First off, wow, can I say how sorry I am to how late this is? Really. This is a HLM/HLMN fic exchange that was supposed to happen in valentine's day for Tryanstique, and I am so so sorry. Life sort of caught up to me, gave me writers block and shoved Calc 1 into my lap. Which is hard by the way.
So if the theme seems a little off, thats because I was supposed to have to to someone over a month ago (again, really really sorry). But feedback is always appreciated.
The parameters:
Troy x Ryan
Drama
A red motorola razar phone
Cotton Candy
I hope it meets all your satisfactions, and is better because well... it's late anyways
Peace,
DP
Creating Perfection
HSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSM
When it happened Sharpay thought it was all her fault. After all the party was her idea, and at the time she was too inhibited to really say anything.
In truth, Sharpay had only set the ball rolling towards an actual relationship. The "no strings attached," bit started a long time before.
It was because Ryan was lonely and Troy was bitter. Being Sharpay's brother had after all made him off limits, and anyone who valued their lives, kept far away. Troy on the other hand had become the way he was because of expectations. Sure you'd think that once he had "broke free," from all the expectations that something would change, all it did though was pile on more. Now not only did have have the expectations of being the basketball boy, but then there were those of being in the musical and being the perfect couple with Gabriela.
Sometimes he though he didn't want it, any of it. But being the golden boy of East high had its perks.
They didn't get together often, Troy and Ryan. Sporadically at parties they would notice each other and quietly leave together. First it was just talking, Ryan, glad someone would listen, Troy, glad someone wouldn't judge. But then the connection they left was so strong, they just had to be more.
Gabriela noticed the change during this process and tearfully told him that she knew he loved someone else. While Troy denied the "someone else," he didn't deny not loving her.
And thats how they all ended up at Sharpay's anti-valentines party.
Still being sore from Zeke dumping her, she went all out. Songs with strong messages like "I will survive," pulsed in the background. Servers in Penguin suits and tea towels over her arms carried trays full of daiquiris. People mingled, people drank and people enjoyed themselves. All in all Sharpay was happy with the results. Her party was proof that you didn't need a relationship to be happy. And if everyone was happy here then she could be happy with them, and not Zeke.
Sharpay's world fell to pieces half way through the party. The several daiquiris she had consumed began to be felt. The queue for the bathroom located next to the parlor was rather long so she headed upstairs. The hallway was deserted and dimly lit. Throwing open the door and switching the lights on, she gasped at what she saw.
There in the swimming pool-esque bath tub lay two sweating, shirtless boys, mouthes engaged, hands roaming furiously. The pair didn't even notice the lights turn on. Not until Sharpay began to scream did Troy and Ryan break apart. Seeing his sister the blond squeaked and hid behind his broader counter part. Troy laughed nervously and ran his hands through his hair.
When the screaming stopped and half of the party's attendees had piled into the small tiled bathroom did the real show began.
"What the fuck do you think you're doing?"
Ryan started at her, cheeks flushed from rum, the heavy eyeliner and fake blonde hair. For the first time he got... mad. "What the fuck does it look like we're doing?
"This is an anti-valentines party, you are are NOT allowed to have a random hook up at an anti-valentines day party. Especially not mine."
"Oh, just because it's YOURS it's somehow more special? Man, Sharpay you're so selfish, you don't care about anything else."
"And what bout you Ryan? Me selfish? You find this one fling more important than your own sister?"
"Well when their own sister is a bitch, then yes! And who said anything about a random fling? What if it's more?"
A collective gasp from the "audience," could be heard as Sharpay's composure began dissolve, she shrank back slightly. Sure she'd been called a bitch many times, but never by Ryan. Then there was Troy, the boy of her dreams standing half naked in the middle of her bathroom... with her brother. The thoughts were too much to comprehend. Maybe she was too drunk to keep her pride, or maybe she was genuinely that hurt, she turned and ran as fast as possible.
After Sharpay left the crowd that had gathered began to stir. Troy scrambled to find his shirt and leave before anyone could stop him. What Ryan had said unnerved him, were they more than something? Usually when they got together it was more like going through the actions. But this time were there actual emotions behind the actions?
Before he was out the front door Troy was stopped by the last person he wanted to see, Gabriela. Here eyes shone with trying to hold back the tears as she fought to keep her voice steady, "Not in love with someone else?"
Being confused by the current situation, Troy was at a loss for words, shoving past the crying girl, he ran for the car.
Ryan's words replayed in his head, more than that? Sure they may be beyond the level of "random," but he never thought of it more than a strange friendship. They never talked about being more than friends. Troy was quite sure that before getting mad at Sharpay, Ryan hadn't thought about it. The whole thing made him uneasy.
Shutting the door to his car, Troy went upstairs and fell into bed. The events of the day spun as he struggled to fall asleep.
Was he really "something more"? Did he want to be? Ryan couldn't like him that way... could he? Ryan was so different than anyone he'd ever been attracted too, was he attracted to Ryan?
Two weeks later Troy still hadn't resolved the issue. The Evan's twins seemed to make up, from what he could tell at least, he hadn't talked to either of them since valentines day. Sharpay seemed to be avoiding him, and well, he was avoiding Ryan.
He kind of missed Ryan's company but he feared the wrath of his sister, Gabriela, and the rest of the student body. The circulating murmurs of Troy being gay were terrible, all of this muttering and talking behind his back. He managed to pretend it didn't affect him but he went from being the East High hero, to the strange gay boy that helped Ryan stab his twin sister in the back.
Ryan didn't try and seek out Troy either. They avoided each other almost completely, right down to no eye contact. Then again they rarely "noticed," each other in school. The basketball team pretended it hadn't happened, especially his dad. He hadn't even confronted Troy with the whole situation. No way was the super star something different. It was simply unacceptable.
Ryan was incredibly lonely. Sharpay and Ryan only pretended to get along in front of everyone, but their relationship was destroyed, they openness that they used to have no longer existed, instead they were cold and distant, only speaking when necessary. In one day Ryan had lost the only two friends he had. And all he had left was this strange emptiness that he kept on trying to fill. Any interaction he had with Troy was strange and awkward, he knew where they stood as secret friends, but now that everyone knew... maybe just maybe it would work out.
He had to try at least.
Sighing as he opened his locker, Troy gathered his books. Basketball practice had been particularly harrowing today and he couldn't wait to get home, of course all home meant was several hours of homework. He had a paper due, a midterm to take, and math, well math never made sense to him, but he should have been used to it by now. Just looking at all of the different books stacked in his locker made him sick.
Pulling out his math book something else came flying out at him. He caught it before it fell and looked at it carefully, a thin red phone. Flipping open the RAZR he paused, there was a "One new message!" alert, but it wasn't his phone, should he read it?
Well someone had to have put it there, it couldn't be an accident. And if it wasn't his, no harm done right? Pushing the "read" button, his questions were answered. The message was uncryptic as possible, all it said was, "Troy- We didn't get the Valentine's we wanted, let's celebrate now – Ry."
Troy grinned wider than he had in weeks. Hitting "reply" he typed out a quick message before heading out the front doors of the school to his car. A few minutes later the phone signified it had another message for him. Flipping it open he gave a small laugh to what he saw and switched his direction from home, to that of the more affluent area of Albuquerque.
Ryan was already waiting outside as Troy pulled up, jumping in as quickly as possible they sped off.
"So Ryan, what exactly did you have planed?"
The boy smirked in response, "Well, I was thinking we could do the whole thing, romantic dinner with candles, go to see some horrible movie thats supposed to be romantic, then I'll cover the bed in rose petals on which we will make sweet sweet love..."
Troy's face was priceless, but resumed to normal when he saw Ryan burst into laughter as he practically cried in delight.
"Actually I was just thinking about renting a movie and making some popcorn, like a good night in."
"That sounds much better, what movie did you have in mind?"
"You pick one and I pick one, and no making fun of the others choice."
"Sounds like a deal."
Troy looked through the video selections carefully, he didn't want something sappy, or anything that would remind him of his mother. But he didn't want an action film either, after all they were supposed to be celebrating Valentine's day. Finally he settled on a horror film, after all nothing was more inadvertently more romantic then heads blowing off. Choosing his selection he wandered over to where Ryan was standing, peering over his shoulder he scoffed, "Love actually?"
"What? It's a classic."
"It's a romantic comedy."
"It's an awesome movie, have you ever seen it?" The blond raised an eyebrow.
"Well, no..."
"And didn't we say no making fun?"
"Well, yes..."
"So..."
Troy sighed in defeat, "Okay, Love actually it is."
At the check out line, Ryan grinned impishly, "And because you forgot our former agreement, you get to buy me cotton candy."
"What? That wasn't part of any deal."
"You know what was a deal? Not making fun of the others movie choice. So as punishment, I get cotton candy."
The assertive tone Ryan put on the demand made the other boy grin, "Cotton candy will rot your teeth you know."
"I know," He leaned in closer to whisper in the taller ones ear, "But it's worth it."
Yawning Troy snuck an arm around Ryan, he leaned in and it felt just perfect. In this position he was more content than ever. The horror film was viewed and Ryan and ended up practically on top of the other boy, which Troy didn't complain about. The film, as grotesque, and unbelievable as it was produced the desired effect and that was all that mattered in the end. Of course, afterward Ryan stated that Troy was never again allowed to pick the movie they were watching, no matter how much cotton candy Troy offered to buy him.
Love actually was also almost through, and Troy knew soon he would have to go back to his "life," of basketball and perfection. Ryan would go back to being, or maybe pretending to be, Sharpay's faithful confident. Their differences would force them apart for the time being, but in the end no one was better understood than one Evans twin to the other. This life was his perfect life, not the facade of one that was his assumed reality. But maybe, just maybe his life could be both, a gentle mix of the two balancing everything to create a Utopian equilibrium.
Troy watched the converging stories on the screen, as everyone, somehow connected, came to happiness, pleasure, and even a bit of sorrow. That was the answer in all of this, the connection between people is how it happens. The connection he felt with Ryan was strong, but he could stay connected to Ryan without letting go of all his other connections, and even if he tried, it would all come full circle.
HSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSM
As always comments are appreciated.