Author's Note: Here's chapter nine! Enjoy!

Chapter Nine: Worth Fighting For

Haylie stared at her reflection in the bathroom mirror: puffy, red bloodshot eyes.

She couldn't believe what Connor had said to her:

After our date, you can't see Ryan anymore. I'm sorry.

If she wanted a leature why she couldn't date Ryan, she would surely have gotten it from her mother, but her mother liked Ryan so what was the point, anyways?

She knew from the start that Connor didn't like Ryan, but she didn't know it'd come to a point where she couldn't date him!

This is so silly! I can date anyone want, and I don't need opinions from guys who used to be my ex-boyfriends who tend to get abit protective...Haylie thought, and she twirled around she heard the doorknob jingle, and she stated, "I have a purse, and I'm not afraid to use it!"

"Haylie, it's us!" The door opened, and in came Gabriella, Taylor, and Kelsi.

Haylie slowly lowered her purse, and shook her head.

"How long have you been in here?" Gabriella asked, and Haylie checked the time on her cellphone: eight o' clock, which ment she had been in the bathroom for atleast an hour now.

"I guess for an hour...but, I didn't want to face him. Not after what he said about Ryan."

"Ryan told us. It's going to be okay." Gabriella gently.

Haylie realized that if Gabriella, Taylor, and Kelsi were here, that ment...

"Are Troy, Chad, Jason, and Zeke here?" she asked.

"Yeah. They are talking to Connor and Ryan right now." Kelsi informed her.

They shouldn't! Didn't they realize that Connor was excately like Demtiri?

Okay, maybe not like Demtiri, but atleast he wasn't a madman!

"But...but...they shouldn't! Connor is seriously a madman in disguise!" Haylie commented.

"And what person isn't if they knew East High's clique system isn't right? Even Sharpay is cool with it, and she tried to get back where it belonged first." Taylor stated, taking Haylie's arm, and Haylie allowed her friends to take her out to the bathroom.

"Where are they?" Haylie asked, and Taylor pointed.

"In the back of the resturant."

The group of girls headed towards the back of the resturant, where they heard a vartiey of voices on the other side. Haylie guessed that the guys were trying to reason with Connor, but they weren't very good at it.

"Listen, your school is so screwd up..."

Haylie opened the door, and the guys looked at her.

"Connor, we get that all the time. You think your the only who hasn't complained, think again." she told him.

Connor looked at her, and he scowled.

"Well, it's true! Don't you want to go to a normal school where everyone is in their right place?"

Haylie blinked, and thought back to the days of Xavier. She liked her old school, but it didn't compare to East High. At East High, you couldn't find friends, much less a boyfriend, who truely cared about you, while at Xavier, things were the opposite.

Oh, and I bet the only thing they have in common is a resident drama queen.

"No. As much as I like to go back to a "normal" school, I like it at East High." Haylie explained, catching a few smiles from her friends.

"And what makes East High so special? It's not like it's any different from the rest!" Connor stated.

"True, but East High doesn't care about cliques, or who you date. At Xavier, it was a long time tradition that if you were a girl, popular or a cheerleader, you had to date a jock! At East High, people mingle." Haylie said.

"It was a tradition, Haylie. You wouldn't be caught dead dating primo boy here at Xavier, would you?" Connor asked, glancing at Ryan, who glared at him.

"I would like to risk my repuation rather than date someone who everyone thinks is mighty and powerful. I rather date someone who doesn't care about what others think of him." Haylie replied, giving Ryan a smile.

"Is that why you dumped me, Haylie? Because everyone thought I was mighty and poweful?" Connor asked, going up to Haylie.

"No. It was because you were an overprotective jerk who scared away my friends! None of their boyfriends were so protective of them!"

"I had to be! Otherwise, how else could I defend you?"

"She can defend herself! She doesn't need a bodyguard twenty-four-seven, you know!" Ryan stated.

"Oh, yeah? And I bet a twig like yourself doesn't defend her...she defends you, right? That's weak." Connor explained.

"Not really, Connor. Ryan defends me just fine." Haylie said, taking Ryan's hand into hers.

"Haylie, that's stupid! He's--"

"Yes, I know he isn't a jock. Big deal. So he isn't really that strong, or the only ball game he knows how to play is golf. And maybe he dresses abut weird than most guys, but that's why I like him. Atleast he never tried to impress me by being someone they are not." Haylie told him.

"Ooo! Burn!" Troy and Chad said together, and Connor glared at them.

"Whatever. If you want to dance with primo boy, be my guest, Haylie. But, don't come crawling back to me when he dumps you--"

"Oh, you mean...like how Christina dumped you for Josh?" Haylie asked, and everyone burst out laughing while Connor walked out muttering, "This bites."

As she and Ryan were driving home, Haylie smiled.

"You know, I'm glad I went on that date." she told Ryan.

"Why?" Ryan asked.

"Because then I wouldn't have said all those things to Connor. It made me feel better about myself."

"I don't think there's any other reason, is there?"

"Well, there is one other thing." Haylie stated.

"And what's that?"

"How much I love you."