Thank you to everybody who has made it through so far. You're all absolutely lovely. Thank you for the kudos as well. I promise this day is finally over with this chapter. Everybody has a chaos day at least once in their life; the group is having a chaos week. We have a few in the story. The Thanksgiving arc is probably 30% of Book one of the series. It's even worse now that I decided to incorporate Ryan, Gabriella, and Taylor's adventures into the mix. Now that I'm a lot closer to 40 than I am to 19, I must spend more time with my age group. It's necessary.

Mood music: We are going with the Backstreet Boys mix this time with OK, New Love, Chances, How Did I Fall In Love With You, and Something That I Already Know. The title comes from the song OK.

Chapter 39: As long as I'm with you, I'm OK

New York evening

Wednesday, November 26, 2008

(We are almost done with this day, I promise.)

If Gabriella could find another hotel in Manhattan, she would be out of here. She definitely didn't want to stay in a place owned by Troy's new girlfriend's family. Her picture greeted Gabriella when she walked into the lobby after abandoning Ryan and Taylor. Apparently, Kimberly Bolton was just named the future heir to the Corporation per the notice in the lobby. (What the fuck is up with that last name?) She was so pretty Gabriella wanted to throw up. Gabriella can't compete with a future billionaire.

She actually set her alarm to wake up at 2 AM already. Gabriella doesn't want to stay in this place a moment longer. Maybe she should just go now. The airport had bars, at least. Gabriella was considering the idea when her phone rang. It was Madison.

"I'm only picking up the phone to yell at you," Gabriella said into the receiver.

"You still picked up. That is better than Troy." Madison sounded bitter.

"He is probably too busy fucking Kimberly. Her picture is in the lobby of the hotel now, announcing that she is heir apparent. Her last name is also Bolton." Gabriella will not think about why her last name is now Bolton, not at all.

"That went public quickly. I'm so sorry." Madison almost sounded genuine.

"I'm glad I overheard Ryan's conversation first; otherwise, I would have been completely blindsided. Why did you lie to me and tell me that Ryan was interested in me when you know full well he was probably just conspiring with my mom to get me into treatment?" Gabriella practically yelled at Madison.

"Because I'm worried about you."

"You don't have to be worried about me. I'm fine." Liar.

"You just found out your boyfriend is now with a billionaire hotel heiress. No one would be fine under the circumstances." Madison argued.

"Well, I am.

"And that's why your Prozac is in the trash? My sister said the same thing, and then she swallowed a whole bottle of pills and never woke up. I know you may not like me, but I don't hate you. I really would like to avoid picking up a dead body from the floor again." Madison told her.

"I'm not your sister." Gabriella spat back.

"I know you're not. And you're not your aunt. But that doesn't mean that you don't need a little help every once in a while. There's nothing wrong asking for help."

"You know?" Gabriella asked, shocked.

"That you witnessed your aunt's suicide? Yes. Your mom and I are members of the same club. It's why I volunteered when Troy asked for my help. So yes, Maria told me. But I was already in this before I knew about that because I don't trust Mercedes." Madison explained.

"Because you hate her." It was no secret that Madison and Mercedes despised each other.

"Because she makes Kathryn from Cruel Intentions seem like a good person. I know you don't want to hear this, but she was deliberately trying to break you and Troy up."

"Which wouldn't be that hard because Troy is apparently with Kim. She took his last name. Why would she take his last name?" He wouldn't have eloped already, would he?

"I know, and I knew before the press release. You have to ask Troy about that." Oh, fuck! He probably is already married to her. Madison is too nice of a person to tell her that over the phone, even if she knew.

"If he told you, he should've told me. I would ask him, but his lawyer is now responding to all his calls." Gabriela replied bitterly.

"I completely agree. Next time I see Troy, I will smack him upside the head for you. Nice to know you're getting the lawyer too." It will wasn't just her. That was good to know, at least.

"Should I thank you?" Gabriella asked bitterly.

"I'm trying to actually be your friend because I feel like you need one," Madison responded.

"By tricking me into coming to New York so I'll get put in the hospital again?" Gabriella was still upset about that.

"If that's what you need, but I am on team Gabriella in this situation. This is about what you need and not what other people think you need. If you want to try a treatment regime without medication or something else that doesn't make you feel weird, I will help you find a doctor who will work with you. I'll have a list together by the time you get back."

"I still don't believe you."

"No, because you want to believe Mercedes is your friend. But the truth is in the screenshots. Check your email." Madison tells her.

"If you don't want to stay in New York, I will get you a ticket back to San Francisco, and you can spend the rest of the break eating Chinese food with my boyfriend and me. My other houseguest might be gone by then. Or you can help her eat vast quantities of ice cream to help her get over her broken heart.

"You're not with your families? Who is your other houseguest?" Gabriella asked curiously.

"My Chad has been emancipated since he was 16, and I'm no longer on speaking terms with my family. I get that you may not be able to be around your mom right now. If you need another alternative, I'll provide one. As for my houseguest, it's Cassandra. It's part of the reason that I have the screenshots that you really need to look at."

"Why is Cassandra helping you? You hate Cassandra."

"I don't hate her as much as I used to because she actually still has a moral compass even if it's partially motivated by vengeance. She's currently sleeping on my couch because she discovered her boyfriend of two years fucked Mercedes. She found out on the way to the airport to meet his family, no less. She was expecting an engagement ring and got this instead."

"What? But Mercedes said Cassandra and Kevin already broke up when they hooked up two weeks ago."

"I know you're new to the sorority, but Mercedes lies a lot, especially to get what she wants. You may not see that now, but you will eventually. Call me if you want me to get you from the airport?"

"OK."

Xxx

Working as a child advocate, Carolyn has seen a lot over the years. Kim's biological mother was on a different level. She tried to murder her grandchild because Kim got pregnant by a white boy, but she also conspired with Lucy to break Kim and Troy up. Zhēn paid Lucy $1 million to help her break up the happy couple, along with threatening to tell Jack about her boyfriend if she didn't keep helping. This was worse than everybody's theories.

Carolyn assumes that because Troy and Kim are together and engaged, Zhēn is ready to salt the earth at this point. She has nothing left to do except take her co-conspirator down with her. If the allegations in the letter can be proven, this is going to be a fucking mess.

"I'm going to have to adjust our drinking limits for tonight." Carolyn finally said out loud after reading the letter a second time. She had to read it twice because it was that unbelievable.

"Good because I feel like I could use the whole bottle right now," Jack said as his hand approached the bottle of whiskey on the minibar.

"You need to savor that because you're not getting any more tonight." Jack gave her a dark look.

"Friday, after you fill out the paperwork, I'll bring you back here and let you drink your way through the whole collection. I think we're going to need clear heads for this conversation." Carolyn told him. Because if he kept drinking, she would drink too, and they needed to talk right now.

"I hate it when you're the logical lawyer," Jack said as he put the bottle back down on the counter.

"Well, somebody has to be right now. You know that what's in this letter may not be true." She argued, trying to make Jack feel better. "I was never a criminal lawyer, but I did take some of the classes in law school. Most criminals don't do a written confession of blackmail, attempted murder, and whatever else happened during this weird version of Romeo and Juliet."

"Matt believes that Zhēn is throwing Lucy under the bus because she couldn't keep Kim and Troy away from each other. Besides, Zhēn has nothing to worry about because she is most likely hiding out in a country that won't extradite her. Her dad already cut her off."

"The thought crossed my mind, as well. From what I've heard, Zhēn seems like the type of person who would throw everybody under the bus. Kim versus Cáo is considered one of the most chaotic custody cases in New Mexico history. According to my old professor, this case is taught now in school." Carolyn explained.

"I know. We were required to turn over Kim's grades to Zhēn's attorney when she was a freshman."Jack added.

"I know some of it may not be true." Jack sighed. "The lawyers are working on verifying it, and there are also in contact with law enforcement. But I know some of it is true, especially the photograph."

"Which makes sense because, at a minimum, you need to be concerned with tax evasion, especially if you file jointly." Carolyn wasn't touching the adultery.

"We didn't. At least not for the last few years. Lucy said her accountant advised her that it would be better if we file separately. I'm sure that was a lie."

"Oh, thank God. Although I am still going to be handing you my criminal lawyer list." Yes, she had one.

"Matt is putting us in contact with his law school friend Nelson, who is a criminal defense attorney. Honestly, I didn't notice any sudden change in income. Although she has been gone a lot over the last two years, especially the last few months." Jack told her.

"That is something to discuss with Nelson. At a minimum, you're going to need a consult. From a lawyer's perspective, I wish you didn't confront her today. Did you ask her about what was in the package?" Because if it really was this bad, Lucy may run.

"No,"

"Not even about the pictures?"

"I didn't have to mention the pictures because the man in question was with her at the house. He was a work colleague allegedly helping her bring in the groceries for tomorrow's Thanksgiving festivities. The fact he couldn't even look at me told me everything I needed to know. Then he apologized, and it just fell apart from there." Jack confessed.

"Fuck. It makes total sense that she was projecting, accusing you of what she was doing herself."

"Exactly. Honestly, I think the ultimatum was an excuse to get me to leave. Which I'm fine with because there's nothing left to rebuild." And yet Jack was on the verge of tears again.

"You did say you would leave if you ever caught her doing what Charles did to me," Carolyn said, remembering one of their earlier text message conversations.

"I don't even care about the infidelity." Jack finished his drink. "That's the least egregious thing she did to betrayer our family."

"But it was important to you before?" Carolyn pointed out.

"That was before I found out she took $1 million to purposely break up Troy and Kim. I could explain her hostility towards Kim before as Lucy trying to be a good mom even though she was obviously misguided. Now I know it was just about the money." From what she's heard, she feels like Lucy's hatred for Kim might actually be genuine and not a complete act, but Carolyn is not going to mention that right now.

"I feel like the adultery is still relevant because the pictures were also used as part of the manipulation. At least if we can believe the confession. And even though some parts of already been independently verified, some of it could still be untrue. Zhēn is not exactly someone you can trust."

"As I was throwing my wedding ring at her, I asked Lucy why she did it. She thought I was talking about the affair, not breaking up Troy and Kim." Jack sighed.

"What was her answer?"

"That I didn't love her anymore," Jack answered.

"I've heard that excuse a lot when I was doing family law," Carolyn said as she led Jack back to the couch and away from the alcohol. It was going to be a long night; she really hopes the food gets here soon.

"In this case, it's a true excuse," Jack said as he sat down on the couch. "I don't love her anymore, and you know it's been that way for a while. I can't love somebody who cares about money more than our child." A tear began to roll down Jack's cheek. "I can't love someone who cares more about her reputation than our family. No wonder she thought cutting Troy off would make him leave Kim and Alex because she would leave under those circumstances."

"Thankfully, you raised him right, and Troy chose Kim and Alex." Carolyn handed Jack the box of tissues from the table. She also wrapped an arm around him. She knew he needed physical comfort right now.

"I think that may have been your influence. You were always around more than Lucy. She always resented that."

"She thought I was fucking You." There's no point in keeping that truth from Jack now.

"I gathered that from her text message. That wasn't the first time she said something like that to you?" Jack asked.

"It was the first time she was dumb enough to put it in writing, but she's been saying stuff like that to me since Chad was Alex's age. Maybe even younger." Carolyn confessed.

"Why didn't you tell me that before?" Jack asked with tears still in his eyes.

"Because I didn't want to hurt you. Lucy was always uncomfortable with our friendship. She never trusted us to stay just friends." And she didn't know about that kiss the year before.

"Lucy said that I didn't love her anymore because I was in love with you," Caroline responded by laughing.

"That's completely ridiculous. You don't…" Jack put a finger to her lips, cutting her off midsentence.

"She's right. I'm in love with you."

"What?" Carolyn finally mumbled out, still processing. There's no way Jack is actually in love with her. He knows that he loves her but not romantically. Not like how she feels about him. She didn't even realize that until Margarita just had to analyze the hell out of their relationship. Never become friends with a therapist.

"I hate that you're in DC now because I miss seeing you. We're always on the phone with each other or texting. You're the person I trust to help me with all of this, not Lucy. I would like to stay that's recent, but it's not. You are the one I go to no matter what. I'm lost without you." Jack told her, his fingers now wrapped around hers.

"That doesn't necessarily mean love." That's when Jack leaned over and kissed her. This was nothing like their first kiss the year before when she initiated it to keep him from ripping Charles apart post-Tiffany. That was angry and full of fear. This wasn't. If it was possible to tell someone you love them in a kiss, this would be that kiss.

"I'm not going to pretend this kiss didn't happen," Carolyn said, pulling away from him.

"I don't want to. I didn't kiss you because I'm mad at Lucy. I need you. Outside of Alex and Troy, you are the most important person in my life. I am in love with you. It wasn't until Lucy spoke it out loud that I realize it was 100% true." This is exactly what happened with Margarita, but she couldn't tell him just yet.

"I didn't kiss you last year because I was mad at Charles," Carolyn told Jack instead.

"You were trying to keep me from killing him."

"Because I didn't want you to be stuck in jail for someone who wasn't worth it because I don't want to be without you. I think I would've been less mad at Lucy if she accused me of being in love with you because that was true. I'm in love with you, and I have been for a long time."

Jack kissed her again. Actually, kiss may be somewhat inaccurate considering where his hands were. Although she stopped him when he tried to unhook her bra.

"OK, clothing will stay on until we finish this conversation." She actually batted his hand away. "We're not college kids anymore. We are the parents of college kids. That means we need to discuss things rationally before I break into the condoms that Margarita made me bring." Jack laughed at that.

"Margarita made you bring condoms?" Jack asked, smirking.

"Yes, because Margarita actually knows the real reason why I am in DC."

"Because you needed to get out of here after what Charles did?"

"That was half of it, but I also realized when I kissed you that I was in love with you, even though it took me a few more months to call it that. You were with Lucy, and I didn't want to become Tiffany. If I stayed here, I think that's what was going to happen eventually." She confessed.

"I would like to say that you're wrong, that I wouldn't cheat on Lucy, but…" Carolyn wouldn't let him finish that sentence because she kissed him again.

"But common sense doesn't kick in automatically when you're in your 30s. Sorry, I just needed to kiss you again."

"That is probably going to happen all night."

"Possibly more because Margarita definitely did make me bring condoms, the jumbo pack from Costco, actually." The probability of using that has gone up dramatically in the last 10 minutes.

"Somebody was hopeful," Jack said as he leaned in to kiss her again.

"I wasn't actually expecting to use them for myself. I was going to hand them over to my future daughter-in-law." Although that's probably not happening now. Jack could definitely kiss. And it's been a while.

"I did tell you before that I made Kim stop to pick up condoms before we left for Vegas."

"Which was very fortuitous of you."

"She still passed out," She could tell Jack was worried.

"It's been a very stressful day for her. That doesn't mean the condom broke." Carolyn argued.

"This is true. I still can't believe Lucy sold Troy out for a million dollars."

"Maybe Kim's mom is just making stuff up, and that's not what happened," Carolyn suggested as she pulled Jack closer.

"It doesn't matter," Jack said as he leaned into her. "I can't forgive her, and even then, it isn't fair to go back to Lucy when I'm in love with you." Seconds later, Jack's lips were on hers once more. More importantly, he was trying to get her shirt off again, along with the bra.

"Shirts are still staying on for the moment. As much as I really want to jump into this, I think we can't go farther until you at least file for divorce." Because it would kill her if he went back to Lucy after being with him.

"So, Friday?"

"I haven't had sex in seven years; I can wait two more days." Although she's really thankful, she packed a certain toy.

"Seven years? I thought seven months was bad."

"Actually, I think it's closer to eight years by this point. I may not have left Charles the first time I caught him having sex with somebody else, but I definitely stopped having sex with him. It wasn't even that often before then." She just couldn't.

"But you have been in DC for the last year. You haven't been with anybody else?" Jack asked.

"Margarita tried to set me up on a couple of dates with friends of hers, but it never worked." Which she never told him about because it felt weird talking to him about that. "She said it was because I was already in love with you."

"And?"

"She wasn't wrong." Carolyn was the one who initiated the kissing session this time, and she didn't have the heart to stop him when he removed her shirt or unfasten her bra. Maybe she should have because about 30 seconds later, Amanda knocked on their door with the pizza.

"Your food arrived. Do you want me to bring it into the guest house, or do you want to eat in the main house?" Amanda asked through the thankfully still shut door. At least she remembered to lock the door.

"Set up everything in the main kitchen. We will be there in a few minutes. I need to freshen up before dinner." A.k.a. put her top back on and maybe change her panties. Also, Jack needs a few minutes to calm down.

"Is this the moment I point out that we had the blinds open," Jack said as he passed her bra back to her.

"Oh, God." Amanda probably just saw her topless.

"At least it wasn't Chad."

"This is still potentially embarrassing. We are going to straighten up our clothes and go have dinner with Amanda. We are going to watch a movie in the main house and not act like 19-year-olds. Although if you can't keep your hands to yourself, you're sleeping in one of the guest rooms in the house." Because she only has so much willpower.

"I thought you would send me back to Kim and Troy."

"I love you; I'm not that cruel." She leaned over to give him one last gentle kiss. Thankfully this one didn't get out of control like the previous ones.

"I love you too."

Xxx

Berkeley Madison: Hey, I talked to Gabriella, and I sent her several screenshots from Cassandra.

Berkeley Madison: Before the boyfriend's betrayal, I thought she was kind of a bitch, but no one is what they seem. I don't think her change of heart is entirely related to the boyfriend's betrayal.

Berkeley Madison: Most of the sorority girls actually like Gabriella when she's not around Mercedes or completely drunk. We would all like to get her to semi-sober, so we are working on this together. Mercedes hasn't learned the importance of not putting certain things in writing. Especially when you're fucking the other party's boyfriend behind her back.

Ryan: Do you think that you convinced Gaby to stay?

Berkeley Madison: Honestly, no. Especially because she doesn't want to stay in a hotel that will eventually be owned by her ex-boyfriend's new girlfriend. Apparently, Kim's pictures now in the lobby.

Ryan: Kim's grandfather has always been eccentric, but this is a lot. He is even using Kim's new last name.

Berkeley Madison: Gabriella is not ready to deal with her problems yet. Including comprehending all the logical reasons why Kim has the last name Bolton.

Ryan: That is a good point.

Berkeley Madison: However, I'm going to give her an alternative to Colorado. I need you to do your rich boy magic and get her a ticket back to campus tomorrow. I told her she could come and stay with my boyfriend and me until classes start back.

Ryan: Maria will be sad.

Berkeley Madison: Maria will be happy that we're keeping Gabriella healthy, and maybe I can try getting her into an AA meeting or something. Then we will work on the other issues—one thing at a time.

Ryan: OK, I will do my rich boy magic A.k.a. call my dad's assistant.

Berkeley Madison: Thank you. I'll send you a text if I hear anything definite from Gabby.

Xxx

"Were you just texting Madison?" Taylor asked, now dressed for dinner. They had an 8PM reservation.

"Yes. Madison is hopeful that she has successfully managed to talk Gabriella out of going to Colorado."

"Which is good."

"However, she doesn't think that Gabriella is ready for an intervention or even staying at this hotel any longer."

"I'm surprised the photo of Kim is still in the lobby, honestly."

"I don't know how Gabriella hasn't connected that yet," Ryan told her.

"Which tells us how bad the situation really is." You have no idea. He wasn't going to tell her about the Prozac just yet.

"Anyway, Madison thinks it's better if Gabriella goes back to San Francisco."

"I agree. I don't think I would want to stay anywhere with the Evans name on it immediately after the breakup. Besides, interventions don't work if a person isn't ready to acknowledge there's a problem, and I don't know if Gabriella is ready yet." Taylor told him. She was right.

"You're right. I need to call my dad's assistant."

"On the Wednesday before Thanksgiving? He's definitely not going to take your call, nor should he." Taylor said, looking at him darkly.

"Daniel is the only person that can get tickets this late," Ryan argued.

"Give me your phone and your credit card."

"Fine. Although you have to stop once we get to the restaurant." Ryan said, grabbing his coat before passing his phone and credit card to Taylor.

"Of course. Also, I expect dessert for this."

"Yes. Something with ridiculous amounts of chocolate, I promise." Ryan smiled at her.

"You're the best," Taylor said before kissing him.

They were in the car on their way to the restaurant before he realized that Taylor still kissed him even though there was no one around to pretend for. Ryan didn't have the energy to analyze the fact that he really enjoyed that kiss.

XXXX

From: SummersAX

To: KimKC

Subject: I know where your future father-in-law is

Time sent: 11/26/2008 18:17:12

Hey Kim, it's Amanda. I tried calling, but your landline is going straight to voicemail, and I know better than to send a text message to your old number. Although I'm a little annoyed that I wasn't one of the people who got the new number. But I also get not wanting to deal with the mess that is your future mother-in-law.

I am just going to tell you that I caught Jack making out with Carolyn 10 minutes ago in the guest house. OK, I also saw Jack taking off her bra. I managed to avoid walking in on Chad and Sharpay all semester, and I ended up seeing Chad's mom topless. Apparently, they didn't realize that the blinds were open. It was probably better me than Chad, but I'm still partially traumatized.

They just walked in, acting like I didn't catch them 30 seconds from fucking. They're also trying not to look like they're totally in love with each other. I have to stop dictating now.

XXXX

9:06 PM EDT at a very nice restaurant in Manhattan.

Even though Taylor had trying to get Gabriella a ticket back to San Francisco to keep her mind occupied, she couldn't stop thinking about the things she overheard earlier at the store. One, Ryan liked her or, at the very least, actually wanted to have sex with her. Which is definitely more than she can say for her last boyfriend.

Ryan also likes Zack, but he wasn't ready to make a move on either of them. Because of the disaster that was Kelsi and the mess with Darby. She completely understands that. She just finds it ironic that she ended up staying with Chad for the same reasons that Ryan was reluctant to start anything with her. The universe hates her.

Not that it matters because she doesn't want to start something with Ryan. He's interested in another guy, but at least she's aware of that out front. If Chad would've actually told her about kissing hot boy Lava Springs, she would've told him to go for it. She doesn't really believe in labels. She just would've liked to have actually known that it was happening. If Chad told her about developing feelings for Sharpay earlier on, maybe she wouldn't have done serious damage to the plasma. So if Ryan wants to keep sending dirty text messages to Zack, she's OK with that, especially if she sees it.

OK, she may have sent that in a text message to Chad at some point during dinner. He didn't respond, the bastard. She was having this existential crisis because of him. That may have led to her texting Sharpay and complaining about Chad and Ryan.

XXXX

Boyfriend stealer: I am sorry. I am trying to break them both of their stupidity. Although in the meantime, if I run into Chad's dad, I plan to break his hands on your behalf.

Taylor: He's a disgusting pervert. I don't know how Chad came out the way he did.

Boyfriend stealer: Carolyn and may be a little Jack.

Taylor: Probably.

Boyfriend stealer: It still wasn't right for Charles to ask you for a blow job.

Taylor: I purposely didn't tell Chad what his father said to me. How did he even know? Did he confront Charles?

Boyfriend stealer: Ryan told Chad. When Charles called to thankfully cancel dinner, Chad decided to tell his dad he's not that heterosexual. Charles did not respond well, and Chad's iPhone ended up against the wall and my marble floors. Thankfully, my dad got the good insurance.

Boyfriend stealer: We are now at the club, so Chad can hit golf balls instead of the walls.

Taylor: That explains why he didn't respond to any of my text messages.

Taylor: Also, I'm planning to yell at your brother as soon as we get into our hotel room.

Boyfriend stealer: Among other things. I'm sure they'll be kissing between the yelling.

Taylor: We were just pretending to be together to freak out Gabriella. She knows, so there's no point in continuing. He's also into Zack.

Boyfriend stealer: And you too.

Taylor: Maybe, but he is still very messed up from Kelsi and everything with Darby.

Boyfriend stealer: Kelsi, I get, but don't let Darby take another thing away from him.

Taylor: Which might be a little bit why I am team Zack. Apparently, he wants to sleep with both of us.

Boyfriend stealer: Have you read the idiots' guide to polyamorous relationships?

Taylor: No. Although it may have been useful if I would've ever been told about hot boy Lava Springs. Or even you.

Taylor: But I think at that point, it was over between me and Chad independently of his feelings for you.

Boyfriend stealer: It's my turn to go hit things, so I have to go. You really need to ask Ryan about hot boy Lava Springs. That's all I'm going to say.

Taylor: Good luck. Just visualize the ball as Chad's father.

XXXX

When Sharpay's dad said they were going out, Chad never expected to end up on the driving range at Lava Springs. Thankfully it was set up for nighttime golfing. He was currently taking out his frustrations regarding his father on a bucket of golf balls. Mr. Evans told him that he did this every time he felt stress at his job. Chad was on a second bucket and only felt slightly less likely to kill his father tomorrow. He would back out entirely if Aunt Claudia would let him. Chad called her earlier on Sharpay's phone; she said no. He had no choice but to be there tomorrow.

Now that his girlfriend finished up her text message conversation with Taylor, Sharpay was on the green with him. He wasn't surprised that Sharpay hit the ball farther than him. He was her caddie the summer before. After closer inspection of the trophy case, he found several golfing awards with Sharpay's name on them.

"How did you actually pull off your damsel in distress golf routine?" He asked his girlfriend. "More importantly, how did you, Mr. Evans keep a straight face? Sharpay, you should've been on the team in high school. You could be on the A of U team now."

"I'm a very talented actress," Sharpay said as she hit another ball down the fairway. "I'm also using Taylor's suggestion of visualizing the ball as your father."

"It's definitely giving you an edge," Chad remarked.

"I knew she was pretending to attract either you or Troy. I just wasn't sure which one." Both he and Sharpay looked at Mr. Evans with shocked expressions on their faces. "Darby had this idea that underplaying your abilities made you attractive. It was ridiculous."

"You knew?" Sharpay asked, surprised.

"Honey, it was pretty obvious that you had a crush on Chad back then. Neither you nor your brother are very subtle. Sure, you chase Troy around for the first few weeks. After that, Chad was the only one you let caddie for you, and you left him triple your normal tip. You were always finding excuses to be around him. You don't fight with someone that much unless something is going on."

"You know he's right, Sharpay," Chad said as he gave Sharpay a chaste kiss on the lips. "And he probably doesn't know about your basketball scheme."

"I knew. I even wondered if you turn down Ryan because you already had feelings for Sharpay. Which is why I wasn't completely surprised when Ryan told me that you two were dating. Although now…"

"I know you don't believe us, but Ryan really was just messing with you with the poly thing." Vince looks at them both darkly.

"With Chad anyway. Although Zack and Taylor might be another thing entirely." Sharpay said as she let Chad see the last few messages from Taylor before putting the phone back in the golf cart. He really should've told her about Ryan. Although that would make things really complicated now.

"I know something's going on with Taylor. She actually told him about Charles." Chad said as he hit another ball. "It's good that she has somebody to talk to, though." There is just a part of him that wished their relationship was better than what it was.

"This is true. So are you less likely to break any more furniture? I really would like to go eat now." Sharpay said in an obvious subject change.

"One more bucket," Chad said, kissing her quickly.

"Half," Sharpay said as she kissed him back.

"So, should I leave the club opened for a June wedding or a May wedding?" Neither he nor Sharpay responded to Mr. Evans's joke.

XXXX

From: SummersAX

To: KimKC

Subject: I still know where your future father-in-law is

Time sent: 11/26/2008 20:01:12

OK, update since you still haven't responded. Though I'm sure you're probably doing with Troy what Carolyn really wishes she was doing to Troy's dad right now. They're showing remarkable self-restraint in the home theater. Or they were before I left to work on my English paper. Bras might be off again by this point. I'm too terrified to even think about looking.

All through dinner, they kept looking at each other like Chad and Sharpay did during the denial phase. Also, lots of touching. If I didn't know better, I would think they have been married for forever. They eat off of each other's plates and finish each other's sentences. It was ridiculous and adorable.

During the actual conversation, I did most of the talking. This meant I was allowed to vent my frustration regarding one of my asshole professors, who hates giving me reasonable accommodations. It's nice to have this conversation with two people familiar with the IEP process and who know all the legislation. Jack said he would proofread my paper Saturday night if I finish by then. I'm pretty sure he's going to be staying at the guesthouse until Carolyn goes back to DC. Chad's not going to handle that well at all.

They know that I know that something is going on between them. I'm definitely not going to say anything to anyone else. I'm not even going to text Ryan. But I thought you should know if you wondered why Jack hasn't shown up at your house yet. They asked me to stay and watch a movie with them, but I have to do homework because of said asshole professor, and I want to finish in time for proofreading.

Xxxxx

11:44 PM EST back at the Beijing Gardens Midtown.

"Why did you tell Chad what his father said to me last year?" Taylor asked the moment they were in the hotel. She knew not to have this conversation in public.

"Because he needed to know the truth. Are you mad at me?" Ryan asked.

"A little bit. I didn't want Chad to know about that. Things are already bad with his dad." Chad didn't need anything else right now.

"Chad deserved to know who Charles really is. Not to have it hidden from him to spare his feelings." Ryan argued back.

"Why do I have a feeling we're not talking about Charles in Chad right now?"

"Maybe because I'm not. Sharpay should've told me to Truth about Darby." Taylor quickly put an arm around him at that moment. She couldn't stay angry.

"Yes, she should have, but you were keeping quiet too. You were a victim just as much as Sharpay." Taylor tried to console him.

"I know. But I still feel worthless. All of that was happening, and I saw nothing."

"You're not worthless." Taylor wrapped her fingers around his.

"I still feel that way. I can't fix anything. I couldn't protect Shar from Darby, and I couldn't protect her from Richard. I am a coward for staying here instead of going to New York to help Chad deal with his dad. At a minimum, I could have played his fake boyfriend tomorrow for his coming out to Charles," Ryan explained, almost on the verge of tears.

"I don't think it would've gone any better with you pretending to be his boyfriend. Sharpay said something about having to go to the golf course to hit things. He also broke his phone first." Also, Taylor was sure Sharpay wouldn't be OK with Ryan making out with her boyfriend, but she kept that thought to herself.

"That seems understandable. I really want to break some things too."

"It's OK," Taylor said as she pulled Ryan closer to her. She could tell he was already crying.

"Nothing is OK. I couldn't even help Gabriella. I just know she's going to go to Colorado to be with Mercedes," Ryan lamented.

"You don't know that. Maybe Gabriella will take the plane ticket to San Francisco. I did text her about it from your phone earlier."

"Thank you."

"You don't have to fix everybody else.

"I still want to." Later she will never understand why, but she leaned over and kissed Ryan, but she knew he needed it.

"I shouldn't have done that because I know you're not ready to move on after Kelsi, but…" before she could finish speaking, Ryan was kissing her back. Within seconds she was pinned against the couch, but suddenly he stopped.

"Why did you stop kissing me?" She asked, a little annoyed. "I was enjoying that."

That was definitely better than most of the kisses that occurred with Chad. Compatible orientation makes a difference, or at least she hoped their orientation was compatible this time. Maybe Ryan stopped to tell her that he just realized he really is completely gay.

"There's something I need to tell you before this goes any farther."

"I heard you telling Chad that you want to have sex with Zack too." Please still let it be too.

"That was in response to Chad pointing out that I want to have sex with you, which was accurate. He knows that you're one of the few women that I still find attractive." Good, he's attracted to her.

"That's not a dealbreaker."

"What does that mean?"

"I don't believe in labels. The only reason why I was in an exclusive relationship with Chad was Gabriella was telling me that's what I needed to do. That was stupid, and I learned never to listen to Gabriella. At a minimum, Chad and I should've stopped being exclusive when I left for college."

"There would've been fewer problems in the long run."

"I'm sure I would've broken less furniture. Per quality time with Michaela, I wasn't reacting to Chad moving on, but everything changing. I mentioned this morning I was diagnosed with adjustment disorder. Things were changing too quickly, and I couldn't deal with losing one more thing." Taylor explained.

"I'm glad you're acknowledging that. Wait, what are you saying regarding Zack?" Ryan asked, confused.

"If I knew about hot boy Lava Springs, I probably would've told Chad to shoot his shot, and we could've stayed together at least while he was exploring that. You know if I thought he was actually into me. And I think you're into me."

"I am, but I'm just gonna tell you. I was hot boy Lava Springs," Ryan confessed.

"What?" Taylor asked, surprised. OK, she wasn't expecting that, but she should have.

"I'm the guy Chad kiss the summer before at Lava Springs." A lot of things from the conversation from this afternoon made more sense. That also explains why Sharpay said that Chad could've almost had a deep connection with Ryan in the video. She did not mean just friendship; Chad loves Ryan. She heard Ryan say those words today.

"No, you're the one he actually had feelings for." More than he ever had for Taylor.

"Yes, except bad timing and his subconscious feelings for my sister got in the way. Now we have a different type of love for one another." Ryan explained. Taylor wasn't sure what she wanted to do. She wasn't completely angry. "I'm sorry, by the way. I thought you were his beard, and I knew he was on the outs with Troy, a.k.a. who I thought he was actually dating. So I thought I would try."

"I was his beard." Taylor pulled away slightly.

"We didn't know that at the time, not even Chad. If I thought you two were together, I would have kissed you both." OK, Taylor wasn't expecting that and had no idea how to react.

"Obviously, you're mad at me, and I'm just going to go check on Gabriella to give you a couple of minutes."

"I'm really mad Chad broke his phone because I want to yell at him right now." She said honestly.

"I can give you the house number," Ryan said as he got up from the couch.

"I think I just need to think for a moment. Although when you get back, I'm might take you up on that. Chad didn't tell me because he didn't want to ruin our friendship, right?" Taylor asked.

"Yes. Although I should've told you before. I just didn't want us to start anything without you knowing the truth. If we're going to have a relationship that's more than just friendship, there can't be any secrets. I've already dealt with way too much secrecy in my life." Ryan confessed. Taylor knew he was referring to Sharpay keeping the truth of her abuse away from him.

"OK." It was the only thing Taylor could say as he left. He definitely should've told her, but it wasn't his secret entirely to tell her. It was something that Chad and Ryan needed to tell her together, and apparently, neither was ready until now.

She should be mad, but she wasn't. At least not for the reason that she should be. Because if Chad told her the truth a year and ½ ago, she could have been with Ryan too. It probably would've fallen apart when Chad acknowledged his feelings for Sharpay. Still, they could've had a good year together before the amicable breakup.

That revelation might be why she kissed Ryan when he came back. However, he pulled away, albeit reluctantly. She can tell he was reluctant because he went back to kiss her again before completely stopping.

"As much as I want to continue kissing you, you need to know that Gabriella is gone." Oh, that is not good.

To be continued…

I made some major changes in this chapter from the original version. Sorry nobody had sex this time. Regarding Jack and Carolyn, this change was made because my almost 40 something self knows that's a bad idea and believes that they would as well. At least not without having a conversation or two first.

Taylor knows about Chad and Ryan before she does anything with Ryan. Because Chad and Ryan's relationship is deeper this time, it didn't feel right for Ryan to start something with Taylor without her knowing. Of course, he just had to go check on Gabriella.

The Thanksgiving weekend is young, so who knows what tomorrow will bring.

Also, in light of the cliffhanger, I will post a new chapter next week as well. Consider it a bonus on my part.