Disclaimer: I don't own HSM.

Chapter 8: Realization

"Ryan!" Sharpay screamed. "Focus!"

Ryan's mic pulled away from his mouth as his sister screamed at him. "Sorry, Sharpay," he said quietly.

"Let's try again!" She suggested. She signalled for Kelsi to start playing. Frustrated, Sharpay yelled, "Ryan, you missed your cue again!"

"Sorry, Sharpay, I just have a lot on my mind."

"Well, get it off your mind otherwise we'll never get through the song!"

"Sorry. We can try again."

Sharpay shook her head. "No… You stay and practice with Kelsi. I'm going to meet Troy. See, I actually have a life." She picked up her bag and shot him an annoyed look. "Oh, yeah and by the way, you're better off without her."

Ryan slumped to the ground, sadness filling him.

"We don't have to practice," Kelsi told him.

"Thanks," he muttered, staring at the floor in front of him.

She slid from the piano bench and sat next to him, a comforting hand on his shoulder. "You want to talk about it?"

He shook his head. "I was just stupid."

"Why?"

"I actually thought that things could work between me and Gabriella."

"Why can't it?"

"She's still in love with Troy."

Kelsi smiled. "I'm surprised at you, Ry."

"Why?"

"To jump to conclusions."

"What do you mean?"

"So Troy and Gabriella kissed. But do you know if it was mutual?"

"How could it not be?"

"It's just interesting. 'Cause after you told her that you didn't want to hear about it, she came in here."

Ryan looked up at her. "Really?"

"Yep."

"Did she talk to you?"

"No."

"Then how do you know all this."

"I was in the closet, getting something when Troy came in. It was an interesting conversation. He tried talking to her but she refused because he had kissed her. Then she said that she wasn't auditioning. Very curious."

His eyesight went back to the ground. "I just don't get how someone could kiss someone else and not feel it." He stood up, grabbed his bag, and left the room.

Kelsi marched up to Troy and pushed him, hard. "What the hell is wrong with you?" She shouted at him.

Stumbling backwards, Troy replied, "What are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about you kssing Gabby! Why the hell did you do that?"

"Look, she was bad news for Ryan, I was doing him a favor!"

"A favor?" She echoed, slamming him against the locker. "A favor? He's miserable, you pathetic moron!"

"How was I supposed to know?"

"Couldn't you get it through your thick head that someone was actually happy with Gabby?"

"Sharpay and I thought it was for the best!"

"Sharpay was just jealous that someone besides her was in her brother's limelight! Their both miserable at this point!"

"What am I supposed to do?"

She leaned towards him. "Fix it, otherwise I'll break you." She twirled around and stormed off in the other direction.

Troy sat at the lunch table with Sharpay. "Pay, do you think this break up Ryan and Gabriella plan was a good idea?"

"Are you kidding?" She asked, sipping her diet soda. "It was brilliant. Ryan's way better off without her."

"Is he okay? Have you noticed anything weird?"

"He missed his cue several times during rehearsal but he did that before. I'm sure you're just blowing things out of preportion."

"You're probably right."

"I'm always right."

AN: GO KELSI! Stupid Sharpay. Anyways, please R&R!