"This is weird," Chad said to Ryan, passing him a bottle of Jack Daniels after taking a healthy swig.
"Super weird," Ryan agreed, following suit. The liquor burned the back of his throat, but the pain was ... well, it was good.
The two of them were sitting in Ryan's old tree house. It was the night of the wrap party for the winter musical, and once Sharpay had started a sing-along and Gabriella and Troy had started making out in a major way, Chad had pulled the bottle of Jack out of his back pocket and gestured at the place Ryan used to spend so many hours, reading his sister's Babysitters Club books and listening to show tunes.
"See, you and me, we're friends, right? And that's cool," said Chad, who gestured with his hands much more when he was on the edge of inebriated. "But all of our friends, being friends together? That's messed up, man. That's really messed up."
"I agree," Ryan said, taking the bottle back from Chad. Yes, this pain was good. Great, even. Great enough to take another drink.
"Hey, don't have it all, man," said Chad, nudging Ryan's shoulder with his. Ryan shivered slightly.
"You cold?" Chad asked. He shrugged off his letterman's jacket and offered it to Ryan, who gladly accepted it. Now he'd smell like Chad for at least a day or two. And that sounded about as great as more whiskey.
"I think it's all Gabriella's fault," Ryan said. "She's just so damn cute. She unites people with her overwhelming cuteness."
"Is she cute?" asked Chad absently. "I haven't noticed."
"You haven't noticed?" Ryan sounded as dubious as he could under the influence. "But don't you like girls or whatever? I mean, I'm super gay, and I noticed. Hell, I'd make out with her."
Chad smirked and punched Ryan lightly on the shoulder. "No, you wouldn't."
"Yes, I would." Ryan was joking with Chad. No, no, Ryan was flirting with Chad, and Chad didn't seem to mind.
"Whatever, man. So, I guess I'm supposed to ask Taylor out, right?"
Ryan's stomach dropped. He drank again. "Well, do you like her?"
Chad shrugged. "No. I really don't. I think she's kind of ... what's the word? Abrasive. She's abrasive. And she thinks she's smarter than everyone else, and even if it's true—" Chad took another drink. "Even if it's true, that doesn't make it OK to have an ego about it."
"Well, you think you're awesome," Ryan pointed out.
"That's because I am," said Chad. "And you know it. Otherwise, I wouldn't be allowed to hang out in your tree house."
"True, I suppose," Ryan said, grinning at this boy he'd lusted after for so long, enough that he'd use the phrase 'lusted after.'
"But you're awesome, too, dude." Chad clapped him on the back, then left his arm draped lazily around Ryan's shoulder. Ryan steeled himself against shivering and kind of melted back into Chad. Chad's arm. That. The part that was touching him.
"Thanks. Where's all the whiskey going?" Ryan asked.
"Down our throats, to our heads," said Chad, laughing at his own cleverness.
"Nice." Ryan took a final sip, then handed the nearly empty bottle back to Chad. "You do the honors."
Chad finished it off. "Well, we better get used to this. Hanging out, I mean. We're all in this together, or something like that."
"Right. Yes."
"Hey, Ryan?"
"Yeah?"
"Do you like anybody? Like, any guys?"
"Yeah." Oh, shit. "But he ... yeah, I'm not going to tell him."
"You should," Chad said, looking at him directly. "I bet whoever he is, he really likes you."
"I'm not so sure about that," said Ryan, smiling a bit shyly, glad that Chad was too drunk to pick up on anything. "But thanks for the vote of confidence."
"So, should we party?"
"I think we're loosened up enough now."
Chad gave Ryan one last way too sexy (or was it actually? Ryan's vision was swimming a little) smile before hopping down the ladder. Ryan sighed and let Chad's jacket on. Even if this was as close as he'd ever get, it felt pretty amazing.
