Round #4: Let Her Inspire You

It would be the Spring East High's Dance in a week's time, and everyone was talking about that. The Spring Dance was an equivalent to the Senior Prom for the lower grades and this year the teacher in charge was Mrs. Darbus. This explained mainly why the theme of the dance was Masquerade, something that the girls found great and the boys just dreadful.

"So, who are you going with Troy?" Jason asked, as they were taking their seats in the usual classroom, waiting for the fourth round to begin. "Will the lucky one be Gabriella or Sharpay?"

"I don't know," East High's golden boy smiled cunningly. "I guess what it matters the most is to have a good time, even though I'd die to go with Sharpay!"

"I don't know about you guys, but I'm definitely going with Taylor!" Chad beamed. "Since I got out of this competition, I feel her closer to me than ever. It's kind of weird really, but I like it..."

"Alright, boys, I believe everyone's here!" Jack Bolton shouted to motivate the three remaining contestants. The order of speaking will be like this. Troy will have the floor first, Mark will follow and Jason will end the meeting. Then, if you want we can chat like little girls about what we are going to wear at the party!"

"Dad, please! You are just being mean." Troy started, as the first speaker. "Besides, what's wrong about showing our sensitive side? If you can get in touch with your feelings, you are sure to discover your true self. You may wonder why I am taking the introduction. Let me tell you: that's because Sharpay inspired me to write a poem about her!"

"Oh my God, I can't believe that!" Zeke hurled in disbelief and Jason started to laugh, mockingly.

"I just told you all this stuff, so that you could behave like mature men and do not laugh like now…" Troy let out a sigh. What's wrong with poetry, anyway? I think it's rather cool. It's like singing. When I first told you, everybody was laughing but then you saw me performed and you clapped and admired and were proud of your basketball captain! Think of my poem as a song without the music! Here it is. It's titled, Sharpay:

Even though you might be far away,

the wind will always carry out your name.

There is a line between my love and shame

Your perfume it might be –it's you Sharpay."

"I don't get it!" Chad interrupted. "Why is Sharpay's perfume a shame? I think it smells wonderful!"

"It's about how love can be shameful and wonderful at the same time!" Troy explained "And the perfume bit is a synecdoche. Now please, let me finish. Only another verse left.

My heart is full of passion and desire,

which all my being wishes you could see.

Your eyes, deep as an ocean wouldn't be

enough to put out now my inner fire.

"It's quite jolly," Chad finally remarked. "But again what's a sin-, a syne-"

"You mean a synecdoche? Just forget about it." Troy let out another sigh. 'Mark, I believe it's your turn."

"Thank you Troy!" Mark curtsied in front of his fellow basketball players. He carried with him something that looked like –or most correctly something that was- a big, covered canvas. "Guys, I hope you don't laugh but… I present you my masterpiece!"

The canvas was unveiled to present what looked like a modern version of Boticelli's Birth of Venus. There in the cerntre was Sharpay as Aphrodite, even though she wasn't naked, but a Grecian toga covered her body. Instead of standing on a shell, she was standing on a stage, reminding of a Shakespearean performer. Instead of the two flying angels, Ryan was supervising her from a higher lever in the painting and in the position of the woman who gave the goddess clothes was… Mark himself, dressed in very suiting clothes. The colours at the background were pale pink and orange, the colours of the spotlight.

"I call it… the birth of a Diva," Mark declared, proud of himself. "It is supposed to be Broadway and Sharpay is on stage." The others admired.

"This is incredible!" Mr. Bolton finally said. "How did you do this? I didn't know you paint!"

"Oh, I don't, really. This is just a little bit of Photoshop compared with special printing," Mark added modestly. "Still, I like it. And it is art, modern art or electronic, call it whatever you like…"

"I don't know…" Chad expressed doubt. "I like it, but isn't Venus nude in the original?"

Everybody stared at him and Chad got the message. "Ok, got it! Still, I was talking about artistic nude. C'mon guys!"

"Has my turn come yet?" Jason asked then. "If it has come indeed, I'm about to offer you something."

Everyone turned to Jason in disbelief. "What?" Troy asked.

"It's my SSS, the Special Sharpay Smoothie!" Jason cried. "Come on," he revealed a smoothie cart, with drinks that had a slightly pink colour. Come and have a sip!"

Each participant got a glass, and then drank a sip from the smoothie. It had an incredible taste. It certainly contained strawberry, cherry, sugar and maybe the occasional pineapple and peach. Slightly alcoholic, it was delicious indeed and quite refreshing!"

"That's very good work!" Troy admired. "How did you prepare this?"

"I didn't know you had bartender talents!" Coach Bolton added. "This is definitely great!"

"Well, I have a little secret I must tell you," Jason replied modestly. "I enlisted Zeke's help."

Everyone froze. "What? You mean you didn't do it yourself?"

"Actually, no…" Jason revealed, his stare fixed on the floor.

"Alright, I admit, I helped him" Zeke came to his friend's rescue. "After getting out at such an early stage I felt that I wasn't involved enough, and Sharpay has always inspired me. It wouldn't harm, I guess to be just Jason's consultant, but then he was completely useless in the kitchen and I had to give him an awful lot of help. Fine, I confess, the idea was almost mine too!"

"It would have been a good one if you were still in the race," Jack remarked and the others nodded. "I guess the voting, which is about to start now, will be the verdict…"

"It's Jason," Chad said simply. "He didn't do this alone, while at least Troy and Mark did."

"You disappointed me, Jason!" the Coach added. "You could have come up with something original, though the smoothies were really good! I'm voting for you!"

"I'll vote for Troy," Zeke said. "He didn't even tell us what a senecdoche, a synodoche, whatever is…"

"Yeah, what's a synodoche?" Jason asked. "You have my vote too, Troy!"

"For the last time, it is pronounced synecdoche!" Troy protested. "It's a figure in literature when a small part stands for the whole. If you say that you saw her eyes, it means that you saw her, for instance! I'm voting for you, Jason."

"I still don't get it!" Mark laughed. "Whatever, I vote for Jason too. This means I probably am in the final."

"Yes, that's it!" Coach Bolton concluded. "Mark is in the final while the winner between Jason, nominated with 4 votes and Troy, with 2, will join him. That's going to be one hot round!"

"You bet!" Troy remarked funnily. "I'm a veteran in this, while it is Jason's first time… hehe, like a virgin!"

"Don't have it so sure, Bolton!" Jason spotted. "It's the semifinal! Everything can happen!"

It was the semifinal indeed, and there was the question: who was the favourite? The boys quit the classroom once again, as they had basketball practice. Again, they didn't notice that male figure who quickly got away from the door as soon as it opened, hiding behind the stairs… One by one left, Troy first, followed by Mark and Zeke, then Jason and the coach, then Chad.

That's the moment Ryan Evans chose to do an appearance.

"Hi Chad!" he said confidently, as the others were far away. "I'll ask you directly and hope you will answer. You see, I can't be sure if I don't hear it from the horse's mouth!"

"Are you calling me a horse?" Chad tried to delay time, as he understood Ryan had eavesdropped the meeting.

"It's a figure of speech, duh!"

"You mean like the synecdoche?"

"The… what? Whatever, I'm here to let you know I know… And I know you know! So, I ask you once again: what's going on with Sharpay? You'd better tell me, as in that way I'll make sure Taylor never gets to know!"

"Wait a minute, that's blackmailing! That's not ethical!"

"Oh really? Maybe it is ethical then to compete for my sister? Who said, ever that girls are to be treated like prizes? You must all be out of your minds! Why would you do that, ever? Don't you realize how that will hurt her? Listen to me, Danforth, please make sure that these absurdities end… or I don't know what!"

"Okay…" Chad tried to agree. It was no use to defy the Ice King.

"This stupid competition must finish!" Ryan concluded, as he left. He wasn't proud with himself. He had been harsh to Chad, a person he'd love to consider a friend. "What else could I do, though?" he thought to himself. "The show must go on, but this race must get to an end!"

Author's Note: You can start voting again. I have a feeling Troy is a clear favourite, since most of you want to see a Mark vs. Troy finale, including myself. Well, we'll only know the final's pair once you get to vote and then… the real fun begins. As to the "girls are no prizes" theme, I got that from the Suite Life of Zack and Cody, I believe it was episode French 101, but whatever. Thanks once again for the reviews and make sure you vote for the one you want to stay. I vote Troy!