Chapter 10.
Sharpay
Micheal Palmero was the most amazing person in the world. He died at 4:30p.m, January Fifteenth. He had just gotten his new motorcycle. He was so excited when his dad pulled up into the driveway, as a congratulations of his passing his drivers' test. He was coming home from running to the drug store for his mom.
Turning right onto our street, a Chevy truck struck him and sent him flying twenty-five feet. They said he died immeadiately on impact. The bike totaled. Micheal was only sixteen years old.
He was the only person I ever truly loved. I hadn't known him very well until the summer when I turned fourteen and he had turned sixteen. He was tall, tan, dark-haired and gorgeous. All the girls so much prettier than me wanted him, would do anything for him. But he wanted me. Me.
Everybody loved him. He was perfect. He fit in with every crowd at school, always having some sort of story to tell in exchange for candy or a cigarette or lunch money. He was so unusual, so different from everyone else but yet he was the person to be around. The guy every other guy was jealous of, the guy every girl wanted to date.
I remember one picture I snapped of him, leaning against the side of the ice cream shop. The sun was setting, it was a warm summer night, he was blowing smoke out of his mouth and trying not to laugh as I pressed the red button.
I'd always warned him to be careful on that thing. It was dangerous, I didn't like him speeding around on it the way he did. The first time he got hit, he had sprained his wrist and couldn't ride for almost a month.
I can remember throwing up at the funeral Just throwing up everything I've ever eaten. Heaps and heaps of vomit litering the floors. I don't remember anything about the church, just vomit and more vomit. My mother dragged me into the car, drove me home.
I've never gotten over Micheal. I couldn't love any other boy after that. It just wasn't the same, but I guess girls weren't any better after last year with Blaire. Life hasn't been on my side for the past four years.
I wonder if things will ever get any better.
--
Gabriella is sitting on the grass out front of the Palmero's old house. They packed up and moved away a couple of weeks after they buried him. I'm lying on my back with my arm covering my face.
"Does everyone know?"
I sigh, trying to control my ragged breath. "Yes," I answer, "I hate talking about it."
"Ryan knows?" Gabriella asks, tugging a tuft of grass out of the soft soil.
"Of course. He was the one who called me while I was away at my grandmother's and told me. Even though he's an asshole, I love him, he's helped me through everything." My head is pounding. I really could use some Tylenol. "How late is it?"
"Hold on," She tells me, digging in her pocket and pulling out a cellphone. She flips it open. "Twelve."
Shit. I groan loudly and roll onto my stomach. My parents will be home in an hour. The grass tickles my nostrils and I'm itching in weird places.
"Are you gonna be okay if I leave?" She questions giving me a soft look. She reaches out and lays her small hand on my back. It gives me butterflies because it's the first time she's touched me. It's so light and angelic or something ...
"Yeah. I can take care of myself." I say, looking up at her. I give her a small grin.
She giggles. "You remind so much of somebody I used to know..." She looks off, remembering, smiling at this thought.
I pull myself into a sitting position. "Oh, yeah. You never did tell me your story."
She rolls her eyes. "I don't know why you're so interested in hearing it! It's so very boring and we're not talking about me."
"I don't want to talk about me anymore. We've heard enough about me." I say looking up at the stars. It's so weird being here, around Micheal's house again. I haven't been over here since the day his family moved away. Ohh.
"Well, I don't want to talk about me either." She frowns and picks at her fingernails.
"But look at everything we've discussed about me! Come on Senorita Montez, it's only fair."
Our eyes meet. She's breathtaking.
"Oh my god, Sharpay there you are! Mom's gonna be home in a half an hour!"
Oh right. Fuck.
--
I'm in a panic. Nobody was home to wake me up this morning, and I look a mess. I frantically rub my toothbrush over my teeth. I'm so late for school, really late. I grab my sunglasses and purse, rushing in madly around my room to find my car keys. Shit - oh here they are! I sprint out to my pink beauty.
It's pretty chilly today. Once we get near Thanksgiving the tempertures start to decrease until mid-Februrary. I start up the car. I pull out into the street, my tires screeching the pavement as I speed my way to East High.
"You're laaaayyyyte!" Ryan teases. "You missed Math...again."
I roll my eyes. "Whatever, I hate Mr. Leibee."
The late bell rings for second period. Ryan plunks a kiss on my cheek and runs off. I wipe his slime from my face and make my way to Mrs.Eike's History class. Yikes.
--
I'm sitting in Chemistry now. I lazily tap my pencil against my desk while Mr. Loeman lecutres us about formulas and Periodic tables and crap I don't understand. Isn't it weird telling someone new - your secrets? Opening up to them is so ... crazy, especially for me. I don't open up to anybody and maybe that's why I'm such a mess.
I never showed any real emotions after Micheal's death ... not even when Blaire dumped me. I just got drunk as hell and forgot about it. Well not necessarily. And just because I open up doesn't mean I don't have feelings I just come off that way because I hate feeling vulnerable or exploited and I just don't want to be judged and - am I springing this all on you?
Sorry for that. I have my moments, excuse me.
I hear giggle and a chill creeps up my back. I turn my attention to the corner, where Troy and Gabriella sit. I forgot all about Troy, the airhead basketball captain. I shouldn't have because he's over there flirting with my girl.
Wait ... ? She's not even my girl ...
What is happening to me?
He whispers something into her ear, her face is blushing furiously. Something inside me stirs and it's not anything I've really ever even felt before but I know what it is. I'm jealous, and not just any type of jealous. I have flashes in my mind of stabbing Troy Bolton, killing him, erasing him from earth and time forever.
She talks back to him now. His eyes are smiling greedily, their so close in proximity it almost makes me sick. I've never had that type of closeness with her before. Well, Gabriella isn't gay.
Or maybe ... ?
No she definetely isn't.
She could be ...
Oh, damn it!
Just shut up, shut up, shut up!
--
We're standing outside. The cold night air feels good against my sweat skin. I breathe in, taking in the intoxicating moment, the kind we live for. Well, maybe this isn't one of them but .. it feels really good right now.
"Sharpay?"
"Yes."
I can feel her honey brown eyes on me. She's cold but I don't know how; we've been dancing non-stop for hours.
"I...me and you are - fr-friends right?" She asks.
I frown. I don't want to be friends. I want to be more-than friends .. I want to kiss you and hold you and read you and be with you. I hate when things get so complicated.
"Sure, friends."
"If I tell you something, you promise you won't say anything to anyone else?"
A secret? She wants to confide in me ... just the way I want to confide in her, tell her everything. Oh maybe this is it! Maybe she'll confess she's gay too. Even though I wouldn't wish such a fate on anyone else, I still...I want her and I'm not afraid to say it.
"Okay," I promise, biting my lips and crossing my fingers behind my back, "Shoot."
Gabriella sighs deeply. She leans against the brick wall, and God she looks so sexy when she does it. "Troy...Troy Bolton and I are sort of a c-couple."
Say what?!
A Word From The Author: Rushed , well yeah. I'm really trying not make everything so fast-paced and spring it all onto your guys' shoulders at once. But for the next upcoming chapters if you guys would like for me to continue, I have plenty of fluff, Troyella (blahh!), Gabpay and I'll slow things down till the climax of the story.
Reviews are welcomed! They mean everything to me, and thank you to all of you who do indeed review!
xoAllison