A/N: Gah…you guys leave the best reviews…another update :D
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The Problem with Ryan
Chapter 10: Late November leaves.
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The crowd roared as Troy jetted down the basketball court, dribbling the ball, his sneakers screeched as he halted to shoot in another basket. Cheers and screams erupted from the East High students.
The brunet felt the excitement in his blood. He was buzzing with game.
A pat on his shoulder made him turn around and find Chad grinning at him widely, "Another win is in the air," he said as he started running toward the other side of the court. Troy grinned back, this was definitely going to be a win for the Wild Cats.
51 to 10
Troy looked into the crowd and found a group of the theater kids cheering on one side of the bleachers, he smiled. Gabriella and Taylor, screaming out cheers, Kelsi waving a pom pom a bout, Sharpay filing her nails, Troy shook his head, at least she was there, and Ryan, who was…staring right back at him. Troy's eyes widened.
"Hey captain! The game is still going on," His father called out, "Get your head in the game," Troy nodded at his coach and ran further into the court, glancing back at the blond boy ever so often.
As he looked back at Ryan, he noticed the blond seemed a little thrown off by Troy's eyes in his direction. Troy didn't know if it was the excitement of the game or the sudden rush of adrenaline but he decided to smile at the blond. Troy liked how Ryan reacted, a slight flush and a widening set of blue eyes.
Suddenly a ball came at him, Troy caught it swiftly and his focus was stolen by the game.
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Thanksgiving break was on its way and the buzz of midterms approaching along with the annual Fall Musicale filled the school. Ever since East High's Golden boy started participating in the drama club the play's opening night became a major event in the school just as much as the basketball games.
"Um, Kelsi?"
The shy brunette girl looked up suddenly, her notebook held close to her chest as she realized everyone was looking at her at the lunch table. Since the play was approaching Gabriella and Troy had decided to eat lunch with the drama kids. Chad felt as if his friends were all abandoning him but Zeke, Jason, and Taylor along with the rest of the basketball team assured him they'd keep him company during lunch. Sharpay loved this new arrangement, well, except for Gabriella joining, of course.
Sharpay was currently on the lower floor of the cafeteria, convincing Mrs. Darbus of a massive constructive set design for the musicale.
Gabriella's gaze turned curiously at the play writer, "I was wondering, did you finish Troy and Sharpay's scene?" Kelsi's eyes widened slightly before she looked at her notebook briefly and answering the chirpy brunette.
"Well," she smiled sheepishly, "Not quite."
Gabriella gasped, "But the play is in a week and nothing is rehearsed!"
"There's no need to freak her out even more, Gabby," Troy cut in, "I think we should just scrape the scene," he said, not wanting the headache of working with the blonde girl.
Ryan looked uneasy between the two brunets, he noticed Kelsi's uncomfortable glances, "Hey, why don't you just use the scene you had originally," he suggested.
Troy found his gaze lingering on the blond male next to him, "But we don't have time," he said gently, he watched as the blond shook his head in disagreement.
"But with a little hard work and determination," he said optimistically, "You guys will do great," Gabriella nodded in agreement.
Troy narrowed his eyes at his supposed best-friend and her betrayal to which the brunette girl smiled in response, "It's such a good scene, Troy," Gabriella said innocently.
Troy's eyes widened, "With Sharpay?!" suddenly he looked at Ryan, "I mean, it's not that I dislike your sister but," Troy nervously began, "It's just that, you know," he trailed off.
"When it comes to theater," Ryan said firmly, "She'll do what needs to be done."
Troy felt a sudden rush of guilt for doubting the blonde girl in front of her brother, in front of Ryan.
He sighed, "Fine." Troy relented.
"Oh, I can't wait to see this!" Gabriella excitedly let out.
"Should be interesting," Ryan said quietly, Troy found his gaze lingering on the blond for another moment, making the blond flush slightly. Ryan shifted in his seat uncomfortably before focusing on his lunch, staring down at his meal with sudden interest. The brunet raised one eyebrow at Ryan's behavior but averted his gaze once he noticed Gabriella looking at them in interest.
"What?" Troy challenged the brunette girl.
"Oh nothing," she replied, smiling widely, "Nothing at all."
Troy smirked in triumph, that is until she mentioned, "You still need to practice that dancing scene with me," she smiled knowingly, "Ryan is still helping you with that, right?" she smiled further when Troy's smirk turned into a strained line, attempting to look cool at the mention of his and Ryan's practice time.
Ryan looked up suddenly, "Uh, yeah, I need to see if your practicing has paid off," he looked at Troy, "You have been practicing, right?"
Troy swallowed thickly, "Uh, Yeah, sure, practicing," he nodded, "Sure I have," he lied.
"Good," Ryan sighed in relief, "Because the play is in a week and we'd have to spend all night trying to get you and Gabriella ready," yet when he looked at Troy's nervous smile he sighed again, "You didn't practice did you." The blond concluded.
"I'm sorry," Troy rushed out, "But I had the game and then this test—"
"It's alright, I get it," Ryan interrupted, "We have all of thanksgiving break to work on it, and I have confidence in you," he said the last part quietly.
Troy smiled, "Thanks," Ryan flushed slightly, "That means a lot coming from you," Troy murmured finally.
"Well," Gabriella said brightly, "I guess you guys have quite a weekend ahead of you!"
Ryan looked at Gabriella in surprise, almost forgetting the brunette girl sat just in front of him, "So, do you," he said, slightly confused, "Since I need both of you present."
Troy chuckled at Gabriella's crestfallen expression, "So much for thanksgiving break," she sighed.
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"How can this have happened?!" Sharpay shrieked.
The stage had several students bunched up in different groups, each in charge of a different aspect of the play, costume design in one corner, actors of one scene in one section while the dancers and extras worked on their number in another section.
Sharpay stood in the middle heaving frantically, "We are two weeks behind schedule!" Her breathing continued increasing in speed.
Ryan jogged up to his sister, trying to calm her, "It'll be fine, Shar, we have break to work hard and then—"
"It's ruined!" The blonde girl cried dramatically, "A scene is missing," she looked pointedly at Kelsi, "And people still haven't gotten the steps," she turned to look at Gabriella pointedly, even though it was really Troy who hasn't fully memorized his steps.
"This is my senior year!" She stomped one foot in agitation, "It's supposed to be perfect!"
Ryan winced, "Maybe," he put his hand on her shoulder gently, "Maybe we could make it a winter musicale."
Sharpay turned to her brother, narrowing her eyes, "What?" she grounded out, "Winter musicale?" Ryan stepped back, withdrawing his hand, "What about the play we had planned for the winter? Where are we going to push that?" she asked, "In the spring?" she yelled, "Then what? Put the spring production in the summer?" She continued her rant, "Until when?" She breathed out, heaving, "Until it's a cycle of one production a miss!"
Troy bit his lip as he watched Ryan's eyes widened in slight fear. It was as if Ryan was sacrificing himself for the rest of them. He wanted to protect him wanted to—
"Don't take it out on Ryan!" Came a voice from behind him, he turned to find Gabriella standing up, her dark eyes narrowing in anger, Troy hasn't seen her like this since this summer.
Sharpay turned to Gabriella's direction, her back to Ryan, "Oh? And what, may I ask does little Ms. Montez have to add?" she asked mocking polite, "Upset I yelled at your little boyfriend? Well, guess what? He's my brother!" She yelled.
Gabriella's eyes widened in anger, "What is wrong with you?" she walked briskly over to the blonde girl, "You can't have anything your way, so you throw this hissy fit!"
"Hissy fit!" Sharpay repeated in shock, "I'll show you a hissy fit!"
Suddenly Troy got up and Ryan stepped closer to the bickering girls their anger was welling and making everyone tense.
"Girls!" Mrs. Darbus called out, "If there is any further argument, I'm going to have to take both of you out of this production," she stated calmly.
Ryan sighed in relief, he couldn't handle it if both girls started fighting physically. Troy stood back, wondering how things escalated.
Sharpay huffed, crossing her arms, as did Gabriella, both girls turned their faces away from each other.
"Now, I realize our production is a little behind schedule but we can make it!" Her resolute tone gave slight hope to everyone's deflating confidence.
"We only have two scenes that haven't been rehearsed properly and one of those two are not completely written," Mrs. Darbus walked passed several students, "So, those will be worked on by their respective actors while the rest of us focus on fine tuning the other parts." She stood at the center of the stage, "We are all a team and I expect everyone," she looked at Sharpay, "To help one another."
Troy looked at Mrs. Darbus in surprise, 'Yeah! We are a team', he thought, "We can do it guys," he added, "We're in this together, right?"
Gabriella uncrossed her arms, "Yeah, I'm sorry," she looked at Sharpay.
Sharpay raised her chin, "Well, you should be," She almost walked away but Ryan caught her, laying a gentle hand on her shoulder, she stopped, looking at him, and sighed, "I'm …sorry," she said reluctantly.
Ryan smiled, "It's alright, I know how much this means to you," he said softly. Sharpay looked at him in surprise, 'You're always there,' She thought.
Suddenly she hugged him, startling Ryan, his eyes widened as she whispered in his ear, "I'm so sorry."
Gabriella and Troy looked at each other in surprise, maybe Sharpay cares more than she let's on.
And just as suddenly, she lets go of her brother as if nothing just occurred, "We have a musicale to put on people, in exactly one week!"
Everyone else, who stood shocked at the display, snapped out of it and got back to work.
This was going to be one long week.
x x x TBC x x x
A/N: Well, I think this is going to be one really, really long story, possibly a full school year. We'll see. Right now I'm just seeing where the boys take me and at this moment they refuse to take me to the point where they get to business and make-out...sighs…so stubborn.