Chapter 1
Sharpay got the text while she was sunbathing at the country club. It just said 'FAMILY MEETING, 7PM'. Probably nothing to worry about, she thought. The last family meeting had been about whether their housekeeper, Juana, had changed the brand of toilet paper they used. They had taken three hours to decide that she had not.
Ryan was directing a seniors' acapella group. They were supposed to be performing a Phantom of the Opera medley at the community recital but their old people vocal cords sounded super bad. He glanced at his phone briefly, but then shoved it in his pocket. The old people always commented when they saw him using his phone. Old people were the worst, why did he even direct this choir? He could only hope that it would look really good on his resume when he graduated from Julliard.
It was 8pm by the time Sharpay decided to see what the family meeting was about. Ryan and their parents were all sitting awkwardly in the living room, waiting for her.
'Sharpay, so kind of you to join us,' her father, Digby, said. 'Where have you been?'
'I had to go to Starbucks on the way here, Daddy,' Sharpay explained. Her mother and Ryan nodded, understanding.
'But Starbucks is 30 minutes out of your way to come here,' said her father. 'Why couldn't you have gone afterwards?' He paused. 'It doesn't matter now, just sit down.'
Sharpay sat on the pink velvet chair embroidered with her name.
'We're going to have to make a few changes in this family,' Digby said, looking around the room for their reactions.
'What? Is it the toilet paper?' asked Ryan.
'No, it's not the toilet paper. Although I suppose that will have to change.'
'Is it the wallpaper in the hall?' Ryan's mother, Peaches, suggested. 'It's so last year.'
'No, it's not that.'
'Not the country club!' Sharpay gasped. 'That's our best asset.'
'Yes and no,' Digby said. He sighed. 'Do you remember last summer, when I hired a financial adviser to take care of things so I could focus on golf?'
'For God's sake Digby just tell us what it is!' said Peaches.
'We've lost all of our money!' Digby yelled, startled into spilling the beans. 'That bastard financial adviser invested it in Blockbuster Video. He said it would last another 50 years!'
Three blank faces stared at him.
'Well how much is gone darling, I'm sure we can sort it out from one of the other accounts,' Peaches said calmly.
'There are no other accounts.' Digby had his head in his hands. 'We really have lost all of it. The savings, the offshores. Even the kids' trust funds.'
Sharpay and Ryan looked at each other in horror.
'We get to keep the club though, right?' asked Sharpay.
'We've lost everything, Sharpay,' said her father. 'Well, except for one place in England. We'll have to move there.'
'England?' Sharpay smiled, picturing a beautiful apartment in central London. Maybe she'd marry a prince.
'A little place called Bamber Sands,' Digby said. 'I thought it would be funny to buy a little holiday camp there. I was given a tour of it in the late 80s when they were looking for investors. I've never laughed so much in my life. It was hideous. They were about to close it down. But I got it cheap and put a bit of money in to renovate it. I thought about turning it into another country club but I never got round to it. It should be a nice enough place to stay whilst we get back on our feet.'
'But what about college?' said Sharpay. 'I'm taking Advanced Improv in the fall!'
'Sorry sweetie but we don't have the money to pay your tuition anymore. You'll have to pick it back up again when we've made more money.'
'But I've got a scholarship!' said Ryan. 'So I'll be ok, right?'
Digby shook his head. 'We can't afford your accommodation, you'll have to come with us to England.'
'NO!' cried Ryan and ran out sobbing.
Digby sighed. 'Well girls, you'd better start packing. We're leaving tomorrow.'
