Chapter 4: Motivation
A/N: Ok, sorry. I've been busy and I actually meant to get this up 2 days ago. I was just informed that I got a job so I'm super happy. I'm working at the Sheraton Waikiki as a room service waiter. Awesome. I've also noticed an increase in the number of stories that have a similar plot to this story. I know mine isn't the first but I did ask that first person if I could use the idea too. But I'm forgiving so I'll let it slide. Next time ask though.
The summer was drawing to a close and school would be starting at the beginning of next week. After arriving in Albuquerque on Friday, Maddie was getting closer to her long lost siblings. Sharpay and Maddie talked about everything, they had become the best of friends. Not one to leave anyone out, Maddie looked to Ryan as her big brother and felt safe and protected when he was around. One thing that Maddie was fascinated by was the love for musical theater that the other two enjoyed. Her own love of music translated into another jumping off point for conversations in the future. Their mother remarked at how alike Maddie and Sharpay were, saying that they were nearly perfect clones of each other.
"Sharpay, can I talk to you?" Maddie knocked on her doorframe. Sharpay looked up from her bed and put down her pencil before answering.
"Sure, what about?" She made space on her bed and Maddie hopped on next to her. A silence lapsed between the two as Maddie thought about what she was going to say. Sharpay waved a hand in front of Maddie's face and looked pointedly at her.
"Sorry, I forgot what I was going to say." She explained before rubbing at her forehead as if it would help her remember.
"Ok, tomorrow is the first day of school. Right?" Sharpay nodded slowly, not quite understanding what Maddie was going to ask.
"Well…I just want to know about it. Like where you hang out, who the best teachers are, and what your friends are like." Ryan stopped by the door and peered inside.
"Is this girl talk or can I come in?" He stepped halfway into the room, waiting for the answer.
"Come on Ryan, up until last week, all of our talks were girl talks. That didn't stop you from coming into my room." Sharpay answered as she flung the notebook she was writing in on the floor. Ryan sat on the edge of the bed, waiting for the conversation to start up again.
"Well, we usually hang out in drama club or in the theater to practice. Sometimes the music room too." Sharpay explained.
"It would be easier to show you where so I'll give you the grand tour tomorrow." Ryan took up the next question.
"We like Ms. Darbus the best but mostly because she's the drama teacher. Mr. Klein is cool too; he's 25 or something like that." The conversation died there as Sharpay and Ryan began to look around the room.
"Your friends. What about your friends?" Maddie asked again as if they had forgotten the question.
"To tell the truth, we don't have many friends. Our…behavior in the past tended to alienate ourselves from everyone else. Our school is a basketball school and everything revolves around the varsity basketball team." Maddie had a puzzled look on her face.
"But you do have friends, right?"
"I guess we do. Our passion for theater made us look odd in the eyes of our classmates. It never bothered us before since we had each other. Yes, we do have friends now." Sharpay went on to explain the story of Troy and Gabriella and the rest of the gang, some commentary added in by Ryan. (I'm not writing it all down, you saw the movie.)
"So Zeke is your boyfriend?" Maddie asked when the tale was finished. Sharpay looked as if she was stricken by an odd disease at the mention of Zeke. Her face paled and beads of sweat appeared on her forehead.
"Umm, about that. We kinda dated for a week. He's a sweet guy but really not my type. I need a man that will challenge me, not shower me with cookies." Sharpay explained.
"So you broke up with him?" Sharpay let out a little laugh that sounded very fake as a wry grin tugged at the corners of her mouth.
"I didn't really break up with him. For all he knows, we're still going out." Ryan slapped a hand to his forehead, Maddie mirroring the gesture at the same moment. Ryan picked up her cordless telephone and thrust it into Sharpay's hands.
"You're breaking up with him right now." Ryan stated firmly.
"But it'll break his heart." Sharpay whined.
"That never stopped you before. You always complain to me about how clingy Zeke is. You're just scared." Ryan tried to pick on her to get her to break up with Zeke.
"Give me the phone." Sharpay stated calmly as Ryan put the phone into her outstretched hand. She quickly dialed the number and hit send before she could lose her nerve.
"Hello?" Zeke asked on the other end of the phone. Sharpay dropped the phone from her hand where it landed in her lap.
"Sharpay? Did the phone die again?" They could hear Zeke still speaking as Sharpay stared at the phone in her lap. Thinking quickly, Maddie grabbed the phone and put it to her ear.
"Hi Zeke. It's not you, it's me. I'm not ready for a serious relationship. We should just be friends." With that, Maddie hung up and put the phone down. Ryan and Sharpay stared at her incredulously, mouths hanging open at what they had just witnessed.
"Oh my gosh, I'm sorry. Was I not supposed to do that?" She apologized. Ryan just shook his head while Sharpay was still stunned into speechlessness.
"No, that was perfect! You sounded exactly like Sharpay. For a minute I wasn't sure which one of you was which." Sharpay took that moment to throw her arms around Maddie in a hug.
"Acting is in the blood! This just opens up all new doors for us. Think of the possibilities. Think of the reactions on everyone's faces. We could rule the world!" Sharpay was getting over excited as she still had Maddie in a hug with Ryan trying to pry her off of Maddie.
"Calm down Shar. We can't quite rule the world just by being triplets. Sharpay slowly calmed down and released her grip on Maddie, the giggles dying down.
"Anyway, now that I don't have a boyfriend, I can go after Troy again." Ryan rolled his eyes.
"Ooh, is he cute?" Maddie asked Sharpay who had a dreamy look on her face.
"He is. Oh, I can see it now. Sharpay and Troy. If I can manage to get Troy away from Gabriella, Ryan here would probably jump at that opportunity." Sharpay smirked at her brother as he stared at her dumbstruck.
"How did you know I like Gabi?" He asked, pointing his finger at Sharpay.
"Oh come on Ryan. You could be less obvious about it. Plus I think I saw one of your dreams about her. Some freaky twin thing." Maddie laughed at the two as they continued to argue about how peering into other people's dreams is unethical.
"Do you have a boyfriend Maddie?" Sharpay stopped Ryan from speaking by putting her hand over his mouth. He continued to speak even with the hand on his mouth.
"Not really. I've had boyfriends in the past but they were always jerks or really stupid. I did see this cute boy at the mall. Do you know him?" Maddie asked her sister.
"Maybe, what's his name?" Ryan knew who Maddie was talking about but kept to himself.
'It will be so funny when Sharpay finds out that Maddie is talking about Troy. That will teach her from looking at my dreams.' Ryan thought to himself.
"I don't know his name. I saw him in one of the stores but he was gone before I could talk to him." She pouted at the opportunity that she lost.
"If you see him tomorrow, point him out to me. Maybe we can make some magic happen." Sharpay rubbed her hands together conspiratorially. Ryan just rolled his eyes at her again and got up off the bed.
"Well you can leave me out of any of your new schemes that your planning. I know that look on your face." Ryan left the room and walked into the bathroom to get ready for bed. Their mother took this time to stick her head into Sharpay's room.
"Girls, time for bed. It's almost 11:00. School starts tomorrow so don't forget." With that she left, a smile on her face. She still could not believe that she now had her third and final child home.
"Goodnight Sharpay. I'll talk to you in the morning." Maddie said as she left the room.
"Night Maddie." Sharpay said as she shut off her lamp and got ready for bed.
A/N: Not much happened in this chapter. The next chapter will have Maddie meet the rest of the gang. Finally. The next chapter will be up when I get 20 reviews or Saturday, whichever comes first. Peace out.