It had been a long day; Troy had gone to basketball practice and Ryan had sat in the coaches office doing some of his homework. He thought back to everything that had happened and realised how much his life had changed; last year he had everything. Now he wasn't too sure what he had other than Troy. He guessed he had friends too which was something he didn't have much of except Kelsi, but now he had Kelsi, Chad, Gabriella and Taylor as well as Troy. He missed Sharpay; no matter what she had done she was still his sister, and best friend. He just couldn't forgive her not yet. Last year he had parents now he felt as though he didn't have any family. Not to mention an actual place to live; even though Troy's parents had welcomed him with open arms he still felt like a charity case, after all he only had two pairs of trousers and two tops. He needed to do something to make his life feel like it was his life.

He had been raped; it had hurt, he was emotionally broken and physically terrified to touch anyone or to be touched. He had only really just learned to be comfortable around Troy and his parents, but he couldn't still think of himself as a victim. What only knocks you down can only make you stronger. He smiled thinking he had officially moved on from what happened. Starting now he wasn't going to be poor Ryan the boy with nothing; not that people thought of him that way; but now he was going to be Ryan, just Ryan. The boy who was going to work for something stable in his life.

"What you thinking about?" Troy asked they were sat on Troy's bed, Ryan cuddled under Troy's arms. "You've been staring at a spot on my wall for half an hour."

"Oh." Ryan blushed, he hadn't thought he had been thinking that much. "I'm going to stop existing and I'm going to start living." Ryan declared.

"Erm... okay?" Troy asked slightly confused.

"I mean, I'm going to be okay again." Ryan laughed. "I'm going to do something for me." Ryan smiled.

"Yeah?" Troy asked with a smile. Maybe everything was going to get better now.

"I was thinking." Ryan said a little hesitantly.

"Ry.... what is it?" Troy asked softly, Ryan had a far away look in his eye.

"Don't laugh." Ryan begged.

"Scouts honour." Troy laughed.

"Well... I was thinking about getting a job." Ryan said after a while. To say Troy was surprised was an understatement. He hadn't actually ever thought about Ryan as the type of person who would ever have to work for anything in his life. Ever. "Well?"

"I think... are you sure?"

"You don't think I can do it?" Ryan asked a little dejected.

"No I do." Troy said quickly. "I just I've never thought about you actually working."

"Neither have I." Ryan laughed. "I never had to before. I always had everything."

"You don't need to get a job."

"I do." Ryan insisted. "Brett... he well he always said that I expected everything to be given to me on a plate."

"Brett was a bast...."

"Yeah I know." Ryan said cutting Troy off. "But he was right. I did always expect everything to go my way, I mean being poor and living with him was hard, I didn't have anything."

"But you're not poor or living with him any more." Troy said.

"I know, but he used to say I was scrounging off him. I was his private prostitute." Ryan mumbled. "He'd go out, get food if he could and well you know... and then if I wanted any of it I had to you know have sex with him or a blow job. And well here your parents are being nice, and you're being nice and none of you expect anything. But I want to give something."

"Hey I wouldn't mind a blow job." Troy said trying to joke, he succeeded because Ryan giggled. "But I'm not pushing you, I was just joking." Troy added. "I know you're not ready yet."

"You don't mind do you?" Ryan asked a little shaky. "I'd understand if you wanted me to do something for you."

"Ryan. Take your time, okay. I told you, when you're ready I'll be ready." Troy smiled. Ryan nodded. "So a job?"

"You think it's stupid don't you?" Troy could see the defeat in his boyfriends eyes and shook his head.

"I think it's a great idea. We'll go job hunting tomorrow yeah?"

"You don't have to I mean you got better things to do than walk around shops with me."

"Yes, but the things I have to do don't include you so I don't want to do them. I'd rather walk around shops with you."

"Thanks." Ryan smiled, he leaned up and kissed Troy softly. "You're the best boyfriend, ever."

"Not so bad yourself." Troy smiled kissing Ryan again.