Take Me There

Chapter 6

A/N: I have decided that there will be no more timeline jumps in this story. From here on out each chapter will cover a day or two at a time. Seeing as they are around a month and a half into their summer break, I want to tie everything up by the time school would be starting back. Just because they are back in school doesn't mean I am done with the story. Hope every likes:)

Previously...

They were shouting at each other in the front seat of Chad's mother's car. Anyone driving by would think they were having a lovers spat.

"You will!"

"Damnit, Chad! Tell me NOW!"

"I'M GAY!" Chad screamed in Ryan's face.

Ryan did the first thing that came to mind. He started laughing.

Chad was ready for everything.

Laughter however, he was not expecting.

He was now more confused than ever.

HSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSM

Chad was confused. Extremely confused. He had braced himself for Ryan's reaction. He had been ready for anger, yelling, crying, anything except for laughing.

"Um, Ryan...why are you laughing? I'm not sure I understand. I mean, I just came out to you and all you can do is laugh?"

Ryan took a deep breath and tried to calm himself. Inside he was ecstatic. He had been right all along. Chad was gay. Maybe he did have a chance after all. He turned to Chad with a smile on his face.

"Oh, Chad. I can't believe you are finally telling me."

"What do you mean 'finally'? You knew?" Chad seemed surprised.

"Well, I didn't know for sure, but I suspected. I mean, you have been flirting with me for weeks now."

"I have?" Again, Chad seemed surprised.

Ryan started laughing again.

"Have you never had a boyfriend before? Or even a girlfriend for that matter? You have been treating me like I was yours all summer. Not that I minded. Uh, I mean. Well, shit. Anyway, you seriously didn't know?"

"I was just trying to be nice. I never realized you thought I was flirting. Actually, I was afraid you would be mad."

"Why in the world would I be mad?"

"Cause I kept it from you for so long. Ry, I've known I was gay for a while now."

"How long is a while, Chad?"

"Um, since I was in middle school."

Ryan's jaw dropped open. He was shocked. He had only realized he was gay his freshman year of high school.

"Does anyone else know?"

"Only my parents. After my dad's reaction, I was afraid to tell anyone else."

"What happened? I mean, if you wanna talk about it, I'm here to listen."

And so Chad went into his whole story of realizing he was gay, his first crush being on Troy, finally deciding to tell his parents. He also told him what his father's reaction had been.

"Ry, it was scary. I mean, I knew he wouldn't be thrilled about it but I never thought he would hit me. That was the first time he had ever laid a hand on me."

"I am so sorry, Chad. I know how hard that must have been."

"Yeah and that's not even the worst part. After coming out to my parents, my dad left us. He packed his stuff and left. He filed for a divorce one week to the day after I told him I was gay. I'm the reason my parents aren't together anymore." Even though he had tears in his eyes, he never let them fall.

"No, you are not the reason. I don't care what you think. If your father wasn't man enough to stick around when things got hard, then you and your mom didn't need him there at all. It took a lot of courage to come out to your family and if he couldn't handle it, then that's his problem, not yours and not your mothers."

Out of nowhere, Ryan laughed again. Turning to Chad, he saw a puzzled look on his face.

"Now it makes so much more sense."

"What does?"

"Why you knew your mother would be ok with me being gay! Duh! It wasn't like she could freak out on me when her own son is gay!"

Chad must have found this funny too, because he starting laughing along with Ryan. Once they both calmed down, Chad turned to Ryan.

"Ok, so now that we have all of that out of the way, how about we get back to the matter at hand?"

"And what exactly would that be?" Ryan asked, trying to act as innocent as he could.

Chad rolled his eyes at Ryan's behavior.

"The whole reason we are here right now is because you have something to do. Oh and you never answered my question."

"What question was that?"

"At the end of summer, will you come and live with me and mom? I've already Ok'ed everything with her and she couldn't be more thrilled at the idea of having you there. So, what do ya say? Come and live with us? Please!" Chad tried to give Ryan his best pout and puppy dog eyes he could muster up.

Ryan laughed.

"Are you completely sure? I mean, this is a major thing you guys are offering. I wouldn't want to put either of you out."

"Ry, believe me when I say, we both want you there. So, is that a yes?" Chad smiled.

"Only if you guys are completely sure."

"YES! Uh, I mean, yeah, we are." Chad blushed. He never used to blush before.. Only now when he was around Ryan. He kinda liked it.

Chad turned back to Ryan.

"So, are you ready for this?"

"As I'll ever be."

Chad started the car and pulled back onto the road. Within 5 minutes they were at Ryan's house. Looking over at Ryan and seeing the scared look on his face, Chad did the one thing he knew would help calm his nerves. He took Ryan's hand and laced their fingers together.

Ryan looked up, stunned. Chad smiled.

"You can do this. I'll be here with you every step of the way. I'm not leaving you." Somehow it made Ryan feel better. Much better.

Letting go of his hand, Ryan opened his door and stepped out. Chad was making his way around the front of the car. Looking to Ryan for assurance, they walked up the pathway to the front door.

Not wanting to barge in, Ryan slowly lifted his hand and knocked. He couldn't believe that he was knocking on his own front door. This is what it had come too. After a few seconds, the door opened. It was Sharpay.

Chad rolled his eyes. "Of all days for her to be home, it just had to be today."

Shocked too see how was on the other side of the door, Sharpay didn't hide her annoyance.

"Oh, my God. What are you doing here?"

Chad nudged Ryan.

"Um, I'm here to pack my things." Ryan whispered so low, if Chad hadn't been standing right beside him, he never would have heard it.

"Ug. Whatever. Just get your gay shit and get out. Well, you can get what's left of it anyway." She smirked.

"What do you mean 'what's left of it'?"

"Oh, just that Daddy decided since he no longer had a son, there was no need to have all that, um your, stuff laying around taking up space." Again, she smirked.

Without thinking, Ryan took off running up the stairs. When he reached his room, it took everything in him not to break down right there.

His room looked like it had been ransacked. All of his things were thrown all about the room. It looked like a small hurricane had hit. Stepping into his room, he noticed all of his Drama awards were missing. He was suddenly floored with anger. He took off back downstairs to find Sharpay. She was still standing in the doorway. The funny part, she was actually hitting on Chad. If Ryan hadn't have been so mad, he might actually of laughed.

"SHARPAY! Where are my Drama awards? My trophies? Where are they?"

"I have no idea what you are talking about."

"DO NOT STAND THERE AND LIE TO ME! I KNOW YOU AND I KNOW WHEN YOU ARE LYING! NOW, I am going to ask you one more time, WHERE ARE THEY?"

Sharpay was floored at how her brother, er Ryan, was talking to her. Without thinking, she answered truthfully.

"They are all in my room."

Ryan ran back upstairs, this time going into Sharpay's room. She was right. They were all there, in her room, sitting on her shelf. He saw red. Walking over to her trophy shelf, he began taking all with his name down. They were his and she had no right to take them. That's when he felt a hand on his shoulder. Turning, he saw that it was Chad. And he had a box.

"Here, let me help." He smiled and Ryan smiled right back. All of his previous anger melting away.

That's how things went for the next two hours. Ryan and Chad packing what was left of his things. He still had most of his clothes and thank God, all of his hats. He found some of his old notebooks and drawings. He thought about packing his old family photos but decided not too at the last minute. He was starting a new part in his life and he didn't need any reminder of his past.

With the last box packed away in the car, Ryan and Chad made their way back inside, making one last check of things. As they made their way back down the stairs one last time, they both stopped dead in their tracks. There, at the landing stood Mr. and Mrs. Evans. Looking as if they were waiting on him. Panic flooded through him. He was not prepared for this. That's when he felt Chad's hand of the small of his back, showing that he was, indeed, still there.

"Ryan." His father sounded so cold. His mother, once again, never spoke.

"Da..eh, Mr. Evans."

"Sharpay tells us you packed your things today."

"Yes. Is there something wrong with that? I mean, it is my stuff."

"No problem. We were just surprised is all."

"Why?"

"We had no idea you had somewhere to live already."

"Well, as the matter of fact, I do. Not that it's any of your business." Ryan couldn't believe he was actually talking to his father like this.

"Now, you wait just a minute there. What gives you the right to talk to me that way?!" His father's voice was becoming louder with every word.

"Oh, you have got to be kidding me! What give you the right to stand there and act like you are the innocent one in all of this!? You were my father! All I did was tell the truth and what did it get me? NOTHING! You kicked me out! I did nothing wrong!" Ryan was yelling.

Before Ryan knew what was happening, his father was pulling back as though he were going to punch him. Closing his eyes, Ryan braced himself for the inevitable blow he was about to feel. After a moment or two, he opened his eyes. There was no blow to the face and now he knew why.

Chad had jumped in front of him, blocking the punch. Instead of hitting Ryan, Mr. Evans had punched Chad, right square in the jaw. Ryan dropped to the floor where Chad was now laying.

"No, Chad! Why did you do that? What were you thinking?!" Ryan was screaming.

"I told you before, no one lays a hand on you. Not ever. And not when I can stop it. I promised and I keep my promises."

Ryan smiled through his tears. Helping Chad up, Ryan turned to face his now ex-parents.

"You will never get the chance to lay one finger one me. Not as long as Chad is here. He cares for me. He doesn't judge me. He is my family now and for all I care, the three of you can kiss my ass. I'm done with you. All of you. Goodbye." Taking Chad's hand in his, he walked out the front door.

Making their way to Chad's car, Ryan opened the passengers' side door and helped Chad sit down.

"I'm driving. You have done enough today."

"Thanks, Ry. And I'm proud of you."

"For what?"

"For finally standing up to your parents like that. It took a lot of courage. You did good, Ry. Real good."

Walking around to the divers side door, Ryan climbed in. He started the engine and pulled out of the driveway.

After a few minutes of driving and silence, out of nowhere, Ryan broke out into laughter. For the millionth time that day, Chad looked at him with a very confused look on his face.

"Now what is it, Ry?"

"I just realized something." Again he was still laughing.

"And what, oh great one, is that?" Chad asked, rolling his eyes.

"We both had our first crushes on Troy Bolton!"

Chad laughed.

"Oh God! I wonder if he realizes he is every gay man's fantasy?"

If anyone had been driving down that road at that exact time, they would have seen two boys, so very much caught up in their laughter. They would have saw two boys very much in love with each other.

Even if they didn't know it yet.

A/N: Another chapter done! How did everyone like it? Review and let me know. Next chapter will be up tomorrow. Until then, Tootles:)