Title: The Fool [5/?
Author: benjaholic------------- jess.
Rating: Eventual M.
Warning: Boy slash, language, and mature content (eventual.)
Pairing: Ryan Evans/Troy Bolton.
Summary: Love. A simple four-letter word can change everything, even a person.
Disclaimer: Don't own and it's all fake fake FAKE!
A/N: Written for you guys. Next chapter might be the slash scene. Maybe. Reviews keep me going.
Dedications: Mondler4EvEr, bonbon54, Light Catastrophe, and sheeniebeanie14.

chapter 005:
"I Felt Alive; I Felt Vivid."

Troy sighed contentedly as he clicked off his computer monitor and sprawled himself out on his bed. Was it as terribly pathetic as he thought it was to have one of the most meaningful, deep conversations he had ever had take place online. Possibly.

'Just admit it, you like this boy,' the voices in his head, once again, taunted. Troy groaned, grabbing a pillow next to his head and pulling it over his head, hoping it would block the voices out.

'Bolton, you like this boy. Deal with it.'

No such luck. Troy yelled into the pillow, hoping the noise his frustration produced would fall on deaf ears only. He didn't need his parents to come up and check up on him. The last thing he needed was to say, "Dad, sorry but I like to make-out with Ryan Evans and I'm not sure what to do." Pfft, yeah right. His dad almost had a heart-attack when he found out Troy was skipping basketball because he was working on singing for drama class. He didn't need a repeat of last year's shock. Gosh, why was love so confusing?

No.

Not love.

Love definitely wasn't the way he felt towards Ryan. He knew what love was, he had loved Gabriella. With Gabriella he could tell he was in love because she was constantly on his mind, he would keep himself awake at night wondering what she was doing, and always having a desire to touch or kiss her.

Oh damn. This was exactly the way he was feeling about Ryan.

"Fuck," Troy muttered, "what am I supposed to do now?" He decided maybe there was only one way to deal with this:

Ignore it all.

-HSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSM-

As Monday morning reared it's ugly head, Ryan immediately sensed things weren't going to be good that day. The first sign was the rain outside. Sure, Ryan loved rain, but not when it was a full-blown lightning and thunder factor. Ryan wasn't a fan of lightning.

"Shar, do things seem...off?" Ryan asked as his sister drove down the darkened, slick road towards East High.

"Not really. Ry, calm down, it's only a storm," she advised. Ryan nodded, deciding maybe he was over-reacting. Sharpay was usually right about these things anyway.

"Right. It's just a really bad storm."

-HSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSM-

Fresh, deep dents scarred Ryan's pencil as he bit distractedly on it. Things had been going wrong all day. He had taken a quiz in almost every subject, the storm was only getting more horrible as time passed, and worst of all, Troy had ignored him all day long. Every time he had caught Troy's eye, Troy would look away and head in the opposite direction. It was almost as if nothing had even happened.

Wait, wait, wait - since when did he, Ryan Evans, care what Troy Bolton thought? Never, so why should he start now; it was pointless and a waste of brain usage.

'Maybe because things aren't the same,' his mind voiced. Ryan closed his eyes and massaged his temples. This was all so confusing and the biology quiz laid out in front of him wasn't doing much to help the matter either. He decided maybe he'd ask Troy about it later.

'Pfft. If he ever looks at you for a whole six seconds.'

"Attention all East High Wildcats," the monitor buzzed from the spot above the clock in the front of the room, "we've received news from the local weather station that they've marked this storm as a safety hazard. We've decided to evacuate, so please head to your lockers and head home." Ryan worriedly glanced out the window.

Black.

This definitely wasn't a good sign.

-HSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSM-

Ryan leaned on the locker next to his sister's as she kneeled, fishing around for her belongings. The sound of an all-too-familiar laugh floated to his ears. Turning his attention towards the noise, he was greeted with what his mind expected. There was Troy heading down the hallway with his "sports poss" - er..."team." Ryan frowned. He had the same observations as he did earlier; things were exactly the same. Was it all a dream that Troy and he had even shared those special moments?

As Troy and his boys walked past, Troy's head and gaze dropped downwards towards the floor.

No. It happened. Troy just didn't want it like Ryan had. He predicted this would happen, that's the only reason he was so hesitant about it when it happened.

"I knew this would happen," Ryan whispered to his sister.

"What?" Sharpay asked.

"Troy is acting like Friday never even existed; he regrets everything," he explained. Ryan could feel un-shed tears prick at his eyes. He was always used like this by stupid, ignorant boys. Either they were too scared, experimenting, or just caught up in the moment. For Troy it could've been any of those excuses. Sharpay looked up at her brother sympathetically. It always crushed her to see her twin this way. She couldn't stand seeing the person she loved always romantically in pain and confusion. He didn't deserve it.

"Maybe we should just...head home," she suggested, getting up and shutting her locker.

-HSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSM-

Ryan was laid out on the leather living room couch with a half-eaten bowl of chocolate ice cream and a warm blanket. Currently playing was re-run of "The Tyra Banks Show." This was his controlled ritual for break-ups or heartbreak. When he was hurt, he turned to ice cream and Tyra.

Tap, tap.

Ryan turned his head towards his patio door. That was unusual. Visitors usually knocked at the front door, but even more confusing was the fact that there was a visitor during a vicious storm. Who would be visiting, unless it wasn't a visitor. Maybe it was a...murderer.

Ryan nervously got up, grabbing the remote in case he had to defend himself (not really understanding what a controller could do). He gulped as he reached the door.

Tap, tap.

Ryan sucked up his fears and swiftly threw open the door, arm poised to strike with remote. The remote instantly dropped from his hand as realization sunk in at who was soaking wet at his door.

"What - what are you doing here?