AN: Thank you all for the reviews so far! They really mean a lot to me, and I appreciate every one of them. :) I hope you enjoy the next chapter, and please leave comments! Thank you!
CUT TO:
INT. KITCHEN, THE NEXT MORNING
C.U. on two pancakes being flipped upon dishes and moved aside on the kitchen table.
PAN-UP to RYAN reaching for a jar of jelly.
He swathes the jelly on a knife and then ices it over a heart-shaped pancake, coloring it red.
Suddenly, footsteps are heard from a slight distance. RYAN looks up, startled, and quickly caps the jar of jam and opens a drawer, pulling out a set of forks.
SHARPAY bounds down the stairwell, clad in a bright pink robe, yawning. She looks to RYAN with a smile and approaches the kitchen table.
SHARPAY: (Surprised and sweetly) Hey, Ry. What are doing up so early?
RYAN shrugs.
RYAN: Couldn't sleep very well, and I thought it would be nice to make everyone breakfast.
SHARPAY: Aww, that's kind of cute.
SHARPAY giggles, slightly derisively.
RYAN smirks and hands her a plate of pancakes.
RYAN: With strawberries and cream, just the way you like them.
SHARPAY: Well, thank you, Ryan! They look delish! But…why couldn't you sleep last night? (Suddenly slyly) Kelsi keep you up?
RYAN turns to SHARPAY with an annoyed look.
RYAN: What's with you suddenly prying into my sex life, Shar? Do you hear me doing that with you? (Feigning revelation) Oh, wait, that's right: you don't have a sex life!
SHARPAY gasps, offended.
SHARPAY: Ryan Ethan Evans! I'm appalled at your audacity!
RYAN sighs.
RYAN: I'm sorry. I didn't mean to say that. I mean, I don't actually have one either, so…never mind.
SHARPAY looks unsure.
SHARPAY: You're forgiven. But I'm still curious. (Defensively) I'm your twin sister; it's my natural instinct to know everything that goes on in your life, especially the big stuff like this!
RYAN hesitates.
RYAN: Shar, I know we tell each other everything, but…don't you think there are some things even we have to keep to ourselves?
SHARPAY looks a bit surprised and disappointed, but before she can respond, TROY, GABRIELLA, CHAD, and TAYLOR amble down the stairwell.
RYAN and SHARPAY share an uncertain look before RYAN smiles at the group.
RYAN: Good morning, guys. I made breakfast.
The group look surprised and delighted.
GABRIELLA: Ryan, you didn't have to do that!
RYAN smiles and shrugs shyly at her.
RYAN: I wanted to. What do you like on yours, Gabby?
GABRIELLA: Um…(Now confidently)…powdered sugar, please!
RYAN: Comin' right up. And Troy? Chad? Taylor?
TROY: Do you have syrup?
RYAN: Of course.
TROY: That would be awesome; thanks.
TAYLOR: Syrup for me too.
CHAD: Just butter on mine, man.
RYAN: All-righty; here you are, guys.
RYAN serves them as they sit down at the table.
CHAD: These look great, Ryan. Thanks a lot, man.
TAYLOR: Yeah, thank you!
TROY: Thank you, Ryan!
RYAN bows and tips his hat to them.
RYAN: It's my pleasure, really. (Suddenly concerned) Hey, where's Kelsi?
SHARPAY: She was sleeping like a rock when I left.
RYAN: I guess I'll go wake her up. I don't want her food to get cold.
CUT TO:
INT. ROOM #1
C.U. KELSI'S sleeping face. Her mouth is slightly open and her right hand is nestled underneath her cheek.
RYAN enters the room quietly and kneels down to the ground, with her pancake-filled plate in hand. He gently nudges her.
RYAN: (Whispering) Kels?
She does not wake.
RYAN leans over to her and kisses her cheek.
She rouses slightly, startled. She opens her eyes and sees RYAN smiling at her. She smiles back as she rubs her eyes.
RYAN hands her her glasses, and she chuckles as she puts them on.
KELSI: (Quietly) Thanks, Ry.
She then notices the plate in his hand and smiles widely.
KELSI: What's this?
C.U. on the jam-laden, heart-shaped pancake.
KELSI: Oh, it's beautiful!
RYAN: (Timidly) Glad you like it.
KELSI: I do; I love it! It's almost too beautiful to eat.
RYAN: But you'll break my heart if you don't eat it!
KELSI and RYAN laugh. RYAN then cuts the tip of the heart off with a fork.
RYAN: Here comes the airplane! Whoosh! Whoosh!
KELSI laughs and open her mouth wide. RYAN feeds the bite to her and she chews it thoroughly, her eyes lighting up in the process.
KELSI: Is that…?
RYAN: Seedless strawberry-lemon marmalade? Yep.
KELSI'S eyes widen excitedly.
KELSI: I haven't had that since…
RYAN: The morning after prom.
KELSI nods and smiles.
KELSI: It's my favorite.
RYAN: I know.
CUT TO:
INT. DINING ROOM
The rest of the group sits, eating together.
CHAD: So, we're going skiing after breakfast, right?
TAYLOR looks scared.
TAYLOR: What? I don't know how to ski!
GABRIELLA: (Apprehensively) Neither do I.
SHARPAY: You've never been skiing? You've never lived!
TAYLOR: Well, that's the thing. I think I'd conversely die if I actually went skiing. I'm not good at that kind of stuff; trust me.
SHARPAY: Troy and I will teach you. Right, Troy?
TROY: (Unsurely) I've been skiing, but I'm not a pro…
SHARPAY: Well, then Ryan and I will teach you. (Annoyed) If he ever comes downstairs.
TAYLOR: Listen, if we're going skiing, I'm going to have to be taught by a professional. Nothing against you or your brother; I'm sure you're both quite adept at the whole skiing thing, but if I'm going to die, I want to know I took all the necessary precautions to prevent my death so I can go the grave guiltlessly and without regrets.
SHARPAY looks confused and disgusted at TAYLOR.
SHARPAY: What crawled up your a—?
GABRIELLA: (Interrupting) Sharpay, it makes sense. I wouldn't mind having a professional teach us either.
TROY: Yeah, I mean. We're at this resort. We might as well take advantage of the resources here.
CHAD: Yeah.
SHARPAY looks at each of them resentfully.
SHARPAY: (Calmly but dangerously) Fine. I'll ignore your obvious distrust of me in the name of the Christmas spirit, and we'll pay good money for something we don't have to. Sound good?
CHAD: Sharpay, I thought you loved spending your parents' money on stuff you didn't need just for the thrill of spending money and getting it away with it.
SHARPAY hesitates.
SHARPAY: You have a point there, Chad. It does give me a certain ego boost, knowing I can spend their money on unnecessary things just because they adore me so much. (Suddenly excitedly) You know, this professional skiing lessons thing is starting to sound like fun!
TROY gives a CHAD a high-five as GABRIELLA and TAYLOR chuckle.
CUT TO:
INT. ROOM #1
SHARPAY slams the door open, startling RYAN and KELSI, who were engaged in a kiss.
SHARPAY: Stop sucking face and get ready!
RYAN: Ready for what?
SHARPAY: Skiing! Those scaredy-cats down there convinced me to let us all take lessons from a professional. I set us up for a lesson at 10:00.
KELSI: (Timidly and a bit worriedly) That's in a half an hour.
SHARPAY: Exactly. So if you have to take a shower, I'd do it before the rest of them try to beat you to it. Especially Chad. He must take an hour just washing that robin's nest of hair of his.
RYAN: Well, I already took a shower last night.
KELSI: Me too.
SHARPAY raises an eyebrow before bringing her hand to her mouth and pretending to zip her lips.
RYAN shakes his head at this and scoffs. KELSI looks confused.
SHARPAY: Well, then. I'm going to take mine. And while I do, get my blue ski suit out. The one-piece, Dolce and Gabbana one.
RYAN: (In a thick, 17th-century African accent) Yes, Massa!
SHARPAY scoffs and struts out of the room.
CUT TO:
EXT. THE SKI SLOPES
The group waits at the bottom of a snow-covered hill with their ski equipment.
SHARPAY: Where the hell is our instructor? It's 10:02! I demand better treatment!
VOICE: (O.S.) It's so wonderful to see you haven't changed, and I mean that sincerely.
The group turns around to see ZEKE BAYLOR standing before them with a wide grin on his face. He immediately lurches forth, embracing a startled SHARPAY.
SHARPAY: Zeke! OMG! You're our instructor?
ZEKE pulls away from SHARPAY and smiles.
ZEKE: Did you really just say "OMG"?
SHARPAY: Hey, like you said, college hasn't changed me!
ZEKE laughs.
ZEKE: Oh, boy, I've missed you. (Finally noticing the rest of the group) All of you! It's so great to see you guys. I knew East High wouldn't be the end for all of us.
CHAD and TROY approach, both giving ZEKE a hug.
CHAD: (Excitedly) Man, how you been? I thought you said you were going to U of A, but I haven't seen you there!
ZEKE: Actually, I'm going to the Cooking and Hospitality Institute in Chicago right now. I love it; it's like a dream come true!
CHAD: That's awesome, man!
TROY: Do they play there?
ZEKE laughs.
ZEKE: Nah, but maybe one of these days I'll make it out to Berkeley or Albuquerque and see you guys play.
TROY: That would great, man.
ZEKE: You know, I really want to catch up with all of you, but I'm on the clock. What are you doing tonight?
The group looks to one another unsurely.
SHARPAY: We don't have any plans yet.
ZEKE: Great! There's this party I'm going to tonight. Nothing fancy, just a fun time. You in?
SHARPAY: Sure. Why not? We're staying at the cabin just down the road from the resort.
ZEKE: Great; I'll come by to get you guys at 8. But now, we better get up on the slopes.
RYAN, KELSI, and GABRIELLA look a bit wary as they follow the group.
(To be continued, of course. :p)