From the comfort and anonymity of the observation room, Grissom peered into the interrogation room at the two teenage boys sitting at the table.
Ryan Evans and Chad Danforth.
Grissom wondered why the two names sounded familiar to him. He scratched his chin, studying the pair like he would one of his bug specimens, trying to find a clue as to how he might know them.
The blonde, Ryan, wore a sky-blue shirt, and from what the CSI could see, black jeans. Despite their crumpled appearance and the dirt and dust on them, Grissom was sure that the clothes were designer label. This made the style difference between the two boys way more visible, as Chad was wearing a red and white sports hoodie proclaiming him to be a 'Wildcat', his curly hair a mess, his baggy jeans torn.
Ryan's lip was bleeding. Chad fished around in his pocket to produce a crumpled tissue and held it tenderly to the blonde's lip, whispering something in his ear.
Grissom paused, something nagging at the back of his mind at this action, but there was no way he could put his finger on it, so he dismissed the thought.
Finally realisation dawned on him as to where he knew the boys from – Ryan Evans was the brightest uprising star in the theatrical community, while Chad Danforth had been one of the best basketball players the local schools had ever seen. And now Chad was the best player, seeing as the other competitor for the name stake was lying dead in the morgue.
The door swung open, and Warrick sauntered in, followed by Greg, whose brown eyes looked more troubled than they had done in the past couple of weeks.
The two boys gave a slight shocked jump, the bloody tissue falling from Chad's fingers onto the floor, where it remained, forgotten.
Greg took a seat opposite the boys, while Warrick stood standing, slightly behind the blonde CSI.
Warrick tossed a folder onto the table. "That's the coroner's report, if you were after some light reading."
Ryan's blue eyes narrowed. "Why can't you guys leave us alone? We already told you it was an accident."
"We know that you two killed your friend," Greg replied. "We wanna know why."
Ryan gave a cold cruel laugh. That's how black silk would sound, if it could laugh, thought Greg. "Are you kidding?"
"Friend? Who, Troy?" Chad seemed to be particularly amused by this fact.
"Well, who was he then? You two were on the same basketball team," Greg countered. "And I talked to Coach Bolton. He said you guys used to be the best of friends."
"Troy didn't know the meaning of the word 'friend'. Try 'traitor'. He definitely knew the meaning of that," Chad said, looking squarely at the blonde CSI. "Friends don't abandon friends because they find out secrets. Friends don't beat each other up every day after school," he finished, his eyes blazing, his voice dangerously low. "And anyway, like Ryan said, it was an accident, self-defence."
Grissom, who'd been watching the interaction between the four males, gave a start as the sudden thought hit him – Chad and Ryan were a younger version of Warrick and Greg. He shook his head, confused but amused at this thought.
"So Troy goes from best friend to bully. And you decide to take matters into your own hands…?" Greg wasn't sure if he'd meant it as a statement or a question. A bit of both he decided.
Chad gave a roar like a strangled rhino. "It was self-defence! Do you guys not get it?" He jumped to his feet, hauling Ryan up. As Greg was about to protest, Chad yanked Ryan's shirt off to show the two CSIs and Grissom Ryan's bruised and battered body. "Would a friend do this?"
Bruises, some a deep plum colour, others a sickly greenish-yellow covered the pale boy's body. Scratches and cuts adorned the remaining flesh that wasn't covered in bruises.
Chad sank down wearily, Ryan tugging his shirt back on. The blonde leaned over and whispered something in Chad's ear, which by the looks of things was something half-angry, half-upset.
Turning back to the CSIs, with anger burning in his blue eyes, Ryan asked, "You wanna see what that loser did to Chad?" When the two shook their heads, Ryan looked at Greg, then up at Warrick, who was standing just behind him. He gave a sigh, one of immense pain. "Mr Brown, if someone did this to Mr Sanders, what would you do?"
Silence. Greg snuck a look up at Warrick. By the pained expression on his face, it was obvious exactly what he'd do if someone had attempted to do that to Greg.
"Troy always said that we'd be friends no matter what," Chad said, breaking the silence. "Wildcats forever. All that crap." Chad gave a disdainful sniff. "And then as soon as he finds out about the one thing that makes me different, he drop-kicks me faster than you can say 'East High forever'."
It suddenly struck Greg that neither he nor Warrick had asked about this secret, although Chad had alluded to it twice.
Studying the pair, he had to admit there was something almost intimate about the pair's behaviour. Despite the obvious fact that any decent human being would try and protect their friend from harm, Greg felt there was another underlying issue.
"Mr Sanders?" Ryan asked, exchanging a look with Chad.
"Yeah?"
"How far would you go to protect someone you loved?"
"I would–" Greg started then stopped, as realisation dawned on him. "That's it, isn't it?" he stated quietly, looking at Chad. "That's why he tormented you."
"Because he found out that his best friend was in love with another guy." Chad nodded, "Yeah that pretty much sums all of it up."
"Why didn't you tell someone?" Greg asked, slightly in shock at this new fact.
Ryan gave a snort. "No one wanted to hear about it. As far as they were concerned, it was our own fault, and so, our own problem."
"What about your parents?" the blonde asked, noticing that the older CSI had drifted away into the background.
Chad looked at the two. "And break my parent's hearts? Never. They had enough on their plate, without having to deal with the woes of their gay son," he added, his head in his hands.
Ryan's arm instinctively went around Chad's shoulders. "Troy hated us, hated what we were. He made our life a living hell. Killing him was an accident, but his death was not unjust. He got what he deserved."
Chad looked up after a moment's silence. "He was a good guy. Once upon a time. And then he became a loathsome jerk, who forgot that these two people that he tormented and hated were once his friends. Although, it wasn't just us he hurt. He almost put his ex-girlfriend, Gabriella, into hospital. Troy, well, he forgot that we were still the same people inside. " He laced his dark fingers through Ryan's pale ones. He looked over at the silent Warrick. "Y'know, you'd do the same if someone tried to kill someone you loved."
A silence settled over the room, one of begrudging acceptance. Because Chad had hit a nerve – if someone had tried to hurt one of their friends, they would near kill them. Both Warrick and Greg knew that.
"So… Are we under arrest?" Ryan finally asked, breaking the silence.
The two CSIs exchanged glances. "No," replied Warrick finally, stepping from out of the shadows. "After all, it was self-defence. Self defence to a hate crime,"
"So…We're free to go?" Chad sounded confused and surprised both at the same time.
Greg gave a smile, one tinged with sadness. "Yes."
Ryan pulled Chad up, who seemed in a state of shock at this latest development. He looked from one CSI to another, and then a genuine smile came over his face. "Thanks. For not judging us."
A tiny smile came over Warrick's face, not unlike the sad one on Greg's lips. "It's not our job to judge."
Greg opened the door, ushering them out. "Stay safe guys…"
As Ryan and Chad stepped out, the blonde sitting outside waiting for them gave a relieved yelp and enveloped her twin brother in a hug. "Ry, you ok?" she whispered, tears streaming down her face.
He held her close, tears spilling from his own eyes. "Yeah… Yeah, Shar, I'm ok…"
The girl standing next to Sharpay went over and pulled Chad into a hug, ruffling his curly hair. "I can't believe it…" she whispered. "When Sharpay told me, I… "
Ryan withdrew himself from his sister's grasp, turning to give Gabriella a hug. "It's ok, Gabby. We're safe now…"
Grissom, who had come out of the observation room, stood just behind Warrick and Greg, as the trio watched this exchange.
Sharpay looked over at them, and wiping the tears from her blue eyes, walked over, somewhat cautiously. "I… I just wanted to say thank you. For helping my brother and Chad out. It means a lot."
Greg gave a smile. "That's what we do. It's our job."
"I know, but… Well, thanks." She rushed off to the waiting trio. "Come on guys." She wrapped her arm around Ryan's waist, Gabriella on her right, Chad on Ryan's left.
As the CSIs watched the four walk down the corridor, Chad and Ryan took each other's hand. A moment later, Gabriella slipped her hand into Sharpay's.
Warrick let out a sigh. "Poor kids. Living in fear and misery every day. It's just not right."
Grissom looked contemplative, watching the retreating figures. "What a world we live in; you either get killed for loving, or kill so you can love. Either way, you still lose."