like, on a date. Something nice." His face flushed a little as he added, "Something romantic."

Darby smiled warmly at Ryan as she spread marmalade on her scone. "I think that sounds like a wonderful idea, honey. It'll be nice to get you two out of that tiny dance rehearsal room."

A dreamy smile crossed Ryan's lips and Darby felt a sudden lump in her throat. It filled her heart with joy to see her son so happy. She had been terribly worried when he'd first developed his crush on the athlete -- she'd feared Ryan was just opening himself up to heartbreak and disappointment. But by some miracle, it seemed as if things were working out between him and Chad.

However, this was a bittersweet victory for Mrs. Evans -- while she was thrilled beyond belief that Ryan was happy, she was sad to admit that her little Ducky was finally growing up.

But that didn't mean she wasn't still protective of her boy. She placed her hand on his, squeezing his fingers gently. As he met her eyes, she cautioned, "But sweetie, going out on a date...that's a big step. He may not be ready for that yet."

Ryan smiled ruefully, rolling his eyes a little. "I know, Mom."

Darby continued unabated. "Spending one-on-one time together during dance lessons is one thing, but going out somewhere public is another thing entirely."

At Ryan's defeated sigh, she brought his hand to her lips to kiss it. "I'm not trying to discourage you, Ducky. I really do think it's a good idea. I just want you to be prepared."

Ryan frowned. "For rejection, you mean."

It was all she could do not to take him into her arms right there at the table. "Oh, darling, of course not! From what you've been telling me, Chad CLEARLY likes you. But it also sounds like this is a new thing for him. As much as he likes you, he might not be ready for a 'public appearance.' And if he says 'no'..."

Her heart nearly broke at Ryan's downcast expression. She reached across the table to take his other hand and squeezed them both. "Ducky, if he says 'no,' that doesn't mean he doesn't like you. It just means he's not ready yet."

Ryan looked up at his mother. "So what if he DOES say 'no' -- then what?"

Darby smiled warmly. "You give him a little time, then you ask him again."

She couldn't help but chuckle at the skeptical expression he shot her. He was SO like his father, more than he would ever realize.

"You're an Evans, Ryan. We don't give up." She looked at him meaningfully. "Not on the important things."

He looked at her for a moment, then nodded assent. "You're right." He chuckled sharply. "Of course!"

"I know," she agreed good-naturedly, patting his hands and again picking up her tea cup. "So," she smiled at Ryan as she gingerly took a sip, "Did you have something in mind for the date, sweetheart?"

Ryan sighed. "That's the problem, Mom. I have NO IDEA what to do." He took a bite of scone, subtly wiping crumbs from his lips before continuing, "I've been talking to EVERYONE, and I'm just as clueless as when I started."

"Everyone?" she asked, raising her eyebrows above the rim of her cup.

Ryan nodded. "Sharpay said I should do something fancy and expensive, but I kinda think that might intimidate Chad. I asked Gabriella what she and Troy do on their dates, and she said it's always really casual, just hanging out and spending time together." He sighed frustratedly before downing the remains of tea in his cup.

"And what does Chad think?" Darby asked, pouring her son another cup of tea.

"What do you mean, Mom?" Ryan asked around a mouthful of kiwifruit tartlet.

She gave her son an exasperated but fond smile as she topped up her own cup. "I mean, have you asked Chad what he might like to do?"

Ryan laughed. "That's what Troy said!"

In her surprise, Darby nearly spilled tea on the linen tablecloth. "You talked to TROY?" she asked as she carefully set the teapot back down.

Ryan blushed and ducked his head. "Not so much about a 'date,'" he admitted sheepishly. "I just asked him what kinda stuff Chad likes."

"And he suggested you talk to Chad?"

"Uh-huh." Ryan nodded, still sheepish as he looked up to meet his mother's eyes.

Mrs. Evans smiled. "I think that's very good advice, dear. And you don't even have to use the word 'date' with Chad -- maybe just casually bring up the idea of doing something together that isn't dance lessons."

Ryan considered this a moment as he poured cream into his teacup. "You think?"

"I do," she said as she cut the last pastry in half to split with her son.

-----

'Maybe Mom and Troy are right,' Ryan thought. Who better to ask than Chad himself. So Ryan resolved to ask him...

...just as soon as they came up for air.

But as they slowly parted, it was Chad who spoke first. "Dude, no more tango!" he murmured against the other boy's mouth. "It's too...sexy!"

Ryan leaned back to grin at Chad wickedly. "Why do you think I chose it?"

"Because you're EVIL," Chad replied, wrapping his arms around Ryan's waist to pull him close again. "And you've got everyone fooled into thinking you're the NICE twin!"

"What, you don't think this is nice?" Ryan asked, his eyes widening in mock outrage as he leaned in close to bump noses with Chad. He pursed his lips in an exaggerated pout. "I happen to think I'm being VERY nice to you."

In reply, Chad closed the remaining distance, angling his head to kiss the other boy deeply. Ryan felt the solid warmth of Chad's body pressed against his as Chad's callused fingers snuck below the hem of his t-shirt to ghost across the skin of his back. Ryan broke off the kiss slowly, sucking gently at Chad's lower lip as he pulled away.

"Mmmmm -- very nice," Chad agreed. "I should've started dance lessons YEARS ago!"

Ryan laughed, but he couldn't fight back the doubts nagging at his mind. His mother had cautioned that Chad might not be ready yet to date, and Ryan realized he'd be okay with that...as long as he knew that Chad really liked him.

Clearly they'd BOTH been enjoying these intimate moments together over the last few weeks. But what if that's all there was? What if Chad wasn't interested in ever doing anything else?

And what if, by asking him out, Ryan ruined what they had?

But better to know, right?

"So...I've been thinking," Ryan began tentatively. "Um...you wanna...do something together Saturday night?"

"I don't believe it!" Chad exclaimed, running a frustrated hand through his curly hair. "She promised she wouldn't say anything!"

Ryan stared blankly at Chad. "She? What?"

But Chad wasn't paying any attention. "That's the last time I go to Sharpay for advice!"

Ryan shook his head -- surely he couldn't have just heard what he thought he heard. "You went to Sharpay? For advice? VOLUNTARILY?!"

Chad turned a skeptical eye on his friend. "Cut the act, Evans! You're not THAT great an actor."

Ryan would've been offended if he wasn't so confused. "Chad, I'm not acting. I have NO IDEA what you're talking about!"

Chad paused in his ranting long enough to actually take in Ryan's response. "Dude...you really DON'T know, do you?"

"That's what I've been trying to say!"

Chad stared at Ryan a moment. "So...Sharpay DIDN'T tell you about the tickets?"

"Tickets? WHAT tickets?"

Chad smiled ruefully. "Well, I guess the cat's out of the bag now." He reached into his back pocket and pulled out a folded computer print-out. Unfolding it in front of Ryan, he explained, "I got us two tickets for Stomp this Saturday night. It's this cool show where they, like, play music with brooms and pots and pans and stuff."

Ryan smiled, the reality of it all still not sinking in completely. "Yeah, I know Stomp."

Chad continued. "I thought, 'Hey, it's music and theatre and stuff,' but I wasn't totally sure whether you'd like it or not, so I checked with Sharpay and she told me to go for it."

Ryan was stunned on so many levels, his brain didn't even know where to begin.

"And to be honest," Chad continued, lowering his voice to a whisper, "Sharpay was...really cool about the whole thing. Like, almost supportive. And she even bought me a coffee, which would've been really nice if I LIKED coffee, but whatever." Chad smiled. "I was kinda shocked at how friendly the Ice Princess was -- I think I might have to come up with a new nickname for her!"

Ryan was finally catching up with the conversation. "So...wait...you and I are going on a date on Saturday?"

Chad laughed. "Yeah, dude, that's what I've been talking--"

He never finished his sentence because Ryan's mouth suddenly covered his in a hungry kiss.

When the pair finally separated several minutes later, breathless and giddy, Ryan grinned widely at Chad. "But I'M taking care of dinner!"

----

Ryan came into the lounge and flopped down into the couch across from Sharpay. She couldn't help but roll her eyes when she noticed his flushed face, disheveled attire, and dreamy grin -- it was obvious what HE'D been doing!

But it turned out the grin was for her.

"I'm so glad to have you as a sister," he said, beaming.

What was he going on about? "Of course you are."

"I can't believe--" Ryan stopped himself before going on. Leaning forward and lowering his voice so only she could hear, he continued, "I can't believe we had that entire conversation about taking Chad on a date, and you already KNEW he was planning one."

Sharpay shrugged. "You doubt my acting ability?" she asked only half-sarcastically.

Ryan shook his head. "No, I know you're an awesome actress."

Sharpay cleared her throat angrily, and Ryan quickly corrected, "AcTOR. But...that was AMAZING. I mean, I had no clue."

Ryan being clueless wasn't exactly rare, but Sharpay was still pleased with herself. "Well, I promised Mr. Big Hair I wouldn't tell you, and I couldn't very well go back on my word."

Ryan rolled his eyes at the nickname. "Well, it means a lot to me, Shar. And it meant a lot to Chad, too."

This annoyed Sharpay -- obviously Chad had doubted her ability to keep a secret, and clearly she would have to discuss this with him!

"So," Sharpay teased, "how hideous are the tickets?"

"Shar! That's not nice. He had to buy them with his own money, you know."

Sharpay snorted -- she knew what THAT meant. "Back row, upper balcony?"

"No!" Ryan said defensively. Then, glancing around the lounge to make sure Chad wasn't nearby, Ryan leaned in even closer to his sister to confess, "But they're some of the worst seats in the house -- all the way over on the side."

"Behind the pillar?"

Ryan nodded, and Sharpay laughed.

"I tried to warn you, Ry -- that's what you get for dating a pauper."

Ryan shrugged. "Oh well -- I guess it'll give me a...different perspective on the show."

Sharpay smiled knowingly. "So...I'm guessing you didn't tell him?"

"That I've seen it before? Of course not!" Ryan pointed a finger at his sister. "And YOU better not tell him, either!"

Sharpay smiled sweetly at her brother. "I wouldn't dream of it."

Ryan looked at her doubtfully, clearly trying to determine if she was telling the truth or not.

"And I'm NOT acting this time," she clarified, which caused her brother to attack her with an enthusiastic hug.

THE END