Author's Note: 'Heeeyyyyyy macarena, AH-AY!' That song's been stuck in my head all day. Those are the only lyrics I know, though. The rest I just sort of mumble. And that's my random musing for the day!

Disclaimer:…

Chapter 20

Gabriella, Queen of the Desert

Sharpay

Sharpay as Gabriella was utterly oblivious to Ms. Darbus' plot and so did not suspect a thing when the teacher asked to see her the next day, during her free period.

Apparently, Darbus had an old friend that lived just outside of Albuquerque. He was a former thespian and hoarder, currently in possession of some 'stunning' Shakesperian costumes and props.

"The school could always do with extra props," Ms. Darbus had said. "Better yet, these are free extra props."

And since Sharpay was such a prominent member of the Drama Club, it was fitting that she come along with Darbus over the weekend to help load the stuff and sort through it back at school.

Sharpay joined Taylor and Kelsi in the cafeteria, explaining her absence apologetically. It was a rather tense gathering. Seemingly, the girls were upset with her for breaking up with Troy. Sharpay supposed she could see why.

As was the obligation, when the Head Girl and Boy of a group who were formerly dating broke up, loyalties were split as well. Something like a divorce.

Troy sat on one side of the mess hall with his share of friends; Chad, Zeke and Jason. Sharpay as Gabriella had her lot; Taylor and Kelsi. Hence the upset. They did not like the divide and could not understand for the life of them what had happened.

"So," said Taylor. "He couldn't say he loved you back…"

"And you reacted by breaking up with him?"

"Well, yeah." Sharpay could not care less if she had caused any awkwardness. Sometimes, friends just had to mind their own noses when it came to each other's relationships. "I mean…I put myself out there for him and he shut me down. He doesn't love me."

"Get real, Gabriella!" said Taylor. "We're teenagers. We don't know what love is!"

She shrugged. "Maybe not love in its truest sense. But we have our own brand of love. And with our brand, you have to say I love you back. Always. Even if you don't mean it."

The two seemed unable to contest this for a moment. But then Kelsi spoke up meekly:

"I don't like it when you two fight."

Sharpay rolled her eyes. "Oh, for crying out loud, we are not fighting! Look." She rose swiftly. "Troy! Chad!" she called. "Will you guys come back to this table already? This is ridiculous!"

The boys swapped uncertain glances but soon stood and made their way over. They all sat slowly, Troy watching Sharpay.

"Good," she said, sitting as well. "Now we're all friends again. See, Troy? Just because we broke up, it doesn't mean we have to be weird about it, right?"

He nodded. "Right. You're totally right."

Chad looked between them and shook his head.

"This isn't fair. Even if you're not the perfect couple anymore, you still get the perfect break up!"

Even Sharpay, who was not much of a fan of Mr. Danforth, laughed at this.

Gabriella

Stuck in the Evans' home, Gabriella thought she had an idea of how the USA and the Soviet Union felt during the Cold War. Two superpowers, so different and so alike, with nuclear weapons poised, ready to destroy each other at any moment.

In this atmosphere, you can imagine why Gabbie was so eager to get away from Ryan whenever possible. Therefore she jumped at the chance to go with Ms. Darbus to pick up some new props from her acting friend on Friday.

The week seemed to sense Gabbie's need for it to go faster, and out of pure spite, it dragged on. Mr. Evans popped in and out of their lives randomly, kissing them on the cheek before rushing to a meeting with some Japanese investors, grabbing a bread roll from the dinner table and dashing off to his study. Most of the time, though, he was only a fleeting distraction. He did not seem to notice the mood of the house. Neither did Mrs. Evans, although that was most likely a façade.

Eventually, Friday came around. Mrs. Evans was fine with them driving out with Ms. Darbus. She didn't suggest that Ryan tag along, probably because of their less than friendly demeanor towards each other.

When the final bell rang, Gabbie strolled out across the warm, expansive car park to the Darbus Bus. From a few meters away she spotted Sharpay in her body, leaning back against the car.

"Great," she muttered audibly.

Sharpay lifted her sunglasses (Gabriella thought they gave her the rather unfortunate appearance of a fly) and peered at her.

"Wonderful! Darbus recruited you too?"

"Obviously."

Gabriella sighed. She was getting cheesed off by these blatant attempts at making them to play nice. Nothing short of hallucinogens would get them to even smile at each other.

"Ah, thank you for your promptness!" She was relieved when Ms. Darbus bustled into sight, donning her own shades. "Shall we head off?"

They shrugged and moved around to the passengers side. Both reached for the door handle and after glaring at each other, they plunged into a quarrel over who got the front seat.

The dispute had to be settled by the always conclusive competition of Rock, Paper, Scissors. Both chose rock the first two times. On the third go, Sharpay's Scissors gleefully cut up Gabriella's Paper.

Gabriella pulled back her hand resentfully and climbed into the back. This would be a long drive.

Sharpay

With the radio playing almost inaudibly in the background, the monotonous panorama of golden-brown sand dunes, and sun pouring down on her face through the window, Sharpay sunk easily into a doze.

Too soon it seemed, the car slowed to a halt and her eyes flickered open.

"Are we there yet?" she muttered as Ms. Darbus turned off the car.

"Mm-hm," Darbus hummed. She turned and stared into the back of the car. "Gabriella?" she trilled. "Wake up, Gabriella. Up, I say!"

With a little yelp, Gabbie came out of her own siesta and rubbed her eyes.

"We there?"

"Yes," Sharpay droned, as if she had not just asked the same question. "Hence the car stopping."

"Well, if you don't mind," Ms. Darbus cut off Gabbie's retort, "now that you've caught your twenty winks, I'll ask you to go up to that house there and knock. I just need to get something out of the glove compartment."

With a silent sigh Sharpay opened the door and rolled out of the car.

The house Ms. Darbus pointed to was more of a shack, planted in the sand near the side of the road.

"He must be some sort of hermit or something," she muttered to Gabriella, who was closing the door behind her. "Living all the way out here."

"A hermit that collects Shakesperian costumes," she replied as they walked round the car, up to the house. "Quite a catch…"

Sharpay snorted a little.

In her somewhat sleepy state, she lacked the energy required for sniping at her nemesis.

Shar rapped on the wooden door a few times and waited. No response. A few more knocks. Nothing. Sharpay called as clearly as she could to whoever was inside that they had come to collect the costumes. When that didn't produce any sign of life she proceeded to pound on the door. Gabriella grabbed her wrist.

"Let me."

"What?" Sharpay sneered. "Do you have some sort of superior knocking technique that draws out recluses?"

She ignored this and proceeded to knock politely.

"Hello? Is there anybody in there?"

"Obviously not." Sharpay turned from the door. "Ms. Darbus? Are you sure he's home? Ms. Darbus?"

She narrowed her eyes in bewilderment when the woman did not reply. She was still in the car, staring at them. Sharpay made her way down the porch steps, calling her name and sensing all the while that something odd was afoot. Gabriella trailed behind.

"Ms. Darbus," she repeated. "Didn't you hear me?"

The teacher smiled and suddenly tossed her a pair of keys, which she barely caught in time.

"I heard you, Sharpay. And there isn't anybody home. But for the rest of the weekend, you two are going to be staying here."

Sharpay's shook her head. "I am not following."

"Well," Ms. Darbus sighed and peered over her glasses at them. "I'm afraid this has been a bit of a set-up. Getting you girls out here was all part of the plan, you see. There is no reclusive former actor with free props. I lied, you might say."

"Why would you do that?" Gabbie asked.

"Well, I think what you two really need is to spend some quality time together."

Shar's eyes widened and filled with comprehension.

"So what? You wanted to drive us out into the wilderness and just leave us here? You can't do that!"

"Of course, I can! You don't have any money, so a bus is out of the question. There is food here, hot water, and electricity. So the best option really is for you to just stay."

"Or we could call our mothers."

"Yes. Except I called them first. And if you contact them now you'll find that they were both in on this. Who do you think packed your bags?"

"Bags? What bags?"

She nodded her head at two duffel bags, one black and pink, the other green, plopped down outside the car.

Sharpay narrowed her eyes. "You. Are. Evil. Ms. Darbus."

"Well, don't you want to get back in your own bodies?" There was a trace of desperation in her voice. "The fortune said you have to find selfless love. I know that's a lot to ask, but surely a little friendliness isn't out of the question!" And she started the car, looking quite put out.

Gabriella lunged at the vehicle suddenly and tried to open the door, but it was locked. Sharpay merely watched in horror as Darbus turned the car around, Gabbie clinging to it all the while, and proceeded to drive off.

"You might be a teacher, Ms. Darbus!" she yelled, still jogging after her. "But you will not escape retribution! This is very unreasonable behavior!"

Shar shook her head slowly, looked down at the keys in her hand and then turned back to the house. Ms. Darbus had said something about food…

Gabriella

Gabriella stood in the middle of the road, huffing and puffing. The woman had driven off. She had seriously driven off and left them there. Abandoned! Just like the little boys in Lord of the Flies! Except there had been no plane crash and they weren't on an island and if they had to resort to cannibalism, Gabbie would sooner chew off her own leg than taint her palate with Sharpay's flesh.

She shouldered her duffel bag and watched Sharpay stroll back up to the shack.

"So you're just going to accept this?" Gabriella demanded, following her through the sand.

"Well, unless we walk back, I don't see any other choice!"

She groaned. "This is ridiculous! I mean, we aren't that bad, are we? Sure we fight -a lot- and we sabotage each other's relationships and put poisonous spiders in each other's lockers, but all that's just petty teenage girl stuff! We deal with it in our own way."

"Right," said Sharpay. "They should just leave us to fight it out."

"Exactly. And I honestly don't believe our mothers would agree to this."

They reached the house and Sharpay began to unlock the door.

"Well, I honestly don't believe Darbus would do this without their consent. They're worried."

"Mothers worry too much."

The door creaked obnoxiously as they pushed it open and stepped inside.

There was only one word that could sufficiently describe the place: basic. A basic kitchen with wooden cabinets and counters, a basic fridge humming quietly in the corner. A basic living room space with shabby sofas and flimsy yellow curtains over the large square windows. A dim hall that led down to what were probably bedrooms and a bathroom.

"Well, it's not the Hilton," Sharpay sighed, dropping her bag by a chair, "but it's comfy."

"Right. In the same way a bomb shelter is comfy."

Sharpay strolled over to the kitchen and Gabriella went to the window. She peeled back a curtain and stared outside. All she could see was hot sand, mountain peeks and the long black strip of road.

"It's so isolated."

"Isolation is therapeutic." She watched Sharpay in her body perusing the fridge. "Oooh, 7 Up!" She pulled out a can and opened it with a hiss and a snap. "And at least here you can't sink your claws into my brother's heart."

Gabriella's jaw clenched, almost involuntarily. "You don't understand anything about that."

Sharpay leaned against the counter. "I understand you crushed him, and now he hates you. With any luck Darbus will leave you out here for good!"

She felt as if her stomach had been filled with lead. Sharpay had no idea what she was talking about. She didn't even care that Gabbie genuinely liked Ryan. The indignant prickle of tears strengthened behind her eyes.

"I think I'll try walking home," she murmured and moved hastily towards the door.

Sharpay called to her as she walked out: "Oh, you cannot be serious. Come on, Gabriella, it was just a joke! A cruel and spiteful joke intended to hurt your feelings, but still!"

Gabriella regretted her rashness as soon as her sneakers sunk into the sand. It was oppressively hot, and there was no way she would make it back to Albuquerque on foot. But going back to Sharpay was not much of an option either.

"Well, enjoy your slow and painful death by heat stroke!" her nemesis was still calling. "I hope the buzzards leave your bones alone so we can have a burial!"

Gabbie took off her leopard print tracksuit top and tied it around her waist resolutely. She smiled a little.

Sharpay seemed not to realize that if Gabbie perished, her own body would go as well. With that morbidly satisfying thought in mind, she made for the road.

AN: Well, as you can obviously tell, I've been spending this weekend updating. Yeah. Don't have much of a social life at this point.

Now for some unfathomable reason, Lindsay Lohan seems to be imprinted on my subconscious. It was only when I was half-way through this chapter that I realised it sounds like a scene from The Freaking Parent Trap! You know when they stuck them up in the log cabin together? I'm sorry. I really am.

Review anyway!