So I'm supposed to be working on a Mixed Up; Mashed Up Short right now, but after reading the outpouring of reviews I got today after posting Chapter 9 I decided to do something crazy and unplanned! And that is posting this chapter! I wasn't going to post it until Tuesday but I felt the urge to go ahead and update it tonight! So what that means is that you won't get another update until the 30th...JUST KIDDING!! The epilogue will be up Tuesday!
I hope you guys like this chapter and thanks to girlpower8900, chaylorlover101, general wildcat, lilmissmonique, Zialicious and CuteANDSexxxy17 for reviewing the last chapter!
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Chapter 10
With Troy settling into her room, Gabriella sought Taylor out and found her sitting in Kelsi's old room.
"Hey," she greeted. "Can I come in?"
Taylor nodded and Gabriella walked over and sat down next to her best friend.
"I wish she had never left," Taylor whispered. "If she hadn't left none of this would have happened."
Gabriella nodded and leaned her head on Taylor's shoulder.
"I keep hoping that I'll wake up and this will have all been a dream," Taylor said. "No Ryan, no Sharpay, Kelsi being here and me still being with Chad."
"I know, me too," Gabriella said. "But with Troy living here with us now and paying rent we don't have to find another roommate."
"Are he and Chad talking?" Taylor asked after several minutes.
"Sort of," Gabriella replied. "There's a lot of hurt feelings between the two of them, but I've been trying to point out to Troy that he would have done the same thing if he was in Chad's position."
"Uh, Gabriella, can you come here," Troy called. "Quickly!"
"Guess I better go help him," Gabriella laughed. "We're going to watch a movie when we're done, you want to watch with us?"
"No, I think I'll just go to bed," Taylor replied.
"Alright, night," Gabriella said.
Several weeks passed by with Taylor adjusting to living with Gabriella and Troy. She felt like a third wheel whenever she went places or did things with them. Before she and Chad had broken up they had been the perfect foursome and had gone on many double dates. But with her heart still in pieces from Chad's betrayal, Taylor wasn't ready for anything romantic.
She appreciated that Troy and Gabriella made a strong effort to not speak about Chad in front of her. Her mind was already bombarded enough with his face, his scent and memories she had of him. His scent had finally worn off her things and she had cried herself to sleep the night she realized that the pillow he always used didn't smell like him anymore.
But one morning a couple months after the breakup, she found herself eaves dropping on a conversation Troy and Gabriella were having about Chad as they made breakfast.
"His mom is starting to worry about him," Troy stated. "He told her he would only be staying with her for a little while after everything that happened. But she doesn't think he's planning on moving out anytime soon."
"He doesn't have anybody to live with," Gabriella said. "You moved in with us."
"I think it's more than just the fact that he won't move out," Troy said quietly. "You've seen him. He's pale and he's lost a lot of weight. His game sucks too."
"Taylor isn't doing so well either," Gabriella reminded him.
"She's handling it better than Chad is," Troy stated. "She's actually continuing to live her life and he's choosing to stay hidden away from the rest of the world like it will make his problems go away."
In the months that followed, Taylor would eaves drop on their conversations and was slightly relieved that with Troy's help Chad was pulling himself out of his depression. She still loved Chad with her whole slowly-mending-heart and wanted the best for him.
A few weeks before Kelsi was to return, a letter came for Taylor with no return address. She opened it and looked at the signature and was surprised to see Sharpay's name written at the bottom. She crumpled up the letter and threw it in the garbage next to her desk. She didn't want to read anything that that woman had to say.
The letter stayed on her mind for several days until Taylor couldn't take it anymore. She pulled the letter out of the trash can and went to find Gabriella.
"What's this?" Gabriella asked when Taylor handed her the crumpled letter.
"It's from Sharpay," Taylor stated.
"Sharpay as in Ryan's sister?" Troy asked, sitting up and peering over Gabriella's shoulder as she uncrumpled the letter. "When did she send this?"
"A couple days ago," Taylor stated. "Will you read it? I can't."
Gabriella nodded and read through the letter.
"Well?" Taylor asked when Gabriella looked up.
"You need to read it," Gabriella stated and handed her friend the letter.
Taylor sighed and took the letter.
Dear Taylor,
I know I am the last person you want to ever receive a letter from, but I feel like I should apologize for everything that happened with my brother and with me. My brother is an idiot and so am I. The truth is, I've loved Chad since high school, but he never once told me that he loved me. He loves you more than life itself. I could see it in his eyes every time he mentioned your name.
I know you heard about the photos that were taken, but I'm pretty sure you don't know that I'm a photographer and all the photos of Chad and I were for my projects. I thought that my art would make him love me, but I never held a candle to you.
I'm sorry I got in the way of you and Chad and I hope this letter finds you back together with him. If not, I hope you'll forgive him if not completely, at least enough for him to move on, because if I know Chad, and I do, this is all eating him up inside.
Sending an eternity of apologies,
Sharpay Evans
Taylor felt a mixture of hatred and gratitude after reading the letter. She couldn't believe the other woman dared to send her a letter, but at the same time she couldn't look past the guts that it took to write a letter of apology.
