A/N: Hey guys! Sorry for not updating yesterday. Remember I said I had relatives coming in? Yeah, well they came. Thanks for the reviews! I got six reviews for my last chapter! And thanks to my new reviewers: Zanessa Fan, and sydmoonlight. And if I forgot to mention you, or I already mentioned you in previous chapters, I'm sorry. This is usually the part of the story where I forget.

hsmfan91 - Thanks! I'm glad you love Ryella!

laguanabeachfreak442 - Thanks!

Zanessa Fan - Even though I am a big Troyella fan, I have to say that this is a Ryella story. So I understand if you don't want to read it anymore.

Phoenix Feather Queen - Thanks!

CassieLovesRyne - It's okay. We all have our obesessions!

sydmoonlight - Thank you very much!

Anyway, here's the next chapter. I hope you guys like it. I put in a little Ryan/Gabriella scene. But just a little!

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Something Has Changed

Chapter 9: Bad Timings All the Way

"If I would serenade anybody with this song, I'd sing it to-"

"GABRIELLA!" Chad shouted as he came into the auditorium. Then he saw the girls and Ryan on the stage.

"Oh my bad. Was I interrupting something? Anyway, have you guys seen Gabriella? She said she was meeting up with you." Chad said.

"No. We haven't seen her." Ryan said as he turned around to face him. "But I guess we see her now." Ryan said as he saw Gabriella in the first row. Then Gabriella stood up and waved at them.

"Great you're here. Just let me get Troy." Chad said. Then he quickly took out his cell phone and called Troy. "Hey Troy… yeah this is Chad…"

While Chad is on the phone, Sharpay and Ryan talk. Okay, more like whisper.

"You planned this didn't you?" Ryan asked Sharpay.

"Yeah. Except the part where Chad barges in."

"Well, how was it supposed to work anyway?"

"Well, I invited Gabriella to hear you practice and sing 'Because of You' without you knowing."

"But I did sing 'Because of You'. Wait… she was here the whole time I sang?"

"Yeah. But after you sing, you were supposed to tell Kelsi and Taylor that you dedicated it to Gabriella. And Gabriella was supposed to hear that. But Chad came barging in before that part."

"Great. First you trick me and then you humiliate me!"

"But it was for a good cause!"

Then finally, Chad finished his conversation and Troy runs into the auditorium.

"Oh great! Gabriella, you're here!" Troy said, obviously out of breath.

"Yeah. I'm here! So, what's this about?"

"I never really asked you where we're going to go on our date. Movie, dinner, what?" Troy asked.

When Ryan heard this, he was shocked. Gabriella's going out with Troy now? Since when? He thought. Then he looked at Sharpay. Apparently, she had no clue either because her mouth was hanging open.

"A movie sounds good." Gabriella answers.

"Great. I'll pick you up at six tomorrow. Do you need a ride home?"

"Yeah. I do. I'll come with you." Gabriella answered. Then she grabbed her stuff. "I'll see you guys tomorrow!" Gabriella shouted to Sharpay, Ryan, Taylor, and Kelsi. Then she stops in her tracks and turns back around.

"By the way, Ryan, that song is amazing. They way you sing it, was just great. And just out of curiosity, who would you sing that song to?"

Ryan thought for a while. "Well, I'd sing it to…" He just couldn't say it. "Just… forget it." Ryan said as he quickly got off the stage in the verge of tears and ran out the auditorium doors.

"Ryan, wait!" Sharpay shouted as she tried to run after Ryan while she was wearing her new pair of heels. Then Taylor put her guitar down and followed after Sharpay. And Kelsi did the same but before she could reach the doors, Gabriella stopped her.

"What's wrong?" Gabriella asked Kelsi. But instead of answering back, she just shook her head at Gabriella and ran off.

"Troy, you go ahead, I'll just walk home. I wanna go see what's bothering Ryan. If I can find him." Gabriella said.

Even when we're together, it's still about Ryan. Wait a minute, Troy don't say that. Ryan's your friend. And Gabriella's just being a good friend and trying to help her other friends out. That's why you like her. Troy thought, mentally talking to himself. "Okay, just get home safe okay?" Troy asked. Then he kissed her cheek and went on his way home. Then Gabriella walked out of the auditorium.

"Ryan! Ryan where are you! Ryan!" Sharpay kept shouting, trying to hunt Ryan down. Apparently, they lost track of him.

I didn't know he could run that fast! Sharpay thought. She figured since it was after school, nobody was there anymore. Well she was wrong.

"Ms. Evans will you please keep it down!" It was Ms. Darbus.

"I'm sorry Ms. Darbus. I was just looking for Ryan."

"What do you mean you're looking for Ryan? He's not lost, is he?"

"Well, actually, he's not lost. We lost him. We were trying to run after him but he got away. I didn't know he was that fast. Have you seen him?" Sharpay said.

"No, I'm sorry, I haven't. I'm sure he's just around in this school somewhere. Good luck in finding him."

Kelsi, in the meantime was asking some other teachers who worked after school if they had seen Ryan. They all said no.

Taylor just kept running around checking classrooms and the obvious places that Ryan would go to. But she had no luck in finding him.

Then they finally met up at the cafeteria.

"Did you guys find him?" Sharpay asked.

"No." Both Taylor and Kelsi replied.

"We've looked everywhere and we still didn't find him!" Sharpay shouted.

And then it hit them. There were a couple of places they were sure they haven't checked yet. Taylor was the first to speak.

"Um… I don't think we checked everywhere just yet." Taylor said and then they all looked at each other.

A few minutes later, the girls arrived at the destination. The boys' bathroom.

"So who's the brave one who's gonna check the boys' bathroom?" Kelsi asked.

"Not me!" Both Sharpay and Taylor shouted.

"Oh come on. I got it! Whoever checks this one, doesn't have to check the next one!" Kelsi said.

Taylor still declined but Sharpay thought about it for a while.

"Well, I've always wondered how it would be like in a boys' bathroom."

"Okay, you go first!" Kelsi said as she pushed Sharpay into the bathroom. Sharpay just walked in, kind of afraid of what she might see. But she saw that it was no different than the girls' bathroom, except that the stalls were painted blue and the urinals were different. And it was stinky. Then she heard someone crying. "Ryan? Is that you?" Then she opened the stall to reveal someone else crying. Then the guy shouted in shock to see a girl in the boys' bathroom then Sharpay shouted at the top of her lungs and ran out. "That's it! I'm not checking anymore bathrooms!"

"But where could he be though?" Taylor asked.

Meanwhile, Gabriella was just walking casually around the school. She didn't have to hurry. She knew where Ryan was. The only place that was logical. The place where people would think that Ryan would go to. The gym.

She was just walking to the gym when she heard a scream. Judging by the voice, she knew it was Sharpay. So Gabriella thought that it was just about her nail or something. Little did she know that Sharpay took a walk down stinky lane.

She got closer and closer to the gym. As she did, she heard the squeaking of shoes on the hardwood floor. So somebody was there. She entered the gym and was disappointed to find Mr. Bolton practicing. But that faded quickly as she saw Ryan come from the boys' locker room without his button down shirt and has just his wife beater on.

He looks hot! Gabriella thought. Wait, what are you saying? You're with Troy now, remember? Focus! Get'cha head in the game!

Apparently, Ryan hadn't seen her. He came up to Jack.

"Sorry about that. I just really needed to use the bathroom."

"No problem. Here. You go." Jack said as he gave Ryan the ball. Ryan took it and started playing with Jack.

He really is good! I can't believe that he can play basketball and dance! Gabriella thought.

"Are you sure you don't wanna join the team? Remember, we have an opening."

"No, I'm good." Ryan said as he shot for a three pointer and made it.

"Oh okay. Well, just let me know if you change your mind. I'll be heading home now. I don't wanna be late for the game." Jack said as he grabs his stuff and runs to his office.

"Will do Mr. B. I'll catch you tomorrow." Ryan said as he shoots and scores again. Gabriella decided to quit hiding now.

"Mr. B? I never thought you'd say that." Gabriella said playfully.

"Hey! What are you doing here? I thought you were oh your way home with… Troy?" Ryan said, hesitating a little on "Troy".

"Yeah, well I was. But I stayed to check on you. You looked like you were about to cry."

"No I wasn't!" Ryan said. "Okay, yeah I was."

"Can I ask why?"

"You can, but don't expect an answer."

"Can we sit down?" Gabriella asked. Ryan put the basketball up and sat down with Gabriella on the bleachers.

"You know, you really have good muscles! You should put them to work and flex for the girls and get yourself a girlfriend." Gabriella said playfully.

"You think so?" Ryan said, flexing a little. I was kinda hoping I'd get you for a girlfriend. Ryan thought.

"Yeah. I mean come on. Look at those! They're not too small, not too big, they're just right." Gabriella said as she poked Ryan's arm.

"Okay, enough small talk. Why are you really here?" Ryan asked Gabriella.

"Well, I wanted to know what caused you to run off like that. I mean the last time you did that was when you said you saw your girlfriend kissing another guy." Gabriella realizes what she said. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay, I'm over it. And, I just don't know how to explain it right now. I can't put it in words." Ryan said.

"Oh, okay. Well, whatever it is, I hope you get over it too. And I want you to know that I'm always here for you. I always have your back. You're my friend. And nothing's going to change that." Then Gabriella envelops Ryan into a hug.

That's the problem. You're just my friend and nothing more. Ryan thought. Then they pulled away. Ryan has tears in his eyes again.

"Ew! Now I'm all sweaty too!" Gabriella whined playfully.

"Sorry about that." Ryan said as he put his arm around Gabriella and looked her in the eye.

"Are you crying again?" Gabriella asked.

"No!" Ryan shouted. "Okay, yes."

"You are so sensitive!" And I love sensitive guys. Wait, a minute! Stop it Gabriella! Gabriella thought. Then Gabriella cupped her hands on Ryan's cheeks and uses her thumbs to wipe away the tears that formed. And both of them could've sworn that they were both leaning in to kiss before Sharpay, Taylor, and Kelsi barged in.

"Oh sorry! Were we interrupting something?" Sharpay asked when she saw Gabriella's hands on Ryan's face.

"No not really." Gabriella said, letting go of Ryan's face.

"Really?" Sharpay asked eyeballing both Ryan and Gabriella.

"Yeah. Well, I better get going. My mom's waiting for me at home." Gabriella said and then she walked out the doors.

"So what really happened between you two?" Kelsi asked.

"Nothing. We just talked and I cried and she was wiping my tears off. I swear!"

"Do you really expect us to believe that?" Taylor asks.

"Yeah. I do!"

"Okay, well, are you feeling better now?" Sharpay asks.

"Yeah, I'll be okay now." Ryan said with a smile on his face.

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Okay, that was my ninth chapter! I hope you guys enjoyed it! Don't be afraid to review!

I watched The Cheetah Girls 2 last night. It was great! And during the commercials, I screamed like a little girl because they showed Lucas Grabeel in Halloweentown: Witch University. I am a big fan of Lucas Grabeel! I love his new hair! I think Lucas is one of the hottest men alive!

Coming up next chapter: Not sure yet... but I'm working on it.