Chapter 6
Ryan couldn't quite remember when they had stopped playing Never Have I Ever. Was it two minutes or two hours ago? All he knew was that at this moment he really needed to pee. He got up and went to look for the bathroom, leaving the main room with the abandoned pool and heading towards the changing rooms. As he passed a room marked 'Manager's office', he heard a voice that made him stop.
'We're really going to lose our jobs? All of us?' Whoever it was sounded pretty devastated. Ryan couldn't imagine feeling that strongly about a job at Bontins. 'Tay, I need that money.' There was a long pause. 'What if I cut some activities? We could cut mini golf and let people sleep in the windmill. Call it the Amsterdam experience.'
Ryan couldn't help laughing at that, then quickly covered his mouth, having remembered that he was eavesdropping. He leaned on the door so he could hear better.
'Yeah OK, maybe that wasn't the best idea. The talent show will bring in some money though. It's not like there's anything else to do in this town.' The voice sighed. 'All right. Come to the pool party if you can, OK? Night Taylor.'
The door to the office opened suddenly and Ryan fell dramatically to the floor. He looked up and saw the most beautiful man he had ever laid eyes on. Or maybe that was the alcohol talking. He didn't look all that happy to see Ryan, though.
'Were you listening just now?' he asked.
'What? No,' Ryan said a little too loudly, getting up from the floor. 'Sorry, I was just looking for the bathroom and I fell over. I'm very drunk,' he added. 'Troy made me a drink.'
The guy smirked. 'You're cute,' he said. 'I'll let you off. Bathroom's the third door on the right, past the showers.'
'Thanks,' Ryan said, blushing. He started to walk towards the bathroom, then stopped. 'Hey, um…'
'Chad,' the guy said, still standing in the office doorway.
'Is everything...OK? I just couldn't help hearing a little bit and that sounded kind of stressful.'
Chad sighed. 'Just the usual stuff. Money, you know? We're not…you can't tell anyone any of this.'
Ryan nodded. 'I will probably forget this conversation in about ten minutes,' he said, making Chad laugh.
'I think that makes you a perfect person to confide in then!'
Chad proceeded to explain the extent of financial difficulties Bontins was in. This was news to Ryan. He knew Bontins was a bit of a hole but he thought that was just how poor people lived.
'-and if we don't make a big enough profit this year then Taylor says they're going to close this place down!' Chad looked like he was about to cry.
'Close it down?!' Ryan mentally ran through all the property his family had owned. It was all gone except for Bontins. Where would they live if it had to close down?
'Yeah… I don't know what I'll do. This job is all I've got,' said Chad. 'It's the same for everyone. To be honest I'm most worried about Troy. I don't think he's ever been outside of Bontins.'
Ryan could believe that.
Ryan couldn't deal with the heavy atmosphere when he was this drunk. 'Let's go back to the party, no point worrying about it tonight. I'm sure it'll all work out eventually, right?'
'Yeah...probably,' Chad said. He didn't sound convinced, but he smiled. 'Come on then.'
As soon as they got back to the main pool, Ryan felt sharp nails grab his arm. Sharpay dragged him over to the side of the room.
'I'm going to start a dance off!' she said in what was probably supposed to be a whisper, but was more of a soft yell.
'Why?'
'So we can show everyone how good we are! Duh!'
'We?'
'Yeah, of course. We're doing Bop to the Top. No jazz squares though.'
Ryan was appalled. 'They're a crowd favourite!'
'They're too much for this audience, they'll just go way over their heads,' Sharpay said. 'Look, I'll go over and suggest a dance off, then we'll let a couple other people do some amateur crap, then we'll go, OK?'
Ryan had to admit that he'd missed having an adoring audience. And this was a great opportunity to show off in front of Chad. 'OK,' he said.
Sharpay started clapping her hands and yelling, 'Dance off!' This usually worked for her so she was surprised that no one paid her any attention.
Ryan took matters into his own hands and asked Kelsi to sort it out. When he saw her round everyone up and make them stand in a circle, he had to admit that she seemed like a good manager.
The first dancer was Martha, one of Sharpay and Ryan's colleagues in the kitchen. She did a surprisingly good hip hop routine, and for a second Ryan was concerned that she might win. Then he realised the song was about homework and decided her chances were slim.
Troy went second and announced to everyone that he would be doing the worm. Unfortunately he could not do the worm and lay on the ground for the entirety of Total Eclipse of the Heart. After a few more very mediocre acts, Sharpay and Ryan were ready to perform.
Sharpay refused to perform until everyone was quiet so there was a five minute delay filled with angry shushing before they performed 'Bop to the Top'. It had always gone down a treat at home and Ryan thought that this was perhaps one of the best performances of it that they'd given. The crowd cheered as they finished and Ryan threw in a sneaky jazz square.
Chad whooped along with the crowd. Next to him, Kelsi was clapping so enthusiastically it was starting to become hazardous.
'They're amazing,' she said. 'We have to get them to do that for the guests!'
'They'd love it,' Chad agreed. 'Um...who is he, anyway? I mean, who are they?'
'You didn't meet them yet?'
'Well...kind of.'
'That's Sharpay and Ryan Evans,' Kelsi said. 'The offspring of our esteemed leader. Heirs to the great Bontins fortune.'
Well shit, thought Chad, as Gabriella announced Sharpay and Ryan were the winners of the dance off. The one cute guy in all of Bontins, and he turned out to be that spoilt rich kid he'd been hearing about all week.
