Title: Chancing Chanson

Chapter Nine: Goodbye To You

Rating: Adult

Pairing: Troyan/Tryan/Troy-Ryan

Word Count: 1,710

Author: xxBoppingAllTheWayxx

Disclaimer: I do not own, despite several prayers, Ryan Evans, Troy Bolton, or High School Musical. I also have no claims to Michelle Branch. Any resemblance to persons living or dead is purely coincidental, and I certainly have not been spying on you. :-P

Kelsey's play 'Solo for Two' and songs 'Never Alone', 'Twisted Apart', 'Undivided' and 'Sleep Well, Kind Angel' are my own creations. No touchy-touchy!

Warnings: Slash, Character Abuse, Songfic, Seduction.

Note: Don't Like? Don't Read! Don't Whine!

Key: Story, "Speech", Song/Emphasis, Emphasis


Of all the things I've believed in,

I just wanna get it over with.

Neither Troy nor Ryan attended the rest of their lessons, and it wasn't until Troy attempted to get into his car that Gabriella, who started their conversation with a prompt and harsh slap across the face, ambushed him. He barely had time to comprehend this before she started her rant.

"I thought you could sink low... do you have any idea... you worthless... what gives you the right... he's hurting so much... I knew I should never have let her... you sick, twisted... you wanted both... I knew what she was planning... but I never... you... and her... eurgh!"

Troy managed to dodge her second slap, and grabbed her wrist. It took him a few seconds to understand what she had inadvertently confessed. His brow furrowed, his mind replaying her rant, filling in the gaps.

"You planned it? YOU planned it?" Troy's face had turned a dark red, he felt betrayed, and he thought that Gabriella would respect his wishes... then it hit him. "Wait a minute... you know? About me? About me and Ryan?" Troy felt ashamed, though he didn't know why. It was one thing that Gabriella had again screwed his personal life, but to knowingly and willingly hurt Ryan? "B-but... how?"

Tears form behind my eyes,

But I do not cry.

I'm counting the days that passed me by.

On the other side of the school, Ryan was climbing out of his sister's car, still silent. He couldn't, wouldn't, look at Sharpe, afraid he might see the smirking, vindictive visage. He opened the front door, pushed past his parents, and locked himself in the bathroom. He gazed at his reflection in the large mirror, looking but not really seeing.

Ryan inhaled deeply, wiping his eyes, and looked back in the mirror. He removed his hat first, before turning to lock the door. Satisfied that he wasn't about to be interrupted, he leaned over the side of the large bathtub, and turned on the faucets, making sure the water was near scalding.

He turned backwards to face the mirror, slowly unbuttoning his silken shirt and letting it fall to the floor. Closing his eyes, he undid the button on his trousers and let them drop to the floor along with the thin, semi-transparent thong that covered his manhood. Finally, he opened his eyes and stared at the locket in the mirrored reflection, before reaching to it's real-life counterpart, and snapping it from it's chain. Without a word, he chucked it into the waste-bin. He wasn't satisfied until he heard it shatter.

Before allowing himself to clamber into the bathtub, Ryan opened the medicine cupboard and took out a large Pumice Stone, and a small bottle of sleeping tablets.

Troy, meanwhile was still trying to get more information out of Gabriella, and he had so far deduced that Gabriella was merely jealous, and followed Sharpay's plan believing that he may come running back to her. His anger against her had, for the majority, subsided, and his attention had now shifted to finding Ryan.

"Gabby, please... come with me..." Troy pleaded. His biggest fear was unfolding, he didn't want to lose Ryan; he didn't know what he'd do.

She merely nodded, and climbed into the passenger seat, while Troy started the car's engine. He couldn't focus properly, his mind kept wandering to what he would do if anything happened to Ryan. Troy didn't want to find out...

Ryan sat, naked, in the bathtub. His skin was red raw from the combined heat from the water, and the vicious scrubbing he had subjected himself to. The water stung his tender skin, but Ryan dismissed it, and reached for the sleeping tablets.

He hated his life. He hated his sister. He hated his school, and his family, and his boyfriend... ex-boyfriend, whatever... "I'm sorry..." he spoke, to no-one but himself, "...I'm sorry for being here..." He tipped five tablets into his hand.

He started to raise his hand to his mouth, when there was a loud bang on the door, causing his arm to jerk and sending the tablets falling into the bathwater. He looked at the door, and shouted, "What?"

He recognised his mother's voice telling him that Troy and Gabriella were waiting for him downstairs, and that he should finish quickly in the bathtub, so as not to keep them waiting. With a sigh, Ryan had no choice but to pull the plug from the bottom of the bathtub, and dry himself.

Ten minutes later, after trying on three different t-shirts, two jumpers, four pairs of trousers, and nine coloured hats, Ryan finally descended the stairs, a look of indifference forced onto his angelic features. He was stunned momentarily by the sullen look on Troy's face, and his heart broke when he strained himself. He wanted, Lord knows how much he wanted, to make Troy's pain go away. He was longing to be surrounded by his love's strong, defined arms. But, no, his mind was made up…

Goodbye to You,

Goodbye to everything that I thought I knew.

You were the one I loved,

The one thing I tried to hold onto.

"What do you want?" Ryan surprised himself by how harsh his tone was, and he could've sworn he saw Gabriella flinch at his words.

Troy looked at the floor, suitably embarrassed, but Ryan wasn't finished yet. He turned to Gabriella, then back at Troy. "And I see you've brought a date, how quaint…"

Gabriella started to speak, but Ryan interrupted her. "Shut up!" He felt nothing when he saw tears begin to form in the corner of her eyes. He knew, without a doubt, that Gabriella had deliberately made him flee the bathroom at the school, in order to frame Troy and Sharpay.

Speaking of whom, she glided down the stairs, smiling slightly. "Aww, Troy, hunni… I see you just couldn't keep away… And you've brought Ga—" Sharpay let out a shriek as a vase smashed against the wall just above her head.

Ryan glared at her, holding an ornament in his hands. Sharpay instantly could tell that she had gone too far by gloating her victory. She thundered up the stairs, again leaving Ryan and his guests.

Troy looked from the smashed vase, to the face of his boyfriend, visibly shocked by how much his betrayal had hurt Ryan. He crossed the room, trying to close the distance between them, but Ryan backed away, dropping the ornament to the floor. As his back hit the wall, Ryan slunk to the floor.

And it's hard to want everything,

And nothing at the same time.

I want what's yours,

And I want what's mine.

Troy knelt down, and tried to get Ryan to look at him, and when he finally saw Ryan's clouded eyes, Troy's own heart missed a beat. Troy offered his hand out to Ryan, only to have Ryan shake his head at it.

I want you,

But I'm not giving in this time!

"Troy…" The harshness that had filled Ryan's earlier words had dissipated, and all that was left was timidity and meekness, but Ryan hadn't changed his mind. "…When I'm around you, it hurts me, because you make me feel like I'm not even there… but when I'm not around you, it kills me, because every girl and most guys, in Albuquerque would kill for you… Why me?"

Troy had no answer, other than to take Ryan's hands into his own, and lean forward to kiss him. Ryan pulled away, albeit reluctantly, and looked at his boyfriend's concerned gaze. He sighed, silently knowing that this was the hardest thing he would ever have to do.

"You can't blame me, Troy… I was out of the room for five minutes… and you were all over my sister… my sister, Troy, of all people… was I… not good?"

I still get lost in your eyes,

And it seems that I can't live a day without you.

Closing my eyes, and you'll chase my thoughts away…

"Ry…" Gabriella's voice sounded hoarse, and Ryan had a suspicion that Gabriella's change-of-heart had affected her more than she let on. "…Sharpay and I set it all up… The flirting, the bullying, the outing… the kiss…"

Troy's eyebrows jumped upwards, and his luscious lips curved into a smile, which in-turn drew a small giggle grudgingly out of both Ryan and Gabriella.

To a place where I am blinded by the light…

Ryan looked at the broken vase, and felt the tender skin irritated by his clothes. Ever since he and Troy had hooked up, people had been hurt…

But it's not right!

Ryan stood up, and reached his hand out to help Troy stand, an offer he gladly accepted. Ryan closed his sore eyes, and rested his head in the nape of Troy's neck. He finally felt safe and comforted, a feeling that intensified as Troy wrapped his arms around Ryan's lithe frame.

"I'm sorry, I'm so, so sorry…" Both boys had spoken the words simultaneously, causing the dumb-stricken Gabriella to smirk nonchantly.

Ms. Evans, Ryan's doting and loving mother, chose that particular moment to enter the large entrance hall. She was briefly taken with the shattered vase against the wall, but smiled at her son. "Are you bidding goodbye, or are your friends staying the night?"

Troy looked at Ryan cautiously, who in-turn glanced at Gabriella knowingly, who completed the triangle by gazing at Troy happily. "I'm afraid I have to return home, Ms. Evans, my mother is expecting me… It was a pleasure to have finally met you; Ry and Sharp are always singing your praises… See you, boys…" Gabriella made her excuses after a wink at Ryan and Troy, and left the Evans' estate.

"Looks like you'll be spending the night in my room…" Ryan playfully whispered, once his mother had insisted on leaving to prepare them a warm meal for supper. "And if you think you're getting 8 hours of sleep… think again…"

Troy beamed slightly, before placing a chaste kiss on Ryan's collarbone, causing a semi-suppressed illicit moan to escape him. "Ry, don't bother setting up a second bed…"

And when the stars fall I will lie awake…

You're my shooting star!


Still To Be Continued...

I felt it was time to move onto the next saga, after the family crises. I hope that you find this volume wraps up most of the current problems. But, rest assured; this story is far from over… As always, please read and review.

And a personal shout-out: Skye Phoenix! Welcome!

A little teaser of what's to come: How will Jack Bolton react to Troy and Ryan? Will the Wildcats accept the pair? Will Ryan and Troy ever hump like rabbits? Will Kelsi's play (remember that plotline?) ever make it to the opening night? Will I stop asking rhetorical questions?

Blessed Be,

Joey -x-