Torn From the Present

Chapter 3: An Idea

Later that night, when Lorraine and her father were driving home from the Bolton's house, Ryan had a magnificent idea.

As they were driving down an old country road, about 10 minutes from their house, Ryan asked, " Do you want to go to work with me tomorrow?" While looking at his daughter, who was staring out the window into the sunset.

"Isn't tomorrow a school day?" She asked, not taking her blue eyes off of the magnificent sunset.

"No... didn't your teachers tell you that it was a 'Teacher Enhancement day' and there wouldn't be any school?" He was surprised that the teachers didn't inform the stundents about this... maybe they didn't want them too excited to because they wouldn't pay attention during class?

"Why are the students always the last to know this!" Lorraine asked, finally taking her eyes off of the sunset, which was almost completely set. She now turned her attention to the road, determined not to look at her father, just incase he was mad at her for some reason. But then he wouldn't have asked me to come to his work with him... what's going on?

"So do you want to?" Ryan asked his daughter, hoping that she would. He would need all the help he could get to train the little kids that were in his class tomorrow... beginnners... the worst.

"Eh. Sure... I have nothing else to do... can I help you teach the... beginners?" She asked, raising her eyebrow. She knew that the beginners were always the hardest to teach... especially the 5-7 year olds.

"Please! I even asked Sharpay to help me... I thought we would show them one of our old routines from High School... " he said, his thoughts trailing to an end.

"Now don't make them too confused... do something simple... hm..." Lorraine said, lecturing her father on how to teach. She loved doing that.

"Don't worry... we won't... try to" he said, smiling. "I was thinking of doing ' What I've Been Looking For'... but does that seem too complicated? I mean, I don't think their little brains could take more than the 'Hokey Pokey' or ' The Chicken Dance'..."

Lorraine laughed. Maybe she was wrong... maybe nothing was wrong...

They arrived at their house 10 minutes later. Lorraine was very tired, after all, having to deal with Luke and Maddie was alot of hard work. "I'm gonna take a shower..." she said absentmindedly. She wandered into her room and turned on the shower.

Meanwhile, Ryan sat at the kitchen table, looking at the posters that littered it. They were really good... How could a 12 year-old manage this? I can barely manage this! Ryan thought. He sighed, took out his breifcase, and started to make a lesson plan for the next day. He looked at the letter that Kelsi had sent to his office, it read:

Dear Ryan,

I'm so sorry that I haven't been in touch. I've been quite busy, writing scripts for upcoming musicals at the University of Louisville,where I work . Well, I hope you and Lorraine are doing fine. Speaking of Lorraine, I'd like a favor. I'd really appreciate it if I could take Lorraine off of your hands for 2 months to come and see me. I could show her around town and get to know her. I think that this is the least I could do after not seeing her for 8 long years. By the way. I got married shortly after we divorced. To Jason Cross, who is on the UofL basketball team. That's actually where I met him. We dated for a while, then got married. We have twins. A girl and a boy. They are each 5 years old... I think Lorraine would like to meet them. Please respond soon. I could take her over her summer break... Or maybe only 1 month... I'd just like to see her again. Please talk to her about it, I'd really appreciate it.

-Kelsi Cross

Ryan knew that he would have to tell Lorraine soon. There was only 3 short weeks until school let out for 21/2 months. I'll tell her tomorrow... after we go to the studio.

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The Next Morning, 6 am

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"C'mon Lorraine! We have to get ready!" Ryan said, shaking his daughter. Her sandy brown hair was pulled up in a pony tail. "Ok... I'll have to do this the hard way..." He said, walking over to the boombox sitting on her dresser. He went to track 7, which was ' Bring 'Em Out' by Hawk Nelson. He turned the volume up to max, and sat down on her chair, that was conviently for him, placed next to the dresser. 5, 4,3,2,1...

"Turn it off!" She yelled, trying to cover her ears with the pillow that her head was previously resting on.

"Not until you're out of bed!" he yelled over the music blaring out of the speakers.

"Ugh!" She grudgingly climbed out of the bed, walked to the dresser, and pressed the 'OFF' button. She then looked out of the window. It was still dark. "I'd rather be woken up after the sun rises, if you don't mind."

He smiled. "I'm gonna go get breakfast ready... be out in... 10 minutes" he said, standing up and walking out of the room.

Lorraine put on jeans, an orange t-shirt, and a l.e.i hat. She had inherited her love of hats from her dad, who still wore them occasionaly, since there wasn't much of a dress code... and he could wear what he wanted since he owned the business in the first place. She bounded down the hall, excited about joining her dad at work.

"Look who's excited now," Ryan said, setting down a bowl of cereal in front of Lorraine's chair, and one for himself. The two sat down, and started their breakfast.

As soon as they were done, the two took their bowls to the sink, washed them out, and walked to the truck. "When is Aunt Sharpay going to be there?" Lorraine asked, when the truck pulled out of the driveway.

"Knowing her, probably ten minutes before we get there."

And sure enough, when they got to the studio, Lorraine could see Sharpay's car in the parking lot. Ryan pulled up next to it and the two got out of the car. They walked to the front door, and Ryan pulled out his key. He stuck it in the keyhole and pulled on the door. But to his dismay, he found that it was locked.

"Um... I think Aunt Sharpay unlocked the door already." Lorraine said.

"Ya think?" Ryan said playfully. He once again put the key in the lock, turned it, and this time, the door opened. He held the door open for Lorraine, and then walked in. All the lights were turned on, and music was playing in the background. "Um... Shar?" Ryan asked. He walked into the first dance room, which was the biggest. Sharpay was in there, practicing an old routine of some sort.

Sharpay looked up. "Oh, hi Ryan, hi Lorraine!". She turned the music off, and walked to the doorway where the father and daughter were standing.

The two smiled. Ryan smiled like usual, but the shy smile from Lorraine was unusual. "Lorraine, you hang around your dad too much. You're starting to pick up his habits!"

"Is that a bad thing?" Ryan asked, pretending to be hurt.

Both Sharpay and Lorraine laughed. "When do classes start?" Lorraine asked, very anxious to teach.

"Anxious much? Um... The first class is in ten minutes... will you stretch them out please?" Sharpay said. "And I need to talk to Ryan for a minute... About the class" She gave him a strange look.

"Uh... sure..." Ryan said, looking confused. He followed Sharpay into his office, and sat down at his desk. It wasn't every day that he could show off his lifestyle infront of his sister.

Sharpay sat in one of the two chairs in front of the desk... these are nice... she thought, enjoying the comfort of the black leather chairs. "Ok... have you told Lorraine about what Kelsi wants?" She said, getting down to business.

Ryan stayed silent. He really didn't want to answer that question. "Um... no, but I will later tonight." He said simply.

Sharpay sighed. "How long does she want to see her again?"

"Um... she prefered two months, but she said that any amount of time will do." Ryan replied. He looked very uncomfortable, and wiggled around in his seat, despite how comfortable they were.

" Ryan, the first thing, how long are you going to let her see Lorraine?" She asked. She looked dead serious... well, this was a serious matter.

" I was thinking a month and a half... I mean, she hasn't seen her for eight years!" Ryan said, his voice a little stronger than when the two started the conversation.

Sharpay sighed again. " How about just a month? I mean, she did walk out on you to begin with... it is her responsibility to take the consequences that come with that." Sharpay stated.

"Are you a lawyer or something? I mean, you seem so... different. Not that that's a problem or anything." he added hastily. "I'm gonna ask Lorraine what she wants"

And at that very moment, Lorraine herself came up to the door, then heard her name. She stopped. It wasn't like her to spy, but she was a twelve year-old girl, after all.

" She might not want to see her at all though! I mean, isn't she mad that Kelsi walked out on you when she was four, and now, she just wants to take her away from a month! She can't just rewind and playback, you know." Sharpay said, standing up, unaware that Lorraine was at the door. Lorraine's blonde hair was in her face, but she didn't care.

"I promise, Shar, I'll tell her tonight. I don't want to keep this from her, It's killing me to keep it from her this long. Oh, and guess who's she's married to now?" Ryan said, on the verge of tears.

"Who?" Sharpay said bitterly.

"Jason Cross... so she's Kelsi Cross now, not Evans, or Neilson..." Ryan said.

Lorraine couldn't take anymore... her mom had married another man? After leaving her dad and her? She just didn't understand...

Lorraine sat down; her back to the door. She wasn' t crying, but she was sad... her aqua blue eyes were wet with tears, but the tears weren't yet running down her cheeks.

Suddenly, the door opened, and Lorraine was pushed foreward, lower on the ground.

"Oh... Lorraine!" Ryan said. He noticed how sad his only daughter looked. She must have heard. "Did you...hear?" He asked timidly. He bent down to where Lorraine was.

She only nodded sadly.

A/N: Well... alot happened there... in so little time... strange. Hm... I'm sooo sorry that I haven't updated... any of my stories... I'm trying to work on ' Second Chances' It's a Drake and Josh story. And i'm having writer's block... and i've just discovered AIM... so you can imagine... and i've been reading more than writing... And I've picked up playing the guitar, and I'm still playing the piano, so I haven't had much time... Oh, and about Kelsi working at UofL... it's the University of Louisville... in Kentucky, and It's the one that I'm used to, I've been there alot so it's really local and I know alot of places there... and how long do you think she should stay? Let me tell you that she WILL be going, but in any case, I'm having you vote! And I always appreciate reviews... LOL.

So, vote:

A) Lorraine stays for 2 months

B)Lorraine stays for One and a half months

C)Lorraine stays for One month

Please vote!