Disclaimer: High School Musical does not belong to me.
WARNING: This contains incest. If you don't like it, don't read.
Sometimes, Ryan would reflect on things when class would get boring. On almost everything. How he had seen Troy and Gabriella fighting that one time and he'd been shocked. How he seen Chad kissing Taylor like there was no tomorrow when they both knew there was always tomorrow. How Zeke would always smile brighter when he saw Sharpay.
People often thought Ryan was dumb. Ryan guessed it was because he had the ability to become easily confused but dumb was something he was not. It was okay if people didn't see that. They at least knew he was an alright guy during the summer and it was fine if that was all they knew.
He hadn't been paying attention and before long the bell had rung and it was time to go meet Sharpay and then they'd go to their lockers and get ready to go home. Sharpay would drive them in her pink car. It was actually comforting he knew what was going to happen.
He walked by Troy and Gabriella who were smiling in love sick sort of way to each other, both giving him a small wave as quickly as they saw him. He still didn't like Troy but Troy was polite and Ryan had to be polite back. Gabriella was pretty and almost perfect. You had to like her.
He walked past Chad and Taylor. Chad shouting out "Evans!" and promising they'd go play baseball some day. It sounded fun and Ryan agreed. Taylor smiled at him almost awkwardly. She never knew how to act around him. He smiled back.
And finally he made his way to Sharpay, who was talking to Zeke. She was giving him pretty little smiles and fluttery eyelashes. Ryan stayed back and watched on with a slightly amused face. She led the poor boy on and Ryan felt sorry for him. He'd hung out with Zeke and he didn't deserve the type of torture Sharpay gave him.
But Ryan never did anything to stop it.
Finally, Sharpay shooed him away and smiled to herself arrogantly when Zeke walked away with a lovesick look glued to his face.
"You shouldn't tease him, Shar."
Sharpay only smiled and opened her locker.
"He likes to be teased, Ryan."
Ryan said nothing and went to his locker. Kelsi showed up at her locker, looking happy and content. Ryan guessed Jason had done something to make her that way. She gave him a small smile and walked away before Sharpay could make her do some chore. She always tried to dodge Sharpay. A lot of people did.
And when they were all ready to go home, his sister began walking away haughtily as always, not waiting to see if Ryan was ready. He always was. And so he followed behind her as always. It wasn't as if anything as old as that ritual could change. Even if it was their last year in high school.
As they went home, Sharpay put her hand on his thigh and Ryan noticed she had painted her nails blue to match her blue skirt. He hadn't noticed before oddly enough. He smiled to himself and put his hand over hers.
Their parents weren't home. Ryan knew their father was at some trip and their mother was doing things over at Lava Spring. She hated to be home alone.
"Ryan," Sharpay said randomly as they finished their homework in his room on the floor. He looked over to her and she was grinning. Everything went according to the way it always did. "I notice you always stare off into space. What do you think about? Sometimes you have this big dopey smile and sometimes you look sad. I've always wanted to ask what you think about."
"Why haven't you asked me before?"
"I always forget."
Ryan knows it's a lie and he only gives her a small smile, not telling her he knows her fib. They both know already.
"I think about everything. Like life. Like strangers. The future. The student body at East High. How Troy always smiles and never seems to be sad. How Gabriella is so perfect and how it's like she never falls. How Chad is always joking and it overshadows everything. How Taylor always looks so stressed before a test even though she knows she'll pass because she's the smartest girl in the school."
Sharpay's closer to him now and her feline grin has definitely grown.
"You've always been such a people watcher, Ry. It creeps me out."
She's moved so she's sitting in his lap and Ryan loves how nothing ever changes. It always makes his day brighter and he plays with her hair. It's losing its curls.
"Do you ever think about me?" She asks and Ryan had been waiting for her to ask that and he pulls her closer to him so her breasts are almost to his chest.
"Of course I do. I think about how you always look your best."
"You do too."
"But you do it differently. I do it without thinking but you put a lot of thought into it." She says nothing and he pulls her hair away from her neck so it shows her skin. He wants to kiss just there but not yet. "I think about how you're always so beautiful during the day. How you're always so confident and how guys always look at you but are scared to go up to you."
"Does Troy ever look at me?"
He frowns and pulls her closer to him.
"He does."
"Good." She smiles with all the confidence in the world and maybe it's bad but he hates it's Troy that gives her that satisfaction.
"I also notice how you lead Zeke along just because you want to feel better about yourself. I don't know why. You have me. You know that no matter what, I'll always want to kiss you."
She looks at him and the real Sharpay shines through. Her smile loses confidence and her hand clutches at his shoulder.
"You just do it to make me feel better."
And so he kisses her. Making her whimper and making her wrap her legs around his waist. And when he pulls away, he shakes his head.
"I kiss you and make love to you because I love you. I love you more than anything. I wish you'd just get that, Shar."
She'll never get it. She'll never understand the love he has for her and maybe he'll never understand it himself. She kisses him without saying a word and once again, they have sex on the floor. She holds onto him like he's her lifeline and he just loves her in hope she'll feel how much she means to him.
But as soon as they're finished, both screaming each other's names, she gets dressed and quickly walks out of the room. Ryan only follows her with his eyes, never with his body.
Somehow, this daily routine is still reassuring.