Author's Note: Okay, so I failed again to turn down the fluff. Oh well. At least you guys seem to be enjoying it! Which is just as important to me as having fun writing this. I want the readers to be able to like what they're reading.

And man, you guys are so good to me. ;; I got one review that filled me up so high with happiness, I wasn't sure whether to start crying or burst into hysterical laughter. I mostly did the latter, though I tried to muffle it with my hands. Although I'd by lying if I said I knew for sure my eyes didn't start watering. Thank you all for your incredibly kind words, you have no idea how much it means to me.

XoXoXoX

The movie finally ended, but neither person left the couch to shut it off. Gabriella wasn't even aware it was over--she had dozed off.

Ryan wasn't about to move, because Gabriella's head was resting on his shoulder. 'Working at Lava Springs must be exhausting her,' he mused. 'And all that trouble with Troy isn't helping any.' Not that he was complaining; if it weren't for Troy's behavior, Ryan might not have been able to bond so closely with Gabriella. Of course, he didn't enjoy seeing how unhappy Troy was making her, either.

He held his breath for a moment, wondering whether he dared. Then, ever so gently, he lifted the cap off of Gabriella's head and rested his cheek against her hair. 'She smells good,' he thought. 'Like citrus fruit…' He wondered briefly whether or not Gabi had noticed the cologne he was wearing, and if so, what she thought of it. Then he shut himself up and simply allowed himself to enjoy the moment, tucked under a blanket next to the person who was rapidly becoming most important to him.

Ryan nearly bolted off the sofa when he heard a soft laugh behind him, but he stopped himself just in time, realizing if he shot up, Gabriella would be rudely awakened. Instead he merely jumped a little. "Mrs. Montez…" he stammered as she came around from the stairs, "I was just…er…" He trailed off, unsure off what to say. What could he say? Gabriella's mother had witnessed him getting cozy with her daughter, who already had a boyfriend. Although come to think of it, she had just been laughing…

"It's alright, Ryan," she said softly. "I'm not upset." She chuckled. "I'm just glad it happened here, and not somewhere in public where people might see you and start nasty rumors."

The boy hung his head. "I'm sorry, I know I shouldn't have. The last thing I want to do is make Gabriella look bad in any way."

Mrs. Montez rested a gentle hand on his shoulder. "You're a good boy, Ryan. I can see that. And I know that liking someone can be hard. Especially in your teen years, when everything else is already so confusing." She smiled. "But you should realize that, while Gabi and Troy might have some strong chemistry going right now, they're both only in high school. It's not as if they're together for life at this point." Then she turned to leave, but added one last thing over her shoulder. "You never know just what will happen, but if you're patient, you might be surprised at how things turned out."

She disappeared up the stairs, leaving Ryan frazzled and more than a little bewildered.

Moments later, Gabriella began to stir, and she sat up groggily, rubbing her face. "Ah, shoot," she mumbled. "I hate it when I fall asleep before the movie ends." Then she paused and frowned; a strange expression crossed her face. "What time is it?" she asked suddenly.

Ryan glanced at his watch. "Uh, it's nearing midnight."

The girl's eyes widened. "And I have to work tomorrow!"

"Yeah. I'd better get going. We should have started the movie sooner, just so you wouldn't be up so late."

"Nah, it's fine," she reassured him, yawning. "I'll just go to bed extra-early tomorrow night and make up for the sleep loss. Besides, it was worth it, dontcha think?"

He grinned. "I'll admit, that was the best movie I've seen in a while. Of course, that might have something to do with the fact that it wasn't something Sharpay picked out."

The two of them shared a laugh as they picked themselves up off the sofa and grabbed the popcorn bowl along with Gabriella's hat. "We'll have to do this again sometime," Gabriella commented, leaping up the stairs two at a time. "It was definitely a blast."

"Pure dynamite," Ryan agreed, pleased with his own pun. He just wished he could fight off the disappointment that was threatening to drown him--the day was over, and now he had to go home. Home, which wasn't nearly as welcoming as the house he'd just spent the day at.

Gabriella walked him to the front door. "Thanks again for the gift," she said, giving him that dimpled grin he was coming to treasure. "I'll be sure to wear it as often as possible."

"Careful, you don't want to wear it out," he warned. "But if it suits the occasion…"

Laughing, she spread her arms wide, inviting him close for a hug. Awkwardly, he returned the embrace, thinking how luck Troy was that he could hold her whenever he felt like it. Well, maybe not these days, but still…

"G'night, Ryan," she said, pulling away. "Take care!"

"You too," he said, waving as he walked backward away from the door. He noticed that she stood in the doorway watching, and stayed there for at least as long as he was still in view of her house.

XoXoXoX

Leaning against the wall after finally coming inside, Gabriella stared at nothing in particular. "Mom?" she said at last, knowing her mother was near enough--in the living room, actually--to hear her.

"Yes, Gabi?"

"Mom, did I…" Gabriella took the few steps that would bring her to the living room entrance. "Did I fall asleep on…?"

Her mother's eyes crinkled at the corners. "Yes, dear. Yes you did."

Gabriella groaned. "Poor Ryan. That must have been so awkward…!"

"I wouldn't worry about it if I were you, dear. He really is a nice boy. I doubt it bothered him too much."

"If you say so, mom."

Mrs. Montez gazed at her daughter, smiling. It certainly would be interesting to see how this scenario played out…

XoXoXoX

Of course, Ryan knew nothing of that particular little scene. In his mind, the night ended with his farewell to Gabriella. And to his delight, the next day brought even more joy-filled time spent with her.

During their free time, the Wildcats--following Gabriella--came to him, eager to begin learning whatever it was that Ryan intended to teach them. Of course, from the moment Gabriella had first brought up the idea of Ryan coordinating them, he'd been plotting potential choreography and music for them to use. But the ideas were still in the rough stage, and so instead he spent the afternoon getting them all to warm to him by picking a few upbeat tunes and instructing the Wildcats in some basics.

At one point, people paired off, held hands, and danced off down an aisle framed by people dancing on either side. Of course, Ryan was delighted when Gabriella paired off with him. She was positively glowing, which made her even more beautiful. The cheers and whoops of the delighted Wildcats were infectious, the music was peppy, and the entire room had an overall feel of summertime joy.

The Evans twin wasn't happy about the session having to end because the Wildcats' free time was over, but he couldn't help feeling utterly cheerful nonetheless. The dancing had left him on an emotional high that he hoped would last him through the day. He hugged Gabriella in exhilaration, kissing her hand as they pulled away. And she grinned at him the whole time.

Even the little spat with Sharpay afterwards wasn't able to bring him off of Cloud Nine.

XoXoXoX

The next incident in Ryan's memory brought him guilty pleasure.

He'd wanted to show his school spirit off to Gabriella--who else?--so he'd made for the pool where he knew she'd be, seeing as she was a lifeguard. Her reaction pleased him, and he was even more delighted when she asked him to show her a dance move. He'd grabbed her hands giddily, twirling her around and pulling her close to his side as they both laughed.

If only Troy hadn't interrupted.

Still, Ryan was proud of himself for having the guts to throw his arm around Gabriella's shoulders as he spouted off to Troy about her mother's brownies. Although he hadn't been able to endure Troy's icy glare for very long, and he fled moments after that. And yet, the jealous expression on the basketball star's face was incredibly rewarding. Ryan had never seen Troy look like that when Gabriella was around any other guy.

Nonetheless, he did wonder wistfully what might have happened if Troy hadn't shown up…

XoXoXoX

And last but not least, there was the finale to the whole Sharpay fiasco, which still tore Ryan in two. He felt he'd made the right decision, helping to bring Troy and Gabriella back together. But that didn't make him any less miserable about it.

'At least I don't have any guilt over it,' he now thought to himself glumly.

He still remembered the joy written all over Gabriella's face when he showed up at her house to tell her that Troy had come back to himself. "And now we have to get you ready for tonight," he'd said. "You've got an outfit to pick out--white and blue is the theme--and a song to learn!" She'd eagerly run off to tell her mother, after which she'd bolted upstairs to her bedroom to grab something to wear.

Mrs. Montez came to the door, smiling as usual. "There aren't many guys who could be this noble," she said softly. "I do believe that someday, no matter what happens in the end, Gabriella will discover how much of a sacrifice this is for you, and it will show her even more what a valuable friend you are." He'd attempted to smile and failed miserably. Gabriella's mother, surprisingly, pulled him to her for a bit of comforting before her daughter returned. "A hero's strength is measured by his heart," she murmured. "I think you're quite a hero, Ryan. Don't forget that." Then she'd stepped away, hearing the sounds of Gabriella's feet coming down the stairs.

Somehow, the words gave Ryan strength, even if he didn't exactly feel any happier. "Ready to go?" he said to his dark-haired friend.

"You bet!" she said, fully of euphoric energy.

He pulled open the passenger door of the car for her and shut it once she'd slid into the seat, then walked around and got in himself. He popped a disc into the stereo and turned up the volume. "Listen closely," he instructed her as he pulled out of the driveway. "Kelsi and I put this together so you could start getting a feel for the song, on the way back to Lava Springs." Grinning broadly, she nodded and settled back into her seat.

Ryan couldn't help thinking how much he wished he could be the one to sing it with her.

XoXoXoX

And so, the lovely couple had come together and made up.

It was somewhat cheering when Gabriella grabbed Ryan and pulled him onto the stage with them as Troy did the same for Sharpay. At least he was given the chance to hold her hand for a considerable amount of time. And then she'd put her hands on his shoulders to push him over to Sharpay, when his sister stole the microphone to announce that Ryan was the winner of the trophy.

If only Troy and Gabriella hadn't kissed later that night, with everyone still around to see them.

XoXoXoX

Ryan stared out his bedroom window, wondering numbly why it had happened that the first time he could truly say he'd fallen for someone, it had to be for a girl that was already taken.

XoXoXoX

Finally, time to start with story that isn't flashbacks taking place during HSM2! Let's hope I can at least do consistently decent, moving forward.

Also, lawl, I'm sure all you Lucas fans out there noticed the reference to one of his songs in that little bit where Gabi's mother is consoling Ryan about getting Gabi and Troy back together. I just couldn't resist. (I'm such a dork. And I'm probably going to make another reference later on. 8D Trust me, it'll be so obvious that it will be screaming in your face.)