Well, well, ell... Erm, heh... Happy summer everyone! xD Well, I promised it would be faster for this chapter, but it wasn't. I'M SORRY!!!! Okay, well here it is after a long long break. Hope you like. I've gotten REALLY far on this story in my notebook and if you tell me what you think, I'll eventually get to some more good stuff. Mkay?
"Ew! That is so gross!" Sharpay screeched from what I guessed was the kitchen. I laughed a little to myself and left the room with a towel on my head, fresh from the shower. Zeke was laughing hysterically as Chad piled on miscellaneous food items onto his Lucky Charms.
"Ketchup?!" Sharpay cringed, turning away and shielding her face as if just the sight could burn her eyes.
"Tell me you're not stupid enough to eat that repulsive mess," Taylor said, rubbing her temples. Being around the boys, seemed to wear on Taylor a bit. They were just so... impulsive about everything. That was her opinion, very Taylor-esque really.
I laughed at the whole thing softly, reaching into the fridge for the milk so I too could have some cereal. Though, a normal bowl would do better.
Chad shrugged to Taylor's comment. "What's it to you?" he asked smirking.
Taylor crossed her arms. "Nothing. It really doesn't matter to me. Serves you right to get a 'tummy ache'" she said in a baby voice sticking out her bottom lip.
"It's a waste of food..." I stated, stepping in front of him to take the Lucky Charms box.
Sharpay cocked her head at me. "She speaks?" she inquired, a little confused. Taylor looked at me and mirrored Sharpay's expression. She opened her mouth again to start hammering me with questions.
I shoved a spoonful of cereal into my mouth. "What?" I asked, acting clueless.
Taylor took the bowl from my hand and tackled me with a hug. "Ash, I'm really sorry!" she cried as she squeezed me. I stood in her grasp in shock for a moment, then patted her awkwardly on the back.
"It's okay Tay... You're fine..." I said blankly, with a small laugh. Taylor stood back, looking at me like I needed to explain myself.
"Would somebody go wake that lazy brother of mine up?" Sharpay asked in the midst of the different conversations. She obviously had changed interest from Taylor and I. She resumed staring at Chad's 'chemistry experiment gone wrong'.
I nodded in response and grabbed a bit of my cereal before heading down the narrow hallway to Ryan's room. I opened the door gently and smiled as I saw him lying there: Mouth open, slightly snoring and stretched out on his back. I walked in and climbed up on the bed sitting next to him. He groaned in his sleep and rolled over a little, causing me to laugh quietly. I played with a short strand of hair that fell in front of his face and he sprawled a bit more, running into my leg.
"Ryan..." I whispered, shaking him gently.
"Hmmm...?" he replied, wiggling a little and grabbing for the edge of the blanket.
"Well, you sleep the day away then. I'll wait here, when your ready," I teased, talking softly still.
He squinted up at me and sat up with his back against the headboard. A big t-shirt adorned his upper half. One of those that advertised a play he and Sharpay had been in, of course.
"Morning," I said grinning and brushing some hair from his face.
"Does that towel have breakfast in it?" he asked, yawning in mid-sentence.
I stared at him for a moment, obviously confused. Then, noticing his gaze go up to the top of my head I shook my head. "No, you're going to have to make that yourself," I said disentangling the towel from my damp hair.
Ryan nodded and yawned again, sitting up a bit straighter. He looked over and smiled at me for a moment in the silence.
"What?" I asked, looking at him right back. I wanted to know if there was something going on in his mind that I needed to know.
"Nothing," he said, planting a small kiss on my lips.
"I've come to fetch you!" Chad called, triumphantly entering the room. He raised an eyebrow at us both on the bed. "Let's not be doing any of that now, children," he said, scolding us.
I rolled my eyes and got up from the bed, heading past him to the door. "Sharpay asked for someone to wake him up," I said matter-of-factly.
"Mhmmm... You woke him up alright," Chad mumbled shaking his head in mock disappointment.
I was already out the door, smirking a little at Chad's antics. Taylor was heading down the hallway and stopped in my pathway. "He told you then?" she inquired in a low voice. Her eyes darted behind me, glancing at Ryan's door.
I nodded and smiled when a looked of relief came across her face. "Girl he was so jealous!" she said laughing a little.
"Jealous?" I asked, slightly confused to which Taylor nodded very slowly. "Apparently he didn't tell you all of it... Uh, y-you should..." She let her sentence diminish as she turned back around toward the living room.
"Where'd everyone else go?" I asked, approaching the couch area as well. The whole group spent most of their time there. That's pretty much all you could do on this trip though, in case the chaperone jumped in.
"They went for a walk," Taylor replied with a shrug as Chad made his way into the room. "Maybe the four of us should go too. Since Sharpay and Zeke went already..."
I thought about how strange it sounded. First of all, Sharpay and Zeke doing something together?! And second of all, alone? The only place Sharpay would go here, would be the coffee shop in the lobby, nowhere near anything nature-y.
"What?" I asked her, making sure I heard correctly.
Taylor shrugged, seeming just as confused as I was. "Zeke would follow her anywhere... And Sharpay..." she drifted off pausing to fill in her explanation.
"She'd put up with him, until she got his cookies. Then, she'll be back," Ryan piped in, walking into the room with another yawn.
All of us seemed to laugh a little at the truth of Sharpay's predictable personality. "So... everyone in for a walk?" Taylor asked soon after.
I nodded at the idea and looked at Ryan for his answer, who shrugged indifferently.
"Sure," he replied with a smile toward me.
Chad sighed as the three of us stared at him for a response. "Fine! Geez... Nature is so overrated," he muttered.
We all grabbed out coats and Taylor led the way out the door, followed by Chad. I found a sticky note and a pen so I could scribble a quick note to Sharpay and Zeke if they came back.
"Stop worrying so much..." Ryan whispered in my ear. He took my hand and tugged so I would follow him. I smiled at him barely. He seemed so care free to me, nothing ever bothers him. Nothing I ever got to see.
We caught up with Taylor and Chad, entering the lobby cautiously. Really, we weren't supposed to go out on a 'unauthorized' walk or anything else without a chaperone, so we stayed nonchalant. Eventually, we found a way out the back door of the patio and crunched down a path on the snow.
Okay, well... Hope you liked it. Next is their actual walk. It'll be a bit short, but It'll be quicker response. No doubt!! Please tell me if/what you liked or disliked for that matter. I love love reviews. -hint hint-
Ali x3