Diiiiiiiing Dong.

Sharpay heard the doorbell, but refused to get out of bed. It was far too plush and comfortable. Upon her arrival two nights ago, she'd realized that the Midtown apartment Lidia's company had provided her with had actually been furnished. Apparently this was their new permanent residence. The house in Connecticut that her mother's development company had originally planned for them to live in was going to be sold because Lidia Evans said she couldn't imagine not living in the city. Sharpay had rolled her eyes. It'd only been a week. Could anyone really fall in love with something after only a week? A picture of Troy flashed through her mind and she pulled her covers over her face to cover the giddy smile no one was even around to see. The doorbell rang again and she kicked the comforter off of her body but made no other attempt to move towards the door. It couldn't be anybody important; after all, she didn't know anybody here. She'd let her mother open it.

She wiped the sleep from her eyes and looked down, realizing she was still wearing her cranberry tunic and black patterned stockings that reminded her of Troy all over again. Tuesday, when they were still at school, he'd told her he'd be in the city for Thanksgiving, at his suite at The Four Seasons. She wondered what he was doing right now. After a few silent moments, she felt something vibrating. Feeling around behind her, she pulled her iPhone out from underneath her pillow and lifted the phone to her ear without even glancing at the screen. Whoever it was, she was going to pretend it was Troy. "Hello?"

"If you're alive, why aren't you opening the door?"

Without answering, Sharpay slid off onto the carpet, imagining how good she must look after a night of stuffing her face with pumpkin pie and passing out wearing a dress she'd worn all of yesterday for no real reason. It's not like she or her mom had had company over for dinner. She navigated her way to the front door, unlocked it, and pulled it open, locking eyes with the blue-eyed boy in front of her. He raised an eyebrow and Sharpay leaned her head against the door. "How do you know I wasn't sleeping?"

"I didn't." Nolan replied, smirking. "But now I know you weren't."

She moved to the side allowing him to walk into the small foyer that opened into the living room. "You're so sure of yourself."

"I am. You answered the door way too quickly to have just woken up." He turned back to her as she pushed the door shut. "You were probably laying in your bed, thinking about Bolton while staring out the window

"No." Sharpay denied. Nolan tucked his Blackberry into his black leather jacket, a smug look on his face. "I was staring at the ceiling."

"Cuu-uute." He cooed teasingly as she pushed past him to get over to the L-shaped couch in the spacious living area. Her stockings created an uncomfortable friction on her feet as she dragged them over the carpet. She noticed a piece of ripped notebook paper sitting on top of the coffee table and recognized her mom's messy writing almost immediately. Problem with the new building. Might not be home until late. Go out and have fun. XO.

As Sharpay lifted the paper to read over it, she saw the little black card sitting on top of the table. Staring at her. Waiting for her. She opened her eyes a little wider to make sure she wasn't hallucinating. She bent down, picking it up like the piece of gold it was. When the hell did her mother make enough money to own a Black Card? Who exactly did she work for again?

"What's up?" Nolan asked, probably noticing that Sharpay had gone catatonic.

Sharpay slowly turned, the card in one hand, the note in the other. Nolan nodded. "Ah. The Centurion Card Coma."

"She has to be kidding me."

"Welcome to New York, Evans." He laughed, falling back into the couch and looking up at her.

Sharpay sat down next to him, putting the note down and examining the aluminum card with both hands, smoothing her fingers over the indented name of LIDIA EVANS. She looked over at Nolan, wondering how he could be so calm. "This is fake, right? I mean- do you know how much you have to have to have to even dream about these cards? I do. I wrote a report on extravagant spending freshman year."

"Maybe your mother is dating a tycoon you don't know about."

"God forbid." She cringed inside, imagining her poor widowed mother in the wrinkly arms of some old Hugh Hefner type individual.

"Tell you what?" Nolan leaned forward and slid the card out of her fingers, placing it back onto the coffee table. "Go shower and get dressed. Then we can go get something to eat- you haven't eaten yet, have you?" Sharpay shook her head. "Good, because we were getting food regardless. Then you can act like any other normal girl would and go on a charge-spree."

She bit the inside of her cheek and mulled it over. "Are you saying I'm not normal?"

He sat back again. "That's exactly what I'm saying."

"Is that the technique you use to get all the girls?"

Nolan grinned. "I'm not trying to get you, remember? Think of me as your adorable twin brother."

"Well… I have always wanted a sister." She stood up from the couch and walked around Nolan's legs. "Grow your hair a few inches and it could work."

"I'll take that as a compliment." Nolan shouted in her direction as she walked into her bedroom.

/

Sharpay Evans never thought she'd see the day. Yes. She owned her very own wool coat. Well… cotton/wool polyblend, but still. She'd bought James Perse. From Barney's. On Madison Avenue. In Manhattan. With a Black Card. She was absolutely certain that this was all a dream. She was back in Eastwood sleeping in her room at Hale. Gabriella was hovering over her, ready to put her fingers in a cup of warm water or something. "Pinch me, please."

Nolan laughed as he dodged a tourist who stopped short to take a picture of the Louis Vuitton storefront. They walked easily with the flow of traffic crossing Fifth Avenue back in the direction of The Bristol- the traffic made even worse by all of the post-Thanksgiving visitors. "It's been what, five hours? You still don't believe it?"

She shook her head, "When my mom calls and shows me the bill for this charge card, I'll believe it."

It really had been some of the most fun she'd had since moving. She and Nolan had gone out to lunch at the California Pizza Kitchen- her choice; he'd never actually eaten there before. They'd proceeded to walk west towards Central Park, where they strolled up towards the Upper East Side for a while before cutting over to Madison at 67th St. Nolan seemed to be enjoying playing tour guide as they walked down Madison, crossed over to Fifth, then walked back up to 57th, where they were walking now, just coming out of Bergdorf's. That's right. Sharpay Evans had made a purchase at Bergdorf Goodman's with a Centurion. A purchase that was going to be delivered to her luxury apartment complex. A purchase that shamefully passed the thousand-dollar mark. The world itself was bowing down.

She didn't understand how a cashier could act so casual when a seventeen year old was buying a pair of five hundred and thirty five dollar boots, a pair of six hundred and ninety five dollar boots, and a pair of fringed purple booties that were two hundred dollars more. Stuart Weitzman, Alberto Fermani, and Manolo- freaking- Blahnik. She wasn't originally going to buy the last two. But her mother had sent her a text- that's right, not a call or a voicemail, a text message- saying not to worry about 'spending too much' and that the card was 'meant to be used for larger purchases'. She was turning into one of those parents. Well, if Lidia Evans wanted a larger purchase, a larger purchase she would receive.

At least she had Nolan, who actually had started feeling like her brother. And they both had wavy blonde hair, so there's a possibility they were pulling off the charade to onlookers. She had no idea how he'd managed to put up with all the shopping, but when she asked he explained to her that his mother used to drag him shopping all the time, and most of the people in the stores knew him. Which was true. At almost every store, he'd get either an "Is this your girlfriend, dear?" or a "How's you're mother doing, sweetheart?" She transferred her Calvin Klein bag from one hand to the other and readjusted her Botkier on her shoulder.

"Want to go out for dinner?" Nolan asked, looking down at the screen of his phone. When he turned to her, he gestured to the phone. "Alex and his girlfriend are meeting up with some people from her school." Sharpay stopped behind a man in an I Heart NY sweatshirt as they waited for the crosswalk to change and looked over at him. He continued, "I'm your brother. You can't make me go alone."

She smiled and shrugged. "Sure." As Nolan texted what Sharpay assumed to be a reply into his Blackberry, she played with the zipper of the Diesel jacket she'd bought back on Fifth. Sure, she had the wool jacket, but Nolan's looked so comfortable that she decided she wanted one of her own. The leather matched her Botkier bag and made her feel very city chic. She wished Troy could somehow see her right now. Look out of the window of a store and just see her passing by. "Where's Ryleigh?"

"Home in Massachusetts with the senator." Sharpay blinked and moved forward as the crowd progressed forward once more. Ryleigh's father was the senator of Massachusetts? And she wasn't in Hale? The whole selection system was so hazy. "Thinking about Troy?"

She grumbled to herself. "How do you always know?"

"Twin telekinesis." He smirked, putting away his phone and tucking his hands into his pockets. "How are you two getting along? No more lovers' quarrels? Strictly making out in the empty hallways?" She blushed, and when he noticed, Nolan started laughing. "Oh, my god. Don't tell me you guys-"

"No!" Sharpay blushed even more, tucking a wave of hair behind her ear. "No." She repeated, more calm this time. "I mean, we were making out and Jason walked in and killed the mood. And then Ryan came in with his boxers and Kelsi was hiding under a sweatshirt and James-"

"Orgy at Stuart?"

"Alright, conversation closed."

"No, no. I'm sorry. I'll be good." Sharpay could tell he was trying very hard not to say whatever was on his mind. Part of her wanted to know what he was thinking about, but the other part, the embarrassed part, didn't even want to imagine. "So, tell me. If you guys hadn't been interrupted, do you think you would have…"

Stop blushing, Sharpay. She shrugged again. "I don't know."

"Well, were you prepared? You hadn't planned it, had you?"

"No, Nolan, I've known him for like a week" She bit the inside of her cheek, practically feeling Troy's lips pressing into her neck. "And not, you know, like… condom-wise. But my mom's had me on birth control since about eighth grade."

"Don't let Jason know that."

"Huh?"

"Never mind." He shook his head, brushing off some kind of inside joke. "So what else? What'd you have on underneath?"

"Nolan!" She whisper-shouted, looking around to see if anyone had heard that. But of course, no one had. This was Manhattan. No one was paying attention to her conversations on the street.

"What!" He whisper-shouted back, his face the picture of amused innocence. "I'm sorry, but if we so much as catch as glimpse of granny panties, we bolt."

"Do I look like a grandma to you?"

"You never know. Those high-waisted monsters could be your dirty little secret."

"No, I was wearing regular underwear, Nolan. Plain, normal, probably Victoria's Secret underwear." As she said this out loud, she felt her mind racing to remember what she actually had had on. She remembered her black bra, only because she remembered being so worried that it was showing from underneath her shirt. But wait- why was she getting herself so worked up? She hadn't even thought about him seeing her underwear. But if she had been that freaked out over her bra showing, god only knows what she would have done if she had gone through the possibility of Troy seeing her panties. And now Nolan was making her freak out. She needed to buy new underwear. New, cute, lacy-but-innocent underwear. Maybe a matching bra or two.

"Relax. I'm sure he wouldn't care even if you were." Nolan said, interrupting her worries. She inhaled, feeling better at just the possibility. "Or maybe he would." The breath caught in her throat and she coughed. He looked over at her, a thought flashing across his pale blue eyes, and then steered their bodies to the right, leading her across the street. "Alright, Nervous Nancy, we're taking a detour."

She looked up at him, nervous all over again. "What kind of detour."

"One Bolton will thank me for in the off-chance he follows his instincts and lets it go past first base."

That's how Sharpay found herself leaning against the white door of a dressing room in the 57th Street Victoria's Street. Her bare back was freezing as she folded her arms, staring up at the pink neon 'STRIP' light that was placed above the large mirror. She shook her head, seeing the pinkish, laced Miracle Bra she'd grabbed sitting against her skin. "I'm not coming out."

"Oh, come on. I'm your brother and I have a girlfriend. I'm spoken for. This is strictly for your benefit." Nolan's voice came from the other side of the white door. "Or Troy's, depending on how you look at it."

She dropped her arms slowly, examining herself for a moment in the mirror. It was amazing. It actually looked like she had cleavage.

That's what Level 5 padding can do for a girl.

"I don't know. Why would I let my brother see me without a shirt?"

"I don't understand you shy girls. It's almost the exact same thing as wearing a bikini top."

"Keyword: almost." Sharpay countered, toying with her hair nervously.

"Pretend I'm gay. Pretend I'm your female-phobic best friend."

Sharpay laughed, straightening herself up. She shook her head and turned around, staring at the doorknob. "…fine."

"You don't even have to come out, just open the door for five seconds. I'll examine color and hotness level and that's it."

Reminding herself how crazy she would drive herself if she kept worrying about this new will-Troy-like-my-underwear thing, she pulled the door open slowly, keeping her shoulder pressed against it in case she wanted to shield herself. Nolan was across the way, leaning against a closed door of one of the opposing dressing rooms.

His pale eyes flickered from her shoulder, down, and then back up to the other shoulder in about two seconds. Surprisingly, Sharpay didn't feel nervous and self conscious, like she'd imagined she would if it were Troy standing in front of her- mainly because she kept chanting 'gay brother, gay brother' in her head.

"You know, you've got a pretty nice bod. It's a good thing I'm gay."

"Well, I've always suspected that much. But it's really a relief to hear you announce it in a Victoria's Secret dressing room. If you can't admit it to a lace-clad mannequin, who can you come out to?"

Sharpay's brow furrowed as she heard the strange voice. She'd never heard it before. Nolan turned his head to look at someone. She couldn't see who the female was, however, because she was still inside of the roomy square dressing room and the wall was blocking her view. She wanted to step out and look but she resisted, waiting for the stranger to announce herself and make the situation just a little less awkward.

"Miss Foster. Aren't you a sight for sore eyes?" Nolan grinned over in the girl's direction. Foster… Sharpay didn't think she knew anybody named Foster; she figured her kindergarten teacher didn't count. "Where's your other half?"

"Hauled up in Bergdorf's with her personal shopper." Foster replied. "What about you? Is Ryleigh hiding out in one of the dressing rooms?"

Nolan turned his head back to Sharpay, who shot him an inquisitive look with her eyebrows. "Not exactly."

She was about to close the door to get dressed when she heard a third voice that froze her movements. "Faye, you can't just leave a guy by himself with a girl who works at Victoria's Secret."

Now that was a voice she knew.

Forgetting she was without a shirt, she reopened the door, taking a step into the open, dark pink-carpeted sitting area. There he was, strolling in, looking down at his Blackberry. He didn't even look up and notice her until after Sharpay's heart stopped beating. She blinked, staring into his more-turquoise eye, while he stood only five feet in front of her.

/

"They start asking you all these-"Troy stopped two steps shy of Faye Foster's side, his eyes locked on Sharpay. He looked over at Nolan, feeling like somebody's hands were wrapped around his neck. Or maybe it was just his words getting caught in his throat at the sight of Sharpay's bare midriff. In any other scenario, he probably wouldn't have minded. "Do I even want to know?"

"You're not Ryleigh…" Faye announced slowly, as if none of them had figured it out. She turned her head and her blue eyes landed on Troy. She examined his gaze, followed it over to Sharpay and then turned back to him, white teeth exposed as she smiled. "Oh, my god, is this her?" She turned back to Sharpay, her shoulder-length copper hair swishing over her black jacket. She looked her up and down, nodding pointedly at her exposed torso. "She's got a hot bod."

"Right?" Nolan agreed, giving Troy the urge to throw something at him. He knew Sharpay had a nice body. He didn't need, or even want, another guy commenting on it. Especially Nolan. He still didn't trust him.

"Troy." Sharpay's exaggerated whisper interrupted his thoughts. Like she could feel his blood starting to boil nervously in his veins, Sharpay took a step towards him, grabbing him by the wrist and pulling him into the dressing room. She pulled the door shut and turned back to him, her brown eyes scanning up and down while he caught his balance. "What are you doing here?"

"Me? You're the one here with Nolan dressed like..." His eyes dropped down to the bra.

And what a nice bra it was.

She folded her arms across her chest and leaned her back against the door, visibly shivering. "You're giving me a lecture when you walk in with some girl I've never even seen before?"

"Faye? Sharpay, I've known her and her sister since kindergarten." Sharpay stayed silent, averting her eyes to the full size mirror on the wall in front of her. He continued, "At least I wasn't in boxers for her. Unlike your current equivalence."

"You're ridiculous."

"Am I?"

"Yes, Troy," She affirmed, turning her head. "Nolan has a girlfriend. Ryleigh. What can't you grasp about that concept?"

"I don't know." Troy mumbled, leaning his back against one of the light pink walls. He looked down at the darker pink carpet. It was true. He didn't have any idea. Had he always been this easy to make jealous? "It's just... Nolan. He gets to me."

"Don't you trust me?"

"Yes. That's not-"

"Then what's the problem?"

"I don't know." He repeated. He really didn't. He and Nolan had a very complicated relationship. He was in a position where he could trust him. And he could- with every other subject but girls.

"Would explaining make you feel better?" He didn't answer. He saw her feet step into his field of vision but he didn't look up. This jealous feeling was killing him. He rarely felt it, but when it hit him, it hit him. She continued, "Nolan got it into my head that if I didn't have suitable under garments you would go running for the hills."

Troy decided to look up, trying to keep himself from laughing. "And you believed him?"

He wasn't sure if she'd forgotten that she was in a torturously revealing lace bra or if she just didn't care. She shrugged casually, like she was wearing a parka. Troy was seeing things out of his peripheral vision that were making it very hard to keep his eyes on hers and maintain his relaxed veneer. "He's very persuasive."

"Who said I even wanted to see your bra?" He teased, watching as her face dropped. He lowered his eyebrows a fraction of an inch, examining her eyes. If she didn't get it in five seconds, he'd tell her. Five… four… three…

"I... You just..." Sharpay stuttered in response to his teasing. She spoke slowly, "I'll... get dressed then."

"I'll leave you to that." He agreed, nodding his head but making no further advances. He loved these games. He always had the upper hand. It was a gift. And it was working. Sharpay blinked, seeming confused again, her arms tightening around herself. He pushed away from the wall. "Call me. We'll hang out."

"No, no." She protested when his hand turned the doorknob. "You can't pull that with me."

"Pull what?"

"Stop that! I know your games."

Okay, maybe not working so well. He looked over his shoulder, face the picture of innocent, eyes not meeting hers. "What games?"

"Troy."

"Sharpay."

"Troy."

He raised an eyebrow at her knowing tone. "Yes?"

She narrowed her eyes slightly. "Look at me." He didn't move. There was obvious enjoyment in her voice when she spoke again. "I make Troy Bolton nervous. Score one for the transfer."

"What?" Troy rebutted, face contorting in denial. "I'm not nervous. Why would I be nervous?"

"Note to self, Troy Bolton gets jittery when nervous."

"Troy Bol- I am not-" His eyes finally turned on Sharpay's. What was he saying, again? She smirked. "Now what was that about not wanting to see my bra?"

He shifted his jaw left and right once. "What happened to shy Sharpay?"

"What happened to big man on campus Bolton?"

"He met a girl that changed his ways."

"I hope you're talking about me."

"Gabriella, actually. She's quite the catch."

"Deadliest, maybe."

"Dead is what's going to become of any male at Eastwood if I catch them staring at you while you're wearing that."

Sharpay looked down at herself, a light blush dusting across her cheekbones. She looked up. "Are you saying you like it?"

"A little too much."

"Nolan likes it, too."

"Nolan can..." Troy trailed off, unsure of where he was going with that thought. Sharpay's head tilted to the side, waiting. He blinked. He lost his mojo. How did she do that?

"-get that mop of his cut?" She volunteered.

His eyes might as well have lit up the entire store. "Mop?"

"Mop... Like his hair? I don't know, it's like… wavy and light and getting long and..."

Could they elope? Please? Right now?

Someone send for a helicopter.

Sharpay seemed confused as to why Troy suddenly seemed so smitten. Having someone voice his mop head-theory aloud just sent him into a state of bliss. Especially since it was Sharpay. She bit the corner of her lip. "What did I say?"

Too enthused, he reached his arm out towards her, his hand sliding smoothly around her bare waist, leaving a trail of minuscule goose bumps. Without skipping a beat her arms curled over his shoulders, hand cupping the back of his neck. Her lips tasted like strawberries. And they were smooth. He didn't know how long they stayed like that, but it felt twenty minutes too short. She pulled her mouth away, her torso still leaning against his. He opened his eyes to her blinking her own open. She looked like she was in a peaceful daze. The comforting brown color made him forget what he'd even been worried about. Nolan. Pft. Nolan who? "Feel better?"

"Increasingly so." He replied, arms reflexively tightening around her back.

"Good." Sharpay smiled, tucking some of Troy's growing hair behind his ear, leaning up to peck his lips one last time. He was going to get a haircut before she started referring to him as a mop. "Now get out of here so I can get dressed."

He smirked and loosened his grip; allowing her to slowly, almost reluctantly, pull herself away. "What are you doing tonight?"

"Nolan invited me to dinner with his brother and... and a bunch of other people I don't know."

He nodded and kissed her forehead, reaching behind him for the door handle. "You'll know me."

Sharpay grinned softly. Enthusiastically. "Really?"

"Just... please don't wear this bra. I won't be able to concentrate." He admitted seriously. He could only control his hormones for so long. He didn't even know how much longer he could keep from letting his gaze drift south like a normal teenager. She could tell his strength was wavering. He could tell she could. She could tell he could tell she could.

She smirked.

Something in his stomach did a little flip.

/

So this is what Serena and Blair must do on their Friday nights... Well, you know, if they were craving thin crust pizza and weren't fictitious. Sharpay smiled up at the waiter as he took the menu from her hand. The menu at Serafina's Fabulous Pizza contained crazy mixtures like caviar and truffle pasta and pizza topped with pesto and pine nuts- Nolan's bold choice. She had taken the safe route and ordered the margherita pizza. She felt funny when Troy ordered the same exact thing except with buffalo mozarella. Was it weird that she thought having the same taste in cuisine was cute? Did he like dipping his chicken nuggets in salad dressing, too?

"You'll like it." Troy smiled in regards to her order, setting down whatever alcoholic beverage he'd ordered after taking a chug. That was another funny thing. The lack of ID needed to purchase said alcohol. It was like the wait staff had an unspoken pact with the wealthy, trendy youth.

You serve booze, we leave large tip.

"I wish I could say the same for Alex."

Alex looked away from his girlfriend, raising a blonde eyebrow. "Salmon is delicious. Smoked and Norwegian."

"But on a pizza?" Sharpay scrunched her nose. She wasn't a fan of fish.

"He knows he won't be kissing anyone until that taste is free from his mouth." His girlfriend smirked, nudging his side. Katelyn Boyd. Sitting across from Faye and next to her twin Felicia, her cropped strawberry blonde hair mixed with theirs gave the entire left side of the table a weird glow. Nolan made a disgusted noise as Alex leaned over to prove the senior wrong.

"Just what a guy wants to see. His friend molesting his sister."

Sharpay turned and saw a boy sliding behind Nolan's chair. He wore a dark red plaid shirt and no jacket, and unlike the three other shaggy haired boys at the table, his hair was neatly cropped, making his soft brown eyes easy to stare into. They were nice. Comforting. They reminded her of Jimmie's.

"When I said 8 I meant Eastern Standard, Patrick."

"Excuse you, neglectful sibling. Nona Boyd needed help arranging her freesias."

Troy lifted a hand in Patrick's direction, an amused grin on his lips. "Stop there before you say anything more emasculating."

"Shut up, pretty boy."

"How is Nona holding up?" Faye asked, swirling her toothpick around her drink as Troy snickered. Patrick sat in the empty seat between Nolan and Alex and looked across at her. "I heard she missed the Lupus Fundraiser last week."

"Oh, you know, she's..."

Seeing the confused and slightly uncomfortable look on Sharpay's face as she ran her fingers up and down the outside of her glass, Troy reached over, lacing them loosely with his as he tilted his mouth towards her ear. "Their grandmother is one of the oldest socialites on the Upper East Side."

Sharpay looked over at him. "My grandma lives in Miami..."

"Isn't that sweet?" The two turned and looked at Patrick, who tilted the glass of alcohol in his hand at their intertwined fingers, which a waiter had set down unnoticed. He must have stopped at the bar prior. Did bartenders not card in the city or something? He took a swig and set it down, offering a hand across the table to Sharpay. "Patrick Boyd."

"Sharpay Evans." She kept her hand in Troy's as she reached her other to catch Patrick's.

"Been looking forward to meeting you. Cal's going to be jealous I met you first."

Sharpay's brow furrowed slightly. He knew who she was, too? How? For how long? And who was this Cal person?

"How does everyone know who I am?" She asked, not really meaning to have said it aloud. She felt weird, everyone kept speaking like they knew her and she had no idea these people even existed until today. She looked over at Troy, who exchanged some sort of message with Patrick via eye contact, before looking back at her like nothing had happened. "Small state."

She looked over at Patrick, whose brown eyes were pointed towards Nolan. When she looked over at Nolan, his eyes seemed to be cast in Faye's direction… or Felicia's… she still wasn't sure about those two. What the hell was going on? She was in Hale. She could know secrets. She would buy the secrets if it came down to it- she still had the Black Card. She just wanted some sort of insight on what they all seemed to be sharing with each other. And how come Nolan could know? He wasn't even in Stuart! She looked back at Troy. "Troy..."

He raised an eyebrow. "Hm?" She blinked, as if it were obvious. She knew he knew it was. She didn't have to say it out loud. Slipping her hand out of his grip, she sat back in her chair, like a child giving their father the silent treatment. Troy let out a defeated sigh. Good. Maybe if he felt bad for her he'd take pity and, who knows, share? Her phone vibrated on the corner of the table. The text bubble from Nolan's screen read: 'He can't tell you. Not yet.'

She looked up at him, intrigued. 'Tell me what?'

He shook his head slowly. 'I can't tell you either.'

Sharpay set her phone on her lap. Well, that was helpful. She enjoyed cryptic texts as much as the next person, but actual information would be nice for once. She leaned back into the table, grabbing Nolan's gin and tonic and taking a too-fast sip. She winced as the strong, sour taste hit her throat. Luckily, no one but Nolan saw the face she made. They were already on to the next conversation about someone else she didn't know. She felt out of place. This wasn't her world, her friends, her life. She wasn't Tiara. She wasn't the type of person who went to trendy New York restaurants and ordered drinks underage without getting slack. She stood up from her chair, gripping her phone in her hand. Troy turned to her, bewildered. "What's the matter?"

"Nothing, I just need some air."

"Do you want-"

"No, no, sit. It's fine." She lied, sliding away from the table, weaving through the throngs of people until she made it outside. She didn't know what to do with herself. It wasn't like home here. Or like Eastwood. It was loud and crowded. It was almost uncomfortable. Maybe she could take a cab home and no one would notice. Troy had his friends. He'd be fine without her. She just didn't know if she'd be fine without him.

"He really likes you, you know."

Sharpay turned towards the owner of the voice and saw Felicia- Faye?- would a name tag be too much to ask?- at her side, lighting a cigarette. She gestured to the cancer stick, "Want one?" She shook her head. "Good for you. Troy would always yell at me and Tiara. 'It's a bad habit, Faye.' 'Lung cancer, T.' He's such a saint."

Sharpay nodded, her mind far off. She didn't think it possible for the great Tiara to have a flaw like nicotine addiction. Faye pushed her copper hair over her shoulder. "But he really does. Like you, I mean. Like... he likes you likes you."

"Mm." Sharpay commented, not sure how to respond to that. Her stomach took it as a cue to do a swan dive.

"Don't be mad at him because he can't tell you the secrets of our screwed up world. You'll know in time."

"I'm not mad, I just feel... lost."

There was a pause as Faye took a thoughtful drag from her cigarette, blowing out the smoke. It reminded Sharpay of the caterpillar from Alice in Wonderland. "Funny." She stated simply.

What? Did she think she was joking? "What is?"

"Huh?" Faye asked, coming back to the present. "Nothing, it's just... You know, Troy said that exact same thing when I saw him back in October for his birthday? When Tiara didn't come back. I asked him if he was mad at her... I think he was in some phase of depression. I didn't think he'd ever snap out of it... Lo and behold a few weeks later I start hearing about this new girl who isn't like the other Haleans. He described you so well over the phone that earlier today I thought we were already acquainted."

Sharpay bit the inside of her cheek as Faye blew a small puff of smoke into the November night air. Troy was talking about her? To his friends? For how long? What was he saying? Good things? Bad things? She was so very curious. But she couldn't very well ask, now, could she? The copper headed beauty must have heard the gears cranking in her head. "Nothing bad, I promise. He's so taken with you. You wouldn't believe how hard he's working to get you in."

Sharpay's forehead creased. In?

/

"She's got a bit of an attitude, no?"

"Look who's talking." Patrick rolled his eyes at his sister.

"And we can add rude." The senior continued, ignoring him and the look Troy was giving her. "Really, who just walks out like that?"

"A girl clearly uncomfortable in her surroundings?" Nolan offered.

"Seriously, babe, she lived in like... the desert."

"Albuquerque isn't a desert, Alex."

The blonde shrugged and Troy straightened up in his chair as a waitress set his order of pizza in front of him. He simply stared at the thin crust, wondering what Faye and Sharpay were talking about outside. He prayed it was nothing embarrassing. He could live without Sharpay knowing he went to Britney concert with them in fourth grade.

"Are you sure she's right?" Katelyn asked in Troy's direction. Felicia answered for him. "Of course she is. You saw her file."

"Who are you to judge?" Troy responded. "You were wait-listed until last year."

She narrowed her eyes. Troy raised an eyebrow and broke a piece of crust off his pizza. The wait list. The wait list for the underground society. It signalled uncertainty. If you weren't accepted immediately after the research-and-consideration phase it meant you weren't perfect. And Sharpay was perfect. He could tell. Katelyn Boyd had nothing on her.

"I still don't understand. Wasn't she poor up until like... a month ago?" Katelyn asked, obviously annoyed. "Isn't that when Lindsay's father offered her mom the job?"

Lindsay. As in Lindsay Ross. As in the Lily of Prospect Academy. Daughter of the man who owned the largest chain of construction and development firms on the east coast. The firm that Sharpay's mother now worked for. It wasn't a coincidence. "They were upper middle class. It's not like she was discovered while on vacation at a Quality Inn in Pennsylvania."

"No... It was Jersey, wasn't it?"

"Shut up, Kate," Nolan, Troy, and Felicia said in unison.

Katelyn reached for her drink slowly. "Whatever."

"Like Fox would ever set foot in a Quality Inn." Patrick snickered. "He's the one who found her, wasn't he?"

Murray Fox. Or Fox, as known by his peers. James Wiley of Prospect. Much adored by much of the female population. Most, actually. Not to mention he was Troy's cousin. His father's sister's son. Fox was to the Plaza what Troy was The Four Seasons. If he weren't visiting their other cousin Rebecca, he'd probably be sitting at the table right now.

"In Maui, yeah." Troy affirmed, nodding vacantly, recalling the first time he'd heard about Sharpay last year. Little did he know the blonde girl his cousin met while at a restaurant during summer break would have such a pull on him now. Funny how things worked out. He wondered if, instead of taking Tiara to Paris, he had gone to Maui with Rebecca and Fox... if he would have met Sharpay. If he would have noticed her. If he would have felt feelings for her. Feelings he felt for Tiara. The feelings he felt now. And if he had, would he have done anything about it? How would he have handled it? It was too complicated to think about for more than three minutes at a time.

"Isn't she a conflict of interest? Now that you two are public..." Felicia paused, taking a bite out of a slice of pizza. She had ordered one with... Olives? Interesting.

"Me and Tiara were together when she was in consideration."

"You weren't in yet, though. You weren't even in Stuart. You weren't-"

"I get it, Leesh."

"But wait," Felicia continued, leaning her elbow on the table and lifting her hand in a 'hold-up' manner, "if it was conflict of interest, wouldn't Fox be a problem, too?"

Troy's eyes narrowed slightly. "Why would that be conflict of interest?"

Felicia and Patrick exchanged a glance. Alex suddenly became very interested in his girlfriend's hand. Katelyn watched as he examined the creased on her knuckles. Nolan was the only one who made eye contact, avoiding speaking by taking a large taste of his drink. Why was Murray Fox a conflict of interest? Why? "Someone better-"

A hand touched his shoulder, dragged across his back and then clapped his opposite shoulder. He watched Faye take her seat on his left. She flashed a smile and Troy tried to muster one back. It came out more as a grimace. Now was not the time. He looked back to see Sharpay sitting down, tucking her blonde hair behind her ear. She turned her head slowly towards him, smiling softly. "I'm sorry."

He shook his head, catching her hand. It was cold from being outside. She shuddered. "Don't apologize."

Just tell me everything you and my cousin did in Maui.

Okay, let me try to clear up some of the confusion. I'll try to go in order of appearance.

Prospect Academy : Eastwood

Faye/Felicia Foster : Gabriella (except people actually like them and they aren't quite so devious)

Katelyn Boyd : Angela-ish?

Patrick Boyd : Jason

Murray Fox : James

Lindsay Ross : Lily

And the 'Cal' that Patrick referred to sort of like Troy.

And Rebecca is Troy and Fox's cousin.

And that's it, I think. I guess if you have questions you can PM me. Review (: