A/N: This is my Christmas oneshot, for Christmas Day. Please review it. Happy Christmas to all of you.

Disclaimer: I don't own High School Musical or any of the characters, just the idea.

This Christmas

Ryan Evans hated Christmas. Ok, so he didn't hate all of Christmas; he liked all the decorations and lights that people put out and that general homely feel that could be felt all around and he even didn't mind the religious side to Christmas. He did, however, hate the presents. He still gave them but he hated receiving them partly because he never got very many. He thought that it was just a popularity meter, a scale to see how well liked you were as the more presents that someone at school got then the more friends they must have. It just highlighted to Ryan that he didn't have any friends. If he was lucky, then he might receive one. He was always very proud of his one present, even if it was a joke present from Troy and his basketball buddies, but his present looked very pathetic next to Sharpay's massive pile, that was so big that she would always spread the load of carting them all home by allowing Ryan to carry them. Not that it made any difference to Ryan, everyone knew that they were Sharpay's and that he was just fulfilling his role as her personal 'lap-dog'.

Then again, Sharpay's stack of presents wasn't down to being well liked but more because she installed a fear into most people that they ought to get her a present because of who she was, like an unspoken rule. Normally, it was the freshman's who got her a present. She never demanded it; it was just that that was how it had always been – a tradition. It was expected of them and they never disappointed her, partly because this meant that they were safer in January from her icy glare.

Traditions change though. This year no-one would be shyly going up to Sharpay with a present for her. This year she wouldn't have the biggest pile of presents at East High. This year Ryan wouldn't be carrying any of them home for her. This year. To Ryan it seemed that this Christmas was a 'this year' situation because everything was different. For him, Christmas didn't have quite the same warm feeling it had had previously although to be honest his life in general felt cold and empty since the accident. Sitting on the front of the stage in the auditorium, Ryan let a tear slide silently down his cheek.

It was the accident that had caused the cold feeling and had changed Ryan's traditional view of Christmas time. Because of it Christmas would no longer be the same. Sharpay was no longer around to demand total attention from their family and friends. The Christmas party that Sharpay always held for the students at East High would no longer be taking place at their house either. Not that Ryan minded, he hated those sorts of parties anyway, but it was the fact that no-one had bothered to ask him whether or not he was OK with it being relocated to Troy's house this year.

With Sharpay gone, Ryan would be getting even less presents this year. Although she might act like an Ice Queen, in reality underneath her façade she could be a really nice person. Ryan always knew that her present was thoughtfully chosen because she did care for him and that she knew he needed to be thought about as he was so often forgotten by most people.

Ryan allowed himself to wallow in his thoughts as he sat in the empty auditorium. Though these days it always felt empty especially since him and Sharpay could now never be found practising in there all the time. It was the last day before the Christmas break and Ryan had removed himself from the busy canteen to sit in the auditorium so that he could have alone time, partly because he didn't share in his fellow classmates joy of the rapidly approaching Christmas. He liked being in the auditorium when it was empty because that was how he felt. Ever since Sharpay had had her accident he had felt empty and alone for he had lost his twin, the only person who had ever made him whole. The auditorium reflected his mood and never tried to make him feel better or just ignore him, it simply allowed him to be whoever he wanted to be with no false pretences.

'Hey Ry,' a small voice uttered from behind him. Ryan slightly turned round to see Kelsi standing there looking down at him. He hastily wiped away his tears.

'It's OK to be upset if you want. It doesn't bother me,'

Ryan ignored her comment, 'Why are you here? It's the last day of school; shouldn't you be out celebrating with the rest of the Wildcats?'

'Probably,' Kelsi replied noticing the flash of fresh sadness that showed on Ryan's face before he covered it up with his original expression, 'But then I would be forgetting to do this.'

Kelsi reached into her schoolbag and pulled out a neatly wrapped gift before handing to the slightly shocked Ryan who took it with some trepidation. 'It's alright, it won't bite you,' Kelsi laughed seeing Ryan's face.

Kelsi sat down next to Ryan as he opened his present to reveal a dark blue messenger hat. Ryan smiled when he saw and took off his trilby that he was currently wearing and replaced it with Kelsi's gift.

'It's to say thank you for what you gave me and the fact that you've always been kind to me, plus you've had a really tough year. I didn't know what you would want though and so I just opted for a hat because you seem to really like them, which isn't a bad thing I was just noticing, but then I didn't know what colour to go for so I went for this one because I thought it might go with a lot of outfits,' Kelsi said, quickly because she was nervous.

'I love it,' Ryan declared, cutting off the now embarrassed Kelsi, 'It's perfect.'

'But it's nowhere near as expensive as your gift to me,' Kelsi started to say.

'So? Money isn't that important. It's the fact that someone other than my sister got me a present for Christmas. That means so much more than the most expensive gift in the world ever could.'

Kelsi started to blush at his comment. She really liked Ryan but had always been too scared to mention anything because of Sharpay. She was glad that her gift had broken the ice properly between them, especially since Sharpay's death.

Ryan decided to act on his impulses and leant down to kiss Kelsi and was pleasantly surprised when she deepened it, wrapping her arms around his slim figure tightly. When they broke apart Ryan looked deeply into Kelsi's hazel brown eyes.

'I love you,' he whispered into her ear.

'I love you too.'

Ryan laced his fingers with Kelsi's and they stood up slowly walking to the auditorium doors completely happy being within each others company. To Ryan, the auditorium no longer felt as empty as it had barely quarter of an hour ago because he had now found someone who could share his heart with Sharpay. This Christmas was really going to be different.

Merry Christmas!!