A new chapter!! This be my last update in a while… so I hope you enjoy it!

Thanks to my wonderful, wonderful reviewers: krfan, digigirl02, Dramione x3 and jenpen1027.

HSM belongs to Disney.

Chapter 36.

Afraid of a love affair?

Mrs. Darbus had gotten pretty sick during summer break and hadn't gone to school for a whole month. And, although she was feeling better, she wasn't healthy enough to endure the long rehearsals that she usually put her students through. Therefore, winter musical had been postponed for the next year, after Christmas break.

Which didn't mean that the drama club wasn't staying after school. Oh no, Mrs. Darbus might not be able to endure the long rehearsals but she could manage staying for a couple of hours. So, the drama members stayed for some dancing, singing and acting 'practice'.

At that moment, Kelsi was watching her boyfriend and his sister practicing. They were playing a scene of "mamma mia". The brunette sighed. Mrs. Darbus had told her that she wasn't expected to stay, she could go as soon as she got bored since that particular day they wouldn't be needing her talents. However, Kelsi wanted to stay. She wanted to spend more time with Ryan, especially considering all the doubts that were going through her head lately.

Too bad it was a little too late to actually DO something.

She had dreaded that moment since she realized how wrong it was of her to be talking to Michel 'behind Ryan's back'. Somehow, talking to Michel wasn't that wrong, but this?! This was… this would be like…! Oh, dear God, no!

She watched the phone's screen with increasing horror, her breath getting more and more unsteady with each passing second. This wasn't happening. Dear Lord, it couldn't be happening to her!

Everything was becoming blurry. Was she hyperventilating? Maybe she would faint. But that wouldn't be good, because someone might see her mobile phone, read the message and...

No! Not that! Anything but that! Now she started trembling. She needed to get a grip of herself! Ja! Easier said than done!

"Ms. Nielson?" Mrs. Darbus placed a hand over her shoulder and she screamed, pretty startled and her phone ended up flying very far from her. She blushed, nervously and now she was very sure she was going to faint. "Ms. Nielson, are you alright?"

She placed a hand over her heart, feeling it beating madly. Oh god, this was so horrible! She couldn't live with this! She needed to end it! She really needed to...!

"Kels?" Ryan was in front of her, watching her worriedly, while he hold her chin. She closed her eyes, feeling a bit more relaxed. Breath in, breath out... she kept telling herself and her pulse started to stabilize. Better now. Much better now.

"I'm sorry" she whispered "I spaced out and..."

"Don't worry, dear" Mrs. Darbus said, smiling empathetically "you probably just need a rest"

Yes, a rest sounded like a good idea. A rest from the crazy roller caster that her love life had suddenly become. Yes, that would be nice...

"Okay..." she whispered, slowly walking towards where her mobile phone had landed and picked it up "I'm gonna wait outside..."

Ryan nodded and watched her go, feeling very uneasy about her reaction. Something was wrong but, why wouldn't she tell him?

She walked outside the auditorium, holding her phone close, hiding from the world the real reason of her distress. The screen read: Can I pick you up next Friday for dinner? Love, Michel.

When did so innocent words become so frightening?

She looked at her reflection on the mirror. Her hair was down, perfectly groomed and she thought it looked just right. She had decided against wearing make up, but now she was doubting herself. Maybe just a little…

What was she thinking? She shouldn't be doing this at all! She shouldn't be getting ready for a date with Michel! She should be waiting for Ryan's call so they could hang out or something…

Who was she kidding? He wasn't calling. He probably didn't care about her anymore.

You're being selfish. Her conscience stated. You're not acting much better than him.

Damn! Damn conscience! She understood why Sharpay always ignored hers. It was just stupid. What did it expected her to do? Stay home and wait, like a faithful wife or something?

Now you're being overdramatic.

"I've got every right in this life to hang around with friends" she told herself, picking her lip gloss and applying it "we're just hanging out. Nothing more"

Are you sure?

She didn't have time for that. Michel would be there any minute now. No time to second doubt herself. The best she could do was go and be over with this already.

And pray that Ryan never found out.

"You're crazy"

Kelsi rolled her eyes, ignoring Zeke's statement. The basketball player, however, wasn't ready to let it go. He got his head closer to hers, so he could talk to her ear and avoid everyone else from hearing them.

"You don't 'hang out' with other boys if you're dating someone"

Kelsi ignored him, taking notes of what the teacher was writing on the board. She hated taking class on the lab. It was so damn uncomfortable!

"Kelsi, are you listening?"

"I hang out with you" she assured still writing and avoiding eye-contact "and there's nothing wrong with it"

"It's not the same" he urged, now getting desperate.

"Really? How come?" she was getting stressed too.

"First of all, we're friends" she tried to argue, but he didn't let her "second, Ryan knows about it. When the boyfriend doesn't know about his girl 'hanging around' with someone else, it becomes an affair"

"I'm not having an affair!" she exclaimed, although she kept her voice down. Ryan and Sharpay weren't with them in that class, but she couldn't afford mistakes. If they somehow found out… Well, Sharpay would kill her and Ryan… oh dear Lord, what would Ryan do?!

"Face the truth, girl" he argued, crossing his arms "either you tell your boyfriend about your little 'friendship' with this Michel-guy or you admit you're having an affair"

She wasn't ready for neither. As the matter of the fact, she didn't even know which one was true.

A week had passed since her conversation with Zeke and there she was again, 'hanging out' with Michel. They were going to the movies and she couldn't help to be a bit restless. She liked cuddling with Ryan at the movie theater. What was she going to do with Michel? If he hugged her, what would she do? Try to run away? Stay and pretend nothing was happening?

And even worse, if he tried to kiss her? Slap him? Let him? Kiss him back? Argh! Why was it so confusing?!

"You look troubled, doll face" he said, smiling lightly.

"I'm very conflicted" she said, resting her head against the back of her seat "I shouldn't be doing this"

"Doing what?" he asked, obviously confused.

"Going out with you. It's not right"

"Why not?"

"I've got a boyfriend" she said, as if that was explanation enough.

"You've already told me that" he said, shrugging "but I like talking to you, Kels. I'm happy with being your friend. We're not dating, we're hanging out"

"So I shouldn't worry about you trying to kiss me?" he laughed hard and she chuckled a little.

"You're crazier than I thought"

"You don't know half of it…"

The happiest moment of the week was, in Sharpay opinion, 'shopping time'. She loved looking through the stores, trying on hundreds of different outfits, complaining and squealing; oh wasn't that lovely?!

Now, however, she was sitting by an ice cream parlor, talking to Pricilla, Ashley and Rowena. She was a bit tired and was glad they were having this small break before going back to their shopping trip. She was smiling flirtingly at their waiter, making her 'friends' laugh. The poor boy got really nervous and kept making mistakes with their orders.

Suddenly, something caught her attention. It couldn't be. No, it really couldn't. It was impossible, crazy, madness! Kelsi Nielson was NOT cheating on her brother!

"For her sake, I hope so" she whispered angrily, standing up and strolling to the fast food court, where her sister-in-law was heading.

"What's up with her?" Rowena wondered aloud and the other girls shrugged.

"Better go and find out" Pricilla said, standing up and following her "wait here"

The other females just nodded.

Sharpay let her purse drop on the table, startling its occupants, who hadn't seen her coming. She glared daggers at the female, who just gulped. The boy stared at her, surprised and confused.

"S-Shar…" Kelsi shuttered, her breath having been caught in her throat "w-what a-are you do-doing he-here?"

"I will be the one asking the questions" the blond deadpanned and the brunette gulped again. She should have known that moment was bound to happen. Why didn't she see it coming?!

Behind her, someone gasped. Kelsi looked at Pricilla, standing behind Sharpay, looking clearly surprised, but a smirk started forming on her lips and the pianist knew Ryan was going to find out about this whole 'friendship-thing' soon enough…

"I can explain" she said and immediately realized just how guilty she had sounded. Stupid, stupid, incredibly stupid!

"I sure hope you can" Sharpay was fuming. How dare she?! After she had finally accepted her as a member of their family! After she had finally resigned herself to share her brother! HOW DARE SHE?!

"We're hanging out" Michel said, coming into Kelsi's rescue "we're just friends"

Sharpay glared at him, but he didn't quiver. Instead, he actually smiled friendly.

The blond returned her attention to her sister-in-law, staring directly at her eyes, as if she could read her very soul. Kelsi gulped again, but didn't avoid the other's gaze. After a couple of minutes, Sharpay sighed, defeated.

"Okay, okay" she whispered, turning around "let's go, Pris"

The other nodded and followed her. The composer watched her, before gathering enough courage to stand up and run after her.

"Wait, Shar!" the girl stopped and turned around to face her "please, don't tell Ryan. He'll freak out"

"Tell him" she stated "either you tell him or you end this… 'friendship' of yours right away" she turned around and continued her way. Kelsi sighed and closed her eyes.

Wish it was that easy…

The relationship between his sister and his girlfriend had gone tense once again. And he didn't know why. He looked at them, trying to interact normally but something was odd. Something was wrong. Like they we're hiding something.

"Angel?"

"Yes?" Kelsi avoided eye-contact with him. She knew Sharpay was right. She ought to tell him… but how would he react?

"Is there something wrong between you and my sister?"

How could she explain? He deserved to know the truth. Never mind how cold he had been acting lately, she shouldn't be seeing someone 'behind his back'. They needed to talk. They needed to fix things. They needed to fight for their love. And if they couldn't or wouldn't or simply didn't want to, then…

Yet, she only smiled at him and gave him a peck on the lips. "Don't worry. Everything's alright"

Wrong move. Still, no one can escape their destiny…

She looked at him and wondered why she couldn't tell Ryan about Michel. Was she afraid that he might misinterpreted their relationship? Was she worried that he might freak out and break up with her? But she was doing nothing wrong… she was still allowed to have friends, right? Male friends. Like Zeke. Yes, she was…

She sighed and let her head rest against Ryan's shoulder. He smiled at her and kissed her forehead. She liked this. It remind her of the early days of High School, when they had just met and refused to acknowledge their feelings for each other. Good days, when things weren't that complicated...

Who am I fooling? She thought, angry at herself I love him, he loves me and that's all that matter.

Was it?

Ryan sat with his sister and her friends in a coffee place at the mall. It was Friday's night and he had gotten bored of being at home and had decided to follow Sharpay around. He could have called Kelsi, but decided not to. In a way, he was also responsible of what was about to happen.

Because for relationships to fail, there needs to be more than one culprit.

Kelsi's arm was linked with Michel's while they walked across the mall. They had just watched a movie and now he was getting her to dinner, before dropping her at home. Good friends are allowed to link arms, right? There's nothing wrong with it.

Maybe so. Maybe so…

The cup slipped from Ryan's fingers and crashed against the perfectly white floor. Sharpay shrieked, a coffee's drop having soiled her dress, and glared at her brother. He didn't even notice.

She followed his gaze and saw them. She cursed under her breath. That little traitor! After she had been such a nice person and had given her a second chance…!

"I'm killing her!" she exclaimed, standing up "that little bi…!"

"Sharpay!" Ryan shouted, standing up too and gripping her arm "you're not doing anything"

She stared at him and immediately calmed down. There was such a murderous look in his eyes… so much intensity that it was frightening. Better to stay calm. Better to let him handle things.

Better for her, that was. For Kelsi, it would have been better that her sister in law had killed her…

The moment Kelsi stepped out of Michel's car, she felt a sense of impeding doom over her. As she walked over her house, she knew she had been condemned. She didn't need to see Ryan sitting over her porch to know they were done. She just knew it.

They stared into each other's eyes for the longest time. Finally, he spoke up. "Kelsi"

The first time he called her name she thought she knew how dying and going to heaven felt like. Now, she knew how going to hell felt.

OMG!! I can't believe I finally wrote this! Oh, I liked it so much! I'm so damn evil!

So, what do you think? I really enjoyed writing this. You see it coming, right? It needed to be done. How else was I supposed to explain their cold interacting during the first movie?

Anyway, I hope you liked it. Please review!