A/N: I am so, SO sorry for the delay…I didn't know if I was going to continue this fic, and I'm pledging, which is eating my life.

Disclaimer: If I owned HSM, "I Don't Dance" would have cumulated in Ryan and Chad making out. They didn't, so obviously I don't.

Ryan looked around, surveying the results of unpacking everything and putting it in its new proper place.

His hats were stacked neatly in the walk-in closet, his shirts (and pants) were sorted by color, his belts hung from a rack on the door.

His Star Dazzle award shone atop his dresser, right next to a picture of him and Sharpay when they were three. Ryan was dressed as a knight, Sharpay as a princess. They were about to go Trick-or-Treating for the first time.

Ryan smiled. He liked their new Union Square apartment—it was close to the Village, and only a short subway ride from Times Square and Broadway.

Ryan paused. He could hear shouted fragments from the other room.

"…don't care what you…"

"…NO! That is unaccep…"

"…Ryan is worth SO much more than that! Better recalculate, or…"

"…ake it work, then, you…"

And finally,

"…Thank you SO much. It has been a PLEASURE doing business with you!"

Ryan resisted the urge to roll his eyes as Sharpay snapped her phone shut and strode into his room without knocking.

"Well, your contract is all hammered out, thanks to moi," she preened.

"Could you be nicer to them next time?"

"Why? It's not like they are nice people. They just want to suck my poor brother's talent away until he's not good for anything above late night infomercials! I will not let this happen!"

"Whoa, Shar, breathe."

She did.

Ryan was puzzled.

"Are you okay? You don't normally calm down this fast…"

"So what if I don't?"

Ryan just shook his head and started to put up a Phantom of the Opera poster.

Sharpay wasn't leaving.

"What's up?" Ryan asked.

Sharpay put her hair up in a ponytail before answering.

"I got a job," she said as she fixed her bangs in the closet mirror.

"Duh, I know that. You're my agent."

"No, not like that." She turned to face him.

"I'm working in a black box theatre."

"Really? Like, in a managerial capacity?"

"No. I'm painting sets, and learning how to work the lights."

Ryan was stunned.

"But…but you never do things like that, Sharpay!"

"I know. But I need to learn this from a different perspective. Besides, it's not like they're likely to know what they need in their little production. It probably needs more dazzle." She accompanied the last word with jazz hands. "Which I can bring, obviously."

Ryan resembled a goldfish.

"Oh, don't look at me like that, Ryan!"

He closed his mouth.

"Well, I'm…happy for you. If you're happy," he said, regaining his composure.

"Thank you. Now, I need help unpacking. Making money for you is very trying."

She flounced out of the room.

Ryan smiled as he followed.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

It was late. Sharpay still had some things to unpack (if by 'some things' one meant 'Sharpay's entire spring and winter wardrobes'), but was so done for the night.

She had set up the entertainment system in lieu of organizing her closet, and now fully intended to enjoy her accomplishment. She only had to threaten two tech people on the consumer's hotline before she was finished.

She popped in The Little Mermaid and curled up on the new couch in her fuzzy pink bathrobe.

Ryan would be back later—for now, he was meeting his fellow cast members for drinks. Before he left, he and Sharpay had ordered Vietnamese takeout—neither of them had been in any sort of mood to make dinner.

Sharpay had sent him off in his least wrinkled blue shirt and his least expensive blazer ("Think of where you'll be, Ryan! What if some slob spills a drink on the Armani?") and well wishes.

Sharpay was secretly happy to be alone for a few hours.

She was singing along to "Kiss the Girl" when her phone started to ring. She checked the caller I.D., but didn't recognize the number.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Sharpay."

"Troy?"

"What's up?"

"How did you get this number?"

"You gave it to me, remember? At that party at Lava Springs?"

Sharpay thought back to the celebratory bash her parents had thrown in honor of the twins' graduations.

"Oh. Right." She thought for a moment.

"That was weeks ago, Troy. Why are you calling me now?"

"Well, I start school in a month, but I'm flying in this weekend to move in and everything. I guess I was wondering if you and Ryan could, you know, show me around and stuff."

"Of course!" Sharpay chirped.

"Thanks. I'll call you when I've moved in, okay?"

"Need any help?"

There was a pause.

"You—are offering to help me unpack."

"Well, it would be more like Ryan helping you unpack and me making productive comments."

Troy laughed.

"Okay, Sharpay, I'll call you when I get to New York."

"You do that."

"Right…so. Thanks again, I gotta go finish packing, but I'll see you soon."

"'Kay, toodles!"

"Bye."

Sharpay closed her phone thoughfully and pressed 'Play' to resume the movie.