Sharpay Evans ran her finger around the edge of her water glass impatiently, and with her other hand drummed her manicured nails against the table. Her twin brother was yet to be late to their meetings, and she did not want him to start the tradition now.
She was not disappointed. A waiter guided a young man with honey-blonde hair in a simple brown suit jacket over to the table, and left him with a menu. Sharpay removed her sunglasses with a flourish.
"What took you so long?" she asked crisply, straitening her hair. "One would think you had gotten lost on the subway"
"I was delayed," he responded shortly, running his eye over the menu. "Lillian had a parent-teacher conference." Sharpay merely rolled her eyes.
"Honestly, Ryan; you don't have to go to every single meeting. She's in preschool, for crying out loud." He merely shrugged and kept his attention on the menu. "And why are you so concerned about the silly menu; not like you can afford anything on it." She gave him a calculating glance. "To think that you once would be ashamed to wear black shoes and a brown jacket. I'm surprised that your taste has lowered to such a degree"
Ryan smacked his menu on the table. "Oh come off it, Shar," he snapped. "You know this is the best I can do these days…what with…things being how they are…" He embarrassingly hid his face with the list of desserts. Sharpay sighed once again, and ceased her taunting.
"Ryan," she said gently, her voice softening to a degree, "you are only twenty-one and the father of a lively four-year-old daughter. You must expect me to worry somewhat"
"Actually, I just wish you would stop worrying all together; I do plenty enough for the both of us." She laughed softly, but then became serious.
"Has she…contacted you yet?" she asked delicately.
"Did you honestly believe she would have…after four years?" he sighed.
"Ryan, you know I am willing to help pay for the fees-"
"Just as you know I am not going to accept your help. This is my life—my baby girl—and I plan to control it"
"You're not doing a terribly good job of it now," Sharpay grumbled, and immediately regretted her words. "Ryan, I didn't mean it that way"
"I know, I know. But the thing is you do mean it. It's just…I don't really want to think about it right now…"
"Well someone has to, and it might as well be me. Ry, you need someone to help you out! Lillian needs a mother!"
"And you think I don't know that?" Ryan asked brokenly, his eyes suddenly becoming foggy. "You think I don't notice how confused she gets when she sees all her little friend's mommies walking them into preschool…and all she has is a father who hasn't even stepped inside a college, and is still searching for a job!"
"Speaking of which, how did your job interview go today?"
"Not so good. They want someone with experience"
"To sell pianos? Good God, what do they picture; Ray Charles?" Ryan rewarded her with a small smile. "Have they called you back yet?"
"Not yet. I hope to at least survive a week"
Silence ensued. "You want me to order you a cup of coffee or something?" the sister offered at last.
"You know I won't be able to pay you back"
"I know." Ryan sighed a shook his head.
"No thanks, I might as well be going. I want to fit in some other job interviews seeing as how this one probably won't work out." Sharpay nodded, and her lean twin stood to his feet.
"Give Lilly my love. And Ry…" he turned to face her, "that little angel is lucky to have such a good dad." His eyes twinkled, and he dug through his pockets.
"I almost forgot—Chelsea took this picture of Lilly the other day, and I made a copy for you." Sharpay took the picture from him. A sweet, short petite girl smiled an all-too-familiar baby-cheeked smile up at her, and her short blonde braids flopped happily by her ears.
"She looks just like you." Ryan beamed proudly down at the picture. "But…she does have her mother's eyes." His beam dwindled, and he heaved a sigh.
"Yes…I know. Such beautiful eyes…" With a quick side hug, Ryan Evans was gone. Sharpay stared after him for a moment, and then glanced down at the picture once more. Dark chocolate eyes sparkled on the small girl's childish features. Shaking her head free of these thoughts, the vice president of design in the New York Fashion Company sipped her water and opened her portfolio, briefing herself on the day ahead of her.
Kelsi Neilson waved cheerfully goodbye to her students, and neatly stacked her sheet music. Mrs. Shepherd bustled over by her side.
"Words cannot express how much you are appreciated, my dear," the elderly woman said, her eyes shining with love. Kelsi laughed; a happy, tinkling sound.
"It is I who should be thanking you; I absolutely adore working with children, and it is so good to have found a job outside of college"
"I sleep in peace at night knowing that my students are being well trained," Mrs. Shepherd said proudly, puffing out her chest. Kelsi just blushed modestly, her hazel eyes twinkling with the compliments. "If only you had someone to work alongside you—then I would really be able to relax"
The composer resisted the temptation to roll her eyes. "Mrs. Shepherd, I am perfectly able to function without a man by my side. I have done ever since my high school days. Trust me; I am completely satisfied to work alone." The old music teacher shook her head.
"One day, you will find your mate; don't give up, deary. He will pop up when you least expect it, so be sure to keep your mind wide open." Giving in, Kelsi agreed that she would, and carried her boxes for her out to the tiny car.
As she was waving goodbye to the tiny BMW, something caught her eye. Among the cluster of pampering mothers gathering their children, a young man stood awkwardly out of place. He could not have been above her age, and was sitting patiently on a bench; waiting. Kelsi began to make her way over to him when a little girl with hair identical to the young man's came running pell-mell out into the school courtyard. The man stood up and swept the youngster into his strong arms, tickling her playfully. She squealed with delight and flung her arms around his neck. After rubbing their noses together, the pair continued on their way through the parking lot.
Kelsi recognized the child; Lillian Evans, one of the most musical children in her class. "That guy must be her older brother," she thought, and jumped to the occasion of meeting family of Lilly.
"Excuse me," she called out loudly, running over to them, and the older brother turned in obedient response to her call. Now at close range, Kelsi's breath caught in her throat. It was Ryan Evans, the very same drama king she had once known back at old East High. He certainly had changed. He had the appearance of one who had lost a lot of weight in a short amount of time, and his simple clothes made him almost unrecognizable. He still had a hat perched on his golden locks, but it no longer looked like something out of a catalog; the newsboys cap would not have looked foreign on a Target rack. His entire outfit spoke of cheap shabbiness, but his pale blue eyes still held the same unbounded optimism they had four or five years ago. But all innocence was gone.
"Kelsi!" he greeted her, his eyebrows rising in surprise. Kelsi mentally added 'lower voice' to her list of changes. "Whatever are you doing here?"
"She is my music teacher," Lillian chimed in, grinning broadly and revealing a large gap in between her two front teeth.
"I had no idea you worked here," Ryan said in genuine astonishment, and freed a hand so he could shake Kelsi's. "When did you start?"
"Only a few weeks ago," Kelsi answered. "So; you running errands for your parents or something?" His eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "I mean, did your parents send you to pick up your little sister from preschool?" He swallowed awkwardly, but before he could speak, Lilly piped up.
"Daddy, what's she talking about? You don't have a little sister—only a twin, right Daddy?"
"Yes sweetie, that's right; only Aunt Sharpay"
"Only Aunt Sharpay; no other," Lilly affirmed, and looked brightly at Kelsi as if the whole matter was settled.
"She…she's yours?" his old classmate gasped, staggering backwards.
"Yes," Ryan responded, his cheeks burning.
"I…I…" But Kelsi could not form any more words than that. Speechless and stupefied, she stumbled backwards before breaking into a run back to the school building. Lillian cocked her head.
"Why did she run away, Daddy?" Ryan stared after her, and didn't answer. "Daddy?"
He jolted out of his revere. "Why did she run away? It's because…it's because she has figured out about the treasure buried in the living room couch!"
"Oh no! She knows about it too?!"
"Yes, and we had better hurry home and dig it up first! We can't let Ms. Kelsi get the treasure first! Come on, Captain Lillian, we must away to our ship!"
"Prepare the ship!" she cried joyously, and hung on tight as Ryan dashed over to their car and quickly buckled her in. He stopped at the driver's side; his gaze still lingering on the vacant preschool building.
"Come on Daddy; we have to get there first!" Ryan nodded, climbed inside their only means of transportation, and zoomed out onto the highway; leaving Westbrook Preschool far behind him.