Chapter 3 – What The Living Room Holds

It was a sunny Saturday morning a week after Katie had started English school. She was quite settled into her new school and had become quite close to Steph and Julia despite the age difference – in fact, they were her only real friends at her new school. The house was mostly sorted – only a few boxes remained to be unpacked – they had been momentarily placed out of the way.

Katie waltzed into the kitchen where Sharpay was making breakfast for the three of them. "Hi mom," Katie said casually sitting down at the table and smiling at Sharpay.

"Hey honey," Sharpay said, smiling at her daughter.

"Mom, is it ok if Steph and Julia come round later?"

"Sure – they're you friends from school?"

"Yeah, thanks mom."

"No problem – there ya go," Sharpay said, handing Katie the finished breakfast – pancakes.

"Thanks," Katie said, tucking into them.

"Ooh, is that pancakes I smell?" Ryan said, walking into the kitchen.

"Yup," Sharpay said, handing him some.

"Thanks Shar," he said smiling at her.

"Katie's having a few friends round later, so we should keep out of their way," Sharpay told Ryan.

He nodded in agreement, "So who's coming round?"

"Oh, just Steph and Julia," Katie said happily – I'll go and ring them now to make sure they're free later." Katie ran out of the kitchen after finishing her breakfast and went to phone her friends.

Ten minutes later she strolled back into the kitchen where Ryan and Sharpay were sat finishing their breakfast, and announced that her friends would be arriving in an hour.

Sixty minutes later Julia arrived, and another ten minutes, Steph arrived too, Katie greeted them both with pleasure, and the three of them sidled up to Katie's room.

Ryan and Sharpay sat together in the living room watching an old favourite of theirs – Hairspray. They were trying to be extra careful on account of Katie having friends over, but they ended up slipping into their old ways – making out on the sofa. Halfway through, they heard a noise from outside the living room and immediately stopped – Ryan went to check if anyone was outside the door, but found no one.

Katie, Julia, and Steph were all sat doing hair and make up in Katie's room when Julia told the other two that she just needed to go get her straightiners, which she had left downstairs. She got downstairs and rummaged around for her bag for them when she heard it – coming from the living room. She grabbed her straightiners and tiptoed over to the living room door, she opened it ever so slightly and saw two people making out on the sofa – they both looked incredibly like Katie. She quietly closed the door and ran back upstairs to Steph and Katie.

"Who lives here with you Katie?" she asked.

"My mom Sharpay and my Uncle Ryan – they're twins. Why?" Katie asked.

"Oh no reason," Julia said worriedly, "I just remembered that Steph and I have to…have to…go do something…" she said, pulling Steph by the arm.

"Oh…what…why?" Steph said, looking confused as Julia dragged her from the house.

"Oh…ok…well I guess I'll see you guys soon then…" Katie said, also with a confused look on her face as she waved a reluctant goodbye as the two girls hurried away from the house.

"What did you do that for?" Steph asked Julia.

"That family is weird – lets not go back for a while…" Julia replied with one last look back at where Katie was standing before walking quickly away with Steph.