Author's Note: You guys have no idea how hard this has been for me.

I feel SO terrible. School has eaten up most of my time and tonight was my FIRST night of the entire school year with no homework. So, I wrote this chapter.

Please, if you're reading, leave a review. I need to know what people are thinking. Gosh, I've missed my readers! How have you all been?!


At lunch that afternoon, Colette and Sharpay sat at their usual table. Adam, however, was sitting at a table across the lunchroom with Amy and a younger boy named Shale.

"What's his problem?" Sharpay huffed, taking a large bite out of her pepperoni pizza.

Colette turned around, searching for Adam, and then turned back to Sharpay. "What do you mean?"

"He completely ignored me during art therapy," she replied, sipping on her apple juice.

"Not sure. Just being a boy? Maybe something is going on with his disorder. Don't take it personally. We all have our bad days, Shar." Colette smiled at her reassuringly. "Anyways, how was art therapy?"

"Alright. I'm no artist, but it gave me a lot of insight about my disorder."

"Ha, I'm with you there. I couldn't even make a finger painting look good. But, it helps," the tan blond giggled.

"Everything is distorted, isn't it?"

Colete tapped her lip thoughtfully. "I guess. The ways we view ourselves, others, the things people say; the list goes on forever."

Sharpay nodded, finishing her salad. "Just so you know, I'm working on getting better. I'm trying now, instead of just rejecting it all."

"Shar! I'm so glad!" Colette stood up, running around to hug her friend. Sharpay embraced her warmly, a smile on her face. As Colette sat back down, Sharpay could have sworn Adam was staring at her, but when she looked back at him, he was staring down at his food.

-

"Okay class, let's talk about your next project!" East High's old health teacher, Ms. Smith, spoke happily. "Split into groups of four and then I'll give you details."

Taylor, Troy, and Zeke quickly sat down next to Ryan, claiming their group. "This will be easy," Zeke laughed to his friends.

"It's health. Obviously it'll be easy," Troy said with a large grin.

"I wonder what we're doing!" Taylor pondered eagerly.

"Okay, settle down," the teacher spoke again. "Now, I have different topics in this bucket. You're group will pick one slip. From there, you will research your project for the rest of this week. We'll start presentations next week. You will share the information with the class by making a powerpoint. Let's pick!"

A boy on the basketball team in another group reached his hand into the bucket and grabbed a small slip of paper. "Brain tumors."

This pattern followed as each group got their topic. Finally, the bucket was presented to Ryan. He moved his hand around and pulled out a piece of paper. The smile that had been on his face quickly disappeared.

"You've got to be kidding me," he whispered.

Troy took the paper out of his hands and read the two words. "Ms. Smith, can we switch topics?"

"Mr. Bolton, that wouldn't be fair to the rest of the class. You'll take what you chose."

"I know. But, please?"

"You can either do your project or take an 'F'. That's final. Class, let's head to the library to start research."

"What's our topic?" Taylor asked eagerly, grabbing the slip of paper. "Ooh."

Zeke took the paper from Taylor's hand, his curiosity burning. "We're doing our project on eating disorders?!"

"Just. My. Luck." Ryan groaned as they left the classroom.

-

"Opening night is in three and a half weeks! We have a lot of work to be done. I'm afraid that if rehearsals don't get better this week, we'll have to cancel the spring play," Ms. Darbus said dramatically, with a hint of sadness, at the cast.

"You're not serious, Ms. Darbus? Are you?" Kelsi inquired.

She nodded gravely. "I'm afraid so."

"But, East High has never canceled a show before!" Ryan exclaimed.

"Maybe you all should try harder then. Like me," the ninth grader, Abby, who replaced Sharpay, snapped.

Gabriella rolled her eyes at Troy, who shared a look with Ryan, who made a face to Kelsi. Was a ninth grader really trying to tell them how to run their show?

"Maybe if you could hit the note in the chorus of the third scene," Gabriella mumbled under her breath.

"And stopped trying to change my compositions just because you can't sing," Kelsi added with annoyance.

"Or if she could remember her cue. How hard is it to come onto stage when you're name is called?" Troy growled.

"I wish Sharpay was here," Ryan sighed.

"Me too," Kelsi, Troy, and Gabriella sighed along with their friend.

"It's just not the same without her," Gabriella whispered.

"See! This is why we don't get anything done! You guys just sit around doing nothing! Ugh, I can't work like this," Abby screamed dramatically.

It was going to be a long rehearsal.

-

The day continued just as it had started; Adam thoroughly ignored Sharpay, much to her annoyance. As they walked into therapy, they brushed shoulders, but Adam just walked to the other side of the room casually before taking a seat by Shale again. Sharpay took her usual seat by Colette and therapy began.

"Welcome Community. How are things going today?" Shelly asked with a bright smile.

The common phrases like 'good', 'okay', and 'fine' sounded throughout the room.

"Who would like to start today?" Shelly asked. Amy raised her hand slowly, waiting for the stick to reach her hands.

"Hi everyone," Amy smiled. "As a few of you know, I'm being released in three days. I'm really excited because I'm glad to be home and with my friends and family. But, I'm nervous that I'm not going to be in this structured setting. I don't want to fall back into my old habits. So, I'm asking for encouragement as I prepare to leave."

Colette raised her hand for the stick and then spoke. "First, I'm so happy for you Amy. I knew you could get through this. You've been here longer than I have and you were still really sick when I first saw you. But, over the past few weeks I've seen you get healthier and happier and I couldn't be more excited for you. I know that once you get home you'll be supported by the people in your life and that you'll be able to get through anything."

Sharpay raised her hand, and Shelly nodded as Colette passed the stick. "So, as of today, I'm going to try to get better. Art therapy really helped me this morning and I've realized that I need to change to become healthier. So I guess I'm asking for support over the few days as I start trying to progress."

"Well, I know that both Amy and Sharpay have my support and a lot of support from the Community," Shelly spoke kindly. Then, Tess raised her hand and within a few moments she had the stick.

"Amy, I am very happy for you. But, Sharpay. I don't feel like I can offer you support. I know this is really hard, but it seems like since you've been here you've just been constantly rejecting help, and not following the rules, and complaining, and freaking out...you're setting a bad example for everyone else here. I mean, skipping meals? Seriously? I can't offer support, and I'm very sorry for that. But, the way you're acting seems childish to me. You're not the only one here who's been through this, but that's how you act. It's selfish. I just can't offer you support right now. I'm sorry."

Shale, the young boy who Adam had been hanging out with today, spoke after Shale. "I've only been here a few days, but the first day I came in you were hospitalized Sharpay. I don't know you very well, but it's hard for me to offer support, too, when you're not trying to get better."

"But I didn't asked to be sent here!" Sharpay burst, not bothering to wait for the talking stick.

"Does that matter? Why don't you try to get better for your parents, or your friends, or your siblings? What about them?"

"It's my body," the blond girl retorted, tears falling down her face.

"But your disorder effects everything and everyone around you! If this disease kills you, do you think that everyone would just go along like everything is fine? No! It effects their lives too!"

"And that's why I'm trying to get better now!"

Amy was the one who spoke now, instead of Shale. "Sharpay, what do you want to do when you're older?"

"Sing or act. Why? How is that relevant?"

"Your purging will ruin that for you. You're restricting will make acting unbearable for you. Think about what will happen in the long run. I've been where you are and I know it's hard. But, you have to try."

"I am! Don't any of you get that?!"

"You can just say that, Sharpay. You have to show that you're trying," Tess said.

"I haven't purged in weeks! I've skipped only five meals! I am trying!" Sharpay hollered.

"Why haven't you started sooner? I know it's a struggle. But, I have kids. I imagine if one of my girls had an eating disorder. It would kill me. And if I knew that she wasn't trying her hardest, always, to try and get better, I don't know what I would do," Tess cried. "Do you understand that?"

"I know it's hard! I am trying! I've been trying! But I just want to be thin!!" Sharpay screamed! "I want to be thin. I just want to be thin!" Colette was holding the rocking, crying girl and Ali, an older patient, held Sharpay's hand.

"Community is over for now," Shelly stated plainly, walking over to Sharpay. Some people left, some stayed sitting in shock and silence.

Colette glanced around the room as she rubbed small circles on her friend's back. As she looked around, she couldn't believe her eyes when she saw Adam get up and leave. But what shocked her even more was when she saw his face glistening with tears as the back of his hand wiped them off.


Author's Note: Okay. Review? Please? Did you like this chapter? Yes? No? Why or why not? Please review. I need to know people are still interested in this story. And I've missed you all!