Part One: Supported

“Remember, Ryan,” Sharpay told me as we walked into school the following Monday. “We have rehearsals during free period. Don’t be late.”

“I won’t be,” I told her dutifully as I followed her to her locker. But something was off.

“Shar,” I hissed in an undertone as I leant on the locker next to hers. “People are staring.”

She gave me a sweet smile, “You say that like it’s a bad thing…”

“Not at you,” I told her. “At me. And more so…than usual.”

She shrugged, glancing briefly over her shoulder, “We’ll find out sooner or later. No gossip stays quiet in this school.”

“Hey, Evans.” We both looked round to see Zeke Baylor and Jason Cross standing there. Zeke cleared his throat nervously under Sharpay’s scrutinising gaze, “We meant the male Evans.”

As Sharpay rolled her eyes and turned back to her locker, I kept my eyes on the jocks. “Look,” Jason began slowly. “We just wanted to say that… this whole thing, we’re fine with it.”

I blinked at them, “What thing?”

They looked surprise. “You and Chad...?” Jason expanded, a questioning tone to his voice.

“Oh… So, he told you?”

“Yeah,” Zeke responded easily. “I- for one- knew it was coming. But we just wanted to… extend our support.”

“And let you know: If you ever get any hassle, tell us,” Jason added.

“Guys, you’ve known I was gay since the summer,” I reminded them blankly.

“Yeah. But now you’re dating Chad, you’re in the public eye, aren’t you?” Jason pointed out with a shrug. “More people will take notice now. No offence.”

“None taken.” I elbowed Sharpay as she opened her mouth to defend our social standing. “Thanks, guys. That’s…good to know. How are the others taking it?”

Zeke nodded, “Generally good.”

“Yeah, but Troy’s a little shocked.”

I frowned, “Bad shocked?”

Jason shook his head, “Just shocked.”

“I think he’s suffering from the typical best friend ‘I-should-have-foreseen-it’ guilt,” Zeke remarked. “It’ll pass.”

*****

I grinned as Sharpay slammed her locker shut at lunchtime, “Eager, are we?”

She shot me a withering look, “We need to nail this audition, Ry. This is our chance to bust out of amateur performing.” She took hold of my arm, “So come on!”

“Ryan?”

“Oh, it’s the boyfriend,” Sharpay remarked flippantly. She released my arm, “Five minutes, lover boy, or I’m coming for you. Meet us there. Come on, Kelsi.”

As Sharpay marched Kelsi away, I turned to see Chad walking towards me. It was the first time I’d seen him all day. WE had one class together, but no time to talk. “Hey.”

“Hi.” He stopped in front of me, his hands tight on the straps of his backpack, “Sorry about making you the talk of the school.”

I shrugged, “It’s cool. It’s nice to be known as something other than ‘Sharpay’s brother’. Being the guy who turned Chad Danforth gay is not an insult…”

He laughed, and his grip visibly relaxed, “Good. People seem to be taking it fairly well.”

I bit my lip softly, “How’s Troy?”

His eyebrows shot up in surprise, “How did you know about that?”

“Zeke and Jason mentioned it when they came to offer me their support.”

He chuckled at the thought, “That’s such a Zeke thing to do.” He smiled, reaching out to take one of my hands, “Troy’s good. He was a bit weirded out at first, but I think it was just shock.”

I smiled slowly, “Glad to hear it.”

“Dude, hoops,” Troy announced, slapping Chad on the back companionably as he arrived, seemingly oblivious to the fact that we’d just been talking about him. “Since it’s free period just after lunch, we’re gonna run through.”

“But I forgot my lunch. I need to run home and get it.”

Troy groaned, “Chad, we need you.”

“Can’t you just quickly get something from the cafeteria?” I suggested. “That’s what Kelsi does when Sharpay wants extra rehearsals.”

He patted down his pockets with his free hand, “I’m dry.”

I rolled my eyes, “You’re just a walking disaster, aren’t you? If a cute one. Here. If they need you at practise…”

“You don’t have to-” Chad began as I let go of his hand and dug into my jeans pocket for my wallet. But I held up my other hand to silence him.

“You need to eat. Pay me back later if it bugs you so much.”

“Thanks,” he told me gratefully. Troy nodded. “I’ll go get lunch just now and meet you in the gym. We still on for tonight?” he asked me.

“Definitely.”

“Right. See you then.” He leaned forward to peck me on the lips gently before he sped off. I allowed myself to grin after him, not caring how goofy I looked.