Year 13: Carols
For completely selfish reasons of course, as Christmas neared, Sharpay took their teacher aside for a moment to have a word, and the next thing their teacher stood up and addressed the class.
"Attention for a moment, please! Sharpay has something she'd like to suggest, and I for one think it's a very good idea." A few of the class groaned, and the few that enjoyed sucking up to her or fawning over her sat up attentively. Ryan looked over at Kelsi, and rolled his eyes, who giggled back.
"Well, I think it would be a good idea if as a class we went out carol singing. We could raise money for the homeless shelter, and at the same time, bring joy to people!" She grinned, but Ryan shook his head. The only reason Sharpay was doing this was because she wanted people to hear her sing. A few people applauded that it was for charity, as Sharpay sat down, grinning at the attention.
"So class, what do you think? Will you do it?"
"Sir, what if we don't want to?" Said Chad, sticking his hand up immediately. "I mean, I'd rather stay at home practising basketball, and I know Troy feels the same!" Troy nodded.
"But Troy, don't you want to help the homeless!" Said Sharpay, sticking her bottom lip out. Everyone turned to Troy, and he sighed.
"....I'm miming." He declared. Most of the class volunteered, apart from Chad, a few of the shyer students, and Taylor and Martha who said they wanted to stay at home and study.
"Geeks." Coughed Sharpay, and Ryan glared at her. "What?" She said innocently. "I didn't do anything."
As they left the classroom, Kelsi ran to catch up with Ryan.
"So you're really gonna do this?" She asked.
"Yeah, no reason why not, it should be fun. And I do hope you'll join me, and not join the study group."
"I wanna get into a musical college in the future, I'm not too worried about studying. I'll be there, don't you worry." Smiled Kelsi. Ryan smiled back, and found himself more pleased than he'd usually be at spending time with Kelsi.
"I can't believe you're doing that carol thing. You don't even like singing." Said Taylor, as she and Martha walked with Kelsi to the cafeteria.
"It should be a lot of fun. And plus the money is going to a good cause." Pointed out Kelsi.
"Oh come on Tay, you know why she's doing it. A certain guy called Ryan..." Teased Martha, and Kelsi shook her head.
"Come on girls, you know me better than that. Ryan is my best friend, nothing else. I really don't like him like that."
"Yeah, like Taylor doesn't like Chad like that..."
"I don't!" Snapped Taylor. "He's an immature kid still! And he's obsessed with basketball! How dull can you get."
"Sorry I spoke." Joked Martha. "I know you don't like Ryan like that Kels, I was just teasing." Kelsi smiled.
"Good to know."
Two weeks later, the eight students who had agreed to join in the carol singing met up outside the school entrance. Sharpay stood there in a coat and a pink wooly hat, bossing people around.
"Okay, half of you can do one half of town, the other half of us can do the other, okay?" Everyone shuffled into two groups, and Sharpay shook her head. "We need to even it out so that both groups have SOME good singers....Like you two." She pointed to Sasha and Leah, two girls who hung on her every word. "You can join the second group as you're good singers...just not as good as me. And Ryan will of course be with me." Ryan rolled his eyes, and stood next to Sharpay. "And Troy if you're miming, you'll need me and Ryan to support you, so you'll have to join my group too! And...." Sharpay sighed dramatically. "I suppose we'll take you, Kelsi."
"No need to be so generous, Sharpay..." Muttered Kelsi. The two groups went their seperate ways, and while Sharpay was at the back harrassing Troy, Kelsi and Ryan walked ahead.
"So...I printed off some song books...I gave the others a copy too. Just so we don't run out of songs." Said Kelsi, passing one to Ryan. Ryan flicked through, and was impressed that most christmas songs he knew were in there.
"Wow...thanks. I never would've thought of something like that." He said, passing the book back. Their fingers touched for a second, and Ryan quickly withdrew.
At the first few houses, Ryan sung loudly between Sharpay and Kelsi, while Troy stood awkwardly to the side miming badly to their singing. However, as the night wore on, Ryan was finding himself more and more distracted by Kelsi. She had a red beret on, and her hair was starting to slip out of the sides of it. As usual she wasn't wearing any makeup, and Ryan could honestly say she didn't need a single touch of it to make her anymore beautiful. He shook his head. Kelsi was his best friend, there was no way he should be thinking about her in that way. But something about her meant he couldn't take his eyes off of her.
'Stupid teenage hormones' he put it down to, before trying to work out where they were in the song, only to find the door had just shut, and Troy was putting the money they had received in the money pot.
"Ryan, sing louder!" Snapped Sharpay as they walked to the next house. "I can't carry all four of you!"
By the end of their part of town, the four of them had managed to raise fifty dollars, and it was passed on to Troy, who promised to bring it into school the next day.
"Ryan, are you walking me home?" Said Sharpay, as they waved goodbye to Troy.
"...No I'm gonna walk Kelsi home. I'll see you later sis." Said Ryan, grabbing Kelsi's arm and walking in the opposite direction. They talked and joked until they reached Kelsi's apartment.
"Tonight was a lot of fun, really. Even if Sharpay was hanging around." Smiled Kelsi, taking the beret off her head and shaking her hair. Ryan tried to hide his blush.
"Yeah it was. I'll see you at school tomorrow?" He said, and Kelsi smiled and nodded.
"Yeah of course you will. Bye Ryan." She quickly closed the door. Once she had, she took a deep breath, and tried to clear her head.
She was not falling for Ryan Evans. It just wasn't possible.