Chapter 31: Boy Business

It was a dark, cold Autumn evening in Albequerque. Troy Bolton had just finished eating his dinner and then had helped his mother clear away the dishes before his father had suggested they go out into the backyard and work off the food.

Troy had agreed with his father resignedly and left the kitchen to step out into the backyard with a basketball. He stared out at the semi-lit world before him with despair clouding his eyes.

His father came out after him and took the ball from his hand and started to dribble around with it.

"You OK, son?" He asked, frowning slightly at Troy.

Jack Bolton wasn't the most compassionate, heart-felt father in the universe, he would agree to that. He knew that as boys grew older, they tended to break away from their families. He knew one day Troy would leave him and be a success in whatever he chose to do. That's why he didn't want to get close to his son because one day he would have to let go. Instead, he wanted to push his son and prepare him for the big wide world.

Yet, when he saw that something was troubling Troy, he couldn't help but to want to take that pressure off.

His son shrugged a little at him. He was using the silent treatment. He had been completely quiet throughout dinner and had just rearranged his food on his plate, rather then eat it.

"Is this about the guys giving you a hard time?" Jack asked, desperately clutching at straws.

He knew lately that something had gone on between Troy and his friends that had caused a rift between them. He had overheard some rather unfavourable talk about Troy in the locker rooms but hadn't intervened. It was hard having a job at your own teenage son's school. Anything and everything you did had to be pre-planned and you had to make sure you did nothing that would embarass or socially cripple your child.

"No... it's not the team, dad." Troy's voice sounded beaten down. "I just.. did something I regret."

And boy did Troy regret it. His father had no idea what was going through his mind right now.

Troy couldn't get the picture of a naked Gabriella smiling happily up at him out of his head.

She seemed so proud of what they had done. 'Made love'.

Except it meant nothing. Meaningless sex.

It was the worst experience of his life.

Afterwards, he had rushed out but Gabriella hadn't seemed to notice his hurry. She was too busy floating around, picking up her clothes, in a complete dream-like state. The smile of satisfaction never left her face. She had kissed him goodbye on the cheek and then left him go.

The moment he had gotten home he had got into the shower and washed. It was worse then kissing your cousin. Everything about Gabriella, from the sound of her laugh to the playful mannerisms reminded him of the eleven year old girl next door. It was a big mistake sleeping with her. Troy knew that now.

Yet, something else was also troubling him. What Ryan had said...

"Well, if you do something you regret... then it's something you've done wrong." His father's voice was more serious now. "You have to make amends for it eventually."

"I guess..." Troy sighed. "It's just... complicated."

"It always is, son." His father smiled ironically.

Troy felt that he had to make amends. But how? He had already 'done the deed' as it were. He also regretted blowing off Ryan the way he had. Maybe if he had run out on Gabriella when Ryan had rung then things wouldn't have taken such a serious turn.

He regretted many things in his life but right now; this was making it on his list as number one biggest regret of all time. What made him even more ashamed and frustrated was that it was his first time. It should have been something that both he and Gabriella had wanted and enjoyed. It shouldn't have happened the way it did...

His father tossed the basketball at him and he absentmindedly caught it.

"So?" Jack stared expectantly at his son.

"Huh?" Troy blinked back into reality, confused.

"What have you done?" His father grimaced, preparing himself for the worst.

"It's... nothing I can sort out, dad." Troy sighed and turned his back on his father as he started to dribble. He mainly turned around because he could feel his face turning red hot. Sex was not something he wanted to discuss with his father. Not now. Not ever. It was just too weird an issue.

"You sure?" His father looked at him, as if trying to read his face.

Troy nodded a little.

He would have to talk to Gabriella. He didn't think he could ever touch her again... the entire experience had been too damaging. He didn't want to hurt her. He felt like such a coward, all day he had not responded to any of her phone calls. He decided he had to fix it. He was Troy Bolton. He wasn't the most perfect human being in the world but he was a team player and a leader. He knew that everything good came with responsibility and he also knew that someone had to take responsibility.

If there was one thing his parents had taught him right it was to always stand up and face the music; no matter how damaging or bad the consequences would be. The truth would set you free.

"I uh, I think I'm gonna go get some air." Troy nodded to himself, swallowing hard.

He tossed the basketball at his father and proceeded out of the backyard and onto the back-road of his street through their yard gate. His father watched him go, holding the basketball in one hand.

"You're already out - how much more air do you want?!" He called after Troy, a confused look spreading across his face.

Troy had already disappeared off into the dark shadows of the night.

Ryan wore a dark black hoodie which he had pulled up over his messy blonde hair. He was walking down the empty, dark streets of a neighbourhood he rarely ever visited.

The night was extremely cold and he pushed his hands into the pockets of his hoodie and breathed out deeply; he could see his breath in the air - it was freezing!

When he had left his house a little over half an hour ago, Sharpay had still not been back from school. In fact, she had called just before dinner to let his mother know that she was working 'overtime' on her performance and would be back before midnight at the latest.

Ryan knew Sharpay needed all the practise time she could get in but he also thought she needed a miracle if she was going to survive tomorrow night's performance. If it had been any other show at any other time, he would have allowed Sharpay to do something so insanely drastic. However, this was something that would make or break the future she had been planning for herself ever since they were kids.

He felt a little guilty as he walked down what he hoped was Troy Bolton's street. After all, Sharpay relied on him to protect her secret... to save her the 'shame'. But that was what had made him so angry and determined to come here tonight.

What had happened to Sharpay probably happened to millions of girls all over the world - but it had happened to his sister and so whenever he heard talk on the matter, it affected him deeply. He didn't think his sister was 'dirty' or a 'slut' in anyway, he didn't blame her for what happened. Instead, he felt sorry for her and he just wanted to take the bad memories and the pain away from her. He wanted to kill the man who had destroyed her life. He wanted to make everything OK.

Troy Bolton was a guy who was always surrounded by friends and girls - he got everyone's attention. He was a jock so popularity and good looks were on the menu for him. However, Ryan knew that there was more to Troy. A few years ago, if Ryan had set eyes on a girl like Gabriella Montez, he would have laughed his ass off at the thought of Troy even looking twice at her.

He guessed that's where Troy managed to surprise him and everyone else at the school.

So if Troy could connect to someone not because of their looks or their status but because of their personality... then surely he would understand what was going on with Sharpay and not judge her but want to help her, right?

Ryan had initially been itching to go to his parents but then he had realised Sharpay was right. Thier parents didn't deserve the pain and heartbreak... no one deserved to relive those sad, hurtful memories of the past. It also seemed to Ryan that if someone like Troy could understand and even be sympathetic to what had happened to his sister, then surely Sharpay would see that not the whole world was judgemental and cruel? Surely she would realise that she didn't need to hide the fact that she had been raped because it was not something to be ashamed of. She had been victimised. She just didn't see it that way...

Ryan was so caught up in his own thoughts that he didn't look up as he walked down the empty street and found himself colliding with a figure of about similar height. He felt himself being knocked back a little. He looked up, pulling off his hoodie off his hair.

"Woah!" The guy who had collided into him shrugged it off. "Sorry, man."

"Troy?" Ryan frowned, it was hard to make out the boy in front of him because there were barely any lights in the back streets.

"Ryan?"

It was Troy.

"Yeah, it's me." Ryan nodded.

"Uh, cool. Where were you heading...?" Troy queried. Ryan could sense that Troy was on his way somewhere and was only being polite in asking Ryan where he was going. The truth was, Troy couldn't care less; he undoubtedly had somewhere better to be.

"Well, uh, I was coming to see you actually." Ryan cleared his throat a little.

"Dude, if this is that Sharpay business again-" Troy shook his head and started to walk away but Ryan blocked his path.

"Please, man, just hear me out." Ryan persisted.

Troy stopped for a moment and looked down at his feet, as if thinking it over. Ryan backed off a little.

"What's this about?" Troy finally spoke; his voice was low and quiet.

"Uh... it's not exactly... it's not really something I can explain-"

"Right. Well, I'll be on my way then." Troy rolled his eyes, becoming impatient. He really didn't want to hear about Sharpay. He had just got the girl out of his head! He had bigger issues to deal with right now.

"Alright, alright." Ryan sighed. He had hoped he could explain the situation carefully and slowly to Troy so that he could process the severity of it but it seemed like that wasn't going to happen.

"You and Sharpay, you kissed." Ryan stated.

"Yeah, I got suckered." Troy shrugged uncaringly. "I wouldn't be the first guy in the world."

"No, Troy- Sharpay cares about you. She... she really does." Ryan explained. Troy gave a snort that was something between laughter and disbelief.

"Sharpay cares about herself. No one else." Troy corrected him.

"You don't understand. Those messages you guys were getting, those threats - they haven't gone away." Ryan was losing his patience with Troy's cocky attitude.

"Is that what this is about? The drama queen's in trouble and she's trying to drag me down withdid? She told me it was over and that I should not report it. Then she told me she'd used me... that her plan had worked."

Ryan became quiet. He knew his sister had exchanged harsh words with Troy but this sounded horrible. But then again, Troy had no idea about the horrors his sister had faced...

"Yeah, that's right." Troy nodded with satisfaction at the silenced Ryan. "Sharpay is nothing but a conniving little bitch. I'm glad to be rid of her and all of her problems."

Something red-hot and fiery blew up in Ryan and in one smooth swinging motion, he found his right arm arching up and his right fist connecting with Troy's face. It was over in a flash. With a bang, Troy went flying back against the wall of someone's house.

"What the fuck?!" Troy's eyes widened as he wiped something wet from the bottom of his lip away with the back of his hand. It was too dark for him to tell if it was blood.

"Fuck you!" Ryan screamed. "You don't know anything, you're a pig-ignorant little fuck."

Ryan was filled with rage although a lot of his aggression had been released when he punched Troy. Troy was surprised by Ryan's force. He was even more surprised with the amount of anger the boy seemed to have harnessed within him. Ryan had always been the meek, quiet little boy in the back of class who never spoke and was always seen carrying his sister's books for her or being screamed at by her for something he had done wrong.

"You punched me!" Troy was half-amazed and half-angry.

"Listen to me." Ryan moved in front of Troy; his voice was more controlled now rather then hysterical. "When we were twelve years old, we went on holiday with one of our dad's work colleagues. Near the end of vacation, the police arrived and told us that the man was a con-man; he ran away with half of our dad's companies finances... and he... he raped Sharpay."

Troy let in a sharp intake of breath. His eyes widened. He opened his mouth to say something but the words wouldn't come.

All his angry thoughts of an evil, laughing Sharpay immediately disappeared out of his head with a quick, bright flash. Instead, he was replaced with tons of questions swirling through his mind and all kinds of mixed up emotions.

Sharpay had been raped... Sharpay, twelve year old Sharpay. By some... man. How did he not know? How was it that no one knew? She didn't look like someone who... she just didn't look like the type. She was so normal. He didn't know anything about rape or about victims of it. He knew that was disgusting and that it should never happen. Something inside him shifted as he heard Ryan speak those words. Sharpay had been hurt by some man when she was just a child... when she was most vulnerable. And yet, she was so lively, enthusiastic and full of attitude. Wasn't that the bravest kind of person? Someone who could go on living even when faced with something like that...

Ryan knew that Troy was feeling sorry for Sharpay at the moment. His feelings were written all across his face. He almost regretted punching the guy. He now had Troy's undivided attention and decided to take advantage of it.

"The person who caught you guys kissing on camera... they threatened to tell Sharpay's secret to everyone. She's worked so hard to put it behind her, to forget it all - you don't know what happened to our family after..." Ryan shook his head, Troy was looking at him. "Nothing is ever the same again. This person knew everything... they knew about the rape when no one in town really does. So the conniving bitch that you met? That wasn't my sister. That was an act. She had to get away from you because she didn't want you to know. She doesn't want anyone to know."

"Why does she need to hide?" Troy sounded almost frustrated. "What did she do that was so wrong?"

Ryan wanted to smile and almost hug Troy at that moment. He knew Troy would see things logically. He just knew. If he ever had to pick a replacement brother for Sharpay, at that moment, he would have said Troy without a doubt.

"Nothing. She did nothing but... come on, man. We have no idea what the hell something like that does to someone." Ryan shrugged.

Troy nodded a little. He thought back to the day Sharpay had punched a hole through his heart with her hurtful, disgusting words. He had truly believed her to be evil. Yet, deep down inside she had been hurting, she had been in so much pain and so consumed by past memories... She needed someone by her side but instead he had walked away. He didn't take time to see past her facade and see the hurt within. He hated himself at that moment.

He had let her go through something so traumatic alone. He didn't think he ever deserved to be forgiven for that. At that moment, he just wanted to sit down and reflect on his own idotic actions and beat himself up over it.

But then he remembered what his father had said to him only a few moments before he had bumped into Ryan. He had told Troy to face up to the consequences and to try and make the best out of a situation. To act at the moment that he could act. And he could act at that moment. The person was still trying to hurt Sharpay and he could still help her through it.

"So... this person. They know? And they're still threatening to tell?" Troy asked, looking up at Ryan.

"Yeah. Tomorrow's the big Autumn Musicale and someone from UCLA is going to be there - it's Sharpay's dream to go to college there." Ryan sighed. "We got a message on MySpace from the same person telling her that she had to drop any 'helpers' from the show. That means me and Kelsi and anyone else."

Troy frowned a little. He didn't really understand the seriousness of such a situation. Sharpay was a natural-born drama-freak. She was made for the spotlight. She got off on standing in front of crowds of people and singing her heart out. She was definately UCLA material and with or without back-up dancers; anyone from UCLA would be able to tell she belonged at that college.

"I don't get it." Troy shrugged. "It's Sharpay... she'll manage."

"She won't. She has no song. We were going to do Humua Humua but Sharpay can't perform it without me. So now she's trying to do The Music In Me... alone." Ryan shook his head, depressed.

Troy flashed back to Lava Springs and the weird ritual-like performance about a fish that Sharpay and Ryan had performed for him. He had been weirded out as hell but had managed to laugh his ass off about it later on. There was no doubt about it; these two were hilarious on stage.

Then again, Troy remembered singing The Music In Me. It had been a difficult song for him to learn let alone perform. The tempo was upbeat which was something he wasn't used to with Kelsi's song and Gabriella's style of singing. He had got into the song a little more half way through however. As Troy recalled the performance, he was reminded of the three back-up singers Sharpay had had assisting him. They had been key to continuing the rhythm of the song and keeping the song alive.

Maybe Sharpay wouldn't be as successful alone...

"She won't be as successful alone." Ryan echoed his thoughts. "And this... this sicko knows that. They're deliberately sabotaging her life."

Troy ran a hand through his hair. It was all a little bit too much for him to take in.

"I guess..." Troy agreed.

Ryan folded his arms across his chest with a determined look on his face. "The question is, what are we going to do about it?"

"We're... we're going to help Sharpay." Troy nods.

"How?" Ryan frowned.

Troy shrugged a little. "We'll... we'll think of something."

Ryan nodded.

The two boys stood there in the middle of a dark, empty street behind a row of houses as the gentle pitter-patter of rain began to fall all around them.

AN: I am totally in the writing zone again! I'm addicted to writing! This is my fourth or fifth(?) update today and I feel so energised by the storylines. Lots more coming up! Keep checking back for updates. I am definately BACK with a BANG. I am so eager to finish 'Music In Me' as I have already started planning the sequel 'Unlove You'!!!! Just let me know if your liking this or not. L)