Hi. Remember me? Wow, I'm impressed. The last update was…Christmas? Before Christmas? I'm amazed anyone still cares after I took over four and a half months to update. Flog me, I deserve it. Please! It's not even that long…(wails at own inadequacy)

Thank you to all those who reviewed the last chapter. I send you all big hugs and my eternal respect and love.

Disclaimer: It's all Disney's. Apart from the random cheerleader. She's mine. Oh! She has a name – Sadie. Yeah, I own Sadie. Big whoop. (I want Chad and Ryan for my own kinky purposes!)

Warning: Slashy. No like, no read. That simple. Also, bad language. Probably. I'm a fan of the bad language, so logic suggests there's some in there…

Notes: I have been waiting so long to get the 'Hey there Fred Estaire' thing in. I can quite happily claim that as my own. Yup. (nods)

Dedication: This is dedicated to every person who still reads this chapter after such a gap between this and the previous one.

Alrighty, on with the show…

"Aw, come on! Please? Please? I'll beg, I really will!"

"I told you I can't!" The blonde cheerleader snapped at Chad, rolling her eyes at what had to be the millionth time he had asked her to be his dance partner that day. "I don't have time! I have practice, okay? Ask someone else!"

"I have! I've asked everybody! You're my last hope! Come on Sandy…"

"Sadie."

"I said that. Look, no one else will do it. I'm desperate! I wouldn't be asking otherwise."

Sadie snorted. "Well thanks a lot, Danforth."

"No, I didn't mean…"

"Forget it! You can dance with Ryan Evans for all I care!"

Sadie slammed her locker shut, nearly taking Chad's fingers off, and stormed down the hallway in a whirlwind of fury. Chad was left to stand there, wincing both at the withering glare she had given him before she left and at the irony of her parting statement.

"That's it." He sighed. "I'm stuck with Ryan." He had spent all day asking every girl he came across to be his dance partner and not a single one had said yes. They were all too busy, or too shy, or their boyfriends would get too jealous. He had even asked Taylor, but she had declined, saying that dance 'was way too physical' for her. Funny, Chad was under the impression girls would have been dying for the chance to dance with him…

"Hey there Fred Estaire!" Troy suddenly came from nowhere to clap Chad on the shoulder and give him a near heart attack. "How's the partner coming along?"

Chad groaned. "All the girls have officially gone temporarily insane. I'm high and dry."

"Hmm…the Danforth charm not working, huh?"

"I don't know what to do!"

"Well," Troy sighed and slid an arm around his buddy's shoulders, leading him down the hallway. "It's a pair competition. Male and female. You're gonna have to figure something out."

Chad cried in outrage. "It's your fault I'm in this mess! Why don't you figure something out?"

Troy shrugged. "Did you ask Gabriella?"

"Yes! I asked every girl in school, didn't you hear?"

"Are you sure?"

"Are you deaf? I said I asked every girl…wait…no I don't think I did ask her…"

Troy smirked. "I'll talk to her. I'm sure I can persuade her to be your partner."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah. You're desperate. And it is my fault."

"Damn straight!"

"Okay!" Troy held up his hands in surrender. He turned around and backed down the hall, talking to Chad as he went. "I'll give you an update at lunch."

"Uh…" Chad stopped. "I won't see you at lunch. I'm spending it working on my routine."

Troy quirked an eyebrow. "How can you work on a routine when you don't know a thing about Latin ballroom dancing?"

"Well…I got a video."

"A video?"

"Yeah. Kind of like a 'dancing-by-numbers' thing. I'm learning basic steps and…throwing them together?"

Troy frowned. "Sounds like something you'd need help with."

"Yeah, well that's what I need a partner for."

"Okay… I guess I'll see you free period." Troy shrugged and waved goodbye as he ducked into his class. Chad sighed. Sometimes Troy could be way too easy to lie to.

HSM

At lunch, Chad was able to steal twenty minutes with Ryan in an empty classroom. The blonde would have liked it to have been more, but he had prior engagements with Sharpay and, you know…food. So the pair scurried about, moving the desks as quickly and as quietly as they could. The Chess Club was meeting just down the hall and they didn't want to attract any attention to the fact that they were meeting in an empty classroom. Apart from it giving off entirely the wrong impression, there was too great a risk of the secrecy element of their arrangement going out the window. Not to mention the fact that the boys liked the quiet life that came with the whole secrecy thing.

"I'm sorry we don't have that much time." Ryan sighed once they had cleared an ample space. "We could have gone over some more stuff yesterday if you hadn't run out on me."

Chad squirmed. "Yeah, sorry about that."

"What was the deal with that anyway?"

"Nothing." Chad could feel heat rising to his cheeks as memories of Ryan's wide, startled eyes resurfaced. Yeah, what was the deal exactly? "I guess…it was just too weird."

"Weird?"

"Yeah, weird. Whatever. I'm over it now. Let's go, we haven't got all year!" He grabbed Ryan's hands and pulled them into position, then dragged him about the floor as he went through the steps. Ryan noticed that he was keeping a considerable distance between them, and no attempt was made to dip him again. Something had definitely freaked the guy out yesterday, that was for sure.

"Are you sure you're okay?"

"I'm fine! Quit putting me off."

Ryan frowned. "It's just that until you have a girl partner, you're stuck practicing with me."

"I know. What's your point?"

"Well, remember when I said Latin ballroom dancing was sexy?"

Chad snorted. "Finding it hard to contain yourself?"

Ryan rolled his eyes. "Get over yourself Danforth! It's not me I'm worried about."

Chad froze. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing!" The blonde backtracked hastily. "It's just that it's all up close and personal and I don't think you feel very comfortable dancing with another guy. I mean, going by your reaction yesterday…"

"I already apologised for that."

"I know, but it freaked you out all the same. Which is fine, really! But I think we need to find you an alternative partner to practice with…and to partner you in the competition, come to think about it."

Chad sighed. "I'm working on it. But even if I do find one, I'm still going to have to dance with you when you teach me the steps. So I'm just gonna have to get over it. I'll deal."

"Are you sure? I mean, you can pretend I'm a girl, if it helps…"

"No!" Chad shook his head furiously; making his afro shake to and fro like it was disconnected from his body. He did not need to picture Ryan as a girl; he was confused enough!

"Okay, fine. Whatever. Let's go over something else. How 'bout a rumba?"

"Great. Let's go."

Ryan nodded and instructed Chad on where his feet and his hands were supposed to go and took him through some steps. It was hard without any music, but Ryan counted out the beat for them and Chad managed to pick up the steps with his usual ease. God he loved muscle memory!

"Okay!" Ryan stopped them after it became evident that Chad had grasped the logistics. "Let's move on. We've got to condense your training."

"Sure. Move on to what?"

Now Ryan hesitated. He gave Chad a nervous look, like he was measuring him up in order to deliver some bad news. Chad couldn't help feeling worried.

"Ryan! Move on to what?"

The blonde coughed. "Uh…the tango."

"Oh." Chad practically deflated with disappointment. "Is that it? I thought you were gonna tell me you ran over my dog."

"No, don't you get it? The tango is a dance of passion. No, scratch that; it's the dance of passion. It's the most intimate and dramatic dance you can learn, and I know you're gonna get really uncomfortable…"

"Ryan, I told you. I'll deal."

"Look, listen! This isn't a dance to be taken lightly, and I'm not entirely sure you know what you'd be getting into learning it with me. You might want to wait until you have girl partner, but the fact is, if you don't have the tango, you don't have the competition. It will separate the stars from the amateurs, and if you learn it, you'll be a star for sure. I'm just not sure you should learn it with me. I mean, done right, it can be dangerous…am I getting through?"

Chad sighed. The rumba had been bearable, despite him being ultra-aware of every inch of contact between him and Ryan throughout the whole thing. He was trying to forget the image of Ryan's face yesterday, all surprised and flushed and cute, and the thoughts that had run through his head at the time. Fleeting, non-specific, fractured thoughts, but thoughts all the same, and try as he might, he couldn't forget the fact that they were there for however brief an amount of time. He knew what Ryan was saying about the tango; it was only going to make things worse, but dammit, he had no choice! It was like Ryan said: if he didn't have the tango, he didn't have the competition.

"Just teach me Evans." he replied. Oh God, he was going to regret this…

Ryan quirked an eyebrow but received nothing more than a determined stare from Chad, so he gave an 'Alright, if that's what you wanna do.' shrug and tugged the other boy's hands into position. Their bodies were immediately pulled flush against each other, and it was all Chad could do to stop himself gasping at the contact overload. This was too close…too much…he could feel Ryan's chest through his shirt, his breath ghosting over his neck. He was everywhere…he was…

"Chad? Are you okay?"

Ryan's blue eyes were wide and searching Chad's face. He could feel them too, so warm and concerned. They locked with his own and before he knew it, instinct had taken over and he was leaning in, much closer than he was supposed to. He was leaning in, and then his lips were pressing against Ryan's so softly, the other boy was barely able to tell if they were really there at all. Just one sweet kiss…and then reason kicked back in.

"Oh dear God…"

HSM

Chad leapt away from Ryan as though he was on fire and stood, staring at him in sheer disbelief at what he had just done. Ryan was in a similar state of shock, his mouth hanging open and hands suspended in mid-air. They stayed like that for a second, and then Chad ran out as fast as he could before Ryan had a chance to react. He kept on running, not noticing the burning in his lungs or the aching in his legs, and before he knew it he was outside his house, through the front door and flung across his bed.

"Chad? Honey, why are you home so early? Did something happen at school?" His mother's voice came through his bedroom door. She seemed worried, but Chad just rolled over and curled up into the foetal position until she went away. He couldn't face her without crying. He wasn't sure he'd be able to face anyone ever again. Oh God, oh God, what had he done?

END PART 3