One Thousand Words

Sharpay Evans sighed, she was feeling better today. And yet the thunder and lightening outside resounded in the air, she could hear the almighty claps and the see the flashes of lightening through the thin curtains. The rain was beating down upon the ground and the windows, when she got up to open the curtains she could see the storm outside and her heart gave a little rush. She prayed Troy would be okay for they were apart at a time like this. Sharpay sighed knowing she had made such a mess of her marraige and she remembered something her mother had told her when she was a teenager and leaving home to Julliard to be with Troy there, they had both gotten in on a performing of the arts scholarship and Sharpay couldn't remember a day when she had been more happy.
"Marriage is for life." The words rolled off her lips as evenly as they had her mothers back then. Sharpay was just reaching 27 now and after the death of her twin brother Ryan only two years before she had hit a nervous breakdown. At first she had kept herself busy, throwing herself into anything she could and overworking herself so hard she ended up in hospital for a month. Troy was worried, she could see it in his eyes but she shut him out back then and eventually after around 18 months of Sharpays depression, he had left. Now he was living in a flat around 5 miles away in the huge city, they saw eachother twice a week but Sharpays heart felt that was not enough now that she was getting better.

I know that you're hiding things
Using gentle words to shelter me
Your words were like a dream
But dreams could never fool me
Not that easily...

Sharpay left the curtain open and walked over to the phone, she remembered the last time her and Troy had met up only two days before. He had spoken with her in hushed tones he must have thought were meant to comfort her, she knew that them getting back together was not in the near future and she knew there was a possibilty he could have found someone else but she prayed that was not so because she didn't think she could bear it. Sharpay picked up the phone and dialled his number slowly, waiting a long time before she pressed the last digit. Taking a deep breath she sat down on the window seat at the window, the velvet cushions on her feet and listened to the phone ring. Sharpay imagined what he must be doing right now, maybe he was watching the storm, maybe he was in a shower? He might have been watching television? The phone kept ringing and Sharpay suddenly felt guilty for disturbing him.
"Hello?" Came the voice on the other side as Troy answered.

"Troy...its me. Its Sharpay." She said slowly whilst trying to picture him in her mind.

"Oh, hey Shar. How are you doing?" Her heart stung when he used her nickname, it was only ever him and Ryan who used that. And he said the last part in a concerned tone but also one that was supposedly comforting, she didn't find it comforting though.

"I'm feeling a little better today."

"Thats great!"
Sharpay smiled weakly although he was not there to see it. She knew he was smiling and he couldn't contain it.

I acted so distant then
Didn't say goodbye before you left
But I was listening
You'll fight your battles far from me
Far too easily...

"Yeah, but I was thinking maybe...we could meet, today?" She asked warily closing one eye tight as she did.

"Sharpay are you mad?! Have you seen the weather?" Troy exclaimed and Sharpay laughed, well she tried to it came out as more of a gasp.

"Yeah I'm watching it right now, I know you hate driving in this kind of weather. But I don't."

"I don't think its a good idea." Her heart fell.

"Well, why not?"

"Well the weather and its five miles, thats a long way to go in a thunderstorm. Why don't we wait til it dies down?" He suggested which made Sharpay give a small smile.

"Kay." She sounded like a child.

"So...how long have you been up?"

"A few hours, you know I better go I have to...shower." Sharpay hung up before he could say anything else.

Suddenly speaking to Troy wasn't so soothing anymore, she was only opening up old wounds. She remembered when he had lived here and they had slpet in the same bed in the master bedroom, before Ryan died their house had been a place of happiness and love. Sharpay had been laughing all the time and so had he, Ryan came over all the time as did Gabriella, Taylor and Chad and they had, had parties and loved eachother. Then there was the accident in Ryans car, Sharpay and Gabriella had survived with a few minor injuries, but Ryan as the driver had died. She closed her eyes at the memroy and didn't want to think about it anymore.
Suddenly the atmosphere completely changed in the house, Sharpay stopped cuddling up to Troy at night or ever anymore, she didn't go to work and Troy tried he did, but in the end he just thought his wife didn't listen to him anyway and he gave up trying.
She was always listening.

"Save your tears cause I'll come back."
I could hear that you whispered
As you walked through that door
But still I swore
To hide the pain when I
Turn back the pages
Shouting might've been the answer
What if I cried my eyes out and
Begged you not to depart?

Sharpay remembered that as she walked through the house, she no longer slept in the master bedroom but one of the guest rooms, or a room they had always meant for children. It kind of saddened her to what this had all become because only four years before they had been married and planning, hoping for the future with wide eyes and overexaggerated grins on their faces. Sharpay rested her whole body against the door of the master bedroom and opened it with her hand, walking in at the same time as the door she leaned against the doorframe with her arms folded across her chest watching the bed quite sadly. She could remember the morning that she had awoken to Troys kiss, and him whispering in her ear the next thing she knew the front door had slammed shut by him, for the last time it seemed. Sharpay had sat up in bed and looked around, all his posessions had gone, his side of the bed made. She got up in complete confusion and opened his wardrobe.
Empty.
Stumbling over to his chest of drawers she had opened them too.
Also empty.
She remembered having burst into tears at the realisation that she had shut him out and now he was walking out. She walked over to the hallway window, it was huge from floor to cieling and had long white net like sheet curtains running through it, she pulled back one and watched him with a suitcase pack the taxi and then he took one last longing look at the house. Hehadn't seen her, but she was there. Then he got into the taxi and it drove away. He had promised to come back, and it had been two years but he was still not living there.

But now I'm not afraid
To say what's in my heart...

Sharpay walked out of the room, she knew what she had to do and what she wanted to do. And what she wanted to do for the first time in a long time, was not lie in bed and mourn. She walked over to the hallway and pulled on the black velvet curtain she had put up after Troy had gone and for the first time in a few months, the storm was dying down a little but not much, it was still raining quite hard but hopefully by tomorrow light would be pouring into the hallway. Sharpay went round the whole house and did the same, pulling back the curtains and watching the rain. She went into the master bedroom and walked into the huge en-suite her and Troy had installed for themselves and poured herself a bath, putting hot soapy bubbles in it. Sharpay waited till it was nearly full and got in, letting her skin enjoy the hot, pleasing water. Suddenly it hit her, Ryan wouldn't have wanted her to mope forever, he would have wanted he to get on with her life and move on. Of course not completely but a little, enough to be able to live, and she hadn't but she had to now. Sharpay knew what she was going to do, but first she had to get out of the bath.

Cause a thousand words
Called out through the ages
They'll fly to you
Even though I can't see
I know they're reaching you
Suspended on silver wings

Sharpay rushed out quickly, and she got dried as fast as possible, she brushed her teeth and did her hair. Looking in the mirror she barely recognised herself, it had been a long time since she had even bothered to touch her hair. She had been dishevelled, a shadow of her former self but no longer.
It took quite a while to do her make-up, just some blue eyeshadow, eyeliner and mascara and a bit of lip gloss. She remembered how Troy had always loved her like that, he always said her eyes looked like a swimming pool or the ocean when she did and she had laughed as he kissed her eyelids when they closed to go to sleep or just at any point through the day. He had tried to put it on her one morning, that hadn't gone out so well, Sharpay smiled a little wider remembering all the good times when they were so relaxed and carefree, her heart yearned for those times once again.

Oh, a thousand words
One thousand embraces
Will cradle you
Making all of your weary days
Seem far away
They'll hold you forever

Sharpay opened her chest of drawers and picked out jeans, and a long sleeved top to wear, it was one Troy had always liked on her he had always told her it 'assentuated' her figure and she adored that compliment. Once she was dressed and ready, she rushed outside, the wind stopped her in her path immediately as the door slammed behind her. It was howling, and freezing, and still pouring with rain but it wasn't like any of that mattered now. Taking a deep breath Sharpay ran across the gravel path to the garage and opened it with the key from outside, as the door slowly lifted up she looked at the light blue small car she had always loved. She had driven around in it whenever she could and Troy refused to drive it because he said it was a girls car, but that hadn't meant anything he had his own anyway. Getting in and only too glad to be away from that wind which had blown her hair completely out of proportion she put the keys in the ignition, checked herself in the mirror and took a deep breath. It had been a very long time since she had even attempted to drive, she hoped she was still okay.
Sharpay tried not to think anything of it as she put her foot on the accelerator and the other on the brake, and turned the key. She put down the hand broke and relxed one hand on the gear shift, she made her way out of the garage and down the driveway, looking back at the house in the mirror. She made her way onto the street before calling Troy and putting him on speaker phone. She heard his phone ring three times before he picked up.
"Hello?"
"Troy?! Its me!" Sharpay was having to shout over the rain beating down against the car. The windscreen wipers were working furiously against her windscreen but they weren't helping much against the torrent. She swerved, it was hard to see with this weather.

"Sharpay? Where are you? Why can I hear rain...?" Now he sounded worried, Sharpay bit her bottom lip, he was gonna be angry... For some reason this thought was funny and she stifled a giggle.

"Shar?! You better not be laughing!!" He sounded angry.

"I'm coming to see you." She said, plainly and turned the car round a corner, she felt the wheels skid and heard them screech against the wet ground and sharp turn.

"Sharpay are you crazy?! In this weather,? where are you?!" He was exasperated, she could tell and it brought a smirk to her face.

"I don't...actually know...I just know I'm on the way to your flat." She passed the resaraunt her and Troy always met at, exactly half way between their homes. "I just passed the restaraunt we meet at!"

"Stop the car, pull in and stop the car!" He demanded.

"Why?" She turned another corner and was now going slowly down a small sidestreet.

"Argh Shar!" He sounded really frustrated now, at her. Sharpay gulped. "Where are you now? Have you stopped?"

"Yes." She lied, but just then she stopped the car anyway because she didn't like the thought of Troy being angry with her.

"Okay well I'm coming to see you!" Then the phone hung up and she sighed, resting her head against the steering wheel.
She hadn't meant to make him so mad, she thought he'd be happy to see her. Obviously not, maybe they weren't ever going to get back together after all. Sharpay got out of the car and slammed the door shut, she didn't care if she got wet now she realised and sat on the bonnet of her car.

Oh, a thousand words
-A thousand words-
Have never been spoken
-Ohhh, yeah-
They'll fly to you
They'll carry you home
-Carry you home-
And back into my arms
Suspended on silver wings
-On silver wings-

A few minutes later ran Troy, wearing a soaking white t-shirt that was sticking to him and a pair of jeans that had got so wet they had turned a navy blue from the knee down. Sharpay saw him and he saw her, it seemed like time slowed down. His hair was sticking to his face, as was hers and her clothes were sticking to her too. Within moments he was in front of her and he pulled her into a tight yet gentle hug. She closed her eyes and took in the scent of him, wrapping her arms around his neck.
"Sharpay don't you do that again!" He cried, "You know how dangerous it is to be driving in this weather, especially for you! I was so worried, don't you do that...don't...just never..." Troy began repeating himself and Sharpay opened her mouth to speak but instead he shut her off with a kiss. He pulled back immediately, it had been a long time before anything like that had ever happened between them and the awkwardness of the situation seemed to rise.
"I'm sorry...I just...its such an important day...and I was feeling better...I want to see you..." Sharpay muttered slowly.

"Its okay...its okay hush...Why is today so important?" He asked, hugging her still and if Troy could have seen he face he would have seen it fall and her heart fell too.

"Its the day we became boyfriend and girlfriend all those years ago!" She exclaimed.

"Oh my god Sharpay I am so..." He began.

"Ten. Ten years in fact. Exactly, today." She interrupted and pushed him away, glaring at him a little.

"Sharpay...I'm so sorry, I completely forgot. I've just...its been so hard recently...with us and everything."

"Yeah, I suppose it was, I'm really sorry. I shouldn't have shut you out. Ryan never wanted that for us, he didn't and he would have wanted me to move on quickly not mourn for as long as I could. And I'm sorry...I really am." She said as sincerely as she could and a tear trickled down her cheek. Troy looked down at her and smiled, before he closed the space between them and they shared a kiss once more. Only this time it was longer, and a lot more romantic. Troys arms rested on the small of her back, pulling him closer to her and hers behind his neck, they stayed like that for as long as it seemed possible.

And a thousand words
-Oh!-
Called out through the ages
-Called through the ages-
They'll cradle you
-Oh, yeah!-
Turning all of the lonely years
To only days
-Only days-
They'll hold you forever

When they eventually broke apart they looked at eachother, the rain still tearing down and the thunder began to clap again flashes in the distant sky. Troy picked Sharpay up bridal style and smiled at her, he had waited so long for this, for her to come back to him and he could finally go home with her and live in that house. Sleep in that very same bed as her once more. Turning beside him in the car, Sharpay was sleeping in the passenger side, Troy couldn't believe he was acutally going to drive this car, it was a girly car. He wrinkled his nose and looked at his wife. It felt good to say that again, he leaned towards her and kissed her closed eyelids, even though her make-up had run down her face a lot from the rain she still looked beauitful to him. Troy started the car and made the short journey home, with Sharpay his love.

Ohhhh!
A thousand words...


Okay and just to make this clear.
This songfiction is dedicated to Matau. Because he was all angry yesterday at me for some reason I actually don't remember...but I kinda wanted to write this anyway. I hope you all liked it and if you wanna know the song (its a really good song) then just PM me and I'll tell ya cause I gotta dash off now!
Coop XxX