#2 - Can You Take Me?
Sharpay giggled for no reason as she walked to the girls' bathroom. Actually, there was many a reason for her giddiness. She had an entire plan figured out by the end of math concerning Tara's infatuations. She knew exactly where Tara was at that precise moment. And Tara's friends were just like her – all but Taylor and Emily. Sharpay groaned. Those two could be dealt with later.
Sharpay listened for the tell-tale sounds of a piano being played, and, right on cue, she heard them. She strutted down the hallways, heading for the music room. Reaching the wood-grained door, she could just imagine Kelsi Nielsen playing her beloved piano to a tune she created. As Sharpay listened, she picked out the airy soprano belonging to Tara, and allotted herself a moment of jealousy.
She was even better at singing than she was last year – and much better than Sharpay was, for sure. It had been like that since Tara transferred from West Elementary in her fifth grade year and promptly tried out for the leading role in that year's Winter Musical. Sharpay recalled how, for an instant, it seemed like Tara would have the lead – but Sharpay put an end to it quickly. Sharpay smiled. Tara had grown less nervy with every subsequent year afterward, and this year was no exception.
Sharpay listened in on the music Tara sang for a few seconds.
"Hiding my eyes, hiding the key to my feelings – with a look, with a shock, I am gone," Tara sang, floating the notes in an ethereal tone. "An echoing void, a simple stare, sending me off the edge – with a look, with a blink, I part again…"
Kelsi turned the page to the sheet music. Tara clutched her sides, getting into the song. "And why, why do I try -try to make you mine, when I can't even make myself happy! And when, when will life begin, begin to make me smile…?"
Sharpay couldn't take the insult of her voice any longer. Sharpay slammed the music room door open. Kelsi jumped a foot off of the piano bench and Tara turned a lively shade of pastel green.
"Sharpay!" Kelsi cried, shocked. "What are you doing here?"
"I'll ask about the song later," Sharpay assured her coldly. "I really came here to talk to Tara."
"You… you made yourself very clear earlier," Tara murmured graciously. "I have no intention of –"
"Not about THAT," Sharpay groaned, slicing the air with her hand. "I heard the argument you were having with Erica or whatever her name is –"
"Emily," Kelsi corrected.
Sharpay shot her a withering glance. " – and I think I can help you with your boy troubles."
Tara's eyes grew as wide as the baubles on Sharpay's arms. "What?"
Kelsi was also skeptical. "…That's an odd offer coming from you…"
"It's never too late to extend the hand of friendship, right?" Sharpay cooed. Tara flinched. Her voice was ridiculously syrupy, like she was hiding something fairly major behind the sugar-coated glee.
"You've been mocking me since grade school," Tara whimpered. "How do I know this isn't a plot?"
Sharpay's demeanor went from joyful to sour in an instant. Her glossy lips twisted into an ugly frown.
"Okay listen," Sharpay spat, her face inches away from Tara's quivering frame. "I was able to figure out who you're in love with, and don't think I'm going to just forget about that fact. And I didn't want to bring the Fall Musical into it, but I guess I have to."
"What are you -?" Kelsi began before Sharpay's voice overpowered her.
"You were so… adamant in insisting that YOU would tell him your feelings on your own. Without help." Sharpay compulsively picked a piece of Tara's hair and threw it behind her ear. "Well… if you tell him within the month, I'll make sure you get into the musical."
"And if I don't…?" Tara ventured to say. Sharpay grinned malevolently.
"I have a lot of influence in the drama department," Sharpay informed her. "As for your crush, I'll tell him myself… and I can twist the truth fairly well, as you know."
Tara's face went even greener. "Sharpay, you don't understand. He can't know, he –"
"That's going to change very soon, then," Sharpay cut her off before walking out of the music room. She turned quickly to Kelsi as she exited, her fingers resting on the doorframe. "Oh, and Kelsi… that song is far too slow for the musical. I'm sure you weren't going to use it."
"Of course not," Kelsi responded out of habit.
Sharpay left, closing the music room door behind her. Tara quickly leapt into Kelsi's arms, on the verge of tears.
"Oh KELSI!" Tara shrieked in her angst.
Kelsi patted her head nervously, her own hands shaking. "You can't let her get to you like that!"
"Everyone says that," Tara noted with a sniffle. Kelsi felt her shirt sleeve grow wet. "But this time… this time I have every reason to be afraid… The month ends in two weeks, Kelsi! What do I do?!"
"How could she know about your crush on Zeke?" Kelsi wondered.
Tara quickly unburied herself. She stared, dumbstruck, at Kelsi. "What?"
"You like Zeke… don't you?" Kelsi mused. "At least, that's what Chad told Jason, who told Troy, who told me…"
"No…" Tara replied slowly. "Kelsi, if you promise not to tell anyone…"
Kelsi sat silently. "Only if you want to. I know you told Emily…"
"Emily kind of found out on accident," Tara admitted. "She read my diary one night..." Tara trailed off, bright red. Kelsi didn't ask what Tara had written there.
"But… yeah. Kelsi… I'm in love with Ryan Evans."
Kelsi blinked before gasping. "Oh my GOD, and if Sharpay -!"
"I KNOW!" Tara moaned, collapsing onto the piano bench. "He HAS to listen to anything she says!"
"…I didn't know that the lyrics to that song we wrote together were so real to you," Kelsi admitted. "No matter. Disregarding the fact that Sharpay is psychotic, how are you going to get Ryan away from her without her noticing?"
"Not to mention that he'd never date anyone as plain as me," Tara realized before pushing her glasses up the bridge of her nose once more. "I mean, look at me!"
Tara stuck her arms out, showing off her scrawny arms, ample bosom, and spindly legs. "I look like a human Q-tip!"
"…Well, we have all month to figure out a plan," Kelsi pointed out. "I'll help you… and Emily will be excited, I bet; she told me that she's sick of hearing you complain about him without you doing anything about it…"
Tara smiled at Kelsi. "All right. I'm going to tell him how I feel!"
A/N: The title of the song Tara is singing in the beginning is actually a poem I wrote called Can You Take Me? That's where the name of the chapter comes from.
A/N 2: SHAMELESS PLUG ALERT! If you like Gorillaz and High School Musical, visit my author page and read Kong School Musical, which is my melding of the two stories. It's bizarre, but hey, if you like Gorillaz, you're used to the bizarre.
DISCLAIMER: I don't own High School Musical. MAJOR SHOCKER right there, right? Right? (crickets…) …I hate you all.
