Title: Unfinished Business

Summary: "When we left, we weren't enemies, but we weren't exactly friends either. I want to change that. I want us to be friends Gabriella." Post HSM3 Gabriella/Sharpay friendship. With a bit of Troy/Gabriella.

WARNING! High School Musical 3 spoilers! Do not read if you don't want to be spoiled!

-

She walked through the campus, not knowing where she was going, since she's never been at the place before. She didn't even know what she was doing there. One minute she was sitting in her hotel room, anticipating a day of shopping in San Francisco, then next, she was in Stanford. How the hell did that happen, and more importantly, why?

Walking into the hallways, Sharpay glanced the surroundings around, feeling a bit intimidated upon seeing the intelligent students walking by as they read, the flyers on the walls announcing something foreign to her that had to do about academics. She felt really out of place in such a prestigious school.

Suddenly she stopped upon seeing a familiar figure. Nervousness filled inside Sharpay as she watched her, just a few feet away, placing a paper in a book. She resumed standing still, not knowing what to do. After placing her book in her bag, she looked up and froze, just as Sharpay did, upon seeing her.

"Sharpay?" she asked, her voice filled with disbelief and surprise.

Sharpay's frozen face then let out a stiff, forced smile. "Hi." she said timidly, which surprised her even more. She's never seen the East High's Ice Queen look so unsure.

"Um…" Gabriella said, at a loss of words as she walked towards her slowly. "Hi?"

Sharpay let out a nervous chuckle as Gabriella approached her. "Well this is awkward." she stated once she and Gabriella were standing in front of each other.

"Yeah." Gabriella chuckled nervously as well, fidgeting with the strap of her shoulder bag. "I never expected to see you here."

"Trust me, I never expected to see myself here either."

"So…why are you here?"

"I…" she suddenly stopped. "Honestly don't know." she admitted. "I was in San Francisco, and I was driving, and…I don't know. Somehow I ended up here."

Gabriella nodded, still not comprehending why Sharpay was in Stanford, and still surprised at her tone. "Well…" she lingered, trying to search for what to say next. "Um…do you want to go for a cup of coffee or something?"

Sharpay paused for a moment, quite surprised at the invitation. But then let out a smile, much more genuine than her first one. "Sure."

-

"Hey Karen, my regular please." Gabriella said to the vender behind the counter.

"Sure thing Gabriella." the girl smiled.

"And a nonfat latte." Sharpay added over Gabriella's shoulder.

"Ok, coming right up." Karen said, going right to work on their orders.

"Come on." Gabriella beckoned to Sharpay, the two sitting down at a table next to the window. "She's my classmate." she answered Sharpay's un asked question. Sharpay just nodded, the two filled with a silence. It wasn't awkward, but it wasn't comfortable either. The two remained quiet as they waited for their drinks, both started to fidget, looking anywhere else but the person across. Gabriella was still in shock at the fact that Sharpay is actually sitting across from her. While Sharpay was trying to rack her brain as to exactly why she was here.

A few minutes later, Karen came to them with their drinks, handing them out to the two. Gabriella thanked her quietly as she left. After taking a drink off her latte, Sharpay looked up at Gabriella. "So…" she said, trying to start a conversation. "How's Stanford so far?"

"It's really great. I'm loving my classes. It's everything I ever hoped it would be." she said with a wistful look on her face.

"Yeah, you looked like you were having fun." Sharpay commented. "You really belong here. There are a lot of…big words I don't understand. Quite frankly it scares me."

Gabriella giggled, feeling more comfortable. "Hey, we're not all about academics. Stanford does have a drama department."

"Drama?" Sharpay said, as if her ears perking up. "Now you're talking."

"Karen's actually in it. She has performances every weekend here. She's more into the singing department, apart from getting her education degree."

"Wow, I like your roommate a whole lot better then." Sharpay joked. "And how's Troy? I assume you two still keep in contact?"

She blushed slightly, at the mention. "Yeah. We visit each other every now and then, mostly if our schedules aren't too hectic."

"And how is the whole theatrical part of his college life?"

"Really well. One of his instructors recommended him to join a community theater group nearby, and they're putting on a production, he's not lead, but he's still in it."

"That's good. I'm happy for him." she praised genuinely. "Although, it'll be weird seeing him in a production without you next to him. It's weird just thinking about it."

"And without you as well?" she said in a teasing way.

Sharpay rolled her eyes. "Please, I can never pull off any kind of chemistry with him the way you do. You guys are like perfect for each other."

Once again, Gabriella was surprised. "Wow, I never thought I'd see the day you would actually admit something like that."

"It did take me a while to realize it. I guess it was just the Diva in me to always get everything I want." she shrugged. She had come to terms to the fact that she can never get everything she wants.

"I guess me arriving kind of shook things up for you." Gabriella admitted meekly. "What about you? What were you doing in San Francisco?"

"Oh, I wanted to see the production of Wicked. I'm staying for three days."

"By yourself?"

"Well normally I would take Ryan with me, but he's all the way across the country. And he can see Wicked whenever he wants to."

"How is he anyway? I haven't really heard much of him and Kelsi since they left."

"He's doing great. Both him and Kelsi are. And they're strong as ever."

"Ryan and Kelsi." Gabriella mused. "I never actually thought it would happen. I was surprised when he asked her to prom."

"That was actually kind of my doing." Sharpay said meekly. "I knew Kelsi would write something spectacular for you and Troy, so I told him to try and get the music notes from her by being nice to her, butter her up, ask her to prom or something. And apparently, he chose the latter."

Gabriella just shook her head and chuckled. "Well hey, at least something good came out of it."

Sharpay laughed, relieved that Gabriella wasn't mad. "Honestly, Ryan has had a crush on Kelsi since…freshmen year I think." she chuckled. "But I guess I kind of held him back from having any kind of social life…until you came and pulled him away of course."

"I figured you'd resent me for that." she joked.

"No." she said truthfully. "I'm glad you did. Ryan's a great guy, with great talent and potential. If you hadn't come along and broke him away from being my…poodle, then he never would have been able to show the world the kind of talent he has. I'm glad he's happy."

"Me too." Gabriella smiled, thinking just how happy Ryan was the last time she saw him. "Do you see Chad around?"

"Yeah, I see him around. Not very often though since he's located across campus. But we do see each other from time to time. He still keeps in contact with Taylor right?"

"Mh-hm." she nodded. "They do talk often."

"Are they still together or….?"

"I don't really know exactly. I know they're still friends. But I don't really know whether or not they're still anything more."

"It's very odd to think of them not together. Kind of like thinking of you and Troy not together." Sharpay mused. "I mean, it was odd when they first got together, what with Taylor being the smartest person in the world, par from you of course, and Chad being…not. But after a while, they just made sense."

"Really? They've always made sense to me." Gabriella shrugged. "Specially after seeing them team up to try and get Troy and I broken up so we wouldn't do the callbacks for the winter musical."

"That's what they were trying to do? I thought they were teaming up so you and Troy can get the callbacks! That's why I had Miss Darbus change the day of the callbacks!"

"Why am I not surprised." Gabriella chuckled. "Have you been back to East High yet?"

"Oh yeah. A few weeks ago."

"How is it?"

"Still the same. My drama department is still in good shape. But that Tiara girl is a bit of a bi-yotch if you ask me."

"Sharpay, she's exactly like you, except with a British accent."

"She is not!" she scoffed with a pout. "I was never that terrible."

Gabriella tried to held back her laughter. "Ok." she said, although her face was turning red.

"Although I think she and that Rocket guy are going out. Which I am glad for, because he really needs to stop obsessing over me. Can you believe he actually thinks I have a crush on him? Where would he get such a stupid idea?"

"Um…" Gabriella clammed up, trying not to be obvious. "Yeah, stupid." clearing her throat, changing the subject quickly. "So, apart from Tiara, how is the rest of East High doing?"

"Well, I am happy to say the status quo is still broken. All the cliques are still meshed. Don't worry, all your hard work is still in tact."

"Well I was worried that people would morph into their own cliques again." she said shyly. "But I'm not really taking any credit for it. I'm just glad they're not back to the way it was."

"Yeah. Looking back, I can just see how terrible East High was before you came. And I was partly to blame for that." she said, feeling the shame come to her. "I didn't really like the way I was, and looking back now…I shudder to think what would happen if you hadn't transferred East High."

"Wow Sharpay." Gabriella said in full surprise at her revelation. "That sounded very…genuine."

"I am." she continued. "I know we haven't really hang out much."

"Well you were too busy sabotaging my and Troy's callbacks, trying to steal him from me, and getting rid of me just so you can get the Julliard scholarship." Gabriella joked lightheartedly, putting an ease smile on her face.

"I know." Sharpay chuckled, still feeling the shame. "But I want to apologize. For all the things I've done. For all the trouble I've caused. I really was out of line for the most part. And I'm just terribly sorry."

"Sharpay, it's ok." she said, still trying to reel in the fact that Sharpay was apologizing. She practically had to do a double take to make sure that this was the Sharpay Evans from high school. "That was a long time ago. We should put all that behind us now."

"But I was so cruel to you back then. I broke you and Troy up for God's sake. How can you forgive me after that?"

"Because there's really no reason to hold a grudge." Gabriella merely shrugged. "You learnt your lesson from it, that's the important part. And quite frankly, you coming all the way over here, even if it was unplanned, and apologizing is enough for me to know that you truly have changed. And not jus trying to fool me again." she smiled kindheartedly. "I mean you really apologized."

"I know." she chuckled. "I guess its me being in college, or getting a taste of my own medicine from Tiara, I don't know. I just really want to make sure that we didn't leave off with patches still needed to heal. You really are a nice person Gabriella. You've changed so many lives and I'm sorry for being defiant to that."

"It's ok Sharpay."

Sharpay smiled warmly at her. "I know when we left, we weren't enemies, but we weren't exactly friends either. I want to change that. I want us to be friends Gabriella. And not just a random acquaintance. But real friends. Believe it or not, I actually admire you."

"You do?"

"Yeah." she admitted. "That summer at Lava Springs, when you confronted me, that was the first time someone has actually ever done that. I was so used to people just telling things I wanted to hear, and ignoring those who tried to wake me up from my fantasy life. But you got through to me. I kind of wished to be your friend throughout high school. At least then I know I could have someone I could count on, and would keep me grounded."

"Sharpay you can always count on me on that." Gabriella said softly. "I would be happy to be your friend."

Sharpay smiled brightly at her.

-

"Yeah. Weekends I take part on this study program. Its really great, I get to learn more." Gabriella explained as they walked towards the parking lot.

"Gosh, you braniacs study too much." Sharpay groaned, feigning complaint. "Aren't you afraid that you'll study so much that your brain will explode?"

Gabriella just giggled. "I don't even think that that's scientifically possible Sharpay." she said, amused at her friend's assumption.

"Whatever. All I know is if I study that much, I'll explode."

The two then arrived at the parking lot where Gabriella saw a familiar blue truck. "Troy?"

"Hey." he greeted her brightly, immediately rushing to her, taking her in his arm and giving her a loving kiss. "I miss you." he mumbled against her lips.

Gabriella let out a giggle. "We saw each other on Tuesday."

"Too long ago." he pouted, their foreheads still attached, as his hands lazily gripped on her hips.

"What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be rehearsing or something?"

"Nah, it got called off today so I came up here."

"Wow, must be my lucky day since I'm getting a visit from you and Sharpay."

"Sharpay?" his brows knitted then looked up and saw the familiar blonde standing a few feet behind Gabriella, was watching them with a smirk. "Sharpay." he said, more surprised.

"Good to see you actually notice other people besides Gabriella." she teased.

Troy just chuckled, confused at the situation.

"Sharpay was about to leave." Gabriella said, letting go of Troy and walking over to Sharpay, giving her a hug. "It was really great seeing you Shar."

"You too Gabriella." Sharpay said, hugging her back. "I'm glad we had this talk."

"Me too." the two then pulled back.

Sharpay then walked towards her rented mustang, parked right across from Troy's truck. "By the way, are you going back to Albuquerque for Thanksgiving?"

"Yeah." Gabriella replied, now standing next to troy again, with his arm attached around her waist. "Both my mom are. We're going to stay at Troy's place and spend it with them."

"Fabulous!" she squealed. "I'll see you two then." with a wave, she got in the car.

The couple watched as the car drove out of the parking lot, with Troy's arms still around Gabriella. "Um…" Troy said, still bewildered, once Sharpay's car was out of sight. "That was weird."

Gabriella just giggled. "Come on."

"So what was that all about?" …