I shouldn't love you,
But I want to,
I just can't turn away,
Ryan sighed, thinking again about Gabriella. It was summer, and finally school was out. He was on his way to Lava Springs with Sharpay, and he really should have been happy. But he just couldn't be happy when he couldn't be with Gabby. He wouldn't be around her all summer, and that thought depressed him slightly.
I shouldn't see you,
But I can't move,
I can't look away.
"You alright?" Sharpay broke his silence. Ryan nodded.
"Yeah…Just great, thanks." He wished he could stop loving her, but there was no way he could when she was just so perfect.
And I don't know
How to be fine when I'm not,
'Cause I don't know how to make a feeling stop.
"Whatever," Sharpay shrugged as she turned into the circle in front of the club. Ryan got out of the pink car and walked by Mr. Fulton, nodding in greeting.
Ryan walked through the club towards the pool area. Stepping out into the warm sunlight, he scanned the area, looking for his sister's chaise, knowing his would be nearby. He found the pink chair with relative ease amongst the yellow ones. He sat down and started to relax until he heard a scream. He looked up and saw Sharpay flailing in the pool with Troy standing at the edge, surrounded by Chad, Jason, and Zeke. The fact that his sister was in the pool didn't worry him; what took him by complete surprise was the lifeguard that was 'saving' her. Gabriella.
A sudden panic gripped him; what was he going to do now? As far as he knew, Gabby still loved Troy, and Troy apparently had a job here too. Ryan fell back against his chair, groaning.
"Great. The girl I love is here with her boyfriend for the summer, no I have to put up with not being able to have her."
Just so you know,
This feeling's taken control of me,
And I can't help it,
"What am I talking about? If I can prove I'm better for her, she might notice me," he mused.
I won't sit around,
Can't let him win now,
"But if I can't show her, I might not even be able to be her friend. I can't risk that." He sighed. "I'll just ignore it. I'll ignore the love."
Thought you should know,
I've tried my best to let go of you,
But I don't want to,
Just gotta say it all before I go,
Just so you know.
Lunch, dinner, at the pool. He saw her everywhere and he was starting to hurt from ignoring her. He wanted to tell her so badly, but he couldn't risk the shaky friendship they had.
It's getting hard to be around you,
There's so much I can't say,
Do you want me to have the feelings,
And look the other way?
The talent show was fast approaching, and Ryan was now doing his best to break away from Sharpay and show Gabriella who he was. He played in the faculty baseball game, and did well. He even saw Gabby cheering him on.
But even after that, she still ran to Troy. Ryan was felling as if he should just give up.
"She doesn't love me, and she won't." But the love continued to make him show off to her, even if he tried to forget her.
And I don't know
How to be fine when I'm not,
'Cause I don't know how to make a feeling stop,
Just so you know,
This feeling's taken control of me,
And I can't help it.
I won't sit around,
Can't let him win now,
Thought you should know,
I've tried my best to let go of you,
But I don't want to.
Just gotta say it all before I go,
Just so you know.
Then she left him. It was sudden, unexpected, and it was his perfect chance. He knew that if he could make her see him now, she might notice him.
So he approached her.
"Gabriella," he called out to her the next morning when she came in to resign. She turned and saw him, but made no move to continue conversation.
Ryan ran up to her as she turned to leave. He put his hand on her arm.
"Wait." His eyes met hers, and he knew he had to say it now, or he never would.
This emptiness is killin' me,
And I'm wondering why I've waited so long,
"I…" His voice failed for a moment, but he regained confidence and drew strength from Gabby's gaze. "I've wanted to say something to you for a long time now," he said. Gabriella still showed interest in what he was saying. This is good, he thought.
"I've been watching you," he said. "Not in a creepy way, but a 'God she's beautiful, and I'd do anything for her' way." He sighed. "What I'm trying to say is, I guess, I…" His voice broke again, but this time, he couldn't find it.
Gabriella looked down with a slight blush on her face.
"You…like me, don't you?" she asked quietly. She wondered why she hadn't noticed before. She smacked herself internally, because everything inside her told her to just walk away. But she didn't. Instead, she looked up and met Ryan's blue eyes.
"More than that, Gabby, so much more." Suddenly, and without warning, Gabriella kissed Ryan's cheek, then backed up. It was then it sparked with him: He had a chance. There was something there to work from. There was hope,
"I kinda like you too, Ryan. I just never said anything because I thought I loved Troy. But it just didn't work."
Lookin' back, I realize,
It was always there, just never spoken.
"I have to go," she said suddenly as she saw Troy approach from behind Ryan. Ryan looked confused for a moment, then the realization hit him.
"Oh…okay…" he mumbled. "Will I be able to see you again, since you quit here?" She nodded, giving him a slip of paper she had just scribbled a number on.
"Call me," she said, then turned and fled through the front door. Troy approached Ryan, who quickly hid the scrap of paper in his pocket.
"Any idea where she's going?" Troy's voice scared him out of a silence, then he turned to face Troy.
"Nowhere she'll want you following. Don't you have work?" Ryan glared at Troy for a moment, then turned away from the speechless man, stalking towards the pool area.
Thought you should know,
I've tried my best to let go of you,
But I don't want to,
Just gotta say it all before I go,
Just so you know.
"Glad you told her?" Sharpay confronted him as he walked into the same warm sunshine from earlier that summer.
"Yeah. Really glad."