A/N: Hey, guys. I'm actually too busy to have written this, but I was procrastinating. I joined the Game On challenge with the pairing of Rylor and figured that I should get started sometime...so here it is. Oneshot number one.

Duck, Duck…Goose

East Elementary school was buzzing that morning as they prepared for the arrival of some senior class members who had volunteered their time to teach and play with the kindergarteners.

Meanwhile, the students from East High were eagerly boarding the buses to get to said elementary school, as the only reason they had really volunteered their time was to get out of classes.

These six high school students had been friends and enemies on and off for two years now. As they scrambled into the bus (why they had a bus for only six students was beyond them), Troy Bolton took his permanent seat next to his girlfriend Gabriella Montez, Ryan Evans rolled his eyes as he was forced to sit next to his insistent sister, Sharpay, and Taylor McKessie, for want of having some sort of company, seated herself next to her ex-boyfriend (but still friend, of course), Chad Danforth.

The teenagers sat in surprising silence most of the way there. Troy and Gabriella were too busy making out and Ryan was avoiding all forms of conversation with his irritatingly bossy sister. Taylor and Chad were having another one of those "awkward moments" they had been having so frequently when they hung around Troy and Gabriella. It was too reminiscent of the old days…but, somehow, they really didn't want the old days back.

Upon arrival to the school, however, the group was terrified to hear the wild laughter of small children coming from the room to which they were assigned. Gulping and exchanging glances, the six of them cautiously opened the door to see a group of kids sitting in a circle and bopping each other on the head before maniacally chasing one poor, defenseless child.

This form of roughhousing was also known as "duck, duck, goose," though it appeared that the children required further instruction as to its rules, seeing as they never stopped their race around the circle. They just kept on running perpetually.

The teacher welcomed the six and instructed the children to get into their six previously designated groups and partner up with their respective senior. The high school students were then told that they were to teach the children how to play duck, duck, goose, but to be creative about it. Then, the teacher promptly left the room, thanking the Lord that she finally got some time away from those gray-hair inducing children.

"So…" Taylor started, a little unsure about what to do with these seven kids she had been assigned. "How about we get into a circle first?"

The children looked at her strangely, but complied. Once they were in a circle, the ringleader of her group asked, "What now?"

"Well…uh…let's see if I remember how to play this game. From what I remember, one of you has to walk around the circle and touch the other kids on the head, all the while saying 'duck.' However, when you want someone to chase you, you say, 'goose,' and they chase you all the way around the circle until you either reach their spot or get tagged. If you get tagged, you have to sit in the pot."

One child raised his hand, so Taylor nodded to acknowledge him. "What pot? We don't have a pot!"

Taylor sighed. "The pot is the spot in the middle of the circle."

He raised his hand again. "Why would you want someone to chase you if you knew they were gonna catch you and throw you into a pot?"

The other children mumbled in excited agreement. Taylor needed to act quickly. "It's just a game. It's really fun…I think."

Again, his hand flew up. "Yes?" Taylor said, exasperated.

"I wanna go in his group!" the boy shouted, pointing to the children headed by Ryan Evans.

Taylor looked over and saw that Ryan had the kids running around with their arms in the air. They were talking and giggling and quacking and squawking, and Ryan was joining them.

She made a face, "Ryan! She meant the game 'duck, duck, goose!' Not to pretend they're actual ducks and geese!"

Ryan looked over at Taylor, a smile on his face. "Aw, come on, Tay! We're just having a little fun. She said to be creative, didn't she, kids?"

The others responded with joyous bouts of laughter before continuing to play their make-believe game.

Meanwhile, Taylor's group was looking up at her with eyes filled with sorrow and boredom.

"WE WANNA BE IN WYAN'S GWOUP! WAHH!" one of them cried. Once he began to bawl, so did the rest of her students. Pretty soon, Taylor was left, distraught, with a gaggle of crying children.

The horrific sounds they emitted alerted Ryan to her situation. Determined, he turned to his group and said, "You know what? I think that Chad and Sharpay's groups look pretty fun, too. Why don't you guys run over and try their version of the game. If you don't like it, you can teach them ours! How about that?" he asked calmly.

"Okay!" the shouted before retreating to the other groups.

Then, Ryan walked over to Taylor's crying kids and told them to do the same. Chad looked angrily back at whoever was tossing all these kids his way, but his features softened when he saw that Ryan was taking Taylor out of the room, trying to comfort her. Something he had never been very good at.

Once outside of the room, Ryan shut the door and they sat down on a bench in the hallway. Taylor let out a frustrated grunt.

"Ugh, how do you do it, Ryan? I can't handle these kids! They're just…they have such miniscule attention spans. They won't pay attention to me and they get so distracted. They can't learn. I don't understand how you can take it so well."

Ryan chuckled. "I guess it's because I can relate to them. If you haven't noticed…I don't exactly get the best grades in the world. It's partially due to the fact that I have trouble paying attention. School bores me. Now, drama! That's another story altogether. The atmosphere never gets tiresome. So, I told the kids to act like they were ducks and geese. It worked out pretty well, I would say," he said humbly.

"But…but, the rules, Ry! We have to teach them the rules!" Taylor whined indignantly.

To this, Ryan laughed even harder. "I was going to. Eventually. You gotta warm up to the kids first, though. Earn their trust. Then, they'll do whatever you say."

Taylor shrunk back and mumbled, "But I can't warm up to them. All I know how to do is teach them the rules."

Ryan gaped at her, shaking his head. "You just gotta loosen up, Tay. Have fun. Play with the kids."

"But I haven't played with anything for years, Ryan! I don't know how to play!" Taylor countered.

Ryan stood up from the bench. "Sure ya do. You never forget how to play! Get up, Taylor. I know what'll get you loosened up."

Hesitantly, Taylor stood up, her hands crossed over her chest as a sign of embarrassment and uncertainty. "What now?"

Ryan smiled mischievously. "We're gonna dance! It's like a mimic game...with dancing. Whatever I do and say, you have to copy me, okay?"

Taylor smiled cautiously. "I don't dance, Ry."

He rolled his eyes. "Please don't start that whole excuse up again. You know how I take that…"

Taylor giggled, remembering so long ago when Chad had served up the same excuse, only to be shown that he was exceedingly wrong.

"Ready?" he asked. Taylor nodded and continued to giggle as his eyes grew wide in excited anticipation.

"DUCK!" he yelled. He spun around in place and flapped his arms every which way. He looked like a crazy bird with a hyperactivity problem. "Your turn."

Taylor shook her head and blushed. "No way am I doing that."

Ryan pouted and looked at her pleadingly. "But you said you wanted to learn how to deal with the kids. I'm showing you. Come on, Taylor. You said you would. PLEASE?!?"

She couldn't resist the pitifully cute look on Ryan's face as he pouted at her and begged. She rolled her eyes and flailed her arms randomly, muttering "duck" as she spun around.

Ryan shook his head from side-to-side in mock assessment of her work and spoke in a rather poor British accent. "Not bad. You could work on your form, though. And when you say 'duck,' you must boast it to the world. Make everyone believe you. Instill inside of us some sort of emotion. Try again."

This time, however, he walked over to Taylor and stood behind her. He grabbed her arms and began to thrash them around for her, using his own arms to control the movement of hers. Taylor could not help but laugh at this absurd moment.

"There ya go! Laughter--that's a step in the right direction. Now yell it out. DUCK!" Ryan said, throwing his head back and cackling.

"Duck," Taylor said at her normal tone of voice.

"Louder!" Ryan commanded, whirling her entire body about now. He was holding her up and spinning her around and Taylor's giggle fit seemed incessant.

"DUCK!" She screamed in between fighting for breath as she laughed.

"Hoorah!" Ryan exclaimed, setting her down at last.

Taylor continued to giggle, but, for some reason, when he set her down, a little bit of her joy seemed to melt away, as though bodily contact with Ryan Evans had somehow given her…pleasure?

"How do you feel now?" Ryan asked breathily, most likely from having to hold her up for so long.

And yet, a blush seemed to be creeping into his cheeks as he eyed the feminine form before him. Perhaps his breathiness had emerged for another, more complicated and exciting, reason.

"I feel…better," Taylor said, closing the distance between herself and Ryan.

For a moment, they simply looked at each other, breathing heavily from the ordeal. Finally, something in Ryan's eyes seemed to plead with her again, and she complied much faster than she had before. He dipped his head closer to hers and she held up her hands to cup his face as their lips met. He pulled her closer to him, but kept the embrace fairly innocent, keeping in mind that they were in an elementary school.

They broke apart, still breathless, and stared into each other's eyes, confused and yet satisfied.

"Wow," Ryan said lowly.

Taylor laughed a little more (a feat she had not known possible). "I'll say."

Ryan cleared his throat and the two lengthened the distance between them by a few inches to make the atmosphere at little more breathable.

"Ahem…well, if that didn't loosen you up, nothing will," Ryan said ironically.

Taylor smiled up at him and walked closer, seductively. "I think it's my turn at this mimic game, Ry."

Ryan gulped and nodded as she reached up her hand to touch his hat.

"Goose," she whispered into his ear.

Before Ryan had a chance to react, Taylor was rushing over to the entrance of the kindergarten room. He looked over at her perplexedly, and she yelled back to him.

"You got us loosened up…now it's my turn to explain the rules of the game," she said, flinging the door open and scampering inside.

Ryan could only grin and follow her into the classroom.

And so, when the six high school students boarded the bus after a long and tiresome day with small children, Ryan made sure to get a good seat in the middle of the bus. When he saw his sister coming, Ryan risked his life and told her strictly not to sit with him. Sharpay had gaped at him in disbelief of his rebellion, but merely flung her hair and turned her back on him. She didn't need him, anyway.

When he saw Taylor coming, however, he made sure to get out of his seat and beckon her inside, allowing her to have the window. Once she sat down, they exchanged knowing glances and smiled contently as Ryan grabbed her hand and held it firmly.

Chad, for want of company, was stuck sitting with Sharpay…a move he would soon regret as she continually applied cosmetics and blathered on about the nerve of her brother and his irritating attitude.

Troy and Gabriella continued to attempt to break the record for how long two people could eat each other's faces without stopping.

Of course, Ryan and Taylor were both having mutual thoughts that, based on their brief kiss earlier, they could beat that record.

So much for an innocent game of Duck, Duck, Goose.