"Babe," A gentle voice whispered in Sharpay's ear. She lifted her head to Chad's face. He gave her a soft kiss. She accepted it reluctantly. It was hard to focus on your boyfriend when your brother could be dead. Dead. That word never applied to Sharpay's life. Ever. She had never experienced any true tragedy. Both her parents, all four grandparents, her aunts and uncles, her cousins, all still alive and well. Until now, maybe. Because her brother might be dead.

He helped her stand. She felt wobbly, like a newborn deer. He held her torso as he whispered "It's going to be okay," over and over, trying to soothe her crying. He swayed her from left to right. They called this The Hammock. Chad invented it in August when Sharpay fell and twisted her ankle at Skate Town and could hardly stand. She remembered that day crystal clear.

"Just hold me," she had sniffled that day, in pain from her ankle. "I can't stand up."

"Okay," he responded. After a minute or two he began to rock to the beat of Guardian Angel by The Red Jumpsuit Aparatus, which the DJ was playing at that time.

"I feel like I'm in Hawaii," she giggled. "Like on a hammock or something. So peaceful."

"Then we'll call this The Hammock." he proclaimed. "Whenever you're hurt, I'll perform my magical The Hammock."

Sharpay remembered giggling at his bad grammar, but agreeing anyway. "The Hammock it is."

But not even The Hammock could assuage Sharpay's hurt right now. Not unless Ryan appeared right then and there unharmed and unburned...

"Shar?"

Sharpay immediately broke from Chad's strong arms and whirled around to see Ryan himself. A little ashy on the face but otherwise definitely unburned. "RYAN!" she screeched as she hugged him harder than she had ever hugged him. Even harder than when they both got accepted into Guillard Theater Camp last summer. She just couldn't believe he was safe.

After she squeezed the life out of him, she slapped him across his pale face. "Don't ever scare me like that again!" She scolded. "I thought you were dead, for God's sake!"

Ryan rubbed his cheek, embarassed that his sister just beat the crap out of him in public. "Jeez, Shar. For a second there I thought you actually cared about me."

Sharpay ignored his jesting. "Were you in that Home Ec room when it caught on fire? How did the fire happen anyway? Did you barely escape?"

"Yes, I don't know, and no." He responded. "Luckily I was right by the door when the fire suddenly appeared, like, out of nowhere." He gazed back at the school building. "I left my new messenger bag in there." He added sadly. "It's probably torched."

"Dude, who cares about your bag?" Chad interjected. "I'm just glad we didn't lose our pitcher." He ruffled Ryan's blonde hair. "Besides, it's about time I told you, theater kids carry 'messenger bags.' Jocks carry backpacks."

--

School was cancelled for the day, obviously. And once you checked off with a teacher to ensure you weren't missing, you were free to leave. After everyone called their parents from their cell phones to let them know they were okay, (the fire was on the local news so parents were arriving out the wazoo to pick up freshmen and young sophmores who didnt have cars) they decided to go out to lunch.

Sharpay, Chad, Troy, Gabriella, Kelsi, Jason, Martha, and Ryan all met at Steak N' Shake. As soon as they ordered their iced teas, Kelsi immediately began talking. "So, I know who started the fire, and it wasn't an accident apparently."

Martha looked skeptical. "How do you know what happened?"

"It was Zeke. He put his oven at 500 degrees and put his binder in the oven." Kelsi stated casually, as if she were reading off the Steak N' Shake menu. Everyone gasped. Gentle Zeke? An arsonist?

Troy turned to Ryan. "You were in that class. Did Zeke really do that?"

Ryan shrugged. "I wasn't at his station. I didn't see anything. But I wouldn't be surprised. He's almost as unliked now as Taylor."

Everyone nodded in agreement. It was true. Zeke's case was strangely similar to Taylor's. Zeke quit basketball to commit full time to Home Ec. He stopped talking to Troy and Chad and Jason and the other team members. He never offered Sharpay any of his homemade cookies or fresh Creme Brulle anymore either. In fact, his odd behavior started when Taylor's did; when Sharpay and Chad started dating.

"That's so weird how Taylor and Zeke both turned into monsters when 'Chadpay' arrived." Gabriella observed, eyeing Sharpay and Chad, who were leaning over the menu, deciding whether to get fruit or fries on the side. Chad looked up. "Huh?"

"Well, it's not that weird," Jason turned to Gabriella. "Zeke liked Sharpay, and Taylor liked Chad. When things didn't go according to plan, hearts got broken, shoulders got chipped, and bang, they hate the world." He leaned back against Kelsi, who rubbed his shoulders.

"Poor Sharpay." Troy laughed. "You started something big."

Sharpay rolled her glittery eyes. Just because both Zeke and Taylor have depression issues doesn't mean it was her fault. Obviously, she and Chad were meant to be together. There was no reason Zeke and Taylor had to be such major sore losers about it.

"Shut up, Troy." Chad defended his girl. "It's not like you and Ms. Breaking Free over there were exactly subtle about your hookup."

Everyone laughed as Troy and Gabriella immediately quieted. It was true. When they got together last year, the whole school turned upside down. Of course, if it weren't for Troy and Gabriella, none of them would be friends eating together right now. They're the reason they discovered that "we're all in this together."

Jason high-fived Chad. Ryan golf-clapped in approval. Sharpay, Kelsi, and Martha snickered.

Troy tried to change the subject. "Kelsi, did you know why Zeke did it? Was he suicidal? Where is he now?"

Kelsi shrugged. "All my dad told me was that they have him in custody on charges of multiple counts of attempted assualt, attempted murder, and destruction of public property." Kelsi's dad was a police officer.

"But why?" Sharpay blurted. "Who was he specifically trying to hurt?" She was starting to feel extremely nervous. It felt like both Taylor and Zeke had it out for her, all because she liked Chad. She hoped no one would answer, but prayed that they did. She wanted just one comment that would steer her mind from thinking that she was a human target.

But no one said a word.

--

"Pass the pepper, Sharpay?"

Sharpay jumped. She looked up at her mother's expectant face, waiting patiently for her daughter to pass her the spice.

Hastily, she slid the black and grey jar across the mahogany dining table, nearly knocking over Ryan's lemonade in the process. He grabbed the glass just in time, only a small drop sloshing over and onto his maroon place mat. "Be careful," he mumbled as he absent-mindedly took a sip.

Mr. Evans looked back and forth at her two children. "What is wrong with you two? You seem like brick walls tonight. What's going on?"

"Must be a teenager thing," Mrs. Evans responded, shaking her head. "Or was it the fire yesterday?"

Ryan scoffed. "No, it wasn't the fire. I'm just tired tonight." He poked at his pot roast with his fork.

"What's your excuse?" Mr. Evans peered at his only daughter.

But Sharpay didn't respond. She was too busy thinking about everything going on in her life. She still didn't know what Chad wanted them to go as for Martha's Halloween party, and it was only two days away! Also, she hadn't heard anything about Zeke, what his intentions were, where he was, and that worried her. And to top it all off, Taylor rammed into her shoulder today at school (The Home Ec hallway had been closed, but an emergency school board meeting concluded that school should not be cancelled) with her enormous backpack full of nerd text books. And she was pretty sure it was no accident.

Suddenly, "Everytime We Touch" by Cascada began chiming. Ignoring her father, Sharpay reached into the back pocket and brought her sidekick to her ear, loudly clanging her sterling silver hoop earring in the process. She hadn't had a chance to talk to Chad all day and wasn't going to let a family dinner stop her from speaking with her boyfriend. "Hey," she breathed, holding up her index finger to her parents as she slid out of her dining chair and locked herself into the hallway bathroom.

"Ms. Evans," Chad's deep voice purred. God, so sexy. "We have some matters to discuss."

Sharpay clapped her hands in delight. "Yay! Finally I'm going to find out what the hell we're going to be for Halloween!"

Chad laughed. "I know, right? We keep getting interrupted. Are you ready?"

"Yes!"

"You sure?"

"Yes!!"

"Because if you can't handle it--"

"CHAD!" she squealed.

"Okay, okay. Get ready for it--" BANG! BANG! BANG!

Sharpay screamed in surprise as something that sounded like the Green Police banged on the bathroom door.

"Sharpay! Come out now!" Her mother sounded terrified, as if there were ax murderers roaming about the house.

Once again, Sharpay was too confused and freaked out to realize that she still had no freaking idea what she and Chad were going to be for Halloween. Forgetting she was on the phone, she opened the door to see her mother's face streaked with tears of fear. She saw her father kneeling down on the marble floor of the dining room with his Blackberry to his ear. Ryan lay on his back on the floor next to his fathers knees, his chest violently bobbing up and down, his face purple. He sounded like he had just emerged from being underwater for 10 minutes.

"Yes," his father spoke into the phone frantically. "No, he's conscious but...no he doesn't have asthma...yes, he's allergic to bees...NO there were no bees in the house, it has to be something else...okay." He frustratedly skidded his phone across the dining room floor and bent down over his son. He reached under Ryan's back and attempted to lift him

"Is an ambulance coming?" Mrs. Evans scurried over and helplessly attempted to lift Ryan along with him.

"No, they said it would be quicker to bring him to the ER ourselves. Sharpay!" he barked at his daughter. Sharpay jumped, still clutching her phone in her manicured hand. "Get your mother's purse, and go start the car. Go!"

Sharpay did as she was told. She yanked her mom's Coach bag off the kitchen counter and grabbed the keys to the Escalade off the hook on the wall. She opened the 3-car garage door and opened the back door of the car so they could slide Ryan right in quickly. She jammed the keys into the ignition and turned with all her might. The Escalade hummed to life and Sharpay ran back to the dining room to help her parents. They jarred past her holding Ryan. His face was even darker now. Sharpay suddenly felt hot tears pop from her blue eyes. She had no idea what was wrong with him, but she didn't want to ask either. She remained silent as her father swiftly slid her brother into the back and leaped into the driver's seat. Her mother climbed into the back along with Ryan. "Shut the door for me," she choked at Sharpay, who stood confused behind the car, wondering if she was going too.

"Am I coming?" she asked helplessly. She hated to waste valuable time asking questions.

"Stay here, Sharpay. Please." her father answered from the front as he shifted gears. "We'll call you."

Immediately Sharpay shut the back door of the car so they could get on their way. She felt both devastated and relieved that she wasn't going with them.

--

"No high-schooler in real life would act so gay," Chad chuckled as he dug his spoon into the carton of Ben & Jerry's Cherry Garcia, eyes glued to the glowing tv screen. Obvioiusly, he was trying to distract Sharpay from worrying about her brother, but even a cut-down on her favorite movie wouldn't budge her stony expression. As John Travolta and the other Thunder Birds danced around "Greased Lightnin," Sharpay absent-mindedly scooped a bite of ice cream from the carton on Chad's lap.

It had been three hours since Ryan had been frantically escorted to the emergency room, and Chad insisted that he come over to keep Sharpay company while she waited. She had been grateful that he had come.

Suddenly, the theme to The Brady Bunch chimed from under Sharpay's butt. Reaching into her back pocket, she quickly answered her Sidekick, knowing that it was her mother calling, thanks to the programmed ringtone.

"Mom? What's up?" Sharpay asked, suddenly breathing heavy, anxious and scared and relieved at the same time. Chad sat up in interest, pausing the movie and watching Sharpay's phone as if it were the new television.

"Sweetie," her mother spoke with poise and tranquility. Maybe Ryan was fine. Maybe he just swallowed too big a piece of roast.

"Your brother OD'd on anti-depressants."

-----

"You want me to come?" Chad inquired urgently as he helped Sharpay slip on her brown fur-line coat, exactly 48 seconds after Sharpay ended the horrifying conversation with her mother.

"Of course, please." Sharpay stammered. She attempted to be humorous as she added, "I don't think I can drive anyway."

Chad rolled his eyes hesistantly. "Okay, we'll take Sally then."

When they pulled up to the East Albequercue Hospital, waves of memories washed through Sharpay. She remembered when they had come here to see the cancer patients' production of Grease. What a happy time it was. It was crazy to think that the last time she was here was a time of heatwarmth, of romance, of happiness. It was the moment that she and Chad officially became an item. But now, this hospital may be desecrated into the place that her brother died.

Hand in hand, Sharpay and Chad speed-walked across the asphalt and into the automatic doors. "Ryan Evan's room," Sharpay demanded to the receptionist. Chad rubbed her shoulders soothingly as he added, "please, Margie." as he read her white nametag.

But before Margie could answer, Mrs. Evans called their names. "Over here," she waved them over. She wasted no time explaining the details of Ryan's current state.

"The doctor says that there is an over-concentrated dose of anti-depressants in his system. They had to pump his stomach and induce vomiting," she began as she led them through the intricate turns of the hospital halls. Sharpay felt as if she were Pac-Man, scurrying through the maze, trying to escape from the baddies. But in this case, she was being led to something bad. "Of course," Mrs. Evans continued, "We both know that Ryan is certainly not depressed, nor abuses pills, nor has ever been prescribed this particular pill."

Sharpay could not believe her ears. So what does this mean? Does Ryan steal pills from some depressed kid? Does he break into the local pharmacy take drugs? Chad must've been thinking the same thing as he asked, "but Mrs. Evans, HOW could the drugs have gotten into his system?"

Mrs. Evans sighed. Her pearl earrings caught the flourescent light from above. Even under all this worry, Sharpay though her mother stll looked beautiful.

"Well, Charles, the doctor believes that someone must have drugged him."

"You mean like a date rape?"

"Precisely," her mother choked, finally displaying more emotion.

"But who--" Sharpay interjected. Suddenly, her heart stopped cold. She knew exactly who. That who being the same who who set the school on fire purely by anger and heartbreak and jealousy.

Chad and Mrs. Evans stared at her. "What?" they both asked in unison.

"Mom, is there police involved yet? Like, have you started an investigation on who did it?"

A/N: Hmmm, poor Ryan. So accident prone. BTW, we don't even know if he's okay yet. So, Sharpay thinks she knows who did it. I think you know too. But remember, don't jump to conclusions! More to come. Please review.