"To Catch a Cheater"
A Ryella Story
Why don't you
Come right out and say it?
Even if the words
Are probably gonna hurt
I'd rather have the truth
Than something insincere.
Why don't you
Come right out and say it?
What it is you're thinking,
Though I'm thinking
It's not what I wanna hear.
-Come Right Out and Say It
---by Matthew Thiessen of Relient K
Chapter1:
"Troy?" Gabriella slowly began, trying to maintain her calm composure. "Where have you been?"
It was a question she had asked him too many times. In fact, the words had slipped off of her tongue exactly 13 times in the past two weeks …she'd counted. See, ever since Kelsi had agreed she'd write them a song for their audition for the Albuquerque Little Theatre's annual production of 'The Music Man', they'd been scheduling daily meeting times to practice chords and such. Much to Gabriella's dismay, Troy had showed up a total of one time… And that was only because Sharpay had to get her hideous creature that she called a dog tested for heartworms.
Of course, Gabriella knew that it was unlikely that that was the actual reason for Troy's sudden punctuality. But she wasn't exactly stupid… she could do the math.
"I was just out, okay? Sheesh. Since when are you my mother?" Troy growled back at her.
"'Since when am I your girlfriend?' is more like it! Oh, wait! I am your girlfriend! It's just… so easy to forget when you can never seem to remember!" Gabriella retorted hotly.
"You did not go there again! Gabi! I was just …out! Why can't you trust me?!"
Gabriella sighed, began to mutter a reply, then stopped abruptly, holding out her hand as a signal to stop.
"Maybe we should scrap the musical… I mean, with you not trusting me and all," Troy snottily finished, turning on his heel and marching through the auditorium doors again. Gabriella let out a long, dwindling breath and plopped down on a musty-smelling director's chair. She threw her head back and looked upwards, evilly glaring at the monstrous rafters.
"He's with her. I know it… No, he's not… He's used to be so sensitive and caring towards me… But I guess it's over now." Gabriella's thoughts contradicted each other. She felt like she was in one of those movies, where a girl stupidly plucks the petals off of a flower chanting, "He loves me… He loves me not." Or maybe it was more like the Looney Tunes shows where Tweety Bird tries to decide between what the miniature devil is saying into his ear and what the little angel is telling him. No matter what childish comparison fit, she felt stretched. She felt like a blob of overused Silly Putty…
"Gosh, all of a sudden I'm into all these metaphors!" Gabriella muttered out loud, cynically laughing to herself. She then stood, brushing invisible dust off of her lap.
"I've got to find a way to prove he's lying. He is lying. He is lying!" she screamed, her voice echoing off the wooden beams of the theatre.
"Who's lying?" a voice asked behind her.
Gabriella spun around, her hair swaying to the side.
"Oh, Ryan… It's nothing," she answered, sounding flustered. Ryan approached her, dropping his dance bag by the auditorium entrance.
"Are you okay?" he asked her.
"Yup. I'm peachy!" she tried in a cheery voice.
"Oh… You seem… I dunno," he lightly wondered.
"Oh!" she gave a fake chuckle, glancing at a nonexistent watch on her wrist. "I have to cook dinner before my mom gets home from work. Gotta go!" Gabriella left her things behind, darting through the doors of the auditorium.
"B--bye," Ryan said in a stunned voice, his wide eyes trying to figure out what had just happened. He let out a defeated sigh, and carried his dance bag over to the stage.
This was (obviously) the first chapter of this story, which would appear to be my first full-length fanfic, even though it's not. I have created a blog where I will begin posting all of my big, bulky author's notes, so you should REALLY check that out!!! (The link is at the VERY top of my proooofile!)