Chapter Four

Chad watched at Ryan and Gabby twirled on stage, singing about finally finding what they were looking for and barely kept from rolling his eyes. "This is terrible," he whispered to Taylor, who was sitting next to him.

"I think it's cute," she said without looking up from her work.

"You would," he shot back.

Taylor sighed, shut her book and studied the pair on the stage. "She's a little pitchy for me and he should cut the jazz squares from the act, but over all it's typical musical theater. Fluff, nonsense and a big dollop of cheese."

"Have you even listened to the lyrics?" Chad asked in amazement.

"Yes, actually, I have." Taylor flipped her book back open. "I've got them memorized, in fact. Gabby asked me to help her by singing the boy parts so that she could get the timing right."

"Ryan didn't ask me to help him."

Taylor laughed. "Probably because he knew you wouldn't want to sing the girl parts."

"Yeah, I guess you're right," Chad said, mollified. "But back to what I was saying, the song is crap."

"Well, yes, but that's not the point." Taylor sat back in her chair. "The lyrics are extremely commonplace. Trite, really. Still, they fit nicely together and the song actually sounds good when you listen to it. Yes, it's banal. But this is a high school play named Twinkle Town that features two lonely music students who meet on the set of their high school musical. Which is also named Twinkle Town. Not exactly Tony award winning stuff here, Chad."

"It just could use some oomph is all."

"Oomph? As in, what, giant robots from space?" Taylor gave him an amused look. "Remember that Kelsi wrote this. Kelsi. The quiet, sort of mousy girl with the glasses. What did you expect?"

Chad scratched his cheek. "That's a good point."

The music finished and Ryan said, "That was pretty good over all, Gabby. I think that we almost got it."

Gabby nodded. "I'm still just a little behind on the second shuffle-ball step, but other than that it's coming together nicely."

"So let's take a little break and we'll try it again in five. Sound good?"

Gabby nodded again, moving over to her water bottle. Ryan hopped off the stage and walked over to where Chad and Taylor were sitting. He picked up his hand towel and wiped his face off. "What did you guys think?"

"It's a little heavy on the cutesy stuff, but I think that will actually work in your favor with Darbus. She's all about the over the top cheese."

Ryan tossed his towel at Chad. "Just because you don't appreciate it doesn't make it cheese."

Chad caught the towel, put it on the chair next to him and stood up. He stretched and then moved over to Ryan's side, wrapping an arm around his waist. "You were wonderful, baby."

Taylor rolled her eyes. "You need to cut the jazz squares."

"Everyone loves a good jazz square," Ryan said with a baffled look.

"No," Taylor retorted, "they don't."

Chad kissed the side of his neck. "What do you say that you wrap this up early and you and me head back to my place for a little quality time?"

"Keep it in your pants, Romeo," Taylor warned.

Ryan laughed. "I hate to say it, but she's right. Now is not the time." He glanced at the clock. "Speaking of time, Gabby, you ready to go again?"

"Sure." Gabby pulled her hair up into a ponytail and wrapped a rubber band around it. "This time I won't be late."

Ryan turned and gave Chad a quick kiss. "Only about a half an hour more, then we can have that quality time."

Chad dropped his arm. "Tease."

"Don't you know it," Ryan said with a wink.

"You two are enough to make me sick," Taylor announced.

Ryan grinned at her. "Sick with envy."

"I'm turning the music on, Ryan," Gabby said sharply.

"I'm coming, I'm coming," Ryan called to her, swinging his legs to get onto the stage.

Chad watched them go through the number again before turning back to Taylor. "He still wants to keep our relationship under wraps."

Taylor blinked at him. "Is this something you should be sharing with me?"

"You're my hag, aren't you?" Chad teased.

Taylor pinned him with a look. "I thought I made it perfectly clear how I felt about being called that."

"Whatever, you are. So tell me, what does that mean?"

"Aren't you a guy? Doesn't that make you an expert?" Taylor flipped a page of her book, but Chad was certain she wasn't actually reading it.

"Dude, Ryan isn't like other guys. If it was Troy, it would be easy. If he was telling some girl that he didn't want his bros to know, it would mean that he wasn't ready to commit. But you and Gabby are the equivalent of Ryan's bros, and you already know about us. So yeah. Not sure how to take this secrecy thing."

Taylor lifted a shoulder. "I know about as much as you do. Like I told you before, the person you should be having this conversation with is Ryan."

Chad made a face. "I tried."

Taylor perked up. "Really? What happened?"

"He distracted me," Chad muttered.

"How?"

"Well, he--"

"Wait," Taylor held up her hands, "I take it back. I don't want to know."

Chad smirked at her. "Bottom line is that, while I ended up having a good time, I still don't know what up with him."

Taylor took a deep breath. "You know what, I'm just going to say it. You might think I'm crazy, but I'm going to." She snapped her book shut and turned towards him. "I don't think he's all the serious about you."

Chad swallowed. "Why do you say that?" he asked slowly.

"Look, if he were really into you he would be telling everyone he knows what a great guy you are. He wouldn't be asking you to act like you are just a friend at school. Not that how relationships work. In fact, if you were a girl I would tell you to dump his ass. It's just not right."

"But I'm not a girl," Chad pointed out.

"Which is why I've held my tongue." Taylor glanced at the stage and then leaned close. "You are a guy so you know what guys are like. Even so, I say don't have sex with him."

"Dude. Don't you think that is a bit extreme? It's not like I'm going to get pregnant or something," Chad joked.

"No, you won't. But that doesn't mean he won't use you and lose you."

Chad sobered up. "You have a point."

Taylor gave him a crisp nod. "Don't sleep with him and if he is still being all secretive in a month, tell him to either make things public or you'll leave him."

"Guys don't like ultimatums."

"And girls don't like being treating with disrespect."

"I'm not a girl," Chad said through gritted teeth.

"And I'm not a hag," Taylor replied sweetly.

Chad opened his mouth to reply but was cut off by his phone ringing. He tugged it out of his pocket and flipped it open. "Talk to me."

"Dude, boys night at Betty's," Troy said in his ear.

Chad looked at the stage and then sighed. "I don't know. I think I might have plans with Ryan."

Troy snorted. "So break 'em."

"Bro, I can't just break my plans because you want me to."

"Why not?" Troy asked. "I'm your best friend and this is a team event. Ryan will understand."

"I don't think that he will."

"Dude." Troy sounded pissed. "You promised me that you would stop ditching me to hang out with your new best friend all the time. Seriously, you two are fucking attached at the hip."

"Don't be a douche. I made plans with Ryan before you called me."

"Whatever," Troy snapped. "The whole team is going to be there. Are you going to miss it because you and Ryan are painting your toenails and gossiping?"

"Fuck you." Chad slammed his phone shut and glared at it.

"What's going on?" Ryan asked from the stage.

"Troy," Chad answered. "He wants to know why I can't just break my plans with you to hang out with him and the team." He glanced at Taylor, took a breath and said, "Ryan, just let me tell him about us. It will get him off my back."

Ryan ran a hand through his hair and then pointedly looked at Gabby and Taylor. "I'd rather not talk about this here."

"Why not?" Chad was pissed and spoiling for a fight. He crossed his arms over his chest and raised his eyebrows. "They both know that you don't want us to go public yet."

"Maybe I'd like to keep my personal life personal," Ryan shot back.

"And maybe it would be a good time for us to leave," Taylor said, standing up. "Come on, Gabby, we don't need to be here for this."

Gabby gave Ryan a searching look. "I'll call you later, okay?"

Ryan nodded. "Yeah, sure." He sat down on the edge of the stage and crossed his legs in some sort of yoga pose.

Chad watched as Taylor and Gabby gathered up their things. Part of him wanted to have them stay, knowing that things would not get out of hand if they did. But a bigger part of him knew that it was for the best if they left. As soon as the door shut, he turned back to Ryan.

"So what's your deal? Why don't you want anyone knowing about us?"

Ryan took a deep breath and then let it out again. "I understand that you are confused and that being confused makes you angry, but please just try and listen to me. I am a very private person. I don't like anyone knowing my business. You and me, we are good together. I love spending time with you and truly enjoy your company. But we have only been dating for about a month. To me, that is way to soon to know if this is going to last and I would prefer not to have the entire school know about my dating life until things are more established between us."

Chad rubbed his forehead. "We are in high school, Ryan. Typical relationships last about six months tops. Now, I'm not saying that you and I will be gone with the wind before winter sets in, but still. This waiting thing, it just doesn't hold water with me."

"Look, how about this. If we are still together in two months, then we will tell everyone."

Chad shook his head. "No way. I'm not going to go on hiding the fact that you are my boyfriend."

Ryan pressed his fingers over his eyes. "I can see that this matters to you, and I promise to give it some thought, but I'm really not comfortable with telling people right now. Can you give me another month?"

"Two weeks, tops."

"Fine." Ryan sighed. "You can tell your friends in two weeks. But not a second before."

Chad beamed. "Awesome!"

"Don't take this the wrong way, but I don't really want to hang out right now." Ryan rubbed his neck. "It's going to take some getting use to, this whole idea of telling people. I'd rather just meditate a bit and try to get back in balance. Is that alright with you?"

"Sure! If I get to tell people in two weeks then I don't mind at all." Chad stood up and moved to the side of the stage. He put his hands on either side of Ryan's legs and kissed him.

Ryan was stiff at first, then melted, his arms coming up around Chad's back and his legs uncrossing. Chad sucked at Ryan's mouth, nibbling on his lower lip. Ryan clutched at him, breaking the kiss at suck on the underside of Chad's jaw. Chad shifted is weight to one hand and moved the other one between Ryan's legs. Ryan moaned as Chad rubbed his palm against the bulge in Ryan's pants.

Chad grinned as he pulled back. "I'll tell you something that will make you a whole lot happier about us going public. As soon as Troy knows that you're my boyfriend, I'm going to go down on you," Chad promised.

"You are such a fucking tease," Ryan accused.

"You love it." Chad bent down at kissed the side of Ryan's leg.

Ryan hissed. "Get out of here before I jump you."

Chad gave him a smug look. "You're wonderful too, darling," he drawled. Chad smiled to himself as he crossed back over to the chairs to get his bag. Not only was Ryan going to let him tell people about them, he was finally going to get to do something about his blue balls.

"I don't want to go out," Ryan pouted.

"Come on, it will be fun." Sharpay batted her eyes at him.

Ryan made a face. "I am your brother, Shar. That doesn't work on me."

"Ryan," Sharpay somehow managed to turn his name into something possessing twenty syllables.

"Oh for god's sake. Fine. I'll go with you."

Sharpay beamed at him. "Great!" she grabbed his hand and started dragging him towards the door.

"Oh my god, no. I'm not going in this."

Sharpay gave him a once over. "You look fine."

"I look like hell. I just finished dance rehearsal and fighting with Chad. I need to detox before I do anything."

"But I have reservations," Sharpay wheedled. "We have to go right now or we won't get a table."

Ryan sighed. "Why did you make reservations without consulting me first? For all you know I could have been planning on spending tonight with Chad."

"I wanted to surprise you, so sue me." Sharpay looked pointedly at the clock. "Now get a move on. We are going to be late."

"I hate you."

"You only say that because you wish you were as glamorous as me." Sharpay caught hold of his arm and started tugging again.

"Let go, I'm coming." Ryan shook free and trotted towards the door. "I don't know what has gotten into you tonight."

Sharpay pursed her lips. "I just want to spend time with you. You've been all about your stupid boyfriend and your lame ass friends and I haven't had a minute alone with you in ages."

"Chad isn't stupid and my friends aren't lame."

"Whatever." Sharpay brushed her hair off of her face. "I'm driving." She pulled her keys out of her purse and jingled them.

Ryan laughed. "You always drive, Shar."

"I know." She stopped by the side of her car and pushed the button to unlock the door. "It's because my car is better."

"We have the same car."

"Mine is pink."

"And has your initials painted on it." Ryan opened the door and climbed inside. "Neither fact adds to the overall car."

Sharpay jabbed the key into the ignition and smiled as it roared to life. "Don't hate." She put it into reverse and then backed onto the driveway. She put it in drive and sped down to the street, barely stopping before she entered the flow of traffic. "Now, listen, I'm taking you somewhere different. It's not what I normally go for, but I have it on go authority that it has good service and excellent food. So I don't want to hear any complaining."

"Are you taking me to Denny's or something?" Ryan asked with a wrinkle of his nose.

"God, no. You know how I feel about chain restaurants." Sharpay shivered in disgust. She took a sharp right and then an immediate left, turning into a familiar parking lot.

"Hey, I've been here," Ryan said. "Chad took me."

"Not surprising, seeing as how I heard about this place from Troy."

"Troy is your so-called good source?" Ryan lifted his eyebrows in amazement. "How far you have fallen."

Sharpay slapped his leg as she put the car in park. "Don't start with me, Ry, or I will decide not to treat you to dinner."

"Cause that's a big hardship."

She glowered at him. "And make you walk home."

Ryan held up his hands in surrender. "All right, All right, I won't mention how I feel about a certain mutual acquaintance of ours."

"Good." Sharpay pushed open her door and stepped out. She straightened her skirt, touched her hair and then smiled at her reflection in the side mirror. "Are you coming or what?" she demanded as she slammed the door shut.

"Way ahead of you, sister." Ryan did a quick step to the front door and held it open. "This way, if you please."

Sharpay preened as she passed him and he touched the brim of his hat. "You are such a ham," she teased.

"Quite." He let the door shut behind and then looked around. "Not very many people here tonight."

"It's fairly early." Sharpay flagged down a passing waitress. "Table for two." The woman nodded and picked up to plastic covered menus.

"This way." She started to lead them to a table in the middle of the room but Sharpay shook her head.

She marched to a booth on the far side of the restaurant that was partially hidden by plants on one side and a tall frosted glass panel on the other. "I want to sit here," she announced.

The waitress looked like she wanted to say something, but Sharpay flashed a smile and handed her five dollars. "I'm sure that's fine," the woman grumbled, pocketing the money. She slapped the menus down and grunted, "Someone will be with you shortly."

"I thought you said you had reservations," Ryan said as he slid into the booth.

Sharpay shrugged. "You would have taken forever to get ready and I was hungry." She picked up her menu and studied the front for a moment before flipping it over with a frown. "Don't they have anything that isn't loaded with fat and dripping with grease?"

Ryan chuckled. "That's what you get when you ask the likes of Troy Bolton for dinning suggestions." He placed his menu to the side, unlooked at. "Just get a Betty Burger with a side of fries and a milkshake. You won't be sorry."

"My thighs will be," Sharpay snipped, but she set the menu aside.

"So," Ryan leaned forward. "Any particular reason you wanted me to go to dinner with you?"

She nodded. "I want to talk to you about this whole auditioning with thing. I know that you got your feelings hurt when I said I wanted to work with Troy, and I understand why you did it, but fun time is over now. You've made your point. So just stop while you are ahead."

Ryan leaned back in the booth, a sour look on his face. "If you going to try to talk me out of auditioning let me tell you right now that you are wasting your time."

Sharpay huffed and tapped her finger on the tabletop. "You are waiting your time. You know you and that mousy little Gabby girl are no match for Troy and me."

"If we were no match then you wouldn't be trying to so hard to eliminate us from the competition," Ryan said wryly, then smiled at the waitress who walked up with her notepad out. "I'd like a Betty Burger, fries and a chocolate peanut butter milkshake, please."

"I'll have the same, but make my milkshake strawberry and have the condiments for the burger on the sides." Sharpay set her menu on top of Ryan's. "Oh, and can I have a glass of iced water with a slice of lemon."

"Coming right up," the waitress said as she scribbled down the order.

Sharpay waited for her to leave before leaning in and hissing, "I am trying to save you from abject humiliation. We both know that I am the powerhouse of the act." She sat back with a satisfied expression. "But, whatever, do what you want to do. I've done my duty as a sister."

Ryan took his hat off and spun it in his hands. "I love you, Shar, really I do. But someday life is going to smack the smug look right off of your face."

"So anyway," Sharpay shook back her hair, "I talked to Daddy about having a party at the clubhouse next month. Just a select group, you, me, the Darling brothers, Edward, Jonathon and, of course, Jackie, Lea and Emma. He said that he would be fine with it as long as mother was on board, and since she's really your area of expertise," she trailed off expectantly.

Ryan nodded. "I'll ask her." He sat back as the waitress arrived with their drinks. "Thank you," he said as she set his milkshake in front of him.

"I asked for lemon with my water," Sharpay complained.

The waitress flushed. "Oh, I'm so sorry. I'll have that right out for you."

"Do." Sharpay sighed. "I guess one can only expect so much from a place like this."

"At least wait until she is out of earshot," Ryan whispered, shooting a nervous glance at the waitress' retreating back.

"Oh, Ryan, it's her job." Sharpay picked up her shake and took a long drink. "That is surprisingly good," she said after she swallowed.

"I know. Whatever it's faults, this place sure knows how to make a decent milkshake." Ryan glanced at the door as a loud party entered. He did a double take when he realized that it was comprised of the members of the basketball team. He started to stand, but stopped when Sharpay put a restraining hand on his arm.

"You promised."

He gave her a baffled look. "What?"

"You promised that this was going to be a you and me thing."

"No I didn't."

She huffed. "Okay, so maybe you didn't, but he's with his friends and I don't want them ruining my meal."

Ryan sank back down. She was right, Chad was with his friends. And there wouldn't be anyway for him to join the group without awkward questions. "Let's just eat fast then. I don't want him to see me and then get all upset about me not saying hi."

"You have got to get that boy in line," Sharpay said with a snort.

Thankfully, the food arrived then, preventing the conversation from going any farther. Ryan reached for the ketchup and poured a generous amount onto his fries, ignoring the disgusted noises that Sharpay was making. He picked up a couple of them and shoved them in his mouth, eyes rolling in appreciation. Sharpay cut her burger into halves with her fork and knife and then daintily picked up one half and nibbled on it. Ryan shook his head in disbelief.

"I can't believe you eat like that."

She made a moue of distaste. "And I can't believe you eat like that."

Ryan picked up his burger with two hands and took a giant bite. "Like this?" he asked with his mouth full.

"Ew, gross much?" she pulled a face. "I know your mother taught you better manners than that."

Ryan swallowed and then opened his mouth to speak, but was silence by the conversation of the group that settled on the other side of the frosted glass. He could clearly hear Chad fending off the other boys' questions about his recent absences from group activities. Ryan's throat went dry as he suddenly lost all desire to eat.

"Dude, just admit it. You've been ditching us to hang out with that weirdo, Ryan Evans," Troy said with obvious distaste.

"And you've been spending tons of time with his sister," Chad shot back.

"Who wouldn't?" Zeke asked. "She's super hot."

Sharpay looked about as conceited as humanly possible and Ryan rolled his eyes.

"And a mega bitch," someone else said. Sharpay scowled as the rest of the boys laughed.

Ryan leaned across the booth and whispered, "We should just leave. This isn't going to pretty for either of us."

"No." Sharpay's eyes glittered. "I refuse to be chased out of here by a bunch of brainless jocks."

With a sigh, Ryan shifted in his seat. "I really don't want to listen to this."

"Then leave," she snapped. "I don't care. You can just walk home. I'm going to eat my dinner and then order desert and linger over it."

"Sharpay," he started, but was once again stopped by the conversation at the other table.

"Seriously, dude," Troy said again, "What is with you and Ryan?"

"Nothing is with us. I just like hanging with him. He's cool. And his house is off the hook."

"Did I tell you about how Kelsi told me about their indoor swimming pool?" Jason interjected.

"Yeah, a hundred times," someone else replied.

Chad laughed. "And I told you they don't have one. Just a giant ass hot tub."

"I wouldn't mind being in the hot tub with Sharpay," Zeke commented to the groans of the table.

"You need serious help," Chad advised.

Troy laughed nastily. "Not as much as you do."

"Dude, shut the fuck up or I'm out of here," Chad said angrily.

"And what? Go running back to Ryan?" Troy laughed again. "What are you going to do next, quit the team and start swanning around in some leotard and singing sonnets?"

There was a chorus of "Oh, burn" from the rest of the group and then the sound of fist hitting flesh.

"Troy must be right," Jason laughed. "Otherwise Chad wouldn't be getting his panties in a bunch."

"No, Troy is not right," Chad bit out. "That's not me. I don't do that sort of thing. You are never going to see me prancing around on stage like some fucking fairy. So just shove it up your ass, would you."

Hurt and anger mixed together in Ryan and jumped to his feet before he knew what he was doing.

"Don't!" Sharpay caught hold of his arm but he shook her off.

"Excuse me," he said loudly, walking around to where the whole lot them were sitting. They started when they saw him, guilty looks creeping over their stupid faces.

"Fuck," Chad said, his face completely losing its color. "Ryan, look, I didn't mean that they way it sounded."

Ryan held up a hand. "Save it, you asshole. I could understand something like that coming from lumps of idiocy, but you?" he shook his head.

"Dude, I'm--"

"I said save it. I never want to hear anything you have to say again." He turned on his heel and started to walk away.

"Ryan!" Sharpay came running up to him. "Don't go. We haven't finished yet. Don't let them ruin our night."

He ran his hand over his face. "You finish, Shar. I can't. I just can't."

"But what about," she glanced over her shoulder, a worried look on her face.

"I'm going to walk home. I need to clear my head. As for Chad, fuck him." Ryan felt tears welling up in his eyes. "Look, I've got to get out of here. I'll see you at home, alright."

She nodded, concerned clearly stamped across her face. "Be careful," she said as she pulled him into a quick hug.

Ryan didn't say anything, just started walking, pushing out the front door into the harsh light of the sun.