Chapter Three
"Hey, Ryan." Gabriella called with concern in her voice as she saw her newest friend walk into Calculus late. Ryan gave a slight smirk and handed Mr. Davis his late slip with his head hanging. He asked Mr. Davis what he had missed and apologized before taking his seat behind Gabriella.
"You can be in our group," Gabriella turned to speak with Ryan, "This is Amelia. She is an old friend from a few schools and houses back."
"Hey, call me Dani." Amelia said giving a worried look and a small grin.
Ryan glanced up from his desk and took in the figure of Gabriella's friend. Her auburn wavy hair bounced about on her shoulders as she spoke and her freckles dotted her face perfectly like an abstract painting. Her sky blue eyes gave a friendly welcome into her world and her nude lips ended at small dimples as she grinned.
"Nice." Amelia pointed to Ryan's fedora with a smile.
"Ryan always has a hat on." Gabriella frowned seeing Ryan's face. Swiftly, she turned back around in her seat and raised her hand.
"Yes?" Mr. Davis asked seeing Gabriella's hand.
"I need to go back to counseling, sir. I'm taking Ryan along." Mr. Davis nodded and motioned his hand towards the door. Gabriella grabbed Ryan's arm. "Let's go."
Ryan pulled back his arm. "I'm fine, Gabriella. I have to be. Look at everyone else." He motioned with his eyes at his worriless classmates. Gabriella shook her head and pulled her friend harder out of his seat.
"I'll see you later, Dani." Amelia gave an understanding nod and went back to working on their project.
"I'm surprised the teachers even noticed Kelsi's gone to give counseling for students." Ryan said as they walked down the hallway. Gabriella groaned at Ryan's words. Stopping in her tracks, Gabriella spun around to face Ryan.
"Why do you think you were Kelsi's only friend?" She threw her hands on her hips like Sharpay.
"Other than Troy and you, she really didn't have friends. I wasn't even a great friend, thanks to Sharpay." Ryan turned to punch a locker.
"When you see the hall outside the counselors' office, you'll think differently, Ryan." The two started back down the hallway and turned a corner by the cafeteria. The hallway was so filled with teenagers from each grade that it was almost impossible to walk through except for the little path between the feet which sat across from each other.
"Troy and I weren't able to get in the office this morning. So, instead of sitting and waiting we decided to go to class and come back later on in the day. Kelsi did have friends, Ryan." Ryan could not believe what he was seeing and a large smile came quickly. "I'll sit and wait with you, though."
Ryan gave a nod and sat down on the floor against the wall at the corner of the two hallways like the other students. Gabriella took a seat in the hallway with no wall for support and leaned onto Ryan' shoulder and squeezed her hand on his other shoulder. "Ryan, you can't sit through class. You'll think about her and get nothing done. I found out I was able to push it aside to work. I need to mend in my own way. Don't worry though. I still love Kelsi, okay?" Gabriella began to think of her old friend and tears streamed down her cheek falling to Ryan's shirt. He wrapped his arm around Gabriella and allowed his own tears to fall with no care. He finally had someone who understood what he was going through. Gabriella allowed her head to fall into Ryan's lap. She began to cry herself to sleep.