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Disclaimer: Rylor is MINE! What? Disney didn't do it! (hehe)


As soon as Ryan walked through the school doors on Monday, two weeks later, he saw a scene going on in the corridor.

It was only Troy and Taylor, but some people were eavesdropping, while others laughed and chatted, getting on with their daily routines. Ryan stopped in his tracks, watching.

"I don't believe they did this to us! I thought . . . I thought . . ." Taylor choked, and Troy held her hands in his own.

"Don't worry. We'll get through this." supported Troy and started to walk down the corridor.

"Troy?! Where are you going?" said Taylor in alarm, wiping a lone tear away from her cheek.

"I can't stand it. I can't – I won't hang around with him everyday and pretend everything's normal." Troy said forcefully, and as he started to walk away again, Taylor's heart dropped as she realised what he was about to do.

"Troy NO!" she shrilled, her voice cutting through the air like icy knives. It carried right down to the end of the corridor, and most conversations stopped and the teenagers stared.

"Troy, if you leave the team, we're going to lose the championship!" she cried, and a gasp echoed all around them, but they barely heard it.

Ryan could hardly believe what he was hearing. Troy Bolton, leaving the basketball team? East High would be swept off the floor!

Ryan knew instantly what that would mean. the students of East High would be disappointed, his friends would be shocked, and his Dad would be absolutely furious.

"Please . . . please. Think for two seconds."

"Taylor . . . " Troy interrupted softly, and Taylor fell silent. "I'll make it right. It's okay."

He ignored all the onlookers and walked up to Taylor, planting a short, sweet and soft kiss on her forehead, and he walked down the corridor once again, only this time, he didn't come back. Not even when Taylor called his name in anguish.

Chaos. Everyone went insane.

Ryan's eyebrow flew right up as he watched the scene. 'When did that happen?!' he found himself thinking. 'I thought Troy was will Gabriella, and Taylor was with Chad . . .'

Taylor completely broke down, weeping fiercely. As far as she was concerned, this was The End. Fin.

By now, everyone was bursting with curiosity and gossip, and pressed around her, wanting more, running down the corridor after Troy, mayhem.

Taylor wasn't listening to anyone.

She just sat there, feeling like the contents of her heart had spilled out onto the floor, and suddenly, someone had their hand on her elbow, powerfully steering her away from the crowd into an empty classroom, then blocking the door.

"Ryan," she whispered, "Please, just go. I don't want you to see me like this."

"Taylor," Ryan soothed, but Taylor cut him off.

"No, it's okay. Whatever you heard, forget it. I'm fine." and stormed out of the classroom before Ryan could follow.

…HSM…

"Somebody explain." came a stern voice, and the small group swivelled round to face the auditorium door.

"Ryan!" said Kelsi, with a small smile.

"Explain what?" frowned Sharpay. "What's up with you?"

"I want to know what's up with Taylor and Troy, and why the whole schools going nuts about -"

Kelsi gasped and looked at him sharply. "No. Leave it Ryan. Some things are better left alone."

Ryan dumped his things in a nearby chair in frustration. "No! I want to know what's going on!"

Sharpay sighed, looking at him wearily. "It's been news for a while. Three days after we left for Barvarde, on Monday, it was rumoured that Gabriella Montez was cheating on Troy -"

"- who wouldn't believe it. Obviously." Kelsi muttered. Sharpay nodded.

"But on Wednesday she was caught out. She was cheating on Troy -"

"- with Chad!" exclaimed Kelsi angrily. "Of all people! Her best friend's boyfriend! And her boyfriend's best friend!"

Sharpay stared at the ground. "Yeah, it looked real bad. Troy was raging, Taylor was distressed, and while all that was going on, Chad and Gabriella continued to see each other."

"What?" Ryan said in disbelief. "Didn't they care . . . ?"

Sharpay shrugged. "Apparently, Taylor fell into this faze. Started smoking, drinking, skipping school, anything that would dull the pain."

"How do you know this?"

"People have seen her. She's not hell-bent on keeping it quiet."

Ryan closed his eyes. How could he have been so stupid?

When Troy was sitting in the Auditorium on his own . . .

When Gabriella said, "Oh. Him." after Chad asked Gabriella about Troy . . .

When Chad and Gabriella where both 'hanging around' in the Science block when they should've been in class . . .

"I'd better find her . . ." Ryan decided.

"Good luck then." Sharpay hesitated. "If you see her . . . tell her to stop playing up. You know, not skipping class, missing meals, fix up."

"Why do you say that?" Ryan frowned.

"It's the Principal." Sharpay said, almost worriedly. "If she keeps doing this . . . he's gonna get her parents involved."

…HSM…

"Why are you doing this to yourself?"

Taylor looked up, and then back down again. Ryan was leaning against the doorframe, his face expressionless.

"S'not a big deal."

"Oh yeah?" Ryan sat down across from her. "The principal -"

"Is an ass. He can't tell me what to do." Taylor sneered, so unlike her.

"Taylor, I know you're hurting. Real bad. Let me help you!"

"I don't want or need help." Taylor stood up. "I respect you, Ryan. But if you start acting like everyone else trying to control my life, I won't talk to you anymore."

"Yes you will."

"No I won't."

"You will."

"How can you be so sure?"

"Because you're not a good actor." Taylor struggled not to giggle, and Ryan's heart soared, knowing he'd gotten through to her at last.

Taylor looked up and met Ryan's piercing eyes, and she became so uncomfortable that she looked down again. "This conversation is pointless."

"Then let's talk about something else." said Ryan simply. He was so sly and witty with his replies, and he knew exactly what to say.

Taylor gave this big sigh. "Don't you ever feel your life was like a movie?"

"I . . . don't know." said Ryan slowly.

"I do. I thought it had reached the end when I'd got together with Chad, like a happy ending. But then . . ."

Taylor mumbled her way into silence. Ryan bit his lip thoughtfully.

"Well, it's still the end. It doesn't have to carry on."

"I don't follow." frowned Taylor.

"Think about it! There's a story; the beginning, the middle-climax bit, then the happy ending. Then, in the sequel -"

"It happens all over again . . ." said Taylor in realisation, Ryan nodded, grinning.

"So, The Life Of Taylor McKessie has ended. The sequel, The Life Of Taylor McKessie 2, has just started."

"Eww." snorted Taylor. "That sounds crap. If that was a movie, I wouldn't watch it!" They both laughed, clutching at their stomachs.

(A.N. That bit is dedicated to xxxPrincessJololaxxx, because that is EXACTLY the sort of thing she would say!)

"Okay." Ryan breathed, regaining breath. "The Life Of Tay Kess."

"I don't know whether that's better or worse . . . !" spluttered Taylor, then she stopped abruptly. "Hey! Did you pass your Barvarde Course?"

"No."

Taylor breathed in sharply. "Oh Ryan! Why?"

"The Instructor said I was talented, and I had a lot of potential . . . but I kept screwing up because I was distracted."

"What were you thinking of?" teased Taylor, but Ryan refused to answer, no matter how hard she playfully begged, grinning.

"I'd better go." sighed Taylor, heading for the door. She paused, hesitating. Then she ran back to him and gave him a hug.

"Thanks for making me feel better." she whispered, before exiting.

Ryan didn't know how long he sat there, staring at the door, but it was only when a Science teacher came in and asked why he was in the Lab on his own, that he realised he was late for class.

Again.

This had better not become a habit.

…HSM…

The long day was over at last, and Ryan just wanted to get home. walking briskly out of the school, he spotted a lone figure.

"Troy? You okay?"

Troy shrugged. "Never better, my friend." He peered at Ryan. "But you sure look troubled."

"Girl troubles. You wouldn't understand."

"Hello?" Troy stuttered in disbelief. "My girlfriend ran off with my best friend. That's about as troubling as it gets; no one expected that to happen!"

"What to you suggest?" sighed Ryan.

Troy grinned, and waved his wallet in Ryan's face.

"Let's go get pizza."

…HSM…

Troy was leaning back, contentedly, finishing off the pizza and Ryan was staring out of the window. It was a calm atmosphere; Pete's Pizza wasn't that full. Pete Perlotti drifted by, giving them free drink refills now and then.

"I come here almost every day." said Troy suddenly. Ryan raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah. It's a great way of filling the emptiness; dough and coke. I'm using my Dad's money, so he'll probably be broke soon, but what the heck. And I'm getting fat."

Ryan couldn't help it. He started to laugh manically.

"So, you feel better?" Troy asked hopefully. Ryan sighed, and nodded.

"Good. You and Taylor will be an item in no time."

"Troy! That's not the point of what I was saying!" Ryan moaned, but Troy wasn't even listening.

He searched for a number on his phone and pressed dial, waiting for the person to pick up. Ryan made small talk while Troy was waiting.

"So . . . did you resign from the Basketball team?"

"No, I just felt that there was no point giving up everything for – Oh hey!" Troy said suddenly, putting a finger to his lips as he talked on the phone.

"Could you go to the Science Block tomorrow at Lunch Break, and wait in the room that Mrs Gretel teaches in? Ryan wants to tell you something."

Ryan waited with eyes wide till Troy had hung up. "Who was that?"

"Taylor. So make sure you go to the Science Block tomorrow Lunch Break tomorrow."

And before Ryan could thank or scold him, he was gone.


There you go. Like? Love? Dislike? Hate? Review and let me know!

I feel really sorry for Troy. I can't help it! It's just sad, and he was sweet to Ryan. Ah well. Chapter Three will be up in a day or two, I think.

Star x x x