Maybe if Chad asks Ryan to prom he can get a suit that doesn't have his team number on the back XD

Chad was still feeling sweaty and out of breath, and it wasn't from the basketball game. His heart was still racing and he was still thinking about the way Ryan had told him to go, the way Ryan had looked at him until Troy's voice had broken through the locker room. He was thinking about how scared he had been that his best friend would find him kissing the man he loved and how stupid that was.

Ryan probably thought Chad hated him, the way he hadn't been willing to come clean, the way he'd pulled away so fast.

"Hey, Troy?"

"Hm, yeah? What's up?" Troy was still grinning about his- about their win.

"I have something kind of really serious to tell you and- well. I really need to have your back on this one. I really need to know that you and me are a team."

"Of course. We're champions, dude. The best team."

"Right, good. Please just… Hear me out, okay?"

"Anytime, dude. You know you're my best friend, nothing you could tell me would ever change that." Chad wasn't so sure, but if he was serious about Ryan he couldn't shy away from the truth.

"I'm bisexual. Uh, you might not know what that means, I didn't… It means I like, or well, it means I'm attracted to both guys and girls. And there's this guy I really like, and I want to be with him and I think he wants to be with me but we've been slinking around in secret and it just didn't feel right not to tell you, because like you said, you're my best friend. And I don't want to hide that part of me anymore."

Troy was silent, and suddenly the car pulled to a stop. Chad's stomach churned, he thought Troy was going to kick him out.

"Are you mad at me? For who I am? For who I like?" He accused.

"What? No, of course not. The stupid engine failed, we're going to have to push. Together, as bros, because who you like changes nothing about our friendship. I was worried you were gonna say you broke up with Taylor because you liked Gabriella, that might have changed things. But I'm not going to abandon a lifetime of friendship because you kiss boys."

Chad let out a sigh of relief and hopped out of the car.

"Thanks for understanding, Troy."

"So, do I know your mystery man?"

"Uh… Yes?"

"Not going to tell me, okay. I see how it is."

Chad decided to put all his cards on the table.

"It's Ryan."

"Ryan Evans? How? Why?"

"He's really a nice guy, Troy. We kind of had a thing last summer. I kind of want it to be more than a summer thing, to be honest..."

"Well then, you should go for it. Make your move."

"I don't know how to do that," Chad admitted.

"Why don't you ask him to prom?"

"Because then I'd have to tell my parents."

"Well… Why don't you?"

"Because…" Well. Chad didn't actually know how they'd react. He had some less than pretty theories about it, but he didn't completely know. Troy's reaction had surprised him, after all.

"They'd hate me."

"You don't know that."

"I basically know that…"

"Well, if you want to be with Ryan and stop slinking around then you're actually going to have to tell a lot of people. Including your parents. But it's all up to you. Maybe you should talk to Ryan."

"Yeah, I will."

But Chad didn't get the chance to talk to him that night. He'd seen Ryan talking to Kelsi and then he'd disappeared. Which meant that if Chad wanted to make his move he was going to have to take a different, more public approach.

He was as breathless as when he kissed Ryan when he walked up the cafeteria stairs and sat down at Ryan's table.

"Excuse me," Sharpay said, giving Chad a bone-chilling look.

"Lay off him, Sharpay. He's with me," Ryan said, giving Chad a small smile that thawed his bones. Chad couldn't help smiling back, regaining his confidence.

"So, Ryan, do you have any plans for prom?"

"Uh yeah, Kelsi and I are probably going together."

"As friends," Kelsi said, adding, "Maybe."

"Oh, cool. Nice. You'll have fun."

"Do you have plans for prom?" Ryan asked. Chad felt sweaty and sick and like everyone was watching them. Of course, not everyone was watching him, but he did feel very conspicuous.

"Uh, not sure, yet. But maybe you can help me pick out a suit? You've always had such a fantastic sense of style."

"Ugh," Sharpay interrupted, "Just ask him out already."

"Sharpay!" Ryan snapped.

"No, uh, she's right. She's right, Troy's right, Kelsi, you probably have an opinion… Ryan, the reason I asked if you had plans for prom is that, well… I really want to be your date for prom. I want to get coordinated suits and dance with you in front of everyone. I want to stop slinking around. I want to stop being afraid of my feelings for you. Because I really, really like you, Ryan. So… What do you say?"

Kelsi elbowed her prom date when he was slow to respond.

"You told Troy about us?" Ryan seemed stunned.

"Yeah, I couldn't hide who I am from my best friend. And I'm done hiding who I am from the whole school if you are."

Ryan hesitated, thinking it over before breaking out into a grin.

"Yes. Yes, of course."

Chad wanted to kiss him right there, but he realized the asking was the easy part. It would be much, much harder to show up and come out. To his parents, to his friends, to the whole school. But at that moment, none of those reactions mattered to him. The only thing that mattered was the way that Ryan smiled at him now. Their future was as bright and as sure as that smile and nothing could take that away.