Chapter 8- Drunken problems

Lying on his bed, in the room he shared with his older brother, Chad heaved a massive sigh and rolled over onto his back, and just stared at the ceiling. Although it wasn't very late and he had only just got back from a relatively easy day at work, Chad was exhausted. Not only were him and his best friend for twelve years, no longer on specking terms but he couldn't help the thoughts that were swimming in his head, the same thoughts which had been there for over a week.

He just couldn't stop thinking about the day he went up to the Evans house, and the sight which greeted him. He always knew Ryan was different from everybody else he was friends with, but never did he imagine that he was THAT different.

He had originally gone to the boy's house to talk to him about the lava springs talent show, under Kelsi' orders and a part of him couldn't help wish he had arrived just one minute later. If he had of done, then he wouldn't have seen what he had, he wouldn't have witnessed what his mind was still trying to work out.

Reaching over for the basketball he kept under his bed, Chad rolled it around in his hands before throwing it up in the air and catching it. He repeated it several times, zoning out completely in the process, his mind replaying that event over and over for only his eyes to see.

He had no clue why he hadn't mentioned what he had seen to Ryan at the time, whether it was down to pure shock, or concern he did not know, after all, the blond was pretty badly hurt. But no matter how many times he tried to deny it, he couldn't change the fact he saw Ryan Evans appear from nowhere about four inches away from the second story windows in a swirl of blue and white lights, then land on the concrete, those lights still surrounding him.

It also didn't change the fact he had noticed the witches fear, the instant he realised Chad was there and the possibility he had seen him use magic.

Groaning, Chad heaved the ball across the room until it smashed against his pale blue, poster covered walls, only narrowly missing his brother's bookshelves. Sitting up, he swung his legs over the side of the bed, and just sat there, staring aimlessly out of the window, onto the crowded streets, trying to sort his thoughts out.

He had no clue what to do with the knowledge he currently processed, he could tell his parents and ask for their advice, but that would probably bring about more problems than it solved.

He couldn't exactly talk to Troy, seeing he was currently still being a jerk enjoying the perks hanging out with a snob like Sharpay brought.

For a moment, he briefly considered calling Ryan to talk about what he had seen, but scrapped the idea almost instantly, for some strange reason, he found he didn't want to admit to the teenager he knew his magical secret. He had obviously worked hard keeping it quiet all these years, and apparently, if what he said was true, and demons really did beat the crap out of him, then he didn't think Ryan could handle anybody else on his back.

That was just another thing the basketball jock couldn't comprehend! Demons, the black evil creatures that kids dressed up in for Halloween were actually very real and by the look of Ryan's injuries, very dangerous.

Hearing his mum shout him for tea, Chad forced himself to his feet and headed to the door, kicking his brother's book case as he walked past in a bid to take his mind of the current events. As he did however, he knocked the already unstable leg from the wood, and a load of books came crashing down on top of im.

"OWWWWW!" he screamed as one of the heavier ones hit him on the head. He quickly caught it before rubbing the patch it had hit. Although his hair was incredibly bushy, it wasn't quite soft enough to protect his skull from the hardback. Pressing down on the top of his head, he winced as he felt the bruise already begin to form.

"Great, just great!" he mumbled as he went to throw the book out of the open bedroom window. But as he went to release it, the title caught his eye. Bringing it closer to him, Chad stared at it in a mixture of confusion and shock before shrugging his shoulders and running out of his room, the book held tightly under his arm.

Dashing down the stairs, Ryan ran full force into the kitchen and grabbed his plate off the counter, before heading to the table which was at the opposite end of the room and sitting himself down next to his mother.

Without so much as a hello, he dumped the book on the table and opened it to the first page, whilst taking a slow mouthful of his pasta. After a few minutes of reading, he looked up and stared into his mother's eyes, who hadn't taken her eyes of him once.

"What?" he asked confused as he looked up at her, turning the page as he did so.

Mrs Danforth instantly shook her head, before getting to her feet and going over to one of the cupboards next to the refrigerator. Grabbing something from one of the draws, she walked back over to her son, and stuck a thermometer in his mouth.

Chad instantly spat it straight back out, before twirling around and glaring at the woman who stood behind him.

"What did you do that for?" He instantly asked as she retrieved the stick.

"Checking, that you're alright!"

"I'm fine! Why wouldn't I be?" He replied, confusion once again written all over his face.

"Honey, when you eat at the table AND read a BOOK voluntarily! I have every right to be worried about you!"

Chad just rolled his eyes at that, before turning his attention back to the seven hundred page hardback, that he was already absorbed in it. It wasn't like it was his fault the thing flew into his arms at just the right moment, or that his brother had a copy of 'Everything you need to know about witches and Demons.'

Just why he had that however, was another question entirely.

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"Are you serious!! Gabs are you sure you haven't been drinking before I picked you up!" Violet yelled at her cousin when she had finally finished her tale, completely gob smacked. She had heard some tales come from her cousin's mouth before, but a real life story of witches, magic and demons, was something else!

"I'm serous he's, he's got magic, there was lightening, and balls of fire… and colours!! It was all real! I was so scared!" Gabriella yelled out as she wrapped her arms around herself the alcohol now taken over her, almost completely. Under normal circumstances, she would never have even contemplated drinking, it just wasn't something which interested her, especially after her father died of alcohol poisoning, but this was anything but a normal situation, she was completely freaked out, terrified even. Everything she ever believed in was in question, she was even wondering if Santa actually existed!

"Gabs? Honestly now? Was it some sort of horror film that spooked you?" Violet asked as she pulled the car into the side of the road and put the hand break on, so she could really turn and talk to her cousin, unsure of what to believe.

"No it was real!!! It was all real!! These creatures want to kill him!" Gabriella yelled, ignoring the laughter which came from the three guys in the back seats.

"You're insane girl!" One of the lads yelled out as he opened the car door and jumped out into the street. "Tell you what! Let's see if the big bad demons can hear us!"

The other two immediately burst into fits of laughter as they too dived out of the car, shortly followed by a weary Gabriella and a hyperactive and slightly tipsy driver.

"Demon's of the night! Can you hear our call???" Mark shouted out, spinning around in a circle as he took yet another swig of beer. These caused the older teenager's to burst out laughing, but Gabriella just looked around in fright, no longer enjoying the affect the alcohol was having on her. People say you can sober up in a second if the situation allows it and this was one of those situations, as pure fear of the events which could unfold paralyzed the teenager.

"If you can hear us! If you want to kill Ryan Evans, come forth!! For we can tell you how!" The youngest of the three males joined in as he jumped into the middle of the road, laughing and joking with Mark as they spilt their beer all over themselves.

"And you say she's insane!" Violet yelled out as she ran over to the dark headed teenager and wrapped her arms around his neck, giggling madly as she grabbed his beer can off him and downed it in one.

"Come on then! Demons! You want Ryan Evan's we can give him to you on a plate!" Mark screamed laughing widely, but his laughter instantly stopped as two dark figures appeared seemingly out of nowhere, there hoods covering their faces.

"Really?" One of them said as he grinned evilly, his mouth being the only part of him that the gang could actually see. Gabriella instantly sank back and pushed herself up against the bonnet of the car, shaking in fear, having been the only one who saw the two creatures shimmer into the street.

"Oh yeah! My cousin over there is friends with him!" Violet spat out as she continued to giggle, pointing towards a terrified Gabriella before continuing to down large amounts of alcohol and twirl around in the street, gaining the three boys undivided attention once again.

"Really?" the demon repeated as he stepped towards the seventeen year old in a threatening manner. "Ah yes, your one of the girls at the country club aren't you?"

Gabriella's eyes instantly widened, as she made an attempt to run away, but the two demons's instantly cornered her, preventing the girl from going anywhere.

"Well in that case, you can either tell us, how to get at the boy! Or we can kill you all off one by one!" The second demon said, as he moved his coat slightly to reveal a set of daggers, sharper than anything Gabriella had ever seen before, before indicating with his other arm, the drunks who were spinning around in the road completely unaware of the danger they were all in.

Letting out a squeak, Gabriella backed herself even further into the car, if that was at all possible.

The demon, instantly reached forward and put his claws up against the girls neck, a look on his face which showed her he was deadly serious and willing to go though with his threat.

"Sharpay!" She choked out as tears flew down her face! "He'd do anything for her!"

The demons nodded and grinned, sharing a look before shimmering out and muttering the word, kidnap under their breaths.

As soon as the duo dematerialized, Gabriella's feet gave way and she dropped to the ground, tears streaming down her face, she just couldn't believe what she had just done!

Looking up at the sky, she allowed the tears to flow freely down her face as she watched blue lightning flash across it for the second time that night, a horrible feeling of guilt slowly flowing though her veins. One thing she was sure about, was no matter how she felt right now, Ryan and even Sharpay, they didn't deserve what she had just done.

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After a good half an hour, Ryan finally stopped shooting his powers up at the sky and collapsed to the ground, completely drained as the last remaining bit of energy he had left him.

Sighing he put his weight in this arms and leant back, just staring at the sky, wondering what the hell was going to happen next. Shaking the thoughts and pure worry out of his mind, he decided the best thing to do, was take a leaf out of his sister's book and go in to a stage of denial.

Rubbing his templates, he slowly got back to his feet before reluctantly making his way back into the house, determined he wasn't going to leave it for the rest of the summer, at least then he could enjoy what little time he had left in peace.

(a/n) sorry there wasn't much Ryan in this chapter, but I felt he didn't really fit into this one. I also apologise about the amount of time which ahs passed since my last update! Coursework deadlines have prevented me from doing anything fan fiction related. Thanks to everyone who's reading this.

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