GUYS, I'm so sorry for the major long wait, which was basically a whole year or something ridiculous? Well, I'm going to try and update ALOT more often, but I'm also going to attempt to make my chapters a whole lot longer. So, I hope you guys are still interested in this story, and haven't forgotten about it! Also, I hope you all had a great christmas and are looking forward to the new year, just like me! So, enjoy.
Ryan awoke the next morning with a pounding headache. The harsh thump-thump in his temples made him feel like he was waking in the middle of 'Babylon', the local gay club. The club he and Troy had spent many Saturday nights dancing the night away at, surrounded by sweaty, hulky men who were definitely not ashamed to grab at anything and anyone, especially his boyfriend. Ryan would have laughed at the memory if not for the dull throbbing behind his eyes, and the bitter acidic taste residing in his mouth. He groaned softly and rubbed his hand over his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose and taking a deep breath.
"Guess I got a bit carried away with a slosh last night," He muttered to himself, dropping his arm so it slapped against the bed covers and squinting his eyes, "That damn lights not helping."
He grumbled and raised himself sluggishly from the bed, groaning again when his bare feet hit the cold floor and his head spun slightly from his quick movements, and trudged across the room to pull the curtains closed swiftly. The pounding in his head ceased slightly, but the bitter taste in his mouth was still there and his tongue had the resemblance to sandpaper.
"Never fucking drinking again." This wasn't true. He knew it. But it eased his conscience for a second.
With the tang in his mouth becoming to much he stumbled to the bathroom adjoining his bedroom and grabbed a glass of water, gulping it down with haste. After rinsing his mouth out, the taste fading to a dull metal taste at the back of his throat, he ran the tap to ice cold and splashed a handful over his face, relishing in the shock of the cold feeling. Patting his face dry with a one hundred percent something expensive hand towel, he raised his head and looked at his reflection in the mirror. He almost blanched at the sight. His usually bright eyes were sunken beneath puffy, purple bags and hooded lids. His lips were dry and cracked, probably from breathing through his mouth all night.
His hair was tousled, sticking up in every angle possible. But the one thing that stood out most. The thing that made his mouth drop and his already queasy stomach churn.
Was the harsh bruise that stained his cheek. The bruise that was shaped like a hand. The bruise that clearly was not just an accident.
"What the fuck?" He leaned toward the mirror, prodding and poking at the mark on his face, wincing when he pressed a little to hard, which was any pressure at all. Well shit, he thought, followed by a snide chuckle. Pushing away from the counter, he made his way back into his bedroom, grabbing a plain black t-shirt and a pair of jeans off the floor on the way. "Wow, I really must be hung-over." He laughed to himself as he pulled the shirt over his head and the jeans up his slender legs. Rubbing his temples he decided it was time to get some aspirin.
He made his way down stairs and to the kitchen, grabbing a couple of painkillers and swallowing them down with another glass of ice cold water then trudged back to his room. His initial idea was to get back into bed and fall into a deep, headache-less slumber, but when he heard his phone beep signalling that he had a missed call, he began searching for the device.
"Got'cha." The blonde flipped open the phone, "Three missed calls." He read the words out loud. There were two missed calls from Sharpay and one from Chad, who was the only one who had left a voicemail.
"Dude!" Chad's voice yelled through the small speakers but the tone was enough to grab Ryan's attention, "What the fuck! I swear, when I get my hands on you, it will be the last thing I- Chad what are you doing?!" Through his confusion Ryan could detect it was Taylor who was now yelling, not at him though, at Chad, "What do you think I'm doing! - I don't have a clue, but if its what I am assuming you better turn off that phone right now! - Taylor, come on he deserves it - Do you really think Troy is going to want you to- Troy's going to want you to do what? - Uh, nothing! Don't worry, Dude!" Then the message stopped.
Ryan stared at the phone with confusion. What had Chad been on about? The blonde new he was strange but that was just weird. What do I deserve? He thought. And Troy was there? Wasn't he suppose to of come over last night. That's true, where is he? I'm sure he was supposed to stay over. Okay, I'm confused.
Deciding he needed to find out why Troy hadn't come over he quickly clicked speed dial one and waited for his boyfriend to pick up.
Ring, Ring.
Ring, Ring.
Ring, Ring.
On the fourth ring Ryan furrowed his brow. Troy ALWAYS answered on the second ring at the most.
Then he heard a click and soft voice saying hello. The voice wasn't Troy's though. It was Gabriella's.
"Um, Gabi? Where's Troy?" He asked in confusion.
"Ryan, I don't think you should be calling him." She responded, her voice was cautious.
"What? Why not? Can I talk to Troy please." He heard quiet muttering through the phone, and a distinct 'No'.
"He's, um, busy at the moment.." She was hesitant.
"Gabriella, come on, I can hear him." More muttering.
"Okay..um, here he is." Finally.
"Troy?"
"Ryan, why are you calling?" Troy's voice was shaky and rough.
"Why wouldn't I be calling, baby? Where were you last night, I woke up and you weren't here, I thought you were going to stay over?"
"You, uh, don't remember?" Troy was even more hesitant than Gabriella.
"Remember what? What was with Chad's voicemail? Whats going on?"
"I have to go." His voice cracked.
"What, Troy?"
"Bye, Ryan."
"No, Troy! Do not hang up on me!" He all but shouted but froze when he heard a short gasp from the other end of the line.
"Ryan, I…Chad, shut up! No, let me handle it I-" There was a lot of rustling and muffled voices before Chad's voice basically screamed through the receiver, "Evans! I swear to god, leave Troy the fuck alone! Or I'm gonna take my fist and ram it so hard up your- CHAD!"
That was all Ryan heard before a loud beep signalling the call had ended.
What.
The.
Fuck.
Was all he could think as he closed the lid of his phone and shoved it in his jean pocket. Then he noticed the two notes on his dresser.
One was yellow and crumpled.
The other was pink and perfectly flat.
The pink one was clearly from Sharpay and written in the neat scrawl was 'Ryan, gone to Gabi's, Sharpay xo'
The note was short, so he knew she was mad too.
The second note, the crumpled and slightly watermarked one, was not quite as clear as the other. The writing was messy, but recognizable as Troy's and that is was written in a hurry, but the words made no sense to him, 'You promised me'.
"Huh?" Ryan muttered. "What'd I promise? I don't get it, what does it- OH FUCK."
He felt like passing out.
It made sense now.
The voicemail.
The phone call.
Troy's gasp.
Chad's threats.
Why Troy wasn't here now.
Why they were at Gabriella's.
Why the yellow note, Troy's note, was watermarked with what Ryan now figured to be tears.
And why he woke up with a huge hangover and a bruise the shape of a hand. Troy's hand.
"SHIT!" He cursed, screwing the note up in his fist and slamming it down on the dresser.
He had to see Troy.
He had to see Troy now.
So, was it okay? Enough to make up for the long absence? I hope so, lemme know what you think? And remember, reviews are extra chapters.