Work This Out (High School Musical)

Four: A Little Bit of This, Little Bit of That

"Taylor. Help. I...I have to talk to you. As soon as possible." 

She hesitated, but nodded. "Soon, yeah?"

Chad nodded too. "Please." 

Taylor glanced around, biting her lip and grabbing Chad's shirt to drag him into the mop closet and shut the door behind them. He must've looked a mess, because usually this would wait for car time. 

"Five minutes max before someone gets suspicious." She looked up at him, making herself fairly small to give Chad more space. Which, he was grateful for, he had large shoulders especially.

"Okay, well..." He huffed, shaking his head. "It's stupid, it's so fucking stupid, but-" 

"Spit it out!"

There was a long pause, Chad not knowing how to vocalize what in the hell he was thinking. Taylor's expression fell, the clear shock across her face was pretty easy to read.

"It's Ryan..." He shook his head, raking his fingers through his hair. "It's really complicated, I don't know what to do, because it's Ryan but here we are and I have some really confusing feelings and I think they're mutual. Think! I don't know, but after the past week or two, this all feels...I don't know, maybe I'm reading too much into it, but..." 

Taylor covered her mouth, just for a moment, before she looked back up at Chad and furrowed her eyebrows warily. "I know you're bi, Chad, but is this just because he may be showing vague interest, or are you genuinely interested in him?"

"What kind of question is that?" he asked, straightening up. "I don't know, that's why I need help. Desperate help." 

"Well...okay, you can take it slow, yeah?" Taylor seemed to be giving him vague advice, not having much time to work with for the time being. "For the rest of today at least. I...maybe see what else happens. If you talk to him tonight, maybe I can try to listen in? Give an opinion on what it sounds like? We're off at the same time tonight."

Chad nodded. "Yeah, yeah. That sounds good." He looked down at the ground between them. "Fuck, what even is this?"

"I don't know," she said softly, "but I'll help you figure it out." 

"Thanks, Tay. And...let's not tell anyone about this, yeah?" he asked as she opened up the closet door. "Please?"

"I won't. I promise." 

She closed the door on him, giving him a moment alone to catch his breath and come back to reality. It felt a little better to have it off his chest, but it was only marginal aid. 

The closet opened up, a non-Wildcat looking shocked to see him alone in there. Chad pushed past him without thought, getting back to work. His shit? Not together, but it would have to do.

-

Chad wasn't surprised to sit down with Ryan, at his usual spot for waiting for Taylor. He sat down next to him, on the same step, though there was still a little space between them (though not much at all, come to think of it). And they were quiet for a moment.

"How was work?" Ryan asked after a bit, looking over to Chad. "As lame as it usually is?"

He managed a chuckle in response. "And then some. The people that are here are super nice are not an issue, it's...Fulton that I really can't stand." He sighed. "I don't know. I'm getting tugged around like a ragdoll constantly." 

"That's how the resort is. Nice for the people in attendance at least," he said, shaking his head. "You seem to be well-liked among the patrons if nothing else."