Troy sat next to Ryan in maths instead of sitting next to Jason, people noticed but didn't say anything. It was no secret that the two boys had gotten pretty close, though people were starting to notice just how close they were getting.

"Hey, Troy!" One of the older basketball players laughed.

"Yeah?" Troy asked turning around.

"Why you sitting with him?" The boy said, saying him as though Ryan was a nasty disease.

"Because he's a friend, and I want to." Troy stated.

"But he's a..."

"A what?" Troy said loudly.

"A fag." The boys laughed.

"So what the hell does that matter?" Troy shouted, he couldn't believe how close minded people could be.

"It matters because it's dirty," The boy said simply. "I mean come on Troy..."

"No. I wont come on." Troy shouted. "You leave Ryan alone, you hear me?"

"Why do you even care?" The boy continued to laugh. "Oh... I see."

"You see what?" Troy said nervously.

"The hand holding, everyone was saying you were holding his hand, no one really believed it but now. You're a queer too."

"And if I am?" Troy shouted, Ryan looked up at Troy who was now shaking with anger.

"Dude that's just wrong." The boy laughed, thankfully he shut up when the teacher walked in. Troy turned to Ryan who was staring at his book with fake interest.

They started the work that was set and Troy hated the silence that drifted between them, "You okay?" Troy asked softly.

"Yeah," Ryan said, he looked up at Troy and smiled weakly. "Are you okay?"

"I'm good," Troy smiled. Troy squeezed Ryan's hand on top of the table and then linked their fingers together. They continued the work in a comfortable silence, every so often when Troy noticed Ryan drifting into his thoughts he would squeeze his hand and then help him with the work.

The bell rang and both boys were pleased as they only had lunch and then one more lesson until the end of the day, and they were both in that class together, as was Chad and their friends. "Mr Evans, a word please." The teacher said, a few students made noises and laughed as they walked out. "And Tory you can stay too." Troy smiled gratefully he wouldn't know how Ryan would react to being in a class alone with an adult.

The teacher smiled at them, and then began to talk. "Coach Bolton told me something happened, and all the teachers have been asked to keep an eye on you and make sure you're okay with the work being set." Ryan didn't say anything. "Did you find the task okay?"

"Yeah," Ryan answered, though he wasn't really telling the truth.

"I helped him with it," Troy said.

"Okay. If you need any extra help don't be scared to come to any of the teachers for help."

"Thanks," Ryan said weakly.

"I hope everything is okay," She said and then said they could leave.

"You okay?" Troy asked softly, he took Ryan's hand in his and they headed towards the canteen.

"I'm tired." Ryan sighed.

"One more lesson then we can go home, okay?" Troy said gently. "And then you can go to sleep." Ryan nodded his head and they sat at the table.

"Hey," Chad smiled, he sat next to Ryan who was grateful. "How was maths?"

"Horrible." Troy sighed. "One of the jocks were giving us a bad time."

"Us?" Chad asked, "Both of you?"

"Yeah. Stupid idiots." Troy muttered.

"What happened?" Chad asked curiously.

"Just being stupid, saying stuff. But it's all good now." Troy said. Taylor and Gabriella walked over to them.

"Troy, can I have a word?" Gabriella asked, "In private."

Troy looked at Ryan, he didn't want to leave him alone. Ryan smiled and nodded at him. "Wont be long, okay." Ryan nodded, not missing the look Troy sent to Chad.

"What's this about Gab?" Troy asked.

"Are you with Ryan?" She asked bluntly.

"What?" Troy sighed.

"Are you together?" She asked sadly. "Tell me the truth, I deserve to know."

"What do you mean, you deserve to know?" Troy laughed.

"We were together."

"Were pass tense." Troy stated.

"So you are then?" She asked. "How long?"

"We're not together." Troy replied.

"You're lying. Every one is talking about it."

"They don't know anything." Troy said sharply. "I'm not with him."

"Then why are you always holding his hand?"

"I don't have to explain anything to you Gabriella." Troy said.

"Ever since he came back from Summer, you were always trying to talk to him, and then you broke up with me, and now you're always with him."

"When I broke up with you it had nothing to do with Ryan." Troy sighed. "You were okay when I broke up with you, said it was okay because we were drifting..."

"You were with Ryan when we were together weren't you?"

"I'm not with him!" Troy said sharply. "Get over yourself. I broke up with you because my heart wasn't in it. I'm going back over there..."

"To Ryan?"

"Yes. I'm going to go back over to Ryan." Troy sighed and walked over to the table.

Chad was talking to Ryan, though Troy noticed Chad was doing most of the talking. "Hey, everything okay?" Troy asked as he sat back down.

"Yeah." Chad grinned. "What was that all about?"

"She thinks I'm going out with Ryan." Troy said looking at Ryan.

"Aren't you?" Taylor asked a little confused. Troy looked at Ryan who was looking at the table. "I mean, the hand holding, the cuddling, looks pretty relationship like." She smiled. "It's okay if you are."

"We're not." Ryan said quietly.

"Just friends." Troy said, though thinking about it now he really didn't think they were just friends.

"Yeah sure you are." Chad laughed. Troy shot Chad a look and he just smirked again.

When lunch finished they all headed to home room, Troy told Ryan to sit with him, Chad, Taylor and Kelsi at the back which he did because he didn't want to sit next to Sharpay. When their teacher started to talk Ryan drifted into his thoughts; thoughts of Troy, of Brett, Sharpay, of his life and how fucked up it had gotten in such a short amount of time.

"Ry," Troy said gently, he noticed the glazed over look in his friends eye and was determined to knock him out of it. Ryan looked at him and smiled weakly. Troy took his hand in his and held onto it tightly. "You're okay." Ryan just nodded. Troy stared at their hands and smiled, they were just friends for now, but he knew he'd talk to Ryan about it sooner rather than later and hoped maybe they could be more than just friends.