Ryan threw his books down, and laid down in the middle of the cold stage floor. In his hand was a beautiful, almost brand-new, digital video recorder that supposedly could make anything appear to be straight out of a movie. He lined up his target shot perfectly and pressed play. Soon the device started picking up images of the rafters and lights that hung above his head. After a while, he pushed stop and the camera quit recording. Ryan smiled to himself as he fiddled with the settings some more, and made the replay of the video go from black and white, to negative, to blue then purple, and then back to normal again. Anyone who knew him knew he was very easily amused, and right now he was too distracted to notice that he was no longer in the auditorium alone.

"Hey Ryan," a cheerful voice said out of nowhere.

No response.

"Earth to Ryan."

Ryan didn't hear them, and kept on messing around with the camera.

"Ryan," the guy said again.

The boy on the stage had just had the video start playing as if it where on fire.

"Ryan!"

This time the voice was loud enough to shake Ryan completely out of his state.

"Huh, what?!" he exclaimed, popping up bewildered, looking for the source to the command. His eyes came to rest on his best friend, Troy, standing in the middle of the theatre.

"Paranoid, much," he laughed at him.

"Asshole, much," Ryan said, scooting to meet him at the edge of the stage.

"Yeah, basically," he said, throwing his bag down and hoisting himself up next to Ryan.

"Well at least you're blunt," Ryan said, holding up the camera and starting to film the basketball star.

BRRRRRRRRRRING!!!! The bell rang, but it was just a warning. Ten minutes until first period.

"What are you doing?"

"Oh, nothing," Ryan said casually. "Just, messing with this stupid camera my Dad got me."

"Why'd he get you that?" Troy inquired as he timidly avoided being filmed.

"Well, apparently he actually listened to me when I asked him for it," Ryan said.

"Wow, that's rare," Troy joked.

"Yeah, tell me about it," Ryan said, zooming in closer on Troy's face.

"Must you do that," Troy asked finally.

"Why not?"

"Well," Troy said, putting his hand over the camera lens. "It's rude."

"Awww," Ryan said, twisting out of his hold. "Is big, bad basketball star a little camera shy?"

"No," Troy said, defensively.

Ryan smirked, and picked up a pen that was lying near by.

"Well then, prove it," he said, shoving the makeshift microphone in his friends face.

"How?"

"Mr. Bolton, Mr. Bolton, may I ask you a few quick questions?" Ryan said like a panicked reporter.

"Oh boy, here we go," Troy said, turning to accept his challenge. "It's better than ignoring you."

"Mr. Bolton," Ryan said, getting into character, "what is your opinion on the current musical being produced here at East High, starring, well, you?"

"Are you kidding me?" Troy exclaimed. "I'm playing a freaking duck."

"Who's actually a swan," Ryan said keenly.

"Yeah, whatever, I get picked on by sixth graders."

Ryan rolled his eyes.

"Do you have any comments on the beautiful young lady playing your love interest?" he moved on.

"You mean that little freshman girl that is slowly developing an obsession for me? Please."

"Be nice, man, she's young," Ryan insisted.

"She's falling for the role I'm playing."

"Troy, do you realize how lucky you are to be in a lead role? In this high school?"

"Yes, I do, but it's just that it's such a cheesy and little-kid kind of show," he said. "I mean there are so many edgier, funnier parts out there that I'd die to play. Like your part, dude. I'd kill to be that cat."

"Oh yes, and the fact that I get to seduce Martha Cox on a couch is a big perk, let me tell you," Ryan laughed.

Troy chuckled too.

"Yeah, but my point, why is Mrs. Darbus giving us something to do that only elementary school kids will like?"

"Because she has the powers at be to adhere to," Ryan said dismally.

"What do you mean by that?" Troy asked.

Ryan sighed, and lowered the camera down. He switched the power button off.

"What'd you do that for?" Troy asked again.

"Because if this conversation is found out about," Ryan explained. "I might never be able to participate in a production here at East High ever again."

"Why?"

"The principal of this high school has been keeping Mrs. Darbus on a tight leash for years," he started. "They know that she'd like for us to be doing those crazy, insane, unorthodox shows, and it scares them because they're trying to keep up an image of this school being, you know, calm, sweet, and innocent."

"Calm, sweet, and innocent?" Troy laughed. "This school?"

"Yeah, I know what you mean," Ryan said, smiling. "There can be kids doing drugs in these very halls, but if we ever decide to do RENT for a spring production, they freak."

"That's ridiculous," Troy stated.

"Tell me about it," Ryan said. He sighed again.

"Dude, could you imagine that?" Troy said, after a while.

"Imagine what?"

"Us doing RENT," he grinned. "That'd be like the best production of that show ever."

"Why?"

"Because we're like tailor-made for it," he said. "I mean think about it."

"I'm still confused," Ryan said.

"Oh, come on, Ryan, don't tell me you've never casted this show in your head before with the people we have in this theatre department," Troy called him out.

"Well…" Ryan said, fiddling with his feet.

"Gotcha on that one."

"Ok, Mr. Casting Director," Ryan said, putting the camera up again. "Hand out the parts."

"Alright, then. Well, for starters, you would obviously be Mark," he said, implying the device in his friend's hands.

"Bite me," Ryan sneered.

"It's true," Troy insisted.

"Close-up on Troy Bolton, the lunatic."

"Hey, I hand out the roles, you don't question them, ok," Troy said, mocking his new 'position.'

"Whatever," Ryan said. "Go on."

"Taylor's smart and liberal," Troy continued after a moment of thought, "so she's obviously Joanne. Zeke could be Benny because he's so pigheaded, and that means the role of Collins goes to Chad. Not much of a stretch, I say, he drinks like a camel, if you know what I mean. The role of Angel will go to Jason—"

"Wait, whoa, whoa…" Ryan cut him off. "I thought I was the only person in this school who was ever willing to risk his sexuality in that way. I doubt we're going to get basketball man Jason to don a pair of heels and a wig."

"Halloween…" Troy said, "Last year."

Ryan cocked an eyebrow.

"You don't want to know," Troy said.

"No, I really don't," Ryan, shaking his head.

"So, I'm guessing we're giving Sharpay the role of Maureen," Ryan said, trying to contribute to Troy's craziness.

"Actually, you may want to stop yourself on that," Troy said.

"Why?" Ryan asked.

"Mark and Maureen," Troy said, insinuating something.

"So?"

"Ok, you of all people, who know this story better than I do, should know that Mark and Maureen have a history."

"Oh, gosh," Ryan exclaimed in disgust.

"Yeah, I don't think you want to go incestuous on anyone's ass for the sake of authenticity."

"Oh, jeez."

"Eh, it happens," Troy reassured him.

"Ok, well then who are you playing, Golden Boy?" Ryan asked, picking at his friend.

"Roger," Troy said.

"And why is that?" Ryan asked.

"Because Roger and I are similar in more ways than anybody else is to their character," Troy said, looking down at the empty rows of chairs in front of him.

Ryan zoomed in on his friends face again, this time without his knowledge.

"What ways?" he inquired, though he had a feeling why.

"We're both guys who used to be on top of the world," Troy said, simply. "We were worshiped by many until we both hit our downfall. We partied too much, lived too much, and didn't realize how it was affecting the people around us. The slightest mistake of not being safe hit us both, and we both ended up losing ones that we loved."

Ryan shut off the camera.

"Now granted, his loss was a lot worse than mine. I mean, come on, she died," Troy said. "But still, it hurts just the same."

"I'm guessing that Sharpay is getting the title of April," Ryan said, not looking his friend in the face.

"Yeah," Troy drifted off, "she can take a backseat during this one."

"You know, Troy, Roger was addicted to heroin," Ryan tried to reassure him. "You just had a little problem with alcohol. That doesn't mean that you 're like him at all."

"I know that, but that little problem with alcohol almost made me lose my life and my future and everything that had been good in my life. Not only my life, but your life too."

"Troy it was an accident," Ryan stated.

"Come on, a deadly accident. Ryan, don't lie to me, I know you're still getting migraines."

"Troy, it wasn't your fault, it was mine," Ryan said. "I should've taken the keys out of your hands."

"Don't blame yourself," Troy pleaded. "It was my mistake, and I've paid the price."

"I know Sharpay still means a lot to you, but wallowing in your self-pity is not going to bring her back." Ryan grabbed his friend by the shoulders. "And newsflash, you're not the only one who's paid a price."

"I know," Troy said, taking a deep breath. "I know. And who said I was wallowing?"

"Got me, are they crazy?" Ryan joked with him. Troy laughed, finally snapping out of his little emo moment.

BRRRRRRRRRRRRING!!!!

"Time for class," Ryan said as the loud noise rang through the auditorium. "Did you study for that quiz in Mr. Barcus's?"

"Nope," Troy said, slipping off the stage.

"Shocker," Ryan said, doing the same. "Hey, I can I ask you one more question?"

"Sure," Troy said, picking his bag up.

"If Sharpay isn't right for it, then who is our Maureen?"

Troy stopped while trying to put his backpack back on.

"I don't know," he said. "I guess you'll have to find her."

"Me?" Ryan said. "Why me?"

"Because, Marky boy, you're the narrator. It's your story. Finish it up."

He gave him a pat on the shoulder, and headed out the door. Ryan wasn't going to let him get away that easy.

"Oh no, you are not dumping this on me, Mr. Center-of-the-Whole-Story!" Ryan yelled after him.

"Yes I am," Troy replied back, pumping up his arms, edging Ryan to bring it on. "You going to stop me?"

The last comment hit him hard as Ryan tackled him to the floor.

There was such a great thing about these two being friends. Their own individual groups were aware of a friendship between the two, but not to the degree to which it actually was. They talked every day, normally meeting before school like this, and they then carpooled home each day. There might be drama going on with their separate groups, but at the end of the day, they had each other to vent to or to blow off steam. A rock, a sword, a shield, whatever it was, there relationship gave then that security. They were there for each other to be the best friend each needed. Past or present. Plus, the difference in personalities usually provided them some with some pretty good entertainment. But no matter how much they tried to avoid it, their friendship had definitely had not been the same since the last time a sip of liquor had passed both of their lips.

Ryan and Troy brushed themselves off and exited the auditorium just as the stream of kids was slowing to a drip. Before they took two steps, an eccentric mess of a man bum-rushed them, along with a sudden regret of poking around in the theatre for too long.

"Evans, Bolton, good," Mr. Durb, their guidance counselor, said looking down at the papers in his shaking hands. He was speaking in abbreviated sentences. His shirt was crumpled and he obviously hadn't shaved in a few days. The poor man hadn't adjusted to his new position at a 6,000-kid high school just yet.

"Um, new students. One senior, one junior. You guys are all I have," he spoke quickly, handing them both pieces of paper. "Here are their schedules and locker combos. Show them around, blah, blah, blah, you know the drill."

"Wait, do you want us to give them the full tour or just a locker lesson and bolt?" Ryan asked as he hurried off. He didn't notice the what-the-fuck look Troy was giving him.

"Just, be done by the end of the period," Mr. Durb said over his shoulder. The boys looked at each other as if they'd just seem UFO.

"Locker lesson and bolt?" Troy questioned. "Do you want me to fail class?"

"What?" Ryan asked. "Was I the only one who paid attention during that 'Citizenship Towards Meeting New People' assembly?"

"Um, yeah."

"Whatever," Ryan said, shaking his head. "Hey, look on the bright side. We get out of Barcus."

"Yeah, well, I'm only doing this on one condition," Troy said.

"And what's that?" Ryan asked, starting down the hall.

Troy reached over his shoulder and snatched the paper from Ryan's hand.

"I get the senior," he said, waving his prize in front of Ryan's face. Ryan gave him his own variation on the what-the-fuck look.

"You know," Troy smiled, "in case she's hot."

"We both know who wears the pants in this friendship," Ryan said, grabbing Troy's paper, and turning and heading toward the office.

AN: Hey guys. I haven't really posted anything in a while, but I just figured it was time for me to get back to this story in particular. I kind of updated this chapter a little bit, and am posting another one. And for those of you who haven't read this already, yes, there area a lot of heavy RENT references in the beginning. I believe in the parallels I drew, so just go with it if you haven't seen it or heard of it. And if you haven't, you should (I'm two shows and counting, whata you got?)

Now, the musical they're talking about in the beginning is actually, not like they say, a good show to watch. It's called HONK!. We did a production of it, now a little over a year ago, at school, and yes, I did play the same character as the girl they talk about being obsessed with Troy. You should check it out, it's basically the story of the Ugly Duckling. And the cat character, hilarious.

Now, this story started out as Ryan centric, basically, because I realized in every story he's in he's either extremely emo, extremely unaccpeted by everyone, or just an observer. Now, I'm not saying there might not be any of this in here, but I'm kind of expanding this farther to include a little more of the Troy-Ryan friendship (it's JUST friendship, people.) And catchastar will have to cry because...no ChadKelsi in this story like my others lol

Ok, you don't want to here me talk anymore. Read the next chapter and review, my darlings, if you will.

And please don't put this down because it's not very canon, I really don't give a crap anymore.