Hello people! Since I am amazing (and incredibly sorry for taking so long to update :x), I have managed to shake up Troy's character a bit, and hopefully make this story a bit less predictable. :) You may not see that in this chapter, but this is kind of the set up. I may update later. Especially if I get a lot of reviews!

He should not have felt guilty. So what if Ryan couldn't handle a serious conversation? Why should he feel guilty for Ryan's shortcomings? He sighed. Of course he should feel guilty. This was all his fault, well, partially.

It was a normal day, when it happened. There was nothing special about it. Everyone he knew was functioning, no one was hurt, no strange men could be seen for miles around, but for Troy, it was a day that he would never forget.

Basketball practice had just come to an end, at around 9PM, which was later than normal, but the team had a championship game coming up, and what was the time of night to them if it meant victory, and Troy was leaving the quiet school. Chad ran from the empty building to catch up with his best friend. Troy, oblivious to his follower, got into his car. He saw a figure pass by his windowshield, and followed the mystery-person with his eyes. The person ran past again, and Troy could see them open a car door. They seemed to be searching for something, and upon finding it, the person headed back towards the school again. Troy leaned forward, trying to see who could possibly be going into the school at such a late hour, and accidentily pressed his elbow against the horn. The sound startled said mystery-walker, and they tripped.

Troy raced from his car, so that he could appologise his horn's victim, and upon reaching them, he lent his hand.

"Thanks," the fallen boy mumbled, as he pulled himself up from the ground with the help of Troy's hand.

"No problem," Troy responded. "I'm just sorry that my horn startled you. I didn't mean to make it go off."

The boy laughed. "It's no problem, Troy."

"Seriously, Ryan?" Troy began. "You know my name?"

"Well duh," Ryan laughed. "How could I not, Mr. Golden-Boy?"

"I don't know, I just didn't think that you did. We've never really talked before."

"No, we really haven't." The two stood awkwardly, neither one knowing what to do. The conversation was coming to an end, but strangely, they didn't want that to happen.

"So, why are you at the school so late?"

Ryan shuffled his feet. "I had something to put inside of my locker."

"Why couldn't you just bring it back tomorrow morning?" Troy's face was one of utter confusion.

"Well," Ryan began, uncomfortably. "It's kind of my, well, it's my journal. And, if I heave it at home, Sharpay is bound to read it while I'm sleeping."

Troy laughed at this. "Oh, okay, I get it."

"Well, I've gotta go get this in my locker, or my parents will start to worry."

"Oh," said a disappointed Troy. "Well, I guess I'll see you around." Troy turned to go to his car, but was stopped by a tap on the shoulder.

"Do you want to maybe hang out tomorrow, Troy?" Ryan asked. "I mean, we don't have to if you don't want to, I just thought that maybe it would be-"

"Yeah, that'd be nice." Troy smiled. "How about we meet here at 7?"

"Sounds good." Ryan went into the school and deposited his journal into his supposedly safe locker.

Troy got into his car, and sighed. He put his head into his hands. For some reason, Ryan was making him feel something strange, that he did not want to feel. It felt kind of like... butterflies.