The movies alluded to in this chapter happen to be favorites of mine. I had to write about them according to how I think Jason would react to them, not myself. So please, don't flame me for what you read herein.

A little challenge for you! Anyone who can guess which TV show Jason and Zeke talk about gets a batch of virtual brownies baked espessially by Zeke.

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It took til Friday for Ryan's plan to come in to play.

In the meanwhile, Jason went looking for that movie that Sharpay supposedly did a marathon viewing of over the previous weekend.

He could not find 'The Slipper and the Rose' at any area Blockbuster's or Hollywood Video's. He got many strange looks when he asked for it.

Finally, after an internet search, he found some kind soul had uploaded the entire movie on to Youtube. It was a musical version of Cinderella, and made Jason contemplate gouging his eyes out, but it had its moments. Like that ballroom scene. He wondered if that was how he and Sharpay had looked, dancing in costumes so similar to those worn by the characters in the movie. The songs where a bit insipid, and the movie dragged on forever, but he got through it, and felt enormously proud of himself for the feat.

On Wednesday, Ryan handed him a DVD case.

"Watch this."

Jason looked at the cover, then at Ryan.

"Dude, why the hell?"

"Just watch it. Trust me. You're going to need it by Friday."

So, Jason had watched another movie. This one full of people in even more elaborate costumes then the last one, talking in English accents and saying things he couldn't understand for the life of him. The sword fights where pretty cool, but why did so many people have to die?

He had given Sharpay space. It wasn't that hard, as she was still avoiding him.

Ryan said she was as sullen as ever at home, and Jason had to wonder why she was putting herself through all this when she could just talk to him already.

"She's waiting for you to make the first move." was Ryan's answer.

"The first move? I've all but had Zeke bake a large cake with 'I'm sorry' written on it that I could jump out of."

"I don't think you need to do anything that dramatic, although it would be funny as hell to watch. Just wait till Friday, man. I've got it all worked out."

"You want to clue me in?"

"Trust me." Ryan said with a smile.

On Thursday, the events of the previous weekend had blown over for most of the school. The minds of teenagers could not expect to stay on one subject for too long, so all but a select few had forgotten about it. Jason, Sharpay, Ryan...and Zeke. He was still not talking to Jason.

So it was Thursday afternoon that Jason entered the locker room to change for practice. Zeke, Chad, and Troy where sitting on a bench in front of the lockers, pulling up socks and tying shoe laces. Zeke stopped talking when he saw Jason come in, and turned his back.

Man, that hurt.

Troy looked up to see him, then looked over to Chad.

"Ummm...Chad, don't we have that thing we gotta do?"

"Thing?" Chad looked confused.

"Yeah, you know. The thing?" Troy was being very obvious, the way he kept inclining his head in Jason's direction, then looking back at Zeke. Jason let it pass. He knew what Troy was trying to do.

"Oh. Yeah!" said Chad, finally catching on. "The thing. Can't forget about that."

The two quickly left, and Jason and Zeke where alone in the locker room. Zeke fiddled with his shoe laces, trying not too look at Jason.

Jason opened his locker and removed his uniform. He had never before thought that silence could have a sound. This one did. He could hear Zeke move, clear his throat. Every noise was loud and uncomfortable.

"Alright, I can't take it anymore." Jason slammed his locker shut. "Please, just talk to me. Tell me you hate me. Tell me you never want to see me again. Just please, say something."

Zeke didn't turn around to look at him. His best friends eyes locked on the clock over Coach Bolton's office door.

"Fine." He finally said. It was the first word Jason had heard out of his mouth in days. "Why? Why did you do it? Why her?"

Jason sighed. "Do you think it happened on purpose?"

"You know how I feel about her!"

"Yeah, I know, and I'm sorry, man. I didn't even know it was her at first. It just happened. And it...it was good."

"So, why'd you leave?" Zeke finally turned around. He didn't look angry, which was a surprise to Jason, just hurt. Seemed he was getting pretty good at hurting people.

"I thought...I thought it would be better for her."

"You were wrong."

"I know."

"You hurt her!"

"I know."

"I ought to beat this shit out of you for that."

"You can start a posse with Ryan."

"Ryan." Zeke was standing now. He was taller then Jason. Usually this was never given much notice, but at the moment it made Jason feel uncomfortably small. "I've noticed you two seem very chummy lately."

Jason blinked. Zeke sounded...jealous? "Well, he's one of the only people in this school that seems to want to talk to me."

Zeke looked embarrassed by that. "Geez, man. I'm sorry. I was just...seeing you...and Sharpay...it hurt."

"And I can't say I'm sorry enough. You're the best friend I've got. But Sharpay,...I don't know, but I never felt anything before like I did at that dance. I was stupid and ran away from it. I want it back."

"So you're still gonna go after her?"

"I have too. Please try to understand."

"I do. I do understand. Just tell me one thing."

"What's that?"

"Is it real? This thing with you and Sharpay?"

Jason shrugged. "At the dance, yeah, I'd have to say it was real. Now? She won't even look at me, but I have to know. I have to know if we where just caught up in the magic of it all, or if it's really the real thing."

"Fair enough." Zeke smiled, the first real smile Jason had seen from him in a while. "And you're wrong. She does look at you. All the time. When you turn your head, she looks away. I've seen her do it."

"Really?"

Zeke nodded.

"What does she look like when she does it?"

"She's never looked at me like that." He said sadly. "She's never even looked at Troy like that."

"Like what, exactly?"

"Like...she loves you."

"Shit." Jason breathed out. So there it was. What he felt kicking him in the heart all this week whenever he saw her...it was true. And she felt it too.

"Crap, man. Forget practice. Go find her. Get down on your knees if you have too, but don't throw that away."

"I want too, more then anything. But Ryan, he has some sort of plan. I don't know what it is, but he's been working on it all week. He's her brother. Like he says, I have to trust him."

Zeke nodded, seeming to accept that. "Just don't wait too long. You know, if whatever Ryan does doesn't work."

"I won't." Agreed Jason. "So, are we ok?"

"We will be, I guess. Besides," He said with a smile, "It's Thursday. I wasn't really looking forward to watching our show alone. Rock salt and Demon slayings just isn't any fun without you."

Jason grinned. "Your house this week, right?"

"I baked the crust for an apple pie last night."

Jason had to laugh. For the first time that week, he felt good. "Bitch." He said, giving start to their Thursday tradition.

"Jerk." Zeke replied. And suddenly all was forgiven. For the most part anyway.

Hearing their laughter, Troy and Chad came back in.

"Everything alright now?" Troy asked.

"Well, not everything. There's still the little problem of Sharpay."

"So, you're really going to go after her?" Chad asked. Jason nodded. " Well, man. I think you're crazy, but I've learned to mind my own business when it comes to my friends' relationships. If you want her, I say go for it."

"Excuse me, gentlemen." They all turned at the sound of Coach Bolton's voice. He was leaning against the door way that lead to the gym. "If this little male bonding ritual is over, would you please grace us with your presence in the gym?"

"Come on, let's go." Zeke threw his arm around Jason's shoulder.

One down, one to go, Jason thought. He was happy to have his best friend bac, but could he get Sharpay? He never really had her in the first place. One night does not a lasting relationship make. But if he didn't try, Sharpay might not ever forgive him. Zeke wouldn't, either. Most of all, he didn't think he could ever forgive himself.

He felt strangely calm on Friday. He was determined to go with the flow, no matter the plan Ryan had come up with. Gabby actually smiled at him. He supposed Troy had told her about Zeke and him making up. It felt good to know he had all his friends on his side again.

When he walked into Drama class Friday afternoon, he was greeted by the sight of Ryan and Mrs. Darbus having a conversation at her desk. Ryan smiled and nodded at him, then followed him to his back row desk.

"So?" Jason asked, flopping down in his chair.

"It's all set. Mrs. Darbus initiates 'Project Romancing Sharpay' today."

"Darbus?" He raised an eyebrow. "You got Darbus involved in this?"

"Couldn't do it without her. Besides, she's a theater lover, and we're all romantics at heart."

"I better not regret this." Jason said, more to himself then to Ryan.

"Stop worrying." Ryan said. He looked over his shoulder and smiled. Sharpay had come in.

Jason stared in wonder at her. She was wearing a sleeveless blue sun dress that went well with her loose, softly curled blond hair. A pair of silver flats replaced the heels she normally wore. A crystal beaded necklace was her only jewelry. She was beautiful.

He heard Ryan chuckle. "Damn. It worked."

"Huh?" Jason looked up at Ryan. "What worked?"

"She bought that dress a couple of days ago. Thought you might like it. She wanted to make you crazy. By the look on your face, I'd say she succeeded."

"She did? She told you that?"

Ryan laughed. "She tells me everything." He went to his own desk, leaving Jason to think about all that.

"Alright, class." Darbus began, clapping her hands together tog et everyone's attention. "Today we shall take our first step on a glorious adventure into the world of William Shakespeare."

Several groans greeted this announcement. Jason looked at Sharpay. She was fiddling with the edge of her pink, glittery binder. He turned his eyes to Ryan. He was having a very hard time keeping a straight face. Oh lord, what did he do?

"At the end of this journey we will present to our illustrious school the classic play of ultimate love, 'Romeo and Juliet'."

This time the only groan was Jason's. That was the movie Ryan had him watch.

Sharpay looked like she was finally paying attention, smiling even. Her smile was dazzling.

"Tryouts will be a little different this year." Mrs. Darbus began handing out stacks of paper which turned out to be the play itself. "Written on the top of each of your copies is the name of the partner with whom you will do your individual project.. Highlighted within your script is the scene which the two of you will perform. Whichever couple gives the best performance, as well as the highest grade, will win the lead roles. You have two weeks to practice and learn your parts. I will be grading on performance and originality. Now, I ask that you please find your partners, and begin to prepare."

With a sense of dread, Jason looked down at the pages now in front of him. He already knew what name he would see before he even looked at it. There it was. 'Sharpay Evans'.

He shot a look over to Ryan meant to convey the message 'I am so going to kill you'.

Ryan seemed unfazed. The blond boy leaned back in his chair, laced his hands behind his head, and grinned.

"Ahem." Someone...a female someone...cleared their throat in front of him. Looking up, he saw Sharpay stood at his desk, holding up her own copy of the play, his name scrawled across the top. She looked white as a sheet.

"Was this your idea?"