Disclaimer: yeah I own High school musical since every middle schooler you know owns a hit Disney movie
Why is my brother holding my hand? was Nicki's first rational thought once she regained a bit of sense. Her second was that she couldn't quite hear the screams coming from the television anymore. Why would he turn down the TV? He doesn't care! she thought, having lost all awareness of what was going on, and jumping to the obvious conclusion- that the only times she ever watched horror films was when her brother, Preston, roped her into it, and he didn't even care enough to look her way when she instinctively latched onto him in fear.
Ryan's holding your hand, idiot! Don't you remember anything that happened today?
Ryan's holding my hand!?! OH MY GOSH!!! I mean, oh, it's you again, what do you want?
Nice save. not. I'm here again to tell you what I've been trying to get across unsuccessfully for ages. Don't you think it's wrong that you're gonna use him?
Why? I'll get what I want, and I'll make sure he doesn't get hurt.
Listen, hun, no matter what you do, you'll end up hurting him. I mean, you are toying with his emotions, and I think he likes you.
No, he doesn't.
Um, he's holding your hand, and by the sound of a certain freckled-faced girl's fast heartbeat, I think she likes him back.
So my heart's beating fast, big whoop, that doesn't prove I like him.
Yeah it does, that and your reaction when you realized it was Ryan holding your hand.
I don't like him as anything more than a friend.
Go through with your plan and it'll seem like you don't care about him at all!
I do too care!
I'm your conscience, it's my job. How about this, you forget all about your evil scheme for now, and just let things go on naturally, and I won't bother you for the rest of night
Deal! "It's over," Ryan said, breaking Nicki out of her thoughts. She opened her eyes slowly, wary of a trick, but it was true. The credits were rolling.
"Good movie," Nicki said, trying to be casual and failing. Miserably.
"So let me guess, you afraid of vampires?" Ryan asked."Shut up, I am not!" she lied. "You covered your eyes for the entire film, and you grabbed onto my arm," Ryan pointed out.
"Yeah, but I'm the one who decided to hold hands," Nicki replied as she looked down and noticed their hands were still interlocked. Ryan looked down too with a confused expression, but didn't pull away.
"Well, forgive me for trying to be nice to you. You were scared, the nice thing to do would be to hold your hand for reassurance, but I guess I'll remember to not be nice to you!" Nicki bit her lip. Clearly not the right thing to say right now. Especially not with an accusatory tone.
"No, it was really sweet what you did, but no more vampire movies, okay?"
"Damn, no more excuses to hold her hand!" Ryan heard his anti-conscience say. "Dang!" Ryan blurted out without realizing it. As much as he hated to admit it, he had to agree with his that voice inside his head. He did enjoy holding her hand. When he saw her staring at him oddly, he felt the color rise quickly to his cheeks.. At least, more color than was already there.
"What, are upset that you don't another chance to hold my hand?"
"No. But if you really wanted me to, I would consider it."
"Really? So, if I asked you to hold my hand right now, would you?" Ryan contemplated this for a moment.
"It depends." "On what?"
"Well, what would I get out of holding your hand?"
"The satisfaction of a girl like me letting you hold her hand," Nicki replied as though it were the most obvious thing in the world.
"Not enough." Ryan trailed off before coming to a realization about her motives, "Wait, do you really want me to hold your hand that badly?" Nicki started blushing worse than Ryan.
"No, I mean, since you're offering, why not?"
"Well," he said, enjoying this far to much than the rational part of him liked, "I'm gonna need something to sweeten the deal."
"Like?"
"I don't know, what do you have to offer?" he asked with a wink. Since when did I become my anti-conscience???
"Well." she kissed him on the cheek quickly.
"What was that for?" He asked, minor terror on his changing personality long gone.
"To thank you for being so sweet, I mean traditionally a girl kisses a guy on the cheek as a sign of gratefulness when a guy does something out of chivalry."
"Oh," was all he could think to say. They sat in comfortable silence like that for a while, hands still intertwined.
"So, what time do you have to head back to your house?"
"Doesn't matter, I can stay until you kick me out," he answered jokingly.
"Okay, well. it's only like eight-thirty, and it's a Friday, so we could watch another film, then I'll toss you out of here."
"Sounds good."
"Hmm, since horror flicks are out of the question, how about a sappy chick-flick? I'd go for The Notebook, girls love sappy stuff like that. And guys who are sensitive enough to appreciate it," His anti-conscience suggested
"Is flirting all you care about?"
"No but at the moment yes, and this girl will be easy! She practically has a neon sign above her head that says 'I Like You'."
"She does?"
"Well, maybe not that bright, but you can still tell she likes you."
"Okay, well I guess I'll suggest the movie then." "How about we watch The Notebook?" Ryan suggested uncertainly.
"Ew, no I hate that movie," Nicki replied as she stood up to grab a different movie "How about this?" Ryan had to take a moment to stop himself from missing the feeling of her hand in his before he could actually read the title.
"You want to watch Fiddler On The Roof?"
"Yes!"
"But that movie is so long."
"Please?" She begged forming her face into a Grade A Puppy-Dog Pout.
"Alright, alright! We'll watch it!" Ryan gave in, knowing it was pointless to even try and resist the well-practiced pout. Nicki smiled and quickly popped. the movie in, before sitting back down next to him. She sighed happily, knowing she was watching a movie she knew and loved, which wouldn't cause her to scream or cower.
But when the musical was half over, she began to feel tired and she let out a yawn. She needed to lay down, so she simply laid down with her head on top of Ryan's lap, not caring if it would bother him. But it didn't seem to since he was too engrossed in the tale of Tevye and his daughters. She never noticed how he'd occasionally look down and smile at her, or if she did, it was forgotten by the time she woke up.
As the credits rolled, Ryan looked down once more to find Nicki asleep on top of him. "Nicki, wake-up.." he said "Come on, wake up!" he said again, and this time he shook her too. She slowly opened her eyes, and when she caught sight of him, she didn't say anything, she just grabbed Ryan's hat off his head. He laughed as she covered her face with it, and he was sure he could here her own stifled giggles. "Can I have my hat back?"
"No."
"Why not?"
"Because you woke me up," She answered tiredly, lifting the hat a bit to send a mock glare at him.
"Kinda had to, you were on top of me."
"Not my fault you're comfy." He sighed and slowly pushed her off of him. She pouted and moved away, still keeping a tight grip on his hat, which he knew better than to try and grab back.
"Well, I gotta go home, night."
"Night, I'll give you your hat back next time I see you- on Monday."
HSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSM
After arriving home, Ryan went upstairs, hoping to avoid his twin sister. But unfortunately for him his sister stopped him before he reached his room. "You were with her, weren't you?" She asked venomously.
"Yeah, so?" Ryan replied honestly, he didn't feel like lying anymore.
"So, so? I hate her, you can't spend time with her if I hate her!"
"Just because you hate her, doesn't mean I have to."
"Yes it does, you're my brother, and blood is thicker than water!"
"I know, but being your twin doesn't mean I have to feel the same way about everything that you do. You can't control who I'm friends with!"
"Why would you want to be friends with her, anyway?"
"I have a good time with her, and she actually cares what I think, unlike a certain girl I know!"
"I care what you think, and she's nothing but mean to you!"
"Like you're not."
"At least I call you by your first name."
"So, I've come to accept the name Count Dorkula as a term of endearment."
"A term of what?"
"Endearment. I mean, think about it. She calls everybody but me by name, I must be pretty special if she took the time to think of a nickname for me."
"Please, it just means she thinks you're a dork, stupid."
"So, I kinda am one. And you know what? I don't care. It's just the way things are."
"I know, but I thought you didn't like her anyway. Like, you used to always dread seeing her when I was friends with her," she said, as though this period in their life had been ages ago.
"I got to know her, and she's an interesting person to talk to, even if she can be mean at times."
"Please, I've known her forever, she not that interesting."
"Maybe because you're too consumed in yourself to take the time to listen to those around you."
"It's only because I'm far more interesting than anyone else." Ryan snorted at his sister's arrogance, feeling a lot braver than he ever had when dealing with her.
"Not true. You're boring me all the time, really. I mean, all you ever do is go on and on about Troy and Gabriella." "She's brainwashing you, isn't she?"
"No, actually, she's just been saying everything I was too scared to say," he said, and before Sharpay could open her mouth, he turned around went into his room, slamming the door shut in his sister's face for the first time in his life.
author's note: This is offically my fave chapter so far, it's makes me feel all warm and fluffy but not so much where I puke, I hate overly mushsy barf worthy fluff, no offense to you who write/love it. Oh and if you have never seen Fiddler On The Roof, I recondmend it, great movie/musical. Well adios, and please R&R
