WARNING: If you don't want to read about homosexual relationships, you know slash of the male variety, boy on boy, you get the hint, please don't read. You'll feel better if you don't. Thanks.

A/N: New story folks but don't worry I'll update Knowing All. I just needed to write this, which I wrote in response to the little Ryan and Troy interaction in the sequel. I guess they ignored my advice …I mean a simple hug between future lovers is all I ask, come on Disney! …viewer's choice my ass…

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The Problem with Ryan

Chapter 1: The art of a t-shirt.

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"He's gay, Troy."

"W-what?"

"He. Is. Gay."

The last of the student's wandered down the hall, everyone else on their way home. Classes were finished but Troy had to stay for basketball practice and Gabriella was going to the library.

"Oh," Troy paused, "Yeah," he scratched the back of his neck absently, "I knew that." He glanced around the halls and found it free of students, the halls were deserted. He glanced at the brunette girl and found her looking at him with pursed lips, one hand on her hip.

Gabriella didn't look convinced.

"I knew that! It's just …I mean," Troy sighed. His back hit the locker beside Gabriella's. He couldn't understand what he was feeling or why he was even upset.

"Yeah, just what I thought," She said gently, "Why are you so bothered by me and Ryan hanging out anyway?"

"I'm not bothered," he said quickly. Gabriella's eyebrows rose, "I'm not!"

"You were fine when I went out with Jason, you gave us your 'blessing' as you put it," Gabriella rolled her eyes at Troy's choice of words. Really, she did not need any 'permission' to date other people after they broke up.

"That was different." Troy stated. He crossed his arms, too stubborn to let his feelings be dismissed.

"How's it different? I mean, look Troy, I thought we were cool now, you and me dating other people, I thought," Gabriella looked worried, "We are just friends now."

"We are!" he resolved, "We are best-friends, you know that." Suddenly he felt guilty for bothering her with his own problems, making her worried for nothing.

"So why do you have a problem with Ryan when me and him are just friends?" she put her hand on her hip. Her dark eyes bore into him, making him feel nervous and slightly revealed. She always had a habit of making him feel exposed, like his mask fell apart and all that was left with was his bare emotions, the ones he tried so hard to hide. He broke away from her stare and looked at the floor.

"Fine. You're right, I'm sorry," he looked around nervously, "I don't know what's wrong with me lately..."

"Maybe you should hang out with Ryan, I heard Chad say he's cool," Gabriella said encouragingly, "You guys can do, I don't know," she laughed, "Whatever guys do."

She closed her locker with a gentle 'click' and walked away with a wave, leaving Troy leaning against the locker next to hers alone in the hallway.

"…yeah" Troy said absently, "Sure."

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Early next morning Ryan skipped down the lush carpeted stairs and entered the chandelier lit dinning room before he grabbed a piece of toast from the butler's tray by the dinning room table. Light on his feet, he walked down the long table to his usual seat in the center across Sharpay.

"Wha-wha— is that a t-shirt?" Sharpay shrieked. She looked at him aghast, her eyes narrowed at his green and blue striped t-shirt, regular scoop collar and untucked.

"You like?" Ryan did a little twirl, blurring into green and blue, his navy blue hat slightly askew when he sat down across Sharpay. He grabbed more toast from the tray and poured orange juice into his glass.

"A t-shirt," she said, trying to sound out the foreign word, "How many times have I told you that you reflect me and you know how important me is!" Her fork clanked on her plate.

"Isn't it 'I am'?" he corrected. Looking down at his plate, he buttered his toast, unaware of his sister's growing anger.

"You!" Sharpay yelled.

"No, I mean—"

"Ryan, you will wear the pink dress shirt with the white pin stripes," She said taking a deep calming breath, "And it will accentuate my golden rose top." She sat straight, attempting to resume her pervious clam state, picking up her fork and stabbing into her bacon.

Ryan looked at her wide-eyed, "But—"

"And it will accentuate my golden rose top!" She screamed, "Now go upstairs and change!" Her cheeks were red with agitation, clutching her napkin tightly, as she stabbed into her breakfast repeatedly.

Ryan sighed, munched on his toast and took a sip of his orange juice before heading back upstairs. The things he did for his sister.

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Later that morning after arriving to school he parted with his sister before class, much to her annoyance. She walked away to her locker in a huff while Ryan slipped away.

He entered the bathroom, quietly humming to himself. When he looked up he abruptly stopped, a little startled.

"Oh, hey," Ryan said clumsily, not expecting to find Troy washing his hands in the sink.

Troy's eyes widened, "Hi," he said simply, expecting to be alone in the early morning as well.

Ryan walked to the other side of the room and proceeded to unbutton his dress shirt, revealing the green and blue stripped shirt he wanted to wear originally.

Troy curiously stayed longer, feigning drying his hands while he discreetly glanced at Ryan unbuttoning his shirt. The blonde's hands were methodical and graceful as he went down his shirt. Troy averted his gaze, wondering why he even cared about Ryan's hands or more unnerving what was under his shirt.

Ryan believed he didn't really need a stall just to unbutton a shirt and Troy would be leaving any moment now. Yes, any moment.

'Well, I guess not' Ryan thought as he glanced at Troy's back, his light brown hair brushing his neck just above the collar of his light green shirt. Ryan shook his head slightly, a little flustered over his train of thought. Dress shirt in hand, he walked to the mirror next to Troy. He glanced at Troy's dry hands still being wiped by crumpled paper towel sheets.

"Can't be too dry," Troy said by explanation, the paper towel, wrinkled and well-used, lay holed and slightly torn on the side of the sink in a ball.

"Nope, you wouldn't want wet hands while trying to take notes," Ryan smiled, boy was this awkward, he thought.

"Why the sudden clothing change?" Troy said suddenly, nodding toward Ryan's dress shirt tucked under his arm.

"Oh," Ryan looked at his folded shirt, "Why? Is it not good?"

"No—I mean, I didn't mean it wasn't good," Troy watched as Ryan looked at himself in the mirror self-consciously, "It's just odd that you would change your clothes," Troy continued, "Before class starts."

Ryan looked down at his t-shirt before looking at Troy, "Oh, well I wanted to try something new," Ryan leaned against the sink, "And Sharpay didn't want me clashing with her outfit," he added.

"Ah, the old switch at school," Troy nodded in recognition. "Although, this is the first time I heard it was because of the sister." Ryan's head tilted in confusion, "Usually it's the parents who have a problem with our clothing choice," Troy explained. Oddly, Ryan confused was kind of cute, he thought. A little confused at his line of thinking, he decided to ignore it.

"Oh," Ryan eyes lit with understanding, "When Sharpay finds out I changed my shirt she won't be happy," he said grimly. He looked at himself in the mirror, "Maybe I should just change back," he said to himself. Troy suddenly realized just how different Ryan is from Sharpay, almost completely different other than their blond hair and talent for acting and singing. Ryan was sweet, considerate, funny, and even a little self-conscious. And attractive, another voice in the back of his head added. Shut up, Troy squashed that voice quickly. He eyed Ryan again, his head without the usually hat, looked soft came down a bit by his ears. Suddenly he decided he didn't like how Ryan gazed at himself in the mirror self-critically.

"Well, you look great," Troy said smiling, "And you shouldn't have to listen to whatever Sharpay says if you don't want to," he added.

Ryan's eyes widened in surprise, he turned to Troy with a bit of pink dusting his cheeks, "T-shirt it is," the blond said shyly.

Troy started towards the door, secretly liking the blond when he blushed. His dark blue eyes are surprisingly clear, Troy thought.

Ryan followed him, feeling warm around his cheeks. 'Oh god,' Ryan thought, 'Please tell me I'm not blushing.'

They started for class together, both having history in the morning, in companionable silence. The hallway was a little too silent and empty. Troy looked around suspiciously while Ryan seemed unaware.

Until, the resounding bell rang.

They looked at each other, Troy raising his eyebrows and Ryan nodding, silently deciding to run for it, both boys smiling as they dashed to class together. The brunet felt good running beside the blond boy, he was light and free, and Ryan was right there beside him.

They both slipped into class head-down.

"Mr. Bolton, Mr. Evans," their teacher welcomed not too warmly, "How nice of you to join us."

Sharpay's eye's narrowed in suspicion as she checked her self in the mirror.

"Sorry" "Sorry"

They both went to their seats, everyone else was settled and the blackboard was already filled with notes. Troy took out his binder as quietly as he could while the class wrote down notes quickly.

Suddenly a scream erupted and everyone turned to look at Sharpay in alarm. "RYAN!" Ryan looked at her sheepishly, "What are you wearing?!"

Troy winced as the rest of the class looked curiously at Ryan, not really finding anything odd. Sharpay, however, was having a mental break-down. She took a deep breath and exhaled, took another deep breath—screw relaxation methods she was pissed. "What did I say about—"

"Ms. Evans," Their teacher towered over the frantic blonde, "We are here to learn history," her stern voice continued, "Not to discuss fashion." Sharpay turned around and then looked up at her aghast.

"Wha—but—" Sharpay tried, but the teacher narrowed her eyes in warning and Sharpay threw a glare at her brother, wait till class ends, was the clear message.

Ryan sighed in relief, at least 45 minutes of safety. Feeling really nervous, he looked over at Sharpay and practically saw the steam coming from her ears. She was pressing her pen into her notebook a bit too firmly for his liking. His gaze met Troy's suddenly and found a smile of reassurance, suddenly he felt warm all over.

Troy averted his eyes to relieve the little tingly feeling he got when Ryan locked gazes with him. What was that? This is getting weird, he thought.

Class ended and Ryan walked in amazing speed past Troy in the hall as a raving mad Sharpay plowed through the student body after him. Troy eyes followed Ryan's back to his firm ass. Troy's eyes widened as he realized where he was looking. He took a deep breath, totally normal, he thought, it is completely natural that your eyes follow that train of sight. Exactly, he thought, as Sharpay's shrieks faded.

He put his hand to his stomach, trying to quell the tremors that went his abdomen. Maybe he was getting stomach ache, he thought.

"Hey," Gabriella's voice broke through Troy's muddled thoughts. He looked at her in surprise, "Are you okay?" she asked, he looked a little flushed.

"I'm fine," he said, clearing his head of all thoughts, "Just fine."

Gabriella smiled, "Good because we have to practice today," she said with a bounce in her step, "It's the only time the four of us have free time at the same time," she laughed," Sharpay has us 'penciled in,'" she mocked Sharpay's high nosed demeanor.

Troy smiled at Gabriella's impression, then he realized she said four. "So, Ryan will be there too," he tried to say it casually, yet it came out strained.

Gabriella eyed him carefully, "Yeah," she gripped her bag as she spoke, "You're alright with that, right?"

"Yeah," Troy said quickly, "It's fine," he could tell Gabriella was a bit suspicious so he changed the subject, "So, did you study for the English test?"

"Oh, of course, I think I'm going to do really well," she smiled. Troy smiled back, mostly in relief. "So, I'll see you in the auditorium after school," she said as she went to her next class.

He walked to math, trying to think why practice with Ryan made him feel so unnerved.

x x x TBC x x x