A/N: This is the chapter that failed due to my writer's block. Well, not the whole chapter precisely, just the ending. That whole scene was rushed and it was from me telling myself "just get the freaking words on the paper". So, I apologize for that. I know this is a horrible place to stop, but this is where I stopped writing. Actually I got into part of Chapter 11 before I went on hiatus. So, this is where the story will stop for now, even though it's like the turning point. I'm so, so, sorry!

But in the mean time, before I actually get the time to finish this, there's a couple things you can do: read the stories that inspired me because they're just awesome, no lie, you won't regret it (they're listed in my first chapter's author's note) - read every single one of their stuff, it's good. or you could review…or not, give me feedback…or not, or give me some suggestions - Obviously everything's not written in stone yet, so let me here them! or you can recommend stories for me (which are real motivators to make me write) or even post self-recommendations. I don't really care. And don't worry, for those of my readers who don't have an account, you can review too! =D

So long my pretties, I hope I won't be gone for too long!

Chapter Ten: Soaked

Ryan found Gabriella supervising the pool the next day. He approached her, not sure if she was going to be Sharpay's backup singer or not. He sort of threw it in her face a few days ago, and never followed up on it.

"Hey, Gaby," he called. She turned, surprised by his appearance.

"Hey Ry," she greeted him. "What are you doing here?"

"I kind of live here," he replied jokingly. "During the summer, I mean." She laughed.

"I mean, what are you doing talking to me," she asked, being more specific this time.

"Oh, I came to see if you're going to be Sharpay's backup," he explained. "You don't have to if you don't want to, but…I don't know, it would be nice." She nodded, her black curls bouncing with her.

"Yeah, I'll do it," she told him. His eyes lit up.

"Really?"

"Of course," she said. "It's a wildcat thing." He broke out in a grin. Oh, if only Sharpay could see it. Somewhere along the line, being the choreographer brought back the Ryan they all knew and loved. The depressive, moody boy was finally cured.

"That's great," he told her. "If you want, you could come early before practice, and I could catch you up on all the dance steps. That way you won't be behind." She smiled.

"I'd like that," she said. "See ya tonight then." She then hugged him and they gave air kisses to each other (cliché and gay but that was why they were doing it). The two broke into giggles before starting to walk away from one another.

Troy felt his chest burn up, infuriating him with the same jealousy feelings as before. So Ryan was making moves on his girl. That spoiled, money-throwing, dumb blonde bitch. And that was how he normally described Sharpay.

"Evans," he barked, walking up to Ryan, unable to control the anger radiating off of him. Ryan was caught off guard, and Gabriella looked slightly surprised to see that Troy was at the resort, the surprise he had intended on now ruined.

"Troy? What are you doing here," Ryan asked, confused as to why the jock was snapping at him.

"Get your hands off my girl," Troy continued to say. Ryan put his hands up in surrender, still not sure what he was talking about.

"I'm not touching her," he said. "See?" He waved his hands in front of his face.

"Don't be a smartass. I know what you're doing, and I'm not going to sit back and watch this time," he told him. "Now, what are you two doing behind my back?"

"Nothing," Ryan replied, cowering away from him, but making sure he didn't act too quickly and end up falling into the pool. He really couldn't afford to ruin his Gucci shirt.

"Don't lie to me Evans," Troy yelled. "I'm giving you a chance to tell the truth."

"Troy," Gabriella tried intervening. "What are you talking about?"

"Yeah, and that is the truth," Ryan insisted. "Now leave me alone Bolton." He then shoved Troy away from him, a little proud that he had the nerve to do such a thing and now a little nervous because he had done it. Troy took this as a challenge and grabbed at him. Ryan tried pushing him away but wound up losing his balance. Dragging Troy with him, they both landed in the pool with a giant splash.

Ryan resurfaced first; looking about in a bit of shock before noticing his hat was missing. The water absorbed him, weighing him down in his shoes and socks. Not the shoes, he begged. Troy popped up above the water's surface, coughing and choking on the water. Ryan remained looking flustered, trying to stop the little makeup he had on from running.

"I'm not after your stupid GIRLFRIEND!" He exclaimed, not able to appear as angry as he felt since he had to tread water. A few of the other members glanced their way at all the commotion.

"Then why are you always hanging around Gabriella? Don't act like I don't know how close you two are," Troy continued to insist.

"Don't you get it? I'm her friend. Of course I'm close to her you thick headed, ignorant bastard!" Ryan continued to yell, splashing him.

"I just don't understand why –"

"No, don't you get it?" Ryan asked, his voice rising a bit due to his uncontrollable anger at Troy for getting him wet and ruining his wardrobe. "I'm gay, Troy! I'm not interested in Gabriella, and I never will be! So don't worry." Troy was suddenly silent and a couple of members looked at Ryan in disgust. All the steam built up in Ryan vanished now that he got it off his chest. "Do you get the picture?" He asked, his voice much more calmer and quieter. He then looked around, found his hat and climbed out of the pool. He placed the soaking cap on his head, as if preserving the little dignity he had left before he stormed off.

x x x X x x x

Ryan stood in Sharpay's bathroom, squeezing as much water as he could into the sink. The only reason he was in her bathroom at all was because the toilet in his bathroom was backed up or something (he had been too busy yelling at Mr. Fulton to have the reason clarified), plus Sharpay had more towels than he did.

He stood in front of the mirror, too upset about his clothes to throw the mega tantrum he so desperately wanted to do. Troy made him so mad earlier. Why the hell would he ever try to steal Gabriella away from Troy? Anyone who knew Troy knew better than to get in his way. The kid was just pissy in his opinion, and had a hard time handling jealousy. And obviously he didn't have much of a brain to actually investigate the situation before pointing the gun. Funny how Troy reminded him so much of Sharpay.

And of course that bigheaded asshole had to prove his masculinity to "get his girl back". Jeez, why did it seem like every jock he met always had to prove himself, or whatever. It was just freaking ridiculous. Especially since this time, his clothes paid the price of it.

It was miraculous how his phone survived. Yet again, of course that thing wouldn't die. He then remembered that he had to get a new one sometime soon. Maybe he'd get the latest version of the iPhone, but then contradicted himself by wanting to get something…simpler. Or more complex, depending on what he needed it for.

His phone then buzzed, as if on cue. He looked at it, and then rolled his eyes. It was Luca. Again. He let it ring, and when it finally stopped, he thought about calling him back. He really needed someone to just vent to. Oh, how he could go on for hours about what had happened not too long ago. And Luca would be the ever-supporting one by becoming a Troy hater too.

No, no, he reminded himself. You deserve much better than this. You don't need him.

He sighed, and returned his energy back to his clothes. He stripped off his shirt, leaving him in his soaked undershirt (but he wasn't too concerned about that article of clothing). He rinsed the shirt gently under the sink, trying to gently get rid of any chlorine that could potentially ruin his shirt permanently.

When he draped it over the shower rail, Sharpay barged into the bathroom. She screamed, not expecting his presence.

"Ryan!" She clutched at her heart dramatically. "You gave me a heart attack." Her theatrics slightly brightened his mood.

"Hey Shar," he greeted her.

"Hey," she said, looking around at the pooling puddles of water spread out across the tiled floor. "You're wet." She backed up a little, not wanting to put her Prada shoes in danger.

"Yeah, no thanks to your little boyfriend," he said sarcastically.

"What? What are you talking about? And are you okay? I mean, you look horrible," she said. "Did Zeke do this to you?"

"What? No, Troy did it. Wait – Zeke? You're dating Zeke?" He asked her.

"No, I'm not dating Zeke," she said defensively. "He thinks he is, but he's not. I just like that he brings me food. And that he fawns over me. Have you tasted his Crème Brûlée? It's so worth gaining a few pounds."

"Shar," he called, trying to focus her attention away from Zeke and the delicious pastries he made. She looked at him, remembering what they were initially talking about.

"So Troy…did this to you," she said.

"Yeah," he said, grabbing a towel and patting his face and body, trying to dry up in any way he could. "That stupid son of –"

"Ry," she said, interrupting his ranting. "Why'd he do it?"

"He thought I was stealing Gabriella away from him or whatever," he told her. She laughed.

"He must not be seeing straight or something, because – no offense Ryan – you're really gay," she said.

"Yeah, well, straight guys don't tend to have a really good gaydar," he commented. Sharpay stifled a laugh. He shook his head. "Hey, look. I've got to grab a new pair of clothes, I'll be right back." She nodded, stepping out of his way as he passed her. He was still dripping of pool water. She made a face.

"I'm glad you're okay and all," she remarked; then whined. "But why'd you have to get my bathroom all wet?"

x x x X x x x

Ryan lay in bed, nearly dozing off. He had announced to Sharpay he was done for the night a few hours earlier, but for some reason, was too tired to fall asleep. His thoughts continued to race in his head, only further enabling him from resting. He thought about Troy. Stupid Troy. And Luca. Stupid – why did he continue to enter his thoughts? Luca. Luca, Luca, Luca. It was like no matter what he did, everything in his life reminded him of that damned boy. Why couldn't he just get over him already?

A part of him knew why. It was for a dozen reasons. All the time and energy they spent with each other was bound to add up in the end. Especially the trip in London. How could anyone forget something like that? Ryan had given their relationship everything, only to be put on the back burner.

"Ry, are you tired," Luca had asked him on the second night of their stay in the United Kingdom. Ryan had been lying on his bed, watching TV after the long day of walking around. He shrugged; not even looking at him as he continued to watch whatever show that was on. "You're real helpful." He muttered to himself.

Ryan finally acknowledged him. "Why do you care?"

" 'Why do I care?' Because I love you, you idiot," he replied, coming over to Ryan's side of the room. "And because I want to do this." He leaned down gently, and kissed him. Ryan could remember his cheeks burning scarlet during that kiss, only to be deepened as the kiss became longer. He wasn't sure when he had realized they were going to have sex (whether it was when Luca got on top of him, or when the clothes started coming off), but when he did, he nearly began giggling like a schoolgirl. He never thought it would happen so…soon. And he hadn't been sure how he was supposed to feel or what he should do, since it was, after all, his first time.

It turned out he hadn't had to do much. Luca was much more experienced in this area, so Ryan just let him do whatever he wanted. And he had to admit, as much as being a bottom seemed to be an insult, he hadn't really minded being in that position.

Life had been so much better then. Even with Kelsi pursuing him, life had been good. But how could he be so naïve to believe he would find "The One" the first time he got in bed with someone?

It was probably because he had been so ignorant did it take him by complete shock and horror to come into Luca's apartment and find him seducing another man. Ryan had been furious (not to mention speechless), but he hadn't been heartbroken yet. It was like he got shot and it took a few seconds for him to actually feel the pain.

He had also been disgusted by the fact that they hadn't even had the decency to at least move their affair to the bedroom. That way the sight could've been prolonged to him just a little longer. Plus, he wouldn't have to see much of it.

"Oh my god," Ryan had barely breathed, more shocked than mad at this point, but the anger was soon to be boiling. Luca had turned to face him, and his expression instantly became guilty and regretful.

"Ry –" he started.

"Don't talk to me!" He snapped, turning and hurrying away from his apartment. Thousands of distorted thoughts flooded his mind, half questions appearing and then disappearing since he knew he would explode if he dared to finish them. Then there were other thoughts he aimed at himself. Stupid, stupid, stupid, he kept commenting. You IDIOT! How could you not know?

"Ryan!" Luca was calling after him, somehow managing to put clothes on and try to stop him from walking away. Ryan ignored him as he headed out into the streets of New York. "Ryan, wait!" It wasn't long until Luca was panting next to him, still trying to keep up after sprinting after him. He had been too angry to try running (plus, unless you were wearing sweats, why the hell would you be running?), so he just tried to ignore him.

"Let me explain," he begged.

"Oh, about what? The fact that you'll just about fuck anything that moves, or that I'm not good enough for you?" He wondered sarcastically.

"Ryan, please," he pleaded. "I love you. You know I do."

"Yeah," Ryan asked, suddenly coming to a halt, turning to face him. He didn't think he could exactly look Luca in the eye at the moment, but he did to get his point across. "How many other guys have you said that to?"

"Ry –" he began.

"I'm not Ry!" he exclaimed, continuing to walk away. "You don't get to call me that! Not anymore!"

"Ryan, you know I can't live without you," Luca continued to insist.

"Then so be it," he replied frostily. Luca stopped following him after that. Ryan guessed he must've been stunned. Hell, he was too. He had never, ever, in his entire life, been so cold. He wasn't the type to have a death wish on anyone, even the worst of his enemies. But that whole situation had made him tick in a way he had never felt before.

The heartache hadn't come until after he had reached his loft, where he had barely closed the door before he started breaking down.

Ryan turned in his bed, the new pain suddenly dwelling in his body. How was he supposed to sleep if he was going to wind up crying from all these torturing memories? He wasn't going to allow himself to cry himself to sleep. No, not anymore. He was sick and tired of crying over him. And yet he found nothing to help him completely move on. Going back to the things he loved worked to a point, but it still reminded him of Luca. That stupid, damn, son of a bitch! He knew his colorful language was a bit harsh, but he didn't regret it. He just wished he could forget him, and finally move on.

There was a knock on his door. It didn't even faze him.

"Go away," he called out, assuming it was room service. "I don't need anything right now. Come back tomorrow."

"Ryan?" A voice called back. "It's Troy. Can I come in?" Ryan huffed unhappily.

"No," he replied. "Now go away."

"Please," he begged. "Ryan, I came to say that I'm sorry. God, I feel so stupid. I shouldn't have done what I did. I just…I obviously wasn't thinking. And if I would've been smarter, I would've already known you were gay and you weren't trying to steal Gabriella away from me." Ryan slipped out of bed and opened the door.

"You shouldn't talk so loud, one of the neighbors could hear you," he told him.

"I was making sure you could hear me," Troy explained.

Ryan rolled his eyes. "I'm just messing with you. Now, come in." He opened the door wider so Troy could enter. He did so a little reluctantly, not sure if Ryan was being sincere in the invitation or using the time to get back at him. He ultimately decided he didn't care, and if Ryan decided to get back at him, he deserved it.

"You know, I'm quite impressed," Ryan admitted. "It's not everyday that basketball superstars apologize for things. I mean, if it had been Chad, I don't think he would be here apologizing right now."

"So you forgive me?"

"I didn't say that," Ryan said.

"I guess I deserve that," he replied.

"For the most part, I'm just pissed that you ruined my clothes," he told him.

"No offense dude, but that sounds…gay," Troy said uneasily. Ryan smiled.

"Just be thankful I'm not hitting on you," he replied, smirking. Troy looked a bit uneasy, but shook it off.

"So, there's nothing between you and Gabriella," Troy clarified.

"Besides me being one of her best girlfriends, no," Ryan retorted.

"Did you just refer to yourself as a girl?"

Ryan shrugged. "It's a gay thing." Troy frowned, and shook his head.

"Okay," he said, as if understanding the reason behind that. He was a quiet a moment, still not quite understanding what it meant to be 'gay'. "Ryan, can I ask you something?"

"Sure." He sat on the edge of his bed, watching, as Troy seemed to be struggling with this question, almost appearing embarrassed to ask it.

"Just out of curiosity, what's it like?" He asked, his expression mirroring the awkward feelings he was experiencing. Ryan frowned.

"I don't think I understand – "

"Being gay," Troy explained quickly. "Like…how'd you know, and like…I don't know, how do survive? I mean, don't you get a lot of crap?"

"Whoa, slow down," Ryan insisted. "Why do you want to know?"

"I don't know, I just…I'm curious. I'm not really surrounded by gay friends. And to be honest, I don't really get how someone can 'be gay'. I mean, my dad gets really mad whenever the subject's brought up, and I don't…understand it, you know." Ryan nodded.

"Well, I know others who have it worse than me. Some parents aren't as accepting as mine. I've heard horror stories – " he glanced at Troy, who looked highly uncomfortable with the subject (even though he was the one who brought it up) and even…terrified? Ryan shook that thought away, thinking he was just reading too much into his expression. He decided to backtrack. "But, uh, personally, I'm not 'tortured' that much. I mean, I'm in theater. Who in theater is going to discriminate against me? Some of the most talented classmates of mine are gay. It's just a fact. And I'm sure that some of the people you work with in the drama department – you do still participate in the Arts right? – are gay." Troy nodded.

"Do you find it weird I'm asking these questions," Troy asked. Ryan shook his head. "Okay, so how'd you figure out you were gay," he wondered.

"Chad Michael Murray can make any man go gay," Ryan replied, laughing. "And I usually like brunettes."

"So you just woke up one morning and realized you were gay?"

Ryan laughed again. "Of course not."

"Then…how'd you know?" Troy asked, still confused.

"It's always been a part of me," he replied. "I kind of knew it all along but I just didn't have a label for it. I didn't know what to call all my 'abnormalities' until I started crushing on other guys. But even then, it wasn't like I woke up and suddenly had a crush on a guy. It started slowly. Like first I was just being self-conscious of my body, then I was comparing my body to the others around me, and…well, after a while I was curious. But that was just for the physical part. The relationship part, however, is just like what you have with Gabriella. You have something in common, you hang out, you talk, and you find yourself falling in love."

"So, you were looking at guys, like in the locker rooms and stuff?" He wondered, looking highly uncomfortable that he was asking about this stuff. Surely if Chad had been in the room as well, he wouldn't have even thought to bring it up.

"Please, don't flatter yourself," Ryan said, catching the implication. "I don't want to sleep with every guy I see. Just like you don't want to sleep with every girl you see. Or maybe you do, if you're some kind of perve. I just…hmm, how am I going to explain this? It's part of the physical attraction. Like when you look at a girl, and for physical purposes, first impressions, etc. etc., you look at her body. I don't mean to make you sound biased, but come on, we all do this. You look at her face; does she look cute? How does the rest of her body look? Is it well kept, how big are her boobs, is she curvy, does she have a nice butt, is she thin, how big are her thighs, you know, stuff like that. Even if you're not consciously thinking it, you're doing it. Same thing for me, only with guys." Troy nodded.

"So when I finally realized all my mixed feelings were a crush," Ryan continued. "I knew I was gay. Well, it was confirmed that I was gay."

"Did it also help to…you know…experiment?"

"Definitely." Troy became quiet, thinking. "I can't believe you're interested in this. I mean, straighties don't usually like to talk about this. Especially the men." He shrugged. "So enough about me. Lets talk about you. What's up with you and Gabriella now?"

"Well, after the pool incident, Gabriella has been ignoring me. I can't even get her to look at me. I don't think she likes me anymore…and, to be honest, I'm not sure if I do either." Once it was said in words, Troy couldn't believe how true that statement was. Maybe that was the reason why he had never thought about having a future with her.

"What?"

"I don't know Ryan," he said. "Things are so awkward between us. She wants me to marry her. I'm not ready for it – "

"Trust me, she isn't either," he intervened. Troy shook his head.

"I don't know what to do anymore," he admitted. "Things used to be so…easy between us. And now it seems I can't even walk by her without getting into a fight about something. I mean, really Ryan, what am I supposed to do? I want to prove that I still love her, but I'm not even sure I do anymore." Ryan was quiet.

"I'm just confused," Troy added to fill the silence. He sat down next to Ryan, putting his head in his hands, rubbing his temples, trying to think. Ryan stared at the door, as if doing so would help him think of something to say. Hadn't he been comforting Gabriella not too long ago of the same thing?

"I think things will work out," Ryan tried saying, even though he was pretty sure things were going to go downhill from now on if Troy truly didn't have any feelings for her anymore. "I mean, you two are like, meant to be."

"Everybody keeps saying that," he muttered. "Ever since we met, they've always said that. What if they're wrong though, what if we're not 'meant to be'? Then what? I don't know!"

"Well, Sharpay – "

"I'm never going out with Sharpay. I'm sorry dude, but I just can't handle your sister," Troy protested. The two of them laughed. Troy shifted in his seat, a spark of adrenaline entering his system as something in the pool of his emotions clicked together with a sudden understanding as he sat by the flamboyant blonde. It was starting again, only this time, in an undeniable way. Suppressing an emotion for a long period of time was bound to shoot back up, right? All these words – all these labels – passed through his head once he realized this. He didn't want any of them to be true. They couldn't be. He didn't want to do it, it would confuse Ryan, but he had to make sure. An…experiment.

"Ryan," he said, making the blonde turn to face him before pressing his lips against his.