To Speak for the Dead
A High School Musical Fanfiction
Disclaimer: The Mouse owns High School Musical and the characters within. I'm just borrowing them for awhile. I promise I'll put them back when I'm finished.
Summary: Sharpay receives a strange new gift that she doesn't want.
Pairing: TroyPay, of course.
Time frame: Starts immediately after HSM2, at the end of the summer.
Previously...
"Wow!", Ryan comments as he tries to balance all of their bags again. "I wonder what that was about."
"No idea", Sharpay lies, "but I think this is going to be an interesting field trip after all."
Chapter 4: Arriving in the Great State of Texas
"Oh come on", Sharpay whines. "Why do I have to share a room with her? I mean, it's cruel. And it's not just for my benefit either; she hates me too."
"That's sooo not true, Sharpay", Gabriella volunteers in a patronizing voice. "Remember, I saved your life." She says this slowly as if she's still wondering about that alleged brain damage. Then, she turns on a dime and sounds like she's conducting a class. "You know, in some cultures, if you save someone's life that person is indebted to you forever."
Without replying, Sharpay turns to Ms. Darbus pleadingly, silently saying to her, "please, save me!".
"I'm sorry, Sharpay", the older woman says and she really does seem genuinely sorry for the news she's about to deliver.
The three of them are standing at the check-in desk of the Alamo Arms Hotel.
Scores of other students are crowded around them. They're all anxious to get their rooms and be out of the oppressive San Antonio heat. Sharpay's tantrum is grating on everyone's nerves.
"Well, how about this?", Sharpay suggests as she opens her bright pink Prada purse. She pulls out her platinum American Express card and tries to hand it to the clerk.
"I'll just pay for my own private room and then, everyone will be happy."
"I'm sorry, sweetie, but as I explained to Mizz Darbus, here. We're hostin' the annual orthodontics convention", explains the clerk, a tall bleached blond with big hair and even bigger assets over which is pinned a nametag which reads, Eunice-Florene. "And there simply aren't any more rooms available."
Sharpay just stares at her blankly for a second, trying to understand her heavy Texas accent.
Misinterpreting her silence for something else, she explains in a slower, syrupy-sweet voice, "They're dentists, sweetie; it's a dentist convention."
Realizing she's being patronized, yet again, Sharpay exclaims, "I know what an orthodontics means. I've got over $10,000 of dental work in my mouth to prove it." Sharpay clicks her perfectly straight, bright-white teeth at the clerk, who shrinks back in surprise as if she thinks Sharpay might bite her.
"Aaaah!", Sharpay screams in frustration.
:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:
"Oooo, this is nice", exclaims Gabriella as she walks into Room 232.
Sharpay isn't impressed. The room is moderately sized with two full-sized beds, a small table and two chairs. The dИcor looks like it came from the local Wal-mart --- a Texas Wal-mart if the over abundance of tacky southwestern knick knacks are taken into consideration.
The porter wheels the luggage cart into the room. It's piled high with Sharpay's matching designer luggage and Gabriella's two smaller pieces.
"Gabriella, take care of the tip", Sharpay orders when the porter is finished, "I don't have any cash."
"Oh", Gabriella says in surprise, "um ... sure. Just let me find some change."
The porter rolls his eyes when she places the two quarters in his proffered hand. "Thank you", she says shyly.
Sharpay ignores the two and walks directly to the air conditioning unit at the window. The room is stiflingly hot and Sharpay can already feel the sweat starting to drip down between her breasts. She twists one dial to full cold and the other to high, then she lets out a sigh of relief as the unit starts up with a groan.
"Oooo, you should see how big the bathroom is", echoes Gabriella's voice from the bathroom.
Sharpay is leaning over the air conditioner with her shirt pulled up over her bra to try and speed her cool down. It's so humid here compared to the dry desert air of Albuquerque. She so caught up in the luxury of machined cooled air that she doesn't hear the knock at the door over the blast of the noisy A/C unit.
Gabriella opens the door to find Troy and Ryan standing there.
"Hey", Ryan says excitedly, "we're just across the hall from you."
Troy isn't saying anything. In fact his attention is drawn across the room to where Sharpay is standing seeming flashing the air conditioner. Lucky air conditioner. She's pulled her tight tank up above her hot pink lace bra. Despite himself, Troy can't help but wonder if she's wearing matching panties. Maybe, I can ask Gabriella later. ... Oh, crap! Gabriella.
He guiltily looks over to see Gabriella glaring at him. Busted! Luckily, all her anger seems to be directed at Sharpay.
"Sharpay!", Gabriella barks and Gabriella never barks. "Pull your shirt down!"
Sharpay only hears her name and she whirls around to find Troy staring at her. Oh, there are other people in the room, but at this very instant in time, she can't tell you who they are.
Oh, double crap! It's lace all over. Troy's jeans suddenly feel too small and even though he longs to readjust he knows he's a dead man if he does. Therefore, he settles for a long, hard swallow and a flushed face instead.
Sharpay sees his Adam's apple bob up and down from across the room and she suddenly feels very naked.
Shit! I nearly am naked!
She quickly pulls down her tank top and tries to look casual.
Ryan, for his part, seems oblivious to the whole scene. His eyes are on the fruit basket sitting on the small table.
"Fruit basket! We didn't get a fruit basket", he exclaims, indignantly, as he walks over and grabs an apple.
Unfortunately, Gabriella sees everything, but says nothing. A long silence ensues, broken only by Ryan's enthusiastic chewing.
:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:
"Look, I don't know what you're problem is and I really don't care, but I need to use the shower so you need to get out!"
Sharpay's voice is challenging and Gabriella can't help but hear her (especially since she has her hear pressed up against the bathroom door).
Oh my, she's talking to herself. This is not a good sign.
Inside the bathroom, Sharpay is standing with her towel wrapped around herself and getting angrier and angrier by the minute.
An equally angry-looking older woman is staring back at her from inside the bathtub. Thankfully, she, too, has a towel draped around her. She has bluish-grey hair which is piled on her head in a beehive hairdo with loads of hairspray.
When Sharpay first came in, she thought she'd somehow walked into the wrong bathroom. She was only half awake after listening to Gabriella snore all night. No wonder she sounds so nasal when she sings.
It isn't until the woman starts yelling at Sharpay about her own murder that Sharpay realizes she is talking to a ghost. Her first clue should have been the beehive hair; but since this is Texas, Sharpay quickly discounted that. She has seen plenty of women with that hair style just since she stepped off the plane.
Sharpay is fed up. All she wants is a shower and the old lady doesn't want to budge. Unfortunately, she does want to talk.
"I was murdered in 1982 and I've been stuck in here ever since."
"Wow, just like Moaning Myrtle", says Sharpay and then, tries to explain, "You know, Harry Potter? Of course, you don't. Um, sorry ... go on."
"Look here, you think I like living here, in this bathroom, for forever. Well, I don't, but I can't seem to move on until I can receive justice."
"Justice? What kind of justice?" Sharpay's interest is peaked.
"My death was ruled an accident, by electrocution. The police determined that a hairdryer, one of those new-fangled hand-held ones, accidentally dropped in the tub."
"But that's ridiculous", Sharpay says. "You've got old lady helmet. Why would you use a blowdryer?"
"I beg your pardon", the ghost says indignantly.
"You have your hair done every week, right. Just like my grandma. So you would never use a blowdryer."
"Finally, I've been trying to tell people that for 25 years. Soooo, do you think you can help me?" The old lady sits down on the edge of the bathtub and starts to relax a little. "Will you tell someone the truth?"
"Depends... Will you get out of the tub, so I can take my shower? And will you leave me alone for the rest of my stay here?"
"Of course, just let me tell you my name and the details."
"Fine. I have someone I can call who might be able to help."
When Sharpay finally comes out of the bathroom 30 minutes later, Gabriella is sitting on the chair in the far corner of the room. She's fingering her rosary and watching Sharpay with trepidation.
"Um ... hi. Sorry I took so long", says Sharpay as she tries to sound pleasant.
"Y-you keep away from me", Gabriella stutters. Then, she holds up the cross from the necklace around her neck. "I know what's going on now, see? I figured it out. You're possessed, so just stay away from me, understand?"
Sharpay can't help the smile that spreads across her face. If this is all it takes, she should have started seeing dead people a long time ago.
:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:
Troy enters the lobby with his nose in a book and walks right into his dad who is coming out of the dining room with Ms. Darbus. The two adults seem to have reached an uneasy ceasefire; at least, they aren't actively attacking each other anymore. The book hit the ground between father and son and Ms. Darbus is the first to react. She bends down and picks it up. Then, she stops to study it before handing it back to Troy. The book is old, it's age made obvious by the yellowing of the pages. It's bound together by leather lacing and looks homemade.
"Aaah, how interesting: The Journal of Jonathon Bolton. This looks very old", Ms. Darbus comments. She turns back to Coach Bolton. "I'll meet you on the bus, Jack."
"Sure thing, Gladys", Coach Bolton says and then, he turns back to Troy with a disapproving look in his eyes.
Troy, anticipating what's going to come, tries to distract his father, "Gladys? I guess you two aren't trying to kill each other anymore, huh?" He laughs nervously.
Ignoring his comment, Jack asks, "What's going on, Troy? Why did you bring that book? Nothing good can come of dredging up this old history."
"Dad, this thing has haunted our family for over 150 years. Maybe, since we're here, I'll be able to prove..."
"Troy...", Jack says in warning, "drop it!" Then, he takes a calming breath and puts his hand on Troy's shoulder. "I'm sorry, son, but I just don't think it's worth it. I'll see you on the bus, okay?"
"Sure, Dad."
As soon as the coach leaves, Troy opens his book back up and walks off to eat breakfast.
:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:
Sharpay is purposely giving Gabriella the 'evil eye' over the top of her coffee cup. Most of the East High students have finished the complimentary breakfast and are loitering around in the lobby waiting to pile on the bus and head to the Alamo.
"What are you doing?", asks Ryan once he notices the direction of her stares.
"Having some fun", is Sharpay's cryptic answer.
"'Cause you usually stare at Troy, not Gabriella. Just wondering if you've switched to the other team."
"What!" Sharpay jerks her head away from Gabriella and gives her full attention and ire to her brother. "I Have Not Switched Teams. I am definitely on team! The right team! And ... and what do you mean by that other thing", her voice drops to a low, dangerous growl. "I Do Not stare at Troy Bolton."
"Of course, you do", Ryan says casually, but he's starting to get a little nervous at the intensity of her gaze. "You've stared at him for years, Shar."
"Oooh! Just shut it, Ryan!" With that, she jumps up and storms out of the dining room.
Ryan picks up the morning paper and goes back to reading the comics. Only the slight tremor of the shaking newspaper gives away his cool demeanor.
:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:
"Wow, what do you make of that?", Chad says as Sharpay flies by them.
Troy has his nose buried deep in the old book.
"What?", Troys looks up, confusedly at his best friend.
"The ice princess. She just flew out of here like a mountain lion on the prowl. Wouldn't want to be on the receiving end of that."
"Oh... I-I don't know. I wasn't looking." He tries to go back to his book.
"I think you've been hanging around Gabriella too much, man. What's with all the book reading? And you, the playmaker, not noticing a hot chick walking by. I mean, I don't particularly like her, but that doesn't mean I don't like to look."
"Wha..?", Troy asks vaguely as he barely looks up from the book.
"Forget it, man. I'll catch you on the bus." Chad gets up and starts to leave the room, but takes a detour over to Gabriella and Taylor's table.
:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:
"Is she still looking at me?", Gabriella whispers to Taylor as she holds a tourist map of San Antonio suspiciously in front of her face.
Gabriella is holding the map out, completely unfolded, such that, Taylor has to lean conspicuously over to her left in order to see Sharpay. She leans back in towards Gabriella before saying anyway.
"It looks like she's yelling at Ryan about something right now", Taylor says in an exaggerated stage whisper.
"I don't think you're taking this seriously enough", Gabriella says in a peeved tone. "Don't you believe anything I told you? She's obviously possessed."
"Well... it's just that Sharpay could just be doing this in order to bother you. As someone with a fairly scientific mind, I'm not sure I believe in possession, Gabriella."
"What about the evidence? Her odd behavior in the hospital, the screaming on the plane, and now the thing in the bathroom this morning."
"I, sometimes, talk to myself. I, even, sing to myself, though I'm not very good", confesses Taylor. She takes a bite of her bagel and waits for her friend to respond.
"It was more than talking to herself, Taylor. She was carrying on a full conversation, except there was no one else there --- at least, no one I could see or hear."
"I think she's just jerking your chain."
Chad walks up at that moment and, taking advantage of the Gabriella's map situation, gives Taylor a quick peck on the cheek before sitting down.
"Who's jerking whose chain?", he asks.
"Sharpay's jerking Gabriella's", Taylor explains.
"Oh yeah?", Chad asks with a rise in his voice. "And what are they wearing during this chain jerking event? And is there any mud involved?"
"Dog!", Taylor snaps.
"Woof! Woof!" is Chad's response.
"Seriously, Gabriella thinks Sharpay is possessed and I think she's just messing around with her head."
Gabriella snaps down the map and starts to viciously fold it up, ripping it in several places in the process.
"You're supposed to be my best friend; you're supposed to be supportive", Gabriella exclaims and then, she grabs her backpack and leaves the room.
"Wow, what got her panties in a bunch?", Chad asks as he reaches over and takes the remaining half of Taylor's bagel.
"I think there's more going on than Sharpay's strange behavior."
"Like?", he prompts.
"Like maybe things aren't so happy anymore in the land of Troyella. Did you notice how close Troy and Sharpay were yesterday on the plane?"
"You know I always thought that was a goofy place to live anyway --- the land of Troyella --- way too much singing and dancing and not enough basketball." Chad pops the last of the bagel in his mouth and mumbles that they should get moving towards the bus.
They're almost out the door when Chad looks back and calls out to Troy. "Hey man! Time to get movin'."
Troy looks up in surprise to find the dining room empty. With a worried look on his face, he puts the book into his backpack and runs to catch up with Chad and Taylor.
TBC Finally... I'm getting a little closer to the plot. Mmmm, what could be in this mysterious journal? You'll just have to wait and see. In the meantime, please R & R.
Thanks.
Here's my spotlight review from the last chapter. This is from T h e-S h o w-M u s t-G o-O n7.
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"Then, she looks pointedly at Troy and Sharpay's joined hands and Troy guiltily pulls his hand away from Sharpay"
WA WON'T SOMEBODY HIT GABRIELLA!
Erm...sorry :D But Gabby was acting W-A-Y spazzy about Troy and Sharpay. God. :)
Anyways, what up with Troy, Shar and ghosty lady? Why do ghosts go POOF when Sharpay touches Troy? Why?
Better update soon and tell me! Just one suggestion for the story:kill Gabriella :D It's not like Sharpay will MISS her cos she'll still SEE her!"
That cracked me up. Boy, my readers are a vicious lot. In response I have to say, if I killed off G. then she'd just haunt Sharpay for the rest of her life. And that would be a fate worst than death. LOL