Opposites Attract
Chapter 11: October 1st, The Auditions

Disclaimer: You've spent 10 chapters before this reading "I do not own High School Musical." Hopefully you get it by now. (By the way, I own none of the songs in this chapter.)

A/N: Last Chapter of Editation. Not much, actually. I kinda liked this chapter.

No POV

Mrs. Darbus basked in the glow of the stage lights before beginning her speech. She could tell by the smiles on her students faces her plan had worked. Although, Troy Bolton and Ryan Evans, the reason and inspiration behind the whole idea, were no where in sight. Now that she thought of it, neither was Kelsi Neilson. She shook it off and began speaking. "Welcome to the Senior Talent Show auditions! The first couple up is...Zeke Baylor and Gabriella Montez. You have 3 minutes to prepare." Troy, Ryan, and Kelsi entered as Zeke and Gabriella warmed up.

"Mrs. Darbus? Can Ryan and I go last? Please?" Troy whispered nervously.

"Why?" she asked, although she knew where this was going. Hopefully. The whole reason behind this idea was to get Troy and Ryan together, because they wouldn't themselves. Being a teacher had the advantages of knowing people's secrets before most people found out, whether due to overhearing conversations, or notes that had been confiscated and not read out loud. In Ryan Evans and Troy Bolton's case, it had been a journal entry Troy had dropped last May. The drama teacher already knew of the apparent crush Ryan had on Troy, but this entry returned the feelings. It read: 'Dear Diary, I can't stand not being able to tell Ryan how I feel. Actually, I can't stand not being able to tell anyone how I feel. It's not like I can go up to Chad and say, 'Hey, man guess what? I'm gay and I'm in love with Ryan Evans.' That wouldn't go so well. Chad would tell Taylor, who'd tell Gabriella who'd first kill me then tell Sharpay, and Sharpay'd tell the whole school. I can't risk my reputation like that, what if everyone hates me? -Troy" From the minute Mrs. Darbus read that, she knew she had to meddle, it would be wrong for two people who were perfect for each other to not be together because of a silly image. She knew this from her own high school experiences, and was still paying for it, years later. The drama teacher was brought back to reality by Troy, who told her the whole story about him and Ryan, leaving out that they had met before the two weeks were up. "I don't see why I can't." She smiled to herself.

Zeke and Gabriella sang "As Long As You're Mine" from the musical Wicked, and made got the first out of four singing spots in the talent show. Sharpay and Kelsi got the next one, by Sharpay singing "Because of You" by Kelly Clarkson and Kelsi accompanying her on the piano. One more singing couple made it into the show, and Taylor McKessie, Martha Cox, Chad Danforth and Jason Cross filled the two dancing spots. The next three couples didn't make it, and finally Troy and Ryan were up.

Troy walked to the center of the stage, clutching his black and red microphone like it was the only thing keeping him alive. Frankly, it was, at least, it was the only thing keeping him sane. He was sure once the audition was over everyone would turn on him. Especially his friends.

"Whenever you're ready, Mr. Bolton," Mrs. Darbus called from her table in the audience. He nodded. 'You have nothing to lose. You have Ryan.' he thought as the background music began to play.

Past the point of no return -
no backward
glances:
our games of make believe
are at an end . .
Past all thought of "if" or "when" -
no use
resisting:
abandon thought,
and let the dream
descend . . .

What raging fire shall flood the soul?
What rich desire unlocks its door?
What sweet
seduction lies before us . . .?
Past the point of no
return,
the final threshold, what warm,
unspoken
secrets will we learn?
Beyond the point
of no return

He nodded to Ryan, who took his white microphone and joined Troy on the stage. He grabbed Troy's hand and began singing:

You have brought me
to that moment
where words run dry, to that moment
where speech disappears into silence,
silence . . .

I have come here, hardly knowing
the reason why...
In my mind, I've already
imagined our
bodies entwining
defenseless and silent -
and now I
am here with you:
no second thoughts, I've decided,
decided . . .

Past the point of no return
no going back now:
our passion-play has now, at last,
begun . . .

Past all thought of right or wrong
-
one final question:
how long should we two wait,
before
we're one . . .?

When will the
blood begin to race
the sleeping bud burst into bloom?
When will the flames, at last, consume
us . . .?

The audience gasped at the sight of East High's golden boy being so intimate with another boy. Troy and Ryan were too lost in the song to notice, though.

Past the point of no return
the final
threshold, the bridge
is crossed, so stand and watch it
burn . . .
We've passed the point of no return

Say you'll share with me one
love, one lifetime. .Lead me, save me from my solitude . . .
Say you want me with
you,
here beside you . . .
Anywhere you go let me go
too,
Ryan, that's all I ask of . . .

They ended the song with a kiss, which received both cheering and confused mumbles from the audience.

"Before anyone says anything," Troy started as Mrs. Darbus stood up. "I just want the whole school to know, I love Ryan. He means everything to me, and if my so-called friends or anyone else can't accept that, then too bad. Nothing is going to break us up." The basketball star wrapped his arm around his smiling boyfriend and kissed him passionately. He wasn't sure if he heard cheering or jeering coming from the crowd, and didn't really care. All that mattered that he was with Ryan.

"Boys...boys?" Mrs. Darbus tried to get their attention. "Yoo-hoo!" They resurfaced; Troy's facing instantly turning a deep red. "You're in the show." Ryan beamed.

"And that's just their audition..." Kelsi laughed to herself as she put the finishing touches on her new musical. The idea came to her on Tuesday, and she had worked on it nonstop since then. She bit the eraser on her pencil before continuing: 'Troy Bolton and Ryan Evans. A jock and drama geek. Living proof that opposites attract.'