Road Trip
By SugarHighNutcase
Okay, guys, here it is; I know I've kept you all waiting for weeks, and I'm so sorry about that, but I couldn't update during my vacation. It killed me. Anyway, here's the fourth chapter to Road Trip; please be so kind as to drop a review! This chapter goes out to Hunter, because he is just awesome like that. Enjoy!
Troy woke up with the bright morning sun in his face. He groaned and sat up, and immediately regretted doing so. He ached all over, and his head was killing him. Troy opened the car door as best he could in his weak state, and stumbled out, nearly falling on the ground.
"Ryan?" Troy called out the blond's name, the sound of his own voice hurting his ears. What had happened to make him like this?
That's when Troy noticed where he was. Sand. Seagulls. Salty air. The sound of waves breaking. Troy was at a beach.
Troy started to walk toward the water when a glimmer of blond hair caught his eye. Turning, he saw Ryan spread out on the sand, soaking up the sun, without a shirt.
Oh, damn…
Troy slowly made his way to Ryan, trying- and failing- not to stare.
When did Ryan get so… wow?
"Oh, hey, Troy. How're you feeling?" Ryan grinned at the athlete, who flushed in spite of himself.
"Been better, but not bad," Troy managed. "Where are we?"
Ryan didn't stop smiling. "Port Aransas, Texas. Not the best beach in the world, but I'd rather the car break down here than on the highway, you know?"
Troy frowned, trying to process what he'd said. "Yeah… wait, the car broke down?"
"Yeah. I was waiting for you to wake up so we could get out of here."
Troy's headache was starting to worsen. "How're we getting out of here?"
Ryan's grin seemed to widen. "We're flying to Boston."
Troy took a seat beside Ryan. "Ry, I don't have enough money to fly to Boston. Besides, what do we do with my car, huh?"
"Easy. I have my dad's credit card. I'll get us tickets, and hire to tow truck to take your car home."
"That's gonna be expensive." Troy watched Ryan close his eyes, enjoying the sun. He seemed to be so content at the beach; so serene.
"My dad is filthy rich, Troy. Come on, just look at Sharpay."
"Does your dad know you have his credit card?"
"No," Ryan said cheerfully. "He doesn't know, and he'll never know. He hardly notices anything Shar and I do anymore. Stop worrying, Troy. Just enjoy the beach while you have it." He glanced over at the brunet. "And take off your shirt, for God's sake."
Troy blushed. "What!"
"You look like an idiot. We're at the beach. How can you enjoy the beach with a shirt on?"
"Oh. R-right." Troy pulled his shirt over his head, and looked over at Ryan, who'd opened his eyes enough to get a good look at the athlete's body. Ryan looked up, caught Troy's eye, and grinned.
"Much better."
------
Troy shifted from one foot to the other, wishing Ryan would hurry. Airports always took forever, and Troy was impatient. Ryan was negotiating their way into a flight to Boston, and Troy could do nothing but wait.
Finally, Ryan turned away from the desk, two tickets in hand. Troy felt a grin working its way on his face; they were all set.
"So, what time's our flight?"
"Not for a few hours. We have time before we need to go to the gate. And our duffels will fit on the plane, so we don't have to check them. So… what do you want to do?"
Troy glanced around. There was a Starbucks between a bookstore and a local pizza place- Mangia's. He could see music stores, vending machine, diners, DVD shops, gift shops and much more. "I guess we could look at the stores, get something to eat, maybe."
He turned to Ryan to see what he thought, but Ryan was gone, into the music store. Troy grinned and followed.
------
After browsing the shops for over an hour, Troy's feet were starting to hurt. He ignored it, however; Ryan was so animated that it was worth it just to watch him get excited over a CD he wanted, or a skirt Sharpay would like. What was even more worth the pain in Troy's feet was the number of times Ryan said "holy shit slice" whenever he found something particularly special.
When Ryan was finally through with all the shops, he and Troy made their way to their gate. They were about to start boarding, and Troy wanted to get on as soon as possible.
The boarding process was slow, but that was to be expected. Settling in his seat, Troy closed his eyes, able to relax. The seats were comfortable, and the roar of the plane was lulling Troy to sleep… slowly drifting... dreaming…
------
Ryan shook Troy's limp body. Troy slowly opened his eyes, feeling disoriented.
"We're here," Ryan said, standing and getting out his duffel bag. "Let's go."
Troy nodded and followed with his own duffel, not really understanding more than the fact that he had to stay with Ryan.
Troy's mind was still in a fog as Ryan led him out of the airports, into a taxi, and then to their hotel. By the time they stepped into the lobby, Troy was feeling much less sleepy.
"So, what hotel is this?" Troy asked as Ryan walked over to the front desk.
"The Tipton. I heard it's the best in Boston, so I thought we'd try it out."
"Hello, welcome to the Tipton," the man behind the front desk said. His nametag read 'Mr. Moseby'.
Troy left Ryan to take care of everything. He'd just spotted the candy counter, and he was hungry. The blonde girl behind the counter was chatting with a girl her age whose clothes reminded Troy of Sharpay. Grinning to himself, he went up to the girls, who stopped talking as he approached.
"Can I get a pack of M& M's, and two Snickers? Thanks," Troy said as he fished around for some money, and looked up. The blonde was staring at him.
"Trevor?" She asked incredulously.
Troy shook his head. "Um, I'm Troy. Troy Bolton."
The blonde girl looked embarrassed. "Sorry, it's just that you look like this guy we knew once. Although, now that I look closer, your nose is different." Troy subconsciously touched his nose, then grinned.
"That's okay. I actually thought you looked kind of like my friend's sister, Sharpay. But obviously you're not."
"Weird how that is," the blonde girl smiled as she handed him the chocolate. "I'm Maddie Fitzpatrick. This is London." She titled her head toward the other girl.
"My daddy owns this hotel," London said proudly. Maddie rolled her eyes.
"So," she said, changing the subject. "Where are you from?"
"Oh- Albequerque. My friend and I are traveling for spring break."
"Girlfriend?" The other girl- London- interjected. She was frowning.
"Ah- no. My friend Ryan." Troy looked behind him to see where Ryan was. The blond had apparently finished with Mr. Moseby, because he was heading toward Troy. Troy turned back to the girls and handed Maddie the money, all the while watching London examine Ryan carefully.
"Hey, Troy. Ooh, chocolate," Ryan said excitedly as he grabbed one of the Snickers. "Thanks."
"Yeah, sure." Troy took his change from Maddie and stuffed it in his pocket. "Ry, this is Maddie and London."
"Oh." Ryan smiled in acknowledgement. "You both work here?"
London and Maddie both snorted. "Me? Work? I think not," London declared just as Maddie laughed, "London? Work? Never."
"London's dad owns the hotel," Maddie explained to him. "How long are you two staying here?" She asked.
Troy looked at Ryan, who answered, "Two nights."
"Cool," Maddie said. "Well, I hope you enjoy your stay. If you need anything, I'm always happy to help. I can show you around town or whatever you need." She smiled.
"Thanks," Troy said. He and Ryan turned and started toward the elevators, when they opened, one after another, and two blond boys flew out. They were young, probably around 13, and both had helmets and roller blades on. They shot out of the elevators, racing across the lobby, swerving around people and furniture.
"'Scuse me! Ouch- sorry. Watch out!"
"Look out; comin' through! Ha, I'm winning- ow. Sorry- hey, no fair!"
"No roller blading in the lobby! Boys! Argh! Oh, sorry, ma'am. Get back here! No, not you, ma'am."
Troy watched, mouth open, as the boys tore through the lobby, creating havoc and panic. Mr. Moseby attempted to stop them, but to no avail. The boys raced around the lobby several times before disappearing. "Um…"
"Oh, that was just Zack and Cody. They live here. You wouldn't believe what they get up to."
Ryan turned to her. "They live here?"
Maddie nodded. "Their mom performs here, and in exchange Moseby lets them live here for free. They've got so much energy; you wouldn't believe it." She grinned. "So, what've you got planned after Boston?"
"I dunno," Ryan replied. "I figured we'd slowly make our way back home. I think Troy can choose where we head next, since it was my idea to come to Boston."
"Yeah, I dunno. Wherever the wind takes us, I guess, right?"
"Sure. Well, enjoy your stay, and let me know if I can do anything," Maddie said as the boys went off to their rooms.
------
Troy stuck his head out of the bathroom, holding a towel wrapped around his waist. "Ryan?" He called out. "Can you get me some clothes? I sort of forgot about them when I went in to shower," he said sheepishly.
A moment later, Ryan came holding a bundle of clothes. He looked amused as he took in the sight of a half-naked Troy. "Nice."
Troy caught Ryan's gaze, and Ryan grinned. "Hurry up and change," the blond said. "I need to shower, too."
As Troy went back in the bathroom, he could have sworn he saw Ryan staring at his bare chest one last time.
