A/N: Okay, I think this is my best story idea so far, and hopefully you guys will all like it too.
Since fanfic has like a max on how much you can type in the summary section, here is the full summary for the story:
Several years after high school, Troy Bolton runs into Sharpay Evans at a party, and the two begin to reconnect. Troy begins to fall hard for her, experiencing feelings he never had for her back in high school. Unfortunately, he eventually discovers that she is already married, a fact she attempted to keep hidden from him. Despite his efforts, he is unable to stop himself from seeing her, and soon he begins to uncover other dark secrets of Sharpay Evans' seemingly perfect life. When Troy discovers that Sharpay's husband is abusive towards her, he tries to help her and begs her to leave her husband. But no matter how much he hurts her, Sharpay continues to be lured back into her loveless marriage again and again. Can Troy help her get out before it's too late, and can he help her see that true love doesn't have to hurt?
Troy fidgeted with the collar on his white button down dress shirt, untucked over his dark wash jeans. He felt anxious as he entered the large party room belonging to his old high school friend, Chad Danforth. He was sure he wouldn't know many of the people and the idea of attempting to socialize and make small talk with strangers for hours was an unappealing sentiment, one he was sure he could face with a far braver face once he had a cold liquor drink in his hand with a few already in his stomach. It was the first time since college that he had come back to Albuquerque for any occasion other than Christmas, and then he'd only come in for a brief visit with his family for a couple of days before heading back to his home on the west coast. But Chad had been his best friend throughout the course of his life and someone he would always feel a close connection with. They didn't talk nearly as often as one might hope for two childhood best friends who were forced to go their seperate ways after high school. But then again, Troy guessed most of the time high school relationships tended to go that way. But apparently, in the case of Chad Danforth and Taylor McKessie, that had not been the case. Troy had been invited back to a massive engagement party for the two, and despite how rare his visits back home typically were, Troy was unable to refuse the offer.
Chad, of course, had permitted Troy to bring a date to the event to spare him of feeling exactly the way he did at this moment. But Troy's most recent girlfriend of the moment, Jennifer had been her name, had dumped him only days previous to the night of the party. It caused no heart break for Troy. He never entered a relationship with the intent of making it last. As far as he was concerned, he felt he was too young to be tied down to a wife and kids, and as well as he made this known to any girl that dated him, they were always convinced that they would be the one to change his mind and make him realize that he did want a serious relationship. When they found out they were wrong, they always left, and not in a pretty manner either. But Troy was unaffected by this. The only time girlfriends came in handy for him were in the bedroom, and at times like these, when he didn't want to be stag at a party with out a familiar face to turn to.
Troy had called Gabriella, who had also been invited and asked her if she wanted to go with them. Out of all his friends in highschool, Gabriella was one he still talked to fairly regularly. This was due in part to the fact that the two dated their first year of college as well, visiting regularly as their colleges were not far from one another. He'd even thought that if anybody else from East High did show up at the engagement party, showing up with Gabriella might be sort of comical as well, what with Chad and Taylor being engaged and Troy and Gabriella entering together, like in all these years nothing had changed at all. But Gabriella was unable to attend. She was actually going on vacation in Mexico with her own fiance, another one of his friends who had begun to settle down, while he made great effort to restrain from doing anything from the sort.
So while Troy was dateless, Chad had assured him that he had invited many of their old high school friends, but he wasn't sure which ones were going to be able to attend. It was a large party, with well over a hundred people at least, and Troy wasn't sure if he'd be able to scope out anybody anyways, especially when he hadn't seen them in years.
"Troy! You made it!" Chad's arm slipped around Troy's shoulders and he felt his body ease up, relieved.
"Chad!" Troy turned to briefly hug his old friend, "Congratulations man."
"Thanks. Taylor's around here somewhere." Chad looked around the room but didn't spot his fiance, "Well, wherever she is the two of you will definitely have to catch up later."
"Definitely." Troy agreed.
"Come on, walk with me. I'll introduce you to some people, and you and I can catch up. I've really missed hanging out with you." Chad said, directing Troy away from the corner he currently stood alone in, into the main stream of the party.
"Me too." Troy said genuinely, smiling at his old friend.
Chad led Troy to a group of his current guy friends, introducing him to each of them. Troy forced a smile and began the social interaction of the party he had been dreading, making small talk with the guys about their favorite sports teams and other information he forgot about as soon as it was mentioned. Chad was more enthusiastic, happy to be with his old best friend and his new ones at the same time, and did the most talking, enough for Troy to let his mind drift, scanning the room for any other friendly faces of the past.
One was caught in his peripheral vision, and he turned his head quickly to see if it was indeed the person whose mental picture his mind suddenly retrieved for him. Sharpay Evans. Now he was only staring at the back of a girl in a longsleeved black backless cocktail dress. No, it couldn't have been her, she wouldn't have come to this. He had simply been thinking back to those he knew in highschool in order to create a mental list of those he might see, and he must of thought of Sharpay at the same time his eyes glanced over a woman who happened to have blonde hair. Still, he continued to stare intensely into the back of the girl's head, willing her silently to turn around so that he could be sure that her identity was not known to him. The girl turned her head to the side, smiling at the older woman staring next to her, but flicked it back around to the front in a mere matter of seconds. Troy definitely thought she resembled Sharpay, but she had moved her face so fast he couldn't be sure it wasn't just wishfull thinking.
"Chad." Troy nudged his friend in the ribs, not realizing that he was interrupting him.
"Yeah?" Chad said, stopping in the middle of his story to answer his friend.
"You see that girl over there?" Troy guided his finger to the blonde girl.
"Oh, yeah." Chad said, nodding, "Weird that she came right? Taylor was the one who sent out all the invitations, including all our old aquaintances from high school. I never would have guessed Sharpay Evans would actually come. I mean, she hated me in high school, didn't she?"
"It is Sharpay?" Troy asked, disbelieving.
"Yeah. I said hello to her earlier, but there were a lot of people arriving and I didn't have much time to stay and talk." Chad said.
Troy stared into the back of the supposed Sharpay's head, waiting for her to turn around and confirm what Chad had said, but she didn't.
"Um, I'd kind of like to go talk to her." Troy said to Chad. Out of all the people he'd gone to high school with, seeing how Sharpay had grown up was one of the most intriguing.
"Oh, sure dude, no problem. Just make sure you come back and talk to me some more, okay?" Chad asked.
"Definitely." Troy replied. He slapped Chad's back as a means to say 'see you later' and walked over to the mysterious girl in the black dress. He approached her timidly, hoping she'd be willing to talk to him. She still didn't turn around, not realizing there was an approaching presence behind her. This only made matters more awkward for him. What if she didn't recognize him? Well that did seem pretty impossible, but still, when nervous his mind was capable of convincing him the very improbable was the inevitable.
"Excuse me." Troy placed his hand lightly on the blonde's shoulder. The girl turned around to face him, and his eyes took in her face with amazement and shock like he was smiling into the eyes of a ghost.
"Troy?" she asked, her face lighting up into a smile.
"Hi, I-" he was cut off by her arms wrapping around his neck in an unexpected hug, throwing him off guard. He brought his arms up, carefully bringing them around her too, and lightly squeezing her back.
She stepped back from him and smiled.
"You look great." Troy said to her, gesturing with his hand to her outfit. She smiled and looked down at her dress. "How are you Sharpay?" he asked.
Sharpay nodded, "Good." she stepped towards him, placing a hand on his chest, smiling, "And how is the former primo boy of East High?" she giggled. Troy smiled, comforted by the familiarity of her character. The manner in which she presented herself did not seem drasticaly altered, which made him relax. She wasn't somebody he needed to tackle, to force conversation with while he tried to work his way up to a friendly basis. He knew this girl already, even if he hadn't spoken to her in years.
"I'm really good." Troy said enthusiastically. This was an exageration to say the least. But what were you supposed to say when someone asked you how you were. You never told the truth, you lied for their own comfort.
"Good." Sharpay looked into his eyes, saying the overused word this time like she actually meant it.
"Uh, are you here with anybody?" Troy glanced around the room, not seeing any man claiming her with his eyes.
"No, I'm stag tonight." Sharpay said.
"Me too." Troy said, happy to hear he wasn't alone in that respect, "And I don't really know any of these people. Maybe we could catch up? That way I'll have someone to talk to I'd actually like to talk to, and I won't have to wander around bored all night."
Sharpay nodded in agreement, "That sounds great. I don't know any of these people either, and haven't really been having fun feigning laughs and pretending I actually care about what any of them are saying."
Several of the people who had been standing in the circle with Sharpay shot her looks. She smiled appolegetically and then gently placed her hand on Troy's elbow.
"Do you want a drink?" she asked, leading him away from the group.
"I'd love one." he said.
Hours later Troy stood with Sharpay against a wall, each of them having had perhaps one too many drinks, laughing whole heartedly. She pushed her hands against his chest gently shoving him off of her, before falling back on him, using him to steady her swaying that accompanied her tipsy state. Troy never would have guessed he would actually be having such a good time at the party, and he definitely wouldn't have thought it would be with Sharpay Evans at that.
Chad and Taylor had come over and talked to them earlier, and Troy had made plans to go out to dinner with them later that week while he was still in town. He could tell the party guests were growing fewer now though, and that the couple might appreciate him out of their house.
He looked at Sharpay, who had been leaning against him, and touching him all night.
"Listen, do you want to get out of here?" he asked, hoping he wasn't being to brazen.
"As in together?" she asked, taking a step back.
"Uh, I mean if you want to, I guess we could." Troy shrugged, swallowing hard, feeling nerves stir in him again despite the alcohol.
"Oh, um, I... I can't do that... tonight." Sharpay said, looking at the floor.
"Oh." Troy looked away, dissapointed an embarassed, feeling his face burn. He felt her cool hand on his cheek. He turned to look back at her.
"But, I'm going to have a few free nights later this week." she offered, "Maybe you could take me out to dinner or something?" she smiled.
Troy grinned at her, "Yeah, I'm going to be in town all week! Should we exchange numbers?"
Sharpay nodded. Troy handed her his phone and she punched her number in.
"My phone's in my purse in the spare room, so I'll just let you call me okay?" Sharpay asked, handing him back the blackberry.
Troy nodded, "I know it's like, not cool for a guy to do this, or something, but since I'm only in town for a week, could I call you tommorow?"
"No!" Sharpay said, a bit too strongly. Troy took a step back, suprised.
"Sorry." she said, softer. "Um, I just have plans tommorow, but you can call me tommorow after six, okay? Just, please don't call me before then."
Troy gave her a wierd look, but she returned one that said she didn't feel like explaining, and he just shrugged it off, "Sure, I'll call you then. I mean you do want me to call right?"
"Definitely!" Sharpay ensured him, reaching out to touch his arm, "Call me immediately after six." she added, smiling at him.
"Okay. I will." Troy said, "I guess I'll see you later, Sharpay Evans."
"Tomorrow, Troy Bolton." she smiled, turning away and walking off, a bit abruptly, even if they had just said her goodbyes.
Troy shook his head. Sharpay Evans. Wierd.
A/N: I would appreciate any reviews or feedback so much! I was going to hold off on writing this one, but in my opinion, it's one of my best story ideas, and I just decided I couldn't wait to start writing it. Oh, and this is going to get pretty dark just so you know.
xoxoxoxoxo.