Sharpay sighed as she saw Ryan with Troy; all her life all she could remember was her mum telling her how much of a bad father their dad was and in her mind Sharpay had already made the assumption that Ryan was a bad person too because he chose to live with their dad, but she knew now that Ryan didn't know what he was doing, he didn't know that asking to go with dad meant never seeing his mum or sister again. Sharpay just thought that because Ryan was dyslexic it was his punishment for being bad, now she just felt incredibly horrible.

"So you should come out tonight," Troy smiled to her brother. "I could pick you up."

"I have to ask mum." Ryan replied.

"Don't worry Ry, I'm going so you can come too." Sharpay said making her presence shown. Ryan just stared at her. "I'm sorry." She started. "I've not been much of a sister lately."

"Sister?" Chad's jaw dropped. "Dude I knew you looked familiar."

"He has the Evans genes, he's a beauty." Sharpay smiled. "Like someone else I know." She grinned.

"Wait... you've got a different surname!" Jason said. "What was it like Smith..."

"Jones." Troy corrected and Ryan smiled at him.

"So we should get home, we'll see you lot later." Sharpay smiled. "Have you got everything?"

"Yeah," Ryan said quietly, he wasn't too sure what any of this meant.

"See you later Ryan, you too Sharpay."

"Bye, Troy thanks for today." Sharpay smiled and hugged the basketball player tightly.

"Don't mention it." Troy smiled back and looked over at Ryan who was staring at the floor. "See you tonight, Ryan." Ryan nodded and then followed his sister out.

"You knew!" Chad said punching his friend on the arm. "You knew and you didn't tell us."

"I heard Sharpay talking to him earlier."

"When you were supposed to be with us?" Chad pointed out.

"I didn't think I was glued to the group." Troy challenged. "What's the problem?"

"The problem is you're drifting away from us Troy, and well we don't want you to get hurt." Gabriella said sweetly, her crush for the basketball captain shining through.

"I've made a new friend..."

"And you're already ditching us for him." Chad said.

"I wasn't ditching any of you!"

"Free period." Chad pointed out in a matter of fact sort of way.

"You know what Chad if you're this insecure about our friendship I don't even know why I bother." Troy sighed and walked away.

-x-

Troy sat on his bed listening to his mp3 player, he was listening to one of the songs Ryan and he had listened to at lunch time and couldn't help but like the song even more. He wondered how Ryan was now that his sister had told everyone the truth, he hoped it would make him come out of his shell a little, after all he had the Evans genes and as far as he knew Evans weren't shy people. He stopped the music and grabbed his phone, he had a miss call from Chad and three from Gabriella, he couldn't help but feel like she was a little desperate. Ignoring them he decided that he'd call Ryan.

"Hello?" Sharpay's voice filled the call.

"Hey, I thought this was Ryan's cell." Troy said.

"It is, he's just not in the mood to talk." Sharpay said a little sceptically.

"Why what happened?" Troy asked.

"Nothing I just offered to help him with his reading and..."

"Can I talk to him?"

"I'll ask, he's locked himself in the bathroom." Sharpay said and even over the phone Troy could hear her high heels stomping across the floor. "Ry... Troy's on the phone for you."

"Troy?" Ryan's muffled voice could be heard very quietly.

"Yeah, so you got to come out because the basketball captain doesn't call just anyone." Troy smiled at that.

"I'm not a baby." Ryan said his voice louder, he had obviously come out of the bathroom.

"Well stop crying then." Sharpay smiled. "Troy why don't you come over." Sharpay said.

"Is that okay I wouldn't want to..."

"Yeah it's fine, come over. We'll see you in a few." With that Sharpay ended the call and Troy hoped it was so she could take care of Ryan.

Troy got ready quickly, not that he needed to do anything more then pull on his trainers. He also grabbed his school bag so he could tell his mother he was at a friends studying because she very rarely let him out on a school night.

-x-

"I'll stay here so you can spend time with Troy." Ryan said as he sat on his small single bed. Sharpay hated Ryan's room, their mum had made it clear of how little she thought of her son and gave him the smallest room in the house, Sharpay was pretty sure the room was a closet of some kind, which was sort of ironic too.

"Ryan what are you talking about?" Sharpay sighed.

"You...he's yours... I mean...you said..."

"I was a bitch before." Sharpay said and sat on the hard bed. "I'm sorry for how I treated you, today and the past week. I was blaming you for something that wasn't yours to control and I'm sorry." Ryan didn't say anything but he didn't pull away when Sharpay hugged him. "And Ryan, Troy called you. Not me. I've been chasing Troy forever and he's never noticed, but he's noticed you and well at least he has taste."

"Troy's not gay." Ryan mumbled.

"Maybe, he's never really been with anyone at school, maybe you two can get to know each other tonight."

"Are you not joining us?" Ryan asked.

"I'll come down for a bit and then come upstairs, I need to practice my lines."

"Okay." Ryan nodded his head.

-x-

Troy was still intimidated every time he arrived at the Evans estate, Sharpay often had parties at her house whenever her mother and step-dad were away. Everything around seemed too big and as he walked up the stairs he couldn't help but wonder how Ryan, the shy boy he had met today felt comfortable living in such an environment. A few moments after he rang the bell Ryan had answered it smiling shyly at him.

"Hey," Troy smiled brightly at him.

"Hi." Ryan smiled back shyly.

"Where's Sharpay?"

"She's in her room...do you want me to go get her?"

"No it's cool." Troy grinned, he wasn't there to see Sharpay. "So what do you want to do?" In which Ryan simply shrugged.