Title: Red Strings
Fandom: High School Musical
Characters/Pairings: Ryan, Sharpay, and their various incarnations, with Rypay, of course
Disclaimer: I do not own High School Musical.
Word Count: 1,354
Notes: I'm expecting that some of you will be confused. So, I'll explain some things now.
Timeline: Each 'hour' in the story corresponds to a different situation that is set either a year or a few years after the previous 'hour'.
Characters: The 'real' Ryan and Sharpay only make one appearance here. The rest are their various incarnations. Think of it as a lot of different AUs. Also, the 'Ryan and Sharpay' in each 'hour' are younger than the 'Ryan and Sharpay' in the previous 'hour'.
Relationships: I tried to explore the different relationships that 'Ryan and Sharpay' could have but it's up to you to decide what kind it is.
Other notes: This was written over a long period of time. So, slight variations in style can't be helped. Sorry about that. Rated T for some scenes.
Summary: Some bonds are too strong to break.
o.0.o
It is 8 in the morning.
She is a retired music teacher. He is a war veteran.
They have both just been dropped off by their families at the Lava Springs Nursing home, "The Greatest Place on Earth". They both pretend not to care, even though it hurts knowing their families just left them.
They start talking and end up playing poker, despite the nurse's wishes. ("Oh screw you, she says to the nurse, and he has to choke back a chuckle.)
He has the best poker face. ("Being out in the front line is good practice," he says, and she looks away with sad eyes.) But, in the end, she wins anyway. Not because she was good, or lucky, but because he lets her.
Of course, he doesn't tell her that.
.
It is 10 in the morning.
She is the CEO of a multi-billion dollar company. He is her secretary.
But no one can really tell that now. Not with him pinning her to the wall, his hands roaming around her, fumbling with the buttons on her shirt. Her hands are running through his hair, tugging at them as he sends chills down her spine with every kiss. She moans and he does too. The room fills with their cries and everything seems to fade into a frenzied blur.
Right now, no one can tell much of anything. But that's all right.
It's a lot more fun that way.
.
It is noon.
She is in her third year studying broadcasting. He is looking for a job as a journalist.
They are both late, her for her first class and him for his interview. They both wait at the bus stop, cursing whichever driver is in that goddamn bus. She taps her foot, and he glances at his watch. "What time is it?" she asks, and he says "Summertime."
She laughs, and he wonders why he said that, but soon laughs along with her.
The bus arrives. They both get on.
Then they part ways, never to see each other again.
.
It is 2 in the afternoon.
She is the resident drama queen. He is her twin brother.
And right now, she's living up to her title by acting at the most dramatic (and passionate) scene she has ever done. (Though that just might be because it's also the longest scene she has ever done with him.)
She delivers her lines as if they were always there in her head, just waiting to come out of her mouth. Their performance is almost flawless, save for a momentary tremble in her voice. (She's afraid people might realize it's not just great acting but rather a confession of something much more.)
He replies with the same intensity and moves towards her (though with much bigger steps than originally intended for his character). His eyes are fixed on hers, never leaving, not even for a second. (He wants to savor every moment—who knows when they'll get a chance to do something like this again?)
They move even closer now, (well, as close as you can get when you're already inches away to begin with), and he leans in and kisses her. The crowd booms with applause. The curtains fall.
And yet, they both remain unmoving. They want this moment to last as long as it can. So, in the milliseconds they have before their co-stars gather for a final curtain call, they simply stay there, relishing the whole experience.
Because, they know that this is as close to 'real' as they will ever get.
.
It is 4 in the afternoon.
She is out for her daily jog. He is out for his first joyride.
It all happens too fast for him to comprehend. He sees a squirrel. Dodge. Break. Turn. Swerve. Gas. Bump!
Next thing he knows, there's blood blonde hair splayed all over his windshield.
He runs out, calls 911, grabs the poor girl's hand and strokes it. "Don't worry. The ambulance will be here soon," he says, and she forces a smile and squeezes his hand.
"Don't worry. It's all right," she says, and he breaks down and cries.
The ambulance arrives.
But it's already too late.
.
It is 6 in the evening.
She is on her way to flunking algebra. He is her tutor.
She watches him carefully, staring at those deep blue eyes of his. She know she should be listening to his talk on linear functions, but his voice is so damn lovely that she just can't help but fall into a trance.
He turns his head away from the book and looks at her. Flushed and embarrassed that she might have been caught, she turns away (though she knows her red cheeks have probably already given her away).
His gaze lingers on her for a moment. "Well now, back to these equations," he says and she breathes a sigh of relief with a tinge of regret.
And in her eagerness to assume a state of composure, she accidentally drops her pencil. She reaches for it and he does too. Hesitantly, her hand meets his. She feels something… something electrifying and at the same time terrifying. Her heart beats faster and her cheeks grow even redder than before.
"Here. Your pencil," he says, and she takes it, reluctantly ending her reverie.
She knows that he probably doesn't feel the same way.
Still, that doesn't stop her from hoping.
.
It is 8 in the evening.
She just celebrated her 6th birthday. He is her only visitor.
Her mother comes into her room and tells them both to go to bed. She says yes, as any daughter would, but immediately resumes the conversation once the door closes.
"You know, I'm really glad you came and that your parents allowed you to stay for a sleepover. It was really great spending the day with you," she says, and his cheeks turn the slightest bit of red.
"No problem. You're my friend. It's what we do. Though, I wonder why you didn't invite other people. I'm sure they would've come," he says, and she looks at him curiously.
"Why would I need to invite other people? My relatives are going to spend the weekend with us next week anyway and the people around here are just so boring. Besides, I have you. Isn't that enough?" she asks, and he looks at her seriously.
"But what about later? You might want to spend your time with other girls doing girl stuff. You can't do that if you spend all your time with me," he says. Then adds, "Not that I don't enjoy spending time with you, of course."
"Why don't we just think about that later? Let's just enjoy now and not worry about that kind of stuff. Besides, I'm getting sleepy. So, Goodnight," she says, and he squeezes her hand under the covers.
"Goodnight," he says and she squeezes his hand right back.
.
It is somewhere between now and eternity.
She is her. He is him.
They walk together, hand in hand, to where exactly, they don't know. They follow their feet, just as they always have. Or is now the first time?
He looks at her with eyes so bright that she wonders if they were like that last time. If there had already been a last time, anyway.
Are they strangers? Friends? Or perhaps something more?
She doesn't know. He doesn't care. That's not important as they walk together toward the light, where they know they'll meet again.
Their hands fit too perfectly in each other's that it would be impossible for them not to at least try and reach for it.
But despite knowing that they're supposed to be together, in one way or another, it's still hard for them to part ways and move on, into the light, into a new world of possibilities. Because, deep down, they know that there is a chance, a small one, but a chance nonetheless, that they may not even see each other in that new world. And that, that worries both of them so.
Then again, what's life without a bit of drama?
o.0.o
A/N:I have no idea how I feel about this anymore. I wrote this a long time ago and just decided to type it now. There are some parts I love and some that are 'meh'. Oh well.
Anyway, comments/suggestions are always appreciated.