Maybe A Little

Chapter 3

After that humiliating incident, Chad avoided Ryan at all costs. There were a few times where he couldn't talk anyone else into waiting on the siblings, and those times were awful because now Ryan would watch him like a hawk, like he was trying to find an answer to something. Chad would force himself to not make eye contact because he was absolutely sure the boy would find whatever answer he was looking for if he looked close enough.

Aside from these awkward meetings, the rest if the summer passed pretty uneventfully. And then came the staff party at Lava Springs.

"I've told you three times, Troy. I'm not going," gritted Chad, quite annoyed with his best friend. Troy literally pouted at him.

"But Chaaaaad," he whined. "Gabi's making me go! She's gonna want to hang out with her friends and I'm gonna have to sit alone and people are gonna think I'm weird and what if-"

"Alright! Alright," Chad sighed. "I'll go to the stupid party."

"You're such a push over," Troy grinned, laughing as Chad gave him a shove.

The thought of having to go back to a place he dreaded just for a party sounded terrible, and then he thought about the possibility of Ryan being there. Nah, he thought to himself. The infamous Evans twins would never be caught dead at a staff party.

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The party was not actually as bad as Chad had imagined it would be. The place wasn't actually so terrible without Mr. Fulton or the Evans...shit. Speak of the devils.

Sharpay came in first, all pink and glitter and nose held high. Her brother trailed behind, confident but not anywhere near the level of his sister. Chad thought it was a little sad, how underrated Ryan was.

Sharpay flounced her way over to the table where Gabi, Taylor, and Kelsi were deep in conversation. Sharpay sat down and the girls' conversation stopped abrubtly before they tried to cover their surprise and began talking again.

When Sharpay sat down at the table, she had taken the only open chair left. Ryan stood behind her dejectedly for a minute before pursing his lips and shaking his head, walking away.

Chad glanced down as Ryan started in his direction, figuring the dancer would shoulder past him. As he was staring intently at the scuff on his shoe, he noticed another pair of feet in his vision. Chad looked up sharply. Ryan was standing in front of him, looking sheepish but slightly hopeful.

"Hey," Ryan started. Chad only nodded in response.

"Um...I was wondering if I could talk to you? Like, somewhere that's not here?" Ryan questioned. Chad only shrugged this time, not quite trusting himself to speak without stuttering.

Ryan looked at him for a moment before grabbing Chad's wrist and pulling him away from the crowd.