A/N: Perhaps it's just my personal opinion, but I feel like Sharpay's role in Ryan's life is quite significant in it's own way. Although it was portrayed through out the movies of Ryan becoming more and more independent, the bond can never fully broken, right? Therefore, Sharpay has a role to play in the limited amount of time and chapters we have left. Side note: Is it fairytale, fairy-tale, or fairy tale? To me, fairytale looks right but it's showing up as being spelled incorrecting. Fairy tale doesn't sit right with me so I compromised with fairy-tale. This is going to bug me...
Chapter Twenty-One: Fairy-tales don't have Two Queens
"So where are the drones," Ryan asked as he came in with more popcorn. Sharpay scooped a handful out of the bowl and put it on the comforter, continuing to flip through her newest edition of Vogue.
"Ugh, don't even remind me," she sneered. "Emma's dad had some conference something or another for their company, so she decided to join him because she thinks it's important." She rolled her eyes, flipping the page.
Ryan patted the bed, cueing Boi to bounce up and sit in his lap. Ryan petted the dog before returning to his sister.
"Shar, Emma's dad's company is going bankrupt due to the economy," Ryan explained.
"What's wrong with the economy?" She asked, and Ryan wouldn't put it past her not to know.
"The point is," he continued. "Another company is interested in buying them out of debt. It's risky, but manageable. The only thing you're going to notice though is that she'll switch from shopping at Barneys to Wal-Mart." Sharpay made a face.
"What's that?" She asked.
"Exactly," Ryan said.
"Speaking of Barneys," she said, a devious smile spreading across her face. "You and I should go back-to-school clothes shopping. Not to mention there'll be loads of eye candy everywhere. I know our Spanish lifeguards here are hot, but I'm sure we could find even hotter men."
"Hot being the equivalent of dark skinned and dark haired, right?" He asked. Sharpay thought about it and nodded.
"Sorry Ry, you ruin blonde for me," she said, then smiled and slipped a piece of popcorn into her mouth. He returned her smile.
"Sorry, I think I'll pass," he told her. Her face came together in a puzzled expression.
"Why?" She chirped.
"I kind of found someone," he explained. Sharpay sat quiet for a moment, registering what this meant.
"You didn't get back together with Luca, did you?" She asked.
"Hell no," he replied. She continued to stay in thought.
"Do you like him?" She wondered.
He blushed. "I kind of do."
"I can see that," she reasoned. "You just went from ivory to crimson." This only caused more blood to rush to his cheeks. She shook his head.
"So, have you kissed him yet?" She wondered.
"Yes," he admitted. "I think I would kiss him all day if I could, but I'm trying to take it slow." He watched as her expression became skeptical. "-er." He added. She nodded before drifting back to her magazine. It wasn't that her brother's dating life didn't excite her, but he was her brother. She didn't care to know too much about it.
"Yeah," he continued. "Shar, it – it's Troy."
"What?" She asked, looking over at him again. Her voice held a new edginess to it. Ryan met her glance, unsure what set his twin off.
"I'm dating Troy," he repeated. She slapped down her magazine.
"Ryan!" She exclaimed, putting a small whine into her voice. "How could you do this to me?" His brows furrowed together.
"Do what?"
"You know I like him," she insisted, getting off of his bed, her voice rising to make up for the distance (although her standing up just made her more intimidating). "I've liked him since middle school. Hell, I even called dibs on him, remember? I thought you of all people would be more considerate. Damn it Ryan, how could you do this!" She stomped the ground to prove her point, but her face remained an expression of hurt. Ryan moved towards her.
"I thought you'd be happy for me," he said, his voice significantly softer to her rant, although hurt touched his tone as well.
"But I called him, Ryan," she emphasized, her lower lip extended in a pout.
"Why is it always about you," he asked. "Can't I have something too? You always get everything you want. Always. I get nothing. Absolutely nothing. So why can't I have this, just this once?"
"You got Julliard," she said pointedly.
"It doesn't mean anything when I come here," he commented.
"What's that supposed to mean?" She asked, and this time he knew he truly offended her. But he couldn't back down, not this time.
"It's always about you. There's no 'us', there's no 'we', it's just you. I'm just your shadow, but you've been too obsessed with yourself to notice. At Julliard, I can be me. Just me. Not the kid who's followed you around your entire life or the one who struggled his entire life being invisible – me. But when I come back, I'm just your brother again. Well, I'm not one of your minions, Shar!" He then stood up, feeling for once the same height as her. The air around her, however, had changed. She was no longer Miss Confident, but instead a girl who struggled to keep it together. Ryan was almost sure she was going to cry, but instead she turned away and walked out the door, her head still held high. He watched her go, unsure if he felt guilty for telling her off or proud that he finally did.
x x x X x x x
Troy held no sympathy for Sharpay. When Ryan relayed the events of the previous night, he had been hoping Troy would encourage him to reconcile with her. Although it had felt good to release his frustrations of the years he spent subservient to her, he was now filled with so much guilt. He knew he often felt frustrated with her but she was still his twin. His other half. He still cared for her, much like she did for him in her discreet ways.
"She's kind of a bitch anyway, Ry," he pointed out. Ryan's face saddened, not too content with this answer.
"She's my sister, Troy," he reminded him before gently leaning into his shoulder. Troy wrapped an arm around his waist and gently bumped his forehead against his.
"She's also Sharpay," he stressed.
"I know she can be a pain in the ass, but she's my twin and I love her," Ryan said. "So if you diss her, you're dissing me." Troy chuckled gently against him.
"You two are nothing alike," he reasoned. Ryan tried muffling a laugh that came out in a snort instead.
"You would be surprised, Troy Bolton, how similar we can be," he insisted. Troy smiled before turning to the clock and sighing with reluctance.
"I have to get to work," he stated grudgingly before gently kissing his cheek. "I'll see you later, okay?" Ryan nodded half-heartedly as Troy stood up and walked towards the door. It amazed him how calmly Troy was taking the Sharpay fiasco. Ryan was sure he was probably making a bigger deal out of it than he should, but this one seemed different. Yes, he and Sharpay had argued before, but not like this. Their bitter remarks (or rather his bitter remarks) seemed to sever their relationship. Like he had disowned his sister in that conversation.
But they were family. They always got through the difficult times together; reconciled their actions. They would make up eventually, right? Right? Even the voice in his head was silent.