Gift for desinere
Author: toasty_fresh
Recipient: desinere
Title: How Chad Danforth Discovered a Love of Reading (and Other Things, Too) Via a Summer Reading Assignment and Nineteenth Century Chick-Lit
Pairing(s): Chad/Ryan, implied onesided Chad/Troy
Summary: See title.
Rating: PG
Warning(s): Nothing major, other than many extensive references to different books.
Word Count: 3,930
Disclaimer: All High School Musical characters herein are the property of Disney. No copyright infringement is intended.
Author's Notes: The most ironic thing about this fic is that I hated Pride and Prejudice. All the literary references I make in this have been footnoted, in case anyone hasn’t read/watched the book/movie I’m talking about. And I’m sorry; I tried really hard, but I simply couldn’t get the handcuffs in.
Chad had really enjoyed Pride and Prejudice.
Not that he would admit that he liked it to anyone, and not that he had read it of his own volition, either. Pride and Prejudice was, in Chad’s opinion, one of those books you never read on your own. You had to be forced to read it over the summer for English class, and even if you liked it, as a self-respecting male, you couldn’t tell anyone. Not your best friend, because he complained how “girly” the book was the entire time you were reading it. Not your mom, either, because she’d probably ask you if you had “something to tell her.” You couldn’t tell anyone.
Chad wasn’t exactly sure why he had liked Pride and Prejudice so much, although he had some inkling. He didn’t like it for all the stereotypical male reasons, like “I thought the chicks were hot” or “There was a swordfight.” The characters, Chad thought, were what really stood out to him. Most of the time Chad found himself raising a metaphorical eyebrow at the characters in the books they read in English class (Cordelia from King Lear? Really, Shakespeare? No one that perfect exists), but Jane Austen’s characters had faults and features and, well, characters. Chad could recognize glimpses of people he knew in Elizabeth and the rest of them. Sharpay, for one, would make a perfect Miss Bingley. Mrs. Darbus kind of reminded him of Mrs. Bennet, and Coach Bolton would make a perfect Mr. Bennet (which was a pretty disturbing image, but Chad chose to ignore that) 1.
And Troy was Wickham 2.
Chad didn’t really want to talk about that one.
Ryan, interestingly enough, reminded Chad of Darcy 3 (albeit a high-energy, fedora-wearing, extremely gay Darcy), but only because Chad’s initial impression of Ryan had changed so much over the summer, and not for any other reason. And not that Chad was comparing himself to Elizabeth 4 , either, because he definitely wasn’t.
-
After the Pride and Prejudice test the first week of school, Chad’s English class moved on to other, considerably less interesting books. That weekend, Chad went to Barnes & Noble and picked up the entire Jane Austen collection. He felt a little weird about it, but the cashier didn’t even blink when he brought the books up to the register. If he had, Chad would probably have bolted.
In the parking lot, Chad set the books lovingly down on the passenger’s seat of his new car. It was all he could do to keep from starting Emma right then and there. As it was, he had barely gotten home before he was sprawled on the couch, book open to chapter one.
-
Chad would have finished all seven books 5 before the end of the week if he had brought them to school or practice. He decided not to, however, on the grounds that they probably wouldn’t go over so well with the rest of the team (because “Hey, man, what are you reading?” “Oh, just Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility. It’s a beautiful read” probably wasn’t the best way to start a conversation in the locker room). He was careful not to let anyone know about his current obsession. Star athlete Chad Danforth is into nineteenth century chick-lit? Not something Chad wanted to spread around East High.
-
One morning, however, during a particularly intense chapter of Persuasion, Chad found he simply could not tear himself away by the time it was time to leave for school. He couldn’t wait seven hours before reading the conclusion, not when Wentworth 6 was about to-well, he just couldn’t. In the end, he decided to take the book. He’d read it during free period in the library, away from the prying eyes of classmates goofing off in the halls.
He finished that chapter, and the next one, as well, by eighth period. School ended, and Chad stopped by his locker before practice to put his books away. He hummed a bit as he put Persuasion into his backpack. The ending of the chapter had been absolutely perfect.
“Hey, is that Persuasion?”
Chad spun around, ready to deny all claims and, if necessary, put all the blame on the person with the locker next to him, but relaxed when he saw who had spoken.
“Evans,” he said, grinning. “You scared the crap out of me.”
“Sorry.” Ryan, who was dressed in what looked like a new white button-down with pinstriped pants and a hat to match, laughed. “I was just surprised to see you carrying that around,” he said, indicating the book. “I didn’t know you liked Jane Austen.”
“Well, actually-” Chad paused. Why would he bother lying to Ryan? He wasn’t going to judge Chad. “Yeah. Yeah, I do. I’m a pretty big fan, as a matter of fact.”
“Wow.” Ryan nodded in amazement. “I didn’t even know you could read.”
Chad laughed. “I’m in AP English, aren’t I?” he asked. “Besides, those sports magazines can have some pretty long words in their articles.”
Ryan laughed again. Over the summer he had seemed a little subdued, but after the Lava Springs talent show he had been a lot happier. Chad was glad. Ryan was a nice guy, and Chad felt that, sometimes, Ryan understood him more than Troy and the others.
Chad smiled to himself. Weird how he felt he could tell Ryan about his newfound love for Jane Austen, but he couldn’t tell Troy.
“Have you read anything by the Brontë sisters?” Ryan asked. “If you like Austen, you’d love them.” 7
“Really?” Chad asked. He’d been wondering what he could read after he finished his Austen books. “That’s, like, Jane Eyre, right?”
“Yeah.” Ryan nodded and adjusted his hat so it sat more centrally on his head. “I think you’d really like them. I could lend one to you, if you want.”
“Sure,” Chad said enthusiastically. “That sounds awesome.”
“I’ll bring it in tomorrow, then,” Ryan said, grinning. He really had a great smile. “See you later, Danforth.”
“Definitely,” Chad said, as Ryan walked off down the hall.
-
Jane Eyre was only the first of many books that would pass from Ryan to Chad and, as Chad got over his fear of being seen buying books, vice versa. They branched out from Austen and the Brontë sisters to all sorts of genres from all sorts of time periods. Chad found himself reading Life of Pi by Yann Martel 8 after finishing The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler 9 with Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World 10 waiting on his night stand. He and Ryan would discuss symbolism and plot, things had never though he’d want to hear about outside of English class (and not even there, really), between classes. They started going book shopping together, which became grabbing coffee together, and then meals, and then just general hanging out. Ryan was a great friend to have. He was funny and smart, and interesting to talk to. Chad felt like he could talk about anything to Ryan. It wasn’t like talking basketball with Troy or Zeke; with Ryan, it was real conversation. Chad didn’t know how to describe it. He and Ryan just kind of connected.
Chad had Jane Austen to thank for that.
-
One Friday Ryan stopped Chad in the hall. “Are you doing anything tonight?” he asked.
Chad, who was trying to figure out the complex print on Ryan’s hat, shook his head. “There’s a game tomorrow, but it’s at two, so it’s not a big deal. Why?”
“Well,” Ryan said slowly, like he was choosing his words with care, “I got the recent Pride and Prejudice movie in my Netflix the other day, and,” he adjusted his hat slightly, “I was wondering if you, you know, wanted to come over tonight and watch it.”
“That’s the Keira Knightly version, right?” Chad asked earnestly. “I heard good things about that. I’d definitely like to come over.”
“Great,” Ryan said, smiling. “We’d have to order out for dinner, though. My mom’s not much of a cook.”
Chad laughed. “Somehow I’m not surprised,” he said. He couldn’t imagine Mrs. Evans in an apron if her life depended on it. “How about Indian?”
“Sounds good,” Ryan said. “We could watch Bride and Prejudice 11 as well, continuing the theme.”
“I see,” Chad said. “It all connects. I like it.”
Ryan laughed. “Great,” he said again. “Want to come over around, say, 6:30?”
“All right,” Chad said. The bell rang and he turned to dash to class. “See you then!”
-
As Keira Knightly and Matthew Macfadyen melted away into the back credit screen at the end of Pride and Prejudice, Chad turned to Ryan. They were sitting on an extremely comfortable leather couch in the Evans’ media room, the remnants of their Indian dinner strewn across the coffee table in front of them. When Ryan talked about having a home theater, Chad had realized when he first walked in that he hadn’t been exaggerating. The television screen was bigger than the ones at the local movie theater.
“What did you think of that ending?” he asked. Ryan looked thoughtful.
“Well,” he said slowly, “Austen’s books are most often criticized for their lack of emotion. It works fine for the books, but I guess they thought it wouldn’t translate well in the movie.” He shrugged. “I liked the ending scene. It was romantic but not incongruous with the rest of the film.”
Chad nodded. “The end of the book was very dry, but that was the time period. I’m glad that, for the movie, they ended it on a softer note.” He stopped to search for a word. “You know . . . less clinical.” 12
Ryan laughed and stood up to change the DVD. “I don’t know if ‘clinical’ is the word you’re looking for,” he said as he walked over to the DVD player. The ending credits music was still playing, and Ryan swayed a little to the beat. Chad smiled, watching him as he moved. Ryan had such a subtle, lissome grace about him that intrigued Chad. He found he couldn’t take his eyes away.
As Ryan changed the DVD, the music changed from string quartets to playful, high-energy Bollywood beats, and Ryan began dancing outright. He looked so happy, spinning around, hair flying (he had taken his hat off before they sat down to avoid crushing it during the movie), that Chad had to laugh. Ryan, over one shoulder, gave him a mock-glare.
“Don’t just sit there laughing,” he said, with a fancy twist. “Dance with me!”
Chad shook his head, feeling suddenly bashful. “I can’t,” he said. “I don’t know how.” Ryan rolled his eyes scornfully.
“You don’t need to know anything,” he said, dancing over to Chad and pulling him up. “You just have to move how the music tells you.”
At first, Chad felt excruciatingly awkward, but as the music went on, he felt himself loosen up. Dancing with Ryan like this, laughing and swaying, close together, just having fun, felt somehow right to Chad. And when they stopped dancing and Ryan’s hands skimmed up his sides and Chad rested his palms against Ryan’s chest, that felt right, too. And as their lips touched, softly at first, and then harder, Chad couldn’t help but wonder why Austen wouldn’t want to include any of this in her novels.
-
It was weird because, after that night, Chad and Ryan’s relationship didn’t change much at all. They did everything they used to do, the only difference being that their shoulders would touch and Chad would shiver, and sometimes Ryan would take Chad’s hand in the bookstore and squeeze it, ever so gently, and they went out to dinner more and movie sleepovers became a regular thing.
Being with Ryan was the best dating experience Chad had ever had. They didn’t need to prove anything to anyone, like Chad had felt when he was with Taylor, partially because he and Ryan didn’t feel like they had to announce their relationship status to the whole school. Dating Ryan was like dating his best friend (which brought up weir images of Troy and him, but Chad chose to ignore them and concentrate on the good things in his life).
-
About two weeks after Chad had “officially” asked Ryan out (it had been kind of stupid, actually; Ryan had mentioned in passing one day at a bookstore that they weren’t really dating, and Chad had gotten down on one knee and offered Ryan the first book that came to hand, which happened to be Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None 13, which wasn’t very romantic, but Ryan accepted anyway), Chad found Ryan in the library during unassigned one day.
“Hey,” he said, scooting into the seat next to Ryan’s. “What are you doing after school today? Practice isn’t until five, so I figured we could, you know, go hang out at my house for a bit.”
“Oh,” said Ryan. “Er. I . . . you know what? I can’t. I’ve got rehearsal today.” He gave Chad an apologetic smile. “Sorry.”
Chad, who had checked the musical rehearsal schedule that morning to make sure Ryan was available, was taken aback. Was Ryan lying to him?
He dismissed that thought. If Ryan had something he wanted to say to Chad, he could be upright about it, not dishonest. Darbus had probably just scheduled an extra practice; that was all.
“It’s cool,” Chad said, standing up. “Well, uh, I’ve got to see my math teacher, so I’ll see you around, I guess.”
“All right,” Ryan said, and went back to his homework.
-
Chad would have forgotten about the whole incident by the next day if Ryan hadn’t continued to avoid him for the rest of the week. Chad couldn’t understand it. Why wouldn’t Ryan just talk to him, instead of not answering his calls or pretending to not see him in the halls? Chad tried rather desperately to corner Ryan, but whenever they talked, Ryan was distant and sometimes even kind of cold. Chad wasn’t sure what to do.
-
On Friday, Chad managed to pin Ryan down at lunch. “Oh,” Ryan said, looking less than pleased to see him. “Hey.”
“Listen,” Chad said, doing his very best to be chipper in the face of Ryan’s decided unenthusiasm. “PBS is showing a new adaptation of A Room with a View tonight. Want to come over and check it out?”
“I would,” Ryan said with a shrug, “but I can’t. I’ve got this . . . family thing tonight. Maybe some other time, okay?”
“Okay,” Chad said, trying not to show how disappointed he was. He almost wished Ryan would hurry up and dump him, just to end this torture.
-
That night, Chad watched A Room with a View by himself, which would have been depressing enough without George dying in the end. 14 As it was, Chad went to bed late that night, wondering why he even bothered waking up in the mornings.
-
By Monday, Chad had decided to officially break up with Ryan, if he could get Ryan to stop avoiding him long enough to talk to him. It was pointless to even pretend to be in a relationship if Ryan didn’t even want to see him. Chad even had a speech planned for the big moment.
The only issue was that Ryan wasn’t even in school that day.
It was annoying, Chad thought, to decide to do something and then not be able to do it. He stopped by his locker after school, feeling too dejected to pay any real attention to what was going on in the hall around him.
“Danforth.”
Chad spun around so fast he nearly got whiplash, but relaxed when he saw who it was.
“Oh,” he said. “Hello, Sharpay. What a . . . pleasant surprise.”
“I’m sure.” Sharpay crossed her arms primly, looking at Chad as though she’d rather be looking at a cockroach. “I need you to talk to my brother.”
Chad blinked. Generally speaking, he had been under the impression that Sharpay didn’t want him talking to Ryan at all.
“Well,” he said, turning back to his locker, “I would, but Ryan has kind of been avoiding me lately.”
“I know that,” Sharpay snapped. “You’ve been walking around looking like a wounded spaniel all week, and Ryan’s not been much better.”
“Really?” Chad asked doubtfully. Ryan hadn’t seemed very unhappy to him although, admittedly, he hadn’t seen Ryan too much that week. “Why would he be depressed?”
“Apparently, Troy said something to him,” Sharpay said. “Now, I’m sure he only had the best intentions, but . . .” she paused reflectively. “Well, Ryan won’t tell me exactly what he said, but whatever it was, it’s got him feeling really down.”
Chad was surprised. Troy said something to Ryan? Why? It wasn’t any of his business.
“Look,” Sharpay said, flipping her hair out of her face, “I’m blaming this whole thing entirely on you. Fix it.”
And with that, Sharpay marched off down the hall, leaving a very thoughtful Chad at his locker.
-
Both Chad and Troy stayed late after practice that Thursday for some extra drills, so when they went to change the locker room was empty. Well, Chad thought, there’s no time like the present.
“Ryan’s been acting pretty weird lately,” Chad said, pulling off his practice jersey. Troy shrugged.
“He was pretty weird to begin with wasn’t he?” he laughed. “Man, I’m pumped for Saturday’s game. We’re going to kick ass.”
“Yeah, I guess,” Chad said, a little irritated by Troy’s casual insult at Ryan. “It’s just that he’s kind of been avoiding me lately.”
“Well, that’s all right, isn’t it?” Troy asked, grinning at Chad. It was weird how Chad used to really like that smile. Now he just wanted to wipe it off Troy’s face. “More time to hang with your boys, right?”
Chad was really starting to get annoyed with Troy’s cavalier attitude. “Look, Troy,” he said, getting right to the point, “did you say anything to him?”
Troy looked at him innocently. “To who?”
“To Ryan.” Chad pulled his pants on. “What did you say to him?”
The first hint of guilt began stealing across Troy’s face. “It wasn’t a big deal,” he said, laughing nervously. “I just told him to back off a little, you know? It was like you two were attached at the hip for a while there.” He laughed again. “Like I said, not a big deal.”
Chad slammed his locker shut angrily. “You’re such an asshole, Troy,” he said, trying to keep his temper in check. “You had no right to say that to him.”
“Oh, come on, man,” Troy said, spreading his arms out. “What are you talking about? You’re my best buddy, but we never hang out anymore. Why? Because of Ryan Evans? I’d be a bad friend if I didn’t say anything.”
“The reason why we don’t hang out anymore isn’t Ryan, it’s you,” Chad said. “You and all the shit you pull. You’re a dick, Bolton.”
“Hey, Chad, come on-” Troy began, but Chad had already stormed out of the locker room. It was so stupid how you could think you know someone and then have him turn on you like that.
Maybe that was why Troy reminded him of Wickham. 15
-
That Friday, Chad showed up at the Evans’ front door at 6:30 PM with a large duffel bag and rang the doorbell. A very surprised Ryan answered.
“Um, hey, Chad,” he said, as Chad walked past him into the kitchen. “Uh, what are you doing here?”
“Well,” Chad said, “I don’t know about you, but I watched that A Room with a View last week and, while I really enjoy both of the Spalls’ performances, by the end I just really wanted to slit my wrists.”
Ryan smiled a little. “Yeah, it was pretty depressing.”
“So,” Chad said, reaching into his bag and pulling out a DVD case, “I figured we could walk the considerably less depressing Helena Bonham Carter version 16 tonight to get rid of those unhappy memories.”
Ryan’s smile became a little wider. “What else is in the bag?” he asked.
Chad grinned. “Well,” he said, reaching back in, “for one thing, cake.” Ryan raised an eyebrow as a large Entenmanns pound cake landed on the counter. “And,” Chad continued, pulling something else out of his bag, “jam, to go with the cake.” 17
Ryan laughed outright at that, and then looked guilty. “Look, Chad,” he began, but Chad cut him off.
“I talked to Troy,” he said, gently taking Ryan by the shoulders. “Don’t pay any attention to what he says to you. He’s an idiot.”
Ryan grinned, a little ruefully. “I didn’t really want to get between you two,” he said. “I
mean, you’ve been friends for forever.”
Chad snorted and let go of him. “Please,” he said. “The only thing coming between me and Troy is Troy himself.” Chad paused, looking directly into Ryan’s eyes. “I missed you.”
“Me, too,” Ryan said. He touched the side of Chad’s face and they kissed, slowly, relishing the moment.
“Hey,” Chad said when they parted, “did I ever tell you how you kind of remind me of Darcy from Pride and Prejudice?”
“Do I?” Ryan said, laughing. “Does that make you my Elizabeth, then?”
Chad laughed as well as he grabbed the DVD and they walked towards the media room. He’d been trying to avoid that particular comparison, but . . .
“I guess it does,” he said.
1 Mr. and Mrs. Bennet are husband and wife.
2 The main villain in Pride and Prejudice.
3 The main love interest in Pride and Prejudice.
4 The female protagonist of Pride and Prejudice.
5 The seven books are Emma, Persuasion, Sense and Sensibility, Northanger Abbey, Sandition and other stories, Mansfield Park, and Pride and Prejudice.
6 The main male love interest in Persuasian.
7 Charlotte, Emily, and Anne Brontë were three sisters who wrote novels during the first half of the 19th century. Charlotte Brontë wrote Jane Eyre.
8 A 2001 novel that explores the issues of religion and spirituality.
9 A 1939 detective novel.
10 A 1932 dystopian novel.
11 A Bollywood-style film adaptation of Pride and Prejudice.
12 Ryan and Chad are discussing a scene added to the end of the 2005 film version of Pride and Prejudice that shows the married Darcys enjoying a romantic evening at home. The book has no outright romantic scenes like the one in the movie; no kissing, huge declarations of love, etc.
13 A 1939 crime novel about ten guests who visit a mansion on an island and die there under mysterious circumstances.
14 In E. M. Forester’s 1908 novel A Room with a View, George Emerson is the main male love interest. In the end of the book, he and the female protagonist share a vacation in Italy. In the end of the 2007 television film version, the ending is changed and he dies in WWII.
15 When Wickham was first introduced in Pride and Prejudice, he was a handsome young soldier and a potential love interest for Elizabeth. By the end of the book, however, it is revealed he is a scoundrel and a cad, out to try and get the Bennet’s money.
16 A 1986 film version of A Room with a View.
17 In A Room with a View, one of the secondary characters, Freddy, talks about jam. This segment is extended for comic effect in the 2007 television movie version; Freddy, after remarking how the jam is “jolly good,” goes on to find a variety of uses for the jam, including putting it on cake.
Recipient: desinere
Title: How Chad Danforth Discovered a Love of Reading (and Other Things, Too) Via a Summer Reading Assignment and Nineteenth Century Chick-Lit
Pairing(s): Chad/Ryan, implied onesided Chad/Troy
Summary: See title.
Rating: PG
Warning(s): Nothing major, other than many extensive references to different books.
Word Count: 3,930
Disclaimer: All High School Musical characters herein are the property of Disney. No copyright infringement is intended.
Author's Notes: The most ironic thing about this fic is that I hated Pride and Prejudice. All the literary references I make in this have been footnoted, in case anyone hasn’t read/watched the book/movie I’m talking about. And I’m sorry; I tried really hard, but I simply couldn’t get the handcuffs in.
Chad had really enjoyed Pride and Prejudice.
Not that he would admit that he liked it to anyone, and not that he had read it of his own volition, either. Pride and Prejudice was, in Chad’s opinion, one of those books you never read on your own. You had to be forced to read it over the summer for English class, and even if you liked it, as a self-respecting male, you couldn’t tell anyone. Not your best friend, because he complained how “girly” the book was the entire time you were reading it. Not your mom, either, because she’d probably ask you if you had “something to tell her.” You couldn’t tell anyone.
Chad wasn’t exactly sure why he had liked Pride and Prejudice so much, although he had some inkling. He didn’t like it for all the stereotypical male reasons, like “I thought the chicks were hot” or “There was a swordfight.” The characters, Chad thought, were what really stood out to him. Most of the time Chad found himself raising a metaphorical eyebrow at the characters in the books they read in English class (Cordelia from King Lear? Really, Shakespeare? No one that perfect exists), but Jane Austen’s characters had faults and features and, well, characters. Chad could recognize glimpses of people he knew in Elizabeth and the rest of them. Sharpay, for one, would make a perfect Miss Bingley. Mrs. Darbus kind of reminded him of Mrs. Bennet, and Coach Bolton would make a perfect Mr. Bennet (which was a pretty disturbing image, but Chad chose to ignore that) 1.
And Troy was Wickham 2.
Chad didn’t really want to talk about that one.
Ryan, interestingly enough, reminded Chad of Darcy 3 (albeit a high-energy, fedora-wearing, extremely gay Darcy), but only because Chad’s initial impression of Ryan had changed so much over the summer, and not for any other reason. And not that Chad was comparing himself to Elizabeth 4 , either, because he definitely wasn’t.
-
After the Pride and Prejudice test the first week of school, Chad’s English class moved on to other, considerably less interesting books. That weekend, Chad went to Barnes & Noble and picked up the entire Jane Austen collection. He felt a little weird about it, but the cashier didn’t even blink when he brought the books up to the register. If he had, Chad would probably have bolted.
In the parking lot, Chad set the books lovingly down on the passenger’s seat of his new car. It was all he could do to keep from starting Emma right then and there. As it was, he had barely gotten home before he was sprawled on the couch, book open to chapter one.
-
Chad would have finished all seven books 5 before the end of the week if he had brought them to school or practice. He decided not to, however, on the grounds that they probably wouldn’t go over so well with the rest of the team (because “Hey, man, what are you reading?” “Oh, just Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility. It’s a beautiful read” probably wasn’t the best way to start a conversation in the locker room). He was careful not to let anyone know about his current obsession. Star athlete Chad Danforth is into nineteenth century chick-lit? Not something Chad wanted to spread around East High.
-
One morning, however, during a particularly intense chapter of Persuasion, Chad found he simply could not tear himself away by the time it was time to leave for school. He couldn’t wait seven hours before reading the conclusion, not when Wentworth 6 was about to-well, he just couldn’t. In the end, he decided to take the book. He’d read it during free period in the library, away from the prying eyes of classmates goofing off in the halls.
He finished that chapter, and the next one, as well, by eighth period. School ended, and Chad stopped by his locker before practice to put his books away. He hummed a bit as he put Persuasion into his backpack. The ending of the chapter had been absolutely perfect.
“Hey, is that Persuasion?”
Chad spun around, ready to deny all claims and, if necessary, put all the blame on the person with the locker next to him, but relaxed when he saw who had spoken.
“Evans,” he said, grinning. “You scared the crap out of me.”
“Sorry.” Ryan, who was dressed in what looked like a new white button-down with pinstriped pants and a hat to match, laughed. “I was just surprised to see you carrying that around,” he said, indicating the book. “I didn’t know you liked Jane Austen.”
“Well, actually-” Chad paused. Why would he bother lying to Ryan? He wasn’t going to judge Chad. “Yeah. Yeah, I do. I’m a pretty big fan, as a matter of fact.”
“Wow.” Ryan nodded in amazement. “I didn’t even know you could read.”
Chad laughed. “I’m in AP English, aren’t I?” he asked. “Besides, those sports magazines can have some pretty long words in their articles.”
Ryan laughed again. Over the summer he had seemed a little subdued, but after the Lava Springs talent show he had been a lot happier. Chad was glad. Ryan was a nice guy, and Chad felt that, sometimes, Ryan understood him more than Troy and the others.
Chad smiled to himself. Weird how he felt he could tell Ryan about his newfound love for Jane Austen, but he couldn’t tell Troy.
“Have you read anything by the Brontë sisters?” Ryan asked. “If you like Austen, you’d love them.” 7
“Really?” Chad asked. He’d been wondering what he could read after he finished his Austen books. “That’s, like, Jane Eyre, right?”
“Yeah.” Ryan nodded and adjusted his hat so it sat more centrally on his head. “I think you’d really like them. I could lend one to you, if you want.”
“Sure,” Chad said enthusiastically. “That sounds awesome.”
“I’ll bring it in tomorrow, then,” Ryan said, grinning. He really had a great smile. “See you later, Danforth.”
“Definitely,” Chad said, as Ryan walked off down the hall.
-
Jane Eyre was only the first of many books that would pass from Ryan to Chad and, as Chad got over his fear of being seen buying books, vice versa. They branched out from Austen and the Brontë sisters to all sorts of genres from all sorts of time periods. Chad found himself reading Life of Pi by Yann Martel 8 after finishing The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler 9 with Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World 10 waiting on his night stand. He and Ryan would discuss symbolism and plot, things had never though he’d want to hear about outside of English class (and not even there, really), between classes. They started going book shopping together, which became grabbing coffee together, and then meals, and then just general hanging out. Ryan was a great friend to have. He was funny and smart, and interesting to talk to. Chad felt like he could talk about anything to Ryan. It wasn’t like talking basketball with Troy or Zeke; with Ryan, it was real conversation. Chad didn’t know how to describe it. He and Ryan just kind of connected.
Chad had Jane Austen to thank for that.
-
One Friday Ryan stopped Chad in the hall. “Are you doing anything tonight?” he asked.
Chad, who was trying to figure out the complex print on Ryan’s hat, shook his head. “There’s a game tomorrow, but it’s at two, so it’s not a big deal. Why?”
“Well,” Ryan said slowly, like he was choosing his words with care, “I got the recent Pride and Prejudice movie in my Netflix the other day, and,” he adjusted his hat slightly, “I was wondering if you, you know, wanted to come over tonight and watch it.”
“That’s the Keira Knightly version, right?” Chad asked earnestly. “I heard good things about that. I’d definitely like to come over.”
“Great,” Ryan said, smiling. “We’d have to order out for dinner, though. My mom’s not much of a cook.”
Chad laughed. “Somehow I’m not surprised,” he said. He couldn’t imagine Mrs. Evans in an apron if her life depended on it. “How about Indian?”
“Sounds good,” Ryan said. “We could watch Bride and Prejudice 11 as well, continuing the theme.”
“I see,” Chad said. “It all connects. I like it.”
Ryan laughed. “Great,” he said again. “Want to come over around, say, 6:30?”
“All right,” Chad said. The bell rang and he turned to dash to class. “See you then!”
-
As Keira Knightly and Matthew Macfadyen melted away into the back credit screen at the end of Pride and Prejudice, Chad turned to Ryan. They were sitting on an extremely comfortable leather couch in the Evans’ media room, the remnants of their Indian dinner strewn across the coffee table in front of them. When Ryan talked about having a home theater, Chad had realized when he first walked in that he hadn’t been exaggerating. The television screen was bigger than the ones at the local movie theater.
“What did you think of that ending?” he asked. Ryan looked thoughtful.
“Well,” he said slowly, “Austen’s books are most often criticized for their lack of emotion. It works fine for the books, but I guess they thought it wouldn’t translate well in the movie.” He shrugged. “I liked the ending scene. It was romantic but not incongruous with the rest of the film.”
Chad nodded. “The end of the book was very dry, but that was the time period. I’m glad that, for the movie, they ended it on a softer note.” He stopped to search for a word. “You know . . . less clinical.” 12
Ryan laughed and stood up to change the DVD. “I don’t know if ‘clinical’ is the word you’re looking for,” he said as he walked over to the DVD player. The ending credits music was still playing, and Ryan swayed a little to the beat. Chad smiled, watching him as he moved. Ryan had such a subtle, lissome grace about him that intrigued Chad. He found he couldn’t take his eyes away.
As Ryan changed the DVD, the music changed from string quartets to playful, high-energy Bollywood beats, and Ryan began dancing outright. He looked so happy, spinning around, hair flying (he had taken his hat off before they sat down to avoid crushing it during the movie), that Chad had to laugh. Ryan, over one shoulder, gave him a mock-glare.
“Don’t just sit there laughing,” he said, with a fancy twist. “Dance with me!”
Chad shook his head, feeling suddenly bashful. “I can’t,” he said. “I don’t know how.” Ryan rolled his eyes scornfully.
“You don’t need to know anything,” he said, dancing over to Chad and pulling him up. “You just have to move how the music tells you.”
At first, Chad felt excruciatingly awkward, but as the music went on, he felt himself loosen up. Dancing with Ryan like this, laughing and swaying, close together, just having fun, felt somehow right to Chad. And when they stopped dancing and Ryan’s hands skimmed up his sides and Chad rested his palms against Ryan’s chest, that felt right, too. And as their lips touched, softly at first, and then harder, Chad couldn’t help but wonder why Austen wouldn’t want to include any of this in her novels.
-
It was weird because, after that night, Chad and Ryan’s relationship didn’t change much at all. They did everything they used to do, the only difference being that their shoulders would touch and Chad would shiver, and sometimes Ryan would take Chad’s hand in the bookstore and squeeze it, ever so gently, and they went out to dinner more and movie sleepovers became a regular thing.
Being with Ryan was the best dating experience Chad had ever had. They didn’t need to prove anything to anyone, like Chad had felt when he was with Taylor, partially because he and Ryan didn’t feel like they had to announce their relationship status to the whole school. Dating Ryan was like dating his best friend (which brought up weir images of Troy and him, but Chad chose to ignore them and concentrate on the good things in his life).
-
About two weeks after Chad had “officially” asked Ryan out (it had been kind of stupid, actually; Ryan had mentioned in passing one day at a bookstore that they weren’t really dating, and Chad had gotten down on one knee and offered Ryan the first book that came to hand, which happened to be Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None 13, which wasn’t very romantic, but Ryan accepted anyway), Chad found Ryan in the library during unassigned one day.
“Hey,” he said, scooting into the seat next to Ryan’s. “What are you doing after school today? Practice isn’t until five, so I figured we could, you know, go hang out at my house for a bit.”
“Oh,” said Ryan. “Er. I . . . you know what? I can’t. I’ve got rehearsal today.” He gave Chad an apologetic smile. “Sorry.”
Chad, who had checked the musical rehearsal schedule that morning to make sure Ryan was available, was taken aback. Was Ryan lying to him?
He dismissed that thought. If Ryan had something he wanted to say to Chad, he could be upright about it, not dishonest. Darbus had probably just scheduled an extra practice; that was all.
“It’s cool,” Chad said, standing up. “Well, uh, I’ve got to see my math teacher, so I’ll see you around, I guess.”
“All right,” Ryan said, and went back to his homework.
-
Chad would have forgotten about the whole incident by the next day if Ryan hadn’t continued to avoid him for the rest of the week. Chad couldn’t understand it. Why wouldn’t Ryan just talk to him, instead of not answering his calls or pretending to not see him in the halls? Chad tried rather desperately to corner Ryan, but whenever they talked, Ryan was distant and sometimes even kind of cold. Chad wasn’t sure what to do.
-
On Friday, Chad managed to pin Ryan down at lunch. “Oh,” Ryan said, looking less than pleased to see him. “Hey.”
“Listen,” Chad said, doing his very best to be chipper in the face of Ryan’s decided unenthusiasm. “PBS is showing a new adaptation of A Room with a View tonight. Want to come over and check it out?”
“I would,” Ryan said with a shrug, “but I can’t. I’ve got this . . . family thing tonight. Maybe some other time, okay?”
“Okay,” Chad said, trying not to show how disappointed he was. He almost wished Ryan would hurry up and dump him, just to end this torture.
-
That night, Chad watched A Room with a View by himself, which would have been depressing enough without George dying in the end. 14 As it was, Chad went to bed late that night, wondering why he even bothered waking up in the mornings.
-
By Monday, Chad had decided to officially break up with Ryan, if he could get Ryan to stop avoiding him long enough to talk to him. It was pointless to even pretend to be in a relationship if Ryan didn’t even want to see him. Chad even had a speech planned for the big moment.
The only issue was that Ryan wasn’t even in school that day.
It was annoying, Chad thought, to decide to do something and then not be able to do it. He stopped by his locker after school, feeling too dejected to pay any real attention to what was going on in the hall around him.
“Danforth.”
Chad spun around so fast he nearly got whiplash, but relaxed when he saw who it was.
“Oh,” he said. “Hello, Sharpay. What a . . . pleasant surprise.”
“I’m sure.” Sharpay crossed her arms primly, looking at Chad as though she’d rather be looking at a cockroach. “I need you to talk to my brother.”
Chad blinked. Generally speaking, he had been under the impression that Sharpay didn’t want him talking to Ryan at all.
“Well,” he said, turning back to his locker, “I would, but Ryan has kind of been avoiding me lately.”
“I know that,” Sharpay snapped. “You’ve been walking around looking like a wounded spaniel all week, and Ryan’s not been much better.”
“Really?” Chad asked doubtfully. Ryan hadn’t seemed very unhappy to him although, admittedly, he hadn’t seen Ryan too much that week. “Why would he be depressed?”
“Apparently, Troy said something to him,” Sharpay said. “Now, I’m sure he only had the best intentions, but . . .” she paused reflectively. “Well, Ryan won’t tell me exactly what he said, but whatever it was, it’s got him feeling really down.”
Chad was surprised. Troy said something to Ryan? Why? It wasn’t any of his business.
“Look,” Sharpay said, flipping her hair out of her face, “I’m blaming this whole thing entirely on you. Fix it.”
And with that, Sharpay marched off down the hall, leaving a very thoughtful Chad at his locker.
-
Both Chad and Troy stayed late after practice that Thursday for some extra drills, so when they went to change the locker room was empty. Well, Chad thought, there’s no time like the present.
“Ryan’s been acting pretty weird lately,” Chad said, pulling off his practice jersey. Troy shrugged.
“He was pretty weird to begin with wasn’t he?” he laughed. “Man, I’m pumped for Saturday’s game. We’re going to kick ass.”
“Yeah, I guess,” Chad said, a little irritated by Troy’s casual insult at Ryan. “It’s just that he’s kind of been avoiding me lately.”
“Well, that’s all right, isn’t it?” Troy asked, grinning at Chad. It was weird how Chad used to really like that smile. Now he just wanted to wipe it off Troy’s face. “More time to hang with your boys, right?”
Chad was really starting to get annoyed with Troy’s cavalier attitude. “Look, Troy,” he said, getting right to the point, “did you say anything to him?”
Troy looked at him innocently. “To who?”
“To Ryan.” Chad pulled his pants on. “What did you say to him?”
The first hint of guilt began stealing across Troy’s face. “It wasn’t a big deal,” he said, laughing nervously. “I just told him to back off a little, you know? It was like you two were attached at the hip for a while there.” He laughed again. “Like I said, not a big deal.”
Chad slammed his locker shut angrily. “You’re such an asshole, Troy,” he said, trying to keep his temper in check. “You had no right to say that to him.”
“Oh, come on, man,” Troy said, spreading his arms out. “What are you talking about? You’re my best buddy, but we never hang out anymore. Why? Because of Ryan Evans? I’d be a bad friend if I didn’t say anything.”
“The reason why we don’t hang out anymore isn’t Ryan, it’s you,” Chad said. “You and all the shit you pull. You’re a dick, Bolton.”
“Hey, Chad, come on-” Troy began, but Chad had already stormed out of the locker room. It was so stupid how you could think you know someone and then have him turn on you like that.
Maybe that was why Troy reminded him of Wickham. 15
-
That Friday, Chad showed up at the Evans’ front door at 6:30 PM with a large duffel bag and rang the doorbell. A very surprised Ryan answered.
“Um, hey, Chad,” he said, as Chad walked past him into the kitchen. “Uh, what are you doing here?”
“Well,” Chad said, “I don’t know about you, but I watched that A Room with a View last week and, while I really enjoy both of the Spalls’ performances, by the end I just really wanted to slit my wrists.”
Ryan smiled a little. “Yeah, it was pretty depressing.”
“So,” Chad said, reaching into his bag and pulling out a DVD case, “I figured we could walk the considerably less depressing Helena Bonham Carter version 16 tonight to get rid of those unhappy memories.”
Ryan’s smile became a little wider. “What else is in the bag?” he asked.
Chad grinned. “Well,” he said, reaching back in, “for one thing, cake.” Ryan raised an eyebrow as a large Entenmanns pound cake landed on the counter. “And,” Chad continued, pulling something else out of his bag, “jam, to go with the cake.” 17
Ryan laughed outright at that, and then looked guilty. “Look, Chad,” he began, but Chad cut him off.
“I talked to Troy,” he said, gently taking Ryan by the shoulders. “Don’t pay any attention to what he says to you. He’s an idiot.”
Ryan grinned, a little ruefully. “I didn’t really want to get between you two,” he said. “I
mean, you’ve been friends for forever.”
Chad snorted and let go of him. “Please,” he said. “The only thing coming between me and Troy is Troy himself.” Chad paused, looking directly into Ryan’s eyes. “I missed you.”
“Me, too,” Ryan said. He touched the side of Chad’s face and they kissed, slowly, relishing the moment.
“Hey,” Chad said when they parted, “did I ever tell you how you kind of remind me of Darcy from Pride and Prejudice?”
“Do I?” Ryan said, laughing. “Does that make you my Elizabeth, then?”
Chad laughed as well as he grabbed the DVD and they walked towards the media room. He’d been trying to avoid that particular comparison, but . . .
“I guess it does,” he said.
1 Mr. and Mrs. Bennet are husband and wife.
2 The main villain in Pride and Prejudice.
3 The main love interest in Pride and Prejudice.
4 The female protagonist of Pride and Prejudice.
5 The seven books are Emma, Persuasion, Sense and Sensibility, Northanger Abbey, Sandition and other stories, Mansfield Park, and Pride and Prejudice.
6 The main male love interest in Persuasian.
7 Charlotte, Emily, and Anne Brontë were three sisters who wrote novels during the first half of the 19th century. Charlotte Brontë wrote Jane Eyre.
8 A 2001 novel that explores the issues of religion and spirituality.
9 A 1939 detective novel.
10 A 1932 dystopian novel.
11 A Bollywood-style film adaptation of Pride and Prejudice.
12 Ryan and Chad are discussing a scene added to the end of the 2005 film version of Pride and Prejudice that shows the married Darcys enjoying a romantic evening at home. The book has no outright romantic scenes like the one in the movie; no kissing, huge declarations of love, etc.
13 A 1939 crime novel about ten guests who visit a mansion on an island and die there under mysterious circumstances.
14 In E. M. Forester’s 1908 novel A Room with a View, George Emerson is the main male love interest. In the end of the book, he and the female protagonist share a vacation in Italy. In the end of the 2007 television film version, the ending is changed and he dies in WWII.
15 When Wickham was first introduced in Pride and Prejudice, he was a handsome young soldier and a potential love interest for Elizabeth. By the end of the book, however, it is revealed he is a scoundrel and a cad, out to try and get the Bennet’s money.
16 A 1986 film version of A Room with a View.
17 In A Room with a View, one of the secondary characters, Freddy, talks about jam. This segment is extended for comic effect in the 2007 television movie version; Freddy, after remarking how the jam is “jolly good,” goes on to find a variety of uses for the jam, including putting it on cake.