Ryan struggles to hide his feelings, but he knows that someday it will all come out, whether he wants it to or not. Inspired by the song Take Me Away, by Avril Lavigne.
Disclaimer: I do not and have never owned the High School Musical franchise, owned by Disney.
Ryan sighed as he stared at the boy across the room. When the other boy's blue gaze swept across the room, he quickly looked away at his paper. Why can't I just make these feelings go away? he thought. He would hate me if he knew, I'm sure.
He remembered listening to his sister rant about her own feelings for the athlete the night before. "You just can't understand," she had sighed dramatically, "what it's like to be in love with the Troy Bolton." In his head, he had chuckled darkly. Sharpay had continued, "Nobody knows true pain until they've longed for Troy."
Well, she was right on that point. Every time he tried to distract himself, his thoughts would always go back to the taller boy. He couldn't count how many nights he had laid awake, imagining situations with himself and Troy. His thoughts were a jumbled mess, with one person at the forefront of all of it: Troy Bolton, East High's straight, golden boy athlete.
Such were the things he thought of as he made his way to his locker at the end of the day. He couldn't even tell his own twin sister about his unrequited feelings; she would only torture him further with the knowledge that he didn't stand a chance. He had never felt so alone as when he was walking through the crowded hallway.
"Hey, Ryan!" The boy had caught up with him in the hallway, placing a hand on his shoulder.
His eyes widened as he struggled to conceal his emotions. Did Troy know? Could he tell? "Hello," he muttered coldly. He didn't want to seem unfriendly, but he couldn't let the other boy know; if he had to seem rude to keep his mask up, then so be it.
He remembered the rest of the conversation, made awkward due to his own coldness. Troy had attempted to be friendly, but Ryan had been unrelenting. He knew the athlete couldn't possibly understand.
Yet somehow, something inside of him wished he could tell the brunette his feelings, spill everything that he had been holding inside since they were freshmen. He was getting nowhere, torturing himself like this, and he knew that someday, he wouldn't be able to hold it in any longer.
He just hoped that the results of the explosion wouldn't prove too much to handle.