A/N: Kinda forgot about the note last time…I'm glad everyone likes this story! And thanks A ZILLION for all the reviews… that's the only reason I'm updating, really… positive feedback does wonders!

Oh, and Disney-Kid… good to hear what you think… you'll just have to wait and see if you're right, now won't you? (yes, I'm cruel…)

I don't own anything… dang.

+ Ryan's POV +

Oh, Troy… I won't be able to take this if he's just messing with my head. He keeps glancing at me from the hallway… I just stare at the floor, trying not to eavesdrop. It's kind of hard, though… his voice is strained, and I can only assume that it's Gabriella. Troy's definitely annoyed that she called… and I'm just a bit more than annoyed. What would have happened if Gabriella hadn't called right when she did? Would Troy have kissed me? What was going on there? Troy can't possibly be gay… can he? My heart and mind are racing so fast. The facts; I am in love with Troy, who just tried to kiss me but isn't gay as far as I know. How confused can I possibly get? He's not talking in the hallway anymore… so what is he doing? Is he ever going to face me again? And what am I going to say to him when I see him again? It's kinda inevitable at this point… after all, I'm sitting in his living room. Before I can even begin to think of what to say, Troy comes around the corner, grinning and tucking away his phone apologetically.

"Sorry… Gabby."

"I know."

He sits down next to me again, his knees leaning towards mine. His hand rests on his knee.

"Ryan? Are you okay?" He reaches for my knee, and I catch my breath. He can't be messing with my head, he just can't be… all of a sudden, my leg starts throbbing again. I grab for it, a gasp escaping my throat. Troy's face is immediately full of concern. "Ryan, what do you want me to do? Ryan?" His voice is tense again, and as much as I'm in pain right now, I can't help but think how sweet that is.

"Sorry! I'm fine… really…" oh god, please make it stop… thankfully, the throbbing eases away and I sit up straight, smiling at Troy. "See? Really, don't worry about me." Troy's eyes are filled with doubt, and I wish I could wipe it all away. He doesn't need to add me to his list of things to worry about.

"Are you sure? Because you don't seem-"

"What just happened, Troy?" The question escapes quickly, like a flood. He stares, obviously not getting what I just asked for a second. Then his face turns bright crimson, and he looks away from my gaze. "Please don't give me an excuse, Troy… just tell me what you feel… please?" He looks up at me, thinking.

"I've always been a guy that gets caught up in the moment… in basketball, that's a good thing, because I can do what feels right without really thinking, and everything else disappears… I guess that's what happened… that's the best I can think of, anyway."

"Because you're not gay, are you Troy?" I say it more as a statement, and I do it that way on purpose… but no matter how I say it, the question still lingers in the air, hanging between us.

"Before I answer that, tell me this, Ryan… who is it that you love?" How can he be grinning at a time like this? Even I can tell that it's not a very sincere smile… it's nervous, anxious. I can't lie to Troy anymore. I know this is ridiculous… we've only spent less than 24 hours together… but I really want to tell him.

+ Troy's POV +

I can't answer Ryan's question… because honestly, I don't know. Everything is telling me yes, but this isn't something I should shout out all over the school before I'm positive about it. I can tell by the look in Ryan's eyes that he's about to tell me who he loves. But all of a sudden, something occurs to me.

Didn't I used to sing when I was in sixth grade? And didn't Ryan sit right next to me? Could that look in his eyes be for me? This didn't really cross my mind before… but what will I do if Ryan says it's me? Will I accidentally spill that I feel the same? I can't risk it…

"Never mind, Ryan. Please don't tell me." He looked quizzically at me. "It's getting kind of late." My heart aches as I point this out… how did it possibly get to be 5:00? My dad would be home in half an hour, and by then I had to be showered down and already practicing in the back yard. "Do you want me to walk you home?" Ryan shakes his head, his eyes hurt. Wait, hurt? He couldn't have wanted to tell me who he loved… I mean, I've been pressuring him about it for a while. I can't do this right now, anyway… I need to get my head around the situation before I do anything at all… because I can't take it back if I find out that I really do love Ryan. You can't take something like that back ever. Ryan stands slowly, and then turns to look at me again.

"Thanks for the water… and everything." I could so easily invite him to stay longer… but I just can't. What would my dad do if he came home and found me with Ryan?

"I'll see you tomorrow, Ryan. You want to walk to school together?" Wow, I sound desperate. Should I walk you home? Should we walk to school together? Should we move in together? I'm really pathetic…

"Sure." He smiles a little bit at me. I stand up and follow him to the door. He steps out onto my porch, taking the stairs two at a time and waving over his shoulder to me. I feel my heart sink in my chest as he walks away. Now, I can finally think about what I've done today… I need to sort out these emotions running around inside me and try to make some sense of them.

Let's see, what did I do in the last 24 hours? Oh yeah… stopped Ryan from killing himself, slept in the park with him, held hands with him, skipped school with him, had him over, tried to kiss him…

There is no getting around it now. Then last 24 hours of my life have been completely dedicated to Ryan, and I've loved every second. I want to tell someone… but who would get it? Who would really understand? I have no one… except for Ryan. What would he say if I told him? And would I be able to take it if I'm not the guy he loves?

I'm exhausted from shooting all those baskets… and now, as I lay in bed, here is what's really hitting me; if I'm the guy Ryan loves, he has hurt himself for me, he has loved me 5 years in silence, and possibly even tried to kill himself because I was such a jerk to him. I want to make it all up to him… if I'm the guy, I'd do anything to make it up to him.

+ Ryan's POV +

I'm actually up before the sun today. I want to look… normal for Troy, I guess. No one is going to accept me anyway, not in one day… so just one day in a regular tee shirt won't change my life, and it might make it a bit more bearable for Troy if he wants to hang out with me during school. Assuming, of course, that yesterday wasn't a one-time thing. If it was… I don't know how I'll be able to take it.

When I get to Troy's, the driveway is empty; his dad must have already left for school. I ring the doorbell, and he opens it after a few seconds, his breath minty and a huge smile on his face.

"You ready?" I nod, smiling back. Troy reaches inside and grabs his backpack and a few books. "You look good!" I blush at the praise, and turn to thank Troy. He's already headed down the stairs, though, and he collides into me. Waving my arms frantically, I try to stop myself from falling, but land flat on my back in the grass. Troy falls on top of me, moaning in pain. I can't breathe; his lips are so close to mine again. As important as the situation seems to me, I can't help but think… if he kissed me now, it would be so cliché…

"Troy?" He just stares for a second… his eyes are so intense. Then, slowly he gets up. I feel disappointed. He offers me a hand to help me up, and I take it. He pulls me up, and I wobble to my feet, smiling at him. But Troy doesn't let go of my hand. He keeps staring at me for a moment, and then pulls me toward him quickly. I don't have time to react at all in the time it takes for our lips to meet each other's. I'm almost afraid to kiss him back in case it was a mistake, but when Troy parts my lips with his and slips his tongue into my mouth, there's no mistaking it for anything else. I eagerly kiss him back, my mind and heart exploding with happiness, joy… everything. His hands roam my back, mine tangled in his gorgeous hair. This is the happiness I've been missing out on since sixth grade… Troy Bolton held the key to my life in his hands, and with this one kiss he's unlocked thousands of doors. All of a sudden, Troy steps back, his eyes wide.

"Ryan… please tell me I'm the guy you love." His voice is deep, pleading, desperate. I smile.

"Of course you are, Troy. You are." He laughs a little, and then laughs even louder. I laugh back at him… I don't feel like myself... I don't feel like part of this earth. Troy comes towards me again, and this time I pull away before he can kiss me again… as much as I'd like to spend the rest of the day exploring him right here, people will seriously suspicious if we both turn up late again at the same time. Troy may feel the same way about me… he may want to try a relationship. But I would never force him to tell anyone unless he wanted to. I kiss him softly on the lips, and then calmly, as if nothing had happened, we walk off down the street together.

Well, I know all of you wanted them to kiss! And believe me, I did too! So there ya go… just keep in mind that you're reading the work of a kissing-virgin here, so sorry if it's not realistic… I try! Hope y'all enjoyed! And I don't really think before I post... I just type and immediately post, no brooding on it or anything, so anything may be a result of that... so if that bothers anyone, sorry! It's just how I operate! Thanks again!