Sparkles and Smiles

Well, I did one for Ryan and am bored out of my mind—by the way, thank y'all so much for your wonderful reviews for "Skyscrapers and Scripts"! so I figured I might as well do one for Sharpay! I just love saying that…Sharpay, Sharpay, Sharpay…

…isn't that a kind of dog? Well, nevermind…

Sharpay loved the lights. She would cover herself in sparkles so that when they light would shine on her (and it always did), she would shine even brighter. She would put on a strained smile, practiced and precise, and curtsey.

Sharpay would sit at home, and demand Ryan shine a flashlight on her in a dark room so that she could practice shining. They would stand in front of a mirror, a flashlight suspended above their head, and smile. They would smile, smile, and smile until finally they got tired of it. Then they would put on some fancy clothes and smile some more.

So one day when the spotlight broke, Sharpay found herself sitting in a janitor's closet, her knees brushing up against a broom handle and her back against a bucket of ammonia, hugging her legs to her chest and breathing deep. She didn't know why, but she felt like she was completely and utterly lost now, because the spotlight needed new batteries and Mrs. Darbus decided they didn't need it that day anyway.

Sharpay dressed herself up in the loudest and brightest outfits she could find (that still matched, of course), because when (the newly working) spotlight came back on, she was noticed more than ever. She smiled, perfectly practiced, and shined.