Meeting Friends at the Baseball Diamond (for all)

[Zeke Baylor]

Zeke was tired of baseball, so he put away his red baseball bat and grabbed his Uglies book. He opened the book up to page 193, and walked over to the fence. He tried to push the door open but it wouldn’t budge, Stupid thing wont open he thought.

Zeke then got caught up in the sentence: Tally counted down from 5 then 10, but neither worked. Then, Tally jumped. Zeke thought he was Tally and ran and slammed the gate open and heard a thud. Zeke dropped his book, shocked from the thud.

He picked up his book and wiped off the dirt and looked at the body that lied on the ground.

Bebe..

"Crap." Zeke whispered. I'm so gonna get it. he thought.

[Bebe Tenko]

Bebe stared up at Zeke, muttered a strong curse word, and stood up, dusting herself off. Her wet, tear-soaked hands left water stains on her dress, but she didn't care. She was a mess anyway, with her hair ungelled and unkempt.
She walked away solemnly, as if in a daze.

[Ryan Evans]

Ryan barely caught the ball that Chad threw at him because he was laughing at his comment about his hair, it was true Chad had the hair, but he wasn't sure if it was the type of hair that was the kind that got girls.

"Chad, can I ask you a question?" He looked at him with a smirk on his face as he fiddled with the ball, tossing it in and out of his glove as he taunted him lightly with his posture. "Is the reason you don't have a girl because they all get stuck in your hair?" He asked unable to stifle his laugh as he tossed the ball back haphazardly, gasping for air at the fact Ryan could now joke with Chad versus fear him.

[cyelena]

Chad was quite pleased to say that he caught the ball this time, despite Ryan's terrible pitching (it was nice to know the dude could do something normal for once, like screwing up!)

"Yanno, dude, we totally need another game of this before we go back to school!" Chad called as he attempted one of those fancy spins he'd seen Ryan do, pitching it as he did so. Although he almost fell over in the process, at least the ball went in the right direction.

"And no, for your information, they don't get stuck in my hair! They..." Damnit he hated Ryan! He didn't even have a witty comeback. "Plenty of girls like me!" He finished lamely.

[Ryan Evans]

Ryan ran over to catch the ball that Chad had thrown, if at the very least it was slightly haphazard, but hey what fun was a game of straight-forward catch. He laughed lightly at Chad's stuttering reaction, he had always known him to put on a ladies' man front. It was weird to hear Chad stumble over his words.

Ryan tossed the ball back with a nod "Yeah, we'll organize another game before the end of summer." He added as he stretched one of his arms nonchalantly. Ryan stood and waited for the ball to land back in his glove. He cocked his head lightly as an idea popped into his head. "Hey Chad, can I ask you a question?" He asked, looking over his friend quizzically.

[cyelena]

Chad watched as Ryan showed off, tossing the ball around. Whether or not it was conscious was beside the point. It seemed like everything Ryan did was perfect. If he didn't like Ryan so much, he'd probably hate him!

"Yeah, whatever, dude." Chad said, throwing the ball back. It was a boring throw, but at least it wasn't crazy. "What's up?" Usually all that was exchanged between he and Ryan was (not so) witty banter and teasing, even mockery (well, on his part anyway). It was all in good fun, but they very rarely talked about anything substantial. Chad didn't really do that with anyone. What was the use? But Ryan had the whole terribly flamboyant thing going on. He was obviously different.

"Actually," he added as an afterthought. "Only if I can ask you one!"

[Ryan Evans]

Ryan caught the one last throw that Chad tossed him and kept it in his glove and toyed with it, he was still new to this whole friendship thing with Chad, but something had been tugging on him since he had gotten together with Sharpay, and strangely enough the question was not why Chad had a disdain for his sister, he would ask that later on.

"Whatever happened with you and Taylor?" Ryan asked slowly, eyeing his shoes lightly. "It seemed like you had something going for a bit, just curious." He added quickly, giving him an out if he didn't want to answer his question.

[cyelena]

Chad smiled tightly. Oh. That thing. "It was a mutual thing. I dunno. Her words was something about chemistry and not having it." He drew in the dirt with his shoe, feeling kind of awkward. It didn't bother him, but he did feel bad for never really putting an effort into the relationship.

"I didn't put in much effort and she didn't really want to go down on me in the locker room after a game. It just wouldn't work." He was joking of course (kind of) but he wondered if his words would make Ryan blush. Okay, maybe he was being a bit too crass, but hey, Ryan had insulted his manliness!

"Now... You owe me a question!"

[Ryan Evans]

Ryan gave a light nod, chemistry was important, it was one of the things that made him and Sharpay mesh as well as they did, along with a few other things. He ran his hand to the back of his head lightly, silence falling between them, the slight awkwardness caused him to clear his throat and stare off.

"I didn't put in much effort and she didn't really want to go down on me in the locker room after a game. It just wouldn't work."

Ryan snorted at that lightly and dropped the ball he had been toying with, leave it up to Chad to lighten the mood like that. He shook his head in mild disbelief and picked up the ball that had fallen at his feet. He tossed it back harded than some of the throws before, chuckling lightly still as he tried to think of what Taylor would think of that comment. "Yeah dude, shoot you can ask me anything." Ryan admitted with an honest shrug as he looked off at his friend.

[cyelena]

Chad laughed at Ryan, surprised at the suddenly hard pitch. He rubbed the ball with his shirt, suddenly nervous. He was pretty certain but… you never knew. What if he'd been asleep the day it had happened, and everyone had known since like, kindergarten, and he was only just finding out now? That would be so uncool.

"Uh, don't kill me with a baseball bat or anything but…" he rubbed the back of his neck, shifting in the dirt (my god, was he actually nervous? Well, he had only just become friends with Ryan and he didn't want to push it). "Are you gay?" He blurted out. It would make total sense if he was, after all.

[Ryan Evans]

Ryan looked at Chad for a moment, not sure how to take the question he had asked, he couldn't figure out whether to be offended, or laugh it off. He ran his hand through his hair and let out a slight laugh, shaking his head in slight disbelief, this would be the first time someone had ever asked him the question without just assuming it might be true.

Ryan looked at his friend with an awkward smile. "I'm not gay Chad," He said with more of a chuckle, he had to give him credit, at least he'd asked. He rolled his neck lightly and punch his fist in his glove lightly, still shaking his head. "I just like pink." He added to try and lighten the mood. Ryan knew he wasn't gay, as did Sharpay, and that was all that mattered to him.

[cyelena]

Chad nodded, still not really believing it. "You like pink?" He asked, a little disgusted. "Dude, my opinion of you has just dropped from here," he held a hand at about head height, "to here!" He dropped his hand as low as he could without throwing himself to the ground. "Pink... why would anyone like pink..." He muttered absently. It was just beyond him.

"So, what, you've got a girlfriend or something?" He asked. Ryan didn't seem like the type not to have one. He was nice. He was talented. And he didn't look all that bad (although he wasn't as hot as Chad was). He was pretty cool. But he'd never actually seen Ryan checking out anyone, hence the belief that he was gay.

He wouldn't have cared if he was, because after all, he'd never hit on him (another thing he just couldn't understand; who wouldn't want him?!) but it had always been a curious spot with him. At least that settled one issue. He could go to bed happy, knowing that one of life's little mysteries had been solved.

[hsmgirl17]

After detention Lexy went for a long walk trying to gather her thoughts. She didn't know where she was going and nor did she care. She only had one thing on her mind and she wasn't sure how to handle it. 10 minutes went by as Lexy thought about the days events. Life was certainly different here in Albuquerque. She wasn't sure what to think of it yet. "Me, a trouble maker?" She asked herself quickening her pase. She got to a baseball field where she saw Chad and the boys playing baseball. She saw Bebe there as well. She walked over to Chad thinking she might as well join the game. She waited for his conversation to end with Ryan.

[Ryan Evans]

Ryan chuckled lightly at Chad's reaction to him wearing pink, he shrugged lightly and smirked at him cockily. "Hey, that's okay it does take a real man to wear pink, Danforth." He started slowly. "I mean, I guess if you've suggested that you're a little bit insecure, that's okay, a lot of guys question their sexuality at this age." He finished, smirking at his friend still, knowing that Chad was going to get him back for that remark.

The second part of Chad's statement however had left him slightly speechless, he didn't just have a girlfriend or something, he had the love of his life, but he couldn't quite tell Chad that. He shook his head sadly. "No, no girlfriend for me, I'll probably date someone in college," He responded in partial truth, he would be dating Sharpay in college as well. "You know, someone who doesn't know all about me, even before they know all about me." He laughed lightly knowing that most girls wouldn't let Ryan Evans out of the dreaded friend-zone. He had a reputation for being slightly effeminate, he'd blame the pink for that, so most girls only veiwed him as a good friend. With Sharpay he could be anything and everything he'd ever wanted, with the exception of completely open with the remainder of the world, but that was the small price to play for love.

[cyelena]

"I'm not questioning my sexuality dude. I'm straight as a straight line." He paused. "Though, if any guys ever liked me, could you blame them? I'm just that hot! But, really dude, pink? It's like..." he couldn't find a word to describe how disgusting it was "Pink!" He finished off, exasperated.

Where had his hatred of pink really come from? It was probably because his mum used to dress him up in it as a baby. Yes, his hatred was that deeply rooted. It had always been a sad spot for him. He mentally wiped away an imaginary tear, loving how melodramatic he could be sometimes.

"Dude, just shut up and play ball," Chad said, shaking his head. If Ryan were any closer, he'd have grabbed him by then and would have wrestled him into a headlock, messing up his hair. He probably was the kind who'd get all upset about having messy hair too. Man, Ryan could be so funny sometimes. He laughed to himself again. If he kept doing that, people were going to think he was insane soon.