A/N: Ok, so I have little excuse for taking so long, besides being busy. Really busy. My deadline came and went, and my only defense is that I horribly miscalculated just how long this chapter could be. But I should've known… When Troy and Chad talk, they take a while. When Troy and Ryan talk, they take a while. Now put the three of them together, and it takes more than a little while.
Also, this chapter, even though it's longer than most of them, is not even the full chapter as was originally intended. It seriously got so long that I simply had to truncate it. But since the next chapter is more than half-written (since it was originally part of this one) I can say with absolute certainty that the next chapter with be submitted within the next fortnight. So in the meantime, enjoy!
Disclaimer: This story is pure fiction, and thus is not meant to imply anything about the sexuality of any and all celebrities mentioned. If you are underage, or if you are offended by such stories, leave now!! Also, High School Musical is the property of Disney. It's not mine!
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Picking Up the Pieces of a Lost Night
By Squall Thrawn
Chapter 21 - An Afternoon with the Newlyweds
"What the fuck is taking you two so long?" Chad demanded over the phone. "You promised me food!"
"Dude, we're on our way," Troy said, chuckling. "Hungry at all?"
"Troy, let me talk to Chad," Ryan asked, plaintively. "Or at least stop driving so fast! You keep talking, and you never get to drive my car again!"
"Dude, Ryan's letting you drive?" Chad asked, a little enviously. "He's never let me drive!"
"Don't worry, this'll be Troy's last time," Ryan said, as he grabbed the phone out of Troy's hand. "He doesn't know how to treat my baby, properly. He's speeding down the highway with only one hand on the steering wheel!" Ryan had his gaze fixed on Troy the whole time, as if he couldn't stomach watching the road rushing at them so fast.
"Ryan, you should trust me more than that," Troy chided him. "I drive like this all the time; it's fine!"
"Strangely enough, that doesn't reassure me- it just makes me even more worried," Ryan said, a serious tone in his voice. "You need to drive safer, Troy." He gulped. "Especially when I'm riding with you."
"Hey, I'm still on the phone, here," Chad whined. "I'm wasting away here, while you two act like an old married couple! What's taking so long?"
"Well…" Ryan said, blushing slightly. Troy, who had heard the question, just smiled over at Ryan before returning his attention to the road. "We were trying to find some more of my clothes that would fit Troy… and we got a little distracted."
"Why do I always regret asking these questions?" Chad said with a groan. "You'd think I'd have learned by now. Fine, so you're on your way. How much longer?"
"Well, with Speed Racer at the wheel here, I'd say five minutes," Ryan said, glaring at Troy. "So we'll see you then?"
"Ok," said Chad. "I'll see if I can get us a table." With that, Chad ended the call.
"Well, it's good to see that Chad is capable of showing gratitude," Ryan said, dryly. "I'm assuming he forgot that I'm the one treating him to a nice lunch? And slow down!" Ryan chastised Troy. "I think we just passed the speed of sound a while back, and I wanted to get to lunch in one piece."
"But you said you weren't gonna let me drive anymore," Troy pointed out. "So I have to enjoy my last turn as much as I can."
"You can have another turn if you'll just slow down," Ryan said, actually sounding upset. "You're speeding up even more… come on, Troy, please slow down."
"Hey, don't worry, Ryan, I'm an old pro at this sort of thing," Troy said, turning his head again to grin at Ryan devilishly. Ryan didn't smile back, but pointed urgently towards the highway. One hand, that is. Even from his brief glance from the driver's seat, Troy could see Ryan clenching the armrest tightly, his knuckles white.
"Seriously, Ryan, what's the matter?" Troy asked, just the slightest bit annoyed. It was just a bit of fun, and Ryan seemed to be freaking out over nothing. A grim-faced Ryan didn't answer, just shook his head as his hands seemed to tighten his grip even more. Then a memory came back to Troy, belatedly, and he suddenly wanted to slap himself for being so stupid. And he would have, too, if he didn't know that Ryan would've freaked out that he was taking his hand off the steering wheel again.
"The car accident," Troy said, softly, as he slowed the convertible down. "Shit, Ryan, I'm so sorry. I'm a fuckin' idiot."
"It's ok, Troy," Ryan said, his voice still strained as he slowly loosened his death grip on the armrest. "I'm just… I'm just not a very good passenger when it comes to fast cars. That's the main reason why Sharpay doesn't drive worse than she does- when I'm in the car, at least. She knows I don't ride well… It's the whole not being in control of the vehicle thing. Makes me feel helpless… and barrelling down the highway at top speed just makes it worse."
"God, Ryan, I am so fuckin' sorry," Troy apologized, again, his voice filled with remorse. "I was so concerned with having fun with this wonderful car… I didn't even listen to you when you asked me to slow down. I am… I am so sorry… I mean, I-"
"Troy," Ryan interrupted. "I know you're sorry; don't worry about it any more. We're both fine, we didn't crash, and now we know not to drive like a crazy man down the highway when Ryan's the passenger. Ok?"
"Ok," Troy said, thankfully. "Why didn't you just say something, though?"
"Well, I did ask you to slow down," Ryan said, petulantly. Then he looked down. "I didn't say anything because I didn't want to seem pathetic just because I couldn't handle riding in a speeding car. I mean, I know you wouldn't have thought any less of me," Ryan admitted, "but old habits die hard, and I am an Evans, you know. We don't like admitting weakness."
"Well, next time just tell me," Troy said, gently. "I'll understand." Then something occurred to him. "But if you're such a bad passenger, why are you always riding along with Sharpay? I mean, you've had this convertible as long as she's had hers, right?"
Ryan just shrugged. "Like I told you before, we both really enjoyed riding to and from school together- it was brother and sister time. Shar didn't drive crazy, and I got to drive every once in a while. I think I just got used to riding with her, after a while."
"Well, I suppose," Troy said, begrudgingly. "I guess I might be able to adjust to the fact that she's not entirely out for herself…" Troy flashed a big smile to Ryan after he said that.
"Hey, she is my twin, after all," Ryan replied, picking up on the fact that Troy was mostly kidding. "We're, like, obligated to care about each other. And Shar isn't the bloodthirsty shark you think she is… all the time," Ryan amended.
"She's just luring you in with a false sense of confidence," Troy said, smiling. He made sure to use his turn signals as he got onto the off ramp. "Seriously, though, you don't have to convince me any more. Sharpay may never be my favourite person in the world- that would be you, of course- and I know I'll never be hers… but one thing I do know for certain is that she cares a lot about you. That's something the two of us have in common, at least."
Ryan beamed, as he put his hand on Troy's leg. "Thanks, Troy. I couldn't imagine my life without the both of you in it." Ryan made a face. "I'd probably end up with that friend of yours with the wild hairstyle," he said, smiling. "He is kinda cute, though. I guess I could do a lot worse."
"Ok, that's it, I'm cancelling this lunch," Troy said, acting as though he was going to turn the wrong way. "It's bad enough you pursuing Chad, without me being there to witness it."
"You know much better than that, Troy," Ryan said, his hand rubbing Troy's leg gently. They were now sitting at a stoplight, waiting to turn left into the shopping complex that contained the Olive Garden. "It still gets me, though, the idea of you being able to make jokes like that."
"What do you mean?" Troy asked, a little puzzled. "What kind of jokes?"
"Oh, you know…" Ryan said, waving his hand. "The jokes about me hooking up with Chad, or anybody else."
"Why, what's wrong with them?" Troy asked, even more confused. There was definitely something he wasn't getting.
"Well… I guess I'm just remembering what I used to think about you. I mean, considering that I never really knew you that well, before this summer," Ryan said, shrugging. "So all I had to base things on, then, was what I observed this summer, and, to be fair, you did seem to have plenty of reason."
"Come on, Ry, just say it," Troy said, his tone amused as the light turned green and he made the left turn. "You know I won't be mad."
"Well, I'm just saying that before I really got to know you, you always seemed like you were the insane jealous type," Ryan said, in a conversational tone. "I mean, I'm glad I was wrong about you because I like the non-jealous Troy just fine. Though is it considered jealousy if I can't even say anything about another guy without you getting all possessive and everything?" Then Ryan smiled affectionately. "Though it is cute. And I enjoy being yours. Couldn't imagine being with anybody else, really, even that goofy friend of yours." Ryan caressed Troy's face, briefly.
Troy chuckled a little bit. "You've only got yourself to blame for that one," Troy said, getting into the right turn lane. They could now see the Olive Garden a ways up ahead. "I was a different guy, then. I was still trying to figure out who I was, and I still didn't have a fuckin' clue in the world what I was doing when it came to dating. I mean, my God, could I be any more clueless? I thought you were my biggest competition, for fuck's sake! Here you are, doing the gay best friend thing- which, according to Chad, you're pretty good at- and I'm the only moron who actually thought you were mackin' on my girl." Troy laughed at that one.
"Yeah, you were pretty clueless back then," Ryan agreed. "I mean, figuring that I was pursuing Gabriella? Yeah, she really wasn't my type. For that matter, you were so dense back then, you actually thought you were straight! How oblivious can you be?"
"Good point," Troy agreed. "If I'd known back then, I wouldn't have had to deal with all this Gabriella drama… and we would've been having fun together that much longer."
"No point in mourning the past," Ryan pointed out, reasonably. "Like we've said before, we're together now, and that's all that matters."
"Well said," Troy said, taking advantage of some stalled traffic in front of them to give Ryan a peck on the lips. "Long story short…"
"Too late," Ryan inserted, immediately.
Troy mock-scowled at him. "I learned a valuable lesson that summer. You were the cause of that, if you remember."
"Ah, yes," Ryan said, remembering. "I seem to recall doubting that you were even listening to me, at the time. Cuz I definitely wasn't your favorite person, then."
"Not so much, then," Troy admitted, candidly. "But you told me you were gonna give me advice whether I liked it or not, and that if I knew what was good for me, I'd listen." His eyes sparkled. "I love a forceful man."
"I'll keep that in mind for later," Ryan said, his eyes just as bright. "I think I might have a policeman's uniform at home somewhere. It was for an audition," he added, in response to Troy's raised eyebrow.
"See, I would've pictured you in one of those adorable sailor uniforms," Troy admitted in a low voice, blushing more than a little. Definitely on the list of sex-related things that Troy didn't talk about was any kinky thoughts he might have had about Ryan in uniforms. Or the fact that just picturing Ryan in such an outfit actually made Troy hard. He was getting more comfortable with his feelings… but not that comfortable. At the same time, though, Troy couldn't resist adding "With that white hat sitting on your head at a jaunty angle. I think that would be perfect."
"Hmm," Ryan pondered this for a while. "Leaving your fetishes aside for the moment- but rest assured we'll come back to that- what part of my advice helped, specifically? Because I seem to remember going off on you for quite a while."
"It was a memorable night," Troy said, nodding. "It was after you had been invited over to Gabi's house for movie night, wasn't it?" Troy asked, as he applied the brakes, yet again. Traffic was murder at the mall, as usual. It seemed like every five feet they drove, there were more cars pulling out, more people crossing the street. At this rate, Troy was almost tempted to just get out and walk. But Ryan would surely object to that- after all it was his car.
"It was probably about a week or three after I rightfully won the Star Dazzle award," Ryan said, helping out. "Chad had invited me to the batting cages once or twice, and Zeke seemed to be talking to me all the time, for insider info on my sister." Ryan rolled his eyes. "I'd been avoiding hanging out with you, though. But Gabi positively insisted that I show up for movie and brownie night, and I'd run out of excuses. So there I was."
"Well, I wasn't sure if I wanted to be hanging out with you, either," Troy confessed. "I was kinda leery about having an Evans as a friend, after everything your sister had done." Then Troy actually smirked at Ryan. "Then you just had to give her that hug and peck on the cheek!"
"I was nervous!" Ryan exclaimed, defensively. "That's how I usually greeted Gabi when you weren't around, and it just sorta happened. I mean, since Gabi 'accidentally' gave me the wrong time, it ended up being you, me, and Gabi for a while." Ryan shook his head. "Just the idea of the three of us alone together conjures up vast images of awkwardness. I had every right to be nervous!"
"I never thought I could get so upset about something," Troy admitted, flushing slightly. "All I know was… you gave her a little attention, and my temper went through the roof. I am so sorry for yelling at you so much, and so loudly." Troy grinned, sheepishly. "It's just that I thought you wanted Gabi… and after everything I'd done, I figured she might prefer you to me."
"Well, the yelling did reveal the darker side of Troy Bolton," Ryan said, shaking his head. "To me, you'd always come across as this smug, self-satisfied jock who thought he was so fucking great. And while the East High student body and my family seemed to think the sun shined out of your arse, I thought you were just a stupid asshole. One that had apparently forgotten that if not for my scheming, he wouldn't even have won Gabriella back. So I didn't pull any punches, and told you exactly how out of line you were."
"I think that's what did the trick," Troy said, nodding. "You told me the bitter truth, and made me swallow it. Gabi had just yelled at me, and threatened to dump my ass again if I was going to be so damned jealous and possessive. And all I could think about was blaming the whole thing on you. No matter how much the both of you insisted that you were just friends, I just wouldn't listen. And then you…" Troy smiled as he reminisced. "You said that Gabi and I were together, and if we wanted to stay together, I had to put some trust in our relationship. That if I didn't even trust Gabi when she said that the two of you were just friends, we might as well break up now."
"I was almost expecting you to hit me," Ryan confided in Troy. "You seriously looked pissed."
"Well, I was, at first… I mean, the sheer gall of you telling me how to treat Gabriella." Troy shook his head. He couldn't believe he'd actually felt like that towards Ryan. "But before I could even process what you told me, you also said that you really didn't like me… but that you were good friends with Gabi, Chad, and the others, and for the sake of that, you hoped we could at least be civil towards each other."
"I think we've managed a little more than civil," Ryan said, a satisfied tone in his voice. "I left you with those thoughts, and headed home. Sorta lost my taste for brownies. Then I got your voice mail," he said, his eyes glittering. "I never would've expected it. Mr. Troy Bolton himself, admitting that he was wrong… and that he was sorry." Ryan smiled. "I think that's what made me give you a chance. It was the fact that you said you were wrong… made me realize that maybe I didn't know Troy Bolton as well as I thought I did."
"Well, I was wrong," Troy said, shrugging. "Even though facing up to that- to you, of all people- was fuckin' difficult, I gotta tell ya. But even though you seemed to despise me, I was surprised that you were willing to put most of that aside for the sake of our friends. That seemed… unlike an Evans to do that. And I realized that maybe you weren't who I thought you were, either."
"It's crazy, isn't it?" Ryan said, shaking his head. "We've gone to school together since kindergarten, and it took us this long to even try to get to know each other. I always thought you were just a dumb jock, and you probably thought I was Sharpay's slavishly devoted stupid brother."
"Well, I'm glad we got through all that," Troy said, smiling. "I mean, I'm still the dumb jock… but luckily I was smart enough not to let you get away."
"So true," Ryan said, with feeling. Troy slapped him on the hand, but not hard. "Out of such humble beginnings, a friendship was made," Ryan declared. "All in all, I'd say it's worked out alright, wouldn't you?"
"Better than alright," Troy agreed. The two finally pulled into the crowded parking lot of the Olive Garden. "I sure hope Chad reserved us a table, or something. Cuz I'm starving."
"Same here," Ryan said, unbuckling his seat belt and getting out of the car. Troy did the same, locking the doors before he exited the car. Handing the keys off to Ryan, Troy waited for the blonde to stow them away in his pocket before he reached for his hand. Ryan smiled warmly at Troy as they locked digits, and as the couple approached the front doors he was still smiling. Troy, for his own part, was feeling incredibly smug. For some reason, Troy felt inordinately proud whenever he got to walk around with Ryan in public. He really did feel like he was extremely lucky to hook up with such a great guy as Ryan Evans, and he wanted everybody to see just how lucky he was.
The two boys entered the Olive Garden and found the waiting area full, as expected. It was Ryan who spotted Chad's distinctive hair, and pointed him out with his free hand.
"Took you guys long enough," Chad grumbled, but his eyes betrayed the fact that he was happy to see his friends. He and Troy playfully cuffed each other in the shoulder, while Ryan gave Chad a one-armed hug. One-armed, since his other hand was still clinched in Troy's, who wasn't letting go. Troy also saw that Ryan briefly winced when Chad's arm came into contact with his scratched-up back, but Chad didn't seem to notice. "I was expecting you guys here like ten minutes ago. I thought Troy was doing his best impression of Speed Racer." Chad grinned. "But I gotta say, Evans, you are, like, the worst Trixie ever."
Troy felt a flash of guilt as he was reminded of his earlier thoughtlessness. Naturally Ryan filled in the gaps.
"Doesn't really matter one way or the other, anymore," Ryan shrugged. "Troy's days as Speed Racer are over, so I won't have to be Trixie. Troy decided that he'd like more than one turn driving my car, so he listened to me and slowed down a little," Ryan explained, easily. Troy couldn't help but feel relieved that Ryan had covered for him, without revealing just how thoughtless he was.
Chad nodded sagely. "That's a good call, Troy. No sense in losing your privileges on the first day." Then he looked at Ryan hopefully. "I don't suppose there's any chance I might get a turn, too?"
"As long as I get a turn with you," Ryan replied immediately. He winked at Chad, who immediately blushed.
"Never mind, then," Chad mumbled, as he suddenly seemed to find the floor incredibly fascinating.
"I'm just kidding, Chad," Ryan said, lightly. "Troy's the jealous type, so I'm afraid our forbidden love will never come to pass. So, to help you through the pain of getting over me, I'll let you try out my car some day. But!" he added, as Chad perked up. "There'll be a couple of ground rules before that happens. I don't want you wrecking my car, after all."
"Thank you so much!" Chad said, excitedly. Then he jumped a mile as the little black device in his hand began to vibrate. "Hey! Our table's ready!"
"Great!" Troy said, his stomach growling. The three boys headed over to the hostess station, where Chad handed over the table-buzzer-thingy, or whatever it was called- Troy didn't really care what they called it. All that mattered was that they were gonna get fed soon.
"I hope we get a gay waiter," Ryan confided in Troy as they followed the hostess. "Then we can make him jealous when he realizes the two hottest guys are off the market."
Troy just shook his head. "You probably just want that so you can tease Chad some more."
"Well, that, too," Ryan admitted, freely. Chad, who had heard his name mentioned but nothing else, cast a suspicious look at Ryan before turning back around as he followed the hostess, who finally led them to a booth in the back of the restaurant.
"Your server with be right with you," she said, before heading back up towards the front.
"No need to ask about the seating arrangements," Chad said, rolling his eyes before sliding into one of the booths. Troy sat across from him, and Ryan squashed in beside him. "But no playing footsie under the table. Or you're gonna regret it, Bolton."
"Hey, if I wanted to play footsie with Ryan, you'd never even realize it," Troy retorted. "I'm damned sneaky. I'm not the one who mistook Zeke's leg for Taylor's."
"You what?" Ryan exclaimed. Chad was blushing furiously, his eyes staring daggers at Troy.
"You promised you wouldn't repeat that story ever again," Chad muttered, darkly. "Especially to Ryan. Everybody promised that."
"No, no, I've got to hear this," Ryan pleaded. Then his eyes sparkled. "Otherwise, I'll find out from Zeke or somebody. And if I have to do that, I'll make sure you regret it."
"Fine!" Chad surrendered, throwing up his hands. "You're gonna have to tell him, though, Troy. It's too humiliating for me."
Troy began to answer, but was interrupted by the server. To Ryan's disappointment, the server was an older female. After the boys had given her their drink orders, Troy started telling the story.
"I think it was around November of last year," Troy recalled. "I think you were absent that day, Ryan… I think that was when you had that ear infection."
"I can't believe I missed something like this," Ryan grumbled.
"Well, it was maybe a month or so before Taylor finally broke things off with Mr. Danforth here- which she almost had to shout, by the way, as he wasn't picking up any of her more subtle hints." Chad scowled at Troy. Grinning at his friend, Troy continued. "So to set this up, we were sitting in our usual seats. Taylor was sitting next to Zeke. On the opposite side of the table was Chad here, sitting close to Sharpay, with Kelsi in between." Ryan nodded, obviously remembering their old seating arrangements. Back in the days when Troy was still with Gabi, and Jason hadn't come between them, Ryan and Sharpay had joined them for lunch a few days a week. Sharpay had been reluctant at first, but Ryan had actually put his foot down and said that he wanted to eat lunch with this group of friends that had accepted him as one of them. And Sharpay wasn't about to be the odd person out.
"Why can't we just let this be?" Chad asked, hoping to be let off the hook. "It could've happened to anybody."
"Oh, no, Chad," Troy said, shaking his head. "This could only happen to you. So," Troy continued, his voice going back into story-mode, "Chad, who was trying to give Taylor a little attention, decided he'd run his foot over her leg. You know, just a slight movement, to see how she'd respond. Why he wanted to do this in the school cafeteria, I'll never know," said Troy, shaking his head.
"Tay had always said I never gave her enough attention when we were at school," Chad muttered. "So I thought I'd show her otherwise."
"I don't think that was what she had in mind," Troy responded. "But that doesn't really matter. Because the problem was, it wasn't Taylor's leg," Troy said, grinning. "She and Zeke were both wearing jeans, and I guess Chad got a little confused- you did get confused, right Chad? I mean, you didn't do that on purpose, right?"
Chad, who had buried his head in his folded arms, responded simply by giving Troy the finger. Ryan, by this time, was smiling broadly.
"Well, Zeke was a little surprised at first," Troy continued. "But I guess he thought it was your sister who was doing it, since she was doing that on-again off-again shit with him. You really need to talk to her about that," Troy abruptly changed subjects. "All this ambiguous shit is driving him mad, and Zeke doesn't deserve that."
"Hey, I'm not my sister's keeper," Ryan protested, putting his hands up. "But she said last night that she was going to give Zeke a real shot, and I think she's gonna stick to that. Anyway, we'll deal with that later- finish the story!"
"Ok," Troy said, chuckling at the insistent tone in Ryan's voice. "Luckily, Chad realized what he was doing soon enough, when he realized that Taylor had just left the table, but the leg he was giving so much attention to… was still there. The look of horror on our Chad's face was priceless. Zeke still won't sit across the table from Chad, just to be safe." Ryan was laughing hard by this time, his pale face quite flushed.
"Man, Chad, you are definitely piling up the evidence," Ryan managed to get out, since he was having trouble catching his breath from all the laughter. "Are you sure you don't have anything you want to tell us?"
"I hate you…" Chad said indistinctly, his words muffled by his arms.
"I can't believe Shar didn't tell me about that," Ryan said, still grinning.
"Well," Troy said, no longer grinning quite as much. "She sorta ruined the moment. No offence to your sister or anything." Troy shrugged, before continuing. "She got up from the table and told Zeke that he was a moron if he thought that she would ever do anything as common as that. I think she hurt his feelings a little bit."
"I remember that part of it," Ryan said, shaking his head. "Sorta. She came home all mad at Zeke, or whatever. She never gave me details, though- I would've remembered a story like this. Then didn't she avoid Zeke for a week or so after that?" Ryan said, grinning. "Then she got mad at me when I wouldn't sit with her at our old table every day. But I told her that even if she had problems with Zeke, that that didn't change the fact that you guys were my friends. So eventually she swallowed her pride and went back to sitting at our table." Ryan sighed. "Shar is my sister, and I love her and everything… but it's kinda annoying to have to always play peacemaker just because she's being irrational." Ryan began smiling impishly. "That was a great story, though, Troy. Chad, you're, like, my hero now. I always used to wish I could do that sorta thing to Troy, but I never had the courage to do it." He grinned wickedly at Troy, who just squeezed his hand.
"I don't wanna talk about it," Chad mumbled, his head still buried in his hands. then he sat up suddenly, an evil grin on his face. "Oh, so we're sharing embarrassing secrets now, eh?" Chad cast a quick look towards Troy, who groaned. "If we're doing that, why don't we talk about what happened when I visited Troy last December?"
"Oooo!" Ryan exclaimed. "Embarrassing stories about Troy? This, I've gotta hear!"
"Trust me, you don't want to hear it," Troy attempted to dissuade Ryan. "It involves Gabriella… and sex."
"Trust me, Troy," Ryan said, waving that comment off. "I'll be ok about the fact that it's about breeder sex, if this story is half as funny as Chad seems to think it is." Then he looked at Troy with a more serious look. "My sex life's an open book, as far as you're concerned," Ryan said, quietly. "I'm not going to hide anything like that from you."
"Umm…" Troy had no response to that. Leave it to Ryan to lay the guilt trip on him. Just then, the server finally came back with their drinks.
"Are you ready to order?" she asked, looking at the boys.
Troy shot a panicked look at Ryan; he'd been so occupied with telling the story, he hadn't even looked at the menu. Chad seemed to have realized the same thing, as well, as he'd hurriedly opened up his menu and was frantically scanning it.
"I think these two could use a little more time," Ryan said, smiling charmingly at the server. "But we would like the large bowl of Italian salad and three plates for starters. I'll make sure they're ready by the time you come back."
"I'll be back in a few," the server said, with a smile for Ryan. With that, she left, presumably to put their salad order into the system.
"There, I bought you some time," Ryan said, shaking his head at Troy and Chad. "But I'm not going to do it again. And don't think you're off the hook, either, Troy," he said, sternly. "I'm gonna hear this story after you order." Troy sighed, as Ryan dashed his hopes.
Just then, Chad threw up his hands in despair. "I don't know what to order," he said, defeated. "I have no idea if I would like any of this or not. I've never been here, before. I just always wanted to try it."
Troy half expected Ryan to start giving Chad a hard time about that, and indeed Chad seemed to be expecting it too, but instead Ryan began listing off a few of the dishes, asking Chad about what sort of things he liked. As Ryan and Chad debated over the best dish for Chad to order, Troy took the opportunity to watch his boyfriend, the boy's hands waving as he chatted amiably. Troy wasn't entirely sure how often he had this thought, but over and over it still seemed to surprise him that the slim blonde-haired boy had become such an integral part of Troy's life. Talking about that first night, that had become the beginning of their friendship, made Troy marvel that they'd even gotten close at all.
When they first started hanging out, it was in the company of friends. Troy would never have dreamed of actually calling Ryan up and asking if just the two of them could hang out. Now, apparently Troy couldn't even go a few hours without missing the blonde. What a difference even a few months made.
"Troy?" Troy blinked, as he caught sight of a pale hand waving in front of his face.
"I'm not asleep," Troy blurted out, automatically.
"I didn't say you were," Ryan said, an amused tone in his voice. "But you were definitely in la-la land. Do you know what you're gonna get?"
"Fettuccine Alfredo," Troy said, shrugging. "That's what I got last time I was here, a couple of months ago with my parents. That way, I know I'll like it."
"You don't want to try anything new?" Ryan asked, curiously. "I mean, the alfredo is good, but you've already gotten it before."
"Well, what do you suggest?" Troy said.
"I think you'd like this one," Ryan said, after considering it for a moment. He pointed towards the picture in the menu. "It has the fettuccine noodles that you like, but it's got a different flavour to it."
"I leave it in your hands," Troy said, smiling at his boyfriend. "If you think I'll like it, that's enough for me." Ryan looked gratified at the trust Troy was putting in him, gratified enough to kiss Troy on the cheek.
It was about then that Troy heard some gagging noises from across the table.
"Don't you two ever stop?" Chad said, pointedly. "I mean, I'm happy you guys are back together… but you two are way too lovey-dovey and shit for my tastes."
"You know, it's funny you should say that," Troy said, grinning. "Cuz I could've sworn you said, just the other night, that you thought we were cute together."
"Really? He said that?" Ryan asked. He actually looked touched, as far as Troy could tell.
"Yeah, he did," Troy said, nodding his head. "He also said he thought we were meant for each other."
"Chad, that's so sweet of you!" Ryan said, beaming at his curly-haired friend.
Chad looked disgusted at Troy. "I never said cute, Bolton. Chad Danforth doesn't use that word, at all. Especially not to describe his two friends who seem to be joined at the hip, nowadays." Chad folded his arms, petulantly. "Just cuz you're a pansy now, Bolton, doesn't mean I am."
"Fine," Troy said, grinning. "I stand corrected. Kelsi said cute, and you agreed with her. Your masculinity remains intact, even if you did play footsie with Zeke."
Chad opened his mouth to retort, but was forestalled by the return of their server, carrying three plates and their salad. Placing it on their table, she pulled out her serving pad.
"Have you decided what to order, yet?" she asked.
"We sure have," Ryan said, turning on the charm yet again. The three boys ordered their food quickly since, thanks to Ryan's help, they had finally figured out what they wanted.
"So, Chad," Ryan said, grinning. "Let's hear this embarrassing story about Troy." He was handing out the plates as he said that, and after he'd finished distributing them, Ryan began placing some of the Italian salad on his own plate.
"It's no big deal," Troy said, giving up on avoiding the story. It was obvious Ryan wasn't going to let this go, so at this point Troy was going for damage control. If he kept it short and downplayed some of it, he should be okay. Chad telling the story would've been a disaster, though- the dark haired boy always embellished it outrageously, as punishment for having to witness it.
"Chad decided to stop by one night, last December," Troy said, as he reached for the salad. "My parents weren't home, and we thought we'd watch some movies, drink some beer, whatever." Troy attempted to smile, though his face was a little red. He never dreamed he'd be discussing this sort of thing with his boyfriend. "But Gabi came over- her mom dropped her off. And apparently she was… in the mood- though I'll bet she didn't tell her mom about that." Troy coughed. "So, long story short…"
"Too late," Ryan and Chad chimed in together. Then they glanced at each other, and laughed.
"Ha fuckin' ha," Troy said, grumbling. "So Chad let himself in the house, six-pack in hand… and sorta caught us in the act."
"It was horrible," Chad said, with a shudder. "I never wanted to see Troy doing that. I walk in, and there they were, on the kitchen table, no less… that was waaay more of Troy than I ever wanted to see." Chad emphasized that last part with his fork, which still had a few pieces of lettuce attached to it. Ryan winced when some of the dressing dripped onto the table.
"What were you even doing on the kitchen table?" Ryan asked, looking equal parts horrified and fascinated. And now studiously avoiding watching Chad's eating habits. "I mean, it's bad enough you doing it on the table… but when you knew Chad was coming over? Are you an exhibitionist or something?" Then Ryan got a sly grin on his face. "Is this something we're gonna have fun with?"
Troy groaned. "No, I'm not… and I didn't think Gabi would be one, either. I tried to tell her about Chad coming over, but she acted like she didn't care. She said something like we'd better make it fast, or something along those lines. Then she, umm, distracted me… and it kinda slipped my mind." Troy made a face. "I think she actually found it kinda hot, the possibility of getting caught."
"Wow, Gabi and I actually have something else in common," Ryan said, idly. Troy sent him a shocked look, his eyes wide. "Troy! I'm kidding!" Ryan was laughing. "That is totally not my thing- luckily for Chad."
"I don't think I would survive a shock like that," Chad said, looking repulsed even by the thought. "Like I told Troy before you guys went on your first date… I'm okay with him dating you, but I don't want to see anything more than kissing."
"I can't make any promises about that," Ryan said, grinning at Chad. "Just being around Troy makes me want to do stuff to him. And now I feel compelled to top Gabi's performance, but in order to do that, you'll have to watch and compare, Chad."
"Hell… no…" Chad growled. Ryan just kept grinning.
Troy was giving Ryan a look of disbelief, as the blonde seemed just as unconcerned about things as before. Since they'd started dating, Troy had almost gone out of his way to avoid talking about his relationship with Gabi. It felt weird to talk to his new boyfriend about his old girlfriend.
"Yes, Troy?" Ryan asked, raising an eyebrow. Clearly he'd noticed enough of Troy's looks to realize that the brunette was thinking something.
"Nothing," said Troy, flushing. "I just always figured you didn't want me talking about when Gabriella and I were together. Seemed like it'd be inappropriate. Like it wouldn't mix?" He shrugged uncomfortably.
"So let me get this straight, no pun intended," Ryan said, trying to translate Troy-speak. "You think that I'd be offended if you talked about Gabi, even though I am well aware of your previous relationship. Back when you were with her, it seemed like it was all you could talk about, really. But now that we're together, suddenly we can't talk about it?"
"He probably figures you'll feel jealous or something," Chad said, trying to help Troy out. "Ex-girlfriend, new boyfriend. That sorta thing."
"Why would I feel jealous?" Ryan asked, puzzled. "I mean, please correct me if I'm wrong, but you want to be with me, right?" Troy nodded emphatically. "And you don't care about any previous boyfriends I've had, right?" Another nod. "And you're in love with me, yes?"
"I really am," Troy said, earnestly. Then he saw what Ryan was getting at. "Ok, you've made your point," Troy said, looking sheepish.
"That doesn't mean I want too much detail about your sexcapades," Ryan added. "I'm perfectly fine without hearing the detailed specifics of what crazy breeder things you used to do before you came to your senses and fell in love with me."
Troy gently shoved him, smiling at Ryan's comment. But then he couldn't help himself and brushed the pale boy's cheek with his hand. Troy was still at that stage in the relationship where he couldn't get enough of the other person, and he was constantly having to hold back when they were in public.
"Better watch yourself, Troy," Ryan said, shivering at Troy's gentle touch. "I may just decide to throw you down on this table right in front of Chad and have my way with you."
"Promises, promises," Troy teased back. Chad just groaned.
"It'll have to be a little later, though, cuz I've got to use the restroom," Ryan said, getting up from the table. "I've been drinking too much water."
"Don't take too long," Troy warned him. "Or Chad might put the moves on me."
Ryan just smiled and kissed Troy. "I'll be back soon." Troy watched Ryan's lithe form as he walked away.
"So, Troy, I've got to ask you this, just to make sure," Chad said, once Ryan was gone. "You two are good, right? Ryan's not just being an Evans and pretending he's okay just for my sake, right?"
"We're more than good," Troy assured him. "I could draw you some diagrams if you need further proof, though."
"You're definitely as bad as he is, now," Chad said, sighing. "I've lost you for good. Now you're so corrupted, if I showed you the picture of a hot chick, you'd just make a comment on her shoes or something."
"Hey, I'm not the melodramatic one, pal," Troy replied, smiling. "That's definitely you. And trust me, I'm just as clueless when it comes to fashion as I was before. I wish I had even a fraction of Ryan's fashion sense; he makes it look so easy."
"Well, no matter how gay he's made you now," Chad said. "What's important is you two fuckin' patched things up."
"Thought you didn't care," Troy replied, grinning.
"I care about my sleep," Chad shot back. "It's hard to sleep when you two keep calling me and asking me what to do. I mean, what the fuck do I know about these things?"
"Enough to bring me to my senses," Troy pointed out. "I didn't know what the fuck I was going to do; all I had would've been an 'I love you' that I'd convinced myself that I wasn't sure I meant. You helped me realize that I knew the answer all along. And I really appreciate it, Chad."
"We both appreciate it, Chad," Ryan said, as he slid back into his seat.
Chad just waved the both of them off. "It's no big deal," he said, dismissively. "It's what any friend would've done." He cleared his throat. "Change of subject, cuz Evans here looks like he's gonna get mushy about stuff, and I don't do mushy."
"That could be another reason why Taylor dumped you," Ryan observed, sagely. "Girls like mushy. They also like it when you don't take 'em for granted."
"Should I be taking notes?" Chad quipped. "After all, you've got a lot of experience with girls."
"Hey, haven't you ever learned anything from movie clichés?" Ryan asked, shrugged. "Gay guys always understand girls perfectly; that's why we always have straight girls as best friends." Then he grinned, evilly. "If you really want the inside scoop on girls, ask ole Troy over here. He was the one with the freaky brainiac girlfriend who liked to do it on kitchen tables."
Troy groaned. "You're not gonna let me forget that any time soon, are you?"
"Nope," Ryan said, mischievously. "So, Troy, give Chad your secrets, and he'll be all set. But then again, Chad, Troy had one of those kind of girls already, and now he's gay. So maybe you shouldn't chance it."
"Hey, it was the one time!" Troy was still protesting. "And she was really embarrassed about it the next day, too. The next time we did it, it was in her room, on her bed, with the door securely locked and the blinds closed."
"Being horny makes you do extreme things," Ryan said, nodding. "Crazy things, like having sex on your parents' dining table, or doing it in a convertible on the side of the road." Ryan's eyes held a satisfied look.
"Anyway," Troy said, coughing. Chad was already looking suspicious. "What else is new, Chad? When you're not counselling us on our love lives, what've you been up to?"
Chad shrugged. "Oh, you know, not much. I've been mowing a few lawns, here and there, whenever my cousin gives me a call. I'm trying to afford the tux I've got to rent for prom."
"Prom?" Troy asked, with a blank look.
Ryan elbowed him, as he shook his head. "You know, the old end-of-the-high-school-career rite of passage sorta thing? Everybody dresses up in uncomfortable suits or tuxes, and dances to music played by a DJ who simply pops in 'Prom Jams Vol. 3,' which is a compilation played at every single high school prom in the US. You know, prom?"
"I know what prom is," Troy replied, rolling his eyes. "I just completely forgot about it. Probably because it's being held so late, this year. Plus," Troy rolled his eyes, "I was planning on going with Gabi, once upon a time. Once we broke up, prom suddenly didn't seem like such a big deal."
"Well, it is now," Ryan said, firmly. "You're my date, so you've got to look your best. We'll get you a sharp-looking tuxedo that compliments mine."
"Yeah, you've got to make sure Troy looks good when he's crowned prom queen," Chad said, grinning. Troy didn't answer, but simply gave Chad the finger.
"So, Chad, are you inviting anybody special to prom?" Ryan asked. "Maybe a secret girlfriend that you've been keeping to yourself 'til just the right moment?"
Chad made a face. "I wish," he said, with a hint of sadness in his voice. "I'll probably just end up going stag and hanging out with you guys- when you're not dancing or molesting each other, that is." He gave them both a pointed look.
"Molesting each other?" Troy repeated, sounding outraged. "I'll probably end up spending the entire evening protecting Zeke from your wandering feet."
Chad glared at Troy and had his mouth open, ready to retort, when the server finally arrived with their food. Troy smiled innocently at Chad as their server placed large steaming plates of food in front of them.
"Let me know if you need anything else," she said, before heading off to check on another table.
The three boys were silent for a moment as they sampled their chosen entrées. And after Troy had taken his first bite, he was thankful he'd listened to Ryan's suggestion. The fettuccine alfredo he'd almost ordered was already forgotten.
"How's your food?" Ryan finally asked anxiously, after Troy had taken a few bites. "Is it… is it ok?"
"It's more than okay," Troy assured him, smiling. "Sorry for not saying that before, but I was too busy enjoying the food. I'm glad you convinced me to change my order; this is way better than what I was going to get." Troy skewered another portion with his fork. "Would you like a bite?"
"Yes, but this is a family establishment," Ryan said, grinning lasciviously. "So I guess I'll have to take a rain check on that. I would like a taste of your food, though."
Troy ignored the look on Chad's face as he offered Ryan his fork. Ryan leaned in to accept the bite, with a look in his eyes that went straight to Troy's pants. In fact, the whole process was pretty erotic and intimate, far more than Troy would've thought. Maybe it was the bedroom eyes that Ryan was giving him. Troy had always thought that the whole supposed exchanging bites thing was kinda silly, not sexy, and whenever Gabi had suggested it, Troy had teased her about it. According to him, it seemed like something out of a cheap, tawdry romance movie. As a result, though, Troy had never found himself in the position that he was now in. As Ryan leaned forward, he placed his hand lightly on Troy's forearm, and just before his mouth closed over the small bite, Ryan shut his eyes. At this point, even if Troy had wanted to, he found himself unable to look away. In fact, it was becoming a greater and greater possibility that Troy was going to suggest another tandem shower.
"You're right," Ryan said, finally opening his eyes. "It is good." He licked his lips slowly, tantalizingly. "We'll have to compliment the chef."
"I'd offer you another bite, but I'm not sure I'd be able to control myself," Troy replied hoarsely. At the very least, his trousers wouldn't be able to handle it.
"Hello!" growled an indignant Chad. "Sitting here. Sitting right here, in fact."
"We weren't doing anything," Ryan protested. "This definitely doesn't cross the 'nothing past first base rule.'"
"Dude, you two were eye-raping each other and you know it," Chad said, rolling his eyes. "Seriously, Ryan, just because I support you two… It doesn't mean that I'm comfortable with this sort of thing. Whether it's you two or any other gay couple… it's just kinda weird for me."
"Oh my God, I am so sorry, Chad," Ryan exclaimed, sounding completely sincere. Troy chimed in with his apology, through a mouthful of food. "You're being a great friend, and we'll try to dial it down a notch or two. I can totally understand where you're coming from, too- I was never all that comfortable watching Troy and Gabi making out in front of me. And I know I don't like even the thought of watching Zeke make out with my sister." Ryan shrugged. "I think it's just the fact that Troy and I've only been dating two weeks, and this is really the first day we can be ourselves in public."
"That's true," Troy replied, thoughtfully. "That first week, I wasn't out to anybody but my closest friends, and last week I was being stupid and sending mixed messages- I don't blame you for avoiding my ass," Troy added, directing that last bit towards Ryan.
"But what a nice ass it is," Ryan responded immediately. "Sorry, Chad, I couldn't resist that. I'll try to watch what I say."
"As long as you keep the comments non-graphic and the groping to a minimum, I can cope," Chad said, shrugging.
"Then, in that case, I'm kissing Troy," Ryan announced. "Since we now have official permission from Mr. Chad Danforth. I'd like the record to reflect that, as well." Chad stuck his tongue out, but Ryan affected to ignore that as he pulled an unresisting Troy into a kiss. It was a tame one- for them, at least- but as they slowly broke apart Chad was looking pointedly away.
"I said I was okay with it," Chad said, still looking away. "Doesn't mean I want to watch."
"Fair enough," Ryan acknowledged, nodding. Troy just smiled as he took a drink a drink of his water. "But we're done now, so you don't have to look away anymore."
"Thanks," Chad said, sarcastically. "Fuck!" he suddenly exclaimed as he was turning back. "Troy! It's Aunt Margo!"
Troy had promptly begun choking on his water, as it went down the wrong pipe. Ryan thumped him on the back, but Troy's attention, once he'd finished coughing, was on the approaching figure with the shocked look on her face. Aunt Margo, a sturdy-looking woman, had never been Troy's favourite relative, and was also one of the last people he would've told about his new relationship.
"Troy… Alexander… Bolton," Aunt Margo ground out, looking equal parts shocked and disgusted. "I demand you explain yourself!"
Troy had always expected an uphill battle when it came to explaining things to his relatives, most of which had already made it clear that they weren't okay with homosexuals, for a variety of reasons. And Troy had spent a sleepless night or two wondering when and how he was going to come out to them, especially Grandpa Bolton and Nana, his maternal grandmother. Luckily, though, Aunt Margo was not one of those people that Troy actually cared about gaining their approval. To put it bluntly, Troy didn't give a damn about what Aunt Margo thought about him. So, far more calm than he might have been if it had been some of his other relatives, Troy replied.
"It's awfully good to see you, Aunt Margo," Troy said, smiling cheerily at her. "You know Chad already, don't you? And this is Ryan Evans, my boyfriend. Ryan, this is my aunt, Margo Bolton." Troy had found that being über-polite to Aunt Margo usually threw her off.
"Pleased to meet you, ma'am," Ryan said, pleasantly. Though Troy could tell he was surprised that Troy was so composed. Ryan held out his hand to her, as if being introduced to your previously-straight boyfriend's freaked-out relatives was something he did every day.
Margo, for her own part, looked at Ryan's hand, repulsed. As if even being in close proximity of it offended her. Troy wanted to protest on his boyfriend's behalf, but Ryan didn't look at all annoyed as he withdrew his hand.
"Boyfriend?!" Aunt Margo sputtered. "Since when? And how?" She seemed unable to formulate any sort of coherent argument, she seemed that stunned.
"Oh, you know how it is, Ms. Bolton," Ryan replied, easily, taking his cue from Troy's own unconcerned attitude. "It's the same old story, boy meets boy, boy falls in love with boy. Troy asked me out, and how could I say no? He's such a charming boy." He smiled winningly at Aunt Margo. And then at the young girl who had silently walked over to stand beside her. "And is this your daughter?"
Aunt Margo looked apoplectic at the audacity that Ryan was displaying just by talking to her. No doubt, Troy figured, she had little experience with somebody who was unashamedly gay. That left the rest of the introductions to Troy.
"This is my cousin, Alice," Troy said, using his hand to indicate the young girl. "She's nine years old. Alice, this is Chad, and over here is…"
"Say no more, young man!" Aunt Margo seemed to have recovered, drawing herself up frostily. "I will not have you introducing my daughter to that, that…"
"Aunt Margo, I respect you," Troy said politely yet firmly. A little white lie, but a necessary one. After all, it wouldn't do to have a shouting match in the middle of Olive Garden. "But I'll thank you not to finish that statement. I'm afraid I don't take too well to people who speak to my boyfriend like that."
"Well, I never," Aunt Margo snapped. "I don't like the tone of your voice, young man. I think I'll have to have a talk with Jack and his wife. I can't see how he could support this."
"My father loves me," Troy replied, shrugging. "When it comes down to it, he just wants me to be happy. And though he's still struggling with it, Dad knows that Ryan makes me happy."
Aunt Margo looked surprised at Troy's calm statement, and seemed unable to come up with a decent response. Putting her arm around her daughter's shoulders, she firmly led her away from the boys' table.
"Wow," Chad said, after she was no longer within earshot. "Aunt Margo seems to have gotten even more waspish since the last time I saw her. Three years definitely wasn't long enough."
Troy shrugged. "The years have made her bitter," he said, picking up his fork again. "She wasn't happy when I was with Gabi, either; said I should've hooked up with Sharpay for her money and connections."
"Your aunt does seem to be a little hostile towards you," Ryan said, looking a little confused. "For that matter, I wasn't picking up a whole lot of affection on your part, either."
"There really isn't," Troy explained, after he'd swallowed some of his food. "She hasn't liked me since before I was even born. There was some sort of drama back in the day when my parents first got married; something about bridesmaids' dresses and who was going to be maid of honour. Mom didn't really know Aunt Margo, except as dad's older sister. And what little she knew of her, wasn't very favourable. So she picked her best friend to be the maid of honour, and somehow Aunt Margo took offense to that. And I never really found out one way or the other, but the appearance of the dresses was another sore point, too. So my aunt still hasn't gotten over that, and she's just coldly civil to my mother." Troy chuckled. "Mom doesn't really worry about it, too much- it means Margo doesn't call that often, and Mom doesn't have to hear about her many problems. Which, in case you hadn't guessed yet, are mainly self-inflicted."
"So she doesn't like you because of your mom?" Ryan asked. "That's kinda… weird."
"Well, it's that, plus…" Troy said, slowly. He didn't like tooting his own horn too much. "I have had some success in basketball and now singing. I think that my aunt was hoping that I wouldn't amount too much, so she could feel justified in her disapproval of my mom. Margo really isn't the nicest of relatives."
"Dude, seriously," Chad said, nodding fervently. "She'll try to find fault in anybody associated with Troy, too. She said a few years ago that Zeke and I looked like hoodlums."
"So shouldn't she be happy to hear that you're gay, Troy?" Ryan asked, still looking confused. "Wouldn't she think that she was right, after all these years?"
"I'm sure part of her feels like that," Troy said, in an amused voice. "But the rest of her is recoiling at the idea that I'm gay. In her book, homosexuals are one of the worst things in the world, next to democrats and those horrible neighbours of hers that she positively knows are talking bad about her behind her back." Troy shrugged. "And knowing Margo, they probably are talking about her. Especially after Alice's father left because he couldn't deal with Aunt Margo any more.
"So you really don't care if Aunt Margo knows about us," Ryan said, finally smiling as he caught on. "Cuz you really don't care what she thinks about you, do you?"
"Actually, her disapproval makes me feel all warm inside," Troy said, grinning. "It's a pretty good rule of thumb that whatever is good for you is what Margo doesn't like."
"In that case, I feel happy about that," Ryan replied, immediately. "Because it was pretty obvious that she despises me. So that must mean I'm really good for you."
"You sure are," Troy said, nodding.
"Hopefully she won't bother us again," Chad said, fervently, as he nodded towards the table where Margo and her daughter were eating. Margo had apparently changed seats with Alice, as she was no longer facing them. "I, for one, would like to eat this awesome food."
The rest of the meal was, indeed, more or less uneventful, as Troy and Chad recounted some of Margo's waspish observations over the years. From there, talk moved on to some of Troy's other relatives, including his Great-uncle Franklin, who, upon first seeing the newborn Troy, had mistakenly called him a girl.
"So, do you want to do anything else?" Chad said as the three exited the restaurant. "I'm not really in the mood to go back home, yet."
"How about the mall?" Ryan suggested. "After all, we're right here."
"Mall sounds like fun," Troy said, his arm already around Ryan's waist. "Let me just call my parents and let 'em know I'll be later than I said."
"Just don't get too graphic, Troy," Ryan said, grinning. "They probably don't need to know about the detour we're gonna take on the way home."
As Troy grinned and pulled out his cell phone, he could hear Chad groaning in the background, probably regretting ever agreeing to lunch with them. The only thing Troy was worried about was the day when Chad got a girlfriend and turned the tables on them. Then things could get interesting.
qpqpqpqp
So, I hope you enjoyed after the long wait!
Tell me what you thought of it, and stay tuned for Chapter 22, Reasons Why Nobody Wants to Play Mini-Golf with Troy. Same bat time, same bat channel!
Squall