A/N: Well…here it is. The final chapter of this crazy story. We've had our ups and downs, but we finally made it to the end…it's a bittersweet feeling, as the author, to finally be done. On one hand, I'm incredibly relieved not to have to worry about finishing this anymore, and on the other hand, it's going to be sad not having a multichapter fic going anymore. But, hopefully, it's been worth it. Seriously, thanks to all my readers and reviewers! You guys rock, and this whole story is dedicated to everyone who reviews. You're all amazing.

So, without further mushy ado, here is the final chapter:

Of course, having officially been members of the "crew in charge of production," Ryan and Sharpay were given complimentary front row tickets to the musicale. Sharpay was still slightly angry with her brother for trusting his "heart" more than her master plan, but somehow the entire atmosphere of the musical seemed to melt away her icy outer shell, and she smiled as she watched the show. Sure, it starred the two most irritating people in school, and sure her brother had been soft enough to fall right into Gabriella's lap, but Sharpay could never remain unhappy when she attended a musical. It just gave her chills knowing that, someday, when she was that star, she would be giving other people this incredible, uplifting feeling that surrounded true musical talent. So she cuddled up next to Ryan and grinned in sheer pleasure as the final number began to lilt through the auditorium.

Ryan, however, wasn't exactly feeling the same intoxicating joy his sister was. Admittedly, it was a beautiful performance. Flawless, even. Troy and Gabriella had really worked hard on the dance moves, and their voices needed no direction. The feelings exuding from them were genuine, and every time they smiled on stage, you could tell they were smiling from the inside out.

But, nevertheless, Ryan still watched with a heavy heart. Whenever Gabriella's eyes sparkled in the stage light as she looked lovingly over at Troy, Ryan felt a pang carve through his heart. He wasn't angry or jealous; after all, Troy was his friend, and Ryan had given up his chance at Gabriella's love in favor of the rationality of his conscience. He just felt…inadequate. The final notes of the last, slow love song echoed through him, almost bringing him to the brink of tears. It was so beautiful, and yet he felt detached, as though he was too much of a failure to ever be a part of such beauty.

Following the final chord on the piano, the crowd erupted into applause, immediately standing up to congratulate the various actors who skittered onto stage to take their bows. Sharpay pulled on Ryan's sleeve, and they rushed onto stage together, acknowledging their parts as choreographers in the production. Even Ryan, in the intensity of the atmosphere, could not help but smile as the auditorium continued to serenade the cast and crew with claps of congratulation.

At last, the curtain closed and the participants buzzed off stage and into the main lobby where there were to be refreshments and socialization following the performance.

Ryan looked around for Gabriella, but saw that she was no longer on stage. She must have already left. He exited backstage and sifted through the large group of people in attendance to find where the actors had gone. He stood on his toes, trying to ascertain exactly where Gabriella was amongst the throng. However, he felt someone tap him on the shoulder, so he spun around.

"Hey, Ry!" her beautiful voice called. She wrapped him in her arms and squeezed him joyfully.

Wow, we've hugged a lot these past few weeks, he thought suddenly, smiling and returning the gesture.

"Oh my gosh, you were amazing up there," Ryan breathed, shaking his head in awe. "You were beautiful and perfect, and you were just…"

He stopped talking and just kept smiling, knowing there was really no word that would ever come comparatively close to what Gabriella portrayed on that stage tonight.

She blushed and smiled politely, modest as always. "Well, thanks, Ryan. But it was really all you. That dancing I did up there…I never would have been able to do that without you. You're an amazing teacher. Are you sure I didn't mess up too much? You are the dance expert."

Ryan laughed. "Of course not. You were fantastic. I didn't notice one little slip of the foot. You're by far the best dance student I've ever had the pleasure of working with," he stated gentlemanly.

She smiled radiantly again. "And you're the best dance instructor ever."

Then, she leaned in and kissed him lightly on the cheek.

"Thanks," she whispered.

"Gabriella!" Troy's voice carried across the room. Both Ryan and Gabriella turned around to see nothing but a hand waving in their direction, beckoning her away to Troy.

She turned to Ryan apologetically. "I guess I gotta go find Troy," she shrugged. "I'll see you later, okay?"

Ryan simply nodded, still in shock from her small kiss, and she scurried off in the opposite direction. He watched her leave with a mixture of emotions. He still felt slightly sorrowful, but…the tension was lessening and his heart was slowly picking up the pieces and putting them back together. He knew that, given time, he would be all right.

He turned around to walk out of the crowd, but someone caught his eyes. Kelsi was standing there, just watching him. Upon a deeper (but inconspicuous) inspection, he saw in her eyes something similar to that same longing look he used to give Gabriella. He wondered for a moment if perhaps he had just imagined it or if he naturally dramatized everything, but then it all started to click together and become clear.

She had been more than willing to practice with him every day he needed her, without question. She had been at the baseball game when he was down and out of his luck to give him comfort. She had been there to give him advice when he most needed it, and she had always been there for him before.

Kelsi had remained a constant throughout this whole crazy scenario…and he was just now noticing that look in her eyes.

Suddenly, he felt so completely stupid and clueless. Had he really been so wrapped up in his scheme to secure Gabriella that he'd been oblivious to Kelsi all the while? How long had she been staring at him in that way?

Ryan turned away from her, lost in this revelation. He stared at the ground, shut his eyes, and collected his thoughts for a moment, weighing all his options and emotions. Finally, he came to a conclusion, stood up straight and confident, and strolled right over to where Kelsi was standing.

Of course, seeing his approach, Kelsi immediately ceased staring and seemed as though she would attempt to get away. But Ryan would not let her.

"Hey, Kels! Wait up!" he shouted to her, willing her to stay put. He jogged just to make sure he'd catch up with her, though, and when he finally got right up in front of her, he asked, "What are you doing after this?"

She seemed surprised, as she stumbled backward to a certain degree, by his question. "Um, uh…just going home. Why?"

"Well, I just thought that, since you did such an outstanding job with the musical and everything, that we could go see a movie or something…just you and me," he suggested, shrugging.

Her jaw literally dropped a few inches in shock. "Like a…a…" she timidly stuttered, afraid to even suggest it. But the confidence she had managed to build over the past few weeks came in handy and she finally, whispering, confirmed, "a date?"

Ryan laughed. "Well, isn't that what it's usually called when a boy and girl who like each other go out to the movies alone together?"

The dumbest grin spread across her face, and her heart fluttered. "I guess so."

"Then there's your answer," he replied.

She almost laughed in glee, but then her heart slowed, and she became wary. "But what about Gabriella?" she inquired sadly.

Ryan was slightly surprised that she had picked up on his crush, but he glanced over in Gabriella's direction anyway, as though to confirm his potential mixed up feelings. He could finally see her through the slowly dissipating crowd of people, and she was laughing happily with Troy.

Perhaps…perhaps one day, if Troy ever did hurt her again, Ryan could be there for her. But for now, he thought, glancing back at Kelsi and seeing her hopeful eyes, he should give this a shot. After all, who knew? Maybe Kelsi really was the girl for him; he'd just never given it too much thought before now. And now that he did think about it, the prospect certainly seemed to make sense.

"I think I have someone else special that I want to concentrate on right now," he said slyly, flashing Kelsi a sincere grin. "I'm ready to give us a shot."

He smiled warmly at her and offered his arm for her to hold, which she immediately latched onto giddily. They made their way toward the door, Ryan sparing one last glance at Gabriella, and then Ryan and Kelsi left the building hand-in-hand. They were followed closely by Sharpay, who was apparently being driven home by Zeke in his car so that she wouldn't smear any of her warm, baked chocolate chip cookies on the expensive interior of the twins' convertible.

Ryan and Kelsi had real potential, though, Ryan thought. They both liked hats, they both liked music, and they were both relatively shy. He was honestly willing to try to make this work with all of his heart.

Then again, maybe they wouldn't work out, and one day he'd get his chance at Gabriella.

Perhaps, even, none of this would work out, and he would need to search for someone else eventually.

Who knew?

After all, life is full of uncertainties…

The End!

Well, there you have it, like it or not. Seriously, thank you so much for sticking with me through this crazy ride. It's been fun. Please, if you've been reading this story, I would love to hear from you. Please send me a review: good or bad. Let me know if you liked the final pairing, the plot, the characterizations, the grammar and vocabulary usage, etc. and let me know of what I can improve. Anything. Please review and thanks so much for reading! I hope you enjoyed it at least to an extent.