"The Way I Loved You"
"Sharpay Evans." Mrs. Darbus called over the loud clapping from Troy's audition. Sharpay walked up the stairs of the stage, giving a quick smile to Ryan, before going on stage. She
was nervous, he knew that, 'But, she needs to do this, she needs this to be able to get on with her life.' Ryan thought. He gave her a thumbs up, and she smiled brightly. Zeke mistakenly
thought Sharpay's smile was for him and got caught up thinking about her. 'It took her forever, but I knew she couldn't resist me, I wonder what song she is going to sing. She really is the
perfect girlfriend.'
"Hello, my name is Sharpay Evans, and I will be singing a song by Taylor Swift." She said with a quick hint of a smile. Everybody looked up after they saw Troy shoot up in his chair, and
look directly at the stage. A couple of: "What's with Troy?", and other questioning glances were exchanged among the Wildcats. They all turned in the direction that Troy was peering
at and saw Sharpay as she mentioned Taylor Swift, which only made things seem a bit more 'Twilight Zone' to them. The two names Sharpay Evans and Taylor Swift didn't mix.
Troy was in his own little world, just thinking about what she was going to sing. 'I bought her that CD. What is she going to sing off of it? She wouldn't sing a love song to Zeke, would she?
Oh' God, Sharpay why are you doing this to me? I can't remember how many times we blasted 'Love Story'.
~Flashback~
"Troy, if you didn't want to hear the CD, you shouldn't have gotten it for me." Sharpay said with a smirk in his direction, as she pushed play on his CD player.
'Sharpay, when you told me that you liked Taylor Swift, I didn't know you meant to the point where you became her stalker." He supplied, with a bad attempt at a comeback.
"Come on Troy, it's our song, you must love it. Dance with me please." She begged as the first notes of the song began to play.
"Of course, my lady." He said as he bowed before he took her hand in his and softly swayed with her, looking into her eyes.
"You know I love you, right?" he asked.
"I could ask you the same question." She laughed.
"Of course I do. I wouldn't listen to Taylor Swift if I didn't." he said as he stuck his tongue out in a disgusted way. Troy would never willingly admit it to her, but he loved this song, he
downloaded it, and played it almost everyday, thinking about how when he first heard it he had thought about her.
"Troy, it's our song. You must like it. It describes us, no one wanting us to be together, but love conquers all, and of course, you as my Prince Charming." She giggled softly, at him. He leaned
down and whispered in her ear,
"I love it. If it involves making you happy, or keeping us together, I love it." She smiled up at him and kissed him on the lips as the last few notes of the song played.
~End of Flashback~
Troy had remembered that day perfectly, it was one of the best days of his life. 'Oh' who am I kidding? It was the best of my life.' He smiled towards the stage, hoping she wasn't going
to sing that particular song. The CD started to play, a new song, a song he had only ever heard once. 'Well, that's weird. I remember this song.'
Sharpay smiled as she looked at Zeke, knowing that if he got the meaning of this song it would change their whole relationship. She held the microphone up and began to sing.
He is sensible and so incredible
And all my single friends are jealous
He says everything I need to hear and it's like
I couldn't ask for anything better
He opens up my door and I get into his car
And he says you look beautiful tonight
And I feel perfectly fine
Zeke heard the lyrics and then smiled up at her, 'She thinks I'm incredible. Aww, she is the incredible one. Wait, why is she looking away?' He thought. Ryan looked up at her, he
remembered the next part of the song and knew what was going to happen, and he just hoped his sister wouldn't get hurt. Troy looked on and as she started the chorus, his
eyes met hers, and she sang to him.
But I miss screaming and fighting and kissing in the rain
And it's 2 a.m. and I'm cursing your name
You're so in love that you act insane
And that's the way I loved you
Breakin' down and coming undone
It's a roller coaster kinda' rush
And I never knew I could feel that much
And that's the way I loved you
Zeke sat their shocked to his core. 'I hope this is just a song.' He noticed that Sharpay's eyes were still looking away, he looked to see what she was peering at, then he squinted to
see better, and saw a mop of medium brown hair. 'Bolton.' He thought harshly. Troy saw the look of love shining in her eyes that she tried to cover up with scorn, but she couldn't quite
pull it off. He smiled his brightest smile in a long time.
He respects my space
And never makes me wait
And he calls exactly when he says he will
He's close to my mother
Talks business with my father
He's charming and endearing
And I'm comfortable
'Okay,' Zeke thought, 'she is saying that I'm the perfect guy, that's good enough for me. She still wants me, she is just saying that he was a jerk and that she used to love him, but not anymore since she has me, good.'
enveloped his face. 'She's about to sing the chorus again, maybe I didn't hear right.' Troy thought, and then smiled, again.
So many thoughts were running through Sharpay's mind. 'Zeke looks pissed, wait now he's smiling. Troy, wait, why isn't he smiling? He doesn't want me anymore? Oh' no, he doesn't feel the same way. I knew I shouldn't have done this. Come on, Sharpay, you need to sing the right words; he can't know you still love him. "Loved" that is what the song says. "The way I LOVED you." Oh' crap. Now Troy's smiling again… What am I going to do?'
But I miss screaming and fighting and kissing in the rain
And it's 2 a.m. and I'm cursing your name
You're so in love that you act insane
And that's the way I loved you
Breakin' down and coming undone
It's a roller coaster kinda' rush
And I never knew I could feel that much
And that's the way I loved you
Zeke smiled even brighter every time she said 'Loved', Troy's brow furrowed deeper every time she said 'Loved', Sharpay's confusion grew every time she said 'Loved'.
He can't see the smile I'm faking
And my heart's not breaking
'Cause I'm not feeling anything at all
And you were wild and crazy
Just so frustrating, intoxicating
Complicated, got away by some mistake and now
I miss screaming and fighting and kissing in the rain
It's 2 a.m. and I'm cursing your name
I'm so in love that I acted insane
And that's the way I loved you
Breakin' down and coming undone
It's a roller coaster kinda' rush
And I never knew I could feel that much
And that's the way I love you oh, oh
Sharpay had really gotten into the song, and before she knew, she had done a big 'no-no', she had said 'Love' instead of 'Loved'. She looked around to gauge people's reactions as
the final notes to the song ended. Zeke, well Zeke looked pissed and like he was about ready to kill someone, Ryan looked stunned, and maybe a bit afraid for his sister, Sharpay was
glad he was there. And then she looked around for Troy, who was currently on his way out of the auditorium. He was noisily pulling on the doors before giving one final look back to
Sharpay, with tears in his eyes. She didn't understand Troy's crying, but she took his exit as a sign of not feeling the same way, and her eyes started to well up with tears of her own,
and she quickly exited the stage, making sure to grab her CD on her way off the stage, she knew that she would need comfort music tonight.
When she walked by Zeke, he simply stated, "We're over." before sitting back down with some of his basketball buddies. Sharpay didn't care about Zeke, she didn't really want to be
with him, but at the time they started to go out, she had needed someone to love her. Ryan pulled Sharpay out to his SUV, and they drove the short distance to their house, both
extremely quiet. As soon as Ryan pulled into the driveway, Sharpay bounded out of the car and into the house, before Ryan could give her any of his pity. He just sighed and went in
after her. Soon after they came home, you could hear the sound of Taylor Swift's 'Love Story', blasting through out the Evans' estate.
Meanwhile back at the Bolton's house, Troy's parents were getting slightly annoyed at having to hear the same song played over and over again, but just decided to leave and let Troy
do his own type of heart mending listening to the same country love song over, and over, and over again. Troy was laying flat on his floor, and crying.
Yes, the mighty and brave Troy Bolton was crying. He could feel the vibrations from his CD player's speakers running through his body as he turned up the volume as high as it would
go. He couldn't believe she had done that to embarrass him. She had repeatedly told him, in the song that she used to love him, not that she still did. He thought back to a few hours
ago. 'Her singing was beautiful, and it would have been great if she had just run off stage and showered me in kisses and hugs, that would have been so amazing. I just wanted to hold on to her and swing her around with me, and watch her laugh, as she told me that she loves me.'
replaying it in his head. 'The last chorus, how did it go?' He hummed it to himself. '"I'm so in love that I acted insane, and that's the way I loved you. Breakin' down and coming undone, it's a roller coaster kinda' rush, and I never knew I could feel that much, and that's the way I love you." that's why she looked confused, maybe she wanted me to dance with her, maybe she wanted to shower me with kisses, and maybe she wanted to tell me she loves me.'
"Troy, you are an IDIOT!" he shouted at himself.
He grabbed his keys and his Taylor Swift CD; he had broken down and bought it the first time he went out after their breakup. He had passed a music store, and went in on a whim. He
saw the 'Best Seller's' rack and had gone to look at it, and there, starring him in the face was the blonde, curly headed Taylor Swift, on the cover of her new CD 'Fearless', he
immediately picked it up and purchased it, he went out into his car, put the CD in the player, and quickly found Sharpay's and his song. He had listened to that song on repeat for hours
in the parking lot of the music store, and had just sat and cried, screaming the lyrics at the top of his lungs. That entire week, he had only ever listened to that CD, that was the same
week Zeke and Sharpay had started going out, and he became a zombie, after that weekend he came back to school as the same old Troy, shocking everyone. Now, a few months
later most people had forgotten about the Summer Romance between him and Sharpay, but that didn't mean he had, and maybe that audition meant she hadn't either. He noticed that
he had somehow already made it to his car and was a little more than halfway to Sharpay's house with 'Love Story' already blaring out his rolled down car windows.
He quickly pulled into Sharpay's circle drive and he could already hear Taylor Swift wafting to his car, after he had turned off his engine, and the music with it. He smiled as he saw her
through her window, dancing, crying, and screaming the lyrics to 'Love Story', like he had been moments before. He chuckled to himself, 'That's my girl, I hope.' He thought. He turned
his car's CD player back on and waited for her music to stop for a moment before it switched songs, it only took a few moments.
Sharpay's music stopped for a minute, before it continued to repeat her and Troy's song. 'Wait, what was that?' She thought she had heard the same song that was playing in her room,
from somewhere else.
Troy knew he had her attention when he saw her suddenly stop dancing and singing, before her CD player kicked back on the first few notes of 'Love Story'. He saw her leave his line
of vision, and then suddenly heard her music cut off, and then she returned peering out her window and seeing him, she cautiously opened the door. "What do you want Troy?" she
asked, her voice was raw from singing the same song for a few hours at the top of her lungs.
Troy heard her voice, and saw the tears in her eyes as she looked down and saw him, and his heart broke a little more, realizing he had done this to her. He smiled up at her.
"Sharpay, I love you. I'm here hoping you will forgive me and hoping you still love me. 'Baby, just say 'Yes'." He said, quoting the last part from their song.
Without hesitation, she turned around, walked back inside, and shut her balcony door.
Troy felt defeated, he had sent his heart up to her, and she had caught it, and then ripped it to shreds. He felt a few tears escape from his blue eyes and leave wet trails down his
cheeks, when he heard his name, he turned around to see Sharpay running towards him. She came up to him, and wrapped her arms around him, giving him a small hug. She then
unwound her arms from his waist, and reached up with her hands to wipe his tears away, she leaned into him and whispered in his ear, "Yes." He smiled, and when she pulled away
from his ear, he pulled her back and kissed her with the passion and love he had been feeling since they first got together. She kissed back with the same fervor, and then suddenly
pulled back.
"So, I guess that makes you my Prince Charming?" she asked.
"Forever and Always." He said with a smile before pulling her into another kiss.