YAY new oneshot!! I'm on a oneshot, Relsi roll this weekend!! I like this one, only because it's a bit personal. I took Kelsi's hatred of citations from my own experience. [seriously, who likes citations??? ANYONE????

Computer Lab

Kelsi slammed her hands against the keyboard, a smattering of letters appearing in the middle of her works cited page. Next to her, Ryan performed his own version of Kelsi's motion, much to his partner's chagrin.

"You should try being helpful here, Evans." She hissed. "That's what most people do."

"I'll let you know, small person, that I am not like most people." Ryan snapped back.

"That's for sure." Kelsi muttered. "Most people have souls."

"What was that, Nielson?" He asked.

"Nothing, sir." She sassed. She deleted the gibberish and tried, once again, to properly format an encyclopedia entry.

"You need to indent." Ryan said. Kelsi hit her tab key. "Not there." Ryan corrected. She hit the backspace. "Better."

"I don't need you to comment on everything, Evans." She grumbled. Ryan threw his hands up in a gesture of defeat.

"Fine then!!" He said, getting up to leave. "Fail. See if I care."

"You're so full of yourself!" Kelsi snapped back. "Acting like I need you to pass. Listen here buddy, I don't need anyone to pass this class! I can do it just fine on my own!"

"Which is exactly why you signed up for tutoring." Ryan returned calmly and coolly. She glared at him for a second, thinking of a comeback, then sighed, giving up. "That's what I thought." Ryan walked back over to her. "So do you want me to stay?"

"No." She said.

"Okay." He crossed the cramped room in a few steps, maneuvering around tables crammed with monitors. "I'll see you later then, Neilson."

Kelsi waited to hear the click of the door as it closed, her eyes never leaving her computer screen. Though she wouldn't admit it, she did want Ryan to stay, and for more than his amazing citation skills. He's got some certain other skills too. Not that I should know that. She thought, trying to hide her smirk.

While it was true her hatred for the Evans boy had been bred from jealousy and used as a defense mechanism, she refused to let it keep her from relishing every opportunity to spy on him. She always managed to convince herself it was just for blackmail purposes, and that she was just waiting for the opportune moment to release her store of information and show the world what a terror he obviously was. And still, in the nearly ten years she had known him now, she hadn't done a thing. She knew things about him that sometimes she doubted even Sharpay knew, but her biggest secret, the one that burned inside of her, she had learned completely on accident.

It was a rare stormy day at Lava Springs. Kelsi was practicing for the talent show coming up, her hands moving as gracefully as a dancer across the keys. She was waiting for Ryan to show up for rehearsal; he was already ten minutes late, and it was unlike him. Just as she was considering leaving, she looked up, her ears catching the familiar sound of his voice.

"Em, I told Kelsi I would be here ten minutes ago." Someone responded in a whisper, but Ryan's voice rang strong and true. "You need to let that go. There's nothing happening between us. I'm yours, babe." Kelsi blood boiled. No way did he have a girlfriend. He wasn't allowed to, by Sharpay and Kelsi. "She's just the pianist. Emma, chill out. I've known her since we were seven." There was short, angry pause. "Then maybe this isn't going to work out. Maybe I do deserve better." The sounds of tears followed a strangled cry, and Kelsi slid down to the other side of the bench, giving her a perfect view of a tall blonde girl sobbing into her hands as Ryan leaned against the wall facing the rehearsal room. She worried at first that he would see her, but it was clear that his piercing blue eyes were focused on the sniveling mess in front of him. "Don't even try it, Em. You knew last summer that this was coming. The only reason I didn't ditch you then was because Sharpay was already pissed at you over the whole Javier thing." Another strangle from the blond, and Ryan just laughed. "Yes, it was pity. Nice to see you figured that one out on your own." With that, he stood straight and walked into the rehearsal room, closing the door on the girl with make-up running down her cheeks.

Kelsi stared. She had just seen Ryan Evans break up with a girlfriend that she didn't know he had, after a fight that involved her. This was a major event that was about to send her into cardiac arrest. Ryan just looked up from the music, puzzled.

"What's up Kels?" He asked. "You seem quiet."

It had been only four months ago, but the memory was burned into her mind. Part of her knew that even if she were to date Ryan, she didn't want to end up like Emma. The rest of screamed that she wouldn't end up like Emma, because she and Ryan were made for each other. She realized that she was wearing the stupid grin that instantly gave away her thoughts, and proceeded to wipe it off her face, still waiting to hear the click of the door. She heard movement, but no swish of cloth that signaled movement and no click. Her curiosity eating her, Kelsi peeked over the top of her monitor to see Ryan turning the handle in every direction, but yielding no result.

"It locked, didn't it?" Kelsi said.

"Yeah." Ryan released the knob and stared at it. Kelsi rolled her eyes. Sensing her exasperation, Ryan turned away and came back. "Well, I guess I'll have to stay."

"Unless you feel like jumping out a second floor window." Kelsi said, seriously considering the option. Even a trip the ER would be better than any more time with the boy who turned her into an emotional tilt-a-whirl.

"Hilarious." Ryan drawled, sitting back down in the seat he had abandoned. "You should have your own YouTube video."

"I know." She said, returning to her works cited page, which still wasn't formatted properly. The two fell into a strangely comfortable silence, breaking it only when Ryan had a correction to make in Kelsi's typing.

"Kelsi." Ryan asked suddenly. "Why do you hate me so much?" The question startled her into hitting the page up key rather than the backspace. The screen and Kelsi's mind reeled for a moment. She looked at him, slouching slightly in his chair, something he would never do around Sharpay. His dark jeans drew a strong contrast from the white plastic chair, and his bright blue eyes, the ones that Kelsi had spent hours trying and failing to describe, were trained on her, awaiting a response.

"I…I don't know." She said softly. "I guess…" Her mind began screaming at herTell him now!!! Tell him the truth!!! "I guess you're just so stuck up and full of yourself. I mean, it's hard not to hate you when you act like your better than the rest of us." Mentally she began hitting her head off the table.

"What?" Ryan shook his head in confusion. "But…I don't act like that. Not anymore…" a look of horror crossed his face. "Do I?"

Of course not. Kelsi thought, blinking at him. I'm making it up because I'm stupid and scared and I love you and hate the fact that I love you and I want it to stop but I know that it won't because I've seen enough dumb romantic comedies to know when I'm in one and now I can't think straight and my thoughts are running together and this is not making sense so I don't know what to say!!!

"I'm lying." She suddenly said. Ryan raised an eyebrow, but Kelsi didn't acknowledge him. "I don't hate you. I've never hated you. Well, I have a little bit, but only because I hated what you did to me. I hate how you make me feel. And I especially hate the way I can't forget that I both hate and love you." Dammit.

Telling him didn't seem like such a good idea now. The shocked silence rang through the room, almost daring either of them to talk. Kelsi glanced at her screen, and decided that three sources were enough. Quickly performing a key function, she stood and raced to the printer, calling over her shoulder. "I think I'm done here, but thanks for the help." She pulled out the pure white sheet and grabbed her bag, turning off her computer. "I'll catch you-"

Her words were cut off as Ryan's lips met hers. She dropped her bag and paper, hearing them hit the ground as she instinctively wrapped her arms around his neck. Shock ran through her body as she felt his warm, soft hands at her sides. For once, she wasn't thinking. She was feeling. Her world disappeared in a swirl of heat, light, and color.

Just as quickly as he had grabbed her, he let her go. She could see the color rising in his cheeks, and knew that she was just mirroring him.

"I'm sorry about that, Kels." He said, looking away, looking at anything but her. "I didn't mean to…get carried away like that." He picked up his bag as the bell rang. "I'll just go."

"Wait." Kelsi grabbed his hand, pulling him back towards her. "I never said I minded it." She said softly. Ryan grinned.

"Well, if you didn't mind that, then you won't mind this, either." He nuzzled into her neck, kissing her gently. "Or this." He said, tracing her jaw line with his lips. "Or…"

Five minutes later when the computer teacher finally arrived to let her class in the room, they found two flustered teenagers, sitting at the computer, flushed with 'anger' because the computer 'wouldn't properly format the citations'. Riiiight.