Okay, here's the next chapter. Many thanks to Pumpernickle Muffin, dancerlittle, Harmonious.Piccolo, Oliverwoodschic, and Siggystar for reviewing!


76 days before

Ryan stood at the entrance of the homecoming dance in a line that must have had a hundred people. The football team had won the game, sending everyone into a fit of happiness. They were in the playoffs indefinitely with only two more games left in the regular season. This was the first time that the Wildcats had ever been in the playoffs.

He looked around him, trying to pick out Chad's curly locks in the crowd ahead of him. He figured that they were towards the front. Ryan had never been one for dances, but Chad had forced him into buying a ticket, saying that you couldn't go through high school without attending one homecoming.

Jason had questioned him on how someone who loved to dance like he did would hate dances. Ryan didn't reply, but the reason was the dancing was so different. The dances that Ryan enjoyed were tango, ballet, and jazz, which were much different that the dances that would be performed that night.

Music blared out the rolled down windows of car, making Ryan turned. He knew the white SUV as Zeke's. All four doors opened and Chad, Zeke, Jason, Kelsi, and Taylor jumped out. Ryan felt himself sigh happily at the sight of them. He walked over to where they were getting out.

Chad punched his knuckles. "Hey, Ry!" he said.

"Is Troy here yet?" Zeke asked. Ryan was about to shake his head, but Chad beat him to it.

"You know Troy, he has to be fashionably late," Chad said, walking toward the line. "This is going to be awesome!"

"What?" Jason asked, confused. "The fact Troy's not here?"

Chad chuckled, but Ryan saw that his smile faltered, as if he had been caught. He began to walk faster toward the line, his eyes focused on the ground. Zeke and Jason laughed along even after Chad had stopped, not noticing their friend's change of behavior.

They stood in line, inching forward until they were finally at the door. The chaperones made Ryan pull out his school id and ticket, before letting him inside the gym. It was decorated with red and white with streamers and stars hanging from the ceiling.

Ryan smiled as they all entered the gym. Maybe it would be fun. He was with all his friends, and Troy wasn't there to make him feel uncomfortable. Chad rushed forward into the middle of the tightly clumped pack of kids. Zeke, Jason, Taylor, and Kelsi followed him at a slower pace and Ryan continued to look around, taking in the moment.

A new song came on and Ryan walked to where his friends were. They weren't in the middle, but they weren't out of the large group either. He could feel the sweat of his fellow classmates after a few dances and he before long he's be able to smell them too.

The music was loud enough so Ryan couldn't hear anything but the words of the song. He got lost in his dancing, trying to do what Chad, Zeke, and Jason appeared to be doing. He found it fairly easy to do. Then, someone called out, "Troy!" making him freeze.

He turned around to see Troy walk up with Gabriella about half an hour after he'd been let in, an hour after the dance was scheduled to begin. Gabriella looked amazing in a blue dress. He found himself staring. It was simple, not something that he'd ever find his sister in, by elegant. Feeling eyes on him, he looked up and saw Troy glaring at him. He turned back to his dancing.

But, it wasn't as easy as it had been before. For some reason, being around Troy made him self conscious. Maybe it was the fact that Troy was so popular, the number one boy in school, something Ryan could only dream of being. Troy was liked by everyone. Except, from what Ryan had seen, he wasn't a nice guy, at least not to him. And Chad's behavior around him made him curious.

Chad, in general, made him curious. The boy was Troy's best friend, yet he wanted to be friends with someone Troy obviously didn't like. The relationship between them seemed tense, as if it was on the rocks and one bad thing would destroy it forever.

"And, now it's time to announce the homecoming court!"

Ryan looked up at the clock. It was almost ten. He'd been thinking for an hour, probably looking like a dork just standing there while everyone around him danced. The freshmen, sophomore, and junior homecoming 'princes' and 'princesses' were called to the front before the senior king and queen were called.

"And for the seniors, the homecoming queen is Gabriella Montez."

The girls around him screamed loudly as Gabriella walked up to receive her tiara. Ryan clapped, smiling for his friend. He'd voted for her.

"And, homecoming king is Troy Bolton."

Everyone began to clap and wolf whistle as Troy strode up to accept his crown. Ryan knew when he saw the ballot earlier in the week that the Wildcat superstar was going to win by a landslide. The other person on the ballot had been Chad, the person he'd voted for.

A slow song started to play so the king and queen, as well as all the princes and princesses, could have their dance. Taylor and Kelsi, who had long since found Martha Cox, ran to the front to see Gabriella and Troy have their dance. Zeke, Jason, and Chad stayed back to talk with Ryan, not that he could hear much over the loudness.

The song was over before he knew it and Ryan was pushed back to the dance floor. He kept his eyes open for Troy, but the boy never showed. After a few songs, Ryan noticed Chad was gone too. He left the group he was with and tried to find them, but they were missing. Not really wanting to, he turned back to the dance floor. He stopped when he saw Gabriella behind him.

"Are you leaving too?" she asked. He shrugged. "Oh, because if you were going, then I was wondering if I could catch a ride home. There's only a few more songs left."

Ryan checked his watched. She was right, it was nearly eleven. "You can, but you have to ride in an obnoxious, pink convertible," he told her, somewhat embarrassed that he had to take Sharpay's car since he didn't have one of his own. Of course, Sharpay didn't want him to take it, their parents had made her.

"I don't mind," she said. "Anything so I don't have to walk. My feet are killing me."

He smiled and led her out the door. The chaperone at the door told them to have a good night, pointing to a sign on the door that reminded them that there was no reentry. When they were in the car, Ryan looked at her. "What happened to Troy?"

She shrugged. "He and Chad left early. And I really didn't want to ride home with Zeke and Jason. I don't really trust them behind the wheel of a car together, well, any of them for that matter. I feel much safer when there is only me and the driver."

"You're smart," Ryan said, as he pulled out of the school's driveway toward her house. He'd only been there once, but he thought he could remember where it was.

"Yeah, Troy offered me a ride earlier, but Troy and Chad together in a car," she raised her eyebrows, "especially after a night of dancing."

Ryan nodded, pulling down her street and stopping at her house. She smiled. "Thanks, Ryan. You're the best," she told him sweetly as she shut the pink door and walked to her front door. Ryan smiled back before putting the car back in drive and pulling away from the curb.


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