Wherever You Are
Wherever You Are
Hiya guys, this is just a short oneshot that I was thinking of earlier, and had to get down on paper, please read it and tell me what you thought! The song is Right Here, by Miley Cyrus.
Sharpay sat on the sofa in her bedroom just staring into space, depressed was an understatement for what she was currently feeling manically depressed would somewhat fit the category a little better, her eyes were bright red and puffy, after crying for fifty two hours straight, and not sleeping a wink, after her best friend had received some terrible news, and Sharpay had run from it, unable and unsure of how to handle the news herself.
Suddenly, the doorbell went, and Sharpay jumped about a mile in the air, before realising that she was the only one in the massive empty house, with her brother round at one of his best friends' and her parents out at work, and that house would have to get up herself and answer the door.
Reaching the door after heaving herself down the stairs, trying her best not to throw up as the words of the doctor kept repeating around her head constantly as she gradually made her way down the stairs, praying that the person at the door hadn't yet left.
Swinging open the door, Sharpay looked up to see a puffy eyed Taylor and an even more puffy eyed Chad staring down at her, more like glaring.
Sharpay's hand flew to her mouth, "Oh G-d, she hasn't, she can't have, please tell me she hasn't!" She cried out hysterically, and both Taylor and Chad's expressions softened slightly at the distraught girl.
"No Shar, she hasn't, yet," Chad added the last part as an afterthought, before his voice cracked, and Taylor took his hand, squeezing it gently, in a way of trying to comfort Chad, as he looked away, desperate to keep his tears at bay.
"She hasn't got long though Shar, and she needs to see you before she goes, it's what she's holding on for, she needs to know that you're going to be ok," Taylor whispered softly, keeping her hold on Chad's hand, as she brushed Sharpay's fallen hair back behind her ear.
"But I'm not going to be ok though Taylor! I need her, she's my best friend, she saved me and she gave me all of you guys, without her I'd be nothing, I need her," Sharpay whimpered, and her sobs started up again as Taylor pulled the shaking girl in for a hug.
"We all need her Shar, we all do, but she has to go, and she can't do that until she's made her peace with you," Chad sighed softly, "you're what she's hanging on for, and she wanted us to give you this," Chad held out a parcel for Sharpay and she took it gently from him, not breaking her embrace with Taylor.
"Please listen to it Shar, and please at least consider going to see her, she needs to know from you that it's ok for her suffering to end," Taylor whispered, before giving Sharpay one last tight squeeze, before starting to walk back up the driveway, Chad following moments later after giving Sharpay a weak smile, for once the two couldn't even find it in themselves to argue, given the seriousness of the situation that they were finding themselves in.
Sharpay took a deep breath as she closed the door, fiddling with the package Chad had given her as she walked over to the CD player in her front room and inserted the disc, before returning to the sofa to listen to it, pulling her knees up and resting her chin on them.
"Hiya Pay!" Gabriella's voice suddenly squealed, filling up the quietness in the house. "Listen Pay, I know that you probably- Troy Bolton stop that right now!" Gabriella unexpectedly yelled, and Sharpay had to laugh softly upon hearing Troy's muffled response in the background, and Gabriella yelling at him to get out, as he obviously couldn't handle how serious this was to her. "Anyway Pay now that the interruption, excuse me boy, has gone," Sharpay chuckled slightly again, but then Gabriella's voice became a lot more serious, "Listen Pay, so far the doctor says that I can survive this, but I'm not so sure, and I know that if I don't, you're going to have one of the hardest times accepting this," Sharpay took in a deep shuddering breath, realising that Gabriella somehow knew all along, and that three days ago, the doctor had only confirmed her suspicions. "I don't know how long I have left Pay, but I want you to know this, I am going to fight this cancer as hard as I possibly can, unfortunately though, if you're listening to this, it means that the cancer has won, and I'm sorry, I truly am, I never wanted to leave you, or Troy, or my family, but it seems like G-d has decided that it's my time Pay," Sharpay started to sob again, as she could hear Gabriella's voice softly break, and the tears start to stream on the recording, "But I want you to know this Pay, I am never going to truly leave you, never ever, I'll always be there for you, and to reinforce that, I wrote a song for you when I was first diagnosed with cancer, I got the others to play the instruments for me in the tune I wrote a while back, and now, I'm going to sing, for your ears only Pay, and please come and see me, I can't put an end to this unless you do, I love you Pay, you're my best friend, my protector and my sister, and please look out for Troy for me when I'm gone as well, you two may not have always seen eye to eye, but you're both going through the same thing, so help each other, anyway, here's Right Here, hope you like it Pay," Gabriella finished softly and Sharpay let out another sniffle as the opening chords of a song started up, followed swiftly by Gabriella's sweet, harmonious singing filling up every corner of the room.
I'll be right here when you need me
Anytime just keep believing
And I'll be right here
If you ever need a friend
Someone to care and understand
I'll be right here
Sharpay remembered the time right after she and her aunt had been involved in a horrendous car crash, Gabriella had never left Sharpay's bedside once while she was in that coma, and she had been the one to break the awful news to Sharpay, that her aunt had been killed in the collision.
Sharpay had screamed at Gabriella and called her a liar and a freak, as well as any other name under the sun, but Gabriella had just shrugged all of them off, knowing that Sharpay was hurting deeply, at having been closer to her aunt than anyone else in her family except for Ryan, and that she was just using Gabriella to vent.
After Sharpay had been released from the hospital, Gabriella had been the one to hold the sobbing Sharpay as she blamed herself for her aunt's death, and had told her firmly to stop being an idiot, and that there was nothing that she could have done.
Gabriella had been the one to stand with Sharpay at her aunt's graveside six and a half hours after everyone else and the funeral procession had left, neither girl saying a word, Gabriella just being there to comfort her best friend, one arm wrapped tightly around her the whole time.
All you have to do is call my name
No matter how close or far away
Ask me once and I'll come
I'll come runnin
And when I can't be with you dream me near
Keep me in your heart and I'll appear
All you gotta do is turn around
Close your eyes
Look inside
I'm right here
Gabriella had been the first one that Sharpay had called after the party that she had attended while her parents and Ryan were away had gone hideously wrong.
At two am in the morning, an extremely frantic Sharpay had called Gabriella, waking her from her peaceful slumber, with heavy breathing down the phone, as Sharpay had sat hidden under a tree in the middle of the park, terrified out of her mind that the guys that had tried to force her to give up the one thing that she didn't want to give them would come back.
Sharpay remembered that phone call as though it was just yesterday.
Flashback
"Hello?" an extremely groggy Gabriella answered with a yawn, as she sat up in bed and turned on her bedside light.
"Gabby, oh Gabby, oh thank G-d your there!" Sharpay cried out, instantly getting the attention of Gabriella, as her cries intensified and she started to hyperventilate.
"Sharpay? Honey what's wrong?" Gabriella asked, now sat bolt upright and alert on the edge of her bed.
"Gabby, these guys, these guys Gab, oh G-d Gab, I need your help, I think, I think that they're coming Gab, help me please," Sharpay sobbed again, as she could hear the snapping of twigs close by.
That was all Gabby needed to hear, before she was flying down the stairs and out of her front door, still in her flannel pyjamas bottoms and blue tank top, with only one of Troy's hoodies over the top and her trainers on to keep her slightly warm "Sharpay where are you?" she demanded, desperately needing to know where her friend was.
"The… the park, oh please Gab hurry, I don't know where they are and I'm terrified, please Gabs," Sharpay wept once more.
"I'm on my way," Gabriella had answered with steely determination, speeding up her sprint even more, anxious to get to Sharpay before anything worse happened.
End Flashback
Gabriella had found Sharpay sat under the gang's tree, her knees pulled up to her chest, her eyes wide and alert, trying to offer herself at least some protection.
Gabriella had taken Sharpay back to her house that night, her mother being away on another one of her business trips, and had cleaned up any cuts and bruises that she had, before coaxing her out of her ripped dress and into a pair of her own pyjamas.
The pair of best friends had fallen asleep to the sounds of the Lion King playing on Gabriella's TV that night.
Isn't it great that you know that
I'm ready to go wherever you're at
Anywhere I'll be there
Then of course, there was the time when Sharpay's car had broken down on the way home from California, and she couldn't get the car fixed, the repair company refusing to come and meet her where she was stranded.
So instead, she had called Gabriella, frantic with worry that she would be stuck there for the rest of her life, and Gabriella had instantly packed up the boot of her own car with supplies, and had driven all night long, just to find Sharpay.
The two had then enjoyed a breakfast picnic as they watched the sun rise, before settling in to play stupid games that children play, including I never, only with water instead of alcohol, and watching movies on Gabriella's portable DVD player, before the recovery team had finally turned up the following morning.
All you have to do is call my name
No matter how close or far away
Over the years that they had become friends, after the Lava Springs disaster right before junior year, the two girls had discovered that they had an unbelievably close unique bond.
When Ryan had landed himself in hospital in Texas, after the had had a horse riding accident on the Evans family vacation, Sharpay had needed Gabriella there with her, for moral support, but didn't dare call her, knowing that Gabriella herself was on vacation in her dream place to go ever, New York City, with her Mom.
Yet somehow, when Sharpay woke up the following morning, Gabriella was miraculously standing in front of her, having apparently had a dream about Sharpay needing her in this hospital for some weird reason, and hopping on the first plane she could get to Texas, arriving at the hospital only moments before Sharpay herself had woken up from her slumber.
Ask me once and I'll come
I'll come runnin
And when I can't be with you dream me near
Keep me in your heart and I'll appear
All you gotta do is turn around
Close your eyes
Look inside
I'm right here
There had also been Sharpay's pregnancy scare, which no one knew about but Gabriella, not even Ryan, her own flesh and blood.
Flashback
"Gabs, can you come over please? I need you," Sharpay stuttered out in a whisper, desperately trying to keep her conversation secret from the rest of the occupants in her household.
Hearing the desperation in Sharpay's voice, Gabriella had told her that she would be there in a few minutes, and sure enough, a few minutes later, Gabriella came jogging up the footpath, and straight up to Sharpay's room, not bothering to knock and smiling at Mr and Mrs Evans when she passed by them.
"Shar, what's wrong?" Gabriella asked, immediately concern taking over her features as she closed Sharpay's door gently behind her and moved across the large room to Sharpay's enormous circular bed, where the blonde haired girl was currently sat, her hair pulled back off of her face in a low pony tail, her comforter wrapped up around her legs as her arms and chin rested on her knees.
The sixteen year old had looked up at her best friend with bright red puffy eyes, and whispered four words that Gabriella dreaded to hear, "I think I'm pregnant."
Gabriella's mouth had dropped in shock as Sharpay's head moved back to rest on her knees. "Zeke's?" Gabriella questioned gently.
"No the Easter Bunny's," Sharpay stated sarcastically, her top lip turned up, "What do you think? Of course it would be Zeke's," she hissed harshly, then winced when she saw Gabriella's slightly hurt face. "Oh G-d, I'm sorry Boo, I'm just such a mess, I mean I cant become a mother, I'm just about to turn seventeen for hell's sake," Sharpay started to shake with tears, and Gabriella moved up the bed once more to comfort her friend.
"Here's what we're gonna do Pay," Gabriella started, taking control of the whole situation, as Sharpay looked at her, "You are gonna try and clean yourself up a bit, because quite frankly right now, you look a mess," Sharpay scoffed and Gabriella grinned, "While I on the other hand am going to run to the drug store and pick up some pregnancy tests, and if they come back positive, then we worry about what to do, but for now, we'll just keep it between us." Sharpay nodded and Gabriella released her, heading for the door.
"Gabriella?" Sharpay called, and Gabriella turned around, her hand on the door handle, "Thanks," Sharpay whispered, and Gabriella sent her a smile before disappearing out of the door.
An hour later, Gabriella returned, her arms full with shopping bags, as Sharpay looked on in slight amusement at her friend struggling through the doors.
Two hours and thirty two pregnancy tests later, it had been confirmed that Sharpay was indeed not pregnant, and the two girls were celebrating by happy dancing around Sharpay's room, music turned up full blast, while Ryan banged on the wall and yelled at them to turn it down, both girls just giggling with glee in response.
End Flashback
Gabriella had pulled through for Sharpay once again at one of her darkest moments during that scare, and Sharpay now felt suitably guilty that she had run out on Gabriella when she needed her the most.
Whenever you need me
There's no need to worry
You know that I'm gonna be
Right here
When she had been stuck with her family, delayed in Hawaii, with no news on when they would be allowed to leave, Sharpay had instantly called Gabriella, anything to keep away from her bickering parents, and Ryan who was texting basketball moves with Troy and Chad.
The two had stayed on the phone for fourteen hours straight, laughing and giggling at past memories, and becoming hysterical when Gabriella had attempted to make a smoothie, but had forgotten to put the lid back onto the blender so that the fruit had gone everywhere.
Little did Sharpay know, but at that time, she was helping Gabriella out as well, as she was keeping Gabriella's mind off of the tests that she had went through the day previous, to find out what was wrong with her, only a week after the phone call, Gabriella, Sharpay, Troy and Mrs Montez had been told that Gabriella had cancer, a vicious form, but the doctors were sure that they could get rid of it, causing the four people to have hope, how wrong they had been, in only six and a half months, all of the treatments had been tried and failed, and Gabriella was now just waiting for her death to come.
That realisation made Sharpay shudder with fear and grief at the prospect of losing her best friend.
Ask me once and I'll come
I'll come runnin
And when I can't be with you dream me near
Keep me in your heart and I'll appear
All you gotta do is turn around
Close your eyes
Look inside
I'm right here
Oh yeah yeah
Hearing the chorus again suddenly made something inside Sharpay snap, and she ran for the front door, pulling her trainers on while in the process of getting out of the front door, not even caring about how awful she looked with her tracksuit bottoms and her tank top, her blonde, unbrushed hair tied into a low ponytail and her eyes bright red and puffy, she just knew in that moment that she had to reach Gabriella, before it was too late.
Sharpay sprinted to the Montez household faster than she had ever run in her life, reaching it in record time, and rushing straight, ignoring the group in the front room who smiled slightly at her, expecting her imminent arrival.
She flew up the stairs and only stopped when she reached an all too familiar room, taking a deep breath before pushing the door open and making her way to the bed, where a very pale looking Gabriella Montez was lying, her eyes closed in serene drowse.
"Hey Boo," Sharpay whispered softly, gently taking one of Gabriella's hands into her own and squeezing gently as Gabriella's eyes fluttered open.
"You came," Gabriella whispered back, just as softly, as though trying to conserve her energy for what was to come.
"Of course I came Boo, and I'm so sorry for not coming sooner," Sharpay smiled kindly at Gabriella, both friends eyeing the other up and down.
"You look like hell," Gabriella grinned delicately at Sharpay, as Sharpay rolled her eyes and climbed onto the bed beside Gabriella.
"Yeah, well you don't look so hot yourself Boo, I think we've both seen better days," Sharpay muttered in a hushed tone as she smiled once more at Gabriella, who laughed inaudibly.
"I don't want to lose you Boo, I can't lose you," Sharpay whispered softly, as she rested her head lightly on Gabriella's shoulder and Gabriella gently ran her hands through Sharpay's long golden hair.
"Miss Evans, did you not listen to a word that I said in that song?" Gabriella scolded Sharpay and Sharpay had to look up at her best friend with a slight smile, she had almost sounded like her old self again, but Sharpay's heart quickly dropped as she saw Gabriella struggling to catch her breath.
"Of course I did Boo, you're my best friend and my sister though, and I really can't lose you," Sharpay's eyes saddened as Gabriella closed hers, opening them once again as brown met brown, one set of eyes dimming slowly, as the other shone brightly with tears.
"You'll never lose me Pay, I'll always be right by your side, but I can't fight anymore, the cancer's won Pay, I just can't cope with the pain anymore," Gabriella shifted uncomfortably, and Sharpay wrapped her into a hug, which she gently settled down into, "But you Pay, you have so much more to live for, I'm going to be there to see you graduate from high school next month, and college in four years time, I'm going to haunt Zeke like mad if he ever dares hurt you," Gabriella said this so menacingly, that Sharpay couldn't help but chuckle, and Gabriella herself even managed a small smile. "And I'm going to act the part of the maid of honour on your wedding day, although don't tell Taylor that or she'll go bananas," Sharpay laughed again, "and then I'm going to watch you have children of your own, mind you I want one called Gabriella of course," she stated sternly yet cheekily, and Sharpay nodded, "and then I'm going to be right by your side to watch them grow up, get married and have children of their own, and one day when you're absolutely ancient, I'm going to meet you again, and we are going to throw a massive party, but I don't expect that to be for another eighty years at least Sharpay, and I mean that, if you come and join me before then, I just won't talk to you. I'm always gonna be right here for you Pay, maybe not in body, but definitely in soul," Sharpay chuckled again, but that quickly turned to a strangled cry of horror, as she sat bolt upright and looked at Gabriella.
Sharpay bent her head to the bed and sobbed heavily as the continuous beep of the machines started up, and Gabriella no longer moved even a tiny little bit, her sobs turned to hiccups, as she desperately tried to get her best friend to wake up, shaking her and screaming at her, but it was no use, and Sharpay collapsed to the bed once more, the sobs wracking her whole body as a gust of wind blew through the open window.
"I'm right here Pay, always," a soft, melodic voice whispered, and Sharpay's sobs softened slightly, recognising the voice of her deceased best friend ringing through her head.
I'm right here
Well guys, that oneshot was a lot sadder than the ones that I usually right, and it's my first actual character death, so please review and tell me what you thought of it!