Chapter Three

Nearly a week had gone by since the Christmas party, four days of more acting. It was now Friday, Sharpay, Ryan, Kelsi, and Troy each made their way over to the Evans residences at six as they always did every other Friday. They would usually just watch a movie and discuss different things.

Currently the topic of discussion was the championship game last year, and everything that had happened then. They were laughing about how stupid the school had been, and about how weak Troy was.

"I still can't believe you, Mr. Best-actor-in-the-world, broke first," Sharpay said, nudging Troy slightly.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know," Troy groaned, "You all got to give me your dares, and I did them. Can we let it go now?"

They had been talking about the auditions for the musicale last year. It had caused all kinds of problems between him and Sharpay. She had been truly pissed when she saw the callback sheet. Oh no…she wasn't pissed because his tried out…she wasn't even pissed that he tried out with someone who wasn't her…she was pissed that he hadn't told her about it.

He had tried to defend himself; he really did believe that Ms. Darbus was joking with him. He had tried to explain that to Sharpay…but after Gabriella spilled her lunch on her, there was no talking to her. She'd been beyond hurt at that point, refusing to listen to him.

It hadn't helped his situation that Chad was constantly on his back about the tryouts, and Gabriella kept asking him to rehearse. By the time the team had joined with the decathlon squad to do something, Troy had been ready to quit himself. He was annoyed with Gabriella as well…if it hadn't been for her and the plan that he was supposed to be interested in her…he wouldn't have been in such a mess with Sharpay. All the things he had said to the team were true, he was angry; Gabriella was just a girl that he wanted to forget about. If she had never showed up then he could have spent more time with Sharpay and less time trying to evade Gabriella.

He had gotten so fed up with everything, but Sharpay had finally agreed to listen to him. She had overheard Taylor and Chad making their plans and had a guess at what they were going to do. She knew that Troy would never say anything that he didn't mean when he was angry, so she waited to see what he said about Gabriella. She saw how the girl acted around him and finally agreed to meet with him and talk…not to mention Mr. Bolton had called her down to his office to ask what might have happened between the two of them to get Troy so distracted. He told her about how Troy's mind wasn't on basketball as much as it had been when he was acting like he liked it. He never missed a basket unless something was bothering him badly…and the only thing that could get to him was Sharpay.

That was when she agreed to talk with him. He had explained everything to her from why he'd auditioned to his plan. He had auditioned because he couldn't take not being able to spend time with Sharpay in school…at least with the play he'd have an excuse and a reason to 'have to' talk to her. He was also getting really annoyed with all the boys that were ogling her in the hallway. He knew some guys considered her to be the Ice Queen, but many more could see that she was a girl…and she was hott…and he hated that. They had made a pact when they realized how popular Troy was getting, especially after he made captain as a sophomore, that they would ignore those who hit on them and just politely…or in Sharpay's case…snippily turn them down.

It surprised Sharpay that Troy had had the whole auditioning thing planned out more in detail than she imagined. He had done some research about the decathlon and it turned out that the finals were held in New York on the same weekend as the play. Both things were scheduled months in advance and the dates were not likely to change unless fire and brimstone were raining from the heavens. Troy had no doubt that Gabriella, whom Sharpay had taken the liberty to get onto the decathlon squad, would lead the team past the semi finals and into the finals. Which meant that she wouldn't be able to do the play…which meant that if Troy and Gabriella got the part, Sharpay would be the understudy…and eventually be the lead. If Sharpay and Ryan got the part, Troy was pretty sure he could weasel his way into the understudy role…and he knew that, given the chance, Ryan would drop the play in a second. That meant that either way, Troy and Sharpay would be the leads…which they were.

They had been surprised that no one in school had figured out that they were really a couple like Arnold and Minnie were. They had put so much passion and reality behind their characters. Their argument scenes were fueled by real life and the kiss was as well. After curtain call the final night, their suspicions that high school kids were completely oblivious to everything were confirmed. No one had even guessed that they weren't acting up there. Funny, everyone thought they were acting onstage when they weren't and everyone thought they weren't acting when they were everyday.

Everyone thought that Troy almost hadn't gotten the part, since the callbacks were 'sabotaged'. Kelsi had spent hours gloating on her genius when it came to that. It had been her plan to reschedule the call back dates. She knew that somehow, the group would make it so that Troy and Gabriella could make it. And the only way to do that would be to postpone the events they were in. She knew everyone would probably end up in the theatre, thanks to their 'friends' and their newfound support in the Troy, which would mean a lot more publicity and a bigger audience. Sharpay and Ryan had agreed with that plan, realizing that it was probably the only way Troy would get on stage and Ryan would get off.

Troy had had a tough acting bit to do before that. He honestly didn't want to go get Gabriella to be his partner again, but Sharpay made him realize that they still needed her for his plan to work. Sharpay had come up with the plan for Troy to climb up her balcony…he hadn't wanted to…it was something he only did for Sharpay…but some sacrifices had to be made…one in particular he had hated. He was supposed to be interested in Gabriella…so when their song had finished the crowd and Gabriella had looked at him expecting something…they were waiting for a kiss. He glanced up briefly at Sharpay standing in the wings, before looking down at Gabriella, knowing he couldn't kiss her. But he had to, so he leaned in and kissed her on the cheek. He had nearly gotten hell from Sharpay for that but he had managed to talk to her before she exploded, explaining he wasn't going out with her…he never would…

He and Gabriella weren't together, everyone wanted them to be though…but he couldn't. He saw how badly Sharpay's 'relationship' with Zeke had gone…he kept trying to kiss her and get her to say I love you, but she couldn't do it…those were things reserved only for Troy. Troy didn't even bother attempting to say things or do things with Gabriella but she still followed him.

"Not on your life," Ryan said, laughing, bringing Troy back to the present.

Troy mimicked his laughing, making it sarcastic as well, "Yeah, well you broke too."

Ryan shook his head, "But not before Kelsi."

Kelsi rolled her eyes. Just after Troy's act as the sports-only boy fell apart, hers did too. That kid Jason from the basketball team kept following her and trying to talk to her. He had done that for a week straight and she couldn't take it anymore. A few months before Ryan and her had finally gotten together and she didn't want to risk losing that due to some stupid jock. He had finally managed to corner her, and she blew up at him. Her reputation as the quiet timid girl was shot…but people still kind of thought of her as that…leaving it up to annoyance that drove her to explode.

"Well, you'd break too if you had some annoying kid following you everywhere," she said, folding her arms across her chest.

"Join the club," Sharpay said in reference to how Zeke used to be around her, "At least you didn't break someone's arm…Ryan…"

"What?" he asked playing innocent, "You just wanted me to stand by as that jerk pushed Kels?"

He was talking about a cast party that they had gone to after the fall play a few months ago. One of the drama guys had spiked the punch and another boy had started to flirt with Kelsi. After Kelsi refused his efforts for the zillionth time, he snapped. He had pushed her, quite roughly, into the wall. Ryan had freaked. He grabbed the boy's arm as he went to push her again and dislocated his shoulder with a karate move before snapping his arm at the elbow. No one dared mess with Ryan Evans anymore…no one dared to call him a fag either, which was a nice change for him. Who knew that dressing nicely could get you labeled that?

Sharpay rolled her eyes. She still couldn't believe that she won the bet. The other three had broken before she had…but still she wanted to reveal her true self as well, "Hey Troy…when are we really going to tell the school what we're like? I mean, people accept that you like to sing, but they don't really know you…or us for that matter."

Troy thought about it for a minute. She was right, the school didn't know them and he was getting a little tired of the secrecy…four years was long enough. Though, the coded messages were really cool. He and Sharpay had perfected speaking in codes and arguing in reverse.

Basically, whenever they talked in the hall they had some sort of message to give the other. Like last year on the first day back, they had had a coded message. They started off with Sharpay asking him what he'd done for winter break…a perfectly normal start. But then she switched topics, asking him when the big game was…meaning when were they meeting that day. He had said two weeks and meant two hours after school. They had finished on yet another topic, signaling the end of their conversation.

Their arguments however were much more interesting. They'd argue…and insult…and yell, but they had a system behind it. Everything they said, every insult was to be taken backwards. For example, calling them stupid meant they were smart…calling them sluty meant classy…and Sharpay's particular favorite, when Troy said she was a fugly girl that made him want to gouge out his eyes, he really meant that she was the most beautiful creature he'd ever laid eyes on.

That last one never failed to bring tears to her eyes…but ones that appeared to be tears of hurt to others. After every argument they would meet up and laugh at the reactions of their peers. Sharpay and Kelsi especially got laughs out of it. The Drama club had heard so many insults from Sharpay directed at Kelsi…usually all about her music. But Kelsi loved the insults…the compliments…that Sharpay gave her. They had one dysfunctional friendship but they loved it.

Troy looked around the room…his eyes landing on the schoolbooks lying forgotten on the small coffee table before them. A small flyer was sticking out from the pile of books…a bright neon green paper that was advertising the Talent Show that was supposed to take place next Friday. Ms. Darbus was organizing it to try to get everyone's creativity going for the auditions that were to take place the Monday after.

He turned to face his friends quickly, "Guys…I have the best idea…"

A/N – So what do you think the idea is? Find out soon!