Eating Cherries
By velja
Pairing: Chyan eventually
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: Sadly they're still not mine and I'm still not making any money from this
Word count: 8487 words (divided into three parts)
Summary: At the first get-together after graduation Ryan and Chad each have some news for the others. But Chad may be a little late with his information… perhaps too late?
Author's note: This story starts with a set of emails (I think it's pretty obvious who's who) and I know it's been done before. In the last few days I've read a couple of stories that begin like this (they're what gave me the idea) but I had to give it a try myself.
I hope I didn't steal anyone's idea and I also hope you like it.
Another Note: The title may seem a bit random at first but, believe me, it will all make sense in the end. At least to me it does. Oh, and I don't know if there actually are cherry trees growing in New Mexico but… let's just pretend there are, okay?
Part One
To: Goldenthroat; Hiphopqueen; Hoops'n'Musik; Idontdance; Jazzsquare; Sciencegoddess; Shorty; Starcook; Whatdidisay?
From: Sunshine
Subject: Winter break get-together?
Hey everybody,
Are we still on for the get-together on Sunday before Christmas? I can't wait to see you guys again.
Love you all,
Gabriella
To: Jazzsquare
From: Goldenthroat
Subject: !!!!
Ryan,
I can't believe you'd act so immature!
Tell me it's not true, Ry… tell me you haven't been ignoring my calls because of this!
I mean, you weren't seriously thinking about… ? Come on, I KNOW you!
Anyway, mother says you'll be down here on Friday so… you better think of a good explanation.
You're not really… sorry, Ry but I don't believe it!
Shar
To: Hiphopqueen; Hoops'n'Musik; Jazzsquare; Shorty; Sunshine
From: Sciencegoddess
Subject: Chad
Hey guys,
Did anyone talk to Chad lately? If not… well. Troy, I think you should call him. There's something… I really think he could use a friend right now.
I'm so sorry I can't make it home for Christmas, I'd love to see you all.
Big hugs for all of you,
Taylor
To: Shorty
From: Jazzsquare
Subject: I'm sorry!
Hey Kelsi,
I'm really sorry that Shar is pestering you about Robin and me. But… I'm not overreacting, am I? Please tell me I'm not overreacting.
What she did was really…
It's none of her business who I'm dating, is it?
Please, please… don't let her get to you, okay?
I'm sure once I'm home she'll stop bugging you… she will be too busy grilling and killing me.
See you at the airport.
Big hug, Ry
To: Hiphopqueen; Hoops'n'Musik; Idontdance; Sciencegoddess; Shorty; Starcook; Sunshine; Whatdidisay?
From: Goldenthroat
Subject:
Has anyone talked to my stupid, headstrong brother???
Kelsi, you've better talked some sense into him by the time you two come back or I'll make the chauffeur leave you standing at the airport.
Everyone else, be at our house at seven on Sunday… and Zeke, you'll bring some of your chocolate chips cookies, right? Oh, and don't forget the Christmas presents!
See you,
Sharpay
To: Everyone
From: Hoops'n'Musik
Subject: Did I miss something?
Hi Taylor,
What is the matter with Chad? He didn't say anything when I called him yesterday and I didn't know how to bring it up. When did you get a hold of him? He's been making himself pretty scarce lately, always busy with… whatever. Is he avoiding me? Why?
What is it?
Oh, wait, that's my cell ringing…
----
Has anyone gone completely crazy now??
Sharpay just called me! Sharpay! I didn't know she had my number!
She wanted to know if I'd talked to Ryan lately and she was pretty bitchy… I mean, really! More than normal! And she wouldn't tell me why Ryan's not speaking to her.
What's going on here?
Do you know why Ryan's mad at her? And does it have something to do with Chad? Gabriella said Kelsi knew but wouldn't tell. She said Ryan made Kelsi promise not to tell anyone.
What's wrong with everybody? I'm feeling kind of out of the loop.
I wish you a happy Christmas, sorry you can't be there.
Troy
To: Sciencegoddess
From: Hoops'n'Musik
Subject: Oh fuck!
Hey Taylor,
The last mail was for you only but I seem to have sent it to everyone else, too.
Sorry!
Troy
To: Idontdance
From: Sunshine
Subject: What's wrong?
Hey Chad,
Is there anything I can do for you? If you need someone to talk… you know I'm here for you, don't you? And so is Troy.
I hope you're alright. You can call me whenever you feel the need.
Hugs, Gabriella
To: Idontdance
From: Goldenthroat
Subject: You better not…
Chad Danforth,
Whatever your problem is… leave my brother out of it! He's got problems enough of his own!
Back off!
To: Everyone
From: Idontdance
Subject: ?!?
Guys, stop spamming my mailbox!
I have no clue what's going on with you all. There's nothing wrong with me and… Sharpay, I've absolutely no idea what you're talking about!!
I haven't talked to Ryan in weeks (sorry dude, I've been busy) and my problems have nothing to do with him.
Not that I HAVE problems in the first place. No problem!
Okay… there is something… but it's not a problem. I have some news for you but I didn't want to tell you on the phone or like this.
I wanted to tell you face to face and I will. Soon.
So, I'll see you all on Sunday at the Evans' home (well, apart from you, Taylor… but you already know, so… I wish you a happy Christmas, wherever you are).
Chad
When Friday came Ryan wasn't the least bit surprised that Sharpay hadn't come with their chauffeur to welcome him at the airport. He would have been rather shocked if she'd come.
He was still trying to be angry at her for what she'd done but at the same time he knew that once they would see each other he wouldn't be able to hold up the (granted, pretty immature) silent treatment.
So when Martin the chauffeur pulled the car up to his home (they'd dropped Kelsi off at her house first) and Sharpay suddenly came rushing out of the front door Ryan did the only thing possible.
He tried hard to scowl at his twin (but failed miserably) and then he broke into a sly grin and pulled her into a quick hug.
"Hey!"
Sharpay returned the hug and sighed relieved:
"Thank God you've come to your senses, Ry!"
"Don't start, Shar!" Ryan replied sternly and after releasing her he pulled his bag from the backseat. Slinging it over one shoulder he threw a look back and added: "Just drop it, okay? I'm still mad at you!"
"But you're talking to me again, aren't you?" Sharpay gave back with a shrug, "So, who cares?"
Ryan didn't answer but made his way to the front door and stepped into the house where his mom pulled him into a warm embrace, whispering a heartfelt "Welcome home, Ducky!" onto his hair.
Sharpay followed slowly and closed the front door with an audible smash. Rolling her eyes at the display of affection she thought: 'Oh puh-lease, he's only been gone for three month!'
Their mother acted as if Ryan had just returned from a year-long trip to Siberia!
"Kitten, why don't you go and tell Marie that Ryan would love some hot chocolate after he's freshened up a bit?" Darby Evans tried to put her daughter's temper to good use. Then she turned back to her son and smiled warmly.
"Am I right, Darling?"
"Sure, mom. The whole plane ride I've thought about nothing but hot chocolate. I'll be right back down to enjoy a cup with you."
He turned to the staircase and started climbing up, his bag once again slung over one shoulder. When he'd reached the first landing he shouted back down:
"Oh, and Sharpay? Don't forget to ask Marie for those little Marshmallows I love so much!"
Later, when their mother had left them to talk alone for a bit, the twins sat side by side on the couch in the living room, each with a cup of hot chocolate in their hands and a box of biscuits placed between them.
Ryan had to smile about what they had to look like now… the perfect picture of sibling-unity. And indeed he could already feel his resolve to stay mad at his sister crumble. After all, 'The Robin-Incident', as he'd come to call the cause for their fight in his head, had happened more than three weeks ago. And… so far no lingering harm had come out of it. Robin was still talking to him and… well, he'd see what would happen after he'd return to New York in January.
Sharpay's voice suddenly broke the silence:
"So, you know something about Danforth's news?"
"Nope, not a thing," Ryan replied surprised. "I haven't talked to Chad for more than two weeks. And he seemed pretty normal to me then."
"Must be something big… ooh, I know!" Sharpay suddenly leaned back on the couch and drew in a big breath.
"What?" Ryan asked suspiciously.
His sister looked as if she'd just been announced winning an Oscar and Ryan knew that whatever would come next, it wouldn't be something nice.
"I bet he knocked up his girlfriend!" Sharpay announced and smirked devilishly.
Ryan nearly choked on a biscuit crumb.
"What? No way!"
"Just wait and see, Ry," his twin smiled knowingly, "I'm never wrong with something like that!"
And Ryan had to agree, she'd never been wrong before.
Oh boy, Sunday couldn't arrive fast enough for his liking.
Ryan had been in bed, tossing and turning restlessly for over an hour, before he'd decided that he couldn't wait till Sunday to hear Chad's news. He'd pulled out his cell and had dialed Chad's number but after the first ringing he'd suddenly thought better of it and had disconnected the line quickly.
How was he to ask Chad if he was really going to be a father?
He couldn't, not on the phone.
So Ryan had decided to go for an email instead and he'd jumped out of bed and had hurriedly booted his notebook. When the desktop had been loaded with Ashton's picture Ryan had noticed his mailbox blinking. He'd received two new mails since he'd left New York this morning.
The first one read:
To: Jazzsquare
From: Shorty
Subject: How did it go?
Hey Ryan,
Are you still alive? Or did Sharpay kill you as soon as you entered your home? Please let me know how you're doing.
Love, Kelsi
Ryan wrote a quick reply before he went to read the next mail. It was from Gabriella.
To: Jazzsquare
From: Sunshine
Subject: Are you okay?
Hey Ry,
I just wanted to know if you and Sharpay have made up already. I mean, it would be just awful if you two were still not speaking to each other when we're having our party on Sunday.
So please, whatever she did to you… I'm sure she didn't mean to hurt you deliberately.
Call me if you need to talk to someone about it.
Gabs
Ryan couldn't suppress a smile when he wrote an answer to calm her down. Sweet Gabriella, always trying to help and wishing for everyone to get along nicely. She couldn't stand fights of any kind.
"I wonder how Troy can stand that much sweetness," he shuddered and pressed 'Send'. Then he opened a new mail and after thinking a moment wrote:
To: Idontdance
From: Jazzsquare
Subject: Just checking in
Hey Chad,
Man, sorry for not getting back at you sooner. I seem to be suffering from jet-lack because I can't sleep and I just wanted to know if you're alright and everything.
And about the news you wanna tell us… well, if there's anything I can help you with… though if it's what Sharpay thinks it is then I don't know what I could do to help you…
Anyway, you can count on me for support of any kind (though I don't know if I'm any good at babysitting, I never tried).
Yeah, see you on Sunday,
Ryan
He read it over twice and corrected one or two misspellings before he was pleased enough with the mail to send it off.
Then Ryan shut down his notebook, crawled back into bed and was asleep only moments later.
By Saturday evening Chad had written a reply, a truly weird one. On first reading Ryan couldn't guess if Chad had been too angry to form coherent sentences or if he'd maybe gone and drowned his problems in alcohol before writing the mail.
To: Jazzsquare (stupid nickname, dude)
From: Idontdance
Subject: ???
Ryan,
WHAT THE FUCK???
I don't know how you found out unless your sister blackmailed Taylor with something I don't know about but however she did it. I don't know what to say to you.
What do you wanna hear man? Aren't you going to glee happily and sing on top of your voice "Na na nana na, I've always known!! I told you so!!" Except you never did, you never said anything.
So how did you know?
And what do you mean… you don't know how YOU could help me? Who else could? I don't know anyone else.
I'm not sure that babysitting is the word I'd have gone for but… whatever shoe fits. I'm all open for suggestions. Isn't there some kind of handbook for this?
See you tomorrow!
Chad
When Ryan had read the mail for the fifth time and still without making any sense of it he thought briefly about showing it to Sharpay and asking her for help.
But then he dismissed the idea quickly again. No matter that he and Shar were back on good terms… Chad hadn't authorized him to tell anyone and so there was nothing for him to do but wait until Chad would finally come out with the news to all of them on Sunday.
Damn, he hated waiting!
Please let me know what you think so far, okay?