9 year old Sharpay stood on the edge of the stage, shaking with happiness. She held her brother's hand tightly, and flashed a toothless smile to her parents on the third row.

"You can't stop the motion of the ocean or the rain from above, you can try to stop the paradise we're dreaming of, but you can't stop the rhythm of two hearts in love to stay, you can't stop the beat!" the stage sung, and Sharpay twirled in her purple dress and landed on her knees in the middle of the stage, beaming.

It was her first performance in a musical. She had played Amber Von Tussle, and she had worn her hair in ringlets, and a beautiful frilly dress made especially for her. Ryan, who played one of the kids who she danced with, looked slightly disappointed. He didn't get a very good part, and he was annoyed that his sister had stolen the limelight. Sharpay knew how he felt, and for a moment was upset herself, but then was passed a bouquet of flowers and she smiled again.

"Hands up for Sharpay Evans! Amber Von Tussle!" an announcer screamed, and the audience broke into applause...

"Sharpay? Sharpay Evans, are you daydreaming?" Ryan snapped his fingers in front of the dozing blond, who shook to wake herself up. She stared at him for a moment, before smiling and focusing on the blaring TV in front of her. "Hey, what's up?" he asked gently, folding a hand over hers.

"I made a mistake." She replied after a while, smirking momentarily at something funny on the screen. Ryan nodded slowly, perplexed.

Sharpay had made a mistake. She signed up for the musical again this year, as she always would, but noted that Gabriella Montez also had. She didn't know what the musical was, and she knew that Ryan hadn't signed up this time, but she got a funny feeling when she saw that the musical was Hairspray, and she was Amber Von Tussle again. And she got an even worse, panging feeling when she saw the title: Hairspray the Sequel – re-written. Mrs Darbus had written it herself, Kelsi had composed songs and Ryan had offered to help with choreography. She had gotten a letter through in the post:

Dear Miss Evans, congratulations on getting a part in this season's musicale. Let us remind you that there are dance rehearsals on Mondays 4pm-6m, Thursdays 5pm-9pm and Saturday mornings 9am-1pm. This will be for five weeks, and then the schedule will change, so that it's everyday for an hour after school (excluding Mondays.)

Thank you,

R. Darbus, head of drama.

Sharpay worried in her mind when she read this letter, and she couldn't even roll her eyes when Ryan boasted about writing up those letters himself. She had to dance with Gabriella. Seeing her in tight tops, short shorts, leg warmers, sweating and puffing... Sharpay had to put the thought to the back of her mind that this actually went on in her head.

At school, Sharpay ignored Gabriella the best she could. But now, reading through the script slowly as the TV blared in her ears, she saw many lines of the names Tracy and Amber toppling above each other. She sighed and placed her script on the gap between her and Ryan on the couch.

"Hey dudes!" Ryan shouted across the schoolyard, running towards Gabriella and the other people in the musical. He pulled Sharpay along behind him, and she rolled her eyes and stared behind her, as if she didn't care. Maybe she'd be replaced if so. "So, ready to get dancing?!" he asked cheerfully, followed by a chorus of whoops and chatter. Sharpay glanced at Gabriella, who was wearing pink leg warmers, gray shorts and a pink spaghetti strap top. She shuddered when she looked down at her own self, dressed in boring white and silver. She longed to look like Gabriella.

"Hey Shar, ready to warm up?" Gabriella screamed, raising her voice at the last two words. Sharpay nodded sulkily, linking her arm through Gabriella's and trudging towards the gym.

"Stretch your arms more, Sharpay! Lift your leg, Simone! Gabriella, your footwork is a little sloppy... c'mon guys, we only have 5 weeks and then we have to thread together a whole dance!" Ryan whined and moaned at everyone, placing a hand of comfort on everyone's shoulder as he walked through the dancers. He placed a gentle hand on Gabriella's thigh, directing where her legs should go, making Sharpay jealous. Why couldn't she do that?!

"Sharpay, can you help me hold my legs in the right position?" Gabriella asked sweetly, making Sharpay's eyes widen in horror. What? Has she heard correctly? Gob smacked, Sharpay nodded slowly and placed a timid hand on Gabriella's thigh, moving her leg so it kicked and bent properly.

2 hours later, and Gabriella was spinning and tapping her feet to the music being played softly in the background. Sharpay was showing Gabriella how to point her toes appropriately, now not so uncomfortable, but Gabriella looked slightly bored.

"Hey babe, let's bunk off for a while! I'm tired, and kinda bored..." Gabriella whispered to Sharpay, making Sharpay shake and mumble something in a random language.

"Uh, sure. Go to the toilet, and I'll ask to get a drink." Sharpay heard herself say, and then found her feet working their way over to Ryan, who was teaching a dark-haired boy with a killer smile how to leap.

"Hey, hot stuff, wanna go catch a movie once we're done?" he asked hotly, making Sharpay consider saying yes, but her heart rejected him. She shook her head slowly and walked past him to Ryan, who was now clapping a freshmen who completed a jazz square.

"Ryan, I'm kinda hot, can I get a drink?" Sharpay complained to her brother, motioning for the keys to outside, but he shook his head and pointed to the table with iced water. "Ryan, I want iced tea. If I don't get what I want, I won't be happy." she threatened, folding her arms, and he carelessly flicked the keys at her, watching a senior cha-cha across the floor.

"Brilliant, Eddy, just damn brilliant!" Ryan laughed, clapping and patting Eddy on the back. Sharpay rolled her eyes and sashayed towards her bag, and quickly picked up Gabriella's too, before sneaking out of the door.

"Oh, babes, you got my bag! I was scared I'd have to walk around like this, and it's like, cold outside." Gabriella rambled on, pulling her jeans out of her bag and wandering into the disabled toilet, pulling Sharpay in with her.

Sharpay stumbled on the way in, swallowing deeply, but then breathed slowly and pulled her floral mini from her bag. "Wow, I like, totally love your skirt Shar," Gabriella squealed, flipping off her dance shoes and her leg warmers, "it's so short and makes your legs look skyscraper long. I can't stop staring!" Gabriella joked, but Sharpay secretly blushed. She was looking at her legs?!

"Thanks. I like your top. It's real vintage." Sharpay complimented her friend also, feeling her face grow even redder. "Nice." she added for good measure, pulling her skirt over her shorts and then pulling them out from underneath. She pulled a white cami on, and wrapped a white scarf around her neck and threw a trench coat over her arm, packing her dance stuff in her bag. She turned to see Gabriella sitting on the floor, pulling her shorts down her legs slowly and sexily.

"Oh my God..." Sharpay muttered under her breath, zipping her bag shut. When she turned around once more, Gabriella was fully clothed and shaking out her hair, making Sharpay open her mouth in horror.

"What's up?" Gabriella asked smoothly after she dragged a brush through her hair, and Sharpay just shook her head.

"I love you." She said after a while, twitching her mouth as if she'd said nothing, and then saw Gabriella smirk and pull her into a hug.

"I know you do! And I love you too. You know what? For that kind, sweet gesture, I'm buying you a smoothie." she announced, picking up her bag and unlocking the door. "For you, my best friend."

Sharpay smiled disappointedly, exiting the toilet behind her friend. She saw the people who were waiting outside a few classrooms stare at them, confused, wondering what they were in there for, and Sharpay grinned when she saw some of their shocked faces. She wished their thoughts were true.


YAY! You don't read many stories where Sharpay is in love with Gabriella, do you?

I wanted to change that.

Please review.

x