Hi darlings!! Here is a new chapter. I'm really sorry for taking so long to update. To my reviewers, I know I said update would be up on Friday, however I faced some… problems. I apologize deeply.
So, anyway, thanks to my lovely reviewers: krfan, anothersmallperson, Sony89, digigirl02, Ronmione x3, jenpen1027, KiNoMoTo18 and EMMA.
HSM belongs to Disney. Chapter title comes from Enrique Iglesias' song by the same name. As in previous chapter, just a little friendly warning: beware of the Ryella!
Chapter 55
Do you know what it feels like…?
Gabriella was a good dance partner, even if she had never been professionally trained for ballroom dancing. The way she slide across the floor and the smoothness of her movements, made her dance quite likeable. She learned fast, had the right posture for most dances and was eager to learn, which Ryan always thought was a bonus. And she was pretty, which was another extra.
Ryan was pleased with the progress they were making. Gabriella easiness to learn the steps was helping him greatly to put up the choreography. Kelsi wasn't talking (or even looking) at them; at some point it was almost as they were alone in the room. The pianist's whole focus was solely on providing them with music and that proved to be working, because they show was coming out neatly.
However, the melody she was playing… Ryan found it familiar but couldn't quite place it. He didn't give too much thought however, because he couldn't afford to get side-tracked. So he just kept on dancing, not worrying at all about the song.
"I'll be right back" Kelsi announced suddenly "I'm just gonna get some water. Want something?"
He shook his head and figured Gabby did the same; he was facing the wall trying to figure out his next step and he wasn't really paying attention to the females. The moment Kelsi left the room, inspiration hit him.
He held Gabriella's hands and made a swing-step; the movement was so sudden that the girl tripped and fell "Are you alright?" he asked worriedly, helping her up. She smiled gently.
"Yeah, never mind it" she said, standing up. She didn't seem to have hurt herself but there was something in her eyes that worried Ryan. He held her chin, making eye-contact with the braniac and the female blushed lightly "W-what…?"
"Are you alright?" he repeated, thinking, for the first time in the night, of something that wasn't the show.
"I've already told you…" he locked eyes with her and she suddenly felt the burning sensation of tears in the corner of her eyes. It was as if he could read her very soul and although Gabriella didn't feel very comfortable, she decided she could trust him with her 'problems' "Well, actually… it's a silly thing really, but I… well…"
"Is about Troy, isn't it?"
She sighed and rested her head against his chest "Yeah, I guess so. I know I should be angry at him for his behavior but all I can feel is concern" she grasped the front of his shirt and closed her eyes, fighting back tears "The truth is I don't wanna lose him. Despite everything; I can't lose him. I just won't resist it"
"Then don't" he whispered, petting her hair, trying to calm her down "If you still want him, fight for him. Trust me Gabby; you don't want to wake up every morning for the rest of your life wondering 'what if…' Love is too valuable to throw it away because of a single misunderstanding"
"It's not just a misunderstanding, Ryan. He's clearly willing to leave us all behind and follow your sister around; maybe because of the scholarship, maybe because he wants her, I don't know! And I don't care to know! All I want to do is stop this hurt inside and… and…" she sobbed and he held her closer.
"I know breaking up seems like the easiest solution. But it won't stop the pain, it would just make it more unbearable" he told her, tracing circles on her back, soothing her "If you don't want to give up on him, then don't. He might come to his senses soon enough"
"Or maybe this is his true self" she argued bitterly.
"Still, you would have learned a lesson" he smiled gently "what makes real love so valuable is the fact that it isn't easy to find… or keep"
"For being a Casanova, you're sounding very mature Ryan"
He let out a bitter laugh "As I told you, I've been in love once. I was foolish enough to lose her… it's a hell I wouldn't want anyone to suffer" and with that, realization hit him.
The song Kelsi had been playing; she had speeded up the tempo a little and changed some notes and maybe it was a little longer now. But he was all too familiar with it.
It was 'everyday'.
Gabriella left ten minutes before Kelsi because Taylor went looking for her. The composer had to stay and she continued playing music for Ryan, even though it was obvious none of them were thinking of the show anymore.
"I'm surprised you picked that song" she didn't say a word and continued arranging her music sheets inside her bag "I would have thought you would much rather keep it in secret"
"It's a good song" she argued, flipping her bag over her shoulder "And we don't have time for me to come up with another one"
"Still, it's our song angel"
"It's mine" she protested, now standing in the room's threshold "I wrote it, I decide who to give it"
"We can't run from out past any longer; sooner or later, we'll have to face what we still feel for each other"
"Goodnight, Ryan" she uttered, leaving in a rush.
"Goodnight, my angel of music"
Another sleepless night and he was quite sure he would end up with very dark rings under his eyes. Also, his mood would be sour and he most likely end up acting bad-tempered. Still, it couldn't be helped. He needed to start dealing with his feelings because when Kelsi was ready to talk about hers, he wanted to be too.
It would make things much easier and less awkward.
He finished dressing himself and stared at his reflection in the mirror. Red wasn't really his color, he decided, but sacrifices must be made. He smiled and walked outside his room, hoping he wouldn't run into Sharpay. He wasn't sure he could explain her why was he wearing red and white…
He headed straight to the pool and, as expected, Gabriella was there. She was busy 'cleaning' the pool and was just wearing her swimsuit and a jacket. Ryan thought she looked just fine and immediately slapped himself mentally. He shouldn't be thinking about her that way. Gabriella was just his friend; he was going to help her through this whole Troy-business and that was as close as he would get to her. Nothing more.
"Looking good!" he greeted and once again slapped himself mentally. That was so ambiguous…
"Wow, Wildcat!" she exclaimed, with a huge grin.
"Too much?" he asked and panicked when he realized he was sounding desperate for her approval. Not too smooth and certainly, not behaving as a friend should.
"Ah… only in daylight" she joked and he felt a slight blush creeping over his cheeks. No, this certainly wasn't going as it was supposed to "East High's colors. Very impressive"
It was some sort of compliment, he guessed. Lately, their conversations had gone awkward. Where was all the ease and flirtiness they both had at the very beginning of their 'friendship'? "Hey, be true to your school, right?"
"Absolutely" more uncomfortable silence. Why were they acting all nervous around each other? Friends shouldn't be like that! "Everyone's excited about doing the show" she informed him and he grinned. Those were good news; very good news indeed. Now, if only those nasty butterflies stop going wild inside his stomach, he might be able to concentrate!
"Hey, I know everyone thinks that I'm Sharpay's poodle but I really think I could…" not the best thing to say but it was the first thing he could think of saying. Besides, he was really worried about the other Wildcats' opinion. However, before he could conclude, Gabriella interrupted him.
"Hey, if they were thinking that, they're not thinking that today" Oh, the way she reassured him…! She was really a sweet girl; he wondered if Sharpay would have ended being like that if they hadn't met Ashley on their first year in Junior East High.
Most likely, but now he would never know, right?
"How do you do that swing-step you did last night?" she inquired and he smiled. That was bound to kill the awkwardness! Or so he hoped…
"That's easy" he said and held her hands, doing the step effortlessly. He ended with his arms around her and he felt something stirring inside him. A familiar warmness that made him feel quite uncomfortable and a little vulnerable. He couldn't harbor a crush on Gabriella Montez for a very simple reason: He couldn't afford to get his heart broken all over again.
And then Troy showed up. Perfect! Seemed like he wouldn't need to worry anymore about pining for Gabriella.
He was already dead.
After surviving (somehow) Troy's wrath, Ryan was confident that it was his lucky day. He still had work to do before he could meet with the rest of the Wildcats and teach them the steps for the show but he was quite sure that he would figure them out before lunch. After all, he knew the melody already.
As he approached to the music room, he realized someone was playing. That someone being, without a doubt, Kelsi. He almost turned around and ran away but figured that would be cowardice.
And he was no coward.
"Once in a lifetime/ means there is no second chance" she sang softly and bit her lip, closing her eyes "so I believe…" she squeezed her eyes shut, trying to contain tears but hardly succeeding "I just can't do this…" she whispered to herself, pressing a bunch of keys out of pure frustration.
"I still think we should do another song" he said, standing by the door, waiting for her 'permission' to come closer "a song without so much meaning"
"I always write what I feel, Ryan" she argued, turning around to face him "shouldn't you be at the pool, flirting with Gabby?"
"Kels…"
"You know what angers me the most?" she asked, glaring slightly "Seeing how foolish I've been, thinking I was somewhat special to you. But I was just another girl, wasn't I?"
"Of course you weren't…!"
"Don't lie to me" she whispered bitterly, standing up "don't you dare to lie to me. I always believed that, at some point, you would come around and realize how much of a mistake breaking up was. But that's just not gonna happen. So we're going to do this song because it's meaningless now" she walked towards the door and passed him by "I'll leave you alone, Mr. Choreographer, so you can get down to work!"
He didn't know what hurt the most. The fact that she was so mad at him or the fact that she might be right.
She wasn't right, he decided. She was special to him. Beyond special, actually. Irreplaceable. Unique. The love of his life. Rowena had been his first girlfriend. He was quite fond of his other ex girlfriends. And he had a small crush on Gabriella. But no one would ever take Kelsi's place in his heart.
And he was such a fool for not realizing it earlier. He understood it now, but didn't know how useful the knowledge could be. She was so angry that she might never believe him. And even if she did, it might not be enough to get her back. It might be too late.
True love happens once in a lifetime. And once in a lifetime means there's no second chance.
"Hey! Here you are! I've been looking for you!" Gabriella smiled kindly and sat next to him. Ryan smiled back, but it was such a sorrowful smile that the girl felt deeply concerned for him "Is everything alright?"
"May I ask you a question?"
"Yeah, you may" she answered, holding back the mocking response of 'you've already ask one' because it was obvious he was being serious.
"Hypothetically; if you and Troy got into this huge and rather stupid fight and split up but he came to his senses later and asked for your forgiveness, would you forgive him?"
Gabriella sighed and looked around. She tapped her fingers against the piano for a couple of seconds, thinking long and hard before responding "Most likely"
"Why?"
"Well, you said yourself. True love is too valuable to simply throw it away"
"So now you're certain it's true love"
The female laughed "Maybe not. However, we're teenagers, Ryan. Troy is my high school's sweetheart and I'm deeply convinced my life would end without him" she winked at him "that's the way relationships work when you're this young"
He looked at her and couldn't help to chuckle. She was really adorable. And Troy should be more careful with her because he was going to regret losing her "I guess so…"
"Relax Ryan, whatever you did; I'm sure you can persuade her into forgiving you"
"How did you…?"
"It's just so damn obvious" she argued, standing up "I need to go now, my break is almost over and I still need to get something to eat. See you later?"
"Sure" he said and the girl headed towards the door "Gabby, wait!" he called and she turned around, smiling "Just another hypothetical question; if by the time Troy came around you had another boyfriend…"
"I'll still choose him; as wrong as it might sound, I'll choose him over anyone"
"You know, I think Kelsi was just having a very stressful day"
Ryan stared at Gabriella, taken aback by her sudden statement. She was back to work and he decided to pay her a visit at the pool, since he couldn't concentrate on the show anyway "I'm not following you"
"Oh, she told Martha she got in an argument with you" the braniac explained "apparently, she was being unusually quiet and the guys decided to ask her what was wrong… so she told Martha she was feeling very frustrated about how rehearsals with Sharpay were going and she had a fight with you and… well, too much stress"
"Oh" he said, non-too-smartly and Gabriella smirked a bit.
She knew Kelsi had something to do with Ryan's 'hypothetical' questions. And she would find out what exactly.
"Hey Zeke!"
"Oh, hi Gabs. What's up?" the boy turned to face her, with a grin on his face. It was dinner time, so most of the kitchen's staff was working at the tables.
"Would you tell the guys we're meeting tomorrow at 11 o'clock at the music room for rehearsal?"
"Sure thing!" the backer boy exclaimed and turned his attention back to the cake he was preparing "Everyone's so excited about this, Gabs. I can't believe you talked all us into doing it"
"Well, that's not entirely on me. Ryan and Kelsi also helped"
"Yeah… it does mean a lot to Kelsi" the boy stated, with a somewhat dreamingly smile "If she had asked us, I think we would have complied"
"Especially you" she gave him a secretive smile and Zeke couldn't help to feel a bit uneasy about that.
"What are you insinuating, Gabby?"
"Oh, come on, you and Kelsi are really close…"
"She's like a sister to me" he argued "she's like a sister to all of us. And she's my best friend's girlfriend!"
"Okay, here's the thing" Gabriella said "I was trying to be subtle and get you to tell me the truth but I guess it's not gonna be any use and I really don't have the time" Zeke arched his eyebrows lightly; wondering what was she rambling about "what happened between Ryan and Kelsi?"
The boy froze. Did she know something? Surely Ryan wouldn't… of course; they had been spending a lot of time together but… "When?"
"Oh, don't play games with me Zeke! There is something going on between them and I want to know what!"
"Don't you think you should concentrate on your own relationship?" the boy asked, knowing it was quite rude but deciding it was the safer move he could do.
Just then, Chad and Jason walked in and Gabriella sighed, defeated "This isn't over" she warned jokingly and walked away "Don't forget to tell the guys about the rehearsal!"
Gabriella walked into the music room, feeling somewhat depressed. She had tried calling Troy last night and had gotten no answer. She had searched for him that morning and still nothing. She hoped he wasn't avoiding her, because that would mean…
"Hi Kelsi" she greeted, after spotting the petite female behind the piano "No one here yet, huh?"
"Ryan came in a while ago" she explained, shrugging "after seeing I was the only one here, he decided to go and get some water. Or something like that"
"Oh, don't worry Playmaker" the braniac said, sensing the other girl's sadness "I don't think he's mad at whatever you told him yesterday"
Kelsi rolled her eyes "Oh, I think he is. And has every right to, actually. I shouldn't…"
"Hey, you were having a bad day. It could happen to anyone" Gabriella leaned against the piano and smiled lightly "Besides, I don't think Ryan could stay mad at you" she winked and the composer felt a blush spreading across her cheeks, making the other female chuckle.
They stood in silence for a while, before Gabriella remembered she was 'on a quest' to 'reveal the truth'; she smirked a bit "Say Kels; if, hypothetically, you had a boyfriend that you loved with all your heart but because of a misunderstanding you broke up and later he came back, asking for your forgiveness, would you grant it to him?"
"Well, I guess so" the brunette responded, thinking Gabriella was referring to herself and Troy "I believe everyone deserves a second chance, especially in love-matters…"
"And if you had a boyfriend by the time he came around…?" Kelsi paled. Why did she have the feeling this 'questioning' had nothing to do with her friends?
"I-I… w-well, I guess I might… I mean, it would depend on… well… I-I…"
"Wow Kels, I don't think I have seen you this red since the first time Mrs. Darbus forced you into acting!" Ryan exclaimed, having just entered the room. Gabriella contained a groan, he couldn't me more inopportune!
The pianist blushed some more, before hiding her face between her arms, making Ryan chuckle. Gabriella sighed. She had been so close!
The rehearsal was going just fine. Kelsi was quite satisfied with the modifications she had made to the original song. Ryan was right; she couldn't have used it the way it was because it did mean a lot to her. To them. But with these slight changes…
She was still having a hard time trying not to check out Ryan the whole time. Damn, did he have to look that good while rehearsing? It should be illegal! Seriously, how was she supposed to concentrate when he was looking so fine?!
From the corner of her eye, she could have sworn she saw Troy staring at them. However, when she turned around to get a better look, he wasn't there anymore. She frowned. Perhaps it was just her imagination but…
Oh, wait a second. Why the hell was Ryan holding Gabriella's hand? Damn that woman! And people wondered why Sharpay loathed her. Not that she disliked the braniac too; but sometimes she wanted to strangle her so badly…
Focus, focus! It's almost over, anyway.
Yeah, she would cling to that hope.
The guys' break-time was over, so everyone had to go back to work. Ryan sighed and said goodbye to some of them, while people started to leave the room. He hugged Gabriella (in a very friendly manner, he kept telling to himself) and then he did something quite stupid.
He kissed the top of her hand. It could have been a perfectly harmless gesture, if it wasn't for the warmness that spread across his body the moment his lips made contact with her skin. This crush was getting out of control to quickly for his liking…
He turned around to say something to Kelsi ('congratulations' or something like that), yet she was already leaving. Gabriella had told him that the brunette was just too stressed, but he had the slight suspicion that she really meant what she told him about the song.
And the way she passed him by, without even looking at him, confirmed it.
"I said keep an eye on them, not turn them into the cast of Grease!" oh-oh. Big evil dragon had just found out about their participation on the show. Great, as if he didn't have enough trouble…
"Pretty cool, huh?" time to look calm and composed. He wouldn't let her make him felt guilty. She had brought this upon herself.
"Do you want to lose our Star Dazzle Award to a bunch of dishwashers?"
That was too inconsiderate. They were working hard (unlike Troy, by the way) and they still found time to practice for the show. And they were good, so… "Us?" and that just cynicism "I guess that's showbiz"
"When did you become one of them?" she asked and looked seriously puzzled. Ryan contained his comeback of 'since you backstabbed me' because he did care about his sister… even if she was being a real bitch.
"You know, I'll take that as a compliment" he smirked "But you and Troy have a nice show, sis" and he walked away, trying to avoid further confrontation.
"Oh, we plan to" he just took a deep breath and walked away. He really didn't want to argue.
Later that day, Sharpay strolled across the halls towards her room, fighting her mixed emotions. A part of her was terribly angry at Ryan and very disappointed. The other part of her understood him and actually felt disappointed of herself. She was the older twin; it was her job to look after her baby brother. She had always told him they were a team and no matter what, they would stick together. Then she had simply turned her back at him and at their promise. So she was the only one to blame.
She sighed. Still, she was pretty sure Ms. Goody had something to do with her twin's recent behavior. She just knew that Gabriella had talked him into helping them with the show. And then another thought assaulted her.
Ryan had always been somewhat attracted to Gabriella. And since Sharpay had left him alone most of the summer in order to be with Troy, she supposed there was a chance that he had filled her absence with the braniac's presence. Therefore, there was the possibility that…
No. Never that.
If her suspicion was correct, she was doomed. Forget about getting Troy, saving her brother from Ms. Goody's claws was far more important. Desperate times call for desperate measures. She couldn't win Ryan back if she didn't get rid of Gabriella.
Well then, time to crush her.
The water was too hot for her taste, but hot water is supposed to help you relax. And Sharpay knew that was exactly what she needed. Relaxing was the only way to save all her energies and god knew she was going to need them later…
She still didn't know how she was going to convince her parents not to interfere with her plan. This was a little too much and her mother was bound to think that she was stepping outside her boundaries. Promoting Troy was a thing, but forbidding the whole junior staff from participating in the summer's show…
Unless she didn't tell them. After all, her parents had gone to L.A. for an extra-quick business meeting. They wouldn't find out until it was too late… Sure, her mother would make her life a living hell after that but she guessed she could handle it.
What she wouldn't be able to handle was having Ms. Goody as sister-in-law.
"The Midsummer's night talent show means something to me and my family" Sharpay stated, entering Fulton's office, much to the man's surprise. He didn't like her tone at all… "Those Wildcats will turn into a farce"
"I'm…" the club's administrator had no clue of what to say. He had thought Ms. Evans had given the matter of her schoolmates working there a rest but obviously, she hadn't. What to do? "Your brother is one of those Wildcats, I'm told"
"Oh, don't you mention that traitor to us" unknowingly to Mr. Fulton, by that single statement, he had angered the girl more.
"Employee involvement in the show is a tradition here" he argued, trying to change her mind, even if he knew once Sharpay had made up her mind…
There was no way of changing it "Traditions change" she objected, shrugging "My parents have important guest coming. We'll need every employee working at the party, not on the stage"
"Pardon moi; but we're not just talking about employees; we're talking about your classmates. You might one to think this out"
He didn't know her at all, did he? Okay, she would amuse him "Alright" she looked away, pretending to be thinking "Done. Now do it" she commanded and turned around, not allowing the older to say another word on the matter.
The last thing she needed was the manager's sermon.
Meanwhile, Kelsi, Taylor, Martha and Gabriella had just arrived to the club. Today was supposed to be a regular day, previous to the show. They were hoping to get as much rehearsing time as they could but there was no guaranty they would be able to make it.
Besides, Gabby hadn't learned the lyrics for the show's song. Actually, Kelsi hadn't given them to her, because she was still trying to work out some parts. Still, she guessed she should and hope for the best.
Otherwise, they wouldn't be ready for the show.
"Hey, Gabby!" The other girl turned around, with a kind smile on her lips. Kelsi bit her lip; honestly, how could she compete against her? "Here, take this" she practically tossed the music sheet at her but as always, the braniac kept smiling. Seriously, with each passing day, Kelsi was understanding (and pitying) her ex-sister-in-law a bit more…
"What's this?"
"The lyrics for the show's song" the brunette explained, trying her best not to strangle the other "I thought that while you were at the pool you could memorize them…"
"Sure" the other exclaimed enthusiastically, seeing Ryan had just passed them by; so lost in his own world that didn't even notice them "See you later!"
And off she went. The pianist sighed. Listening to Gabriella singing 'everyday' with Ryan was going to be her biggest challenge yet.
"Hey you!"
"Oh, hi Gabby" Ryan said, not very enthusiastically.
"What's wrong?" she asked, concerned.
"Nothing really… Although I'm a bit worried" he explained "Sharpay and I had… an argument, yesterday. I certainly hope she's not up to something, then again…"
"Relax" she said, rubbing his arm encouragely "I'm sure we have nothing to worry about. What's the worst she could do, anyway?"
He shrugged "I guess you're right…" he smiled and placed his arm around her shoulders "So, what's that?"
"These?" she asked, holding up the music sheets Kelsi had just given her "Oh, the show's song's lyrics. Wanna rehearse later?"
"Yeah… I'll see you around, okay?"
Gabriella nodded her head and watched him go. Something was very odd about Ryan's behavior this morning. Should she worry? Well, maybe; however, what was she supposed to do?
"You know, Ms. Gabrielle, just because you're friends with Mr. Evans Jr. you shouldn't laze around…" Javier whispered, while he made his way to the pool.
The girl blushed and followed him. He was right; she should worry more about not getting fired.
"Once in a lifetime/means there's no second chance/ so I believe that you and me/ should grab it while we can" she sang softly, pausing to take a sip of water "make it last forever/and never give it back…"
"It's our turn now and I'm loving where we're at"
"Hi Ryan!" she smiled excitedly "You seem to be familiar with the melody"
He shrugged "A little" Gabriella gave him a questioning look, but he pretended not to see it "I was wondering, how are things between you and Troy?"
She looked away and let her gaze wander over her surroundings. Unconsciously, she hugged herself, giving Ryan a very good idea of how things between her and Troy were going.
"Not good, huh?"
"To be perfectly honest, I haven't seen him in a while" she pulled her legs closer, resting her head over her knees, avoiding eye-contact with the boy "He's busy with his new position and the scholarship and all that…"
"Would you say your feeling abandoned?" she nodded her head "so, if someone, let's say, asked you out you would say…?"
She giggled, but it was a very sad giggle that made Ryan think she was trying to hid a sob "Heck, yeah! Who wouldn't?"
"I thought you said you believed Troy was your 'true love' or something like that"
"He puts everything else over me. I feel that I don't know him anymore… that's not the man I fell in love with, Ryan. Hence, I owe him nothing, including love and loyalty" she sighed and turned her head to face him "this is about this girl of yours, isn't it?"
He rubbed the back of his neck nervously "Am I that obvious?"
"Well, it was either thinking that or thinking you're asking me out so…"
"Oh, don't get me wrong, Gabs! You're very pretty and nice but… umm… I couldn't… well; you and my sister are too much alike for my comfort…"
"Me and Sharpay are alike? I don't know if I should be laughing or feeling offended" she laughed while he blushed "Anyway; tell me about your girl. Why did you break up?"
"Routine. I guess we got bored and…"
"How do you get bored of 'the love of your life'? What's wrong with you?!" she practically screamed, arching her eyebrows.
"I got distant. Because… well, after a while, I started thinking we already knew everything about each other; there was nothing left to do or say so there was pointless spending too much time together" he looked away "I was obviously mistaken"
"Of course you were" she sat up straight, crossing her arms over her chest "you never finish getting to know a person. Besides, when you're in love, you can't think of a single thing that would be more important that being with your 'significant other'. Man, you're twisted"
He chuckled "Yeah, I guess so. In any case; I let her go. And not a single day goes by without me regretting it"
"Why don't you tell her?"
"Well, here's the other thing. I got distant and she started seeing someone else. So, it's also a pride matter…"
"Boys are stupid" the female stated, rolling her eyes "listen; as someone who knows how it feels to be alone even when you're supposed to have a boyfriend I can understand what she went through. It's not a justification, but I firmly believe you can sort it out. You just need to tell her how you feel… and listen to how she feels. It would save you lot of time and effort. And pain"
He nodded his head "Maybe. Now, would you like me to listen as you ramble about Troy?"
She stared at him for a couple of seconds. Finally, she shook her head "No. You don't need to hear my problems, Ry. You have your own"
Gabriella tapped her fingers against the metal table, watching Kelsi. Jason was sitting next to her, having his dinner. She wondered if he suspected there was something fishy about his girlfriend's relationship with Ryan. Perhaps he knew something; after all, in Gabriella's experience, ex-boyfriends is a subject you're bound to talk about with your present partner.
Then again, Jason didn't seem like the kind of boy who would make such questions. And certainly Kelsi was as eager as Ryan to keep their 'relationship' secret. So, her only chance of finding out if Kelsi was (as she suspected) the girl Ryan kept talking about, was interrogating Zeke.
Just then, Taylor walked in. And she made an important announcement. And with that, all of Gabriella's other thoughts disappeared and she could only feel rage.
Oh, Sharpay was getting a piece of her mind!
Kelsi paced around the kitchen, feeling like a caged lion. Or maybe like a caged deer; she certainly didn't feel fierce enough to be a lion. But a deer can cause some damage, when provoked. And the gods knew she had been provoked!
But no matter what animal she was, she was still caged. Therefore, she couldn't attack. Oh, but how badly she wanted to! How dare Sharpay do that? She had endured all the things the blond had put her through: she had let her steal her song, murder it and look down at her during the last couple weeks. She had bear with it because she had thought they were going to do the show and that was enough for her. But now…
"Hey guys, why the long faces?" Ryan asked, having just walked into the kitchen. Kelsi groaned and push him out of her way, deciding she needed to do something.
And right now, knocking some sense into Troy sounded like a marvelous idea.
"TROY BOLTON!"
Everyone in the locker's room turned around, watching the petite girl that had just screamed. No one would believe that in such a small body, such strong lungs could be. Troy stared at her, feeling strangely scared. She was glaring at him with so much intensity… He didn't even know she was capable of glaring that way.
"What's up, Playmaker?"
"Oh, don't sweet-talk me, you… you… traitor!" she said, walking towards him, pushing him against his locker "how could you do this to us?!"
"I don't know…"
"You know perfectly what I'm talking about! Now, you go out of here immediately and talk to Gabriella before you lose her forever!"
He seemed hesitant so she just glared some more. Finally, he left. Kelsi sighed and rested her back against Troy's locker.
"Wow. I'm not sure I would like to be around here when you run this place, Mrs. Evans Jr." Javier stated, jokingly "you sure can be more bossy than Ms. Evans"
I'm not sure whether or not I like the last part of this chapter. However, I'm quite happy with the rest of it, although I'm not sure if it fits the rest of the fic. Let me know your opinion.
So good news are next chapter will be the last with Ryella in it. As you noticed, this one has more Ryelsi to make up for the 'torture' you've been enduring…
Anyway, as always, thanks for reading. And if there's something not understandable or that you think would be better otherwise, let me know.
See you soon!!
