A/N: A lot of you are quite perceptive on the last chapter, but I'm not going to give away anything yet. I'm planning on tossing a few twists in this story.
I know I said this will only have slight Troypay hints, but I couldn't help but write a lot more episodes with them. Troy and Sharpay are just so good together. And I know I wrote this initially as a drama, but this scene just popped into my head and I just couldn't stop writing it while laughing my head off. So on to the story, enjoy…
Chapter Seven
Close Calls
"Alright now that we got all the usual problems sorted, let's go on to schedules," Principal Dave Matsui announced. "Jack?"
Jack sat up straighter on his seat. "Basketball tryouts for next season's members," he said. "I'm aiming to hold it on the second to the last Friday before school ends. Around," he checked his schedule book. "Three-thirty, just after last class."
"You're holding basketball tryouts early?" Matsui puzzled. "I thought you wanted to wait until next term before holding tryouts so we can see if any new students come up?"
"Oh, I'm holding a second set of tryouts next term too. But I want an initial line up of four new members now. Best to get them trained over the summer with the remaining members. We'll get another four next term."
The principal gave a worried frown. "Eight? You mean we're losing two-thirds of the team next year?"
Jack noticed Darbus and Falstaff were rolling their eyes at them from the corner of his eye. He decided to ignore them. Those two understood nothing about basketball. He turned his attention back to the principal. "Unfortunately, yes. Eight members of the current team are seniors graduating by June. I only got Troy, Chad, Jason and Zeke left. Admittedly, they're the best players so I'm not too worried. But we could use new blood. I'm actually thinking of revising the rule that we only accept sophomores up. We might find some potential from incoming freshmen. We can open tryouts to them next year."
Matsui considered it. "You do that. You know your team better, Jack. If you think something can add another trophy in the awards room, then you've got my support."
"Thanks, Dave." Jack turned to the rest of his co-teachers. "Are you alright with my schedule? Nothing conflicting?" he asked.
The teachers shook their heads, except for Lila, the female gym teacher who was also in charge of the cheerleading squad. "I'm planning to host tryouts that day too. You don't mind sharing the gym, do you Jack?" she asked in her honey-piping voice.
Jack shook his head and turned away from her. He always found her voice rather annoying and her constant more than subtle attempt to flirt just irritated him. She reminded him too much of all those cheerleaders who fawned over him years ago. He used to think it was cool that he got the admiration of girls like that. But now at his age with a wonderful wife, he no longer desired such attentions. Come to think of it, he never really liked girls like that at all. Too easy to please. Just smile at them and they think you're a god. It was good for his ego, but he preferred someone with more of a challenge, an attitude. He would even prefer Darbus to her any day. At least she has a personality.
"Well, then," continued Matsui. "Any other activities before school ends that we need to plan for?"
"I do," Darbus said with a dramatic raise of her voice. It was Jack's turn along with Principal Matsui to roll their eyes. They weren't the only ones. Some of the other teachers were doing that too, though they were doing it quite covertly.
"Don't dismiss this just yet," she said with a raise of an eyebrow. "It happens to concern all of us. I'm holding a talent show on the last day of school." She stopped and faced Jack. "Don't even start, Bolton." she warned.
"I didn't say anything!" Jack protested.
Darbus gave him another one of her smug expressions. "I expect you will, but before you do, perhaps it would be best to tell you your son was the one who suggested it."
Jack returned her raised eyebrow with his. "O-kay? Troy didn't say anything so I have no idea what this is about."
"Well, I suppose it's all for the better that you'll hear it from me first." She turned to the rest of the faculty staff. "I'm planning on an open talent show… for all," she emphasized the last two words. "That means it includes the faculty."
Mr. Rodriguez, the history teacher, raised a hand. "Whoa! Wait, you want us to do… I don't know… put on some yellow tights and sing and dance and make a fool of ourselves in front of our students?!"
"No, you don't have to," Miss Darbus sighed as if she was talking to a bunch of idiots. "It does not necessarily mean you have to sing or dance. Do whatever you want. Juggle on a high wire or swallow a live chicken, if you have the talent for it. But it has to be a form of performing arts." She turned to Jack. "And no Bolton, making touchdowns is not a form of performing arts."
"I never said it was," muttered Jack. "And I shoot baskets, I don't make touchdowns."
Darbus dismissed it as if she didn't hear him. "Anyway, the performance is completely voluntary. You may wish to or not to sign up at all," she added with a dramatic lilt of voice.
"I can recite some haiku," offered Matsui.
Darbus beamed at him. "Well, that would be very much appreciated, Dave."
The other teachers began to offer suggestions for their own performances that seemed to hearten Darbus. Jack remained silent. He thought about his talk with Sharpay before about his dancing skills. But he shook his head. He wasn't about to go out and tell the world about that, was he?
"One other thing," Darbus said. Jack focused his attention back to her. "Troy also suggested we hold the talent show in the gymnasium for once. He said it might be a nice way to have a 360 degree angle stage. It's a rather radical idea but a creative one. However, I need your clearance on that to use the gymnasium," she nodded to Jack though the way she said it was more of demand rather than a request.
Jack shrugged. "Suit yourself, Darbus. Feel free to use the gym."
"Good then," she said, still tight-lipped. "That's all the support I need from you in this artistic endeavor. You need not attend the event as I'm sure you wouldn't appreciate it."
"Oh I'll be there to watch Troy," he said rather irritably. He felt quite annoyed that Darbus belittled him when it came to knowledge in the performing arts. He may not be a theatre buff but he did know at least one aspect of performing. Not that he was going to tell Darbus that, of course.
Matsui cleared his throat in an attempt to diffuse the tension before it erupted into a full argument. "Well then, if there's nothing else let's end this meeting then now. Have a great weekend all of you."
Jack stood up with the rest. The meeting ended earlier than he thought. He had more time to play with Sharpay. She told him yesterday she wasn't going to come to practice at the Community Center tomorrow. It was her birthday and she had a feeling her mother was taking her and Ryan out of town for the weekend.
He paused by his cubicle in the faculty room and picked up his papers along with a tiny stuffed teddy bear wearing a pink basketball uniform. He couldn't resist giving her something. When he saw this bear by a store after he dropped her off yesterday afternoon, he knew it was the perfect gift. He could just imagine the smile that would light Sharpay's face when he gave her the bear.
His memory suddenly flashed to a similar teddy bear he bought years ago. He was surprised that he could still remember how it looked like: brown and white with a red basketball between its paws. But he never had the chance to give that bear. It sat for almost a year in a corner shelf of his college dorm room, staring at him with its forever cheerful smile. Whenever he looked at it, it gave him hope—until one fatal day that he received a dreadful letter that made him toss that bear to the nearest garbage can.
He suddenly felt his throat constrict and he mechanically reached for his wallet. He flipped it open and pulled out an old piece of paper hidden underneath the pictures of Troy and his wife. He stared at the black and white image for a moment and gave it a kiss.
No more, he said to himself. He had been saying those words every time but he could never keep the resolution to forget and keep that paper where it was. He always had to stare at it one more time. I have her in the gym everyday, he thought. I'm finally giving the teddy bear I was meant to give. That should be enough. I shouldn't be doing this anymore. He carefully replaced the precious piece of paper back into its hiding place in his wallet, knowing when he got to thinking he would be taking it out again.
"Awww! That is so cute!" Jack was startled but he didn't have to turn to see that Lila was behind him. "Who's it for, Jack?"
"Er... a friend," he replied. "Birthday present."
"Who?" she asked. "Do I know her?"
Jack couldn't help but feel irritated. That was another thing he hated about Lila sometimes. She was too nosy when it came to him. But he couldn't just say he was giving it to Sharpay Evans. She was his student and it would sound odd that he was giving a birthday present to his student when he never gave presents to his own colleagues.
"Nope, family friend," he said curtly as he stuffed the bear in his jacket pocket. He was out of the faculty room before she could question him further. He made his way towards the gym. At his entrance, he was greeted by the squeak of rubber heels and the sounds of a basketball hitting the ring and landing on the floor.
"Hey, advance happy—"
He stopped as he realized it wasn't Sharpay shooting hoops. It was Troy.
"Hi, Dad. I'm off again today with the chorus rehearsing again," he explained a bit sullenly, though Jack didn't seem to take much notice. His eyes were busy scanning around for the girl he expected to see here.
"Dad? You okay?"
"Huh?" Jack muttered. He realized Troy was still there. "Sorry son, just thinking of something else. What are you doing here anyway?"
Troy chuckled. "I never thought you'd ask me that question, Dad. I thought you'd be thrilled to have me back in the court."
Jack smiled. "Well you seem too busy lately with your singing. And I just heard from Darbus you're coming up with a talent show at the end of the year. I thought you wouldn't like to play basketball anymore."
"Hey, I miss it too Dad. Don't worry, I'm not giving up basketball just yet. I still like to shoot every now and then. Helps me think. Care for a bit of one-on-one right now?"
Despite his curiosity on where Sharpay was, Jack sensed his son wanted more than a basketball game. There was something on his mind he needed to talk about. He couldn't just brush him off to find Sharpay.
"Alright, wait for me here. Just give me a minute to put some stuff away," he indicated the folder and schedule books he was holding before running off to his office. He'd call Sharpay to check where she was in his office then head back to Troy. But when he got to the locker rooms he heard the water running in one of the stalls. He knew Sharpay was still there taking a shower.
"Sharpay?" he called out as he took off his jacket with the bear still in it and dropped it into one of the benches along with the other papers he was holding.
"Coach?" she asked tentatively.
"Yeah, it's me. Troy's out in the gym."
"I know." The sound of running water softened to a light spray and Sharpay popped her head sideways out of the stall. She still had soap in her hair and on the tip of her bare shoulder. "He came in all of a sudden while I was practicing alone. It was a good thing I managed to duck in time behind the bleachers and sneak back here before he could see me."
"Well he's waiting for me out there."
"You didn't tell him I was here?" she cried desperately.
"No. I assumed you didn't want him to know what you do."
"Don't tell him. Just go and play with him, Coach. I can see myself out and take the last bus home."
Jack shook his head. "This is ridiculous Sharpay. So what if Troy knows what you do? I told you before, it's not something to be embarrassed about."
But Sharpay bit her lip anxiously and gave him a pleading look. "I just can't let him know. I can't let anyone know. Just not yet."
"Dad?"
They both froze. They could hear Troy's footsteps coming over towards them.
"Coach please…" Sharpay pleaded.
Jack couldn't say no to that look. So he just nodded. "Just keep quiet then."
"Dad? Can I talk to you for a minute?" Troy repeated from the hallway.
"I'm coming out, wait for me there!" Jack shouted, but Troy's footsteps were still coming towards them. Sharpay disappeared back into her stall but Jack realized her towel and clothes were still hanging over the partition of the shower stall. That would look suspicious if Troy came in. By instinct, he grabbed everything and stuffed it inside the nearest unlocked locker he could reach.
"Coach, bring that back—I'm not wearing anything!" Sharpay frantically whispered.
Jack realized what he just did but there was no way to recover even her towel. Troy just appeared into the locker room.
"Hey, Dad, I was wondering what was taking you so long."
"I ah—" Jack fought to keep his face from blushing. He realized how this situation would look to Troy if he discovered who happened to be in the shower stall right now, especially since Jack managed to leave her naked right there.
"Is the shower running?" Troy asked.
"Ahh—yeah," Jack said lamely as he realized Sharpay still left the shower on and there was no way she can turn it off now without making her presence known. However, Jack was struck with a sudden excuse. "I heard the water running. Someone must have left it on from the last class. I came here to check."
He fell into uncomfortable silence and Troy gave him a puzzled look. "Aren't you going to turn it off?"
Jack thought of Sharpay in the stall and shook his head. He couldn't just barge in on her when she probably only had lather covering her. "Uhhmmm… no."
Troy gave him an even more confused look. "I'll do it then," he said as he walked towards the stall.
"No!" he cried as he jumped in front of the stall to prevent Troy from entering. "I'll do it, j-just sit down."
"O-kay," Troy muttered uncertainly. To Jack's relief his son sat at one of the benches, but he dreadfully realized he had to go into that stall himself. He didn't want to be seeing Sharpay… well that was just… inappropriate. Unable to think of a way out, he shut his eyes and felt his way blindly into the stall. He refused to open his eyes and see something he didn't want to see.
His hand inched through the tiled walls as he felt for the knob. He suddenly made contact with something soft. He shuddered to think what it was before…
"Owww!" he winced audibly as he realized Sharpay just slapped his hand though he still refused to open his eyes.
"Sorry Coach," Sharpay whispered to him. He heard her turn the tap off but not before his shirt got soaked.
"Are you alright, Dad?" Troy asked. He heard a shuffle of feet.
"Stay there!" he ordered a little louder than he intended. "I just er…" He couldn't think of an excuse.
"Slipped on the floor," Sharpay whispered urgently.
"Floor's a little slippery."
"Do you need help—"
"NO! Just stay there. I'm coming out." He blindly walked out of the stall and struggled for a split-second to compose himself to make sure Troy didn't think anything was amiss.
"You're acting a bit… jumpy. Are you sure you're alright, Dad?"
"Fine," Jack managed to say evenly. It struck him how weird this situation was. He was the 41-year-old father and yet he's the one trying to hide a naked teenage girl from his sixteen-year-old son. He would have laughed at the utter peculiarity of all this if the circumstances had been different.
"Your shirt's all wet."
Jack didn't care. He just wanted to get Troy out of here so Sharpay could get her clothes back on. "I'll change later. Let's go out and talk in my office."
"Oh but hey, I got a spare shirt you could borrow," said Troy. To Jack's horror, Troy opened the locker where he tossed Sharpay's clothes in!
"What the—" Troy began in surprise as he held up a pair of cotton pink panties with a lacy trim.
