"No you hang up first!" Sharpay Evans giggled as she flopped onto her bubblegum pink canopy bed, her sidekick poised at her left ear. She glanced over at her iHome on her white wood nightstand. 12:40am. She had been talking to Chad Danforth for almost three hours!
"Hell no," Chad replied. "I don't want to go to bed. That is, unless you would like to join me."
Sharpay giggled. "Mr. Danforth! I had no idea you were so inappropriate--" she was cut off by a light rapping at her bedroom door. Ryan Evans appeared in nothing but red boxers and an annoyed expression. His newly sculpted abs were appearing nicely.
"Can you please continue your phone sex when I'm not trying to sleep? I'm right next door."
Sharpay rolled her aqua-colored eyes. She didn't bother reminding him that he used to perform late-night phone sex on Natalie before she dumped his ass. Whatever.
"Baby, I got to go. I'll see you tomorrow." She cooed into her cell phone while evil-eyeing Ryan. "Okay, love you too."
She tossed her phone onto her pillow. "Happy?"
Ryan grinned. "Much." And with that he closed the door.
--
It was hard to believe that it was just last year that Sharpay wouldn't have gone near any of those sweaty basketball players, except Troy of course. It was hard to believe that last year was the last time she ever performed onstage with her brother too. When Ryan first told her that he decided to try out for varsity baseball instead of doing AP Theatre Arts IV with her, let's just say she had a bitch fit. And a half. But once she saw his impressive curve ball strike out Chad at the Fourth of July barbecue picnic, she realized that Ryan had wanted this for a long time. She also realized how incredibly sexy Chad was when he swung a bat. Or threw a ball. Or walked. Love had hit Sharpay like a ton of bricks that Fourth of July, and she knew that she had to get her well-manicured hands on him before Taylor McKessie swooped in.
She remembered how ridiculously desperate she sounded when she stormed up to Troy and Gabriella minutes later, whom she didn't even realize were in a heavy make-out session, and demanded everything there was to know about Chad, from how serious he and Taylor were to what his favorite ice cream flavor was.
"Why?" Gabriella looked up at her with fake concerned brown eyes and giggled. Sharpay could detect Gabriella's mocking undertone "Do you like him or something?"
Sharpay winced. She uncomfortably tugged at a random American flag hanging on the tree next to the picnic table where Troy and Gabriella were currently cuddling. She instantly regretted ever approaching them. How pathetic! Isn't the first rule of crushes to never look desperate? "Umm…"
"I think that's cute." Troy stood up. Always the gentleman. "So, Sharpay has a crush on Chad, huh?" He looped his arm around her tanned shoulders the way an older brother would.
Sharpay blushed and knocked his arm off. "Forget it." She began to walk away, tears of embarrassment beginning to well up.
"Wait, Sharpay, we were just kidding." Troy grabbed her arm and with impressive force dragged her back.
"Yeah," Gabriella stood up too. "Do you want us to talk to him? Maybe we could--"
"Are you crazy?" Sharpay eyed the insane couple that stood before her. "We're not in 5th grade, G. If I like someone, I can talk to them myself."
"Well here's your opportunity," Troy glanced past Sharpay and onto the baseball diamond a couple hundred feet away. "because here Chad comes."
Sharpay whirled around. She saw Chad jogging up to the three waving an aluminum baseball bat in the air. His white sweaty T-shirt revealed his impressive 6-pack. His toothy smile popped against his dark skin. Sharpay couldn't help but stare. And blush.
"Now's your chance to ask him out." Gabriella flashed Sharpay a smile of honey-coated steel. Sharpay resisted ripping her black curly hair off her stupid head.
"Greetings, pals and gals." Chad appeared draping his arms around Troy and Gabriella. The three of them now faced Sharpay. Sharpay was touched. He just quoted a line from her favorite musical of all time, Grease. Playing Sandy on Broadway has been Sharpay's dream since she was five years old.
"Dude, you smell like shit." Troy laughed as he knocked Chad's arms off him and Gabriella. "Played hard?"
"Oh, yeah. I'm beat." Chad turned to Sharpay. "Your brother is one hell of a pitcher."
Sharpay felt elated inside. He's talking to me! What should I say? She attempted to contort her face into a goofy smile. Chad waited for her to respond. "Don't tell me Miss Sharpay doesn't have a response?"
Sharpay practically exploded inside now. The way he said her name sent chills of delight up her back. But she still couldn't speak.
Gabriella and Troy both raised their eyebrows at Sharpay, letting her fully know that they were taking enjoyment out of her embarrassingly awkward behavior.
"Yeah," Sharpay finally breathed. Troy and Gabriella both spontaneously burst out laughing.
Chad looked confused. "What's so funny?" He turned to the couple.
Troy wiped his eyes. "Nothing, man. Nothing. Listen, we gotta go. We're gonna get some more barbecue." He took Gabriella's hand and walked toward the picnic area.
Gabriella turned her head toward Sharpay and Chad. "Sharpay has something she wants to tell you!" And they both quickly sped off.
That bitch. Sharpay glared at the giggling couple. She could just kill them. How dare they put her on the spot like that!
"What is it?" Chad looked directly into Sharpay's eyes. "Do I smell that bad?" He smiled to let on that he was kidding around, but Sharpay was in no mood to laugh. Her cheeks felt like they were on fire. Her heart pounded faster than a jet. She had never felt these strange physical feelings when she liked Troy. She felt like an awkward 13-year-old who just started puberty.
She forced out a laugh. "No, you smell great." She clapped a hand over her glossed mouth, instantly regretting saying that.
Chad smiled understandingly, as if he knew that she was embarrassed and had not meant to say that. "Then what?"
Sharpay stared down at her red espadrilles. Just ask him out. It's no big deal. People do it all the time.
"What's wrong?" Chad asked. "You look like you're about to cry." He touched her chin and gently lifted her head up. His chocolate-colored eyes displayed sincere concern, unlike Bitchiella's did.
"Nothing," Sharpay managed to croak. "Do you…" She paused, more nervous than she had ever been, even more nervous than when she first performed on stage.
"Do I what?" Chad asked.
Sharpay's head rushed. "Do you…um…" Suddenly her knees buckled and she found herself falling towards the grassy ground, until Chad caught her just in time before crashing.
"Holy…!" Chad shouted as he managed to pick her up like a groom carrying a bride into a threshold. "Uh, guys! Sharpay just fainted!" In Chad's strong arms, Sharpay found herself drifting into unconsciousness purely by stress.
She woke on a red and white checkered picnic blanket with a cold wash cloth on her head. To her right some kids from her school were playing ultimate Frisbee. To her left people were sitting at picnic tables chowing down on ribs and burgers. To her above was Chad.
He breathed a sigh of relief. "Oh good, you're awake. Everyone was saying that I killed you." Even though he was joking, Sharpay couldn't smile. He continued. "What happened back there? Are you diabetic or something?" Sharpay shook her head. He persisted. "Have you eaten today?"
Sharpay sat up. Chad sat down. "Because you shouldn't be on a diet. I know you theatre types, always thinking you have to look perfect. But you look fine. So eat normal, okay?" He ruffled her blonde hair like she was his little sister and stood up. He held out his hand to help her stand. She took it gratefully and ignored the shivers she felt whenever they touched.
"Do you want to play Ultimate Frisbee with us? You can be on Taylor's team. They need a sixth guy since Jason ditched them for food." Chad pointed to Jason who was currently scarfing down a corn on the cob at a picnic table.
Much to both Chad and Sharpay's surprise, Sharpay bursted out into tears. A worried expression took over Chad's face. "What? What's wrong?" He gripped her shoulders. She cried harder. He jerked them away. "I'm sorry, was it what I said about the dieting? I know its none of my business but anorexia is so dangerous and--"
Sharpay cut him off. "I'm not anorexic, Chad! I like you!"
The whole world froze. Sharpay had not meant to say it that loud, or at all for that matter. The Ultimate Frisbee players stopped and looked over. Gabriella, who was holding the Frisbee, snickered.
Chad didn't speak. Sharpay felt horrified. And humiliated. And incredibly stupid. "I…I mean…"
Chad stopped her. "Really?" He asked.
"Yes." Sharpay breathed. "Yes. I do. Okay?" She looked around, searching for the nearest sanctuary she could seek refuge in. Anything would do. A porta-potty, an unlocked car, under a picnic table...she began her wobbly journey until Chad gripped her hand.
"Okay. Then I'll pick you up this Saturday at 7:00." He winked. "Sharp."
--
"How do I look, Ryan?" Sharpay addressed her twin as she appeared out of her walk-in closet. She posed with her hands on her hips and her lips puckered. Her diva personality was finally beginning to re-emerge after her embarrassing Fourth of July a few weeks ago.
Ryan sat bored on Sharpay's bed as Sharpay twirled around in her Seven jean skirt and pink Lacoste polo. It was the third outfit she had tried on and he was getting annoyed. "Once again, you look great," he said, not even looking up from his copy of Sports Illustrated. Ever since he went from theatre geek to jock, he never ceased to not act like the cliché teenage sport addict.
Sharpay growled. "Sure, I look great but do I look date-worthy?" She twirled once again. Tonight she would be going on her third date with Chad since Fourth of July. On their first date they went to see Iron Man and then ate at Chili's. A casual, well planned first date agenda. On their second date, they went ice-skating. A step up from the first date because ice-skating involves much more social interaction than a movie. But for the third date, Chad said he was taking her somewhere special.
"Yes, you look 'date-worthy'" Ryan made air quotes around Sharpay's made up word. "Your outfit is perfectly girly and flatters your figure."
Sharpay knew that he was saying those things just so she would pick an outfit already and stop bugging him. "Fine I'll wear it. But don't think you're off the hook--"
The doorbell chime interrupted Sharpay's threat. Her frustration melted away and she jumped up and down with excitement. "Yay! He's here!"
Ryan smiled and lay his magazine face down on her duvet and went downstairs to answer the door. He knew the drill. Ryan answers the door while Sharpay waits for exactly six minutes upstairs, then emerges down the main stairs to greet Chad. They have done this for every date Sharpay has ever been on. It's important not to look to anxious, according to every Cosmo Sharpay has ever read.
After the longest six minutes of her life, Sharpay finally stepped her way downstairs to see Chad dressed deliciously handsome in Diesel jeans and an Abercrombie tee. He and Ryan were talking about baseball on the Evans' leather couch when Sharpay cleared her throat. Both boys stood up. "Hey," Chad gave her a quick peck on the lips. "Ready to go?"
Sharpay nodded. She turned to her brother. "Bye, Ry." And with that they exited the Evans' house and proceeded to Chad's black Mustang. Normally Sharpay only cared for cars with the name of Mercedes or BMW, but something about Sally, as Chad named his car, impressed her as well.
"So where are you taking me?" Sharpay inquired as she bucked her seat belt, careful not to wrinkle her polo.
"You'll see," Chad stated simply as he clicked a button on the radio and Aerosmith filled the air.
Sharpay huffed playfully. "Fine."
Minutes later, they pulled up to the East Albuquerque Hospital. Sharpay wrinkled her nose, utterly confused.
Chad parked and raced around to open Sharpay's door. "Before you bitch about why we're at a hospital, I'm telling you once again, you'll see."
Chad's outward prediction of Sharpay's bitchiness both annoyed and impressed her. It was like he was the first boy she ever knew who wasn't afraid of her. She found it hot.
"Okay, I trust you." She followed him across the parking lot and through the automatic doors.
The plump receptionist nodded at them as Chad led her down a colorful hallway, somewhat like an elementary school would look like. The children's wing, Sharpay surmised.
"These kids all have leukemia," Chad began as he opened a pair of double doors to a small auditorium. Two young boys sat at a table with a jar full of money. "Two, please." Chad addressed the boys.
One boy excitedly handed Chad two purple tickets while the other took Chad's 10 bill and dropped it into the jar.
"What is--"
"And tonight they're putting on a musical production." Chad interrupted. "You may be familiar with it."
They took their seats. A girl who looked about fourteen years old offered them a program. Almost all of her hair was missing. Sharpay had trouble looking her in the eye. She didn't want to act like she was staring.
"Look at your program," Chad insisted. Sharpay looked. Grease. Grease! Her favorite musical!
"How did you know Grease was my favorite play?" Sharpay breathed with excitement. "I never told you, did I?"
"No, but I asked Ryan." Chad whispered as the lights began to dim. "And when I remembered that these patients were putting on the play, I figured it would be special."
Sharpay didn't know what to say. She was touched.
The play was actually not bad. Sure, it was no Broadway, but the girl who played Sandy was incredibly charming. Her singing may have been pitchy, in fact, the whole cast was pitchy, but Sharpay would have rather been here than New York City any day. She even was the first to begin the standing ovation at the conclusion of "We Go Together."
"I guess there's more to Sharpay than meets the eye," Chad whispered as he stood up and clapped alongside her.
"There's a lot that you don't know about me," Sharpay whispered back as she clapped harder when Danny and Sandy bowed.
"I know that you're sweet. And strong." Chad responded. "And that you're unique."
"Go on," Sharpay teased.
"Okay, I will." Chad turned Sharpay's head to face his. "Will you be my girlfriend?"
Sharpay could only grin. She could tell he had worked up a lot of courage and practice to ask such an important question.
Chad chuckled nervously. "Well?"
Sharpay leaned close. "Does this answer your question?" And she kissed him.
A/N: Sweeeet. Yeah I already have some ideas cooking up about stuff that will happen. This is just the background basically. There's gonna be some serious action coming your way.
Hit me up if you like it. Or don't like it. Whichever, I want opinions. :D