A/N: I had an upcoming story idea that included this fic. However, I felt that it would detract from the story if I went back and did this background piece of a time when Sharpay and Taylor were at odds. But I still wanted to write it, so I did. However, this one-shot does refer to the conflict that's happening in the story where this scene should've taken place in, so don't feel lost. Imagine your own conflict if need be. I know there's no obvious pairing in this one, but please enjoy!

Protect Your Own

Sharpay Evans narrowed her eyes into a squint at the prospect of involving Taylor McKessie. Even as Troy Bolton redirected his eyes to the floor in the response she was hoping to provoke, her spiked mood left a bitter taste of that girl. Every detail she ever disliked about Taylor resurfaced her thoughts, even dating back to her grade school years nearly twenty years ago. And although her contempt for the brainiac started with unsubstantial evidence, Sharpay had kept a meticulous record of every offense Taylor ever made towards her.

As one of the few African-American students in their elementary school classroom, Taylor naturally exerted her bold personality to be the best and the brightest – probably to prove that nothing would slow her down or something – to the verge of snobbery. Sharpay was clearly not a fan from the start, as Taylor always seemed to budge in the way of her complete dictatorship. It didn't help that she was smart either. There were a bit too many occasions where Sharpay sat starring pins into Taylor's face after being out-witted. And as a fourth grader, there really wasn't anything she could do about it.

Then there was Ryan. He was the quiet twin out of them, and he'd been a shy, reserved child. He hardly ever spoke unless he was told to, and he followed his sister around due to a lack of friends. It only took one incident of refusing to play rough that dejected him to having no one to play with. The boys didn't want him and the girls were still paranoid of cooties, leaving his sister to be the only option. Although, as Sharpay recalled, Troy had let Ryan sit with him at lunch one day when Chad was sick. It'd only happened once, but it was enough to raise the boy's hopes up. The next day he'd been nearly giddy at the idea that Troy might invite him to the table again. Sharpay had merely watched him as he practically bounced in his seat, waiting for the moment the brown-haired boy would come and tap on his shoulder. As for the female Evans, she was bitter about the issue. It wasn't that she didn't like the idea of Ryan gaining friends, but she hated that she would be left alone with the scatter-brained, creepy-glasses girl. But just as she had predicted, as she watched Troy and Chad make weird experimentations out of their food, Troy never did come. And it broke Ryan's heart as the grin slowly vanished from his face.

It didn't help that Ryan wasn't exceptionally smart either. He wasn't dumb – in fact he was very articulate in the subjects that he cared for – but math failed to amuse him and he struggled to read, which were the only two subjects the state cared about. To make matters worse, he was unfortunately placed in the same small group as Taylor. When he would read out loud, he often stumbled and paused awkwardly, trying to decode the words he wasn't well acquainted with. Taylor, on the other hand, was bored of how long it took him to say one sentence, and would sigh dramatically or roll her eyes and even correct him. Finally, she seemed to max out on Ryan's poor pace, as she finally turned to him in the middle of his reading and stated bluntly, "Just let someone else read." He didn't reply, but he did stop as the adult leading their group softly reprimanded Taylor for her outburst. He didn't volunteer to read for the rest of the session.

Sharpay seemed to be more upset. Her face flushed red, nearly ripe enough to burst. However, she didn't say anything for the rest of the morning, although a curious expression crossed her face more than once. Then recess arrived, and it became clear that a confrontation was brewing as Sharpay strutted to where Taylor was dictating on the playground, with Ryan only a half step behind her.

"What's the deal, McKessie," Sharpay spat out. "It's not your job to tell my brother how to read." Being the topic of conversation, her twin quickly changed his attention to the grass beneath his feet.

"What are you talking about?" Taylor asked, her tone already defensive. Not that it was uncommon – Sharpay's abrasive personality seemed to spur that response from everybody.

"You spazzed out at him just because he can't read at a twelfth grade reading level," Sharpay explained, her own tone changing to a mocking one as she finished her sentence. "He's not a nerd like you."

"At least I can actually read," came Taylor's retort. There wasn't even a moment of hesitation before Sharpay had slammed her manicured fist into Taylor's face, knocking the girl to the ground with a bloody nose and a painful cry. As an act of satisfaction, the blonde girl swiveled on her heel and stalked off, her shadow following close behind.

Of course, it wasn't like she could actually get away with it. It didn't take more than ten minutes for Taylor to tattle and have all three of them end up in the principal's office.

Sharpay remained true to her stubborn self as she sat with her arms crossed – for it wasn't the first time she'd ever visited the office. Taylor, on the other hand, looked around the place for the first time – although she had to continuously remind herself that she wasn't in trouble to refrain from bawling. And Ryan? He had no idea why he was there, but didn't voice his questions out loud.

Finally, their principal, Mr. Ortega, came in and sat down behind his desk, studying the three pupils in front of him.

"So…does anyone wish to tell me what happened?" He asked. Sharpay opened her mouth, but Taylor beat her to it. Ryan looked away as his sister's face visibly reddened.

"Sharpay punched me!" Taylor explained. "And it was bleeding and everything. She even shoved me down." Sharpay rolled her eyes.

"You fell on your own," she insisted.

"No I didn't!"

"All right – girls," his voice became reprimanding to cease the argument that was starting to erupt. They glared at each other but didn't say a word.

"Sharpay," Mr. Ortega started, turning his attention to the blonde girl. "How about you tell me your side of the story."

"Well, earlier today Taylor told my brother to stop reading because he can't read as fast as she can. So at recess, I decided to talk to her about it, and then she called him stupid and so I stood up for him."

"I never called him stupid," Taylor piped in.

"Well, that's what you meant!"

"Knock it off, girls," Mr. Ortega silenced them, giving each girl a cold look that would force them to be quiet. He then turned to Sharpay again. "Did you punch her?"

"Yeah, but – " the principal lifted a finger to silence her before turning to Taylor.

"Taylor, is it possible that you said some things about Ryan's reading ability that could've been implied as being mean?" Sharpay turned to her brother; mouthing 'implied' questioningly, unsure what the word meant.

"Well Mr. Ortega, sir, I never meant to say anything that would've offended Ryan, but maybe the way I said it could've made Sharpay think that I was insulting her brother." Sharpay rolled her eyes. Taylor always had to be the know-it-all goody two-shoes. God forbid if she ever got in trouble for anything.

Mr. Ortega nodded, but then turned to the one who hadn't said anything thus far. "Ryan, what exactly did Taylor say to you?"

"She called him stupid," Sharpay snapped instead.

"Sharpay, this is a question for Ryan. Let him answer it please," he instructed patiently, and then turned his focus back to Ryan. The small boy looked over at the other girls, realizing that it was going to be his words that were going to be the deciding factor of what the overall punishment would be.

"When I was reading, Taylor told me to give someone else a chance to read," he said softly, and truthfully. "Then, on the playground, Sharpay came up and told Taylor to leave me alone and to stop correcting me and stuff when I read. Then Taylor said something about how at least she can read – unlike me I guess. And then Sharpay punched her."

"And you did nothing to stop any of it?"

"It happened kind of fast," Ryan said, although anyone who knew him better knew that he couldn't stand up against anyone, especially his sister.

"All right then," Mr. Ortega said before he decided the punishment – detention for all three of them. Sharpay rolled her eyes, Ryan was silent, and Taylor cried – it was her first detention after all. And it wasn't like the relationship between Taylor and Sharpay got any better. In fact, if anything, it got worse after that since Sharpay hated Taylor to begin with and now Taylor was bitter that Sharpay had caused her first detention – the first wrongdoing she'd ever done at school. There was a competitive edge to them, and it soon became clear that unless blood was to be shed, they should steer clear of each other and remain confined to their own friendship circles. Not that they could avoid each other much in elementary school, but middle school gave them enough leeway to branch out and away from each other.

"Shar," her brother's calm voice was the one that jogged her out of the past and to focus on the present, where the three of them were trying to figure out whether or not to confide into the girl Sharpay had been loathing for years. "Maybe Troy's right. If there's anyone who can get the scoop on anything, it's Taylor."

She crossed her arms stubbornly, hating Troy for suggesting the idea, and hating Ryan for agreeing with it.

"Well," she said indifferently. "Do it then. See if I care." She already had fifty reasons to be disappointed in Troy, and if confiding in Taylor fell apart, it would be on his head. Then perhaps, if he did fail, some sense would be knocked into her brother, for he was way too forgiving of the situation. But Sharpay wasn't. And the look on her face already heeded warning to Mr. Troy Bolton that he better not screw this up. After all, Sharpay always protected her own.