AN: Sorry, guys. This chapter really threw me for a loop. I kept writing and rewriting and halfway through I realized that this was the first time I've mentioned hats or quoted the soundtrack, that's like a ryelsi crime. Also, if you're hoping this chapter will cheer you up, don't. While I would love to post something happy and joyous today (or at least something that references Charlie's Angels or quotes one of Michael's songs), this is all I've got.

Men and Monsters

Chapter 9

Kelsi smiled when she saw who was coming up front steps of the school.

"Hey," she said.

"Hi," Ryan said shortly.

Kelsi faltered at his tone but decided to keep things upbeat. "I'm sorry about last night. I guess I was really tired."

"It's okay," he said, waiting for her to stand before walking into school. "You needed your sleep."

"Yeah, auditions are this afternoon. Are you ready?"

She wasn't sure if she saw him wince or smile and decided to pretend it was the latter. "Always. You?"

"What do I have to be ready for? I'm already the resident playmaker."

Ryan rolled his eyes at the basketball team's nickname for her. "But you have to audition the orchestra."

"That's not until the end of the week."

This time she was sure he smiled, if only a little. "You could at least pretend to be freaked out. That way we could bond over the -- whoa!"

Kelsi watched dumbly as Chad marched past, grabbing Ryan as he did so. "Where are you going?" Kelsi called down the hall after them.

"Away!" Chad bellowed back.

Kelsi huffed -- what was it with people stealing Ryan away while she tried to talk to him? -- and hurried around the corner to Taylor's locker. She would know what was up.

#

Ryan didn't bother trying to fight Chad. He could have easily broken away, but he also knew Chad well enough to know that this was important. He was dragged all the way through the school, out the back of the gym and into one of the tennis courts. There Chad let him go and picked two baseball gloves and a ball off the ground.

"I didn't think you'd let me drag you all the way to the baseball fields," Chad explained, tossing a mitt to him.

Ryan caught it easily and nodded. The baseball fields were out past the football field. His curiosity was sure to get the best of him by the time they got that far.

"So what's this all about?" Ryan asked. "I already told you I don't have time to join the baseball team."

Chad tossed him the ball. "I needed to talk to you without attacking you and I figured tossing the ball would be a good outlet."

"Why would you attack me?" Ryan asked carefully, tossing the ball back gently.

Chad grinned as he caught the ball and threw it back hard. "Taylor told me you're a demon."

Ryan caught the ball, but froze with his arm outstretched. Slowly, he stood straight and asked, "What?"

Chad smirked. "Throw the ball," he ordered and Ryan did as he was told. "I wouldn't believe it if it was anyone else," he said wryly, winding up, "but Taylor isn't the kind of person who makes up crazy stories. She gave me a three hour lecture on the evils of April Fools Day for Heaven's sakes."

Ryan caught the ball with a frown. "You think I'm a demon?" He returned the ball and pulled off his fedora, bowing his head so Chad could see the top. "Did you think I was hiding horns under the hats? And how would I dance with cloven hooves?"

Chad let out a dry laugh. "Are you?"

Ryan sagged. "Technically? No, but I'm not human either. What do you plan to do about it?"

Chad ran a hand through his hair. "I'm not really sure. Taylor was pretty vague on the specifics, which was part of why I believed her. Taylor's lies are always way too thorough."

Ryan smiled at that but it faded when he saw Chad's expression.

"What I really want to know," Chad said, tossing the ball from hand to hand, "is what's up with Gabriella? Taylor wouldn't tell me that."

Ryan rolled his eyes. That proved who Taylor's loyalties were to, not that he was surprised. "It's not my place," he said.

"Like hell it's not!" Chad thundered. "If my friends are in danger I want to know about it!"

"Gabriella's not in any danger. She's hurt, but she'll survive."

"What about Troy?"

Ryan tensed. "She would never hurt him," he said, but even as he said it he wasn't sure. A werewolf's mind, while connected to the human's, was different. What her opinion of Troy was after the transformation, none of them could know.

Chad's frown deepened. "I would ask why she would hurt anyone, but I don't think you'll answer."

Ryan kept his expression carefully blank until Chad threw the ball to him once more.

"So, about Small Person …"

Ryan rolled his eyes. "Why is everyone worried about me hurting Kelsi?"

Chad smiled as he caught the ball. "Dude, you're totally in love with her."

"First Gabriella, now you. Where does everyone get this idea? I am not in love with Kelsi!"

"Oh, fine, you're right. You just help her with her music and hang out with her all the time because you're friends."

"Yes! And because we're in Drama Club together. If we don't work as a team the performances will suck."

"And how much of this teamwork is Sharpay a part of? I mean, she is the president, isn't she?"

Ryan froze and the ball flew past him. "Sharpay's … difficult. It's easier if it's just us."

Chad paused on his way to get the runaway ball and clasped Ryan's shoulder. "Listen, all I'm saying is, on behalf of the entire East High basketball team, as long as you're not going to suck out Small Person's soul or turn her into your undead bride, we're cool." He ignored the look of revulsion and shock on Ryan's face and added, "But if you make her cry, we'll exorcise your ass. Clear?"

"Crystal."

#

Kelsi waited patiently at the piano as Ms. Darbus extolled the virtues of Drama Club. It had been an unsatisfying day and she sincerely hoped that auditions would be better. Taylor had brushed her off that morning and Chad had avoided her every time they saw each other. Worst of all was Ryan, he'd avoided even looking at her for most of the day and had used Sharpay like a shield ... until now. As Ms. Darbus finished her speech Kelsi glanced at Sharpay, alone in the front row.

"Evans, Ryan!" Ms. Darbus called.

Kelsi immediately swung around on the piano bench to face Sharpay. "What?" Kelsi demanded. "Aren't the two of you auditioning together?"

Sharpay shrugged. "He wanted to go solo this time."

Kelsi balked and opened her mouth to ask, "And you let him?" but was stopped when Ryan took the stage. He had appeared out of nowhere and Kelsi could only take his music silently before he stepped into center stage and waited patiently for her to begin.

Kelsi pushed down her anger and started playing, carefully watching Ryan out of the corner of her eye as she did. He glanced at her as he sang the first few lines and quickly stepped to the front of the stage, effectively putting her out of his line of sight. Kelsi smiled despite herself, it was nice to hear Ryan without Sharpay. His voice was strong enough to carry a song on his own and when he was by himself he always added something special to the --

Kelsi winced, almost losing her place when Ryan's high note came out as something closer to a screech. Sharpay almost fell out of her seat and Ms. Darbus's papers went flying. Kelsi continued playing, watching the back of Ryan's head as she did. He didn't seem concerned about the mistake, didn't even seem to have noticed. She glanced ahead in the song and saw that there was another high note coming. She wished she could lend him some of her strength and silently prayed that this time would be better than last.

It was worse. Ms. Darbus immediately stood.

"Thank you, Mr. Evans!" she practically yelled. "Your monologue please."

Ryan nodded as if he hadn't just been cut off mid-song. "Segismund from Life is a Dream."

Sharpay smiled and nodded, apparently in approval of his choice. Kelsi didn't recognize the play but knew immediately that Ryan was doing it wrong. The words of the monologue were dramatic and full of power, but Ryan said them as if they were meant to be comical. Kelsi could see Ms. Darbus was not amused but she allowed Ryan to finish.

The second he was done Sharpay mounted the stage and dragged him into the wings behind Kelsi.

"What was that?" she demanded.

"My audition," Ryan said with a shrug.

"Evans, Sharpay!" Ms. Darbus called.

Sharpay threw Ryan one last angry glare before stomping onto the stage. She gave Kelsi a nod and, in the blink of an eye, dropped her ire completely. Kelsi hit the play button on the CD player she'd kept on hand at every audition since Twinkle Town. That done, Kelsi spun around on the piano bench and hurried after Ryan, who was stalking out of the theater. She caught up to him just outside the auto shop building, which was uncharacteristically quiet this late in the day.

"What the hell?" she demanded, running in front of him.

He stopped mid-step and for a moment he looked almost afraid of her. Kelsi shook her head.

"I didn't mean that," she said, trying to process her thoughts. "No, actually, I did. What the hell, Evans? You just blew an audition!"

"Everyone has off days," he interrupted.

"No, this wasn't an off day. This was you taking a dive! What, did Seth beg you to blow it so he would have a chance at Faust? Because, as horrifying as that sounds, it's the only thing I can think of to explain what I just saw in there. You purposefully blew that audition. You butchered a great monologue, you made a beautiful song sound like a barnyard, and you made me want to stop playing!"

He winced at that last one but didn't back down one bit. "I'm sorry you think there's something going on here, but there's not. I just didn't make it." With that, he turned and walked away.

Kelsi glared at his back until he disappeared around a corner. Once he was out of sight she hurried back to the theater before Sharpay finished, vowing to deal with Ryan later.

#

As the rest of the team made their way to the showers Troy threw his balled-up dirty socks at Chad.

"Hey!" Chad snapped, spinning around. "What was that for?"

"I heard about you stealing Ryan away from Kelsi this morning. What's up there?"

"Nothing. I just … needed to get a few things straight."

"You worried about Playmaker?"

Chad smiled. "Not really. I mean, she's been putting up with the Evans' weird longer than we have. It was nothing," he finished with a shrug.

"Nothing like you sneaking onto the Evans' front lawn first thing on a Sunday morning nothing? Or nothing like Jason asking why cheese is yellow nothing?" When Chad's eyes widened Troy added, "I'm not stupid, man, I see things. I know something's going on around here and it's not just one of Sharpay's little schemes."

Chad sighed and echoed Ryan's earlier words, "It's not my secret to tell."

"So whose is it?"

Chad turned away.

"Come on," Troy said. "If something's really wrong you should tell me. We can work it out."

Chad shook his head. "You don't understand it's ... it's complicated."

"You used to tell me everything."

"That's not fair. What if Gabriella told you something she didn't want anyone to know?"

"Is that what this is? Is Taylor in some kind of trouble? Is that why she was at Sharpay's?"

"No! Taylor's fine, I just ..."

"Just can't tell your best friend what's been bugging you all day. I get it." Troy stood and started walking towards the doors.

"Troy!" Chad called, but he was gone.

#

Gabriella looked over the school parking lot, letting her gaze travel to the hills beyond the city. Troy was right to love the roof, it was always more peaceful than anyplace else on campus and allowed her the time she desperately needed to be alone and think.

"Hey."

She whirled, her heart racing fearfully despite the gentle tone. "Hey, Wildcat," she said, pleased to find that her voice was steady. He was standing on the small patio, wearing his uniform sans shoes and socks and looking like he'd come straight from practice.

"Come over here," he said, smiling at her and wiggling his toes on the bottom patio step. The ground on the roof was dark and would be uncomfortably hot on his feet on such a sunny day.

She clutched her hand at her side, the necklace had been cool when she'd first taken it off but was now warm against her skin. She shook her head. Thinking she was teasing, his smile widened and he carefully hurried across the roof towards her, taking leaps and landing on his toes until he reached her. Once there he shifted from foot to foot, almost laughing until he saw that she wouldn't meet his eyes.

Stilling instantly, he asked, "What's wrong?"

She looked up at him and held out her hand. Any hint of a smile on his face evaporated instantly.

"Wha- ?"

"I'm sorry," she said quickly, wishing he'd just take the necklace so she could be done.

He frowned at her. "No."

"Troy," she started.

"No!" He backed up a step, ignoring the pain in his feet. "Whatever's wrong we can fix it. I know we can. We just have to --"

"No, Troy," she said, forcing back her tears, "we can't. We can't fix this."

He reached for her and she ran, dropping the necklace as she went.

"Gabriella!" he called after her but she didn't stop, didn't even look back at him before descending into the school. Dumbly he picked up the necklace and looked out at the parking lot, hoping to catch sight of her there. Instead he saw Ryan and the boys' eyes met for a moment before Ryan turned away. Troy gripped the necklace tightly in his fist. He wanted answers and he knew just where to get them.