Chapter 3: I Need Motivation!
When Sharpay arrived home, after a little detour, she slumped into her house, dropped the groceries firmly on the floor, called Ryan to put them away and bounded up the staircase. Her house sort of resembled the house in The Sound of Music, just less kids and less room. It was indead a mini version. Maybe Grandpa Evans designed the house to honor the movie that Sharpay held in her heart.
When Sharpay reached her room, covered with rhinestones (it was bedazzled), she sat on her pink computer chair and slid to her desk, again covered in rhinestones. Luckily, she left a little spot clear of jewels for her to write on, without any obstacles. She looked down at the notebook in front of her, inside was her penmanship and the ideas Ryan, her clever campaign manager, thought of. She tapped her bubblegum pink coloured nails against the matching pink desk and sighed. She needed to hand-out stuff tomorrow - Sharpay wanted to have a head start since she witnessed Troy buying a bunch of cookie things. And she knew Troy's mom; she sold the most deserts at the school's bakery last year.
She rolled over to her closet, walk in closet that is, and slipped in, leaving the computer chair behind. What could she possibly give away that she had an abundance of? Sharpay squatted and looked into some empty shoe-boxes which were filled with untouched make-up. There were about two-hundred-fifty little eyeshadow with blush cases. She slid that out of the closet until it reached the hot pink plush carpet of her room. Now she needed something of the boys.
Knowing the guys at her school weren't interested in anything that Ryan liked, she decided to slip into her oldest brother's room, Bryce. Bryce, who was now on a world tour is something called a wanderlust. He never liked to stay in place; if Sharpay was sure, he should be heading of for Seoul, Korea at the moment. Sharpay entered the room that hasn't been slept in for a year now and looked around. Same old room, pictures of countries inside and flags too. Sharpay opened his closet and found some pink basketball shaped yo-yos. They were given to Bryce because he has a friend of a yo-yo manufacturer and they accidentally put in pink instead of orange.
The blonde picked up the box, which had about three-hundred yo-yos, and brought it to her room. Then she got onto her Mac Air and went onto photoshop. She made 'Vote for Sharpay' labels, some small enough to fit on the yo-yo and some for the make-up. Ten of the logos could fit onto one sheet of paper, so she printed about sixty sheets. She had a lot of gluing and cutting to do.
About an hour locked up into her room, Ryan decided to check-up on her. Sharpay never usually stayed in her room without music so loud you could here from the basement. "Pay?" He peaked his head in to see his twin pasting and cutting like a machine program to do just that. Then he stepped in. "What are you doing?" he asked, inspecting the mess.
"Preparing to hand-out stuff by tomorrow," she said robotically. She was too focused on her assignment to feel tired or the need to use the washroom.
"Ah," Ryan replied, implying he got why Sharpay was doing her task. "Why?"
"To get a head start," she replied, again in her robot voice.
"I see. Do you need any help?" He offered. Sharpay turned her head, glue in hand and bits of paper stuck to her face. "I meant with handing out these things tomorrow. I'd be glad too and maybe Kelsi too." He wasn't ready to look like a paper shredder, like Sharpay. "I'll give her a call right now!"
"NO!" Sharpay screamed, lunging at his legs. "I'll call her; I need to show her that I truly need her help and not help as in playing a song my way..." She let go of Ryan's legs, pushed herself off the carpet and made her way to lip-shaped phone but instead of the usual red, her's was definitely some shade of pink. "Uh, what's Kelsi's number?"
Ryan grabbed the phone from Sharpay's hand and dialed it for her.
"Hi!" Sharpay said, overtly loud. "I mean, h-h-hey, Kelsi."
"Sharpay?" Kelsi asked. She was shocked and confused. Sharpay never called her. Never. If the Evans were to call her, it would be Ryan, not Sharpay. She was confused because why was Sharpay calling her and not Ryan. "Did something happen to Ryan?" she asked; maybe he was hurt and Sharpay was informing her he was.
"Ryan?" Sharpay looked over to her brother, making faces into her mirror. "He'a dork. Anyhoo, I just wanted to ask you this huge favor but if you don't want to do it, it's okay..." Her voice slightly shrunk after anyhoo. This was her timid side, a side she never showed Kelsi.
"Hold on..." Sharpay asking her a favor; no way. "You're asking me a favor? Aren't you afraid I would screw up or something?"
Sharpay collasped onto her bed. She treated Kelsi awful these past years and now she was asking for a favor. If she was Kelsi, she would decline. "I knew you didn't want do it, it's because I've been horrible to you, haven't I? God, I'm so stupid!" Sharpay slapped her forehead and ran her hand into her blonde locks. "After all I've done, I can't believe I have the audacity to ask for help..."
"Uh, Sharpay... Sharpay," Kelsi repeated, tring to stop the girl on her beating of herself. She's never seen this side, she heard about it from Ryan but she thought he was pulling her leg.
She peeled a piece of paper of her head and sighed. "I'm sorry Kelsi, for everything. For bullying you since freshman year; for ridiculing your songs that actually weren't bad at all..."
There are such things as second chances. And she gave people a lot of that. Sharpay was a person just like those people. "Look, whatever the favor, is I promise I can try to help..." Deep down Kelsi felt happy and warm. This Sharpay could be her friend. "And thanks and you're forgiven for everything but I'm not the one to keep grudges - So, what's the favor?"
"Well, I'm quite sure you don't know this," Sharpay began as Ryan sat down at the edge of her canopy bed, filled with pink pillows. "I'm running for President and I need some people to help me. I've got Ryan's help and I need your's; y'know giving my ideas, helping with the preparing and handing out stuff..."
Kelsi licked her lips. She did this when she felt unsure. Troy, her friend, was also running but he didn't ask for her help. Plus, he wasn't that much of a close friend. They jusy met, a year ago. Then again, in that year, less than a year actually, he was nicer to her than Sharpay, except for this moment. "Of course, I could help!" Friendly competition shouldn't hurt their friendship. "What do you want me to do..."
"Oh great, two amazing campaign managers," Sharpay said happily. "I need you to help Ryan and I hand out stuff tomorrow, y'know simple promoting of, well, me."
"No problem, what time should I come to school then?"
Sharpay scrunched her nose. "How about we pick you up tomorrow, say, let's just say early," Sharay replied. "See you then, bye and thanks Kelsi, for forgiving me..." She hung up the phone and looked at Ryan. "Well?"
Ryan laughed. "Now, that's the Sharpay I know and love, well, nicer but don't worry. It didn't come off fake at all... I'm pretty sure Kelsi knows you still have that spice in you," Ryan told her. "Oh and call Mr. Wanderlust and tell him you stole his oddly coloured yo-yos." He left.
"I don't know his number in Seoul, Korea," Sharpay yelled after Ryan. "Psh, he might still be on the plane heading there from Bangkok, Thailand." Deciding to let that issue slide, Sharpay went back to work on her task. Hopefully she wouldn't get any papercuts. She hated them. Who knew paper could actually hurt you?
Well, she got back to work after that. There was still a lot more to do.
x-x-x-x
"I need motivation!" Chad cried as he lay on Gabriella's purple rug that lay in the middle of her room. "Someone give me their iPod!" Just as Gabriella was about to get her silver shuffle, Chad said, "not your's, Gabi..."
"And why not?" Gabriella asked, insulted. What were wrong with her songs. Her iPod had more songs than romantic fluff in it. She placed an ear piece into her ear and played a random song. "Look, it has The Fray, you love The Fray."
Chad propped himself up. "Yeah but it also has Click Five and what-not... No boy groups for me, Gabi..."
"Then why do you have the Jonas Brothers in your iPod, Chad?" Troy asked, recalling seeing the Jonas Brothers' name appear on the screen of Chad's Nano, which got confiscated by Darbus earlier that day.
"Taylor told me to put that into my Nano, she claims it's our song," Chad replied, rolling his eyes. He didn't like pop music that much; reminded him of Sharpay and Troy's little hobby. Plus, it reminded him of his older sister's Spice N'Sync Back-Street days. Worst times of his life. He feared it but at least it's in the past and he survived. "Just chuck your iPod here Troy."
Troy pulled the green Nano from his back pocket and flung it at his best friend. Chad put the ear pieces inside his ears and put the Nano into shuffle. Looking for a look wouldn't motivate him he wanted to hear a song he wasn't expecting. They needed to have something by tomorrow; to have a head start. They didn't know Sharpay thought of the same thing. "Why can't your mom be home, Troy?"
"She's saving lives," as Troy's reply.
"Drat, that's a good answer," Chad retorted.
Gabriella, who was busy reading a novel, set the book aside, placing a pen there to mark where she is. She walked over to her closet and checked if she had anything manly Troy can use for tomorrow. She pulled out a wooden box and slid the lid off. Inside were assortments of pins, little ones; letters. Gabriella than looked at the necklace Troy gave her and got an idea. "How about these?"
Chad watched Gabriella splatter the pins on the floor. "And?" he asked, confused.
"We can hand out the Ts and Bs tomorrow," Gabriella explained, mostly to Chad. "They may not be enough." Gabriella looked at the letters, all together there was about six-hundred pins; her estimate. Where her father got these and why she saved them, she'll never know really but at least she did. Must be fate. "So, I think we need some more ideas..."
"Why don't we hand out the letters in Troy's name," Chad added, gathering the letter's that spelled Troy's first and last name. "Maybe it can be enough for just the morning and during free period we can think of more ideas and if we have any extra, we can hand them out."
"Great idea guys," Troy replied happily, organizing the pins. "See, you work together really well... When Chad isn't getting on anyone's nerves."
Chad stood up, offended. "I do not annoy people!"
"Yeah, you do," Gabriella said, settling back on her purple filled bed.
"Well," Chad replied looking at Troy then Gabriella. No wonder they were dating; they think the same. "At least I don't sit around and read books all day while people are trying to get motivated!" The 'fro yelled at Gabriella, dissing her hobby. Then he grabbed her novel and read the title. "Grave of the Fireflies? What kind of story is about fireflies?"
Gabriella grabbed the book back and held it close to her chest. "I'll have you know this is an amazing, based on a true story, semi-auto biography!" Gabriella defended one of her most favourite books. "It's touching and the title is only something intelligent people can get once they read the book..."
"STOP!" Troy screamed, coming between them. "I can't have my two campaign managers arguing all the time!" He looked at both of them, one had her face scrunched up and the other has pouting. "Look, Sharpay and Ryan could beat us!"
"Ryan, that traitor!" Chad cried. "I shared my fries with him..." Gabriella and Troy gave him the look he always gets. It was too familiar. "Okay, I shared Taylor's fries with him!"
"You can't really blame him," Troy began, slightly protecting Ryan. "Sharpay is his twin sister - I mean, he already ditched her for us since school started, they had to least have one little project together." Troy slightly hated the fact that Ryan and Sharpay were both creative, sure Gabriella was smart and Chad was Chad but making a campaign would be easier with creative people in it. Also, Chad and Gabriella have been arguing for quite a bit lately, ever since Chad accidently got Gabriella's cell confiscated.
"Okay, since you're okay with him, I'm okay with him," Chad said, sighing at the end. "I'll share Taylor's fries once again with him..."
x-x-x-x
Sharpay signed onto messenger, putting her status to busy. She didn't want to be disturbed. The Sharpettes were all online but she didn't want to communicate with them; they could be kinda slow and they weren't the best people to talk about elections with. They weren't that bright and they agreed with every word Sharpay said which she learned wasn't helpful, at all. After looking at who was online, Sharpay went straight back to work.
Bolton; Is wanting to KILL Chad AND Gabriella says: Hi, Sharpay! I see you got back from the store. LOL. Of course you did, wasn't that like two hours ago? Anyway, watcha doing? You're never busy... :)
Sharpay faced the screen once the laptop alerted her that a message popped up. Her frown grew. Why was he bothered her at this time of night? At least he was willing to chat with her though even though she was busy. The blonde looked at the scraps in her hand, dropped them and typed her mesaage to Troy.
Shar-Pay - Is busy having a life - MSG Bryce says: Yo, Bolton, haha. Yes, I'm busy can't you read? I'm working on something for myself for school tomorrow; y'know to get a head start on things, if you get my drift, Bolton.
Bolton; Is wanting to KILL Chad AND Gabriella says: Of course I can read, Legally Blonde 3. I'm just utterly bored and DONE my 'something' for tomorrow; y'know getting a head start on things. if you get my drift, Evans.
Shar-Pay - Is busy having a life - MSG Bryce says: Did Troy Bolton, the Lunkhead Basketball Dude use the word 'utterly'. Woah, I'm shocked, Montez is getting to you. Wait, hold on, you have something prepared for tomorrow too? No freakin' fair, I thought I was going to have a head start...
Sharpay sighed. Why did Troy have to do something? Couldn't he be lazy or just kill Chad and Gabriella like his name said instead of preparing for tomorrow. God, she hated him and his thinking style. She hated Gabriella for making him organized.
Bolton; Is wanting to KILL Chad and Gabriella says: That's life. Deal with it. So, being the nosy-ass that I am... :), what do you have planned for tomorrow?
No way was she ever going to tell him.
Shar-Pay - Is busy having a life - MSG Wanderlust-boy says: Why the hell would I tell you? My rival...
Bolton; Is wanting to KILL Chad AND Gabriella says: Wanderlust? Back to the topic, why wouldn't you tell me? Do you actually think I'll have the same things as you have? I can't even afford your, like, socks, I guess... I'm giving out pins that have the letters of my fullname on it...
Shar-Pay - Is busy having a life - MSG Wanderlust-boy says: A Wanderlust is someone with an unknown desire to travel. By unknown, I mean they don't know why they have the desire to travel. Letters? Pins? What a goddamn corny idea. Who the hell thought of that? OH! Chad and Gabriella? Well, when you have one idiot and one who got a new attitude over the summer, of coure you're idea will suck...
Bolton; Is wanting to KILL Chad AND Gabriella says: Oh... So, who's Bryce? Is he a Wanderlust? You noticed her attitude too, huh? Well, then what's your idea that you're implying is so MUCH better than mine, well, theirs'.
Shar-Pay - Is busy having a life - MSG Wanderlust-boy says: Oh look at the time, gotta go, Bolton. Night, hope the vampires bite...
Sharpay signed off and decided to work and surprise Troy tomorrow. Her old/new make-up and pink yo-yos shall kick Troy's letter pins to Antartica, Someone the more she thought about everything, more she thought her ideas were stupid and letter's actually showed they supported Troy and well, they could wear the make-up and play with the yo-yos. The make-up was designer and the yo-yos were defected but everything was good for now. Just wait until the fedora hats come in and the 'suggestion' box.
"God, how am I going to answer all the suggestions made with a span of a day..." Sharpay asked herself. How can people read what she says about the suggestions so they won't be pestering her about them during school? She was back on the computer and checked Perez Hilton; she needed her daily dose of celebrity gossip. Thank God Perez updated all the time, well, he has nothing better to do but people can check his site for the latest gossip all the time. "Oh my god!"
Sharpay again grabbed her phone to make a call to a very close person. She didn't know how to create a real website that was actually good so she decided to call someone that could. "Bradyn!" Sharpay screamed into the phone, hearing her older brother's hello. Bradyn was a year younger than Bryce and two years older than Sharpay. He made fantastic fansites for incredible people. He also skipped a grade because he was brilliant.
"Sharpay? Why are you calling me? I have an exam coming up tomorrow..." Bradyn brushed back his honey coloured hair and pushed his glassed back. His green eyes were very tired looking. He wasn't in the mood to have his little sister pestering him.
"I need you to make me a site for my suggestion box," Sharpay started. "Y'see, I'm running for President and Ryan came up with his suggestion box and I want to reply to each suggestion to show that I care and I need a site that they can access to see the suggestions I've answered."
"Very well then," Bradyn answered. "Call me tomorrow after school and we'll discuss the site then. I've really got to study." Then he hung up without 'goodbye'.
Sharpay grinned to herself. Troy has nothing that could compare to her or the power she holds. She didn't even bribe anyone with money, not that she really could.
x-x-x-x
Troy brought all the pins home with him from Gabriella's because he was in charge of them. Chad and Gabriella fought on which manager should keep it, so Troy came between them again and decided, since he was running, he would keep it. Troy didn't know why the two kept fighting; he knew about the incident but he knew Gabriella wouldn't stay mad for that long since she did get her cell back.
He looked down at the plastic bags filled with letters and noticed he accidentally brought the other letters too. He could always return them later. Troy shoved the extra letters under his bed and put the rest on his bed. Tomorrow was going to be a good day, he felt it. He knew Sharpay had a plan up her sleeves, he just didn't know it yet but whatever it was, he would beat her, just like always. Now that he thought about it, he actually felt bad for stealing almost everything away from the girl. All she tried to do was want the leads of the Winter Musical and to win the Star Dazzle Award. She got nothing.
"Did I do all that?" Troy asked himself. "She was being awfully mean... though."
Then it hit him and surprised him. Why was he constantly thinking about her since that good deed earlier?
"Stop it, Troy!" He told himself, smacking his forehead repeatedly. "That's not the real her, she's not nice, she's manipulative, she's not sweet, she's tactful - Okay, to make this simple, she's everything Gabriella is not. And thank goodness Gabi isn't like her at all..." He moaned and fell back onto his bed, flopping on top of the pins. "Ouch," he said, pulling the pins from under him and throwing it on the floor as he thought about the differences of Gabi and Sharpay.
"Who is this Bryce fellow?"
x-x-x-x
Thank you for reading. I did not read this over but I'm posting it up. I'm quite sure there aren't that much mistakes, given there are still a few.
I'm quite sure you realized that I mentioned many things there, like Korea, Thailand, Sound of Music and Grave of the Fireflies. Also, a wanderlust. My dad has a case of this, the main reason my parents spilt, my dad couldn't sit still and those places I've mentioned like Seoul and Bangkok are places he went too after the divorce. I remember them the best since he constantly emailed us from her, everyday for five months. He would usually type, Seoul, Korea Day 25...
Grave of the Fireflies is a book by Akiyuki Nosaka, a semi-auto-biography noval, like Gabi told us, well, Chad. It's amazing and a tear-jerker. If you want the movie is on youtube, there is a life-action one but it's Japanese with English sub and their is an anime one by Disney Studio Ghilb in English Dub. There are differences between the two movies but both make me cry - I cried more in the life-action version because they are real people protraying the characters which makes it sadder when they die. The novel takes place during WWII in Japan during the firebomb in Kobe 1945. I recommend it, I seriously do. Like Gabi said, you can get the meaning of the title once you read or watch it. LOL. MSG me if you want to know because telling you the meaning now will give some of the plot away to people who want to read/watch it.
Enough about that and thank you for reading and the previous reviews. Note, Bradyn is pronounced BRAY-DEN... My neighbor pronounced it BRAH-DIN... :)
Review again please
-Alexis