Disclaimer: I do not own high school musical, I've merely created its dark side
Chapter 8: Too summer
Ryan
My head was hanging off of my bed in boredom. It had been three days since i had last seen troy and it would be four more till i actually got to see him again. He was spending a week at his aunts in Texas. His parents wanted him to do something besides well that was just it i didn't know what his parents thought. They knew he hung out with me so it was hard not to think they thought i was the problem. I tried not to dwell on it. Troy would do what he wanted at the end of the day and no week long trip to Texas would change that.
To be honest he was looking forward to going, the age difference between troys father and his younger sister is 16 years with jack Bolton being forty two troy says his aunt Jenna is easily relate-able.
I hadn't shared my feelings with troy on the subject of his parents disapproval of me, for one i didn't know if it was true and for two i wasn't sure where i stood with troy on the best of times. He hadn't breached much further then gentle groping. We talked a lot about everything interests movies that we often watched and other things too but besides the occasional cuddle we where nothing but comfortable friends. I couldn't complain about that but i would be a liar if i said i didn't wish i could have more. But i couldn't push, i could never push not again.
I called Sharpay again. " Sharpay pick up your phone" i said into the answering machine. To be honest after Naomi,s party after all of the beef had bee squashed and ice had been broken i had noticed my sister was rather more tolerable then she used to be. I had the sneaking suspicion she was seeing josh but i let that roll off my back. I wasn't going to touch that with a ten foot poll. All i knew was that Zeke was out of the picture for now, but a two weeks is unusual even for him.
I decided after the third attempt that i would just make my own fun while troy was away. Naomi was at work tonight and i honestly didn't feel like going to her bar and watching two drunks fight. I decieded i would go to the movies. It was not odd for me to go to the movies myself i always used to do it. I decided i wouldn't go to the multiplex but instead went to the showcase theatre downtown. They always had great classics for cheap and i never saw anyone i knew that way i could get away with going by myself. Today they where showing the breakfast club and 16 candles in a double feature. There was nothing i loved more then the brat pack, molly Ringwald really was at her prime back then.
I drove downtown and parked at a meter, i was starving but the movie was starting at 7 so i decided i would just stop at a hot dog vender. As i was paying biting into the delicious street meat i felt a hand on my shoulder. " Ryan?" i turned around to see Taylor looking back at me. A smile crept upon my face when the realization set in.
" Taylor oh my god how are you?" i asked pulling her into a hug making sure i got none of my hotdog toppings on her.
" I'm good how are you i feel like its been forever" she said i nodded it had been a year if i remember. None of us had scene much of Taylor last summer. " are you going into the theatre?"
" yeah" i said " are you?"
she smiled " yeah Kelsey is finding a spot on the street I'm to get the tickets" she said. A lump formed in my throat at the mention of the little composer. Last time i saw her she hated me. She didn't even know that i had left new york not unless she went back to my apartment and found my stuff gone. Though it was still my apartment now it just sat there empty. She noticed my sullen demeanour change and arched her eyebrow but said nothing. " well now that you're here do you want to sit with us?"
I had mixed emotions about the idea. I wanted nothing more then to do so but with my past with Kelsey i don't even know if she would even want to see me again. And then i wondered if Taylor knew about what happened between us. That i was gay and that i broke her heart. " i mean sure that sounds great" i said not knowing what else to say. I had already said i was going to the movie i couldn't just abandon ship now i would look crazy.
The street was busy on a Friday night with people coming and going to bars and other appointments. " its so good to see you, i just got back a few days ago"
" so late into the summer?" i asked
she nodded with a grin. " i met a few girlfriends on my floor and one of them had a huge estate in Connecticut that we crashed at for a few weeks."
" wow that sounds fun" i said feeling bitter sweet. I wanted those things for myself once upon a time. Life long friends goofy antics and the fun of living university life, the dancers life. But i blew that.
" what about you, you must have some crazy new york stories?" she asked. I felt the nausea coming on at the mention of my big city dream failure.
" yeah well..."
"Taylor!?" i heard Kelsey shout from the other side of the street. I never would have thought i would be happy to hear her voice i suppose under any other circumstance. Taylor started waving her arms over her head like a crazy person and i just stood there hands in pocket feeling awkward. I don't know why this always happens but it does i always find myself in awkward situations even when i set out to just see a fucking movie. Its like life is telling me I'm just one of those people who should just stay in his house.
" over here Kels" she called. Kelsey manoeuvre her way threw the crowd with a smile on her face.
" holly crap its busy out here" she said as she approached and then she saw me and her face painted a completely different picture. " Ryan?" she said in almost awe mixed in with loathing.
" hey Kelsey" i said with a half wave. Taylor could sense the tension but didn't let it phase her.
" i just ran into Ryan here and he just so happens to be going to see the same movie" she said with a big genuine grin. " i figured it could be like a little reunion since i missed the actual one, did either of you go?"
" i didn't get there till later" Kelsey said looking down at her shoes
" i went briefly in the afternoon" i said that was certainly one way of saying i went there called your x a cunt and then left.
" well maybe ill swing by Maratha's and see what she has been up too to make up for it" Taylor was always a people pleaser. We bought our tickets and it became clear that Taylor was going to be the middle man for the duration of the night. Neither i nor Kelsey talked to each other, Kelsey would talk to Taylor and i would talk to Taylor. Once we where in the theatre it was much less awkward because all we had to do was sit there in the dark and watch the movie. But it was also time i spent thinking, dwelling on the past. I could see the resentment written all over Kelsey's face.
I decided maybe 25 minutes into the movie that maybe the breakfast club was not the best choice for three people whose fucked up lives could probably hold a candle to the characters in the movie. There was a brief intermission between the two films and i would have been glad to just sit there but my bladder wouldn't allow it. I went to the wash room with the few other men who had come to see these movies and relived myself of the extra large root beer. I decided a refill was in order for the second movie so i went to the concision stand.
I noticed Taylor and Kelsey had not stayed in their seats either but where standing by the front door. My face felt a little arm at the idea that they might be leaving.
" are you coming or not?" Kelsey asked her impatiently.
" i want to watch sixteen candles" Taylor said " are you sure you have to leave?"
" its my mom Taylor" Kelsey said " she needs my help i cant just say no" in the back of my mind i knew it was not her mom, she just couldn't stand being around me and she didn't want Taylor to know.
" well okay " she said " i guess I'll call you"
Kelsey looked unimpressed but agreed and left the theatre. I was a little embarrassed at the fact that my mere presence had just ruined their ladies night. I refilled my drink and ordered a large popcorn. Taylor walked over to me perplex written all over her face.
" she left" Taylor said unbelieving " not to sound rude or anything but, what the hell happened between the two of you?" i didn't blame her for wanting to know after what we had put her threw tonight.
" you're the most tolerant person i know Taylor" i said with the utmost trust. " which is why i need to tell you"
" you're gay" she said flatly. Okay i guess it was pretty obvious. " i think most of us already knew that" she said " no offence"
" none taken" i said " although in Kelsey case..."
" there was a lot taken?" she asked she but her lip and patted me on the shoulder. " she will get over it"
" yeah well it doesn't look like it is happening any time soon" i grimaced. I didn't want to have to worry about it. I already worried about so much, my future, troys future, my self esteem a number of other offenders flowed threw my mind and Kelsey was one of them but not the most important.
" listen" she said " do you maybe want to skip the movie and go get a drink instead?" a drink, i could always go for a drink . I feel like my life has been drink after drink joint after joint just drowning out the bullshit and awkwardness. I got to thinking about how nice a good joint would be right now.
" yeah a drink would be good" i said.
" know any places in the area?" she asked starting to get a little more lifted from Kelsey's deflation. I put my knowledge of the Albuquerque social scene to the test.
" there's a bar called throwbacks a few blocks over they always play a lot of older songs, early 2000's and 90's and beyond"
" sounds like fun" she enthused. We left the theatre and decided to walk the small distance towards the bar. She explained that she had obtained a fake id while in Connecticut and i stayed silent about how i had gotten mine since i had gotten it in new york so any opportunity i had to not talk about new york i was going to take. But i had a feeling it would come up, it had been a year who wouldn't be interested in the adventures of an old friend? It was girls just want to have fun night so Taylor didn't have to pay the cover charge and women got half price rail drinks all night. I didn't mind having to pay the cover. My humps by the black eyed peas was playing when we walked in and i couldn't stop my body from moving to the rhythm. " haven't even gotten to our seat yet and you are already dancing Ryan Evans"
" i cant help it its a part of me" i was always the first person dancing at Naomi's parties. We got to our table and quickly ordered rum and cokes.
" half price baby!" she yelled taking a sip. Taylor's positive attitude the entire night was almost inspiring. Its as if she had never been cheated on by her boyfriend and her best friend, troy came out of it awfully and Taylor well she seemed to be thriving from it. It should be no surprise, women cope better in the long run them men ever do.
" to summer" i said holding up my drink.
" i wish it could last forever" she said tapping our glasses together. " i wish Kelsey wasn't still bitter maybe she could have had some fun tonight" she shrugged taking a long sip from her drink. I smiled contagiously at her nonchalance and optimism.
" is it wrong to say you are just as amazing as you where at east high?" i said out of nowhere. I remembered how helpful Taylor had always been, to the wild cats to the drama department and to the school over all, and hell she pretty much did Fulton's job for a whole summer. She was a bright light in an otherwise grey and broken town.
" is there a way i cant interpret that as wrong?" she said modestly. " thank you, i try..." she clearly had something on her mind. But as she was about to speak single ladies came on at both of us smiled and got out of our seats to dance. It was so spontaneous and unplanned but the song spoke for itself, when Beyonce came on you got up and danced. We clutched our drinks and swayed to the music laughing and spinning into each others arms.
As the song came to a close we noticed two refills at our table. "yeah they're on top of their shit here" i said to her shock. " i knew you would like this place"
she sat down and attacked the drink. I was surprised at the way she guzzled instead of sipped like the poised Taylor Mackessy i had grown up with. But then again she was in a sorority from what i had gathered and their parties are sometimes legendary. " well i do, listen" she said softly touching my arm. " i wanted to ask, have you... this is weird, okay have you heard from troy or about him?" she bit her lip. It was clear it really ate up at her wondering.
" yeah, i see him... almost everyday actually" i said nodding with a half smile, i took a drink she nodded with a look of almost concern. "he's doing okay too , he is a little lost right now but he is picking up the pieces i guess"
" you're helping him" she said with a smile, more as a statement then a question really. " i wasn't sure if i should have cared at first, i cant believe he did to chad..." she said. I nodded my understanding from her perspective it was hard to feel for troy, but it was easy at the same time. " i spent a lot of time feeling sorry for myself, i wondered how a friend could do that how someone i thought i loved could have done that to me, to troy"
i just sat there and listened. " i realized even though what troy did was wrong, he was the victim, we both where" she was right on so many levels. " it hit troy harder then i allowed it it hit me i guess"
I didn't want to tell her she might have had different reaction if she had walked in on them fucking like troy had. We talked and drank till late into the night, the hits where endless from n sync to TLC and surprisingly neither one of us brought up our respective schools, she didn't talk about Yale and i didn't talk about Julliard. She talked about Christmas with her family and i talked about Sharpay and Troy and even breached the topic if Zeke but after that initial conversation neither one of us brought up chad or Gabriela again.
We left the bar a little later then one in the morning. We where both drunk beyond the point of trying to drive home so i quickly called a cab. " Ryan my parents will kill me if i come home drunk, they think i am at the movies and staying at Kelsey... oh well" i giggled.
" you can stay at my place no one is home" i said with a wobble. The cab waiting for us once we had finally made ou5 way to the street. I told him my address.
" the Evans mansion all to our self's?" she asked. " can we go swimming?" she asked excited. I nodded with a scoff.
" if you want" i said, my stomach growled. I had barely eaten anything beside that hot dog today. I had expected pop corn would be my dinner. " i say we order pizza though,"
"cheese please" she said. She definitely was more drunk then i was. Part of me wished their was more of us, that Gabi was here and even Kelsey and Sharpay and that we could have a real night of neglect like girlfriends do.
I ordered from the cab as we drove along, i ordered four pizzas one cheese and an assortment of others. " the party is just starting Tay, is that cool with you?"
"I've partied Ryan" she said. The cab driver chuckled. I sent a text to Sharpay wherever she was and josh and told them to come to the house. She replied explaining they would both be there with in half an hour. Me and Taylor laughed as we stumbled threw the hauntingly large halls of my home. Most of the time it was just me. My parents travelled a lot more these days then they ever did. We sat in the kitchen trifling threw the liquor cabinet.
" patron?" i asked lifting up the 26er of patron gold. I grabbed two shot glasses and a lime.
" you spare no expenses for your friends" she said " i have always liked that about you Evans's" she laughed and i raised an eyebrow.
" using me for my high quality liquor?" i asked pouring the two shots.
" yes!" she slurred. " what do you know about drinking on a dime?" we both laughed and did the shots. I burped and she waved it away. " i just realized i said i wanted to go swimming and i have no suit." we walked out onto the patio the heat of the night hitting us immediately. We sat pool side and took another shot and Taylor straight up striped. " if you weren't like my brother this would not being happening"
" I'd be more disturbed if i was your brother actually" i said sarcastically.
She scoffed " you know what i mean" she slapped my arm and jumped in the pool in her bra and panties. I never would have thought Taylor would be so shameless but i liked it a lot. I heard the familiar clack of a stiletto coming from the kitchen and knew my sister had arrived. I saw josh walking behind her with the pizzas i had ordered from the taxi.
" some party" he said putting them down on patio table. " all i see is a drunk girl swimming in her nickers" Sharpay slapped his head.
She had a bottle of red wine in her hand along with a glass from the kitchen. " hello Taylor are you having fun?" Taylor was currently floating face up in the pool looking up at the stars.
" your pool is so refreshing" she said. I could admit it could be great relief to the desert heat. Josh had a cooler bag over his shoulder.
"more refreshing then the tequila?" josh quipped. " where is your boy tonight Evans?"
I thought of troy, was he my boy? Was i his? I didn't know but what i did know was josh was a lot more tolerable about it since he started frequenting my sisters apartment. " he is in Texas with family" i said with a shrug. Taylor who was more aware now that she had soaked in the cold water climbed out and warped herself in a towel from a lounger chair. " i don't think we have had the honor" Taylor said siting at the table.
" josh" he said pulling a bag of weed out of his pocket and a pack of skins. Sharpay sucked her teeth. " Ryan's friend"
" what the hell am i?" Sharpay said putting her hand on her hip, she sipped her wine, it was clear she was already drunk when she had gotten here. But no matter how drunk she got pot was still devil weed to her.
" and Shrapys booty call" josh retorted.
" well then" Sharpay said mock affronted into her wine glass. I watched josh break up the weed.
" I'm rolling" i said crossing from my lounger to the table, he grunted and hovered over his pot.
" why is it every time you are around i never get to roll?" he complained.
" because i am a better and faster then you are" i said " and i don't roll a filter pussy"
" low blow" he said
" you don't even break the weed up well, i told you about the technique" i stated, it was true my interest in weed had become religious.
" I'm rolling" he said putting his foot down. Sharpay and Taylor shared a look and i picked up the bottle of tequila.
" one chug from the bottle" i said. Joshes eyes lit up.
" you are not driving back to my apartment tonight sweet heart" Sharpay said. I was shocked that Sharpay had gotten onto a motorcycle drunk but for some reason josh brought out the spontaneous in her.
" done" he got up and grabbed the bottle.
" me next" Taylor said threw bits of cheese pizza. I got my way and began rolling the joint. I sparked it up as josh took a large guzzle of the tequila.
" fuck" he said before burping. He stumbled a little bit. Josh took the joint and french inhaled. He put the bottle on the table and Taylor took a much smaller sip laughing as she swallowed wiping her watering eyes.
" honestly" she said looking at all of us siting around the table. I had started in on the meatza " i thought after what happened at the end of high school i was going to come back here to chaos" josh offered the joint to Taylor who took it to my utter surprise. " yes please, i am having so much fun right now"
" yeah well i hate to break it to you but you did come back to utter chaos" Sharpay said " so don't get comfortable"
" fuck that" Taylor said taking a hit off of the joint. " I'm done with this place" we where all silent for a few minutes then i heard my phone ringing. I went back over to the lounger and saw that it was troys cell phone. His parents had decided it would be best for him to have one, mostly so they could harass him at all hours of the day.
I walked into the kitchen and the rest of their eyes followed me. They erupted into laughter and the tension was broken in an instant.
" hi" i said into the receiver " its late"
" hey" he said his voice was a warm reminder of what i was missing in this moment. " i couldn't sleep, i... i guess I've been thinking about you"
" yeah?" i said siting on the counter. I could here the drowsiness in his voice. " what about me?"
" i don't know" he said tiredly i laughed lightly at his awkwardness. " lots of things, you're blue eyes, your hands are soft and..."
" are you drunk troy?" i asked the possibility just dawning on me.
" a little" he said.
" go to sleep troy" i said with a giggle. He agreed and i waited till he was sleeping to hang up the phone. When i walked back outside i rolled my eyes as the topic of conversation had turned to the economic crisis. I sat down just in time to take a drag off of the ever shrinking joint. It was nearly 3 in the morning when we found ourselves in the living room stereo blaring lady gaga and 'shots, shots shots shots shots'. I collapsed onto the couch next to Taylor she grabbed my hand.
" to summer?" she said
" to summer" i replied.
A/N: love this chapter, as far as my geographical knowledge of Albuquerque goes I'm pretty much making these places up in case anyone was wondering about that. This story is about half way done from this chapter. I have decided that this saga would work better as a trilogy so instead of one really long story it will be a collection of novellas. I'm not saying that 16 will be chapter cap but it will be somewhere around there. I do this because in case i decide to take a break on writing the whole trilogy i can still have one story of the lost in life Chronicles resolved and finished.