'Jolene' [Ryan Evans/Troy Bolton]
Title: 'Jolene'
Author: that_1_incident
Fandom: High School Musical
Rating: PG
Characters: Gabriella Montez, Ryan Evans (w/ implied Ryan/Troy)
Word Count: 344
Summary: He talks about you in his sleep / There's nothing I can do to keep / From crying when he calls your name, Jolene...
Disclaimer: I don't own HSM, obvs. "Jolene" belongs to the indomitable Dolly. You dis her, you die.
Author's Notes: My first fic for the song title fic meme. This was tricky because the title is a name, so I just incorporated the essence of the song. Also, I still despise Gabriella, but in this fic I suppose she's tolerable.
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Ryan glances up as Gabriella walks into the auditorium. “Hey, girl.”
She doesn’t speak immediately, just looks at him, but that’s enough to make his heart sink. “We need to talk.”
“What’s wrong?”
She frowns. She’s trying to keep it together, but there’s no mistaking the hurt in her eyes. “It’s Troy.”
Ryan’s stomach twists. “What about him?” he asks carefully.
She sniffs a little. He realizes she’s been crying. “I know, Ryan.”
“What?” He feels sick.
“I know everything.”
He walks to the edge of the stage and sits, legs dangling, head in his hands. “Nothing’s actually happened yet,” he murmurs miserably, like it matters.
She laughs. “You want it to.”
“I wouldn’t do that to you.” He looks up, stomach churning, feeling so very guilty. “Okay, yes, we like each other, but I would never...”
“He talks about you in his sleep.”
Ryan blinks. “Excuse me?”
“Don’t make me repeat it.”
Gabriella’s a good friend and it’s awful to see her so upset but at the same time a tiny, hateful part of himself is doing internal cartwheels right now because Troy - Troy Bolton - says his name in his sleep!
“I’m -”
“I hope you’ll be happy together.”
He isn’t sure what he was expecting her to say, but it definitely wasn’t that. “Huh?” he asks dumbly.
She offers some semblance of a smile. “Don’t make me repeat that either.”
He hangs his head. He’d be smiling and jumping for joy but for the fact that his friend’s heart is breaking in front of him, and that’s never a good thing to see. His feelings for Troy are so strong, but… bros before hoes, man. Or sisters before misters.
“You don’t have to do this. It’s… we’ll work around it. We won’t talk anymore. I don’t want to break you guys up.”
She steps towards him, touches his face and says simply, “You didn’t.”
“…Gabriella, I don’t know what to say,” he confesses.
She shrugs. “I’ll settle for ‘thank you.’”
He shakes his head in awe, then kisses her on the cheek.
---<---<---@
Author: that_1_incident
Fandom: High School Musical
Rating: PG
Characters: Gabriella Montez, Ryan Evans (w/ implied Ryan/Troy)
Word Count: 344
Summary: He talks about you in his sleep / There's nothing I can do to keep / From crying when he calls your name, Jolene...
Disclaimer: I don't own HSM, obvs. "Jolene" belongs to the indomitable Dolly. You dis her, you die.
Author's Notes: My first fic for the song title fic meme. This was tricky because the title is a name, so I just incorporated the essence of the song. Also, I still despise Gabriella, but in this fic I suppose she's tolerable.
---<---<---@
Ryan glances up as Gabriella walks into the auditorium. “Hey, girl.”
She doesn’t speak immediately, just looks at him, but that’s enough to make his heart sink. “We need to talk.”
“What’s wrong?”
She frowns. She’s trying to keep it together, but there’s no mistaking the hurt in her eyes. “It’s Troy.”
Ryan’s stomach twists. “What about him?” he asks carefully.
She sniffs a little. He realizes she’s been crying. “I know, Ryan.”
“What?” He feels sick.
“I know everything.”
He walks to the edge of the stage and sits, legs dangling, head in his hands. “Nothing’s actually happened yet,” he murmurs miserably, like it matters.
She laughs. “You want it to.”
“I wouldn’t do that to you.” He looks up, stomach churning, feeling so very guilty. “Okay, yes, we like each other, but I would never...”
“He talks about you in his sleep.”
Ryan blinks. “Excuse me?”
“Don’t make me repeat it.”
Gabriella’s a good friend and it’s awful to see her so upset but at the same time a tiny, hateful part of himself is doing internal cartwheels right now because Troy - Troy Bolton - says his name in his sleep!
“I’m -”
“I hope you’ll be happy together.”
He isn’t sure what he was expecting her to say, but it definitely wasn’t that. “Huh?” he asks dumbly.
She offers some semblance of a smile. “Don’t make me repeat that either.”
He hangs his head. He’d be smiling and jumping for joy but for the fact that his friend’s heart is breaking in front of him, and that’s never a good thing to see. His feelings for Troy are so strong, but… bros before hoes, man. Or sisters before misters.
“You don’t have to do this. It’s… we’ll work around it. We won’t talk anymore. I don’t want to break you guys up.”
She steps towards him, touches his face and says simply, “You didn’t.”
“…Gabriella, I don’t know what to say,” he confesses.
She shrugs. “I’ll settle for ‘thank you.’”
He shakes his head in awe, then kisses her on the cheek.
---<---<---@