Chapter 3: Ally

"He's bad, man. Really bad. He's practically hit rock bottom."

Opening his blue eyes, the blond male could make out the voice of Zeke Baylor, his sister's beau just outside of his bedroom door. He knew the tall African American athlete and future "Top Chef" contestant was referring to none other than; Me. His beloved Sharpay's useless brother who's wasting away on his luxurious silk-spread sheets.

"How did this happen?" At the sound of the second voice, life pulsed into Ryan's heart so rapidly, it sent a shock to the system, jolting his entire body alert. Troy?!

Although almost indiscernible to Zeke's untrained ear, Ryan could detect a note of anger and foreboding in the athlete's tone. There was something else there as well, sad, bitter and it only intensified the blond performer's longing for the brunette. It was almost as if-

Ludicrous, the blond scoffed Troy doesn't care about you.

Then what's he doing here? Another voice asked, more meager and timid than the first harsh, cleaving tone.

Unable to form a response, curiosity fueled the blond and he forced himself upright, listening intently.

"I don't know, man." Zeke answered awkwardly as one might under a fierce some glare. "He seemed just fine earlier this summer, eating, smiling, dancing… you know, just being Ryan. And then… something just fell apart, I guess."

"Or snapped," Troy offered, quiet, pensive, almost subdued by the situation. After a moment, he spoke up again, his voice holding more strength than it had seconds before. "I'm going in."

"You sure about that?" Zeke broke in hastily.

They were so much closer now. Hurriedly, Ryan wrapped the blankets around his fragile body, suddenly feeling exposed.

"Yes. If anything, Ryan needs someone at his side right now. He needs a friend, Zeke. "

A faint fluttering stirred in Ryan's chest as Troy knocked gently on his door, his muffled voice calling softly, "Ryan, it's Troy. Can I come in?"

Ignoring the dual meaning of the basketball god's inquiry, Ryan answered him, "Yes."

A strip of light flooded the darkened room around the outline of Troy's masculine form. Spotting the form on the bed, the brunette male walked over and lowered himself onto the mattress beside the petite boy. "How are you?"

Even though he did not want to burden his heart's greatest desire with the truth of his condition, he couldn't bring himself to lie either. "I've been better."

"I see." In the darkness of the room concern was apparent in Troy's ocean blue eyes. "I brought you something."

Ryan watched as the brunette rustled around in the pockets of his jacket. After a couple of furtive moments, he at last produced a Ziploc bag full of brownies.

"I know how much you like these, so I got some for you."

A feeling of warmth crept into the blond's beating heart, but he couldn't stop himself from inquiring, "From Gabriella?" His mouth and his head were clearly on different pages.

Troy chuckled, his tone still warm, "That wouldn't be very likely, seeing as the two of us broke up."

Incredulous, Ryan's blue eyes widened. "When?"

"Last week. Our "summer romance" just wasn't working out. She was extremely clingy, filling up my voice mailbox everyday, demanding to know what I was doing at all hours and who I was with."

Ryan felt a burning sensation of anger. Gabriella had no business interrogating Troy and monitoring him as though he was some sort of criminal. Then again, what business did he have consorting with this blue-eyed blessed being? It's wrong, no matter how Troy's kind words warm my heart and his intentions make me flush with delight… no matter how badly I need him…

Visibly relaxing, Troy continued with his story and Ryan let his guard down, enjoying the company of the carefree boy. Well, carefree considering the fact that he had just ended his relationship with his girlfriend. "Chad and I were hanging out at the mall when we caught her and this guy kissing all over each other's necks, so I basically put an end to the drama right then and there. Needless to say, Gabriella was pretty pissed, but you know something, " Troy turned, looking directly into Ryan's soft, sky colored eyes that although still lacking in luster had a touch of life restored. "I honestly never felt more free than the moment I walked away from her. It was as if-"

"-Control of your life was back in your hands." Ryan finished.

"Yeah. That's it, Ry." Troy grinned.

Ryan couldn't help himself from smiling back, if only a little. The brunette jock's smile was contagious. Besides, he liked the way the nickname sounded coming from Troy's pink-lipped mouth. "Ry." The way he says it with such warmth almost makes it sound… beautiful…

"So would you like to share those brownies?" The taller boy suggested.

Ryan blinked at him, astonished and grateful. Somehow, Troy just seemed to know how awkward it would be for him to "dig in" to the rich, sweet morsels of food while the other boy looked on. How disgusting he would feel, acting like a gluttonous pig while his heart's desire served as witness. "Yes." He pried apart the lips of the Ziploc bag and he and Troy each extracted a square of the treat.

In two bites, the brunette jock had devoured his brownie while Ryan was still nibbling earnestly, taking delicate bites so as not to rile his empty stomach. Once the blond theater king had finished, Troy observed the manner in which his pink tongue flicked over his fingers, working with his luscious red lips to gather up any remaining crumbs of chocolate. He could feel his face begin to burn, the sensation traveling to his nether regions. He failed to recall an instance where Gabriella had evoked such a reaction. Clearing his throat to keep straining out of his voice, the basketball god remarked "You shouldn't do this to yourself. It's no good, running on empty like that."

Ryan stared, knowing that both the golden boy of East high and he, himself should be stunned at the strength of his concern when in fact, neither one of them was the least bit unsettled. He could only justify his actions by averting his gaze, his head hanging sadly. "I know," he murmured wistfully. A strong hand cupped his jaw and he found his face being turned toward the tanned visage belonging to Troy Bolton.

"Don't you blame yourself either." The more masculine of the pair spoke in a whisper but his words could be taken for no lighter than what they were; an order.

Long ago, Ryan might have felt indignancy at being ordered around by someone who could not possibly understand what his life was like. Now, his strength and his will considerably sapped, he could only sit there, perfectly immobilized, thanking the holy powers that this boy that all worshipped, adored, and idolized was paying this special attention to him alone. His eyes locked on the ocean of Troy's orbs, seeing the waters violent and tumultuous; but at their very core, there was something calm, tranquil. It's so alluring. Ryan noted mentally. It's drawing me in.

Troy made the same observation the very instant before he pressed his lips to the smaller, broken boy's. A jolt of electricity traversed the length of their bodies, heat and fire surging through their blood and pinging off their flesh. It was unlike anything Ryan had ever experienced and he loved it. He was breathless, he was dizzy, his heart hammering against his chest so powerfully and his blood pulsing into his temples, pounding in his ears so loudly he was certain he would pass out. He was addicted, unable to remember a time his senses had been so acute, especially his sense of touch. He rubbed his flush chest against Troy's, wanting more. Needing more.

Once he would have held back out of fear of getting hurt. In the present, he no longer cared about the fragility of his heart. If this was the only opportunity the cruel mistress Fate was going to give him with the love of his life, he would take it for all it was worth and die placated with the memory of Troy's lips on his.

Troy knew better. He had not come to the Evans manor to take advantage of the blond boy. Keeping the kiss chaste, he at last broke off with a gentle bite to Ryan's lower lip, and nuzzled his heated porcelain cheek. "If that bothered you at all…even the tiniest bit… just let me know and I'll never do it again…" he panted, his desire for the beautiful boy increasing with every passing second.

"It-It didn't… It doesn't…" Ryan fell silent, his mouth failing at eloquently assisting his brain in the explanation of his feelings. Words are a necessary means of effective communication, but sometimes they can be excessive. In this case, it was the latter. Ryan's eyes said everything for him.

Troy leaned in and gave the boy a second soft kiss on his equally soft cheek. What beautiful eyes they were. Breaking off once more, he murmured, "I'll come see you tomorrow, okay?"

Joy and hope flared within the blond, the intensity almost enough to kill him if his hopes were to be decimated in the all too willing hands of fate. "Okay," he answered, his guard nearly slipping enough to place his trust in the brunette. Nearly. His gaze hardened at the thought of what would pass if Troy did not prove true to his word.

The jock me the look, his gaze steady. He was not about to let Ryan down. Reaching out, he stroked the boy's cheek, brushing several strands of soft blond hair away from where they hung on the actor's forehead, un-gelled but not unkept. Even though Ryan was obviously neglecting his health, he still retained his angelic appearance and obviously paid mind to his hygiene. From the lovely scent of strawberries in his hair, Troy discerned that Ryan must have just bathed recently, and found himself marveling how he found the strength to do so without the needed nourishment fueling him. Eyes flicking over his lean form, Troy told the boy "You're so beautiful, if I stay here any longer… I'll…"

And Ryan could perceive from the athlete's flushed, lust-darkened expression that he was one toe away from crossing the borderline of stability and losing all control. And if his stay was prolonged any further, no power on earth would be able to stop him from going through with taking all the blond boy was giving.

With a final kiss on the cheek, Troy bid farewell with a quiet "See you tomorrow," and exited the room, leaving the door open. Even with the stretch of light, Ryan was unable to prevent himself from feeling surrounded by a foreboding darkness, and empty.

Removing his diary from it concealed location in his nightstand, he decided that the adding of a new entry was in order. Picking up his pen he wrote in swift strokes, his cheeks full with a rosy hue. With his free hand, he lightly touched his fingertips to his lips. The tingling had not disappeared. Troy, he dubbed the emotion dancing inside of him. Troy is still here. The tip of his pink tongue flicked over his lower lip. I can taste him.

Words took form on the pages lined paper;

8-21 (later)

Dear Diary: If I was permitted to have even one ally in the universe… a human ally, anyway… perhaps it wouldn't be so bad if that ally was Troy Bolton.

-----

Eyes scanning the sentence, the male twin added, almost as if it was an after thought;

And… who knows? Maybe, just maybe, I'm not so alone as I thought.