Chad wondered back over to his friends who were all staring curiously at him. "Is he okay?" Sharpay asked first.
"Yeah...well...no." Chad sighed. "It wasn't Trevor."
"What?" They all chorused.
"His face. It wasn't Trevor." Chad said as he took a seat at their usual lunch table. "We spoke about stuff," Chad said vaguely. He didn't think Ryan wanted anyone else to know what he had said to him, especially his sister. "And well Trevor came over to us and he was seriously concerned for him, he asked what happened and made sure he was okay."
"The same boy who got him into this mess in the first place?" Sharpay said defensively.
"I know this might sound a bit weird but I honestly think he got into it on his own." Chad said quietly.
"Ryan would never do that." Sharpay insisted. "He just walked in with Trevor." Almost instantly the table turned around to see Trevor and Ryan walking into the cafeteria obviously high as they were walking in crooked lines and pushing each other. The whole cafeteria could hear what was going on and a lot of people were looking in their direction. It seemed that the group of Wildcats weren't the only ones concerned for Ryan.
Trevor had a possessive arm around Ryan's waist and they headed over to a table opposite theirs, joining a few skaters that were already eating. "Ry!" A curly haired boy grinned. "Your face is like totally smashed man."
"I swear I didn't know he was going to do that," Billy said instantly looking at Ryan.
"Do what?" Trevor asked a little more sober now, though his voice still sounded a little dreamy.
"Shh!" Ryan chuckled.
"Ryan, come on what's going on?" Trevor asked getting angry now.
"I...nothing." Ryan said eventually.
"No what the hell happened?" Trevor shouted, if no one was looking before they all were now. "Ryan open your fucking mouth and tell me who did that to your face." Ryan just stared at him, the weed making his brain tingle a little.
"You look funny." Ryan eventually said as he laughed. Trevor glared at him and pushed him as he walked away, Ryan just chuckled and went "oops." as he stole his friends brownie.
"See." Chad said. "He has no idea what happened to Ryan."
"But that Billie kid does." Sharpay said looking over at Ryan who was now talking to one of the boys.
"We could ask him." Zeke suggested.
"Billie's brother is a drug dealer." Jason said. "His name's Craig, and I reckon he's the one who did that to Ryan."
"Wait...why do you think that?" Chad asked.
"Craig and my brother are like practically brothers, like you and Troy. And even though my brother doesn't do drugs or anything they still talk all the time. Well last night Craig was at mine, sober for a change. He was bragging about a kid that he beat up because someone he knew owed him money."
"So if it's Ryan he got beat up because Trevor owes?" Troy asked.
"Yes. Craig he's sick in the head when it comes to money and drugs, the way he sees it is Ryan uses too so therefore he owes him too. But yeah maybe I'm wrong."
"No it fits," Troy sighed.
The bell signalled the end of the lunch and they all headed to the gym, it was the only class that all of them shared, including Ryan. They were glad that none of Ryan's friends, mainly Trevor were in his gym class they decided they were going to try and talk to him again.
When the boys reached the locker room already getting changed, Ryan walked in. "I forget this fag was in our class." A jock laughed.
"Oh please, like I'd even think about checking you out. I've seen better looks on a dog." Ryan said as he opened his locker.
"What did you say fag?" The boy shouted.
"You heard." Ryan shouted back just as loud.
"Your waste, why don't you go and fuck your life up some more. Jail bait." The boy laughed. Ryan rolled his eyes and pulled on his gym kit.
"When was the last time you had a proper meal?" Chad asked as he stared at Ryan's body, he was mainly bones. He knew that pot had ruined the body but he was sure that this was something more.
"Erm... excuse me?" Ryan laughed as he quickly pulled on his top. "Looks like your the one who checks out the boys bodies in the locker room Chad," Ryan winked. Chad couldn't help but blush.
"You're so skinny." Chad said softly. Troy was watching them both with wide eyes, it wasn't healthy for Ryan to be so skinny. Ryan just shrugged. "Are you okay?"
"Peachy." Ryan said sarcastically as he dropped his trousers, Chad was momentarily startled but quickly did the same and pulled on his gym shorts. Once they were done they made their way to the gym, Chad and Troy making sure Ryan didn't walk away from them.
The gym teacher told them they were going to do some baseball practice and to get into teams, the wildcat's made sure that they were in the same group. Ryan made no attempt to move away just stared at the floor.
"So, it was Craig who did that huh." Gabriella broke the silence and stared at Ryan. The blond boy looked at her and gaped.
"How do you know about Craig?" He asked a little stunned.
"He was bragging about it at my house." Jason offered.
"So you have dealers at your house on a regular basis, do you get discount?" Ryan smiled. Jason just glared at him.
"How come he didn't get Trevor?" Troy asked.
"I was having sex with his brother." Ryan laughed. "I was an easy target."
"You were with Billie?" Chad asked.
"Yeah." Ryan shrugged. "But you can't tell Trevor." Ryan said.
"I thought you liked Trevor." Sharpay said, none of this made any sense and she was starting to get a headache.
"I do." Ryan said quickly.
"So you just sleep around?" She said loudly. "Do you know how disgusting that is!"
"It's sex." Ryan laughed. "It's not like you're so innocent don't give me the third degree."
"I'm not sleeping around with more than one person." Sharpay argued.
"Though I bet if Troy just looked at you you'd spread your legs." Ryan said evilly.
"No I wouldn't." Sharpay said but her voice had softened slightly.
"Ryan, stop it." Chad said.
"What ever." Ryan mumbled.
"Evans your up!" The gym teacher called, Ryan sighed and headed over to the batting marker, when the ball came at him he hit the ball as hard as he could and watched it fly over the heads of the other team. He made a quick run about the bases and skidded expertly at the last one, dropped his bat and headed to the bench sitting down. "Evans!" the gym teacher called.
"What?" Ryan asked.
"I want you to try out for the baseball team." Was all the gym teacher said, a few of the jocks already on the baseball team were shocked but impressed with Ryan's swing.
"No." Ryan laughed, he had dropped out of drama and he knew it was a matter of time before his lack of extra activities were picked up on, the teacher glared at him for answering back and headed over to him.
"You're this close to getting kicked out of the school for doing what ever it is you've been doing the past month." The teacher said softly very much aware that the class was listening, "If you join the team then you wouldn't be in as much trouble. It will be good for you."
"I'm not into sports." Ryan said quietly.
"It's not about being into sports, it's about the passion." The teacher said, he yelled for the class to get back to the game which they did, scared that they would get detention. "Ryan. Believe it or not I understand what you're going through."
"You do?" Ryan asked curiously.
"You're a twin, you're sister has been in the light for the past 17 years and you're reaching out, making your own decisions."
"I guess." Ryan nodded.
"It's not a bad thing to want to be your own person, but the choices you are making, the friends you've made they're bad choices. Join the team, it's something your sister wouldn't want you to do and something she cannot control as no girls are on the team. It'll be good for you, a healthy rebellious act against your family." Ryan smiled as his teacher. "Practice is tonight after school, come to the fields and you can try out properly."
"Thank you." Ryan smiled he felt much better. His teacher patted him on the arm and walked off sending a smile to Troy and Chad who were watching anxiously. Once their teacher had gone back to teaching, Chad and Troy made their way over to Ryan.
"What did he say?" Troy asked.
"To be on the team." Ryan said a little awe struck.
"That's a great idea." Chad grinned. "We could do with you on the team, seriously you have an impressive swing."
"I don't know what to do." Ryan said. "I'm so confused."
"We'll help you." Chad smiled.
"Yeah dude, we're all friends, we just want to help." Troy added.
"I told you Chad, I don't deserve this, I've been so horrible to you the pass month."
"Maybe, but like I said everyone deserves friends, so just let this be." Chad said. Ryan just nodded his head weakly, he had a lot of thinking to do.