CHAPTER 4
Ryan was sitting on one of the lounges near the pool at Lava Springs. It was the early evening, the sun was setting and the air was cooling. Ryan's hat, which normally sat atop his head, was sitting on a table next to the lounge. He was wearing a swimsuit and white t-shirt. His eyes were closed and his hands resting behind his head. He hadn't even been particularly busy that day, but it was still nice to just sit outside and relax. Seeing how the sun was setting, he didn't run the risk of getting a sunburn either. And taking into account the porcelain nature of his skin, this was for the best.
He had dozed off for a moment, but was brought out of it when he heard the rustling of some clothing next to him. He opened one eye and smiled when he saw the telltale hair of the one and only Chad Danforth sitting in the lounge next to him. The two of them had become fast friends after the staff baseball game a few weeks back. He had even started to give Chad dance lessons in private. It was funny, actually; for all the show he put on about not liking or being able to dance, he was actually very good. Whoever the girl was he decided to take to senior prom was going to have the time of her life.
"Did you just get off work?" Ryan asked, opening both his eyes and stretching his arms and legs.
"Yeah," the curly-haired boy replied. "And then I saw you sitting out by the pool and I thought to myself, 'hey, maybe I can sneak up and toss him in.' It would have been funny."
"It would have been," Ryan agreed. "That is, until I got out and told Sharpay what you had done. Then who would have had the last laugh?"
"Oh, pulling out the Sharpay card," Chad said, laughing slightly. "A wise choice. I guess it's for the best that I decided I was too tired to throw you in."
"Too tired?" Ryan asked. "Was Fulton being a hard ass again?"
"When is the guy not?" Chad retorted. "I swear, if he hadn't taken this job he would have had a good run in the military."
Ryan laughed. Fulton could be a little intense and he could sometimes forget that most of the employees were just high school students looking to make a quick buck, but he was good at what he did. No one could argue that. And if he was honest with himself, Sharpay didn't exactly help Fulton's image with her tyrannical play to win Troy's affections earlier this summer.
"What are your plans for the evening?" Ryan asked. "You're not planning on sticking around her, are you?"
"Nah," Chad said, leaning back to relax a little more on the lounge. "I'm going to dinner with Taylor later, but I have some free time. What about you?"
"I don't know," Ryan said. "I'll probably just go home and hang out. There are a few things I need to get done there."
"Get done?" Chad asked, laughing a bit. "What could you possibly have to do? It's summer. Aren't you supposed to be carefree and all that stuff?"
"Do I need to remind you with whom I live? Sharpay isn't exactly the carefree type," Ryan said. "Besides, I enjoy hanging around with my parents, and my house isn't exactly the most boring place to be."
Chad just nodded. Ryan did have a point. But still, it just didn't seem right for an almost senior in high school to be spending a Friday evening at home with his parents, regardless of how much there was to do there. He would have whisked the blond away from his home, but he had his date with Taylor, and as much as he like Ryan, he liked Taylor more.
The two continued to sit in a companionable silence for several minutes, the only sounds being those of the rustling foliage, and soon, another pair of footsteps. Ryan, who had since closed his eyes again, opened one just in time to see Troy walk up to he and Chad. He felt his pulse begin to quicken, an annoying side effect of having an unrequited crush on the guy for the last who knows how many years. Troy had not yet noticed Ryan looking at him, so Ryan closed them and waited for Chad to make a move. He didn't know why he always acted so awkward around his crush, and maybe that was the reason the two had never really become friends.
Sure, they never ran in the same circles, but look at him and Chad. They hadn't been friends either and all it took was a baseball game to bring the two together. If he couldn't be in a romantic relationship with Troy, the least he could do was befriend him, and for that, he'd have to shove his emotions to the back burner, at least until it didn't seem so hard to do so. And then maybe, just maybe, his relationship with Austin could go back to something that resembled a normal relationship.
He resolved to put his emotions for the time being and work to build a friendship with Troy. But still, he'd let Chad start off for the evening. But he'd give the old Evans try and bring on the charm. He was good at that.
"Hey Troy," Ryan heard Chad say, apparently it was now safe to open his eyes.
"Hey guys," Troy said. "What are you two up to?"
"Not much," Chad responded. "I was about to leave, but I saw Evans here relaxing by the pool and I couldn't pass up the opportunity to bug him."
"I could just have you removed from the property, you know that, Danforth?" Ryan said, a smile in his voice.
"But then you'd be denying yourself the pleasure of my company," Chad said. "And why would you want to do that?
"Because I'm a glutton for punishment?" Ryan said, laughing as Chad leaned over to his lounge to punch him playfully in the arm. Then Ryan turned his gaze to the brunet standing in front of them. "How was your day, Troy? I can't imagine that it would be nearly as grueling or stressful as our dear Mr. Danforth's. Or did Sharpay have another private golf lesson?"
Troy laughed. "Nothing that terrifying," he said. "But I swear, those kids are aiming their golf balls at me and not at the shooting range."
A retort to that comment sprang to Ryan's lips, but he felt it best if he not say something regarding Troy's beautiful body and not being able to keep their eyes off of it. It probably wouldn't do much in the way of not making things awkward between the three of them. Instead, he just laughed.
"Better the kids' golf balls than Sharpay's claws, right?" Chad asked, laughing and leaning over to high five his best friend.
"Oh come on, you guys," Ryan protested. "She's really not that bad. She was just … smitten with you," he finished, giving Troy a knowing glance. "She's not used to having to work for what she wants, and she's even more unused to not getting what she wants."
Troy blushed. It was awkward when people talked about him like that; like he was a prize for which to be fought. It was one thing to know that he was popular, it was another to know that people pined after him; that he was lusted after. In all actuality, the star basketball player didn't quite know how to react to all of it, which was clearly evident through his interactions with Sharpay before the talent competition.
"You're her brother," Chad said, cutting off whatever it was that Troy could have said. "You have to say stuff like that."
"No," Ryan said again. "I know when my sister lets her ambition get the best of her, and I know when she pisses people off. But that doesn't change the fact that she's good at what she does, she's very protective of who she cares for and she's determined to get what she wants."
The three boys just sat there for several moments, none of them really wanting to speak more about Sharpay. Chad just sat back in his lounge and looked contemplative for several moments. He looked like he was about to shut his eyes like he had before Troy had arrived, but then jerked forward and took a look at his watch. "Oh my gosh," he said quickly. "I have to get going."
"He's got a date with Taylor," Ryan said when he noticed Troy's confused look. "He probably has to go home and make himself look presentable." Troy just nodded in understanding.
"I have to be at her place in 45 minutes and I still haven't showered," Chad said, getting up from the lounge and standing in front of his two friends.
"Then what are you still doing here?" Ryan asked. "Hurry up and go, or you're going to stink and Taylor is never going to go on another date, and then I'll have to spend more time with you."
Chad just laughed and waved as he began quickly jogging toward the parking lot, promising to call both Troy and Ryan later. Ryan laughed at their curly-haired friend and relaxed back in his seat. The two boys sat in relative silence for a few more moments, not knowing what to say to the other.
Troy was about to get up and beg off for the evening when he heard Ryan's soft voice. "You're a good guy, you know that?" he asked. Troy just turned to give the blond a questioning look. Ryan noticed and continued his explanation. "Most people would have just shunned Sharpay or tried to publicly humiliate her for what she did earlier this summer. But not you."
"Well, I—uh," Troy stuttered out. He really didn't know what to say in response. He raised his hand and dragged it through his hair in a sign of frustration.
Ryan, recognizing the brunet's state, just smiled and shook his head. "You don't need to say anything. I just wanted to let you know that if my sister had to make a fool out of herself in front of someone, I'm glad it was someone who is as good a person as you."
"Uh, thanks," Troy said as his cheeks heated. Ryan just continued smiling, but leaned back against his lounge, looking out at the beautiful landscape before him. Seeing the juxtaposition of the green, manicured grass of the golf course against the dry, dusty desert never ceased to amaze him. He could look at it forever.
The two of them sat for a while longer, neither one talking to the other, Ryan focusing on the scenery, while Troy's thoughts centered on the blond sitting next to him.
That had probably been the most in-depth conversation he had ever had with Ryan, and not including the awkward way he responded to Ryan's compliment, it had been surprisingly easy to engage in fun banter with him. Troy's thoughts then drifted back to the last weekend when he met Gabriella and Ryan at the coffee shop. He had never expected to have his first conversation with the blond to involve his coming out, but all things considered, it went well. Troy figured he would have been a bit more jarred by the declaration, but he found that it didn't really change his opinion of Ryan whatsoever. That might have also had to do with the fact that he didn't know Ryan that well at all anyway.
He turned his head to glance at the blond who was still looking off into the distance. He had never taken the time to actually see Ryan. They had gone to school for as long as he could remember. Sure, he saw Ryan almost daily and now he even worked for his parents, but he had never actually taken the time to really look at the quieter half of East High's dramatic duo.
Ryan was a nice guy, and unlike his sister, it seemed he was able to win over people with his unassuming demeanor and his ability to make others feel comfortable around him. Troy noticed that while Sharpay usually had a calculating demeanor, Ryan looked relaxed and content with himself. He chuckled as he thought about how he could have probably used someone like Ryan as a friend last year when all of the drama of auditions and basketball was in full swing.
That chuckle brought Ryan out of his reverie and he turned to look at the boy sitting next to him. Troy offered a smile, which Ryan readily returned.
"Well," Ryan started, shifting himself and moving to get up. "I need to get going, and I'm sure you have plans for tonight."
"Oh yeah," Troy said, caught a little off guard. He was actually enjoying just sitting there with Ryan. He hadn't expected it to come to such a quick end. "I guess I should be going, too."
The two stood up and looked at each other for a moment before Ryan offered another smile. "It was nice hanging out with you. We should do it again."
Troy smiled back. "Yeah, we should."
With that, Ryan gave the basketball a quick wave before turning and heading into the clubhouse. Troy stood out by the pool for another minute, thinking about how he really would enjoy hanging out with the blond singer more often. He smiled to himself and began walking toward his car.
HSM•••HSM
After leaving the club, Troy called Gabriella. The two chit-chatted while Troy drove home, eventually deciding to see a movie later that evening. Troy went home and showered and changed, sitting down with his parents just long enough to shove a few pieces of pizza in his mouth before begging off to go pick up his girlfriend.
As he drove to the brunette's house, he thought about the possible movies they could see. He really didn't mind what they saw, but he was hoping Gabriella would defy history and pick something other than a chick-flick. Even if she did stick with her normal pattern, however, Troy had decided to put up a brave front and not complain, not even if the plot got entirely too sappy and saccharine. He would just focus on the tub of popcorn. He just needed this date to work out.
Eventually, he pulled in front of Gabriella's house. She was already sitting out on the porch waiting for him, so he didn't even have to stop the car and get out. He watched as she got up and walked to his truck. He leaned over and pushed the door handle to open the door, since it couldn't be opened from the outside.
Gabriella chuckled as she climbed into the truck and plopped down on the worn leather bench. "I swear, Troy," she started. "One of these days the axel is going to fall off this thing and you'll walk into the parking lot at work to find four wheels laying on the ground next to this cabin."
"Yeah, well, until that happens I'll just keep on hoping that the super glue my dad I used holds out," he replied with a cheeky grin. He knew Gabriella was never too thrilled to be riding in his truck, but it was better than having their parents drive them around.
Gabriella just rolled her eyes and strapped herself in, preparing for the ride to the theater.
They arrived at the local multiplex in no time, and before Troy had any time to register what was going on, he had already bought two tickets to the latest Kate Hudson romantic comedy, made his way through the snack line and found he and Gabriella seats in the theater.
It was one of those new places, with the stadium seating and the armrests that could be lifted to create a type of loveseat. Needless to say, Gabriella had immediately lifted the median that separated them and cuddled into Troy's side. The basketball star just sat there with the tub of popcorn and waited for the previews to start. He knew he should probably have been talking to his girlfriend, but he honestly couldn't think of anything to say. It didn't look like Gabriella was upset, however, so Troy just let it go.
When the lights dimmed, he felt Gabriella snuggle in closer to his side, so he thought it would be the perfect opportunity for him to return the favor. He raised one arm and in what he thought was a very suave, subtle move, placed it around her shoulders. She just looked up at him and rolled her eyes. "You are so corny sometimes, you know that?" she asked.
Troy blushed, but the dark theater made possible the fact that he could save face in front of the other couples who were also populating the room.
The previews began rolling and, of course, it seemed that the only other movies being advertised were also romantic comedies. After several of them finished, one came on that caught Gabriella's interest and she leaned over to whisper how the two of them would definitely have to see it when it came out. Troy mentally groaned. He could have really gone for a good shoot-em-up movie right about then, but he didn't let Gabriella know that's what he was thinking.
As the beginning credits began, Troy removed his arm from around his girlfriend's shoulders so that he could grab the soda he had set on the ground in between his feet seeing as how his other arm was already full with the popcorn. 'Stupid armrests not having cup holders,' he thought to himself as he took a drink and then set the large container back on the ground. He looked over and saw that Gabriella was already entranced by the movie and didn't attempt to put his arm back around her.
The movie continued on and about half way through Troy felt as though he would only be doing himself a favor if he took the straw out of his cup and jabbed it in his eyes. The movie was ridiculous. He couldn't imagine why two people who obviously had absolutely nothing in common would try so damn hard to make a relationship work. It was beyond his comprehension.
He looked back over at Gabriella and saw that she had tears in her eyes. Apparently it was a very poignant scene. It made him want to vomit. He leaned down to Gabriella, "I'm going to bathroom," he whispered. "I'll be right back."
When she didn't respond and instead continued to look at the screen, Troy shrugged and got up from his seat quietly. He made his way through the row and past several disgruntled couples. He couldn't bring himself to care. He finally got to the aisle and walked down toward the exit and then down the hallway leading toward the bathroom. The only other person in the hallway was some poor sap who got hired to sweep up the popcorn dumped by clumsy or careless moviegoers. He stared at Troy, just waiting, daring him to sneak into another theater. The kid was letting what little power he did have go to his head. Troy just rolled his eyes.
He made his way into the bathroom and over to the first available stall. There were always three stalls next to one another in the bathroom, something Troy found incredibly awkward. Everyone knew that you never used the middle urinal. You just didn't. It was bathroom etiquette. But still, in every bathroom he'd ever been in, there were three urinals. And even though there was no one else in the restroom, Troy dutifully followed protocol and went to one of the side urinals, just in case someone else walked in.
No one else did come into the restroom while he was there. Apparently everyone else was enjoying the sappy love-fest of a movie that was playing. That, or their girlfriends actually picked a movie that both of them would want to see and were thereby holding their rebelling bladders in submission.
After washing and drying his hands, he made his way back out into the hallway. The popcorn sweeper was nowhere to be seen. 'Must have had a soda emergency back at base,' Troy thought to himself. He walked back into the theater and past the disgruntled couples yet again and reclaimed his seat next to his girlfriend.
He tried not to be too elated when the end credits finally rolled and the lights were raised. He didn't get out of his seat too quickly and he let Gabriella walk out of the theater at a leisurely pace. He even made the appropriate noises when she talked about the movie to make it seem as though he had actually paid attention to it and didn't spend the whole time counting the kernels of popcorn on the ground that the popcorn sweeper guy had obviously missed after the previous showing of the movie.
He counted 153. But he had lost count a few times so he wasn't really sure how accurate his final tally would be.
Troy got to his truck and hopped in, leaning over and pushing the door open so Gabriella could get in, too. He slammed his door shut and then revved the engine. It didn't start on the first try, but it eventually caught and they found themselves on the road.
Gabriella continued yammering on about the movie and Troy, bless his soul, tried to feign interest, but it was getting really difficult. He almost cheered when he pulled into Gabriella's driveway, but thought better of it at the last moment. He put the truck into park and sat, staring forward for a moment. Gabriella did the same. He looked over at her and gave an awkward half-smile, which she returned.
"Well, I should get inside," Gabriella said. "My mom is probably standing at the front window watching us right now."
"Yeah," Troy said, trailing off after that. The two leaned in, Troy extending his hands while Gabriella puckered up. When they saw what the other was doing, they switched so that Troy was puckered up and Gabriella was extending her arms. Gabriella then pulled back and chuckled softly to herself before leaning forward and giving Troy a quick peck on the cheek.
"I'll see you later, Troy," she said before shoving the door open and hopping out of the truck.
Troy watched as she walked up to the front door of her house. Just like she had predicted, her mother was at the door waiting for her. She let Gabriella into the house and then looked out to Troy, who gave her a small smile and a wave. Once the door to the house shut, Troy let out a breath he didn't even know he was holding.
That date was a flop. It was such a miserable failure that Troy didn't even think it could be called a date. It should really have gone down in the annals of history as one of the worst non-dates ever. Troy sighed. This whole relationship thing was really starting to annoy him.
HSM•••HSM
"Don't you think this should be a bit more upbeat?" Ryan asked his friend, his sawed-off Sondheim. The two had been sitting in one of the practice rooms at the country club for quite some time now, just working away on a new song. No, there wasn't any impending talent show and, no, Kelsi wasn't planning a new musical for the school year, she just liked writing music. She especially liked writing it with Ryan. He just brought a different perspective to the work that made it even better in the end.
"I don't know," she replied, looking at the notes and chords they had written across the music sheet. "I know you and Sharpay like things to be more bouncy, but I don't know if that's right for this song."
"This has absolutely nothing to do with Sharpay," Ryan retorted, knowing that Sharpay usually had Kelsi's songs transposed into something resembling bubble-gum pop, but that wasn't his style. "I just don't think that love songs always have to be so slow, people in love don't always think ballad, they could just as easily want something bouncy and fun."
Kelsi's forehead wrinkled in concentration before she let out a soft sigh. "Why don't we just keep it at this tempo for now?" she suggested. "Then we can come and revisit it when we have a better feel for the whole thing."
Ryan just raised his eyebrows and shrugged his shoulders. "Sure, whatever you say," he said. "But I'll bet you money we'll be back revising the tempo later, and then you'll be asking yourself, 'Gee, Kelsi, why didn't I listen to Ryan earlier?'"
"Well," Kelsi started, turning away from the piano to give Ryan an amused smile, "seeing as how I don't talk about or to myself in the third person I don't think I'll be running into that problem. But we'll see about the tempo."
"And the bet?" Ryan queried.
"Like you need anymore money," Kelsi rebutted. "Why don't you just give me 10 and we'll call it good?"
Ryan laughed as he turned back toward the piano, planning on getting back to work. When he noticed that Kelsi wasn't turning back, he glanced over his shoulder and saw that she was staring over by the main lobby. He took his eyes off her and craned his neck so that he could see what she was looking at. What he saw made his eyes widen. "Shit," he muttered under his breath. Austin was at the front desk, more than likely enquiring as to where Ryan was.
Kelsi, who heard Ryan's quiet outburst turned to give her friend a curious look. That movement caught Austin's eye who then turned his gaze on the two friends in the practice room. His mouth spread into a smile as he began walking toward his boyfriend.
"Ryan!" Austin exclaimed. "I've been trying to get the people at the check-in desk to find you for the last five minutes. I don't think that girl really knows what's going on around here. She couldn't tell me anything. I don't even know if she knew who you are."
"Austin," Ryan said as he got up from the piano bench, leaving Kelsi to stare at the two boys, not really knowing what was going on. "Why didn't you tell me you would be stopping by? I would have waited for you out front."
"Can't a guy come and surprise his boyfriend every now and again?" Austin asked, giving Ryan a quick peck on the lips.
Kelsi's eyebrows shot up into her hairline at that small gesture. She had known Ryan was gay for a long time. She probably knew before Ryan did, but he had never told her about having a boyfriend, and even though he still hadn't technically told her, it wasn't everyday that another teenage guy came in and kissed Ryan on the lips. It was safe to say she was very interested.
"Uh, Kelsi," Ryan said, turning away from Austin. "This is Austin, my boyfriend. Austin, this is Kelsi, one of my oldest friends."
"It's nice to meet you," Austin said, moving over to shake Kelsi's hand. The curly-haired girl reached out and grasped his hand. It wasn't much of a shake, but Kelsi let it slide. "Ryan's been holding out on introducing me to all of his friends, so I figured I'd force his hand by showing up unexpectedly."
Kelsi just nodded, not really expecting Ryan's boyfriend, whom she had just met moments ago to go into such detail about why he had just dropped in. She looked over to Ryan to see that a frown had settled itself on his usually impassive face.
"Well," Ryan said, taking Austin's attention away from Kelsi, "we were just working on a song, and everyone else is working, so now really isn't the best time to meet people."
"It's no problem," Austin said, moving over toward one of the armchairs in the practice room. "I'll just sit around and listen to you guys practice. It'll be fun."
"We're not really practicing," Kelsi piped in. "We're composing a new piece."
"Yeah," Ryan said, jumping onto the one thing that could probably convince his boyfriend to leave. "You won't really be able to hear much except for the few different chords we play while we pick out how the song will progress. And I don't think you'd really be entertained by our arguing over what the tempo of the song should be."
Ryan knew he was grasping at straws here, but the club was the one place where he truly felt like the master of his surroundings, and Austin showing up like this threw him off his game. He needed to get him out of there, and fast.
"Well," Austin started, looking as though he wasn't thrilled with the prospect of being bored, but still wanting to stay, "how long do you think you'll be working on this new song?"
"Not really sure," Ryan said, looking to Kelsi for some moral support. She just stared at Ryan until he gave her a look that said she had better agree with him.
"Oh yeah," she said quickly. "It could be a really long time." She put just the right emphasis on really to make Ryan smile inwardly.
"Oh," Austin said, clearly disappointed. "Well, I don't want to keep you from your music." He began getting up for the chair he had just sat down in, and Ryan felt relief wash over him.
"Here," he said, reaching out for his boyfriend's arm. "I'll walk you out to the door."
The two walked out of the practice room and into the lobby. They stopped at the main doors and Ryan leaned in to give his boyfriend a quick kiss on the cheek. Austin smiled at him. "Since we can't hang out right now, why don't you plan on coming to my house for dinner sometime this week?" he suggested. "My parents have been dying to meet you, and seeing as how you have spent the night at our house, you should probably meet them anyway."
Ryan blushed at the mention of the time he spent the night with Austin, but nodded his head. "That sounds like a good idea," he said, then cast a quick glance back at Kelsi, who was still watching them. "I better get back to practicing."
"Okay," Austin said. "I'll see you later, babe."
Ryan watched as Austin walked back out to his car. As soon as the door shut, he hurried back to the practice room and plopped down on the bench next to his friend.
"So," Kelsi started, "when were you planning on telling me about your having a boyfriend? And how long have you been dating him? I told you the day I started dating Jason and I feel like you've been seeing this Austin guy for way longer than a day."
"I—uh," Ryan started. He really didn't want to talk about Austin right now. "I'm sorry?"
"Sure you are," Kelsi replied. "Now, spill."
Resigned to his fate, Ryan began telling Kelsi about his relationship. "I've been seeing him for a while," he started. "We met each other through our dance studio. We had a lot in common and it just seemed to make sense that we start dating."
"It made sense?" Kelsi asked. "Talk about a match made in heaven. Forgive me if I don't take you advice when it comes to love songs anymore."
"Oh give me a break," Ryan said, turning away from Kelsi and toward the piano.
"No seriously," Kelsi continued. "If the only reason you're in a relationship with him is because it makes sense, then that's just sad. You should be in a relationship with someone because you can't think of anything else better than what you share with that other person, not because you have a lot in common, or because you can't think of anything else to do."
Ryan sighed. She had just said everything that had been running through his head regarding Austin. He hated it when someone did that. Especially when it made him feel even more like a heel than he already did. "Can we just get back to the song?" he asked.
"Whatever you say," Kelsi replied. "But don't you think it's kind of weird that you two are so much alike? It kind of freaks me out."
Ryan just took a piece of sheet music and slapped her upside the head with it. Then the two got right back to work.
HSM•••HSM
Ryan sat out by the pool later that evening. The sun had already set and the minimal outside lighting combined with the underwater lighting of the pool created the perfect environment for Ryan to reflect upon everything that had been happening regarding his relationship and Austin. He had ordered dinner earlier and was now just waiting for it to arrive.
"You know," a voice off to the side said, "thinking so hard could cause you to lose your appetite."
Ryan turned to find Zeke standing a few feet away with a tray in his hand. It figured. Staffing was usually lower in the evening, so he shouldn't have been surprised that Zeke would be the one delivering dinner. That kid was spending every waking moment in the country club's kitchen. He either really wanted to be a chef or he was really infatuated with Sharpay.
He laughed and motioned for Zeke to come over. "Why don't you come over and sit a spell," Ryan suggested. "They can't possibly be too busy in the kitchen. I'm pretty sure I'm the only one still here."
Zeke returned the laugh and made his way over to the blond. He set down Ryan's dinner tray on the table next to the lounge and took a seat at the foot of Ryan's chair.
"So," Ryan started, "you sure seem to be enjoying your summer job. How's the chef treating you? He's not running you into the ground, is he?"
"Nah," Zeke replied. "He's really cool actually. And he always gives me the stuff that Sharpay orders so that I can deliver it to her."
A smile crossed Ryan's face as he saw Zeke's eyes light up. "You sure do like her, don't you?" he asked.
"You have no idea," Zeke said. "The problem is, I don't think she even knows I exist. She knows about my cooking, but other than that, she seems to be totally stuck on Troy."
"I don't think you have to worry about that anymore," Ryan said. "I think she's put Troy behind her, and I know she has a soft spot for you. Just keep at it and I'm sure things will work in your favor."
"You really think so?" Zeke asked, seemingly encouraged at the prospect of winning over Sharpay.
The two settled into a comfortable silence as Ryan began picking at his dinner. That silence, however, didn't last for long. "So," Zeke said, "I saw that guy who came to visit you today. What was that all about? You looked like you couldn't get him out of the club fast enough."
"Oh, him," Ryan said, blushing at having his ulterior motives having been discerned so easily by someone who hadn't even heard their conversation. "His name is Austin. He's my boyfriend. I just wasn't expecting him and was kind of busy with Kels."
"Are you sure that's it?" Zeke asked. "I didn't hear what you were all saying, but it looked like you just wanted him gone. I'm surprised you said he was your boyfriend after how you treated him."
Damn. Ryan hadn't been expecting that one.
"Shouldn't you be questioning me more about the fact that I have a boyfriend rather than how I treated him?" Ryan asked, somewhat taken aback by how Zeke was taking all of this.
Zeke just laughed. "No offense, Ry," he said, "but you're not exactly the most straight acting person I've ever met. I've had my suspicions for a long time now, but it was never my place to just ask you about it."
"Oh, well," Ryan started, not really knowing where he was going with that. "Thanks?"
"No problem," Zeke said. "Now, let's get back to Sharpay and how I can win her over. Do you think I should bake more stuff or just try winning her over with my stunning personality?"
The two laughed and continued talking for a while, Zeke continually prodding Ryan to eat more of the food on his plate rather than just picking at it. It was weird how things just happened in the life of a high school student. One day you could be walking in the shadow of your sister, no one knowing anything about you, the next, everyone was interested in what you were doing and wanting to talk to you about your life. Ryan smiled as he thought he could get used to this "having friends" business.
A/N: I'm sorry it's taken me so long to update, but the beginning of this semester was a lot more hectic than I thought it would be. I'm really going to try to get things out more frequently in the future.
I know things are slow going right now, in terms of plot development, but I promise things will begin to pick up. I really wanted the chance to bring more of the characters out in this chapter and I hope you all enjoyed it. I've decided I really like Kelsi's character and I'm going to see how much I can put her in here.
I want to give a great big thanks to everyone who reviewed the last chapter. If I haven't gotten back to you yet, I'll be doing so shortly! I hope you all enjoyed this chapter and that you drop me a note. All reviews and constructive criticism are welcome!