She was falling. They all knew it. They all watched her rise, but then fall once again. She needed help, and they offer, but she refused. Ever since that ghastly day, she slowly fell.
She was a star; a bright star that outshined the others, a flower whose petals were as vibrant and superb as the colors of the rainbow.
But that was before. Now, the star that she was fell and exploded into pieces, and her petals dried down. Everyone missed her magnificence and charm. What used to be smiles and laughter, now turned into tears and sobs.
But, they didn't blame her; no one did; ever since her old "best friend" ruined her life for her by sending everyone in school the video of the two of them during their old young years. They were just thirteen when the event in the video happened.
--
They were just having another girls' night in one of her ex-best friend, Courtney's, family's hotels, when a guy, named Jake, shows up, he looked like he was 19. Courtney seemed to know him, but Sharpay didn't. And she wasn't so sure if she wanted to. He and Courtney persuaded her to spend a night with him, but she refused. They- as in, Courtney and Jake- decided that Jake should just molest her. Sharpay objected of course, she had even tried to run away but they tied her up on the bed while Jake molests Sharpay. She screams for Courtney to help her, but instead, Courtney brings out her video camera and takes a video of the event.
After the dreadful night she had experienced, they let her go. She walks home with tears in her eyes and showers immediately. She tried very hard to not show her family her sulk but it was evident, still.
After a few weeks, her parents say that Courtney was leaving for New York the next day, she understood then that they thought she was sulking because of this news. But she couldn't care less.
She felt very unsafe with Courtney having the video of her molestation. But she had no choice. She just had to live with the truth that she was molested by someone she barely even knew and was helpless even with her best friend there.
After a few years, which is the present, Courtney comes back and finds out about the new life Sharpay lived and she didn't want Sharpay to have it.
So she sends everyone in school the video she took years ago. Everyone started talking and thought of Sharpay as a slut, a whore, or simply just disgusting.
That's when she fell; she skipped school from that day to present. Troy, her boyfriend, hadn't talked to her ever since the video spread. Her best friends, Gabriella, Kelsi, and Taylor, tried to talk to her but she wouldn't bulge. And her family, wanted to be there for her, but she wouldn't let them in her room at all.
Her family filed press charges on Courtney. While waiting for the justice to be served, they all try to fix her life but she wouldn't let them still.
--
Gabriella, Kelsi, Taylor, Chad, and Jason decided to visit their best friend.
"Oh. Hey guys, come in" Ryan said glumly. The house looked pretty much the same, but it looked darker now. What used to be the smiles of Mr. and Mrs. Evans became worried glances, guilty faces, and frowns.
Mr. and Mrs. Evans weren't there, though. They were in a business trip. They hated to leave their broken angel at this time, but they had to, or else there will be more crises in the family.
They entered the house feeling tensed, as would anyone would feel once they enter this house.
"So… how is she?" Gabriella asked worriedly.
She was the best friend Sharpay really wanted and had. She healed the wounds Courtney left and she was thankful for that.
"Well, she came out of her room last night" Ryan answered, still pessimistic.
"Really? That's great." Kelsi said softly and clearly trying to be supportive.
"It's not, really. She did come out last night. But her hands were held behind her by my dad's security guards. She begged and cried and yelled for them to let her go. All my parents wanted was to just say goodbye to her properly before they left, but they just let her inside again. The image of her being like that hurt us a lot" Ryan said.
The gang was speechless.
Chad sighed, "We really wish there is some way we could help. Truly, we do" he said
"I know." Ryan said.
Their conversation was interrupted by a car honking outside their house. The maids all of a sudden walked out in a straight line from the kitchen and out the front door.
The gang looked at Ryan with curious eyes.
"Our parents decided to call our grandparents to watch over us while they are gone" Ryan explained and they nodded.
The gang had already met their grandparents, of course. And they liked each other very much, which is probably why they weren't so nervous about their arrival.
"Hello Kids! Well, I'll be, you guys have grown so much!" Elizabeth Evans, their grandmother, said.
"I know, if you weren't the only kids who come in this houses then I wouldn't have recognized ya" Alexander Evans, their grandfather, said.
They all said their greetings and then settled in to the living room.
"So… I heard about Sharpay, of course. But right now I wanna now how she's doing?" Alexander asked.
"Well, not so well. There wasn't much change, actually." Ryan said.
Elizabeth and Alexander sighed, "Well, let's just give her time" Elizabeth said.
"We know, Nana. But, the time we give her is… way too long already." Taylor said
"But the disaster that happened was too much for her. She was caught completely off guard." Elizabeth said
"We know…" Jason said.
Silence fell on the room. Thankfully, Alexander broke it.
"So… where is Troy? How is he taking all this?" He asked.
"Well, Pop, Troy is… just confused at the moment. I tried to talk to him about this but, he wouldn't bulge as well. But I can tell that he is as hurt as we are. Maybe even worse." Chad spoke up for his friend.
"He does love her a lot. This sudden scandal must've taken him off guard as it had with Sharpay." Alexander said.
"Yeah." They all agreed.
--
Troy laid down on his bed as he threw his basketball pillow up and down inside his room. He stopped throwing once he'd caught it and looked at his side table. It was where his picture of Sharpay rest.
He grabbed the picture and looked at it. The picture was taken during the road trip he and his friends had. She was sitting at the huge trunk of Troy's white truck; she was wearing a short denim mini skirt, a yellow long sleeved shirt and yellow flip flops, her hair was in loose curls and she wore her makeup very lightly, but still, she looked extravagant.
Troy sighed. He missed his girlfriend so much, he wanted to talk to her about it and help her out, but he didn't know what to say and what to do. He knows what's happening to Sharpay, it breaks his heart to hear that about his girl. His angel.
To hear that Sharpay was molested hurt him as hell. But learning that she had kept it from her just broke his heart.
His friends had begged him to talk to Sharpay, but he always refused. He was afraid.
And he was also disappointed at himself for not being able to play his part as a boyfriend to Sharpay. She must've been counting on him to make it better, but he didn't, and that, he was afraid of too.
--
Gabriella excused herself to the bathroom. What everyone did not know was that she was planning to talk to Sharpay. It might be to no avail, but she had to try.
She knocked on her door and pressed her ear on the door.
"Go away" She heard her say.
"Shar, it's me, Gabriella." She tried to convince her, even if she knew it won't work.
There was silence inside the room, and to her surprise- and I mean, SURPRISE- the door opened.
"Get in" She said, and Gabriella obeyed.
Her room did not much change; it was not the type of room she expected. She expected her room to be a lot darker and messier, and maybe even stink. But it was the same.
Her bed was made, her window was opened and she looked clean. She didn't seem like she was the type of depressed girl who doesn't shower.
They sat on her bed and looked at each other awkwardly.
"So are you okay?" Gabriella asked.
"No." She answered.
"Do you wanna talk about it?"
"I don't know" Sharpay answered.
"Well, we should. First thing, I want to talk to you about not telling us what happened then. Why didn't you tell us? We're all friends, right? Why didn't you tell me? I am your best friend; it makes me helpless to know that I did not know about this. And lastly, Why didn't you tell Troy? He's your boyfriend. Among all of us, including me, he should've been the first one you told it to." Gabriella asked
"Well, how was I supposed to tell them? To tell you? To tell him? I couldn't even live with myself when that happened. How could you expect me to tell you when I feared that you will feel the same?" Sharpay asked in tears.
"Shar, we're always here for you. Sure, learning that your best friend was molested when she was younger was a lot to take in. But we wouldn't have hated you. It's not your fault. It's that girl Courtney's fault! And Jake's too! It's not yours." Gabriella said as she hugged Sharpay in comfort.
"I just didn't want you guys to see what stupid mistake I made. I trusted Courtney and I even considered her as a best friend. I didn't want you guys to see how stupid I was" She said through sobs.
"You weren't stupid. You were young. And, no one could ever see what others are throwing on them unless they turn around." Gabriella soothed her.
Sharpay pulled away from Gabriella's hug, "I just… wish…I… never even trusted that girl."
"You didn't know, Shar. You didn't know" Gabriella repeated.
Sharpay sighed. And she stared at her bedside table where a picture of Troy and herself rested.
It was a picture of them outside the church. They go to Sunday mass together. Sharpay was wearing a white dress that fell to her knees, and white baby doll shoes, while Troy wore a formal white polo shirt and dark plain denim pants- not his usual faded jeans- with plain black vans.
His arms were around her waist and her body was facing his.
Gabriella followed her gaze and saw what she was looking at.
She wrapped her arms around her best friend.
"He never even came or… tried to make me feel better…" Sharpay said softly
"Shar…" Gabriella started
"I see everyone who came here to see me: you, Taylor, Kelsi, Chad, Jason, Ms. Darbus, Tiara, and almost all my friends, but him… he never came. He doesn't care. He's just like all the others who think of me as a slut." Sharpay cried.
Gabriella had warned Troy about this- Sharpay thinking he doesn't care. But what could a warning do when the person you're warning is stubborn and unmovable? It can do absolutely nothing.
"I'm sure he doesn't think of you that way. He's probably just in shock. He'll come around." Gabriella encouraged.
"Maybe he would; maybe he wouldn't." She said sadly.
Gabriella sighed and looked out her balcony; she suddenly beamed with happiness.
"I think he would." Gabriella said with a smile.
Sharpay raised an eyebrow at her best friend. Gabriella just left the room without another word, while wearing a smug face.
Once the door where Gabriella left closed, Sharpay sighed; she was alone again. She was still stuck in the same room, staring at the same four walls.
She jumped when she heard a knock coming from her balcony door. She looked up to see who it was; it was a big shock for her.
Was it just her imagination? Or is it true? Could the love of her life, Troy Bolton, be really standing outside her door?
She walked over slowly with a hesitant face. When her fingers touched the door knob, she slowly turned it- still being hesitant. She wasn't quite sure what would happen. Would Troy yell at her? Would they fight? Or could this be the wish she always wanted?- a talk with Troy, so they can finally set it all out.
Once the door was opened, she stepped aside to let Troy in, he entered slowly as well.
She closed the door and just stood there with her arms behind her back; she looked down at the floor and bit her lip. She looked like a little child being scolded- or about to be.
She warily watched Troy as he slowly approached her bed and took a seat. She froze when he looked up at her.
"Why won't you sit with me for a while?" He asked. His voice was so velvet that it made Sharpay melt- totally disregarding the situation they were in now.
Sharpay walked slowly to the bed; she wondered if she should sit beside him or sit on the other side. She decided that sitting in the other side would be safer.
"Come on, Shar. Sit beside me. I won't bite" Troy said with a faint smile on his face.
Sharpay approached his side very slowly and warily; when she finally sat beside him, she closed her eyes and waited for him to start.
She felt his arm wrap around her small waist then pulled her closer. His arm stayed around her while the other rested on her knee.
"Well, I just… I just thought that maybe now was the right time we talk about all that's been happening" Troy said shyly but still stern
"I guess so" She said so softly.
"Why didn't you tell me?" He asked, "I don't want anyone to mistreat you like that, hon."
"I didn't want you guys to see how… utterly stupid and helpless I was," She replied while she looked at her hands.
"Come on, Shar, not being able to fight back when your abused is not stupid, it's normal." Troy said as he gently rubbed her knee
She started to tear; she did not know why, but when it was Troy telling her that it was okay, it made a difference.
"I still didn't want to let you know… because I didn't want to go back to that night. I tried to forget about it myself" She said softly.
Troy wiped her eyes, "I know that, but…" He was cut off by Sharpay,
"Troy, I've been running away from my past… but now, it's catching up on me" She cried.
"Sssssh… I know this is hard for you right now, but… everyone is here… and they're here to support you. They're making sure that the past you're trying to run away from is nowhere to be found. To be far away from where you are now." He soothed.
"It won't be the same, Troy. Everyone knows and everyone now thinks I'm a slut! It topped off everything I ever worked hard for!"
"Sharpay!" Troy yelled, "Who cares if they call you a slut?! You're an Evans, remember? You don't let people tell you who you are! You show them!" Troy almost yelled.
"And everything you worked hard for is still here; you still have me, Gabriella, and your family…" He added.
Sharpay paused and then sighed. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you any sooner. I just… didn't want to bring it up again" She said softly.
"It's okay. Y'know, it took me long enough to realize that this is not your fault." He said.
"I'm sorry I didn't come any sooner" He added.
"And I'm sorry you had to find out by a video or a scandal instead of me coming clean and just tell you" She said
"See… we both have a lot to apologize about. But, I forgive you, nonetheless"
"Thank you. I forgive you as well." She smiled.
"So… are you gonna come out of this sealed room now?" He asked smugly
She bit her lip; that small action gave him his answer.
"Shar… come on, it's been days since you went out this room…" Troy tried to persuade her
"I'm not sure if I can" She said
"I know you can" He encouraged with a smile
"And I will… just… not now" Sharpay said.
"Okay fine. But you have to promise me that you will, alright?" Troy asked
"Yes, I promise" She replied.
"That's my girl." Troy said before planting a kiss on her lips.
After they pulled apart, Troy looked at her with a serious face.
"Now that that's been settled, I wanna ask you something…" He said
"What?" She asked
"Where does… JAKE live?" He asked between gritted teeth
Sharpay laughed, "Troy, you are not serious, are you?" She asked
"I am. It's one of my too-many responsibilities as a boyfriend." He said
"Well, they say that the police are searching for him already, so… no need for your service here" she said with a smile.
"Fine." He said.
--
"Mom?" Derby called
"I'm in the kitchen, dear" Elizabeth called.
Derby and Vance rushed over to the kitchen.
It was 10:30pm; the kids, including Troy, had gone home. And Sharpay and Ryan's parents had just gone home from their trip.
The adults said their greetings to each other and sat down on the tall chairs by the island, each with a glass of iced tea.
"So… has she gone out yet?" Vance asked. He was worried about his little princess; and just like Troy, he felt like he did not do his job as a father.
"No, she hasn't." Elizabeth said sadly
"I just wish I could have prevented this from happening; I should have thought her better, or at least choose her friends for her… or simply just watch out for her" Derby said as she put her face between her hands.
"Derby, our child, you did nothing wrong. Sharpay is just a child. She in bound to make mistakes." Alexander said.
"I guess you're right."
--
Sharpay woke up and decided it was the time for her to get out of her room.
When she went downstairs to eat breakfast, her whole family was there; she was shocked that her grandparents were also present.
"Nana? Gramps?" She said in wonderment
"SHARPAY" they all said in unison they all stood up to embrace her.
"Hey" She said softly
"What convinced you to get out of your room?" Ryan asked
"Troy. He convinced me to get out of there"
"Thank Troy!" Alexander said with such joy
--
After a year, Courtney and Jake were found and were pressed charges. They were proven guilty and were to imprisoned for 5 years in the Rehabilitation Center, also a restraining order. Also, everyone had accepted the fact that Sharpay should not have been called a slut. She had put her life back on track.
She and Troy are still together although their relationship was even stronger than before.
"Sharpay?" Troy asked
"Yeah?" She asked
"I love you" He said
She smiled, "I love you too"
"And…" he added.
"And?" She asked
"You have to promise that you'll love me forever, and that you'll wait until after graduation, I will propose to you, then we're gonna get married, go to college…"
"Really?" she asked, her smile evident in her voice
"Really."
"Then, I do promise" She said
He beamed then kissed her passionately.
A/N: I know it's long, I'm sorry if it's too much! :D Please review! I love reviews :D
-LA2021