Let's Hear It for the Boy
It took Ryan five minutes to come to after he passed out. Five minutes too long in Chad's mind. The entire time Ryan was out, Chad paced around the foyer of Britin in agony. Obviously Ryan was fine—until he showed up at least.
Sharpay, Justin, Troy and Gabriella huddled around Ryan waiting for him to come to. Brian was in the next room, trying to stop an irrational Lindsay from calling an ambulance. The blonde stormed out of the room hand in hand with Gus and sat down on the couch and joined the vigil over Ryan.
And Chad paced, and paced and paced. Brian could see that the boy had something on his mind, so he went over to talk to him. Not that Brian cared or anything, but he didn't need some random kid from New Mexico with a worse haircut than Mikey scuffing up his floors with all this pacing.
"Kid, why aren't you in the other room fawning over Ryan. Didn't you just fucking come here from New Mexico to see him?" Brian asked the teen, attempting to keep the concern out of his voice.
Chad slumped over, "It's my fault he passed out. I shouldn't have come."
Despite his better judgment, Brian could really feel for the kid. "Well," he began, "Chad, that's your name right?"
Chad nodded and Brian continued, "From what I've heard, from Justin's uncle, is that you were concerned about Ryan after hearing from him last night. Fuck, we all were concerned. It's a good friend who comes help unsolicited. Just don't feel bad about it, it makes people think you're a pussy."
Chad was sobbing now, "But I am weak. Ryan's fine. I got worked up and got the others involved. I just thought-"
"What'd you think, Chad, that he needed you? That he fucking wanted you?"
"No…. well I don't know what I thought. I guess it's weird. What I feel for Ryan."
Brian looked at the kid and for the first time realized why he seemed so familiar to him. Chad was everything he didn't want to be when he was Chad's age. Insecure about his sexuality and almost afraid of it. He was almost a jock version of Mikey in high school.
"So what, you're gay. Not that weird. You like Ryan, care about him like your friend jockboy over there cares for that chick. It's simple and fine," Brian said. He may have been a bit short, but he knew this kid needed this lesson now.
"Troy and Gabriella," was all Chad could manage to get out.
"What?" Brian asked, confused over the course of conversation.
"My friends, jockboy and the chick, their names are Troy and Gabriella," Chad clarified.
Brian looked at the teenager bemused. "THE Troy and Gabriella. The Troy Sharpay loves and the Gabriella Sharpay used to hate?"
"That would be them," Chad chuckled to himself. "I'm surprised, you don't seem the type to actually listen when Shar talks."
Brian sighed, "She talks a lot, kind of hard to not listen."
Both men shared a laugh at the thought of how much the blonde drama queen talks once she drops her Ice Princess façade. "Seriously though," Chad said after recovering, "do you think I'm some idiot kid, flying out here for him.?"
Brian looked Chad in the eyes before beginning, "Once I would have said yes, that it was breeder behavior and you were just a silly faggot fooling yourself. But I guess I feel in love, and I understand. And from the few times Ryan actually talked in the last 2 days, I'd say he cares about you too."
Commotion sprang from the living room, Justin yelled out, "Ryan's up!" Chad excitedly got off of Brian's hardwood floor and turned to the older man before running into the living room.
"Thanks Brian, What you said really put things into perspective for me," Chad called from the doorway.
Brian smirked. "If you tell anyone that I told you I love Justin, I will not hesitate to have you killed. What's one less teenage faggot to the world anyway," Brian said with a laugh as Chad went to see how his no-so-secret crush was fairing.
A/N: Sorry this took a while to get up. For future reference to anyone in college, thinking about college, is a human being, it's generally a bad idea to take 4 classes a day, sleep 4 hours a night and go to random campus debates about Iran when you feel like shit and are already falling asleep. It just makes you sick. So if this chapter is sub par, totally the reason.
A/N 2: I'm aware that Brian's a bit out of character, but I always liked that softer side of Brian. But in canon, he'd never show it to a random kid. But maybe in the few years in season 5, Justin's made Brian softer? I'm gonna go with that. Honestly, originally, I was going to have Justin talk to Chad, but Justin would want to stay with his cousin. The it was going to be Lindsay, but then Brian just starting talking. Oh plot bunnies, how I love thee.