Ryan pov
Sharpay grabs my hand as we head down the hall and pulls me towards the chemistry class. "Something isn't right."
We peer in and I can see Chad and two other players taking to the scholastic team. My mind races, back to the party, back to the texts, to the radio silence after detention. I'm so stupid.
"They must be trying to figure out a way to make sure Troy and Gabriella beat us out, The jocks rule most of the school, but if they get Troy into a musical, then they've conquered the entire student body." It's the perfect plan, distract us so I don't have time to recruit well enough, they'd be guaranteed some sort of chance.
"And if those science girls get Gabriella hooked up with Troy Bolton, the scholastic club goes from drool to cool," then everyone is in love with Troy, selling more tickets, winning them more funding, and slashing what little drama already has. Destroy us from the inside. "Ryan, we need to save our show from people who don't know the difference between a Tony Award and Tony Hawk." She huffs off and I stay at her heels, where I should have stayed the whole time.
The next day lunch is interrupted by a sudden pep rally. As if more things need to go wrong in this cafeteria, maybe I'll just spend lunch in the auditorium from now on, save myself the trouble. On my way out I see Kelsi clearly looking for something.
"Hey," she stops me, "you probably haven't but just in case have you seen Gabriella? We were supposed to rehearse over lunch and she never showed. She hasn't been late before and I know she's here today." She's still peeking around, not really looking at me.
"No," I barely get it out, I knew they were practicing, everyone deserves a right to practice, but with the show's composer?
"Oh, well thanks anyway. I'll see you tonight at sets," she walks away still searching.
I know that I'm not the most important person in the drama department, but I have given all of my time to help out, and for what? To have the only place I feel happy be crushed. I don't care if I come off cocky, or full of myself, I can't let this happen.
Two days pass by fairly peacefully. Keep my head down and to myself. I keep my phone completely off during rehearsals and stay extra late to get in choreography now that the sets are finished.
I am at my locker trading my backpack for my dance bag when Chad walks up.
"Hey, I was hoping you'd have a second to talk?" I don't even turn to look at him.
"I don't actually," I slam my locker and try to walk away.
"Whoa, wait," He grabs my arm and I jump, not the response I was hoping for, makes me look weaker than I already am.
"Don't touch me," I finally look up at him, "and don't talk to me."
"Dude why are you being such a drama queen, I just…" that's all it takes. I can't just swallow my distaste anymore.
"Yeah drama queen, good one, how original. God, I can't believe you are exactly like the rest of them. You guys really never grow up huh?" I am spitting my words at him, but I am tired of this cycle.
"The rest of them? Care to say more about that? I'd love to hear what you really think of all my friends." I did already, at your house you asshole. I bet he forgot already. It was just another step in his plan.
"You're all bull-headed assholes. Do you even care that what you do affects other people? Do you care about anyone besides yourself and your team?" My bag slips off my shoulder onto the ground.
"I…" I don't care what he is going to say.
"No. You clearly don't. If you did you'd be able to see it's not just me and Sharpay that your little scheme is hurting. You don't have enough room in your shriveled jock brain to consider that your actions could have unintended consequences." I pick up my bag stomp down the hallway.
"You really wanna act like this Evans? Like you have never done anything wrong? Like you haven't been doing all you can to stay atop your sparkly drama throne." I turn back around for a second, if he was any closer I would throw a punch.
"Don't pretend you know anything about me." I'm not this person, I am not the diva who blows up when things don't go his way, this is different. I thought this was different. It's not, It's the same as every other time I've been myself around someone outside of the theatre. "Whatever your part in all of this is, it didn't have to involve me. I have never done anything to you. I am not my sister. Fuck you for making me think you understood that."
I run out to the car, staring out the car window completely numb. I should feel exhilarated right? That's how boys seem to feel in movies when they get in fights. Maybe if I had actually hit him.
"Ryan what are you doing, where have you," Sharpay appears outside the car and as soon as I register her voice I crumble, the tears just flood out.
"Is this something an iced latte will help or do we need serious snacks?" I can't even think about food right now.
"Home please." I try to calm down and breathe but it isn't working.
"We don't have sn.." I don't let her finish.
"Sharpay, take me home now please." she seems to finally get that this isn't something that I'm just going to get over.
"Okay." she nods and gets in the car.
The whole ride is too quiet, too tense, too long. I have the door open before the car is at a full stop. I am upstairs and in my room before she even makes it inside. There is a small tap on my door.
"No." The handle starts to turn anyway "Can you please just leave me the fuck alone!"
The door stops opening but she speaks through it anyway "I'm just worried about you Ry, do you promise you'll get me if you need anything?"
"I promise, now please go away." I feel like I am going to cave in on myself. The door shuts but there are no footsteps.
"You can't sit right outside my door either," I hear footsteps that gradually get quieter, "We learned faking steps from the same teacher and I'm better at it than you."
Then I finally hear the huff, and her bedroom door closes.
I whip my hat against the wall, it's the only thing within reach to throw. I am so tired.
I don't know when I'll learn. I don't know when I'll stop being so naive. I just feel so incredibly stupid, it all feels so wrong now. I should have been smart enough to consider this as some sort of cruel joke. I just let my guard down way too quickly, he really seemed like he understood. I…
I can feel more tears forming in my eyes, sobs tickling in my chest, but I try my best to swallow them. I'm not going to be this person. I have chosen to not be a lot of things this far in my life, I can choose to not be sad.
It takes about an hour for me to feel strong enough to go to Sharpay's room
"They are absolutely trying to ruin the musical. They are trying to ruin the whole department. The geeks, the jocks, those freaks at auditions. So what's your plan?' She just looks at me wide-eyed.
"I don't have a plan yet." Why not? We've had two days?
"Bullshit." I'm still angrier than I was hoping but there is no way she doesn't have something cooking.
"Ryan." She says it so gently.
"What?" I'm grinding my teeth, I know what she's gonna say. I don't want to answer questions right now. I want to fix all of this "Do you suddenly not want to protect our theatre anymore? For what? For a boy that hasn't given you the time of day a single time in four years? I didn't think you were this pathetic."
"I need you to leave my room right now." she gets up and starts to move me back out her door.
"What? No, we have to figure out what..." She just keeps pushing.
"You are acting insane right now, I don't know what's causing this but it isn't just the musical." Why am I never allowed to be angry, why do I never get to throw a fit?
"It is." If this were her this upset I would be expected to play along and deal with it.
"Is this what we are doing now Ryan, lying to each other?" She sounds hurt but I just can't calm down. Not until I know everything is fixed.
"Will everyone stop treating me like they know exactly how my brain works? Just because we are twins doesn't mean that you know everything about me. You don't. I don't." I slam her door back in her face and walk down to the garage. I don't know where I'm going just getting out of here.