Escargot, Mademoiselle?
The Evans twins were rarely seen without each other. To a common outsider who knew nothing about the Evan family dynamics they might see it as endearing and sweet but to all who knew the Evans endearing and sweet didn't revolve in the same circles with Sharpay and Ryan. The reason why the Evan twins were rarely seen without each other was because Ryan was very faithful to his sister. Not the familial loyalty but the lapdog, servant, lackey sort of loyalty. If Sharpay told Ryan to jump he would ask how high.
To a common outsider watching the Evans' poolside they would think that Sharpay and Ryan must be the most adorable pair of siblings she/he has ever seen. Sharpay, who was lounging on a pool chair, cool lemonade in hand, was busy talking to Ryan who was standing up and nodding his head vigorously.
But to people who knew the Evans family they knew that Sharpay was busy bossing Ryan around.
"Ryan! Are you listening!?" Sharpay snapped seeing as Ryan's attention was waning.
"Of course," Ryan said snapping back into reality. He was imagining the cool air of an air conditioner. He was wearing a polo shirt and slacks. Not a good combination for the blaring heat of the sun.
"Well what did I just say?" she asked her voice dropping dangerously low.
"Um…you want mother to change your outfits for the Chanel shoot?" Ryan asked with a hint of uncertainty.
He waited for Sharpay to tell him that he's wrong.
"Yes. They were on Chanel Iman on her shoot. I want mine to be different because I happen to be Sharpay Evans," she said haughtily sipping her lemonade.
"Right. Can I go now?" Ryan asked his polo shirt getting wet with sweat.
"Maybe…but I feel like I forgot to tell you something…," Sharpay said rubbing her chin thoughtfully.
"I think you've covered just about everything. You already told me to pick up your new Versace dress, exchange your Jimmy Choo pumps for a pink one and tell mother-''
"Oh wait! Now I remembered! You're coming to Paris with me," she snapped.
"What? But Sharpay your shoot is the same time as when I'm due to sing at the orphanage," Ryan whined.
"Ryan, Ryan, Ryan….." Sharpay said standing up. She grabbed Boi who was sitting on a pillow. Ryan backed away. His sister looked scary with that crazed glint in her eye.
"Who else will lug my luggage around? You will go to Paris with me. You will help carry my stuff. And you will act like a good and obedient—er...helpful brother I meant—or I will tell everyone why you wanted to sing in the orphanage in the first place," Sharpay said with triumph.
Ryan just stood there frozen unable to come up with anything to say.
Just then Boi gave a bark.
"Well….," Sharpay asked glowering at Ryan.
"Yes. Of course Sharpay. I should be a good and obedient…I mean helpful brother," Ryan said slowly scampering off.
"I'll tell mother what you told me!" Ryan called running away.
Satisfied Sharpay sat down in the pool chair stroking Boi with a contended smile.
…
The airport was bustling with people. Ryan was busy trying to carry his beige knapsack while simultaneously pushing Sharpay's cart filled with three gigantic pink, rhinestone rimmed bags.
"You would think that we'd be there for three months," Ryan muttered.
Walking ahead of him was Sharpay who was walking like a runway model with a Gucci bag in hand. She was wearing a pink dress paired of with her newly exchanged pink Jimmy Choos. They entered through the metal detectors and they left their entire luggage with the security guards who were busy loading them up. After handing their tickets over they all found their seats in the first class section.
"You know Sharpay, I think those orphans were really disappointed," Ryan muttered fifteen minutes later.
"I think it wasn't the orphans who you didn't want to disappoint Ryan," Sharpay said flicking a stray lock of her blonde hair away.
Ryan then became red.
"Well….uh…"
"No need. I'm quiet as a mouse," Sharpay said a little too mischievously.
Ryan sunk back into his seat.
Sharpay is never quiet.
…
It was getting close to evening and Sharpay was having trouble deciding what to eat for dinner. Ryan had already chosen his meal: creamed cream dory with a hint of honey sided with crispy gourmet potato chips. Sharpay was caught between the choice of lamb and venison.
"What does your chef prepare best?" Sharpay asked.
The flight attendant who was standing beside her chair was clearly getting impatient.
"Smoked fish," the flight attendant said with gritted teeth.
"No! What I mean is what he prepares better between venison and lamb?" Sharpay snapped getting annoyed.
"Just answer venison. She loves venison," Ryan whispered urgently.
"Venison," the flight attendant answered promptly.
"Very well then. I guess that's what I'll have," Sharpay said snapping the menu shut.
"Thanks. But I don't get it. Why did it take her so long to order?" the flight attendant asked as she took Ryan's menu.
"Nah. She always orders venison in the end. But before that she always balks in long minutes deciding her order," Ryan whispered back.
The flight attendant left leaving Sharpay and Ryan to be alone again. The past few hours of their trip was agonizing—to Ryan anyway. Their were only four people in the first class section and they were sitting so far apart from each other that Ryan and Sharpay were basically alone.
After they finished talking about the orphans Sharpay began to admire her manicure. Ryan who was growing bored decided to have some fun by turning on their personal TVs (only first class sections get it. The other sections have to share one big TV) and switching it on. The TV opened to Kiss playing a live concert. Rock music blared from the speakers and the next thing Ryan knew, something sharp hit his head and flicked his hat away.
"Ryan! I do not want to be disturbed!" she hissed.
Ryan quickly turned off the TV, scurried for his hat before saying a quick "Yes ma'am."
During three o'clock Ryan felt sleepy so he leaned back and dozed off for awhile. Apparently it was the exact time Sharpay felt bored. After waking him up Sharpay launched into a long talk about her upcoming shoot. Ryan tried desperately not to fall asleep but his head was swimming. He didn't know what happened but he was sure that he fell asleep because when he woke up he was lying face down on the floor.
"You're so rude. Sleeping while I'm talking," Sharpay grumbled as he sat down.
An hour later, after Sharpay allowed Ryan to sleep in peace he heard a shriek.
"What was that!?" Ryan asked looking around wildly.
"It's just Veronica screaming. Andrew slept with Rachel again," Sharpay said her eye glued to the TV.
He immediately recognized it as the soap opera General Doctors. Sharpay was crazy about that show. Personally he thought it was a bit too melodramatic.
"They have cable?" he asked incredulously.
"No of course not. But I paid the captain to have that boring concert changed so I can watch General Doctors," Sharpay said showing him the CD cover.
After being agonized into watching every single episode of season one in an effort to start a conversation he asked Sharpay, "So what did I miss?"
Wrong move.
Sharpay sat up and looked at Ryan and began her long siege:
"Lily was in the hospital suffering ICU from a broken nail, while Jessa was about to commit suicide because she found out that her Gucci bag was faux. And Astor was mad at Betty because she cheated on a married man while he was vacationing with his wife and Caryl was about to become the world's first three-year-old scientist…."
Ryan groaned and prayed the trip to be over.
Then came dinner and after taking thirty minutes to order Sharpay decided on her meal. The flight attendant came back with their meals and after they ate Sharpay began to grow restless.
"When will we arrive there?" she demanded.
"On midnight," Ryan yawned.
Sharpay then decided to talk again about what she would wear when she meets the Chanel photographer.
…
It was midnight when they arrived in Paris and Ryan who was getting drowsy waited for their luggage. He watched as the luggage counter revolved and was on a lookout for Sharpay's bags. Thirty minutes had passed and he hadn't seen any sign of Sharpay's luggage. Sharpay who had decided to start her shopping at the airport stores came back and was annoyed to find that her pink bags weren't with Ryan.
"Ryan! Where's our luggage?"
"I don't know," Ryan muttered.
"What do you mean you don't know?" Sharpay demanded.
"Its not there!" Ryan said getting sweat with nervousness.
"Please, next you'll tell me that our luggage is lost," Sharpay said sarcastically.
"…."