Thanks to everyone who left a review! As promised, a total chapter of nothing but Troy and Ryan. Enjoy! ;-)

Chapter 12

After what seemed like an eternity, Ryan decided to break the very awkward silence that seemed to last forever. He wasn't exactly sure what he was going to say to Troy, he just knew they needed to talk. He needed to know where he stood with him.

"Ok, how about instead of us sitting here like a couple of girls with nothing to say, we talk. I mean, that's what Sharpay sent us up here for, isn't it? I want us to talk about what happened earlier. I want to know why you ran away after singing your song."

"You know exactly why I ran away! I saw the look in your eyes. You were disgusted. And I don't guess I can really blame you. I mean, it not everyday your ex-best friend tells you he loves you in the form of a song! I mean, I can't believe I was stupid enough to sing and think nothing would come of it! I knew you would freak out. When I saw the way you were looking at me, I freaked. So, I did the only thing I could think of. I ran. And I'm glad I did. I didn't need to stick around and get rejected by you another time. If it hurt that bad the first time, I can't imagine it would feel any better the second time around!"

"Rejected? Troy, what are you talking about? When did I reject you? You were my best friend!"

"You rejected me the day you walked up to me and called me a fag! With no other explanation than you thought I was disgusting! Not only did you walk away from me that day, but your own sister! Do you know how many nights she would call me at all hours just crying! You broke her and me! Neither of us have been the same since! We never even knew why. That only made it worse!"

"I've already explained why! And I've said I was sorry for it! It hurt me too, ya know! Its not like it was something I wanted to do! It was the hardest thing I have ever done and I have regretted it everyday since!"

"Oh, I'm sorry, it must have been so hard for you! You just dropped two friends and gained the whole damn school! Once everyone saw how great a basketball player you were, you had them all in your back pocket! You loved the attention you were getting! So, yeah, excuse me, it was just so hard on you!"

"Don't ever try and tell me how I felt! You have no clue. Just because I looked like I was happy, doesn't mean I was! Far from it to tell you the truth!"

"Don't start now! No need to bring the truth into this! If you had just told me and Sharpay what happened, maybe then things wouldn't have been so hard! But you can't even begin to know what we have gone through. Its not just me that would get beat up! They got Sharpay too! Did you know what? Did you even notice when she would come in covered in bruises? No, of course not! You were too caught up in yourself to notice anyone around you!!"

Troy was mad and he wanted to make sure Ryan knew it. As far as Troy was concerned, Ryan deserved everything he was saying to him.

Hearing Troy say someone had hurt his sister, it felt like someone had sucker punched him. This time when they spoke, there was no yelling. Not by him or by Troy. When it came to Sharpay, both boys were on the same page. No one messed with her and got away with it.

"What? What are you talking about? Who hurt Sharpay?"

"I'm not sure what their names were. Some of the cheerleaders, I think. The ones who had a boyfriend on the basketball team. It didn't last long, of course, because Sharpay threatened to go to the police."

"How did I not know this?"

"Your sister is very good at hiding things she doesn't want anyone else to know. The only reason I know is because I walked in on it one time. I was running late. I was supposed to meet her for a practice and I got caught by your basketball buddies, they beat the shit out of me. I was used to it. But by the time I got away from them and to your sister, I was too late. There was five girls standing over your sister, laughing at her. They had taken turns punching and kicking her. When they saw me, they ran."

Ryan couldn't believe it. All of this had happened to his sister and he had never known. What kind of person was he?

"How bad was she hurt?"

If Troy hadn't been looking right at Ryan, he never would have heard him speak.

"Pretty bad. She had cuts and bruises all over her arms and legs. He back and stomach were completely purple. It looked like one big bruise. She had a black eye and a split lip. Thank God nothing was broken. She wouldn't let me take her to the hospital, so she ended up coming home with me and staying until she was healed enough to go home."

"Why didn't she come home after it happened?"

"She thought you had put someone up to it. We both figured you were behind my beatings, so you must have been behind hers as well. Simply put, she was scared. We both thought you hated us, so why would we want to put ourselves in anymore danger than we were already in?"

"Oh God. How could you think that? She's my sister! I love her! And you! You were my best friend. I can't believe you were both afraid of me. Oh, God...I think I'm gonna be sick."

Ryan jumped from the bed and ran into his bathroom. He slammed the door behind him but Troy could still hear and it wasn't something he wanted to hear.

So, he sat there. Sat and listened as Ryan got sick. In between everything, he could hear Ryan sobbing. He just sat and listened. Listened and waited for Ryan to come back out. There was nothing else he could do right now.

He heard the toilet flushing. Then Ryan calling for him.

"Troy? Are you still out there? Please, I need you to come in here."

Troy walked over to the bathroom door and knocked.

"Come in."

"Um..you wanted me to come in here? Are you alright?"

"God, no, Troy. How could I let something like that happen to my sister! My own sister! And my best friend! I loved you both and look how I showed it! Please, I'm sorry! Things were never supposed to turn out like this! My fault, its all my fault!"

Ryan was sitting on the floor, sobbing, when Troy walked in. As soon as Troy was inside the bathroom, however, Ryan practically threw his self at him. He was clutching onto Troy as if his life depended on it.

Troy did the only thing he could think of. He consoled his friend.

"Shhh, Ryan. Its alright. We aren't mad anymore. Its not your fault. I'm sorry for yelling at you before. I think I just needed you to know what we went through. Its gonna be ok now."

"No, Troy, its not. How can you even stand to look at me, let alone be in the same room as me?! I'm a terrible person. I don't deserve someone like you in my life."

Ryan pulled away, thinking Troy hated him. Troy however wasn't ready to let him go.

"No, Ryan. You are not a terrible person. Ok, so you made some bad choices in your life. Who hasn't. But we survived. Your sister and I are a lot stronger than we look. Its ok. We forgave you a long time ago. That's what friends do. And I want you back in my life. I want my best friend back. We were good together, don't you think?"

"More than you know. Listen, Troy, I have to tell you something. About that day I ended our friendship. I need you to know the truth."

"Sure, Ryan. I'll listen to whatever it is you want to say."

Troy however was not ready for what Ryan was about to tell him.

"That day I had something to tell you. Something important. It was something I had been feeling for a while and I was finally ready to tell you. That's when Chad and Jason caught me at my locker."

"Ok, you wanted to tell me something. Go on, I'm listening."

"I knew I had to tell you. I thought you felt the same way as me."

"What way? Ryan, what are you trying to say?"

"Troy, I was on my way to tell you that I was in love with you."

And with that, Ryan reached up and planted what would be their first kiss on Troy's lips.

A/N: evil laughter! There ya go. A whole chapter with nothing but Troy and Ryan. So, how did you like it? I thought this would be the best place to stop at. An evil cliffhanger! Aren't they just the worst?! Anyway, I hope you like it. The next chapter will be up the day after tomorrow, so until then, feedback is always welcome. Good or bad, I just wanna know. For now, Tootles:-)