Disclaimer - I don't own HSM, but I do own the story.
Please R&R .. If you want more of the story let me know.
Prologue –
Ryan lazily shielded the sun from his eyes as he awoke from a night of peaceful dreams. Nights like this had been rare ever since it happened. He had pretended that it was not the reason he couldn't sleep at night. He had tried to pretend that it wasn't behind the fact that he shuddered if anyone touched him. Above all, he tried to pretend that it was not the reason he felt inhuman, as if nobody, not even Sharpay, understood what he had gone through and what he was feeling.
As Ryan forced himself out of bed and into the shower, he couldn't help but feel as if today was going to be different. That today, he wasn't going to let it hold him back. The drama king got dressed rather quickly and was out the door and waiting in the car before Sharpay even applied her first layer of lip gloss.
The day seemed to drag on, but at last final period was among the students of East High. Ryan was aimlessly staring out of the window as Ms. Darbus droned on about the importance of proper lighting in the theatre. Ryan could care less, as long as the lights were focused on him, it was an unimportant topic.
But this year they weren't on him. They were on someone new, someone who doesn't deserve the leading role. He quickly tried to block the thought of that someone from his mind. Thinking of him reminded Ryan of what happened that day in gym. Why had he been so careless to allow himself to be the only one left in the locker room? He didn't think much of it, until he realized he wasn't alone. No. He was there. He. The someone who did it to him. The someone who had caused his nightmares and his ability to feel anything but broken.
And with that thought, this once different day, melted into the blur that had become Ryan Evans life.