Need You Now
Hiya guys, thanks for all of your reviews! Sorry I didn't update yesterday, I have a crazy revision timetable to try and stick to as my exams start next month, anyway, here's chapter 6, hope you enjoy it and please review.
Chapter 6
Walking out into the sweltering afternoon sun, Ryan instinctively pulled his sunglasses down off of the top of his head and pulled his baseball cap so that it was completely shading his eyes, as he glared at the cloudless sky.
"Stupid Troy," he mumbled, "Had to send me off to San Francisco where I'm going to die from the heat, could've had New York or even Chicago, but no Ryan, you'll be good in San Francisco Ryan, so I need you to go there Ryan, stupid Bolton," Ryan huffed to himself as he slumped off to find a taxi, dragging his heavy suitcase behind him.
Deciding that it was best if he went to his hotel first, and got some rest, so that he wasn't as cranky if he did actually find Gabriella, Ryan had instructed the taxi driver to take him straight there, and he was currently lying flat out on his bed, the air conditioning on full and considering ordering room service as he skimmed the list of possible places that Gabriella had just happened to mention to the gang that she loved to go to while she lived in San Francisco, and trying to figure out the best way to get around all thirty two places, and have a thorough search of each of them while he was on his week long stay in San Francisco, having wasted the first day travelling, but knowing that if he really needed to, he could extend his stay until he had covered at least all of those places.
Sighing, he rolled over, knowing that his week here in San Francisco was not going to be easy, battling both the weather and the tourists, but he knew that one way or another, he or one of the others in the gang had to find Gabriella, as he glanced quickly at the picture that he kept of the gang in his wallet, from their first day in LA, the guys were all sat on the hood of Troy's then new 1969 red mustang convertible, a graduation present from his grandparents, the girls all stood in between their legs, laughing their heads off and soaked right through as they had just all had a massive water fight, to fight of the dire heat, Ryan stood off to the side a little, leaning on the car, the only dry one, and laughing at the others as they acted like idiots, completely unaware of the camera that he had just set up, and just to his luck, the moment that the shutter clicked, was the moment that Troy had pulled Gabriella up into his arms, her feet dangling off of the floor and she had reached over to give him a peck on the cheek. Sighing once more, Ryan returned his wallet to the night stand beside his bed and fell into a restless sleep, praying that someone would find his little sister, and fast.
Waking up the next morning bright and early, knowing from experience that Gabriella was an early bird, Ryan huffed as he saw that the Sun was already out in full force, and lathered his pale skin with high factor sun tan oil, before grabbing his sunglasses and pulling his cap down over his eyes, skipping breakfast and leaving his hotel as fast as possible, to start his week long search in San Francisco.
Looking at his list, Ryan smiled slightly and headed off to his first destination, Fisherman's Wharf, heading straight for pier 39 after having heard Gabriella go on about how she used to love going there to go shopping with the few friends that she had had in San Francisco, or to just go there by herself to see the sea lions when they arrived on the pier.
Ryan searched everywhere he could think of on the pier, evening searching through the entire mall, the marine mammal centre and the aquarium of the bay, but to no such luck, feeling disheartened, he scratched Fisherman's Wharf off of his list and moved onto the next one, calling a taxi at the first possible opportunity.
By the end of his first day in San Francisco, Ryan could already cross off seven of his destinations from his list, and collapsed to his bed, completely exhausted from the days activities, as he opted to just order room service, rather than head out to find a meal.
Two days later, and Ryan had still not had any luck, despite the fact that he had now been to twelve of his destinations, and only had twenty left to go to, in the four days that he had left, including the day that he was currently on, in which he had visited a further six sites so far that day, again with no luck of seeing Gabriella, and he was now pulling up to his final stop for the day, more exhausted than ever.
However, when Ryan climbed out of the taxi, he had to smile, Gabriella had been exactly right, what else could he have expected, when she had called golden gate Park a place of absolute beauty, Ryan headed towards it in complete awe, before remembering his duty and immediately going back into searcher mode, scanning the crowds for his missing friend.
Straight away, Ryan headed for what he knew was Gabriella's favourite part of the park, after having talked to her about San Francisco many times, which was why he was the one chosen to go there, and after talking to her only real friend from San Francisco, Mandy, only the day before hand, to see if she had possibly heard from Gabriella at all, which she had not.
Reaching Stow Lake, Ryan took in a deep breath as he observed the natural beauty and tranquillity of the area, suddenly realising what Gabriella had meant when she said that it made you feel as though you were the only person in the world, and as though you were seeing real beauty for the first time.
Ryan looked around, his wide pools of eyes drinking in the large lake, with the shady trees hanging around the waters edge, sun beams dancing through the leaves, as the ducks splashed around on the surface of the water, making little noise as they took flight or landed. Ryan however, noticed that he really was the only person there, and sighed when he realised that Gabriella was not there beside him as he had hoped that she would be.
After checking Gabriella's other two favourite spots in the entire park, the Japanese Tea Garden, and the AIDS Memorial grove, knowing that she liked to leave flowers, and remember all that had been lost to the disease, Ryan finally had to admit defeat for the day, and said goodbye to his third day in San Francisco, without Gabriella.
By the second last day of his trip, Ryan only had seven places left to visit, and decided that he would spend the day trying to get the majority of them out of the way, leaving Gabriella's favourite place in the entire city until the following day, his last day, knowing that he could then sit there all day, and just watch the world go by, hoping that she would be one of the people that he watched go by, so that he could finally take her home.
At lunchtime, Ryan decided that he would check out Chinatown, knowing that Gabriella's favourite restaurant, which she used to attend weekly in her youth, was situated there, and knowing that he would at least be able to pick up some lunch, and cross another place off of his list, even if he didn't find Gabriella.
Passing under the The Dragon Gate on Grant Avenue at Bush Street, Ryan had to look up in amazement, before shaking his head of the thoughts and quickly rushing off to the restaurant that he was aiming for.
Another disappointing day had come and gone for Ryan Evans, and now he had seen thirty one of Gabriella's favourite sites, and he only had one more left, her all time favourite, the one which she used to gush about all of the time whenever they talked about San Francisco, and the one place where she had told Ryan that she had gone to everyday when she lived there, so Ryan rolled over, desperate to get a good night's sleep, so that he could be there by five am the following morning, to see if Gabriella had been in San Francisco or not, the entire time that he had been here.
Arriving on Baker beach long before anyone ele, Ryan smiled and walked along the peaceful, tranquil beach, once again realising that Gabriella had been right, and that she had the most beautiful spot pegged, and he dropped to the sand, to sit and watch the day away, as he looked at the Golden Gate bridge, practically glowing in the sunrise, not too far away.
Two and a half hours later, many other people had come and gone, walking their dogs or jogging before they had work, but Ryan stayed put, eyeing up anyone that walked onto the beach or anywhere around the beach.
Suddenly, his eyes widened and he jumped to his feet as he saw a young woman with a mass of dark curly hair, and started to sprint towards her as fast as he could, tripping over his own feet a number of times in the process as he cried out to her, "GABRIELLA…"
Okay guys, please review and tell me what you thought, and I should have the next one up by tonight or tomorrow.