Disclaimer: Nothin'. I own nothin'. 'Cept the plot.

A/N: So I feel totally and completely bad about not updating…. And this is a kinda short chapter. Actually, it's like, mega-small compared to the last ones. I'm sorry guys. I've been busy, track's started (YAY), and I've had a crapload of homework.. Hmmph. But I have been working on it. I promise! I'm SO not abandoning this story. Ever. Not until it's done.

Oh, another note… Yes, this is indeed a Sharpay/Troy story… BUT it's not going to be that "goodie-goodie" LYKEOHEMMGEE-I-LUV-U type stories. I hate to tell you this, but love doesn't usually happen that way. And also the friendship between Sharpay and Gabriella… Let me just say that friendship takes time also. Yes it all happened quite fast… but it's going on a bumpy ride soon. Not in this chapter… but.. yeah. I've said enough. :D

To all the people who took the time and reviewed… I love you! Wahoo!

The girls were ready and dressed in the best outfits they could find, to their humble opinions of course. They were both decked out in jewelry and any accessory you could think of. The guys… well, the guys really didn't care about what they looked like. They didn't change at all.

"Hello, ladies," Troy said as Sharpay and Gabriella walked down the stairs to show off their attire they chose. Sharpay was wearing simple white capris and a snug yellow halter, and Gabriella was wearing frayed jean shorts with a cute little pink lacy top. Both were showered with countless accessories and just enough make-up to bring out their best features. It was now Troy's turn to try and keep his jaw closed. Except, he didn't succeed.

Ryan checked his watch. "Twenty-eight minutes and thirty-two seconds. Not bad, girls." He nodded in approval.

"Thanks. We try," Sharpay laughed.

"So, how do we look?" Gabriella asked as both herself and Sharpay did a little twirl to show off.

"Gorgeous," Troy said looking Gabriella over, and he switched his attention and let his eyes linger on Sharpay for a bit longer than he planned. He caught himself quickly and he flushed and turned to Gabriella. "When do you not?" he added, giving his girlfriend a quick peck on the lips. A slight pang of jealousy came over Sharpay, but she let it slide. They were boyfriend and girlfriend! They're allowed to kiss. I guess… Sharpay thought sadly.

"So, we all ready to go?" Sharpay asked. The three other teenagers nodded in agreement. Sharpay walked over to the door and opened it up. "Ladies first," she said, bowing and motioning for the boys to pass.

"Oh, haha, funny," Troy said as he passed Sharpay. She just grinned.

Sharpay was the last one out the door, and the group headed down a short path towards the garage. The summer sun was beaming down, making the breeze warm and inviting. Sharpay took a deep breath of the air, feeling very content indeed. She pressed a button on her car keys so the door opened up creakily.

"Which car do you want to take?" Ryan asked quietly to Sharpay.

"Dad took his car. We could take mom's."

"How about mine?" Ryan said pointing to a shiny silver car near the left side of the garage.

"No, actually, let's go with mine. I like my car." Sharpay nodded her head.

"Your old one of your new one?"

"New one! Definitely," she said, referring to a black car directly to her right.

Troy and Gabriella stood frozen, jaws ajar at the sight of so many expensive cars.

"Are you kidding? Do you even know the kinds of cars these are?" Troy asked as he looked around the entire garage.

"No… not really," Sharpay replied, eyebrow raised. "All I know is these ones are mine."

"Spoiled brat…" Ryan joked under his breath.

"Hey! I heard that! Meanie! For that, Gabriella just earned shotgun," Sharpay added with a 'hmmph'.

"Ooo," Ryan taunted. He earned a punch on the arm from his sister.

"Now, now, twinnies… No fighting," Troy teased.

"Do you want me to punch you also, Mister? 'Cause… I'll do it." Sharpay eyed Troy as the four kids opened up the doors on the car and sat down inside. Sharpay adjusted her mirror and she glanced in it and saw Troy looking at her. Her heart fluttered. "Have something else to say, Mr. Bolton?"

Troy stuck out his tongue.

"Oh, well, that's mature." Sharpay put her keys in the ignition and started her car. She put the car in reverse and turned around to steer the car out of the garage. Troy moved his body around to try and block her vision. "Troy!" she laughed. "I hate you! Move!" Troy didn't move. "Ryan, can you please smack him for me?"

"No, actually, I think it's pretty funny," Ryan said snickering. Sharpay scoffed.

"Well then. I just so happen to hate you both at the moment. I only love Gabriella now."

"Aww, yay!" Gabriella chuckled. Once the car was out, Sharpay put the car in drive and drove down her long driveway and onto the road.

"Blinker and everything! Wow!" Troy noticed. "I'm impressed," he joked.

"I know how to drive, you boob." Sharpay turned a corner.

"Ryan…" Troy whined, "Sharpay called me a boob."

"Actually, Troy, you are a boob." Gabriella chimed in, turning around to face him. "I agree."

"I am so not a boob! Since when did this happen!"

"You've always been a boob... Duh!" Gabriella said laughing.

There was a red light, so Sharpay slowed down to a stop. Good thing too, because she was doubled over in laughter. "Stop saying the word boob! You guys are acting like four-year-olds!"

"You started it!" Troy said pointing. Sharpay sneered and stuck out her tongue. "Oh, who's being mature now?" he asked with his arms crossed.

Ryan was quiet, and he sat back and watched Troy, Sharpay and Gabriella go back and forth, and he just had to smile. This was exactly what Sharpay needed. Everything was working out perfectly. Sharpay was happy. That's all he cared about.

"So where do you want to eat?" Sharpay asked as she cruised down a main avenue.

"There's this cute little café-type diner I know of on Banyan Drive. I went there with my family once. Sound okay?" Gabriella suggested.

"Sounds good to me," Sharpay said nodding her head. "Want me to park the car so we can just walk there?"

"Another good plan," Troy piped up. "Ohh, let's see how good your parking skills are."

Sharpay laughed, "What's with you and wanting to pick on my driving skills? Goodness!"

"I just like picking on you," Troy shrugged. "Plus, it's something to do," he winked.

Sharpay slowed down the car and pulled into a parking spot. "No parking meter…" She turned around and checked the car on both sides. "Perfect parallel parking job… if I may say so myself… I'm just awesome." Sharpay concluded. The group chuckled.

They stepped out of the car and started walking towards the café that was a few blocks away. Sharpay saw out of the corner of her eye that Troy grabbed Gabriella's hand and they were happily swinging it back and forth as they walked. She heard Gabriella giggle. Sharpay tried not letting herself get jealous again, but she couldn't help it. Troy is Gabriella's boyfriend. Not mine. Get it through your stupid head, Sharpay. She glanced over at Ryan who was to her right, and Ryan caught her eye with a look of understanding. She quickly looked straight ahead. He knows… she thought worriedly. How does he know? Wait… maybe he doesn't know. Maybe I'm just jumping to conclusions, she thought as she pulled open the café door. But a part of her could feel it. Ryan knew.

The boys sat on one end of the booth and the girls on the other. The waitress came around the corner, greeted them kindly, and handed each person a menu and left to give them time to look it over.

"So, what foods do they have here?" Sharpay asked while opening the menu and looking at the contents inside.

"Oh… everything. Seriously, this place is the best," Gabriella said with enthusiasm.

"I think I'm just in the mood for a salad," Sharpay frowned. Her expression lightened up as she finalized her decision and she leaned back and put her menu down.

Gabriella raised her eyebrow and looked at Sharpay strangely. "Are you joking me? I'm gonna get a plate of onion rings for an appetizer, a large chicken fingers platter with a huge-ass order of french fries and a giant sprite and I'll still have room for dessert!" The group burst out in laughter. "What! I'm serious!" Gabriella laughed along.

Troy looked to his left at the blonde boy sitting next to him. "Ryan, you're being mighty quiet," he noticed. Ryan just smiled and shrugged.

"Sorry…"

"Jeeze," Gabriella joked, her brown eyes twinkling, "what's with these Evans' twins being so shy out of school? Who woulda' known?"

Ryan and Sharpay rolled their eyes, but they couldn't help but laugh, because… it was true. The waitress came back and the four placed their orders. The food came soon enough, and their late lunch was filled with laughter and the four getting to know each other better. But not fifteen minutes after their food was served, Ryan's cell phone began to ring, interrupting their conversation.

"Who's that?" Sharpay asked while covering her mouth, for it was full of food.

"Sharpay, don't talk with your mouth full! Where are your manners, young lady?" Troy scolded. Sharpay threw a piece of lettuce in his direction.

'I covered my mouth!" she tried defending herself.

Ryan stared at the phone, almost in disbelief as he saw who was calling. He briefly glanced at Sharpay, excused himself politely, and then quickly bolted from the table. Troy, Gabriella, and Sharpay stopped what they were doing and each looked at one another, not knowing how to handle the situation. They looked at the figure of Ryan outside, who was just visible through the window. Sharpay swallowed her food slowly and set down her fork. She then began to chew on her thumbnail anxiously, her eyes never leaving her brother.

Ryan glanced at the phone one more time before he flipped it open and put it to his ear.

"What?" Ryan said angrily.

"Ryan…" The voice of Marcus was heard. "Ryan, we wanted to talk."

"There's nothing to talk about, father." He turned his back to avoid glances from people passing by on the sidewalk. Luckily, the street was pretty much empty.

"Yes there is, damn it!" Marcus shot back. Veronica was heard in the background, telling Marcus to settle down. "Ryan, look… We're—" he hesitated. "We're sorry," Marcus finally spit out.

"Good!" Ryan said, almost laughing. "You should be!"

"We're trying to apologize here!"

"Well, an apology isn't good enough!"

"Don't go acting like a damn kid, be mature about something for once!"

Ryan was taken aback. "Mature! Mature, Dad? You want me to be mature! You have got to be kidding. At seven years old I was already taking care of myself and Sharpay like I was the head of the family! While you and Mom went on tons of stupid long vacations. You're saying I'm not mature? You don't care about your only son and daughter! How's that for mature? And don't you dare even try and act like you do, Dad."

"Stop saying that, Ryan. For God's sake! We care! We gave you everything you've ever asked for. And more."

"And did that make us happy?" Marcus didn't answer. "I said, did that make us happy?" Ryan repeated.

"Well… I…" he trailed off.

"Yeah, see? Point taken. Thanks, Dad. For everything. The second you and Mom closed that door, I lost total faith in you both."

Veronica took over the phone. "Look, we're coming home early."

"No! Me and Sharpay like it better here without you!" Silence. "Never come back! Ever!" Ryan added.

"Why are you saying this, Ryan?" Veronica asked, almost in tears.

"The day you left, you didn't give a shit about Sharpay or myself, until I told you that she was crying upstairs, and she was hurting. Oh, only then did your sensitive side come out. You were sitting in the dining room, completely oblivious. And when I told you the first time, you made a joke about it. Deny it as you might, but you didn't care about her then, and you still don't care about either of us! Everything's an act."

"That's not true—"

"Yes it is, and you know it!" Ryan cried. He flipped down his phone and hung up on his parents. He rolled his eyes and was on the verge of tears and he was just about to put it in his pocket of his jeans when it started ringing again. He flipped it open. "LEAVE ME ALONE!" he yelled.

"Listen to me—" Marcus started.

"No! I don't want to listen to you right now! You hurt Sharpay and I bad. And we're still not over it! Okay? I don't want to talk to you now; I don't want to talk to you ever! DON'T FUCKING CALL AGAIN!" Ryan flipped his phone down.

Troy and Gabriella looked back and forth between Sharpay and Ryan. Sharpay wasn't even registering anything the couple was saying or doing. She was too absorbed watching Ryan. She saw Ryan close his phone for the second time, and he leaned against the brick wall to his left for support as he brought one of his hands to his face. Sharpay vaguely muttered that she needed to help her brother and she darted from the table, leaving Gabriella and Troy alone. They watched as Sharpay pushed open the door and ran up to Ryan. Ryan didn't even have to look up; he knew it was Sharpay. He accepted her hug gratefully and broke down further. Gabriella saw that Ryan seemed exasperated and tears were flowing freely from his eyes. Sharpay seemed to be starting to cry also, and she was listening intently while Ryan talked.

"What is going on?" Troy asked while trying to move his head to get a better look. It had been a good six minutes that had already passed since Sharpay went outside.

"I wish I knew," Gabriella whispered. They watched the twins in silence for a moment. Ryan was making hand motions as if totally frustrated and distraught. Sharpay was nodding, but not saying a word.

"Didn't you say that Sharpay was different?" Troy questioned. He saw that Sharpay was now the one talking. Ryan was the one listening.

"Yeah! She's actually really shy and she's cool to be around. I guess I just never gave her a chance before. But… I'm guessing that something is seriously wrong. I'm thinking that this is that 'tough times' Ryan was talking about. But what he didn't tell you on the phone is that it's tough times for the both of them. Wait, where did Ryan say their parents were?" Ryan was talking again. Sharpay was shaking her head, as if she was disagreeing with something Ryan was saying.

"A vacation…" Troy said distantly, he was too busy trying to decipher the situation happening outside. He watched as Sharpay lifted her hand and wiped away a tear on Ryan's cheek. They talked for a while longer, and suddenly Ryan straightened up and Sharpay brushed him off. She grabbed both of his hands and made sure he was looking into her eyes as she talked. Troy wished he could read lips.

Gabriella shook her head. "Troy, I don't think their parents went on a vacation—"

"Shh, they're coming inside," Troy said urgently.

Sharpay walked inside first, Ryan following after. Both twins looked distressed. They slowly made their way back to the table and rejoined Troy and Gabriella.

"Sorry," Sharpay apologized, "we had a small… uh… family emergency. Everything's fine though. Hakuna Matata." She forced a smile.

There it was, Gabriella noticed. The mask. It seemed so obvious, she could see straight through it now. Gabriella looked into Sharpay's eyes as if to ask 'Really?'. Sharpay looked down and avoided eye contact. Gabriella took that as a 'no'. She squeezed Sharpay's hand to silently tell her she was there. Sharpay looked up and smiled faintly.

Ryan and Sharpay tried not to let the phone call from their parents ruin the magnificent day they were having. The two brunettes tried lightening the mood, and for the most part, it worked greatly. Troy was back to poking fun at Sharpay, and Gabriella was joining Sharpay in making fun of Troy, and Ryan was there laughing along with the rest of them.

From the outside, a person walking by would have seen four joyous teenagers, laughing and joking merrily. It seemed like they were the happiest bunch of kids in the entire area.

It's amazing how many people jump so easily to conclusions.

A/N- Sorry it's so short guys! I feel sooo bad. This is basically a filler chapter. I needed this one to get on with what I wanted to do in later chapters. So, I'm sorry this one didn't live up the standards of the other chapters… The next ones will be better, I promise! And they'll be longer, too. Again, sorry for the wait!