Author's Note: If you all are wondering what grade Tara is in, she's a senior as well. I won't be updating tonight, because I have a birthday party for a friend to go to, and I have Girl Scouts. Enjoy this chapter, though!

Chapter Three: Tara Takes Control

"So, what is with all these fanclubs?" Haylie asked one day at lunch.

"They just sort of happened. Not recently, but they just been sort of...there." Taylor explained, and Sharpay nodded.

"Mostly, the fanclubs are for Troy, though." she replied, and Taylor grinned.

"Yes, well, we all knew you were one, Sharpay." Taylor said, and Sharpay glared at her.

"For your information, I was in the past. Now, I like Zeke."

"What about me?"

The five girls looked up as the guys sat their trays down on the table, and Sharpay answered,

"Haylie asked about these fanclubs are popping up around school. Nothing important."

Ryan glanced at his sister, and he replied, "It kind of is. I met one of the presidents for one of the Ryan Evans fanclub, and she is sort of creepy..."

"Dude, they all are! If you didn't notice, half the girls in Troy's fanclub wants Gabriella dead!" Chad exclaimed, and the curly-haired jock looked at the brunette, who had her eyes wide, and Troy glared at him.

"Chad, I think we all get that." Troy said, and Haylie shook her head.

The girls that Chad just described sounded like the girls who went gaga over celebrities.

Although, Troy and the Wildcats, including Ryan, were celebrities themselves!

"You just better watch your back, Haylie. You don't know what these girls will do to get to Ryan." Chad informed her, and Ryan glared at him.

"Don't scare her! It's bad enough she had to witness weirdness of it all." Ryan explained, and Haylie giggled.

"It's okay. I thought it was cute."

"Haylie, Lilly is cute. Fanclubs that have weird girls in it..is not cute." Chad replied, and Haylie shrugged.

"So? It's--"

"Haylie, can I talk to you for a moment?"

Haylie turned around to see Tara standing behind her.

"Uh...sure."

Haylie got out of her spot, and Ryan did too, but Tara stopped him.

"Ryan, this is only for me and Haylie to talk about. You can't come."

"What if you do something to her?" Ryan asked, folding his arms, and Tara gave him a smile.

"I promise I won't do anything to her. I know you guys have been through several rough patches, and I don't think anyone wants to see that again." Tara explained, and Ryan frowned.

"Okay...just to talk." he said, and Haylie and Tara went outside the lunchroom, and that's when Haylie got a good look at Tara's profile: shoulder-length blonde hair that was abit wavy, and hazel eyes. Strange, yet the look suited her.

"So, what's up?" Haylie asked, and Tara's smile dropped.

"You is what's up! Do you realize how many girls, including myself, are shattered because your dating Ryan?" Tara asked, and Haylie raised an eyebrow.

"Excuse me?" she asked.

She knew alot of girls were interested in Ryan, but alot of them faced the fact that Ryan would never look their way when she was around. She was certain Tara did too.

Unlikely!

"You heard me. If we couldn't have Troy, we could have atleast Ryan! But, no! You had to step in, and play the role of Gabriella's understudy." Tara exclaimed, and Haylie shook her head.

Of course, she was speechless.

"Well...I didn't intend at getting his attention at first. He was just there to give me and my sister directions when we first came here--"

"That's a laugh! And now your going to tell me that you were the one who told him to break free of being Sharpay's shadow!"

"No, of course not! He did it on his own." Haylie replied.

Where was Tara taking this conversation?

"Look, if you don't mind, I'm going to go back into the lunchroom.."

She didn't have very far in order for Tara to grab her arm.

"Hey! Let go!" Haylie yelped, but Tara didn't let go of her arm.

"Break up with Ryan, or I'll do it myself: personally." Tara hissed, and Haylie's eyes widen with shock and fear.

Break up with Ryan?

"I won't! Your crazy!" Haylie explained, and Tara let go of her arm, and frowned.

"Then I'll do it myself. You better watch out, Haylie."

As Haylie stood there, watching Tara go, she wondered if all girls were like that.

"Hey! There you are."

Haylie turned around to see Ryan standing there, and she smiled.

"Hey."

Ryan walked over to her, and glanced at her arm, where Tara had gripped so tightly.

"What happened to your arm?" he asked, and Haylie looked down at it.

"Nothing..I just got bumped into a locker." Haylie stated, and on the look on Ryan's face didn't show that he bought it.

"What did Tara do to you?" Ryan asked again, and Haylie shook her head.

"Nothing...we just talked."

"Haylie, if she did something do you, you have to tell me and the gang. If it looks like it's going to be a problem--"

"It's no problem! Everything's fine." Haylie replied quickly, as she walked into the lunchroom, while Ryan walked aside her, concern on his face.