Chapter 24 –

On the front cover was a picture of the two of them kissing at the dinner. He flipped the page. Inside were several pictures of them. Some were from the dinner and the reception the night before. Others were of them hiding from the reporters. She couldn't read what they said about them but she did notice that one of the pictures had a circle drawn around her left hand, accentuating the ring Troy gave her. She looked over them again and then at Troy.

"I hate reporters!" He crumpled up the paper and threw it aside.

Sharpay rubbed his shoulders. "Troy, so what? They took a few pictures. It doesn't matter."

He turned around and hugged her. "I just don't like them intruding." He shook his head. "I just don't see why they have to do it."

"It's their job. Our job is to not let it get to us. Who cares if they get pictures of us having a good time. As long as it's a not picture of us having too good of a time." She winked at him. "So how about that tour you offered me?"

He agreed, it was pointless to let them ruin their fun. How was she always able to get him out of a bad mood? He smiled at her. "Let's get dressed!"

They ran back upstairs.

They got dressed into some comfortable and warm clothes and went to see if they could find Neo anywhere. They found him in the lobby a little while later talking to some local women. Troy smiled at her as they approached. "He draws women like moths to a flame."

Sharpay laughed, "Like you have any trouble."

He gave her a mischievous smile. "Hey Neo!" They walked up to him.

The women looked at Troy and Sharpay and smiled.

"Hey you two. I was wondering when you would decided to leave your little love nest." He smiled.

Sharpay blushed.

Neo saw the blush and smiled wider. "This is Gretchen and Inga." He motioned at the women. "Gretchen, Inga, I would like you to meet Troy Bolton and Sharpay Evans." They all shook hands and traded hellos.

Sharpay noticed that the women were giving her some curious glances. They're probably wondering what I'm doing with Troy Sharpay shrugged, she couldn't care less about what they thought about her.

Troy simply replied to their looks by pulling her closer to him.

Troy looked over at Neo. "We were wondering whether or not you would like to join us in a little sight seeing." He looked at the women. "You are welcome to join us."

They shook their heads. Neo looked at Troy and shrugged. "I think I will stay with them."

Troy rolled his eyes and smiled. "As you wish. We'll see you later ok?" He and Sharpay approached the main desk and asked for the concierge. He noticed them before anyone could reach him. He left the people he was talking to and walked over.

"Herr Bolton, Fraulein Evans! Out for a day trip?" He smiled warmly at them.

"Yes, we were wondering if you could tell us some of the better sights to see?"

The man's excitement was evident. He quickly walked to the desk and pulled out a pen and paper and started writing directions down and drawing little maps to different sights. He took a look at it and nodded to himself. "Here you go. Those are the better sights that tourists don't often see."

Troy took it from him. "Thank you." Sharpay smiled her gratitude. Troy led her out of the hotel and they walked to the first sight on the map.

It was fun to walk around the city. It was gorgeous. The moment they stepped out of the hotel, it seemed like they walked into another era. The buildings were so different from what she was use to seeing. They all look so old and dignified. She gasped in awe at the monuments and took some pictures.

Ignoring the photographers, Troy put his arm around her waist as they stopped to take in the sights. He looked down at her and smiled. She was so sweet. She made even the simple things, like walking around looking at sights, fun. He loved the way that she took pleasure in the small things. The little shops, the people, the sounds, the smells, they all delighted her. He noticed that she often turned her camera to the flowers and people. Sharpay looked at him and smiled. His heart stopped. She was incredible. Unable to stop himself Troy leant down and kissed her.

"Mmmm, what was that for?" Her eyes darkened with his kiss. She put her arms around his neck.

"For being you." He looked at her face and realized he loved looking at her.

"You're so sweet." She kissed him.

"It's true. I am totally in love with you, Sharpay." Troy took her hand and they continued walking.

"I'm so in love with you too." Sharpay meant it. She loved every moment with him. She loved his wit, his charm; in short everything about him. She smiled at him. They walked around the rest of the sights on the list talking along the way. After taking in their fill they headed back in the direction of the hotel. It was getting dark by the time they got back. They walked by the concierge and said hi then headed to the elevators. They leaned against the back as they rode it up to the top. Troy held her to him and grinned happily. Sharpay observed some of the older guests tutting and shaking their heads at their display of affection. Uncomfortable under their scrutinizing gaze, she tried to extricate herself from Troy's arms. He held on tighter. "Troy..." "Chère, who cares what they think." He whispered the words against her neck.

Sharpay knew he was right. Why should she care what total strangers thought of her? After the elevator stopped several times to let people on and off they finally reached their room.

Quietly they took off their coats and shoes. Troy pulled Sharpay through the room and sat her down on the couch. He kneeled in front of her.

" Sharpay." He looked up at her, eyes sparkling. "Please stay with me. I need you to be with me. Je t'adore."

Sharpay put her hands on his cheeks. "Troy, I love you too." She stopped.

"But you must finish school. Is that what you were going to say?" He took her hands and kissed them.

"No. Yes." Sharpay shook her head. "I want to. Believe me I do. I want to be with you always." She looked at the sparkling ring on her finger.

He looked at it also. " Sharpay, I will not push you. The decision is yours to make and I know that I cannot change your heart."

"Troy, my heart is yours. Never doubt that. I promise that I will come back to you as soon as I can." She kissed his cheek. "I could never keep away from you."

" Sharpay, I will wait forever if I must." He drew her toward him and kissed her, an incredible, deep, stirring kiss.

Sharpay 's eyes filled with tears. "I won't make you wait that long." She reached for him and kissed him back.

HSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSMHSM

The rest of Sharpay 's stay was pretty much the same, concerts, interviews, sight seeing and she enjoyed every minute of it. She had a great time with Troy, he made everything a lot offun.

On her last day there, they decided to stay in and spend some quiet time. After a long day of making love and talking, they sat together on the couch in front of the glowing fire and cuddled.

Sharpay fixed dinner this time and they ate it on the floor in the warm glow of the fire delighting in the flavour of the food. Afterwards they did the dishes together and then settled on the couch, listened to music and talked.

"So how is it you are not as poverty stricken as the rest of the students?" Troy looked into her eyes.

Sharpay laughed. "They aren't poverty stricken. It's more like a lack of free flowing cash." She thought of how her friends had to save and stick to a budget.

Troy laughed. "Ok then how come you have a free flow of cash?"

"My parents are pretty well off. And I have a pretty hefty trust fund." She looked at him.

"That would explain why you have such nice things." He pointed at her diamond earringsand her silk blouse. "Yeah. Why? Has that been bothering you? Because I assure you I don't have another world trotting boyfriend hidden anywhere." She took his hand and kissed his talented fingers.

He laughed. "I was just curious. You never seemed like the rest of your friends."

"Really? In what way?" Now it was her turn to be curious.

He shrugged. "You are more grown up. I saw how you handled yourself at your first dinner. You took it like a pro. Other women your age probably would have talked about the latest music video on MTV or something." He gazed into her eyes. "But you talked to everyone even though I knew you were tired and couldn't understand some of what was going on." He sighed. "You're just incredible."

Sharpay blushed. "Thank you. It means a lot coming from you." She smiled. "To tell you the truth I was dreading going to that dinner. I thought it would be a long boring affair, but it wasquite fun. Especially that countess and that husband of hers."

"Ah, would you believe that he is her fifth husband?"

"No. That's not true!" Sharpay feigned shock. The countess was an eccentric woman. That Sharpay picked up right away, it didn't shock her in the least that she's been married so manytimes.

"I hear that she wants to be moving onto her sixth soon."

Sharpay raised her eyebrows. "Sixth?" She looked at Troy. How could anyone want to be married six times? "You're joking! Who?"

He puffed out his chest importantly.

"You're kidding." Wide-eyed Sharpay looked at him.

He shook his head and grinned. He loved teasing her just to see her reaction.

"She's like seventy years old!"

"She's only fifty." Troy said in mock indignation. They started laughing. Sharpay gave him a light punch on the arm. He grabbed her and started tickling all the little spots he found over the week that made her giggle. They fell off the couch and onto the floor as they tickled each other.

Laughing Sharpay pulled Troy down to her and kissed him. He kissed her back and started undoing the buttons to her blouse. He stopped and dropped his head on her chest when he heard the knock at the door.

Troy looked at her and sighed. "Hold that thought. It's probably Neo coming to say goodbye." He climbed off of her and walked to the door and opened it.

Sharpay got back onto the couch and straightened her blouse and hair.

Troy opened the door and swore when he saw it wasn't Neo. He tried to shut the door but she stuck her foot in. "Va t'en!"

She looked over and saw Sabine standing on the other side of the door in a trench coat and what looked like underwear underneath. Here we go again.

"Sabine, what the hell are you doing here? I told you I don't want to see you ever again." Troy looked calm, but Sharpay could see the anger blazing in his eyes. She knew Sabine was trying his last nerve.

Sabine simply squeezed her way past him and into the penthouse. "You don't mean that, Troy." She purred. "We are so good together." She put her hand on his chest. Troy backed out of reach.

"Leave right now." His voice was edged with ice.

Sharpay sat on the couch watching. Sabine saw her and strode over.

"So you are spending time with that child." She sniffed disdainfully. "How nice." She looked at Sharpay slowly circling the couch were she sat like a shark circling its prey. "So you think that he loves you? I bet he told you that you were the only one for him." She eyed him. "He told me that once. He'll soon bore of you like he did me and the others." Troy muttered something at her under his breath.

"As a matter of fact he has." Sharpay stood up and faced her. She wasn't going to back down this time. "And he doesn't look like he's going to get bored of me anytime soon."

"Stupid girl! Once he has had his fun he'll toss you aside."

Sharpay stood glaring at her. Just one punch...