This story was inspired by a project my younger sister has to do for History which involves her talking to relatives ( particularly grandparents) and getting some insteresting stories about out family history. And I thought hey...wouldn't be interesting to have Ryan and Sharpay listen to their grandparents tell stories? And then I had an even better idea..... how about make Ryan and Kelsi the grandparents telling the story!!! I mean there are a lot of stories about them as young adults, lots about them being teens and a few abou them being little kids. But I have not really come across any where they are grandparents.
So basically each chapter is going to consist of a flashback...which is a story that either Ryan or Kelsi is saying....you'll see what I mean. The flashbacks are in itallics and singing ( which does not happen in the this chapter ) is bold.
The first flashback is inspired by a scene in a story called Twenty-Five Roses by fallinrain. Kim has really grown on me and her stories are some of my fav!! When I told her I had an idea based on one of her scenes she told me she was looking forward to seeing what I will do. I tired to keep the main theme of the scene without completely copying her idea...hopefully it worked.
Chapter 1: Slick Move
Ryan smiled as he pulled into the parking lot in front of East High. Although it had been decades since he had gone to school there as a student and twenty years since the last teacher who had taught him retired, there was a familiartiy about the place and he could not help by feel happy. After all, this was the place where everything had started. This was where he had gotten his first taste for putting on a show- one where the audience consisted of more then his parents and their close friends. And where he also learned that even though he had talent - and money - he sitll had to work just as hard as everyone else if he wanted to get to the top. This was where he had met the girl of his deams, the girl he was still married to after forty-four years. And where he had made seven - if you he didn't include his sisre or his wife- of the greastest friends a man could have. Friends who had stood by him through the good and through the bad.
He heard the bell to signal the end of the day and glanced up at the door which opened as students poured out , exicted about finally being allowed to go home. He chuckled to himself. When he was in high school, he had felt the same way. But there were many times since he had graduated when he had wished that he would just go back.
He unbuckled his seatbelt and opened the door when he noticed his oldest granddaughter - Marissa - walking out of the front doors. But he stopped himself from getting out of the van and calling her name when he noticed a young boy carrying a basketball jogging up to her. Ryan watched as Marissa smiled slightly and nodded her head after the boy said something to her. Apparently that was not the response the boy had thought he was going to receive because he had a shocked look on his face. But only for a moment, and then he kissed her on the cheek and ran off to catch his bus. Marissa's smiled bigger.
Then she looked up and upon noticing her grandfather's van , walked over in his direction. Ryan got out the the vehicle and met her halfway with a hug. " Gramps, what are you doing here?" she asked once they had broken apart.
" Your mother went to the hospital this morning," he relpied as they made their way back towards his car. The girl let out an exicted squeal. Marissa's mother - Cadance- was Ryan and Kelsi's second oldest and she was having her sixth child, even though she had told her parents after she had had the twins - who had just turned five- that she was not having any more. But, both Ryan and Kelsi had not really been that surprised when and and Robert had informed them of this lastest pregnancy. " So where is your brother?" Ryan asked once they had reached van and he opened the door for his granddaugher.
She rolled her eyes and glanced over her shoulder. " He's coming."
And sure enough, five mintues later sixteen year-old Eric come out the building, completely ignoring the other students around him. He was too busy listening to his ipod and no doubt running some choreography for it in his mind. Out of al of Ryan and Kelsi's grandkids, Eric had been the one to inherit his grandfather's love for dance - and hats- and looked up to the older man as a hero.
" Eric," Marissa called out through her open windoe, but her older brother didn't seem to hear her. She gave her grandfather a look and then ran out the car to get her brother's attention. He gave a littel jump when he tapped his shoulder and she laughed as she pointed to Ryan's van. A smile appeard on the young man's face as they both jogged over to the car.
" I take it mom's having her baby then?" he asked as they both buckled up - Eric taking shotgun, while Marissa sat behind the driver's seat.
Ryan nodded as he backed out of the parking lot and pulled onto the street. " Yep. We just need to pick up your brother and sisters, and then go to your house and pick up some stuff so you can spend the weekend."
About an housr later Ryan pulled his car into the driveway and parked in front of his house and his grandkids pile out and ran into the house to greet their grandmother. He let out a chuckle as he grabbed two bags from the trunk and then went to join everyone else.
When he entered the house he was overwhelmed with the smell of supper cooking in the kitchen. His stomach growled slightly. Apparently he was not the only one who noticed the good smell.
" What you cooking Grandma?" little Alannah asked with a smile. " It smells yummy."
The older women smiled back. " Chile. What to help?"
Alannah nodded her head vigorously - her brown curls bouncing as she did so- and then skipped off to the bathroom to clean her hands.
But Alannah's twin sister Alexis was not as enthusiastic. She had a frown on her face and looked like he was trying hard not to cry.
Kelsi crouched down so that she was eye level with the girl. " What's wrong sweetie?"
" Mommy is at the hospital. What if she doesn't come back home?" When the twins were three years- old Robert's dad had suffered a heart attack and went to the hospital. He didn't make it, and everyone had been devastated. Apparently Alexis associated people going to the hospital with dying.
Kelsi shook her head. " Oh no...it's okay baby. Mommy will be coming home soon."
" Are you sure?"
Kelsi nodded. " Yes, I'm sure."
After a moment a weak smile appeared on the young girl's face. " Can I help you cook too?"
" Well," Kelsi pretended to ponder for moment and then nodded. " Of course, go wash up with your sister." She leaned back up and looked at her husband and the oldest three kids. " The three of you are free until supper, I guess. After one of you takes your stuff upstairs."
Eric and Marissa glanced over at their younger brother - Travis, who was going to be twelve soon- and he groaned as he grabbed the two bags from his grandfather and reluctantly walked up the stairs to put them in the proper rooms.
Ryan and Kelsi chuckled at his antics and then shook their heads as Eric and Marissa followed their brother up the staits.
After supper had been eated and the dishes had been washed, Ryan and Kelsi joined their grandkids out of the deck to enjoy some cookies and ice-tead along with the nice fall weather they seemed to be having a lot of lately.
" Sp, how was your day, Eric?" Ryan asked as he sat down in a chair that overlooked the back yard.
The young man grumbled and his sister giggled. Both Ryan and Kelsi raised their eyebrows.
" He feel off the stage in rehearsals today," Marissa explained with a smile. Although both Eric and Marissa were active members of the drama club, Eric took it more seriously then his sister.
" It's not funny," he snapped, but Marissa just kept on smiling.
To both of the teens surprise, their grandmother was also laughibng, although she was trying very hard not to. " You know Eric, in our senior year your grandfather fell off that stage too."
" Oh Kels, why did you have to bring that up?"
She smiled. " Because I think it's only fair that he knows he's not the only one in this famly that did something like that."
Ryan rolled his eyes. " Still..."
She just kept on smiling. " I think you should tell him the story."
" Are you kidding me? I made a fool of myself, in front of everyone."
But by this time all five kids were staring at him, waiting for him to tell the story. He sighed. " Fine...." He gave his wife a quick good natured glare and then contiuned. " As you all know, back when your grandmother and I were in high school my sister - your great aunt Sharpay - and I kind of ruled the drama department. And i had a huge reputationi to uphold." At this Kelsi cleared her throat and glanced at Ryan, but he just winked at her and continued. " As you both already know, Eric and Issa, having your leading lady suddenl ybe unable to make it the opening night and then having to change pretty much everything to fit her substitute can be difficult. Particularly when you are the one running the show. Anyway, no one - except Sharpay that is - was very happy with the idea of my sister now playing the lead, but there was really not much we could do about that. Because as the saying goes, the show must go one....."
" Come on Shar, it's not that hard," Ryan said with a huff as his sister once again messed up the choreography he was trying to teach her. Sharpay was really starting to frustrate him. He knew that she could do the routine- she had done routines harder before. But she was just being her normal self- always putting on a show of some kind.
Sharpay glanced over at Troy who wa sitting slightly off stage and gave him an innocent smile. Then she glance at her brother- who was rolling his eyes - and let out a sigh. " Whatever Ryan. Let's go through it one more time, okay?"
Ryan raised his hands up in the air slightly. " Fine, whatever. You're the boss." He said that a little bit more harshly then he had intended and everyone was now looking at the pair, anxious to see a little bit of drama. Sharpay smirked when she noticed them watching. If they wanted a show she would give them one. but Ryan knew that this had been her plan all along and he wasn't going to give into her ways that easily.
He raised his arms in the proper postion and waited - rather impatiently - as Sharpay adjusted her skirt and then put one had on his shoulder and put the other in his hand. He have her one more quick glare as he secured his free hand around her waist and then began to lead her arounf the stage. He scowled to himself as she did all the steps perfectly.
After a moment he stopped and clapped his hands together. " Now, we are going to try the spin one more time, okay?"
She nodded and primped her hair.
He tired to ignore her and continued on with his lesson. " Okay, I am going to spin you out, but you aren't gonig to let go of my hand. You are going to stay out for four counts and then spins back in. Once you are back to me I am going to dip you. Got it?"
She didn't say anything, just grabbed his hand once more. He took that as a yes and spun her out, then braced himself to catch and dip her. But as Sharpay spun out Ryan heard something that distracted him.
" Shit," a soft voice whispered, but loud enough for him to hear. He looked over his shoulder to see Kelsi trying to discreetly wipe up her tea which he had split on the piano bench. He only looked at her for a second, but it was long enough for him to momentarily forget that his sister was expecting him to dip her, and the force of her spinning into him knocked them both off the stage.
There was a crash as the pair landed on the floor, a moment of slience, the flash of a camera as Taylor dutifully came out of apparent shock long enough to snap a picture for the yearbook and then, " RYAN VANCE EVANS! What the hell was that?" Ryan didn't say anythign as his sister refused to grab a helping hand from Zeke - who had rushed over as soon as he saw his 'percious' Sharpay fall - and pushing herself off the floor. " Well?"
" We fell off the stage," he said after a moment, more to himself then anyone else.
Sharpay groaned. " No kidding Captain Obvious. The question is why did we fall, huh? You were supposed to dip me....not throw me off stage."
The rest of the Wildcats glanced at each other and both Chad and Troy were trying to hide the fact that they were laughing. they had all wanted some drama, and now they certainly got it.
When Ryan didn't answer her, Sharpay let out an infuriated scream, stomped her foot and stormed out of the auditorium - with Zeke hot on her heels. " I have some brownies in my locker we can share. Sharpay, wait!"
After his siter left the room, Ryan let out a frustrated moan and then placed his head in his hands. He sat like that for a moment and then got up, dusting himself off. Kelsi - who had also rushe dover when she saw the twins fall- handed him his hat, which had flew off of his head durning the fall. ' Pretty slick move there, Mr. Choreographer. Are you planning on using that in the show?" she asked with a cheeky smile.
He turned and glared at her and for a second Kelsi thought he was going to snap at her. But instead, he sarted to laugh.
And everyone let out a breath they didn't even know they were holding a joined him.
Okay....so what did you think? I have chapters 2 and 3 already written, but I have to re-type them on an already existing document. So chapter 2 will hopefully be up by the end of the week and chapter 3 next week. Anyways....if you have any ideas for flashbacks that would be great.