Plotline: The situation in this story is that Chad and Sonny are secretly dating. The So Random! cast suspects it and tries to get them to admit it by deliberately putting them in an uncomfortable situation: that of siblings.
"Cut! That was wonderful, boys…now take a five, everyone!", yelled the Mackenzie Falls director.
Chad descended the stage with an air of superiority and Ferguson followed him.
"Dude, the smoothies are ready!", said Ferguson, pointing towards the Loganberry smoothies sitting in fancy goblets on a table.
Chad merely shrugged. Ever since the invasion of studios by the perkiness of a certain feisty brunette, his idea of a break involved spending time on the adjacent stage, rather than indulging in luxuries.
Just as he began walking towards his destination, he spotted a wave of bouncy brown hair in the periphery of his vision. The corner of his lips curled upwards and he turned the other side and picked up a smoothie, his going to the other stage having been rendered unnecessary.
Pretending to be indifferent to his secret (to So Random! cast) girlfriend's arrival, he sat on a couch with his legs crossed; sipping on the smoothie as though he had no worry in the world.
"Chad", drawled Sonny.
He looked up with an eyebrow raised. Her manner of speaking indicated that she wanted a favor.
"Sonny?"
"Uh…we kind of want you to guest star on So Random! next week", she said, in a voice laced with uncertainty.
I'd love to!
"I'll have to consider it. Do I get something in return?", he asked suggestively. She kissed his cheek. He shook his head.
"Please, Chad!"
He shook his head even more vigorously, a sly smile unfurling on his face.
She kissed him on the lips this time.
"Now?"
"Show me the script", he said, grinning.
Sonny handed him the script. He skimmed through it. The description of a character called Jason began with A handsome young man…so, apparently, he was playing Jason; and Daphne was Jason's love interest.
"Who are you playing?"
Please say Daphne, please say Daphne.
"Daphne…and you're Jason", said Sonny.
Yes!
"What? You're playing my love-interest?", asked Chad, feigning disdain.
Sonny smacked his arm, "Idiot!"
"Hey Sonny!"
"Hey Tawn! So, what's up?"
"We have decided that you're right"
"About what?"
"It's time to end the feud with Mackenzie Falls"
Chad, who had been standing in a corner, mentally running his lines, looked at the girls in pleasant surprise. Yes! Yes! Yes!
Sonny tilted her head by a fraction of an inch towards his direction.
When she caught his eyes, a trace of smile appeared on her face accompanied by a faint blush. Chad felt his own cheeks heat up a bit in reaction.
"That's awesome, Tawni! So how do you propose to do it?"
Tawni took her time to reply. Looking up from her nails, she replied deliberately slowly, as though she was enjoying every moment of it, "We decided that since you and Chad fight so much all the time, just like a pair of siblings would, you two will behave like a pair of brother and sister henceforth"
Chad dropped his script in shock. Sonny gaped at Tawni as though she'd grown extra heads.
"We will behave as what?", asked Sonny incredulously.
"Siblings…Why? Do you have a problem with that?", Tawni asked.
"Uh…no…but…", replied Sonny and turned to Chad.
If she was at a loss for words, then he had forgotten how to speak. He just kept shaking his head rhythmically and slowly, as though he was hypnotized.
"And so, to reinforce the fraternity, Chad, you will play David", said Tawni.
"Daphne's brother", she added, for good measure.
This time Sonny silently mouthed What? But she'd thought that he was going to play Jason. But then she realized that nobody had told her so. She had come to that conclusion all by herself because his character description had been handsome and smart. Somehow, she ashamedly admitted to herself, she just couldn't see Nico or Grady fitting those tags.
"I'm playing David? Then who's Jason?", asked Chad, having finally found his voice.
"That would be me", said Nico, raising his hand.
Sonny groaned inwardly. If she wasn't much mistaken, Daphne and Jason had to kiss at the end. She wondered if Chad knew that.
She just didn't know what to say. So she finally settled for, "Who are the rest of you playing?"
"I'm playing David's girlfriend, Genevieve" At this point, Sonny was ready to shred the script.
"Grady and Zora play my friends Harry and Harriet", continued Tawni, indifferent to the rise of color on Sonny's face.
"Okay, so me being me, I've sacrificed my spotlight to less fortunate souls: Sonny and Nico", continued Tawni, when nobody said anything.
Sonny gritted her teeth. Usually, she tolerated Tawni's attitude. But this time, she was just too irate.
"Tawni, you did not sacrifice anything, 'kay? Nico and I are just as good", she said with her nose in the air. She heard a small chuckle at this outburst. Chad's chuckle. She smiled slightly in response.
"Ooh, somebody's a little touchy today", commented Tawni, "Something wrong?"
No nothing, except that you're playing my boyfriend's girlfriend and I am going to be kissed by someone else, thought Sonny angrily.
Finally, the cast began practicing the sketch. It revolved mainly around Sonny and Nico's characters.
Of course, neither Sonny nor Chad were extremely happy about the roles they were playing, but both of them being professional actors, took it in their stride. Sometimes though, it stretched their endurance levels a bit too far.
Like when Nico had not removed his arm from over Sonny's shoulder even though their scene was over until Chad cleared his throat loudly and Sonny had jumped up from his hold in response.
Like when Tawni had taken flirting with Chad to a whole new level and did not tone it down until Sonny had declared that she was 'overacting'.
Like when Grady had suggested that Sonny and Nico practice kissing and Chad had 'accidentally' squirted orange juice all over Nico.
Finally, it was break time and Chad managed to corner Sonny all alone.
"What the hell is going on Sonny?"
"Yeah, seriously…declaring you as my brother. For heaven's sake, even an enemy declaration would work. But this?"
Chad raised his eyebrows at her statement.
"Nah, just saying. But can't they feel the sparks, the chemistry?"
Chad nodded, "Yeah, but I have a suspicion that they are doing this on purpose. Did you see Blondie's face when she called us siblings?"
"Yeah, it was like she knew…"
Now that Sonny came to think about it, all her castmates seemed to be deliberately overdoing things.
"What do you reckon they are trying to get us to do? Admit that we are a couple?"
"I think so"
"So…"
"Where did the two of you disappear?"
"You people were telling us to act like siblings, right? That's what we were doing"
"What do you mean?"
"Being the good older brother, Chad introduced me to the Tween Gladiator I've had a crush on for several days now"
Blood rushed to Tawni's face on hearing this.
"You had a crush on a Tween Gladiator? Which one? And how come you never told me?", she asked urgently.
Sonny smiled. Revenge was sweet.
"The black-haired, blue-eyed gorgeous one"
Now Tawni was stricken. Sonny and Chad mentally hi-fived each other. Their plan was well on its wheels.
"Did he ask you out?"
"No, but I think he will. Soon"
Tawni looked ready to pass out on hearing that Sonny was going to date her crush.
Now, it was time to attack Nico. The fact that he had a crush on Portlyn was a secret that everyone knew.
"And me, being the good sister I am, gave Chad advice on how to ask out Portlyn", smiled Sonny.
"Yeah, I've wanted to ask out that girl for a long time now. I…I think that I'm in love with her"
Chad had done his part exceedingly well. A hint of embarrassment, slight hesitation, a little shyness; the blend was so perfect that Nico's composure went slack on hearing it.
Chad and Sonny could hardly contain their grins at the effect they had achieved. The temperature in the room seemed to have gone down by several degrees.
"Are you guys serious?", piped up Zora.
"Do we look like we are not?"
After a few excruciatingly awkward moments, Sonny and Chad burst out laughing. They couldn't take in the dense mood any longer.
"Okay Tawni, Nico, we were kidding", said Sonny, in a gap between bursts of laughter.
"You should've seen the look on your faces. Neither am I interested in the Gladiator nor is Chad interested in Portlyn. In fact, we", Sonny took Chad's hand in hers, "are going out"
Tawni and Nico smiled in relief.
"Happy with our admission? That's what you people wanted, right? Next time, just ask"
"Yeah, don't go to the extreme of declaring us siblings"
And the rehearsal resumed, this time with Chad playing the role of Jason and rightfully so.
A/N: I do not own Sonny with a Chance. Review, please!