Chapter 1

The two brothers stood on the balcony of their massive suite in Hawaii looking out at the ocean beneath them. They had enjoyed a day on the beach surfing and just goofing off together and the Maui Film Festival was set to begin in two hours. Now it was time to start getting ready for the award ceremony- the main reason for this vacation. The two younger Efron men had arrived in Maui two days ago and Zac made sure that he showed his brother all of the sights that he and Vanessa loved so much. It was Vanessa's idea for Zac to take Dylan to Hawaii with him this time.

"Baby, I've got an idea for Dylan's graduation gift," she said to him as they sat up in bed one night. It was a month prior to the youngest Efron's high school graduation and they had yet to come up with the perfect gift for him. Several ideas had been tossed around, but none had seemed quite right for Zac's brother.

"What's that?" he asked with interest, looking up at her from the laptop computer that he had opened. He'd taken it upon himself to search the consumer reports about a decent, affordable car that they could give his eighteen year old brother. He and Vanessa were planning on going up to Arroyo Grande the next weekend to talk to his parents about their gift ideas and get their final approval.

"Take him to Hawaii with you when you go next month," she told him. Zac just stared at her, uncertain as to whether he heard her correctly or not. Zac noticed the packet of papers she held in her lap that she had been studying. Taking a closer look he could tell that it was the packet full of information related to 'Rent' and also noticed that the particular page his long time girlfriend was currently studying was the rehearsal schedule and her day planner was open next to her with a pencil in her hand.

"Take him to Hawaii? But I thought you were going?"

"Well, I can, but in looking at the rehearsal schedule, I'm not going to be able to be there the whole time with you," she told him, pointing to the page in front of her. "The award ceremony is on that Wednesday, right?" she asked, looking at Zac for confirmation.

"Yeah," he told her. "June 16. Why? What's the schedule look like?"

"I've got rehearsals on that Tuesday until 4:00, so I could get, like, a 6:00 flight or something like that and be there late Tuesday night. I'm off Wednesday, so I'd be able to go to the ceremony, but I have to be back by 2:00 on Thursday, so I'd have to get an early morning flight back to LA," she informed him, shrugging her shoulders. "As much as I'd like to be there with you, by your side-"

"It would be a hard few days. You'd be going non-stop." The two of them just looked at each other in the eyes, each trying to decide what the right course of action would be. Finally Zac sighed, admitting defeat. "That makes sense. You're right; Dylan would love Hawaii. I hate to think of taking someone other than you, though. I mean, Hawaii is-"

"It's us," she interrupted, bringing a hand up to cup his cheek and stroking his face with her thumb lovingly.

"Yeah. I'm going to miss you so much while I'm there. But you're right."

"Hey, by the time I'm done with 'Rent', you'll be done with promos for 'Charlie St. Cloud'. We can go then. Maybe for your birthday if not sooner."

"That'd be great," he said, leaning in to meet her lips halfway, sealing their deal with a slow, sensual kiss. And it was decided- the following weekend, they would sit down with David and Starla and work out all of the details before presenting a plane ticket to his brother.

And that's why the two brothers were currently sharing a vacation in Hawaii. Not only was Dylan enjoying his first visit to the Pacific Islands, but the brothers were also enjoying some Efron bonding time before the youngest started his upcoming adventure as a college freshman.

At the sound of the familiar ring tone coming from the coffee table inside the suite, Dylan turned to face his older brother and mentor.

"Dude, she's calling you again?" he asked with a smirk. "Isn't that like the fiftieth time today?"

"Shut the hell up, man!" Zac said with a chuckle as he made his way inside. "One day, dude, you'll get this attention too and when you do, I'll accept your admission of being wrong," he said to his brother over his shoulder, before taking a swig from the water bottle he held in his hands and set it down on the coffee table, trading it for his iphone that sat there. "Hey, Babe," he said.

"Oh, Zaccy, I miss you so much!" Dylan called out from the background in an overly exaggerated impression of a high pitched female voice. "Whatever will I do without you?"

"Is he giving you a hard time again?" Vanessa asked.

"More than you'll ever know," he told her as he picked up a pillow from the nearby couch and threw it at his brother. Vanessa heard Dylan's laughter from the other end of the phone.

"I'm getting in the shower while you two have your phone sex," Dylan said, hoping to embarrass Zac. Instead, the plan backfired.

"Alright man, whatever. Just make sure you drown while you're in there. That way I won't have to worry about you walking in on anything," Zac told him while the sweetest giggle he's ever heard echoed in his ear.

"Zac!" she reprimanded.

"What?" he asked.

"Be nice to him!"

"Van, I am being too nice to him. You can only be so nice to Dylan before your head explodes with niceness. How's you day been so far?" he asked as Dylan came back out into the living room and overheard his last question.

"The same way it was going the first five times today when you asked her that question," Dylan said, picking up his own phone that he'd left out in the kitchen earlier in the day.

"Van, I'll be right back. I've got to go kill my brother. If I get arrested, just tell Mom and Dad that it was self defense."

"Alright, man, your point is made. I'm gone now," he said with a roll of his blue eyes that matched his brother's. "Bye, Nessa!" he yelled out to the young woman on the other end of the line that he'd gotten so close to over the past several years.

When the commotion calmed down and Zac was finally left alone with some privacy, he picked up his water and carried it and the phone back out on to the balcony and sat down in one of the chairs.

"What kind of trouble have you two caused today?"

"Who said we caused trouble?" he asked. When he was met with silence, he continued. "Okay, fine. You're right. Dylan does seem to cause a lot of trouble, doesn't he?"

"Zac-" she started warningly.

"Okay. Alright. In all seriousness, though, we didn't really do anything today. We just want back down to the beach and did some more surfing."

"Any more pictures I should know about?" she asked seductively.

"Baby, you can't do that to me right now. As much as I hate myself for saying that, unfortunately, I've only got about forty-five minutes or so and need to get in the shower in a few minutes."

"Okay, fine," she said reluctantly. "Are your clothes ready?"

"Yeah, the laundry service dropped them off earlier. That was odd since I didn't call and ask them to come get my pants and shirt and make sure they're clean and pressed," he said with a hint of accusation in his voice.

"Hmmm, that is odd. I wonder how they managed that?"

"Even when you're not here, you still seem to make sure my clothes are together and ironed and laid out for me and everything. How do you do it?"

"I have my ways," she told him with a smile in her voice. "What can I say? I've got to look out for my man."

The two lovers continued their conversation for a few more minutes before Zac looked at his watch and unwillingly had to end the call. "Hey, Baby, I've got to run. I just heard the shower turn off, so it's my turn. I'll call you later tonight."

"Make Dylan take a picture of you and send it to me before you two leave the room," she told him.

"Um, why?" he asked confused by her odd request.

"Because I have to admire you. I am the ultimate fan girl, remember?"

"You just want to make sure I look presentable before I leave the room, is that it?"

"Busted," she said innocently as the two shared a laugh.

"I love you," he told her. "I'll call you later tonight, okay?"

"Okay. I love you, too," she responded. "Hey, Zac?" she called out, trying to get his attention before he ended the call.

"Yeah?"

"I'm so proud of you," she told him lovingly. "You'll knock 'em dead tonight, I just know it!"

"Thanks, Babe. It means the world to me to hear you say that. I'll talk to you later." The two of them ended the call and Zac stood up and stretched his muscles before retreating back inside and into the bathroom that was in the room he'd claimed for the week.

That night was not a typical night for Dylan Efron. As a kid, he was always known as the class clown- the one who would do anything it took to make others laugh and make sure the attention was on him. The reputation followed him all through high school. During middle school, he never really knew why exactly he did what he did; it was just a thing for him. But he quickly realized upon starting Arroyo Grande High School why. His ninth grade English teacher on the first day of school made the connection.

"Dylan Efron? Are you somehow related to Zac Efron?" Mr. Townsend asked.

"Um, yeah, he's my older brother."

"I remember having Zac in class. Really brilliant young man. And talented, too. I can tell he's going to go far. Are you anything like him?"

That was the defining moment for Dylan. He vowed right there in that uncomfortable wooden desk in that stuffy classroom that he would do what ever it took to separate himself from his brother. And it only got worse for him as the day wore on. Every one of his teachers had made some comment about Zac. He never wanted to be known as "Zac Efron's younger brother" but as "Dylan Efron- the better looking of the Efron boys". Well, it was unfortunate that no matter how hard he tried or how much he acted out in class he would forever be known as Zac Efron's younger brother Dylan. And as far as being the better looking one- yeah, like that would ever happen! He always held a secret resentment towards his brother; one that no one ever knew about. There was only one person he ever tried to talk to about this, but Stella Hudgens didn't have it as bad as he did as she went to public school where her famous older sister was home schooled, so none of her teachers had any basis of comparison.

This particular evening, however, he was proud to call himself Zac's younger brother and even admired him. Zac had accomplished a lot in the few years he'd been in Hollywood and was sure to accomplish a whole lot more in the coming years and this evening was meant to honor that. He couldn't help but feel admiration of his brother and was beyond thankful that Zac and Vanessa had given him this opportunity. Dylan had never had the opportunity to express his feelings to Zac and hoped that this trip would offer him the chance to do so. The two brothers had never had a lot of bonding time in the past few years with Zac's crazy schedule, but they were hoping to rectify that during this trip. Dylan figured that one way to bond was for him to finally come clean about his borderline jealousy.

Seated in the front row watching as his brother received his award, Dylan couldn't help the big grin that adorned his face.

Okay, so this is kinda cool. My brother is getting something that's a really big deal and I'm here to witness it. I don't think I've ever seen something like this for him.

At the conclusion of the ceremony, Dylan waited patiently as Zac posed for the appropriate pictures and gave the appropriate interviews. He'd never realized how much in demand his older brother actually was. He'd of course seen the televised interviews and those printed in magazines, but had never seen one live. He was startled from his thoughts as Zac approached him and clapped him on the shoulder.

"Hey, Dylan, what do you say we go put this back in the room and grab something to eat? A bunch of people are talking about a party at Tommy Bahama's. How does that sound? You game?"

"Yeah, sure, man. Whatever. This is your night. Let's celebrate it right!" So with that, the two returned to their suite so Zac could put his award away before heading down the beach to the popular location of the ceremony after party.

After finding a table and ordering their drinks and food, Zac faced his brother.

"Alright, it's just you and me. Talk to me."

"What do you mean?" Dylan asked him.

"Something's on your mind, I can tell," Zac said as he took a sip of the Millionaire Mojito that the young waitress just set in front of him. "Spill it, little bro."

"Boy, you don't waste any time, do you?"

"Dylan, I've known you your whole life. You can't hide anything from me, you know that. What's up?"

After taking a deep breath, Dylan took a sip of his Coke and proceeded to tell Zac everything about the feelings he'd been having for the past several years of his life. While listening to his brother, Zac began to feel slightly responsible and it wasn't long before he was ordering his second drink. When Dylan stopped bearing his soul to Zac, he noticed that his brother had been looking at the table for the past few minutes and not at him like he usually did when the two were talking about something serious.

"Zac? What are you thinking?" Dylan asked, taking a bite of his Santiago Seabass.

"So you're jealous of me?"

"Well, kind of, yeah, but not to the point that I'd consider it jealousy. I'm just tired of the constant comparison. Do you realize that every single teacher I had in high school had the same question for me? 'So you're Zac Efron's brother…'. Every girl that I was friends with had pictures of you either all over their notebooks or in their lockers. You have no idea how hard it is have been your brother these past few years."

Zac put his fork down on his plate and looked his younger brother in the eyes. "Dylan, I'm sorry you feel that way. I hope you know that it was never my intention to set this kind of path for you. I was just doing what I love to do."

"I know that. That's why it's so hard for me to tell you all of this. I don't know why all of a sudden this is coming out."

"Well, let me tell you something, Little Brother. Your life it way more glamorous than mine."

"How? You've done so much more and been to so many other places that I'd never have the chance to do or see."

"Yeah, but you have a normal life. You get to actually go out in public and not have your name screamed out like you're God or something. I'd give anything for that." Zac paused as he took the final sip of his drink before speaking again. "Ponder that for a minute. I'm going to get another drink. Need anything?" When Dylan shook his head 'no' Zac turned and walked to the bar area. His mind was so overrun with his own thoughts that he didn't even notice the girl that was standing nearby checking him out.

I can't believe that I'm jealous of my younger brother. Wow. There's something messed up about that.

As Dylan watched his brother approach the bar area, he saw a girl check him out and lean over to the friend that was standing next to her and whisper something in her ear, pointing at Zac standing a few feet from her. She then started creeping her way closer and closer until she was mere inches from Zac's right arm.

Uh oh. This can't end well.

Zac was busy telling the bar tender his order when he felt someone bump into him.

"Oh, excuse me," he said politely.

"Oh, no, you're fine. It was my fault. I apologize," the girl next to him said with a brilliant smile showing off her perfectly white and straight teeth.

"You know," she continued, "you look familiar. Do I know you from somewhere?" she asked as she ran her finger down his arm.

"Um, no, I don't think so," he told her as he picked up his drink from the bar. As he turned to walk back to his table and rejoin Dylan, the girl placed her hand on his arm and pulled him back to face her. He watched as she held a card in her hand and reached up placing it in his shirt pocket.

"Use it," she told him with a wink. Zac reached in his pocket and pulled the card out looking at it. She had written on it two separate lines, one with seven numbers, with four different numbers underneath it, followed by the name of a hotel.

"Uh, hey, look, I feel I need to let you know that I have a girlfriend and she's the most important thing in my life. I appreciate your attention, but I don't think I'll be using your phone number or room number for that matter. So if you'll excuse me, I'll say thank you, but no thanks," he told the girl as he put the card down on the hard surface of the bar and slid it back in her direction.

"Well, your loss. Why don't you hang onto those anyway?" she asked him, tucking the card back into his shirt pocket. "I'll be around for a while if you change your mind," she told him with a seductive smile as she ran a finger down his clothed chest.

Zac wrapped his hand around her wrist, pulling her hand from his body before releasing it. He took the card from his pocket and placed it back onto the top of the bar before picking up his drink, turning around, and walking back to the table where Dylan was waiting for him.

The girl walked back over to where her friend was waiting and watching the scene playing out before her.

"Well?" her friend asked.

"Nothing," she answered as her eyes followed Zach as he sat back down across from a guy who was a younger version of him.

"No response?"

"Oh, no, there was a response. Just not the one I wanted. He said he had a girlfriend."

"So that's it, huh?"

"Oh, no, that's not it," she corrected her best friend. "He said 'girlfriend', not wife. I didn't get the response I wanted the first time, but don't I always get what I want the second time around?" she said with a pointed look.

"Sweetheart, I know that look. Do whatever you have to. Just promise me you'll be careful?"

"Aren't I always?" she asked with a smirk on her face as she crossed her arms over her chest, watching the mystery man she was just hitting on and the other guy sitting at the table with him from a distance.

"What was that all about?" Dylan asked as Zac came back to the table.

"What was what about?" Zac countered sitting back down in the booth and placing his Mojito on the table after taking a sip.

"That girl back there at the bar. What did she want?"

"I don't know. She was giving me her phone and room numbers. I think she was hitting on me or something."

"You think? Dude, do I have to cut you off?" he asked signaling to the drink that Zac currently had held up to his mouth as he took a sip. "That's exactly what she was doing! Even I could see that look of want in her eyes from way over here. This particular one is only your third drink and you've only taken three sips of it. There's no way that you're that drunk already that you don't know when a girl is hitting on you?"

"That drunk, no. But it has been that long."

"That long? You mean Nessa doesn't hit on you any more?"

"Van hasn't had to hit on me in almost five years. All she has to do it look at me and I'm hers," Zac said, pointing out the obvious to his brother.

"That was too much info, man. I didn't need to hear all of that."

"Hey, you brought it up!" Zac told him, holding his hands up in the air in defeat. "You know, I don't think that girl knew who I was. For some reason, she kept acting like this is the first time she's ever seen me."

"Believe it or not, I don't think every single person in this world knows the famous Zac Efron. It is possible that she just saw you and thought you were hot. Did you ever think of that?" Dylan asked.

"I've never had someone not know who I was," Zac told him.

"Conceited much?" Dylan joked and the two laughed as Zac responded by throwing his used napkin in Dylan's direction.

The two continued their dinner, with Zac polishing off his drink. After Zac paid the bill and finished a beer this time, the two brothers stood up from their booth and stretched.

"Hey, I'm going to the restroom before we leave. Grab the receipt for me, will ya?" Zac asked as he walked off in the direction of the back right corner of the restaurant which was quickly becoming the active hot spot for the night. Zac had quickly learned in past trips to the Islands that there were many hot spots here in Hawaii, but Tommy Bahama's was one of the hottest. At this time of night, he was not surprised to see the crowd growing as fast as it was. He made his way through the swarm or people until he reached his destination, unaware of the pair of green eyes that were following his every move.

Dylan sat back down at the table and waited patiently for Zac to return. As he waited he took in his surroundings and noticed the same girl from earlier- the one who was hitting on Zac just a few moments prior- standing at the entrance of the hallway where the restrooms were located. The protective side of him couldn't help but show itself as he wondered exactly what she was up to. Despite their age difference, he and Zac always seemed to look out for each other. He always had his brother's back, and it was certainly reciprocated from Zac. He sat back in his seat and watched as Zac made his way down the hallway. The girl noticed him before he noticed her and quickly made her way to stand seductively in front of him. From where he was sitting and watching, Dylan couldn't help but see the look in her eyes. It was a look of pure, animalistic desire.

This doesn't look good he thought to himself, as he stood, picked up the receipt the waitress had left, and walked closer to hallway himself so he could have a closer look. He stopped ten feet away from where Zac and Miss No Name were standing and watched as she ran her fingers up Zac's arm and reached both hands up to link them around his neck.

"Look, I already told you that I've got a girlfriend. I appreciate your attention, but I really think you need to back off," Zac tried to tell her as politely as he could. Despite his uneasiness at the current moment, he was still a gentleman.

As Dylan watched the exchange between his older brother and the strange girl who seemed to be somewhat drunk at the current moment. A small flash of light out of the corner of his eye caught his attention and he turned his focus to the right just in time to notice a man wearing a ball cap with a camera pointed right at Zac.

Oh, shit, were the only two coherent words that he could formulate in his young eighteen year old mind. He had been around his brother and his girlfriend enough times to know what that meant. He turned his head back to look at the couple standing feet in front of him just in time to see the mystery girl do the one thing Dylan was afraid she would do. Time seemed to go in slow motion for Dylan at that point. He tried to focus on the scene that was about to play out. As the stranger leaned in to attempt to give Zac a kiss, Zac turned his head, but the few drinks he had already consumed that evening altered his reaction time and he didn't turn in time, causing the girl to actually be able to plant the desired kiss on his lips.

Zac's mind was a whirl wind of thoughts. With the alcohol that he had allowed to take residence in his system, his first coherent though was Wow, her lips feel like Vanessa's, and he allowed himself to give in to the kiss from the unfamiliar person while a shocked Dylan watches on, looking over his shoulder to see if the unwanted photographer had seen the kiss as well. The second flash of light just confirmed his suspicion. He turned his attention back to the couple in front of him.

No sooner had that thought crossed his mind did another one appear. One that quickly caused him to sober up and take action. Damnit! Vanessa! He quickly pushed her away and spoke.

"I told you I have a girlfriend. I love her very much. She is my whole life and the most important thing to me. I would never do anything to hurt her. I've asked you twice already to please leave me alone. Now I'll say it once more, except not as nicely as I did before. Leave me alone. Don't come near me. If you see me or my brother walking down the beach, turn around and walk in the other direction." Zac turned around and walked past Dylan and towards the door. "Let's go, Dyl," he ordered.

Now why can't the paparazzi see stuff like that? the youngest Efron questioned as he turned around and followed his brother out the front door of the restaurant. Zac made a beeline for the black Chevrolet Tahoe that was waiting for them at the corner and quickly climbed in. He was in the process of shutting the door when Dylan stopped him and pulled it back open so he could climb in himself. As the driver pulled the car from the curb, Zac leaned he head back against the headrest and forced himself to relax as much as he could under the circumstances. After a couple of minutes of silence, Zac slowly turned his attention to his brother.

"Exactly how much did I have to drink in there?"

"Two and a half mojitos and a beer."

"Shit, how could I let that girl kiss me?" Zac asked as he ran his hands across his tired face. "I need to get back to the hotel and call Van. Wait, where's my phone? I'll call her right now," he said as he sat up trying to reach into his pants pockets to find his iphone, but came up empty handed due to his never ending fidgeting. He lets out a frustrated sigh and looks at Dylan. "You call her, Dyl. Tell her what happened. No, wait, when she answers, let me talk to her."

Dylan puts his hands up to stop Zac's incessant ramblings. "Dude, I think it's best that we get some sleep first. Especially you. Zac, if you call her right now it's all gonna come out wrong and, the next thing you know, she'll hang up on you and be ticked thinking you made out with the girl or something. Just wait. Calm down and you can call her later."

Zac let out another sigh and leaned back in his seat. "You're right, man. You're right. I gotta think about this. I need to sleep on it before I talk to her and make sure I get it straight," he said as he looked out the window and watched the palm trees as they rushed past.

As soon as they got back to the room, Dylan watched Zac as he went straight to his room. A moment later, he heard the shower turn on so he made his way out onto the balcony. As he looked out at the waves in the ocean, his mind wandered back to the photographer that he spotted spying on Zac at the restaurant.

I really hope he gets the chance to talk to Nessa before any pictures hit the net.

Zac used his time in the shower to focus and clear his mind.

What do I tell Van when I talk to her? he wondered. The truth. Just tell her the truth. She's a reasonable person. Always has been, he thought as he ran his fingers through his hair, working the shampoo into a thick lather. Five minutes later, he was out of the shower, wrapping a towel around his mid-section. He walked across the room to pick up his phone and hit speed dial one. He sighed as he counted four rings and realized that she wasn't going to answer.

"Hey, you've reached Vanessa…" he smiled when he heard the voice that he heard in his dreams. The voice of an angel, he thought to himself. When he heard his cue, he quickly left her brief message.

"I love you and I miss you so much. Meet me in my dreams tonight. Good night."

Zac set his phone back on the night table and after putting on a fresh pair of boxer briefs, pulled back the covers of his bed and climbed in, immediately allowing the much needed sleep to overtake his body.

About an hour later, Dylan heard the familiar ring tone coming from Zac's room. He went to stand by the door and when it became apparent that he wouldn't answer, Dylan let himself in the room and noticed his brother fast asleep, slightly snoring. He saw the picture of the beautiful Filipina girl that's been in his brother's life for years and answered.

"Hey, Nessa," he says.

"Hey, Dyl. Zac had called me earlier while I was at the Activision preview thing and I didn't hear my phone. I was just calling him back. Is everything okay?"

After some quick thinking, Dylan answered with an explanation of "Yeah, everything's fine. He's just a little tipsy, so he's sleeping it off and snoring."

"Oh. Well, is that it then?" she asked a little hesitantly.

"Yeah," Dylan responded.

"Nothing else I need to know about?" She tried hard to hide the suspicious tone in her voice.

Dylan paused as he ran his hand nervously across the back of his neck… an action that he picked up from Zac who picked it up from their Dad. "Nope."

"Okay. Give Zac a kiss for me?" she asked with a smile.

"Not on your life," he responded quickly.

"Good night, BnL," she said to her hopeful future brother-in-law.

"Good night, SnL," he told her as he hung up the phone. He gave his older brother a look before walking out of the room, closing the door behind him, and going into his own room to get ready for bed himself.