After the bell rang and signaled the official last day of the school year, all of the kids started to make their way to their lockers to clear their stuff out. Zeke, Jason, Troy, and Chad were in the front of the group with the girls and Ryan behind them.

"No, but seriously guys, this summer I gotta make bank. My parents keep talking about how much college is gonna cost." Troy pointed out as they approached two of the boys' lockers.

   "Yeah," Zeke agreed, "My folks are gonna match whatever I make but I gotta get hired first."

The group split in half as the aforementioned boys opened their lockers. Jason and Chad went on the other side of the hall near the windows to be out of the way as they talked, and the girls continued past them.

  "Me too," Chad chimed in, "I'm saving up for a car." Ryan caught up to them as the girls turned into a different hall; joining his boyfriend and friend against the wall. "So I can start driving Mr. Evans here to our dates myself." He grinned and the blond smiled back.

"Aaah, but I like being your chauffeur. Makes me feel all gentlemen-like." Ryan teased.

  Troy smiled over his shoulder at them.

"Well you have all summer Danforth, " Jason pointed out. "Yeah, aren't you going to your families' resort for the summer dude?" Zeke chimed in, directing the question to Ryan.

  The boys had really started to incorporate Ryan into their group now that their friend was dating him. He had always been welcome of course - or at least had been since the school stopped relying so heavily on cliques - he just had never had a reason to join. He felt more comfortable with girls usually, always had. The Evans boy could barely handle a large group of drama boys in the past, nevermind a basketball team.

But Chad's friends were different, and Chad was too of course. It felt a lot more natural to Ry now. And the two were getting more and more used to showing affection towards each other; publicly and privately alike.

  "Sadly yes." Ryan agreed, catching Chad's pout out of the corner of his eye.

"Do you have to?" Chad complained, just a sliver short of whining. Troy raised his eyebrow at his best friends upset. "Oh, shut up." he grumbled at the attention. The others laughed.

   "Yes, wildcat, I'm afraid I do." Ryan continued, "My parents are expecting me there and I need to make sure my sister doesn't do anything too extravagant." He stated matter-of-factly.

"Oh because you're so not extravagant yourself, huh?" Chad grinned. "Oh, leave me alone. You know what I mean."

  The group started to move down the hallway again as Zeke and Troy had finished grabbing the stuff from their lockers.

"You're coming back here occasionally this summer though, aren't you?" Troy joined their conversation again, quickening his pace slightly to walk beside them.

   "Yeah." the boy in question nodded, "Once a week at least. But that's apparently not enough for this guy." He nudged his boyfriend playfully, much to the other boy's (playful) annoyance. Chad crossed his arms in front of his chest like a child in the middle of a tantrum.

"Okay, no one told me that it's a crime to want to spend the summer with your boyfriend." His stomach still made a fuss out of that word, in the best way.

   Ryan rolled his eyes, "I told you you could come!" He pointed out. "Your parents love me and it's not like we'd be completely without adult supervision. Even when my parents aren't there, their staff will be watching us like hawks like they always do."

Chad frowned slightly at the implication that the people Ryan's parents hired - and by extension, his parents themselves - didn't trust him in a place he'd been spending his summers at for years.

  He shrugged it off though, and continued, "That sounds cool as hell, but I need to stay here and make money for that car I mentioned." The group came to another stop next to Jason and Chad's lockers, Troy departing quickly to go find Gabriella again. The remaining group had to squish in a bit more in order to talk while avoiding passerby's, leaving Zeke and Ryan awkwardly lingering behind the other two boys.

"And I need to make sure my sister doesn't completely destroy the world this summer." Zeke perked up at the mention of Sharpay.

    "How uh, is she? Sharpay! I mean." He stuttered nervously. Jason and Chad tolled their eyes at their friend - but not unkindly - though no one could see as they dug through their respective lockers.

Ryan smiled softly; he thought Zeke's crush on his sister was precious, even if it was a bit misplaced and, for lack of better words, unfortunate.

   "She's good, just doing her usual of planning world domination during the summer." Ryan looked up towards the nearest clock. It had already been eight minutes since the bell rang. "Which reminds me..."

As he trailed off, Chad stood up from where he had been kneeling in front of his locker. He was smiling knowingly, raising one of his eyebrows slightly.

   "You need to go check up on her?" Ryan smiles sheepishly and nodded. Opening his mouth to apologize, he was cut off by his boyfriend shaking his head, "It's alright, Ry. Go on. I'll call you tonight, okay?" The blond grinned.

"Okay, thanks."

   He two boys could stand there in the hall smiling at each other for hours, but luckily for everyone (mostly the students trying to weave around them), Jason interrupted them.

"You coming to Bolton's place with us tonight dude?"  "Yeah, we're going to play a couple games mostly which I know aren't your thing, but you could like cheer us on or something... and Sharpay's welcome too!" Zeke added, earning him a groan from Chad and Jason.

  "Thank you for the invitation boys, but her highness and I need to pack tonight since we're leaving tomorrow. So I'm afraid I have to bid you all a farewell." He did a theatrical half-bow, and the two boys in front of him laughed. Chad gazed at him fondly.

"Bye." He spoke softly, pecking the other quickly on the lips, earning them a few 'wooooh!'s' and wolf whistles from their friends. Ryan rolled his eyes at them, turning back to his boyfriend. "Bye yourself wildcat." He replied, before going off to find his sister.

   Chad didn't realize he was staring after him until Jason cleared his throat.

"You ready to go bro?" He blushed in response, nodding quickly. The others merely laughed. "Let's gooooo!" The three of them took off down the hall, hollering yet again with summer excitement, despite their anxiety surrounding college and jobs.

   They approached Martha, Taylor, and Kelsey who were all walking together, the latter two a little closer than what would be defined as 'just friends'. Chad smiles at that.

The two other boys zoomed past them, but Chad slowed his pace in order to talk to the smallest girl.

   "Hey Kels, Ryan trn off to find Sharpay and I think they're probably leaving soon." Kelsey nodded, looking reluctant to leave the girl walking besides her.

"Sharpay. Right. Ryan, okay. Thanks Chad." They smiled before she said her goodbyes to Taylor and Martha, then ran off. Chad joined the two in a conversation as they approached Troy and Gabriella at the latter's locker.

  The two seemed to be having a romantically coded moment. A nicer version of the old 'T' necklace around Gabriella's neck.

Seeing as a freshman had already interrupted them for an autograph, and Troy had already walked in on his own personal romantic moments too many times to count, Chad felt no remorse as he called out to Troy for them to finally leave the school for the summer.

*************************************
    "And golly Troy, I have first aid training! Heh heh heh, ooooh please." Sharpay mocked the brunette girl who had just ran past her, rolling her eyes.

She turned around to notice Kelsey, even though she had already been standing there for approximately five minutes.

  "Ooh, c'mere Kelsey. I have a summer job for you. At our country club," She explained cheerily, to the point that it bordered on eery. "Our rehearsal pianist is evidently moving."

"Or hiding." Kelsey whispered, eyes comically wide. Ryan snorted.

  Sharpay whipped around. "Pardon?" She asked innocently.

"Sounds great!" Kelsey said quickly, plastering a fake smile on her face and hurrying out of the blondes eyesight. Sharpay's face dropped as she stared after her in discontent.

  Ryan hurried to his sister's side in an attempt to avoid any blow-ups, "Cheer up Shar, it's summer! We can do whatever we want to. Everything changes." He reminded her.

Ignoring him, Sharpay asked, "Ryan, who is the most popular boy in East High?" Ryan, feeling like he was walking into a trap, answered, "I'd say, uh Troy has that category pretty much locked up don't you think?"

  Sharpay smiled in agreement. "Aaand East High's most popular girl?"  Ryan began to peer around his twin into her bedazzled locker. Sharpay grabbed him, pulling his attention back to her. "Just answer the question!"

There was that 'walking straight into the lion's den' feeling again. "Gosh uuh, you?" He started sarcastically, already knowing what his sister thought about her popularity status.

  She smiled brightly. Ryan looked around in confusion.

The Evans girl, now facing the main hallway, stated dreamily, "Troy. Sharpay. Sharpay, Troy. Sharpaaay-" "Shar!" Ryan snapped his fingers for her attention.

  She sighed, "It just makes sense." She defended. "Evidently not to Troy." Ry was quick to point out, quietly praying for no more Troy/Sharpay hetero drama the one summer he just wanted to spend as much time as possible talking to his boyfriend.

"But it's summer, Ry." She reminded him, acting as if it made total sense as a response to his comment. "Everything changes." She explained with a grin.

  "Not Troy's relationship status." He pushed. Sharpay's eyes twinkled suspiciously but she said nothing. "Shaaaar, " Ryan groaned, "Please tell me you aren't going to try to change that." The girl merely rolled her eyes.

"Shar." He pushed again, this time much firmer. "What?" She snapped, feigning ignorance. "Will you please just calm down this summer?" Ryan pleaded,

  "Do you really need to start more drama with my boyfriends best friend and his girlfriend, Shar? I just want to relax and enjoy my first summer not being lonely and single and I'd prefer if you didn't make that difficult, please."

Sharpay scoffed. "You never let me do anything fun." Ryan tolled his eyes at her, "Trying to break people up isn't 'fun', Shar. It's just annoying."

   The blonde ignored him and went back to appreciating herself in the mirror. She didn't need to pack up due to having doubles of basically everything, and her parents had already payed for her to have that locker every year.

Ryan, however, had no attachments to his locker and continued to pack up the rest of his things, before walking down the halls side by side with Kelsey, who had waited for him a few lockers down. Sharpay wandered behind them in her own little world, typing furiously on her phone.

    She didn't seem to notice when her companions didn't turn down the hallway to the side exit to the parking lot with her. She continued staring at her phone with determination. Anyone who was in her path hurried to get out of it.

 Meanwhile, Ryan and Kelsey were grouping up with the rest of their friends outside at the front of the school. Students everywhere were cheering and laughing, on a summer vacation buzz already.

   Chad smiled when he noticed Ryan approaching them, instantly slinging his arm over the others shoulders and pulling him into the conversation.

Slowly but surely, teenagers started to leave on the bus, with parents or friends, or in their own cars.

  As usual, Chad was driving home with Troy and coach, and Ryan knew that his sister wouldn't wait for him and Kelsey for much longer.

After Gabriella and the others had left, Troy went on to find his dad and give the two boys privacy for their end-of-school-year goodbyes, Kelsey not too far behind him.
 
  
     "I'm gonna miss you." Chad whispered to the other after they shared a sweet kiss.

"I know wildcat, but I'm not leaving forever, it's not like I'm going to war." Ryan teased lightly.

   Chad rolled his eyes playfully, "Yeah yeah, I know that. It just sucks that our lives are so.."

"Bizarre?" Ryan offered. Chad laughed.

   "Well I was going to say different, but that works too."

Ryan nodded, face a little more somber, "I know, I'm sorry, I feel terrible going away from you for our first summer together-"

   Chad shook his head, cutting of the blond. "No, you don't need to be sorry. You have every right to go off and do your own things, just because we're together doesn't mean we have to be together every minute of every day." Upon seeing Ryan's still unsure face, he continued,

"I'm serious, we are going to have a good summer, when we're together and when we're apart. We'll make time for each other and still have time to do our own things, no worries."

   Ryan smiled at that. He loved the caring, smart, pep-talk-giving side of his boyfriend. And every other side too, but this side was special. This wasn't a side that was visible to many people, especially not outsiders. This was more other people's lack of perception than Chad's like of showing it, but it still felt special to be on the receiving end of such thoughtfulness from the schools resident 'rambunctious jock'.

  "Okaaaaay," Ryan sighed, "You're right, I guess." He rolled his eyes, and Chad laughed. "Of course I'm right." He reached a hand out to loosely hold Ryan's own hand, that was hanging by his side.

"I'm excited for this summer, no matter how much or how little I spend actually physically with you, that's the beauty of the 21st century." He raised his other hand that was holding his phone, shaking it slightly and grinning, "We have FaceTime." Ryan smiled back.

   "Okay, okay fair." He admitted, I will try not to mope around too much then."

Chad laughed, "Sounds like a plan."

  A honk startled the two boys, causing them to look over at the street to see Troy and his father waiting for them in the coach's car.

"Love boys! Let's goooo!" Troy yelled out the window, his father appearing to tell him off lightly. Ryan giggled, "Okay, he's right, time to part ways. I'll call you tonight, okay?" Chad nodded, smiling back at him, "Sounds like a plan."

  The two walked over to the car, Chad jumping into the backseat and immediately starting to playfully bicker with his best friend. Ryan smiled, before turning to Troy's dad,

"Nice to see you Mr Bolton." Ryan had never really spent a whole lot of time with the Bolton's, especially not the Bolton parents, but they were kind. And he knew that they cared about Chad, so they were alright in his book.

   The man smiled and nodded at him from his place in the driver's sear, "You too Evans, have a nice summer son." Ryan nodded back, "I will, and you too." With that he started to walk away, before being called back by Troy, he told him that Kelsey was waiting for him with Sharpy back at the parking lot at the other side of the school.

Ryan thanked him, the group saying goodbye again before driving off.

  Ryan headed to the parking lot, the school grounds now relatively cleared out. He found Kelsey waiting peacefully for him next to the bright pink convertible, Sharpay sitting in the driver's seat and look rather displeased at him."

"You took forever." She complained as Ryan dropped into the passenger seat, Kelsey following suit into the back seat. Ryan rolled his eyes, "We aren't leaving until tomorrow Shar, I can afford to spend extra time with my boyfriend before running off to palm springs."

   Sharpay shook her head stubbornly, slowly starting to pull out of their parking space, "You might be able to afford it, but I can't. I have things to do."

Ryan raised an eyebrow, "What kind of things?" He asked suspiciously.

  Sharpay scoffed, "Summer plans Ryan, like I said, everything changes."

Ryan was still not pleased, narrowing his eyes, "What are you planning, sis?"

   Sharpay waved him off, "Oh, don't worry your pretty little head about that Ry." But when her brothers expression didn't change, she sighed, "Oh come on, when have I ever steered us wrong?"

"Oh I don't know," Ryan started sarcastically, "maybe just now when you too a left in the opposite direction of Kelsey's house?"

  Kelsey laughed quietly from her seat in the back.

"Shit" Sharpay grumbled, correcting her mistake a little too quickly, and almost killing them in the process.

  Ryan shook his head, leaning back in his seat and looking up at the bright blue sky. He loved his sister, but she has a tendency to go a little overboard... Okay, a lot overboard. He just hoped that this time, it wouldn't mess with his life, too.

He knew that was basically impossible, but hey, a boy can dream.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Authors note:

  Yeah so.. this is it. Finally. Book 2: electric boogaloo. I know you've all waited way to long for this, and I'm incredibly thankful to those of you who still care about this series. let's hope this one takes me less than two years to finish this, yeah?

I love you all, I hope this ends up living to your expectations
-Winn