Hey guys! Well, I've decided to dig a bit deeper into Ryan's past and his own emotional feelings in this chapter. Thank you for all of the comments! I feel so loved!!!
–sniffle- Anyways, you all are wondering why I have changed the title. When I first start writing stories, I don't know myself how the story is going to end up. And then if I get some good ideas, I actually sit down and write a plot (if I write a plot for a story, I almost always finish it). And as I was writing this story's plot I realized something:: this story isn't so much about Ryan's love as a father; it's love in general. A.K.A, I change the title to A Love Story. Hope you all enjoy the new chapter! R&R PLEASE!!!
Chapter Three
The second before their noses touched, Ryan jerked away and abruptly stood up.
"Sorry…I'm claustrophobic," he apologized, kneeling down to recollect the spilled sheets.
"Since when?" Kelsi asked, amused, kneeling beside him.
"Since…" Ryan's voice faded to a halt. How was he supposed to explain something he himself didn't understand? How had it happened? He hadn't been to stable or thinking too clearly at the time…
17-year-old Ryan Evans swayed on the spot, an empty glass held in his limp hand. He had no idea why he had come to Chelsea's party other than the fact that Sharpay wanted him to be there. He had had several glasses of what everyone told him was just fruit punch—but it didn't feel like fruit punch.
His eyes very clouded, Ryan tried to walk in a straight line over to the couch to sack out, but the path kept on weaving back and forth. It was as if he no longer had any control over his own body. He accidentally bumped into a very pretty girl; the same girl who had, in fact, urged him to drink glass after glass after glass of the "fruit punch."
"Sery," he managed to mumble, and was about to go on his way when the girl yanked him back.
"Don't be," she whispered seductively in his ear. "Come with me." She dragged the befuddled and bewildered Ryan into an empty room and locked the door behind them. She gently took the cup out of his hand and threw it in a nearby trashcan.
"Huh?" He barely got the word out before he lost all personal space he had ever owned. She was all over him; her mouth slammed against his own, her hands running over his entire body, his shirt suddenly gone, her shirt suddenly gone, and his world turned into a blur when she threw him on the bed.
"Since…awhile back." Avoiding Kelsi's questioning glance, Ryan straightened the files in his hands. "Where in the closet should we stash these?"
With awkward topic behind them, Kelsi soon discovered that is was dreadfully easy to talk to Ryan about anything at all (other than how Lillian had come about). They renewed high school jokes and merely chuckled at old indifferences.
"You were scared of me and Sharpay?"
"Sharpay and I. And yes, I was, believe it or not"
"I can completely understand and relate to your fear of Shar; but why me?"
"It's not that you were scary or menacing like Sharpay…it's just you were so distant. Nobody talked to you much, you never really socialized outside of your twin; I guess it was because we all knew so little of you that it was kind of freaky"
"I didn't know quietness inspired terror," Ryan teased lightly.
Kelsi blushed. "Why did I blush?" she inwardly scolded herself. "Stupid Kelsi; way to give your feelings away!" Ryan blinked; clueless as to why Kelsi was blushing.
After briefly reviewing their plans for the semester, the two teachers agreed to go to a nearby Starbucks. They chatted over their drinks, discussing music, art, movies, books, and just having a great time. They discovered similar music tastes (despite how to sing "What I've Been Looking For"), and related tales of seeing various Broadway plays.
All too soon for Kelsi, Ryan was checking his cell phone clock and realized how late it was getting. Apologizing for talking so much ("Don't; it was fun!"), Ryan exited the shop, leaving a speechless, overjoyed, bubbling, glowing, radiating, ecstatic Kelsi Neilson in his wake. The moment the door clicked shut, Kelsi yanked out her own phone and called one of the few girls she knew she could trust.
"Hey Gabbi? Yah, you will never guess who Mrs. Shepherd picked to be my assistant…"
Not twenty minutes later, Mrs. Richards walked sedately over to the door and opened it to reveal a college-aged boy swamped in a black "hoodie" several sizes to big for him reading DRAMA in big, bold, white letters.
"Hey," he greeted her. "I came to pick up Lilly?"
"Oh sure, hold on one minute. Come on inside, the girls are upstairs watching Nickelodeon." Ryan stepped over the threshold of the three-story house.
"So, I'm assuming you're Lilly's older brother?" He opened his mouth, but evidently Mrs. Richards though it was a rhetorical question. "Yes, yes; Daphne absolutely loves playing with your little sister. Lilly is such a sweet girl"
"Thank you. But I'm not-"
"Could you perhaps give me your home phone number and address before you leave?" Ryan dug through his cargo pant pockets, looking for a scrap of paper or a pen, but Mrs. Richards was far ahead of him. She drew out an elegant pen and a small directory.
"Let me see...L-i-l-l-y…E-v-a-n-s…and what's your phone number…uhuh…and your address?"
"4675 Kempwood Boulevard PO Box #7923"
The pen paused, and Ryan painfully noted a trace of distain on the mother's proud face. But she finished writing down the information before two giggling girls barreled down the spiral staircase.
"DADDY!" Lilly squealed, sailing into his waiting arms. A look of terror consumed Mrs. Richard's face.
"Squirt!" Ryan hugged the tiny child tight, kissing her almost bleach-blonde head. "Thank you so much for letting Lillian come over, Mrs. Richards. It seems as though she had a great time; we'll have to do this again. Goodbye!" He hastily closed the door on the mortified mother of his daughter's best friend.
"I wanna go play again!" Lilly squeaked while bouncing happily in her father's supporting arms. Ryan glanced back at the tall house.
"I'm afraid you will only be seeing Daphne at school for awhile"
"But why? I was a good girl!" Lilly cried.
"I know, sweetie; it's not your fault. It's mine. It's all my fault"
---
Ryan barely caught the huge bowl of icing as Lilly jumped on his leg.
"Happy Birthday to me, happy birthday to me," she sang loudly, skipping all around the kitchen.
"The birthday girl will not have a birthday cake if she doesn't stop bothering her poor father," Ryan laughed. Lilly squeaked, and scampered out of the room. Shaking his head and smiling, he continued to stir the homemade chocolate icing.
The phone rang. "At this rate, I'll never get the cake done," Ryan grumbled to himself. Balancing the bowl on his hip and licking some stray icing off his fingers, he grabbed the phone. "Evans' Residence"
"Hello Ryan; it's Kelsi"
"Hey Kelsi. What's up?"
"I was just calling to with Lillian a happy birthday. May I speak to her?"
"Please do. She's bouncing off the walls, and I'm trying to bake a cake." He called in his daughter and handed her the phone. Ten minutes later, Lillian, with one delicate hand covering the phone receiver, tugged on her dad's jean pant leg.
"Daddy, didn't you say I could invite one friend with us to Fiesta Texas this afternoon?" she whispered loudly.
"Yes"
"Can we take Ms. Kelsi with us?"
"Uh…erm…I guess so," Ryan answered unsurely. "You really want to take a teacher with you on your birthday trip to San Antonio?"
"She isn't just any teacher!" Lilly retorted. "She's really fun!"
Ryan laughed. "Alright, she can come"
"Yay!" Lilly took her hand off the receiver.
"Ms. Kelsi, you wanna come with me and my daddy to Fiesta Texas?" Another loud sound of jubilation affirmed that Ms. Kelsi would be joining them on their birthday excursion.
Kelsi arrived promptly on time at the Evan's apartment; cookies and a carefully wrapped present in hand. When the appealing wrapping paper was torn off, the gift revealed to hold a lap harp, complete with a practice book. "This way you can have an instrument of your own to play on free choice days"
"And what do you say, Captain?"
"Thank you!" Lilly cradled the lap harp in her arms as she ran over to a window seat to try it out. Ryan smiled at Kelsi; his crystal eyes sending her all the thanks he felt.
Once the plate of delectable chocolate chip cookies was completely demolished, everyone climbed into the Evan's small car. As the vehicle had no CD player and their source of tapes was soon over, most of the extensive ride was spent singing. Kelsi was not only impressed by how many songs Lilly knew at her tender age but by how much Ryan's voice had improved. He had never had a bad voice to begin with, but, somehow, it had become even purer and steadier. Every note gave her tingles—especially the lower ones, which he could now reach with ease.
It was hard to keep Lilly in one place the moment the amusement park came into view; she had never been to one before. She squirmed in her seat, and dragged Ryan by him arm with all her might to speed up their progress. Armed with a backpack containing money, snacks, an emergency aid kit, all of their swimming suits, towels, sunscreen, and two good books, Ryan shoved his sunglasses back on his forehead.
"I have a feeling this is going to be a long day," he sighed, making Kelsi giggle.
Since it was noon, the hottest part of the day, the group decided to hit the water park first. When at last they emerged from the bathrooms, Kelsi was in a cute, light green tankini with jean short shorts, Lilly in a flowery one-piece, and Ryan in blank swim trunks and a ripped up, sleeveless shirt covering his torso. He openly gazed at Kelsi.
"What are you staring at?" she asked, her cheeks afire with embarrassment as she self-consciously ran a finger along her shorts.
"Nothing…it's just you look…very nice," Ryan said lamely, coughing slightly. "Now Lilly, where do you want to go first?"
No matter how hard she tried, Kelsi found it extremely hard to not check Ryan out. Especially after they actually reached the water slides. Lilly insisted that both Ryan and Kelsi slide down with her, which usually ended in them all splashing down into the pool together in a mangled heap. The young music teacher gave up all attempts at avoiding physical touch with Ryan; Lilly was a determined birthday girl, and wanted to spend the entire day with her two favorite people. She couldn't see why Kelsi seemed so timid at first to climb on behind Ryan and follow his suit by sticking her legs out to the side.
After two hours of intense water rides, Ryan guided them over to a small play pool so he and Kelsi could have a rest without having to worry about Lilly drowning. Their sunscreen had worn off over the time, and Ryan casually asked Kelsi to reapply his sunscreen. Yet again, shy, modest Kelsi had to bite her lip when Ryan pulled off his shirt and displayed a lovely six-pack. Her hand almost trembled as she squirted the cold sunscreen into her palm and rubbed it all over his back and neck.
"Mmh," Ryan mumbled into his towel.
"What?"
"Your hands are cold"
"Get over it," she laughed, and continued to lather on the lotion.
"Feels more like a backrub than a sunscreen application," he said after awhile.
"Would you stop the commentary please?" Kelsi laughed, lightly pinching him. "Just be grateful that I'm doing your back at all." She got off of his chair. "My turn now"
He raised his head. "I beg your pardon?" She grinned mischievously.
"You made me lather your back; so you have to return the favor." She lay down expectantly her beach chair. Gulping, Ryan grabbed the sunscreen, sat on her chair by her back, and squeezed out the goop. Unknown to Ryan, goosebumps covered the composer's arms as his strong hands massaged her back. All of a sudden, she squeaked.
"What's the matter?" Ryan asked concernedly.
"That tickles!" she giggled madly. A wicked look spread across Mr. Evans' face.
"What…this does?" he asked, wiggling her fingers into her sides. She giggled again.
"Yes, there!"
"Surely this doesn't tickle!" he laughed, and tickled her again. She squirmed, trying to push him away.
"Stop it!" she gasped, trying to catch her breath from laughing so hard. He laughed louder, and did not cease. Older couples chuckled to themselves as they viewed the thrashing girl in a tankini and the boy in black swim trunks in a desperate tickle fight. In the wading pool, Lilly elbowed her new friends.
"You see that?" she proudly told them. "My daddy's in love with Ms. Kelsi. I wonder if they'll kiss…then they'll just have to get married!"
"Ryan?" Kelsi asked quietly on the way back to the car. Lilly was fast asleep in Ryan's arms; the adventure had completely exhausted the tiny, now five-year-old birthday girl.
"How long have we been working together now; four months?"
"Three," he corrected.
"…Ryan?"
"Hmm?"
"Thanks for taking me with you guys. It was a lot of fun"
Ryan's smile would have melted butter. "No problem. It wouldn't have been nearly so much fun if you hadn't been here." Kelsi blushed prettily, and they didn't say another word the rest of the way to the car.
Ryan buckled the sleeping Lilly into her car seat and closed the door. Kelsi reached towards the door handle for shotgun, but the young man caught her hand. She looked curiously into his pale eyes. Taking her petite face in his cool hands, Ryan tipped Kelsi's face up with his thumb and kissed her soundly on the lips—his first real kiss in four years and Kelsi's first kiss ever.
Now, it has always been told that first kisses stink. But it was not so in Ryan and Kelsi's case. It started out very sweet and innocent, and then developed into much more. Before long, Kelsi had her arms wrapped around Ryan as he leaned against the car, his arms around her waist. His tongue lightly brushed against hers; without realizing it, the kiss just became deeper and deeper. At last, they broke apart for air.
"…Wow," Kelsi breathed before attacking Ryan's irresistible lips again. She wished they could be like this forever; lip-locked in a deep kiss alone in the middle of a deserted parking lot.
---
Grumbling to himself about his horrible handwriting, Ryan tried to decipher his grocery list in the cereal isle of H-E-B. It had been a week since he had "made out" with Kelsi in the Fiesta Texas parking lot, and Lilly was now off at a friend's house (not Daphne's) so he could get some errands done. He was yet to tell her about how he felt about Kelsi; he was still figuring it out himself. Sighing, he pulled out a large box of Kix. He jumped when an all-too-familiar, pretty face appeared in place of the cereal.
"Gabriella!" Ryan stammered, dropping the box. Small yellow balls of yummy goodness rolled across the tile. Ignoring his surprise, she glanced at the label.
"Kix? Oh no, Mr. Evans. Kix is no breakfast for a little girl to eat." Ryan opened his mouth to protest, but to his bottomless horror Gabriella placed a gentle put strong hand on the back of his head and brought her warm lips against his. The cereal box he had recently picked up dropped out of his frozen hands. Unwillingly, though his brain screamed in protest, Ryan closed his eyes and let Gabbi kiss him; and kissed her fully back.
So what did y'all think? Do I hate Gabriella M. or what, haha. I haven't written a love-sequence in such a long time, so I felt like adding in a bunch of good chic-flic material :) Tell me what you all think of Gabbi. Is she a double-crosser? Why do you think she kissed Ryan, knowing how Kelsi felt about him? Why did Ryan let her? What do you think is going to happen next? R&R PLEASE! I need all the help I can get