"This is the worst moment of my life."
As soon as Sharpay Evans spoke the words, she regretted it. They echoed in the large, empty auditorium, so she had to hear them over and over. This is the worst moment of my life.
She pouted and rested her chin in her hand, staring miserably up at the stage from her spot in a first-row auditorium seat. Her first year at East High had been going amazing up until now. Everything had been just as she'd planned it - she joined the drama club, the chorus, the show choir and auditioned for everything she could. Before long, her talent had been recognized. It was clear that until she'd arrived at East High, the theater scene had been lacking direction, vibrancy. It needed a leader. It needed raw, undeniable talent. It needed a star - like her. And Ryan, she supposed.
Soon, she was beating out sophomores, juniors, and seniors for solos in chorus. She was upheld as an example for other drama students, and she already had a role as a secondary character in the fall musical under her belt. The directors of student-produced plays had chased her asking her to star in their creations. She couldn't accept every role offered to her, of course. Not every work was worthy of being graced by someone of her caliber.
But her greatest triumph was still to come. For the spring musical, Mrs. Darbus had decided to put on a production of Andrew Lloyd-Webber's Evita, and Sharpay had freaked. Everyone knew Evita was one of the greatest musicals ever written, and it was one of Sharpay's particular favorites. She could relate to the tale of a beautiful, ambitious blonde in love with big cities, glittering with crystals, and adored by the people. As soon as Mrs. Darbus had made the announcement, Sharpay knew she had to be the lead. She imagined herself in that plumed dress, silver as a winter sky, her neck encircled by a collar of diamonds and Hollywood-red lips parted in the singing of Don't Cry for Me Argentina, one of the most iconic Broadway solos of all time! She had to do it. There was no one else who could do it like her.
She shook her head and looked down at her bandaged ankle. Fate had not been on her side this time. She had worked like a maniac to prepare for the auditions, practicing her belt and making Ryan help her with the choreography. But during her practice, the most awful thing possible had happened. She had missed one step - one step - and then she wobbled, and then she fell, and then there had been pain. It was one of Sharpay's worst nightmares - a sprained ankle.
She groaned and put her head in her hands. Ryan had told her to be grateful it was only a moderate sprain, but that didn't change the fact that auditions were completely out for her. She would've been the perfect Eva, and adding "female lead as a freshman" to her list of accomplishments would've finally made her satisfied for the year. Now, she would have to watch from the ensemble as someone else attempted to understand Eva, knowing that she could've been better.
She rose to her feet and made her way up to the stage, trying not to put too much pressure on her ankle. She wanted to perform as Eva just once, even if it wasn't in front of an audience.
She stood in the center of the stage and looked out at the rows of empty seats, fading into darkness the further back they went. She let her mind fill in the emptiness. There, now there were people, settling in as they awaited an incredible performance. They were rustling their programs, reading the cast list and seeing "Sharpay Evans - Eva Perón". The star of the show.
Her jaw was set. She imagined the lights shut off, and then a single one returned to life, trained on her. She raised her arms, reaching out to the audience, loving them and inviting their love in return. And then she sang the first strains of Don't Cry for Me Argentina. She started off soft and grew in strength as the song continued, closing her eyes and feeling every word she sang.
When she finished, her voice again echoed throughout the theater, and she knew - it was one of the best performances she had ever given.
Tears started burning her eyes. She had had such high hopes for this year, and it had started off so wonderfully. But now she would be relegated to the background, all because of her stupid ankle. It wasn't fair, not when she knew she could sing the part as well as anyone else. No one would ever hear her sing that song. No one would ever realize just how well she could do. And if no one realized it, what was the point?
Suddenly, she heard clapping. Her head shot up, eyes frantically searching the darkness.
"Who's there?" She called. She winced inwardly when her voice trembled with tears.
"Uh - sorry." A male voice said. A figure crept out of the shadows towards the back and sheepishly walked towards her. He stopped a few yards away from the stage.
She blinked, instantly recognizing his face. "Troy Bolton?"
"Yeah," he replied, rubbing at the back of his neck.
Sharpay stood in silence, for once not knowing what to say. Troy Bolton was one of the most popular freshman in the whole school. Even upperclassmen liked him, and it was all because his dad was a former basketball legend at East High, or so she'd heard. Judging by the posters that plastered Bolton's face alongside his older teammates, he was well on his way to inheriting his dad's legacy.
She wondered just what he was doing in the theater, but her thoughts seemed to flutter away before they could finish. He was...cute. Cuter in person than on the posters, almost. He had a handsome, boyish face and floppy hair the color of cinnamon. The most striking things were his eyes, which seemed impossibly blue. She didn't think she'd ever seen an actual human with such blue eyes before.
"Hey, are you okay?" he asked, his eyebrows furrowed. "You kinda look like you've been crying…"
"I haven't!" Sharpay snapped. She instantly wiped at her eyes and glared. Great. The most popular guy in her grade had just walked in on her crying. She could imagine him joking about it with his basketball buddies later. "What are you doing here, anyway?"
"I, um, I was just passing by and I heard you sing, and...I mean, it was awesome. You sounded great." He blinked, those blue eyes seeming to pull all the air out of her lungs. "You're Sharpay Evans, right?"
"Yeah," she answered. He knows my name! She thought. She had a feeling in her chest like moth wings beating against a light, and she worried she might be blushing. Normally she didn't care what jocks thought, but this one was cute. And popular. He might even have some star quality. Not in the way she had it, of course, but people liked him.
An image popped into her head - her, beautiful theater princess, walking the halls with Troy, beautiful basketball king. He high-fived everyone, but his gaze always returned to her, because he was perfect and she was the only other perfect person in the school. Match made in heaven.
"You really think it was great?" She said.
"Of course! I mean, I don't know anything about singing, but it sounded good."
She laughed somewhat bitterly. "Well, you're the only one who'll get to hear me sing it. I got a sprained ankle, so I can't play the lead in the spring musical."
"Wow, that's awful. Guys on my team have gotten injured right before championships and they say it's one of the worst feelings in the world. But hey," he smiled. "I'm honored to have heard you sing that song, even if I was the only one. You're only a freshman like me, right? You've got three more years to play the lead, and I know you'll get it."
A smile dawned across her face. She hadn't had such a genuine, non-rehearsed smile in a long time. "You think so?"
"Yeah," he said, like it was obvious. She liked that. She liked that he didn't doubt her talent for even one second. "Good luck with everything. Or break a leg, I guess." He looked down at her ankle, frowning. "Or...maybe not."
They laughed together, and then he turned around with a wink before walking away.
And that night, lying in her bed with posters of Broadway stars looking down at her, Sharpay thought about him. About how he could tell she was a star, and he was a star, and wouldn't two stars shine brighter together?
She decided right then and there that she was in love with him. She could see the future playing on her ceiling like a movie screen - by the time senior year rolled around, Troy Bolton would undoubtedly be the most popular guy in school. For a boy like that, it was destiny. And for a girl like her...well, she'd be the most popular girl, of course. By the time they graduated, they would end up together and be the most dazzling duo. She would cheer him on at basketball games, he would give her roses before a big show. They would be perfect, together.
After all, it just made sense.
So this is just a little idea I banged out in like half an hour, just to keep myself from going too long without writing. I'm a Troyella shipper 4 life, but I can't lie, Troypay has it's appeal, too.
Anyway, if you read all the way to the end please leave a review letting me know your thoughts! Thanks!