AN: This story is... halfway over. Already.
So for those people who have seen the movie, this chapter is a lot like it. Like, more so than some past chapters have been. So... yeah, just letting you know.
Title: Cruel to be Kind
Rating: T
Author: MadiWillow
Summary: Ryan likes Taylor, but he can't date until Sharpay does. Chad is the only one deemed brave enough to tame the wild beast. But he didn't expect to find a human being behind her facade.
Genre: Romance/Humor
Chapter: Chapter 4
The next day at school, Chad sat in the back of Troy's pick-up truck, his head in his hands, and his six friends around him.
"Was it really that bad?" asked Gabriella, sitting on the side of the car, her feet resting on the middle of the pick-up.
"It was horrible," he mumbled into his palms. "She totally wasn't buying the reason I was there, so I had to pretend to be all into the show and everything. I tried crying a little."
"Crying?" screeched Jason.
"Shut up. It wasn't real."
Zeke snickered. "How do we know you're not lying?"
Chad stared him down menacingly. "Would I really cry during a showing of 'Beauty and the Beast'?"
"Did you get her to go out with you?" interrupted Taylor.
He sighed. "She said, and I quote, 'I'll let you know.'"
"I'll let you know?" repeated Ryan. "I'll let you know?"
"No matter how many times you say it," Chad said in irritation, "it still holds the same meaning."
"How did that not work?" Taylor asked, stunned. "What else can you do?"
"Nothing," said Chad quickly. "Let's throw in the towel."
Gabriella rolled her eyes. "You're really gonna give up after you went to the show? You've done so much already. You can't just stop."
"I can. I still have seventy-five bucks."
"We just need to try something else."
Chad scowled. "Well, you guys can think of whatever you want. I'm done."
They fell into silence, Taylor rocking back and forth on the edge of the truck and Troy drumming his fingers as he thought.
"There's that party at Bogie Lowenstien's house tonight," Ryan spoke up. "You can take her to that. She doesn't have any plans."
Frowning, Chad said, "You want me to be seen with her, in public?"
"You were with her last night," pointed out Troy.
"Yeah, in front of all middle-aged women," he responded. "This party will have people from our school."
"Then take her to the movies instead," sighed Ryan. "Look, I don't care where you take her. But if you take her somewhere tonight, then I can take Taylor out."
Chad kicked his feet on the bottom of the car, making it echo loudly. "Fineeee," he whined. "I'll take her to the stupid party. And then I'll commit suicide later."
"There she is," pointed Gabriella. Chad craned his neck around to see Sharpay removing her bag from her car. "Go do it, now."
"Do I have to?"
"Do it!" ordered Taylor.
Chad scowled. "Okay, okay," he grumbled. He hopped out of the truck over the side and landed cat-like on the ground. Jogging over to Sharpay's pink convertible, he leaned against the door to the backseat; Sharpay was crouched down and rummaging through the passenger side of the car. "Hey."
His voice started her, and she nearly jumped out of her skin. "Jesus Christ," she panted, her hand on her heart, as she straightened up. "Don't do that."
Cutting straight to the point, he said casually, "So, did you hear about Bogie's party tonight?"
"Yeah, so?" she asked, hauling her bag onto her right shoulder and shutting the door to her car.
"You wanna go? You know, with me?" Before she could answer, he cut across quickly, "I know you said 'I'll let you know' or whatever last night, but, you know, you can let me know now." He shrugged. "Why don't you just go with me? Couldn't hurt, right?"
She opened and closed her mouth a couple times, looking very conflicted. She finally sighed deeply. "Fine."
Chad was about to walk away before he did a double-take. "Wait, really? You're saying yes?"
She nodded, looking slightly lost. "I-I guess so. Yeah. Sure," she said in a tired, defeated tone.
"Awesome." Chad clapped his hands together. "So, what time should I pick you up? Eight? Eight-thirty?"
"Eight-thirty sounds good." She gave him a small smile before turning away from him and walking into the school.
--
Sharpay Evans stood in the middle of her room at eight-ten P.M. that night, not knowing exactly what to do. She'd deliberately put off getting ready for that night, hoping that time would somehow stand still and the party would never arrive. She'd been dreading the party ever since Chad had asked and she's answered affirmatively, and she'd spent the whole day inexplicably worrying about it.
She promptly threw herself onto her bed, face down, hoping to smother herself to death.
... had she really agreed to go out with Chad Danforth?
She punched her bed with her fists while she kicked her legs in a frenzy, screaming into the comforter so that the sound went near unnoticed. She'd sworn off dating after the fiasco that was known as The Cruel Summer, and she'd let herself get shaken down by a guy with hair curlier than hers in a matter of days?
What was wrong with her?
Exhaling, she sat up again, as her plan to cut off her supply of oxygen had failed. She took it as an omen, that she was probably meant to go out with him.
Only problem is, was it a good omen, or a bad one? She couldn't decide.
Well, even if she had a horrible time, at least her good-for-nothing brother would be happy. When she told him she had a date for that night, he'd look pleasantly surprised. He'd practically ran into his room to call Taylor, and Sharpay almost threw up. He was such a girl.
Sharpay wasn't going to get too dressed up for the party that night, so she just wore a pair of skinny jeans and white babydoll tee. Yawning with boredom, she brushed her hair straight and applied some light makeup; a thin line of black eyeliner, mascara, and lip gloss.
She was done after ten minutes. Her shoulders sagging, she slipped into a pair of flats and grabbed her purse, jogging down the stairs and taking two at a time.
"Mom, Dad, I'm going to a party," she droned, popping her head quickly in the living room.
"Oh, how nice," said her mother. She was knitting on the lounge chair in front of the fireplace, while her father read from the newspaper. "Are you meeting your friends there?"
"No, a guy is taking me."
Her mother looked up with wide eyes. "A boy?"
Sharpay sighed. "Yes, Mom. Ryan and I both have dates for tonight."
"Aw, the two of you!?" she squealed, and clapped excitedly. "I'm gonna get a picture!"
"No!" snapped Sharpay. "Jesus, Mom."
"But it's your first date!" pleaded Mrs. Evans.
"Emma," grumbled Howard, "leave the girl alone."
Sharpay smiled brightly. "Thanks, Daddy." She kissed him on the cheek as a knock came from the door. She trotted over and opened it, seeing Taylor standing in the threshold.
"Hi, Taylor," said Sharpay tightly, standing back to let her enter. "You look... nice."
Taylor smiled, touching her plaid mini-skirt somewhat self-consciously. "Thanks. You too."
Sharpay reared her head back and shouted throughout the house, "RYAN! YOUR DATE'S HERE!"
"Coming, coming!" He thundered loudly down the stairs, his feet pounding on the steps as he went, and he skidded once he reached the tile ground floor. Regaining his composure, he glanced up and his eyes rested on Taylor. She ran a hand through her hair nervously, as he stared.
"Why don't you take a picture?" asked Sharpay in a bitchy tone, after nearly half a minute had passed. Ryan blushed and finally tore his eyes away from Taylor.
"Did someone say picture?" called Emma.
"No!" Ryan yelled back. He cleared his throat and took Taylor's hand. "Should we go?"
"Sure."
He opened the door and led her out to his car. Sharpay sat down in a chair near the front door and watched through the window as Ryan opened the passenger door for Taylor and then slipped into the driver's seat himself. The two kissed briefly before he drove away, and Sharpay sighed deeply. She checked her Rolex watch and saw that Chad was five minutes late.
Another minute passed. And another, and another. Sharpay's heart sunk considerably. Maybe he wasn't coming. Maybe this was some cruel joke. As much as Sharpay tried to detach herself from her student body, and as much as she was not looking forward to the night ahead, she was still significantly flattered that a guy had asked her out. Most guys at East High were afraid of her, or just didn't like her. She liked it that way. But the fact that maybe there was a guy that saw past that had made her happy; at least, a little bit.
She rolled her eyes. She'd been stupid. He isn't coming, she told herself. This was probably just some prank. No guy would go near her without a ten foot plank of wood.
Sharpay was halfway up the steps with the doorbell rang, but she ignored it. She trumped up the steps as her mother answered it, and called up to her that Chad was there. She sat on the top step for a good, long minute, internally debating on whether or not she should go. On the pros side, it got her out of the house for one night. On the cons, it could suck.
She put her head in her hands and gripped her long hair tightly, and her scalp started to throb. She let go and brushed her hair with her fingers, chewing on her lip. Could it really be a joke? But, who would care enough to even administer such a joke on her?
Finally, after deciding that she'd kept him waiting long enough, she stood up and jogged back down the steps. She said a curt good-bye to her parents and exited the house, closing the door behind her. "I thought you weren't coming."
Chad grinned sheepishly. "Sorry I'm late."
"Whatever. You're driving."
--
In all honesty, Chad had come very close to not coming at all. He'd sat in his room ten minutes before he was due at her house, and seriously considered standing her up. It was ridiculous, what he was doing. He was going out with Sharpay for Ryan and Taylor? Why? And what would happen if she ever found out? That the guy who asked her out was getting paid by her own brother?
Chad had frozen as the latter thought floating across his mind. Since when did he care about Sharpay, and, much less, her feelings? He didn't give a shit if she found out. So what if she hated Ryan because of it? It wouldn't affect him.
He sighed. But as much as he tried to deny it, he knew that Sharpay was still a girl, a real, flesh covered, blood filled human being. She did have feelings, no matter how much she denied it in school or pretended that nothing bothered her. He'd seen at the show the night before that she did have emotions, even though her hand would flutter near her right temple to try and hide them from him.
And it was that memory that got him dressed and out the door five minutes late.
"Want some music for the ride?" he asked her as they slid into the car.
She shrugged nonchalantly. "I don't care."
Chad turned on the radio as he pulled away from her house, tapping his fingers on the steering wheel to the rhythm of the music as he went. Sharpay leaned her head against the window, already feeling tired. She knew the night was going to suck.
"So, if we're on a date..." mused Chad, "we should probably try to at least talk, right?"
"I guess," she said skeptically, "but we really don't have anything to talk about."
"Hmm..." Chad thought. "What's your favorite color?"
She rolled her eyes again. "I'll give you two guesses."
"I think I'm gonna go with brown," he said seriously.
"Guess again."
"Vomit green?"
"Wow," she droned blandly, "however did you guess?"
"I have a knack for these type of things," he informed her.
"You mean color-guessing?" she asked slyly.
"Oh, yeah, definitely," Chad nodded seriously, "and favorite ice cream flavors, favorite movies, favorite songs."
Sharpay folded her arms across her chest. "Oh, really? Try it, then."
When they reached a red light, he turned and gave her a once over. "Ice cream... coffee. Movie, 'Baby Geniuses.' Song..." He thought for a moment. "Pretty Fly for a White Guy."
She snorted. "Wow. Great job," she said sarcastically. "I think Pretty Fly for a White Guy explains me pretty well."
"It does, doesn't it?" he said thoughtfully. "Do you sing it in the shower every night?" he asked knowingly. "Sing it to yourself as you fall asleep? Do you count white guys instead of sheep?"
She allowed a small grin to grace her features. "What about you? What do you count? Balls?"
"No. Do you?" he smirked, and she flushed.
"You are so immature," she chided, looking out the window again. "I meant balls as in basketballs and baseballs."
He shrugged. "I don't know, I still think you count balls..."
--
The party was in full swing when Chad and Sharpay stepped in through the wide open front door. The air was thick with smoke, music was blasting, and most of the guests were drinking deeply from beer cans. Sharpay glanced around wearily; a year ago, she was the one throwing these massive parties. But now, she wasn't even sure if she was welcome.
She felt largely uncomfortable as she and Chad walked through the crowd, since most of the party-goers turned to stare at her. Their eyes seemed to bug out of their sockets, and she heard the whispers start.
"Is he here with her?"
"Maybe it's a pity date."
"What makes her think she can come?"
Sharpay spied her brother with Taylor on the other side of the room, surrounded by Gabriella, Troy, Zeke, and Jason, and she pushed through the crowd toward him, losing Chad in the process. At least there was one familiar face that she could find semi-comfort in.
"Ryan," she breathed in relief, "there you are. Can I --"
"I'm busy, Sharpay," interrupted Ryan. "Go and hang out with your date."
She stared at him. "But I --"
"We don't need any of your negativity," Taylor said harshly. "We wanna have fun tonight."
Sharpay gaped at them, all staring at her with unforgiving eyes. "I – fine." She felt the anger boil up in her blood, and her head suddenly started pounding. The claustrophobia, the thick smoke, the loud music – she was going to lose it if she didn't get out of there soon. A sudden urge floating through her and her arms started twitching; she needed to get outside.
She turned around and bumped onto a guy holding a tray full of tequila shots.
Well... she didn't have to leave so soon.
Sharpay took a shot and downed it. She'd never been one for hard liquor, and she coughed after swallowing, but she still reached for another. Chad finally caught up with her. "Where'd you --" he started, but saw her take another shot. "What are you doing?"
"I'm getting wasted, dude," she said sarcastically. "Isn't that what you're supposed to do at a party?"
"Uh... I guess..." he said slowly. Her fingers curled around a third, but he reached for it. "How about you let me have that one?"
"No! This one's mine," she said, holding it out of his grasp and disappearing again through the crowd. Chad watched her go, a deep frown on his face. He turned around and spotted Ryan and company a few feet away, and he sidled over to them.
"What'd you do with Sharpay?" asked Troy as soon as he reached them.
"Yeah, try to keep her away from us," Ryan added.
"Why? And, where does that leave me?" asked Chad irritably.
"Next party, you won't have to bring her," Taylor reasoned.
Scowling, Chad said, "So, what, you want me to babysit her all night?"
"You're her date," Gabriella reminded him.
Chad just rolled his eyes. "Whatever. Well, she's getting pretty hammered, so I might as well make sure she doesn't start driving or something."
--
It took Chad nearly forty-five minutes to finally locate Sharpay. He weaved his way through the jam-packed house, slipping past sweaty, drunk teenagers and circling the same path over and over again. He began to think that maybe she'd left to walk home or something, and started to wish he'd received her cell phone number. If she tried to walk home, that was bad news. It was about ten o' clock, and who knew what could happen to a drunk girl on the streets.
Chad stepped outside to clear his head, savoring the feeling of clean air in his lungs as opposed to marijuana fumes. There were a couple people drinking outside, and a few others throwing up. A girl was ambling around on the grass, looking as if she was having trouble staying upright on her feet. She had blonde hair, and was wearing a familiar outfit --
He bounded over to Sharpay, as she looked about to fall over. He put one hand on her shoulder and the other on her hip. "Jesus, where have you been?"
"Avoiding you," she slurred, very drunkenly.
"How many shots have you had?" he scolded, leading her over to a bench in the large courtyard at the front of the house's property.
"I don't know," she mumbled. "Ten... twenty... a hundred..."
"I doubt you had a hundred shots," he chuckled, sitting down next to her. "What's up with you, anyway? Weren't we on, like, a date? Seems like you didn't exactly want to spend it with me."
She rolled her eyes. "Are you that unhappy?"
"Um..."
"Ryan made me pissed," she continued. "And everyone was talking about me."
"So?" he asked, surprised. "I thought you didn't want anyone to like you."
She looked at him as if he had two heads. "Why would I want no one to like me?"
He was unsure if she was posing a trick question. "Well..." he began slowly, "you're not exactly the nicest person alive. And you try to steal other girls' boyfriends quite often."
Groaning, she leaned forward, clutching her forehead. Her head was pounding, and all his talking wasn't helping. "I may be a bitch, but I'm not a soulless being. It still hu --" She stopped herself before she could say anything more. If there was one bad thing about being intoxicated, it was the inability control what one was saying. "I – I mean," she stammered, trying hard to rearrange her words. "It still pisses me off when people talk about me."
"Ryan was talking about you?" Chad asked, his brow furrowed.
"No, everyone else was," she corrected. "Ryan just told me to go away."
Chad blinked. "He didn't want you here? Then why did he --" He stopped and cleared his throat. "He told me he wanted you to come."
Chad thanked God that Sharpay was drunk and didn't notice his almost slip-up.
"Well, if he wanted me to come," she said bitterly, "he didn't want me to ruin his perfect date at this perfect party with his perfect friends." She sighed. "Every perfect person has that shameful family member."
"You think Ryan is perfect?" he laughed.
She snorted. "No. I'm saying he thinks he's perfect." She leaned back on the bench, her hand on her forehead. "My head hurts," she complained.
"Well, you did ingest a large amount of tequila," he said matter-of-factly. "And you're pretty small."
Before she could thank him for calling her skinny, she felt bile rise up in her throat and the next thing she knew, she was doubled over, puking all over the ground near his shoes. Chad yelped and jumped up, and she narrowly missed his feet.
She continued to throw up and he sighed lightly. Sitting back down, he patted her head in a comforting manner as she heaved.
--
Once Sharpay felt better, Chad led her over to his car to drive her home. She was more animated in the car, most of the alcohol seemingly out of her body.
"You know what I like?" she said, and answered her own question before he had a chance to guess. "Painting."
"Really?" he questioned. "I thought your life was ruled by musicals."
"I can like both, you know," she retorted.
He nodded. "Of course you can," he agreed.
"I like to paint scenes from musicals I've seen," she continued. "I started the 'Beauty and the Beast' one earlier today."
"I'd like to see it when you're done," he said honestly.
She looked at him. "You would?"
"Yeah."
"Oh." She graced him with a genuine smile. "Okay." She yawned. "Yeah, it's hard for me to buy my stuff for it, though, because my parents will wonder why there's money spent that didn't result in clothes. I usually have to sneak them in somehow."
He wanted to ask her why she didn't just tell them, but decided against it. Sharpay was a strange person, and he didn't think he would understand the reason even if told.
A few moments later he reached the front of her house and parked the car. "Well, I had fun tonight." He paused, and added, "Even if I spent half the time looking for you and nearly getting thrown up on."
"At least you weren't the one throwing up," she shot back.
"Yeah, that's true," he said, and she grinned slightly.
"I had fun tonight, too," she said in a quiet, almost shy-like voice. It startled Chad. If he looked up "shy" in the dictionary, "Sharpay Evans" would be under antonyms. "You know... you're not as asinine as I thought," she piped up suddenly.
The next thing he knew, she was leaning forward, her eyes were closed, and she was waiting, expectantly.
He stared at her for a few seconds, torn. This was Sharpay Evans, and he hated her. He always had. He always will.
He glanced down at her lips, waiting for him to meet her halfway. He didn't want to. He... couldn't. He swallowed, and painfully tore his eyes away.
"Good-night," he said quietly.
Her eyes fluttered open. Her cheeks turned red. She slowly leaned back, her mouth open slightly. He looked at his lap, avoiding eye contact, as she got out of the car and slammed the door loudly in her wake.
--
AN: I couldn't resist keeping Bogie Lowenstien somehow in this fic, even if just by mention. :)