My Life Would Suck Without You
A High School Musical fanfiction
by
GimmeABeat
Chapter 6: The Results
Disclaimer: See Chapter 1.
Sharpay was curiously silent as she and Ryan stared down at the white plastic stick which lay on her bathroom countertop.
"Well", announced Ryan, solemnly, "I guess that settles it."
"I want to take another test." Sharpay's voice was eerily calm.
"Shar ..." He was trying to not sound patronizing, but it was difficult and he was sure he was failing. "That was the last one and they all said the same thing..." He tilted his head in the direction of the edge of the bathtub where, aligned in a neat row, sat six other plastic sticks, each one a slightly different design.
There were the E.P.T Certainty 1-Step Pregnancy Test, Clearblue Easy Digital Pregnancy Test, and First Response Gold Digital Pregnancy Test ... all with digital readout. Then, there was the E.P.T Pregnancy Test, the Fact Plus One-Step Pregnancy Test, and the Clearblue Easy Results Pregnancy Test with the + or – indicator. And on the countertop, there sat the tried and true First Response Early Result Pregnancy Test with the classic blue line. All of them reported the same results --- Sharpay was pregnant.
She sank down onto the closed toilet seat, dropped her head into her hands and moaned. "No, no, and fuck no! It's not possible. I can't be pregnant, Ryan. I don't want children; I've never wanted children and the thought that something could be growing inside of me, makes me ill."
"That's probably just morning sickness."
"Shut up, Ryan! Those tests are wrong ... all seven of them ... I can't be pregnant."
Ryan watched her thoughtfully before commenting. "Okay, Sharpay, that's called denial; it's usually followed soon after by anger."
Sharpay's head snapped up. "Shit! I'm going to kill that son of a ..." She was up and out of the room before Ryan could blink and he followed quickly after her. She'd made it all the way to elevator before he caught up.
"Sharpay ... please, wait. Talk to me."
Before she could say anything, the elevator doors opened to reveal that same old lady with her ardent basset hound. Sharpay, then, turned her anger to the stranger. "Why are you always here?!"
The old lady looked genuinely frightened, as did the dog who was cowered behind his mistress as the doors grateful shut, leaving them alone.
Ryan grabbed onto both of Sharpay's shoulders and turned her toward him. "Sharpay, look at me!", he demanded. "We're going back to your apartment and I'm going to make you a calming cup of chamomile tea and we're going to talk about this, okay?"
Sharpay's eyes had glazed over and she nodded mutely and allowed him to lead her back inside.
Five minutes later, Ryan placed the warm mug of tea in front of his sister and sat down across from her. "Okay, Sharpay. Talk to me. Who are you sleeping with? And why do you want to kill him?"
"I'm not sleeping with anyone. I-It was a one-night stand. I already told you about him, Ryan." She was starting to sound angry again, but at least she was talking to him and not cursing him.
"Oh my God! Do you mean Troy Bolton?"
"Of course, I mean Troy Bolton. I don't sleep around casually; you know that."
"Alright, alright. You're right. You don't sleep around ... often. But you do do it enough to know to take precautions."
"That's why I'm going to kill him!" Then, she told Ryan ... the rest of the story. She didn't hold anything back, even including Troy's desire to have a baby with his then-wife, Gabriella, and him telling her that he couldn't father children.
"You think he lied to you?" Ryan was still trying to wrap his mind around his whole soap-opera like plot of his sister's life.
"What else could it have been? He tells me this outrageous sob story about how Gabriella dumps him and how he's this super hottie who shoots blanks and is God's gift to women..."
"He said that?"
"Well, not in so many words, but that part is true." She briefly had a far off look in her eye as she remembered fragmented bits of her night with Troy before being jerked back to reality by Ryan.
"No offense, Sharpay, but I think you're wrong ... not about the gift to women thing. You're right --- he is hot." Sharpay rolled her eyes in Ryan's general direction. "No, you're wrong about him doing this as part of some elaborate pick-up scheme." She glared at him ... again. "Seriously, think about it. This is Troy Bolton: boy scout extraordinaire. Plus, I don't think he's smart enough to come up with something like this."
Sharpay thought about it ... seriously thought about it and knew Ryan was right. Troy Bolton wasn't that cruel , so he must honestly think he's infertile. With that thought in mind she realized something far more devastating than her lone pregnancy.
"Dear God, Ryan! I have to find him. It's been six weeks since we got together, he's a newly divorced hottie in New York City. He could have impregnated hundreds of women by now."
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"Bolton, here", Troy barked into the phone. The past month had been crazy and he really didn't have time for one more telephone call. Basketball season, which officially started at the end of October, was only two months away. Troy was getting revved up with coach interviews, player interviews and the ever-fun speculation that was his daily bread in the television network industry. On top of that, the main baseball reporter was out of work having back surgery and Troy was taking up the slack in that sport during the height of their summer season. Therefore, it was with little wonder that his temper was so short.
"Troy, my man", crackled the exuberant voice of Chad Danforth. Troy hadn't heard from him in six weeks. Since the morning after... "You're in your office, right?"
"Yeah...", Troy said warily, wondering if he should expect a knock at the door or a bullet through his office window.
"Then you're not the new Mr. Gisele Snow. I knew it! I told Taylor she was crazy, but you know women and their gossiping."
Troy rubbed a tired hand over his eyes. "What are you talking about, Chad? Work really has me swamped. I don't have time for..."
Chad cut him off. "Gisele ran off to Vegas and married some guy and Taylor was convinced it was you because Gisele's Aunt Sally who was college roommates with Taylor's mom, Delores, told her daughter, Sydney, who told Taylor's cousin, Jessica,..." He trailed off and Troy became even more anxious to get off the phone.
"Chad", Troy bit out in annoyance.
"O-oh, oh yeah, anyway somebody told Taylor that Gisele was gettin' pretty serious with this guy she started dating around the time that you and her went out. But I knew it wasn't you. You didn't even seem all that interested in her ... though for the life of me, I don't know why. She's hot!"
"Chad!"
"Sorry, I just wanted to make sure you hadn't done anything crazy."
Years later, Troy would never understand why he said what he said next, but before he knew it the words were out and he couldn't take them back. "I have done something crazy, Chad. I had a one-night stand with Sharpay Evans and I can't stop thinking about her."
There was long silence on the other end of the phone and Troy thought for sure Chad had hung up.
"Meet me at Dock's in five minutes, dude. We'll talk then."
"Sure", Troy sounded defeated.
Troy slowly stood from his desk and glancing around to check if he needed anything, left the office and headed towards the elevator. Dock's Oyster Bar wasn't their normal meeting place, but it was very close to the 3rd Avenue offices of ESPN and Chad probably knew if he had to walk further than half a block, he wouldn't go. He entered the upscale restaurant/bar and barely noticed the clean, crisp lines of décor that graced the interior. The walls were painted in warm earth tones and black mosaic tiles decorated the bar where black leather and chrome stools awaited patronage. It was late afternoon --- too late for lunch and too early for dinner and every stool was empty, save for one.
Troy walked up to his old friend and sat down without saying a word. He indicated for the bartender to give him a bottled beer, but other than that didn't acknowledge his childhood friend. Chad turned and spoke to Troy's profile. "Hey man, you got here pretty quick."
"Not as quick as you", Troy said solemnly.
"I was already here", he stated as if they didn't both already know this fact. "I've been worried about you, Troy. Calling about Gisele was just a cover. You canceled on lunch three weeks ago and every time I left a message, you never return it."
"Like I said, I've been really busy."
"...With Sharpay?", Chad hedged.
"What?", Troy snapped and finally turned to look at him.
"You told me on the phone that you and her got together."
"Yeah, got together, as in the past tense and then it was only one time. God, I've really messed this up, Chad. I mean I can't believe I went home with her ... that we ..."
"Hey, this is obviously eating you up inside, so why don't you call her?"
"I can't", Troy said mournfully. "I-I did a really stupid thing; I left the next morning when she was still asleep."
"You ran out on Sharpay Evans? Are you crazy?"
"Yeah, I am, but she hasn't contacted me either and I'm a lot easier to find than she is."
"Man, you better be careful around her. Remember what I told you in high school --- don't pet the mountain lion, but I guess you went waaaay beyond petting, huh?"
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"What do you mean you don't know how to get in touch with him? He's Troy Bolton." At her blank stare, Ryan continued, "He's on 'The Best Darn It All To Heck Sports Show, Exclamation Point'." This solicited more blank stares. "It airs every night on ESPN at nine and then, repeats at eleven."
They'd decided she would call Troy and invite him out to dinner or something and she could tell him there. This wasn't something to be shared over the telephone. Sharpay admitted that she had considered calling him before now, but she didn't know how to find him.
After Ryan's revelation, all Sharpay could manage to say was, "You watch ESPN?"
"Give me the phone", Ryan demanded, ignoring her sexist comment.
After Ryan found the number for ESPN Studios, he called and was shortly transferred to the offices of 'The Best Darn It All To Heck Sports Show, Exclamation Point'. While it was still ringing, he handed the phone back to Sharpay.
This was it! What was she going to say to him?
"The Sports Show, may I help you?", answered a pleasant female voice.
"Oh, um ... I was trying to reach Troy Bolton?" Her voice sounded lame even to her own ears.
"He's not at his desk, but I don't think he's left for the day. May I take a message?"
"Sure ... could you tell him ..." Tell him what, Sharpay, he's not as infertile as he thought? He's put a bun in your oven. That sounded stupid.
"Ma'am", asked the pleasant voice, "are you still there?"
"Yeah, sorry", she muttered quickly. "Just tell him to call Sharpay Evans at 555-1234; we need to talk."
"Got it and have a nice day."
"Thank you", replied Sharpay automatically, though this was far from a nice day. She hung up the phone and gave Ryan a relieved smile. "I'm glad that's over with." She flopped down onto the couch next to Ryan. "I just want to pretend this never happened."
"It's not going to go away." Ryan squeezed her hand. "You're pregnant and now we have to decide what the next step is."
"What do you mean what the next step is? There's only one thing to do, for God's sake." Her voice was hard and Ryan flinched at her words. "Really, Ryan ... as if I have a choice."
"Ryan", Sharpay sat down next to him on the sofa and noticed him tense up immediately. "You're my brother, my twin, and I love you and I know that you'll support me no matter what my decision is, but now isn't the right time for a baby", she said these words as gently as she could. "I'm not ready to be a mother. I have my career, Ryan, and that's the most important thing to me right now and I don't want a baby. A baby would ruin everything."
"But what about that baby in The Disney Store?", Ryan asked helplessly; his eyes inexplicably brimming with tears.
"It was someone else's and I gave it back. It must have been hormones or something." She put her arms around him, offering him the only thing she could, and smiled sadly. "This is so weird. Here I am, comforting my brother, when I'm the one who's pregnant. I'm the one who will be having an abortion."
Ryan looked up at her eventually and sighed, "Oh Sharpay, I do love you and you're right, I'll always be there for you, but you can't just make a snap decision like this. This isn't just about you anymore. You have a new life growing inside of you ... a baby ... my niece or nephew." He started crying in earnest now.
"It's not a baby!", Sharpay snapped, more harshly than she intended and she stood from the sofa and walked to the window. Looking down on the busy street below, she wondered how everyone else could carry on with their lives as if nothing has happened when her life had been turned upside down. "Lots of people have abortions, Ryan, more than you'd ever imagine. In fact it's a miracle this hasn't happened to me before now. It's no big deal." Her back was still turned to him and her gaze was drawn away from the street and to the apartment building across the alley from hers ... to the large, oversized window where she could very clearly see a young couple, lying on the floor with their baby between them, laughing and cooing at the product of their love and she felt ... absolutely nothing.
She turned away from the window. "It's not a baby, Ryan." She walked back to the sofa and sat down, wondering why she didn't feel sick, wondering why she only felt tired and a bit numb. "It's a ... nothing ... it's nothing. It's not a baby ... it's not my child and it's not your niece or nephew. You have to stop thinking like that or I won't be able to get through this.
Ryan pulled himself together, sniffed and said, "I understand."
They pretended to have a normal evening. Ryan made dinner for her in her kitchen and they ate in relative silence.
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"That beer just goes straight through me; I just need to hit the can before we leave", Troy told Chad as they walked into Troy's office many hours later to retrieve his laptop before leaving for the evening.
"Sure man, I'll just wait at your desk and play with all your toys."
"Hah. Every time you come in here, something goes missing. Just know that I've got my eye on you."
Chad chuckled to himself as he watched Troy stagger down the hallway towards the men's room. Then, he moved behind the sizable desk and sat down in the comfortable leather seat. As much as he loved his own career, Troy did have more perks than he did. As he started idly looking over Troy's desk, a small slip of paper caught his eye. Once, he'd made 100 bucks on a tip he saw on Troy's desk about an upcoming NBA draft. Unfortunately, this note wasn't about basketball.
It was from Sharpay Evans. Damn! That girl was nothing but trouble back in high school and now that Troy was on the rebound, Chad didn't think it would be good for him to rebound into the ice princess.
He quickly picked up the paper and shoved it into his pocket just as Troy walked back in.
"Ready, man?", Chad asked nonchalantly. "Taylor's really excited about you coming for dinner. She's got some recipe she wants to try out."
"So... we should stop by Mickey-D's on the way?"
"You got it."
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"Thank you, Mother, talking with you has really helped."
Sharpay looked up from the phone and saw Ryan let himself back in. He was just returning from taking Boi for a walk. Ryan had been incredibly supportive of her over the past week since she found out about the pregnancy. Which was remarkable, she knew, since he didn't approve of her decision to end it.
"You do what you think is right, Sharpay. I trust your judgment", Darby was telling when she focused back on their conversation. "Have you given anymore consideration into dating ... you know ... once this is taken care of?"
"You don't need a man in your life if you have a support structure of friends and family around you." Sharpay was pretty sure she'd heard that on Oprah or read it on a box of cereal or something.
"And do you have a good social life there in New York?", Darby asked. "Do you have friends? Are you happy? I'm not saying you have to have a man to be happy, but I know how lonely life can be living on your own and I worry about you living so far away."
"Mother... this city is most definitely not paved with eligible men. And as for my social life... well, I have Ryan." That sounded pathetic.
"Just remember what I've said."
"I will Mother. I've got to run; talk soon; love you." And she hung up the phone before Ryan could make it across the room.
"That was Mom? Why didn't you let me talk to her?" Ryan's voice had just slightest hint of a whine to it.
"Trust me, you wouldn't have wanted to." Ryan looked puzzled and Sharpay explained as she poured both of them a glass of iced tea. "She agrees with me ... you know ... about the abortion."
Ryan winced at the word and Sharpay chastised herself once again. She had to stop saying it in front of him.
"She did?", Ryan asked in disbelief.
"Yep, she said my career is finally taking off and I'm too young to be tied down by a child. 28 is too young to have your entire life mapped out in front of you; especially, if I would be expected to put my own ambition on the back burner to start caring for a brand-new person. And it would be the worse mistake of my life." She sounded just a little too self-satisfied as she relayed the story.
"She said that?" His voice was still incredulous.
Sharpay nodded and started scooping spoonfuls of sugar into her glass. Ryan looked thoughtful for a minute and then started counting on the fingers. He quickly gave up on that and pulled out his Blackberry and began jabbing the screen with the stylus.
"What are you doing?"
"Shar, you do know that mom was a rising star in finance when she met dad."
"Of course, we've been told that story a thousand times, Ry."
"And you do know that she just turned 57 on her last birthday."
"I've never forgotten her birthday. I always buy her something glittering and expensive ... as I should." It had always been a bone of contention between the twins because Sharpay always felt you should spend large amounts of money on your gifts and Ryan said it was the thought that counts.
"That means that mom was 28 when she became pregnant with us. And I'm sure if you did the math", he held his Blackberry up for her to see, "you'd know that we were born seven months after they got married."
Without batting an eyelash, Sharpay replied, "We were preemies, Ryan."
"Sure, we were."
"What's your point?"
"Mom got pregnant when she was 28 --- the same age as you; she got married and gave up her career to raise us and now she's telling you that it was the biggest mistake of her life. That's what I'm saying."
"Well, you're just wrong." Sharpay's voice was flippant and she didn't want to hear anymore of it. She was just happy to have someone on her side, no matter the motivation.
"Yeah, I probably did the math wrong." He went back to his tea and dropped the conversation. "And despite my misgivings, I'll still go with you to the clinic, okay?"
She reached across the table and squeezed his hand. "Thank you, Ryan", she said in a slightly shaky voice.
"Have you heard back from Troy yet?"
She waved him off nonchalantly, trying a remain aloof, even though it did bother her. "No, but hey, it's not like I really needed him or anything. I was just trying to do my civic duty, right? And after all, this is Troy Bolton. You know what he's like; he's a keeper; husband material. And that's not what I'm after. You know men like him. Before you know it, he'll be offering to cook me dinner and expecting me to stay the night." Sharpay had always made it a point to be the one who left --- another reason she found Troy's abandonment of her so irksome. "And that's not what I want. He was my big high school crush, but now I've come to realize that he's not my type."
Immediately the line from Hamlet popped into Ryan's mind, "The lady doth protest too much, methinks." He, wisely, chose not to share this observation with his sister.
"Right ... Maybe I should call him", he offered instead.
"Don't", she snapped, a little too quickly. "Please, don't. I don't think it's worth it. Really, I'm okay."
"Are you?"
"I am ... and I'm lucky, really. I mean other than needing to pee every five minutes and feeling a little emotional, I'm really not having any side effects."
TBC
Author's Notes:
This one was a bit more serious than the previous ones. Please let me know what you think.
Please don't hate Sharpay in this chapter. I'm trying to be realistic here and it's different from how I normally write her.
Oh, and don't hate Chad either. He's just trying to be a good friend.
Oh, oh, and don't hate me either, either. There still wasn't any troypay in this chapter ... the darn plot just keeps getting in the way.
Now for all my research...
I thought I was going to have to go the the feminine aisle at CVS and read the labels of all the pregnancy packages, but luckily I found them all listed at
Duck's Oyster Bar really is across the street from ESPN studios on 3rd Ave in NYC. Google streetview is awesome.
And in the last chapter, I forgot to mention that their whole hotdog, Central Park, shopping trip was painstakingly mapped out also. The John Lennon Memorial in at the southern tip of Central Park and there's a hot dog cart at every entrance. Then, once they were back out on 5th Ave, Bergdorf Goodman is the closest department store even though Macy's or Saks might be more recognizable names. Now, FAO Schwartz is right across the street from Bergdorf's, but I couldn't not have them go into a Disney Store (which was just a couple of blocks away anyhow).
I think that's it with my rantings. This was a good week and I had time to write, but next week is another bad one, so please be patient on chapter 7.
Please R&R.