Family Courtside -- by phoebenpiper
"Great shot!" "Go, Troy!" "Bravo!"
As the crowd sat back down on the bleachers, Vance Evans put a friendly hand on his son's shoulder.
"You might not want to say 'bravo' next time," he patiently suggested.
Ryan turned to his father, confusion evident in his pale blue eyes. "But Troy scored, right? Isn't that a good thing?"
Mr. Evans felt a surge of guilt at his son's question -- obviously he hadn't done his fatherly duty by teaching Ryan proper sports rules or etiquette, so he was now determined to make it up to his son.
"Yes, scoring's definitely a good thing," he explained. "But you don't say 'bravo' at a basketball game. 'Bravo' is more a…theatre phrase, not a sports phrase. When in Rome, you know? You've got to speak sports when you're sitting in the bleachers." Vance tried to think of an example Ryan would understand. "It's like how you don't say 'good luck' in the theatre -- you say 'break your legs' instead."
Ryan laughed and nodded, obviously catching on. But then confusion returned to his face as he asked, "So what SHOULD I say?"
Mr. Evans knew that Ryan's grasp of the finer points of basketball was still tentative at best, so he suggested, "Maybe you should just stick with 'Go Wildcats'."
Ryan nodded slowly, absorbing his father's advice, before turning his attention back to the game.
Or, more specifically, back to Chad.
Vance knew the real reason why his son was here in the East High gym, and it had nothing to do with basketball. Ryan had no real interest in the game itself, only one of its players. Chad Danforth. His…boyfriend.
Vance still had a hard time accepting that relationship between Ryan and the curly-haired jock. It made him uncomfortable to think of the two of them holding hands or kissing or doing whatever else two teenage boys were likely to get up to! He'd much prefer to think that Ryan had just made a new "friend", a guy's guy to hang out with instead of his sister for a change.
But Mr. Evans knew that Chad meant much more to his son than just a friend. Vance could see the joy and, yes, even the love that shown in Ryan's eyes at the mere sight of the jock's smile or mention of Chad's name. And of course, every father longs for his son to find such happiness, so Vance was trying his best to embrace the situation.
But he still felt somewhat uneasy about it.
Unfortunately, he was certain that Ryan could sense his discomfort. But Vance wasn't an actor like his talented children -- he simply couldn't hide his true feelings. So what else could he do?
"Why don't you take him to basketball game?" Darby had suggested when the topic had recently come up.
Vance had initially rejected the idea, but his wife had been very persuasive, insisting that it would mean a lot to Ryan, so he'd eventually agreed to ask his son to join him for East High's first home game of the year.
Now he was glad that he had. For one thing, he loved a good sporting event, even if it was only a high school game. But more importantly, Mr. Evans was discovering just how ignorant Ryan was of even the most basic sports rules, despite his Little League background, so Vance was happy to have the opportunity to share his knowledge of something HE loved with his son.
Turning his attention back to the game, Vance watched as the Wildcats made an offensive drive, quickly passing the ball back and forth in an attempt to get a clear shot. Finally Chad caught a pass and went up for a jump shot but was shoved by a defensive player at the moment of release. As the shot went wide, bouncing off the backboard, the crowd gave a collective protest just as the whistle was blown.
"Go Wildcats!" Ryan yelled out enthusiastically.
Mr. Evans let out a quiet sigh before once again putting his hand on his son's shoulder.
"That was actually a foul," he explained. "Generally we don't cheer for fouls."
Ryan looked confused. "So Chad did something wrong?"
Vance shook his head. "No, someone fouled HIM when he was taking the shot." He pointed to where Chad was now lining up on the free throw line. "So, to punish the Coyotes, Chad now gets two free throws."
"Free throws?"
"Chad gets to take two shots from behind that line, the 'free throw line', without any defense in the way."
The blond boy smiled as realization dawned. "So he's FREE to throw the ball. Because there's no defense!"
Mr. Evans smiled at his son, glad that he was catching on, but Ryan's attention had already strayed back to Chad, who was dribbling the ball at the line, preparing to take his shot. After what seemed like an eternity, in one swift motion the jock caught the ball and took his shot.
As the ball swooshed into the net, Ryan jumped to his feet and yelled, "Way to go, Chad!"
He then glanced expectantly at his father as he sat back down, obviously seeking approval for his outburst.
Vance nodded and patted his son on the back. "That's my boy."
--
Ryan knew that his father often attended East High sporting events, but he was still surprised at the number of people who came over to talk to him during intermission. After a few minutes, Ryan excused himself from the throng of well-wishers and hurried off to go buy pop from the concession stand. On his way back to his seat, a familiar blonde girl suddenly stepped in front of him.
"Shar!" Ryan exclaimed, surprised to see her. "What are YOU doing here?
His sister rolled her eyes in annoyance, although Ryan wasn't sure whether it was at his question or her answer: "Zeke asked me to come watch him play."
She then smiled, adding, "But he promised me celebratory cookies afterwards."
"What if they lose?" Ryan asked.
Sharpay shrugged. "Then they'll be defeat cookies. Regardless, they'll still be chocolate, so I don't really care."
Ryan smiled. His sister's heart might be softening for the tall basketball baker, but it was clear that her priorities hadn't changed.
"Why don't you come sit with me and Dad?" Ryan asked.
Sharpay sighed frustratedly. "I'm not allowed."
Her answer confused him. "Not allowed?"
"Yeah, Mother insisted that I…" Sharpay suddenly smiled, her voice sounding sweeter as she finished, "…I mean, I'm fine sitting by myself."
Ryan was secretly happy that she wasn't going to be joining them -- he was actually enjoying spending time alone with his dad.
Alone in a rowdy crowd of his schoolmates, but Ryan would take what he could get.
A buzzer sounded, and Sharpay glanced at the scoreboard. "Halftime's almost over -- we should sit back down." She waved up into the crowd, shouting, "Hi Daddy!"
"Hi Princess!" he shouted back, waving.
Sharpay turned back to her brother, saying, "Have fun with Daddy."
"Okay, see you later," replied Ryan, returning to his place next to his dad in the audience.
The teams returned to the floor for another…what was the word his dad had used? Tip-off? Zeke managed to knock the ball into Troy's hands, and Troy bolted down the court.
In the wrong direction!
"You're going the wrong way!" Ryan yelled frantically, hoping Troy would be able to hear him over the din, before he felt a hand on his shoulder and his father's quiet voice in his ear.
"During the second half, the teams reverse sides," his dad explained as Troy almost effortlessly lifted the ball as he ran and gracefully tossed it up into the air to bounce directly into the basket.
Ryan breathed a sigh of relief, glad that Troy hadn't just scored for the other team. He was also incredibly thankful that his dad was here to explain thing. It was nice to finally understand the game a bit, especially since he was planning on attending a lot more games during the upcoming basketball season to show his support for Chad.
After all, Ryan's parents always attended every show that he and his sister performed in, despite their busy schedules, and that meant the world to Ryan. Just knowing that they were in the audience always helped him perform better, and he hoped that the same would be true for Chad and his games.
Which it seemed to be. Chad had already scored lots of baskets, and each one sent a surge of pride through Ryan. Each time he longed to yell out "That's my boyfriend!" but he knew he couldn't. Not just for Chad's sake, but for his father's as well.
Ryan knew that his father was uncomfortable with the whole thing between him and Chad. But having his dad invite him to the game had meant a lot to Ryan, for he knew that his dad was trying to be supportive as best he could.
As Chad caught a pass from Zeke, Ryan's focus instantly turned back to the game. Chad dribbled the ball, his back to the basket. Finally he lunged right and then turned the other way and hurried towards the basket, bumping into his defender and knocking the other boy to the ground. Just as Chad let off a shot, a whistle blew, signifying a foul.
"Go Chad!" Ryan yelled, glad that Chad would get a chance to make some more free shots.
But then Ryan felt a hand on his shoulder again.
"Actually, Chad was the one who fouled," his father explained.
This made no sense to Ryan. "But he was the one shooting."
His dad shook his head. "It doesn't matter who's shooting. Earlier, Chad was shoved, so the other boy fouled him. But in this case, Chad fouled because he was charging."
"Charging?" Ryan repeated, even more confused.
"Yeah -- charging." His dad must've been able to tell he still wasn't getting it because he continued, "Like a bull -- not like your sister with a credit card."
Ryan laughed -- sometimes his father had such a goofy sense of humor.
But his explanation made sense. "So because Chad knocked the guy over, he's the fouler?"
"Basically, yeah," his dad confirmed as the teams walked down to the other basket for the free shots.
--
The first half of the game had been fun to watch but wasn't terribly exciting. The third quarter, however, kept the crowd on the edge of their seats, and by the middle of the fourth quarter, not a spectator remained sitting. The high score kept flip-flopping back and forth between the two teams so that every move on the court, every second on the clock, mattered intensely.
As Jason took a shot and missed, one of the Coyotes grabbed the rebound off the backboard and threw a long pass down the court to his teammate. Luckily, Chad had rushed back and managed to get in front of his competitor. The curly-haired jock planted his two feet firmly on the ground moments before his opponent charged into him aggressively, knocking Chad to the floor. However, much to the crowd's surprise, no whistle was blown.
As the Wildcats in the bleachers groaned their disapproval, Ryan stood and hollered, "Hey! That was charging!"
Mr. Evans waited for his son to turn towards him, seeking approval, as he had done so often during the game. But instead Ryan got the approval he sought from Chad himself. Vance watched as the two boys locked eyes for a split second before Chad jumped back to his feet and rejoined the game. But the quick look, Vance realized, had carried more than just approval -- it'd carried pride…and obvious longing. It was clear that there was going to be much post-game celebrating between the two boys, win or lose.
Mr. Evans realized with surprise that he no longer seemed quite as bothered by it. No, he still didn't relish the idea of Ryan and that boy doing…whatever. But he was beginning to realize just how important Chad truly was to Ryan.
And vice versa.
Vance had attended a few Wildcat basketball games over the last few years, so Danforth's #8 was not foreign to him. But in the past, all eyes, including Vance's, had always been on Troy Bolton. There was something about the shaggy-haired team captain that commanded respect from the crowd -- it was no wonder that Sharpay had become so smitten with him, for clearly he possessed her same kind of charisma and magnetism.
But tonight something had changed. While Troy was still a great player, it was Chad who was standing out as the one to be reckoned with. Not only were his drives stronger and his shots more certain, but his defense was aggressive and intelligent, as if he were anticipating the moves of his opponents and arriving there a split second before they did.
Although he had no proof, Mr. Evans believed that the loud shouts coming from the petite boy next to him were the source of Chad's newfound determination. After all, jocks as a rule didn't smile much during the heat of competition, but Vance noticed that a goofy grin seemed to cross Chad's face after every one of Ryan's outbursts. Instead of finding it distracting, the jock seemed to be gaining concentration and confidence from knowing that he was being admired by his boyfriend.
For that's what Ryan was -- Chad's boyfriend.
And for the first time, Mr. Evans really felt okay with that.
Ryan, however, was clearly not okay with anything at the moment as he nervously watched the exciting game. He quickly glanced over at the scoreboard, and his father followed his gaze. There was just over a minute left on the clock, and the Wildcats were down by four points!
As Ryan returned his attention to the floor, Vance's attention stayed focused on his son, who was anxiously wringing his hands, absently twisting the base of each finger in turn. Vance recognized the gesture instantly -- he'd seen his wife do it hundreds of times.
People were always commenting to Vance Evans about how much his daughter looked like his young wife. But few people saw that it was his son who had inherited all his wife's mannerisms.
Not to mention her kind, caring heart.
Vance was convinced that Darby Ellen Burbank Evans had the biggest heart of anyone this side of the Rio Grande, and he had always considered himself the luckiest man on earth that she had chosen him to share her life with.
Vance now wondered if Chad Danforth was equally aware of just how lucky HE was.
The sudden roar of the crowd made Vance's attention return to the game, where apparently Zeke had just scored. The Coyotes, still up by two, brought the ball back in but took their time bringing it down court, obviously hoping to run out the clock by stalling.
The crowd, however, wasn't going to let that happen and started counting down the time remaining: "10…9…8."
Chad absently glanced up at the clock, and Vance saw that the boy's eyes flit past Ryan's on their way back to the court. Suddenly seizing the opportunity in front of him, Chad managed to steal the dribble away from his opponent and make a fast break down to the other end of the court. The crowd cheered, continuing their countdown, "5…4…3," as Chad went in for a perfect lay-up.
But as the ball was leaving his hands, the Coyote whom he'd stolen the ball from collided with him, knocking Chad to the ground as, simultaneously, the final buzzer sounded, the whistle blew, and the ball swished into the net.
"He tied the game!" Ryan said excitedly, jumping up and down on the bleachers along with the other Wildcats. But then a look of confusion crossed his face, and he quickly asked, "What do they do when they tie?"
Luckily Vance knew the rules better than his son. He calmly winked, saying, "There may not BE a tie."
Ryan stared blankly at his dad, who put his arm around the boy's shoulders and turned him back towards the court, where Chad was lining up at the free throw line.
"He was fouled," Vance explained, "and even though the shot went in, he still gets one free throw."
"But the clock--" Ryan began, pointing to the scoreboard which now read 00:00, but Vance shook his head.
"Doesn't matter. He still gets it."
The roar of the crowd was incredible, with the Wildcats cheering on Chad as the few Northwest High students tried their best to distract him.
But Chad looked cool and collected at the line. He bounced the ball a few times, clearly trying to focus. Then, as he picked up the ball, he glanced up into the crowd, up at Ryan, and gave a cheeky grin before taking aim and shooting.
"NOTHING BUT NET!!" the announcer proclaimed through the PA system as the crowd cheered wildly. "THE WILDCATS HAVE WON BY ONE POINT!!"
"They did it!" Ryan exclaimed excitedly to his father. "They won!"
Mr. Evans shook his head. "No, HE won!" he said, patting his son on the back. "Your boyfriend won the game!"
Ryan looked up at his father, a look of happy surprise on his face, and it took Vance a moment to realize why.
He'd called Chad Ryan's "boyfriend". Without hesitation. Without prompting from Darby. The word had just flowed off his tongue.
And Vance Evans suddenly found himself, in the middle of the East High bleachers, being lovingly embraced by his son.
--
CODA
Sharpay glanced at her watch. 'How long does it take for the team to change anyway?' she wondered with annoyance. She was tired of standing in this crowd of peppy cheerleaders and sycophantic girls. Unlike them, she wasn't eagerly waiting for a glimpse of the players -- she was only there for the cookies.
And perhaps a congratulatory peck or two -- after all, Zeke had played a great game.
Of course, not as great a game as Chad. Sharpay rolled her eyes, thinking about how insufferable her brother would be for the next few days, bragging about Chad's winning baskets.
Not that Sharpay regretted the win. During football season, Zeke would get so excited after a winning game that he'd go home and bake. Sharpay hoped the same would hold true for basketball season, and she was eager to put the suggestion of éclairs in his head.
Glancing around the crowd of squealing girls, Sharpay caught sight of a red fedora in its midst; she noticed, however, that Daddy was nowhere in the vicinity. She hoped his absence didn't bode ill regarding the "father-son" bonding that was supposed to have taken place tonight because, if it had, she was going to have to have a serious talk with her father!
Sharpay had always doted on her daddy, for in her eyes he could do no wrong. Or at least he couldn't until a few months ago, when Ryan had started dating Chad. It was then that Sharpay had discovered that her daddy was not, as she'd always thought, infallible, and she was still recovering from the blow.
True, Chad Danforth was not who Sharpay would've chosen for Ryan, with his silly hair and stupid t-shirts. But it was clear that Chad meant the world to Ryan, so Sharpay naturally supported her brother's relationship whole-heartedly.
And naturally she was frustrated that her daddy did not. According to Mother, Daddy was "trying" to accept the new situation, but "trying" was simply not good enough! Ryan might be merely unhappy with his father's discomfort, but Sharpay was pissed. She wanted to shake Daddy and force him on the bandwagon. After all, they were Evanses -- their job was to support each other!
Curious to know how things had gone between the Evans men, Sharpay barged her way through the crowd to where her brother was standing, ignoring the protests of the other girls.
"Hey, Shar!" Ryan said, beaming at the sight of his sister.
"Oh, hello, Sharpay," Gabriella Montez added cheerfully.
Sharpay simply ignored the other girl. "What are you doing out here, Ry?" she asked, gesturing toward the locker room door. "You're a boy -- you're allowed to go into the locker room."
"Actually, only players are allowed in there right now," Gabriella explained helpfully, "because Coach Bolton is--"
"Whatever," Sharpay said, cutting off the annoying girl. "So where's Daddy?" she pointedly asked her brother.
"He said I could just meet him at home," Ryan explained, a happy smile plastered on his face. "He assumed Chad and I would be going out afterwards to celebrate."
Shar rolled her eyes -- she could imagine the kind of "celebrating" that Ryan and Chad were likely to do.
But before she could comment, Ryan grabbed her arm and whispered something excitedly in her ear.
However, she couldn't hear with the squealing girls around. "What?"
Ryan pulled her closer, saying as loudly as he dared, "Dad called Chad my 'boyfriend'!"
At that moment, the locker room door opened and the Wildcats came running out, so Sharpay's reply to her brother was practically lost in the ensuing chaos.
"It's about time!"
THE END