This is my FIRST update in FOUR months! (sniffle) it's okay to cry... right?

Ryan Evans sighed as he raked his fingers through his blonde hair, wondering why he had to be such a fuck-up. Those were his sister's choice of words, and it hurt to know that he fit such a profile. But he was kicking up the tired gravel just outside of Verne's Peach Orchard and sweating off layers of sun block just to see his sister. Just to let her know that she was right. Again. He rolled his eyes, knowing that Sharpay had always been severely stand-offish, but this was ridiculous. Why did he always have to prove himself worthy? He didn't understand how their relationship as brother and sister was never good enough.

"Ryan?" As he stepped up to the porch of Cabin A, a girl stood, her dark green eyes full of uncertainty as she looked over him. A look of confusion spread onto Ryan's face, taking in her appearance. He most definitely wasn't used to girls with untamed hair and unsightly teeth, lunging themselves at him in hugs... "Oh, mygosh, it is you!" As Ryan squirmed out of her grasp, a glimpse of a deep dimple tucked into her cheek caught his eye. He only knew one girl with dimples so deep...

"Murphy..." Enthusiasm never reached his voice. She nodded her head vigorously as a grin tugged at her lips. All Ryan could muster was a grimace at the sight of Murphy's unsanitary braces glimmering off of the afternoon sun. He was suddenly overwhelmed with mentally scarring childhood memories of her. She was always the plain Jane of the family, while Ryan and Sharpay pushed and shoved for the limelight... Ryan was sick and tired of reunions. He cut right to the chase. "Is Sharpay around?"

Sharpay Evans pulled her pink sheets over her head as a light tapping came at her door. The annoying afternoon light was already flooding through the window, keeping her from sleeping in and avoiding work, and she didn't need any more interruptions. She sighed as she buried her head under a pillow, hoping to get rid of any sounds that would penetrate her sleep, but the knocking came a little louder. "Fuck off..." she grumbled sourly into her pillow before dramatically throwing her sheets off her body.

Another knock came at the door.

The only person she would have been happy to see on the other side of the door was her chauffer, ready to take her home, or anywhere else. As long as they didn't have peaches. "What?" Sharpay immediately snapped before she registered who was knocking. She was going to get the point across that she didn't want to be bothered, no matter how many people she had to tear through and scream at. But all fell still when she saw her own brother, styling the same color that she was planning on wearing that day.

Damn twin telepathy.

Although she didn't want to admit it, Sharpay knew that she could hate Ryan with the hottest, most burning, passionate hate possible, but they would somehow still be connected. And although she was still pretty pissed that Ryan was three days late of giving her the apology she truly deserved, she would have to forgive him. Two sets of brown eyes never left each other as Ryan entered the room, crossing his arms over his chest in defense as well as defeat.

Simultaneously, they sighed.

"Hey, Ryan." Sharpay caved.

Gabriella Montez's lips curled over as she stopped herself from humming a song. One by one, almost robotically, she would tighten her finger grip around a peach, tug at it, the let it drop to the ground. But every once in a while, her thoughts would go thin as those forbidden lyrics would make her sing softly. There's not a star in heaven that we can't reach... Then she would unconsciously run her fingertips lightly over the peach fuzz and remember the soft hair on the nape of his neck. Then she would remember that they didn't love each other any more...

Their fingers lightly entwined as she shyly walked next to Troy. The effect he had on her, the one that would make her lose all self-confidence and become quiet and timid was mind-blowing. She loved every minute of it. But by this time, the silence was usually filled with conversation and laughs. And it wasn't. Troy's eyes were on his feet as he steadily walked, letting the cracks in the cement creep by. "Troy?" Gabriella's eyes found his, and he was already sorry. "Is something wrong?" The concerned look growing in her eyes planted a permanent feeling of guilt in the pit of Troy's stomach.

"Yeah..." he sighed. They stopped walking on the sidewalk and he gently unlaced his fingers from hers. She looked down at their hands in horror, almost as if he had torn off his own finger. "Gabriella..." he sucked in a breath, not knowing what to say next. He had never done this before, and wished that he had planned ahead of time. "I... we... this can't..." He attempted to piece words together, but his sentences just stumbled over each other. Gabriella thought that they would never get this figured out.

Until he fished something out of his pocket.

In his palm, an oversized gilded ring dully relflected off of the afternoon. A tiny worthless emerald sat in the middle. But it was the ring that Gabriella had given Troy when they first began dating. She told him to keep it as long as they were together, because it was her favorite piece of jewelry.

But it was suddenly hers again. She quickly plucked the ring out of his palm before glancing up at him once more. He swam around for words again, but gave up when she swung away from him.

Gabriella would never let Troy see her tears.

...then she would violently chuck a peach at the grass below and start the process all over again. This couldn't be summer for Gabriella. Something had to change...

"Ow!" she heard a yelp from below and almost lost her balance on top of the ladder. She cautiously peered below her to see an angry blonde rubbing at the top of his head. "Watch where you're throwing those damn..." he slowly tilted his head back, and Gabriella was immediately exposed to Ryan Evan's angry scowl. But his expression melted from fury to utter confusion. It was Gabriella Montez. "...peaches..."

Murphy Verne's brows knit together in confusion as she watched Troy staring across the field. He was supposed to be helping her repaint the worn shutters of Cabin A, but the only thing that was holding his attention was the tiny blonde figure sitting against a peach tree listening to her iPod in her pajamas. Murphy impatiently twirled her paintbrush between her palms. "Do you like her or something?"She couldn't help but sound a little irritated. All she wanted to do was paint the stupid shutters so she could get out of the hot sun, but he was making it difficult by drooling over Sharpay. Just like every other guy on the orchard. "She's vicious."

Troy shook his head, avoiding eye contact with her. It amazed Troy how Murphy could say horrible things about Sharpay, and they were family. But on the other hand, Sharpay said horrible things about everybody. "I just... I don't know... I want to make the effort to be her friend." he shrugged. At the softening of Murphy's hard stare, Troy wished he could take back what he had said. "But don't tell her that!"

Murphy understood. She would be alarmed as well if she spilled her guts to a complete stranger on accident. "I won't." he assured her.

"Promise?" Troy didn't care how desperate he sounded, he didn't want word leaking out.

"Promise."

That summer, Troy Bolton would have his first encounter: with love.

Gabriella Montez would finally meet the new solution: her absolutely wonderful.

Sharpay Evans will stumble upon something she's never experienced before: warmth.

And Murphy Verne will unexpectedly have to confront her worst fear: beauty.

It was their summer. The summer where they would face affection, determination, and the utterly confusing maze of peaches.

Review! I'll try to update soon! You know, BEFORE you guys lose interest.