A/N: Right, so I think my creative juices are flowing this past week because I've been writing almost everyday after I get home from work. However, sadly, I've only received one review for my previous chapter. Was it that bad? Well, even if it was, could you guys just drop a review anyway and go like "you're shit" and I'll be fine with that, seriously. Either way, a shout out to TheDude47! Thank you for reviewing! I totally appreciate it!

And now for the story…

xXx
CeruleanBlues


The Way You Look At Me

Chapter 28

By the time the bell rang at the end of last period, all Sharpay wanted to do was get the hell out of that damn school. After that unfortunate ordeal during lunch, she'd been on high alert. Rumours and accusations were still ringing in her ears from when she overheard them during and in between classes. It was suffocating and extremely irritating. She hated having to put up another layer of wall over the suit of armour she already had on, but now she was more cautious than ever—refusing to allow herself to let her guard down for even one second. As hard as she tried to ignore the incessant whispers all around her, she was finding the effort incredible exhausting.

So she just soaked it in.

The news about her and Ryan being adopted quickly spread like wildfire. Everybody was still debating if Chad's declaration had been true or merely a hoax. There were also talks of students speculating if she and Ryan were actual biological twins. She had even overheard someone mentioning that she was supposedly a born brunette and had put lemon juice in her hair just so nobody would suspect that they weren't related.

Sharpay rolled her eyes.

Just goes to show how fucking stupid these people are.

Nobody had the nerve to come right out and ask her about it so far, and for that she was thankful. Then again, she wondered if anybody in the entire fucking school had a semblance of a backbone or a set of balls to gain the truth instead of spreading gross lies.

Seems like I was walking in the wrong direction
I barely recognize my own reflection, no
Scared of love but scared of life alone

Oh well, she thought as she strutted out of the classroom and down the hallway towards her locker. I am the Ice Queen, anyway.

The whole day had been a mother-effing bitch, and all she wanted was a safe haven out. Sharpay popped open her locker, quickly realizing that she needed a break from all of it.

From the judgmental stares; from the solid concrete walls; from the hypocritical criticisms.

From Chad Danforth and his two whores.

From the Jazz Square.

From Troy Bolton.

Whipping her phone out of her pocket, she tapped on the speed dial and called the one person she knew who hadn't once failed to provide her with the effortless sense of escape and comfort.

"Hey, Shar."

He answered after three rings and her face instantly lit up at the sound of his voice on the other end of the line—that soothing and carefree lining that coated every word—and how just hearing him speak could bring a smile on her face. Dan Patch had a way with her like nobody ever had—one that nobody would probably understand—and it was why she loved her best friend so much.

He made everything easier.

Better.

With a giddy sigh, she replied, "hey, Dan."

"What's up, babe?" he asked. "You okay?"

"Yeah…" she began, but then stopped herself, well aware that the other guy already knew her better than herself, and would most definitely see—or rather hear—through her lie. "Well, no. Go get Trista, drop by my place and help me grab my gear, pronto. I'll meet you guys at Pure Shores."

"Wow, someone's up for a surf," he commented in a teasing fashion.

Sharpay pinched the bridge of her nose with her thumb and index finger. "It's been a long day," she murmured,

Dan snickered through the receiver but before he could offer a clever-witted remark, she heard some shuffling, like the ruffling of papers. "What are you doing?" she questioned, forehead creased.

"Orange just peed on my thesis!" he sputtered out, letting out a string of curses in his wake as he moved more stuff around, all the while keeping his ears on the phone.

The burst of laughter was the first truly heartfelt one she had that day as she pictured Dan's five-month-old ginger-coloured kitten mewling and scratching innocently as it took a whazz on his homework. Sharpay also knew that Dan preferred writing his essays down on paper the old-fashioned way instead of leaping into the twenty-first century and typing them down in a computer. He kept insisting that it gave his work a personal touch, but she was convinced that he couldn't start up his laptop and fire up the printer even if his life depended on it. It took him a week to figure out how his cellular worked.

"Shit, I gotta go clean this mess up before my old lady gets home," he grumbled. "I'll see you later, Shar. Be careful, alright? Love you!"

"Love you too," she chimed in with a chuckle. "Oh, wait! Grab some chocolates for me, will you?"

The line had already gone dead. Sharpay made a face as she held her phone away from her ear and glanced down at the blank screen, wondering if he'd even heard her last request. She reckoned he was more preoccupied attending to his beloved cat and probably didn't. Huffing, she tossed her phone into her bag, slammed her locker door shut and headed out of the main door, relieved that she didn't have to pass by the detention room. Besides, the whole point of this escape was to take her mind off that issue anyway, and it certainly wouldn't be possible of she couldn't avoid a certain basketball captain.

Sharpay headed towards her convertible, the distant high-pitched voices of the East High cheerleaders practicing over by the football field echoing across the school compound. She smirked at the image of skinny, model-aspiring girls in pleated colour-coded skirts and shells, jumping up and down waving streams of pom poms when in reality, she probably had more spirit and enthusiasm than the whole squad combined. Sliding into the car, she slipped on her designer sunglasses and drove out of the school gates. She took her time coasting down the highway, knowing fairly well that she'd most likely be the first one to arrive.

And she was right.

Dan's white Silverado rolled into the empty parking lot next to hers half an hour later with her baby blue thruster sticking out of the back of his pickup, rap music blasting out of the speakers. Sharpay rolled her hazel eyes and almost grunted at the irony, but nonetheless she couldn't stop her grin and got out to greet her two most trusted friends.

"Miss me that much already, Shar?" Dan waggled his eyebrows suggestively as he hopped out of the driver's seat, extending his arms out for her.

"Yeah, sure, Dan Patch," she shot back sweetly with a somewhat underlying sarcasm, pretending to head for him, but then switched at the very last second to skip over to Trista, hugging her instead.

"Hey, Tris!" Sharpay greeted cheerfully in a singsong way, giggling when the other girl played along, lifting her up and spinning her around, both friends squealing.

"Hey yourself, Shar," Trista chortled as she set the blonde actress back on her feet. "Nice sex hair, by the way," she added, winking impishly, her piercing glinting in the sunlight.

Sharpay stuck her tongue out, and then quickly tried to smooth her hair down—a feeble effort, considering the sea breeze that had picked up—when Dan came over, pouting childishly at being rejected earlier. Trista sniggered, then reached out to ruffle his already tousled hair. He swatted her hand away and dodged out of reach.

"So, what's possessed you to want to go surfing today?" he asked, his expression still mildly sour. "Since you've already made it clear you're obviously not here to see me and my amazing abs."

Surely it was meant as a snarky retort, but the hint of curiosity in his tone made every word charming and innocent. "Oh, don't be a baby," Sharpay cooed, gently stroking his stubbly cheek. She then shifted her hand down and patted his rock solid six packs, which she knew he was so proud of. "You know you look good."

She was totally avoiding the subject. He knew it, and he didn't like it. Trista snorted in an unlady-like manner—one that Dan clearly did not appreciate—and Sharpay lightly slapped her ass. Unfortunately Trista's ignorance only served to fuel her mocking as she burst out in cackles. Sharpay offered Dan a sympathetic smile, but he just shook his head, frowning.

"Let's just do this, already," he mumbled, turning away to go retrieve his things from his truck.

Raising her eyebrows, Sharpay glanced over at Trista—who had ceased laughter—and both of them exchanged baffled looks. "Is he okay?"

Shrugging nonchalantly, she said, "I don't know."

Sharpay pondered for a moment, trying to recall if anything was askew since the last time she spoke to him. "He didn't mention anything on the way here?"

"He seemed fine and all, told me Orange peed on his paper," Trista replied, and Sharpay could tell she was trying her best not to smirk.

Sharpay pivoted her neck around and watched at Dan hauled his own longboard from the back of his vehicle with a sullen expression on his handsome features. He was not one to hide his emotions—rather he was really bad at it—and clearly he was upset, about what, she didn't know. However, she was determined to find out.

Seems I've been playing on the safe side baby
Building walls around my heart to save me, oh
But it's time for me to let it go

"Go find us a decent spot, Tris," she told the other girl, nodding towards the beach. "I'll go see what's wrong."

Trista clicked her tongue and gave Sharpay a good luck wave before strutting down the boardwalk towards the sandy shoreline. Sliding her hands into the back pockets of her pants, Sharpay made her way to the brooding guy who was in the midst of pulling her blue fiberglass-coated board from the trunk. Sharpay reached out to lend a hand, even though he probably didn't need it. Together they set the thruster on the ground and leaned it against the side of his pickup.

"Thanks," he mumbled.

Dan didn't even grace her with a smile, but instead continued unloading things and avoided any form of eye contact. Sharpay tucked a stray lock of blonde hair behind her ear and cleared her throat.

"Dan?"

"Hmm?"

When he still didn't look up at her, she grabbed his wrist to halt his actions. "Look at me."

Dan hesitated for a little bit, and she could see the clenching and unclenching of his jaw from his side profile. Worriedly, she gave him a gentle squeeze. It had been a really long time since he'd been this tensed, for he was rather an easygoing dude and embraced positivity in everything. Sharpay didn't prod on, allowing him the time to make a decision, and she knew he was doing that because he would hate himself if he were to lose his cool and snap at her. Eventually, his shoulders sagged and his muscles relaxed. Sighing, he perched himself on the edge of the tailgate, still refusing to meet her gaze. Brows furrowed, she took a tentative step forward and stood in between his legs.

"What's wrong, Dan Patch?"

Yeah, I'm ready to feel now
No longer am I afraid of the fall down
It must be time to move on now

His response was instantaneous and defensive. "Nothing."

Dan was horrible at lying as much as she was. They were both so utterly transparent to each other it was frustrating. Nothing ever got away.

"Come on," she coaxed. "I know you, and you don't get upset over something as insignificant as a flippant remark about your amazing abs. This is much more."

Without the fear of how it might end
I guess I'm ready to love again

There was a hint of a smile at the corner of his lips when she mentioned about his physique, but it quickly disappeared to its forlorn state. "I can't keep having you pushing your problems away, alright," he reluctantly admitted, at last meeting her golden eyes. "It's not fair to me. You can't keep telling me that something's wrong and then not tell me what it is. I'm your best friend, Shar—"

"I will tell you, okay," she cut him off, unsure and confused about his reservations. He usually wasn't this impatient. "I'm meant to tell you, just not straight away. I just—I just need the air right now, and for a moment forget about my problems. Just for a while, Dan, and—"

"Fine, look, I'm—I'm sorry—"

She was now full-on ranting, all worked up and ignoring his attempt to apologise. "You don't just do that to me—"

"I'm sorry, I—"

"You can't, Dan Patch, damn you! I love you, but you can't push me—"

"I'm sorry—"

"You have no idea how much I need you right now—"

Unable to take it any longer, he cupped her porcelain face, effectively stopping her in mid sentence, and then leaned forward so that their foreheads were touching. Taking a deep breath, he repeated, "I'm sorry." His tone was soft and gentle, regretful even. "I didn't mean to push you but you know how much I hate it when you don't tell me anything."

Sharpay could detect the hurt in his voice but despite all that, he was actually more concerned than anything, so she snaked her arms around his neck and rested her chin on his broad shoulder. His hands automatically found their place around her waist.

"I'll tell you later, Dan Patch," she whispered into his ear. "I promise."

He nodded his head, and after placing a chaste kiss on her lower jaw, he pulled away with a ruggedly charismatic grin on his face that she loved so much. It in turn triggered her own smile as she pecked the tip of his nose.

"There's my man," she said. "Come on, let's go before Tris finds some bloke to take home tonight."

"Hang on," Dan interrupted her before she could move, and then pulled out a bar of her favourite chocolate from his pocket.

Her whole face lit up. "I didn't think—"

"I'm your best friend, Shar," he told her, lightly pinching her cheek. "And I heard you over the phone, so you're welcome."

Beaming, she threw her arms around his muscular frame and chuckled. "I love you so much."

"Love you too, little doe."

They gathered their stuff, tucking the boards under their arms and met Trista down by a shaded area on the whitish sandy beach, where the brunette was lazing around admiring the curls rolling in from ocean. Sharpay speared her tri-fin into the sand and did the same for Dan's as he made another trip to the truck to fetch the other girl's gun.

"Did you find out what's wrong with him?" Trista asked, gesturing towards the guy in question.

"Just doesn't like it when I don't tell him things," Sharpay explained, dusting the sand off her hands. "But he didn't mean to push it."

"He cares a lot about you, Sharpay," the other girl told her earnestly. "He'll do anything for you, and he's just insecure about certain things. He doesn't want to lose you."

Just when we think that love will never find you
You runaway but still it's right behind you, oh
It's just something that you can't control

It was a ridiculous assumption, yet the fear struck a chord in her. How could her best friend in the entire world lose her? Sharpay didn't know how to reply to that, so she just occupied herself with rummaging through the duffel bag that her friend had brought for her. "Did you get my bikini or wetsuit?"

"I just dumped both of it in," Trista informed, uncapping a bottle of water and taking a swig. "Not exactly sure which one you'd prefer, but damn, you have one giant ass closet, bitch."

Laughing, Sharpay fished the black wetsuit out of the bag, figuring that she'd have to make do with wearing that over her lingerie—as much as she hated getting her expensive silk bra and panties wet with salt water—since the nearest shower was over by the snack shack. It was rather a long trek up there to the more populated part of the beach. No way was she going through all that effort.

"Oh please," she scoffed. "Don't even pretend like you don't go through my clothes every time you come by. In fact, somehow all of my black outfits would end up mysteriously disappearing whenever you pop by. I can even bet that you have something in your bag now that is mine."

The twitch at the corner of Trista's lips was smug, that rebellious streak shining through like she hadn't even done anything wrong. Sharpay rolled her hazel eyes and then crossed her arms over her torso, taking the hem of her top and casually pulling her clothing over her head.

"Whoa, too much info, Shar!" Dan told her, shielding his eyes with the back of his hand as he clumsily dropped Trista's board onto the sand.

"Hey!" the brunette cried out, appalled at how her prized gun was being manhandled. "Be careful with that!"

Dan flushed with embarrassment; eyes flickering back towards Sharpay's almost half-naked form whilst scrambling for the fallen object, and then blindly jabbed it into the ground. "Er…are you going to just…go out…like that?" he asked, awkwardly gesturing towards her bra-clad chest.

Glaring murderously at him for blatantly ogling her breasts, Sharpay slipped her wetsuit jacket on, and then wordlessly wrapped a towel around her waist so that she could change into her bikini bottoms.

"Stop staring at her, you pervert," Trista snapped, throwing a packet of unopened chips towards the blonde guy. She grinned victoriously when it hit him squarely on the face, jolting him out of his drool fest. Dan sheepishly dropped his gaze, finding a sudden interest in the grains of sand beneath his feet, and fiddling with the unhealthy snack in his hands.

"I wasn't staring at her," he murmured.

"Sure, you weren't," Trista said knowingly. "I mean, considering since you've obviously seen more, what with your regular skinny dipping sessions."

"For your information, it's always dark out there," Dan retorted defensively. "So we don't actually see each other's…things."

It was Trista's turn to roll her eyes. "Oh, my God, it's like second grade with you Daniel. They're called breasts, vagina, penis, say it with me."

"Here's something for you, Tris," Dan said, his voice dripping with false sweetness. "Why don't you get your breasts and vagina in the fucking ocean before I drag you out there tied to your board."

"You're so cute when you get into a hissy fit," the girl shot back with equal sarcasm before pushing herself up on her feet. Dusting the sand off her butt, she stuck her tongue out at him and retrieved her gun, heading towards the sea.

In front of him, Sharpay was giggling. "What?"

"You two are like cats and dogs," she pointed out in amusement. "Always constantly fighting."

"Okay, just so you know, that's not my fault," he said, raising both palms up. "She started it first."

"Hmm…well they say two people who bicker like a married couple will eventually fall in love with each other," she teased as she pulled her hair up in a ponytail.

Yeah, I'm ready to feel now
No longer am I afraid of the fall down
It must be time to move on now
Without the fear of how it might end
I guess I'm ready to love again

"Never, Sharpay Evans," he told her in half disgust, as though the thought repulsed him. "You hear me? Never."

Planting both hands on her hips, she strutted up to him, tilting her head to one side and surveying him from top to bottom. "You say that now, Dan Patch, but when that happens and you guys get married and have little blonde gothic children, you'll have me to thank and I'll get the privilege of saying 'I told you so'."

He lowered himself so that their noses were merely inches away. "Never gonna happen."


Hours later and after a couple of average-sized waves, Sharpay felt the first signs of ache in her muscles. The sun was setting, sinking below the horizon as it bathed the cloudless sky a warm shade of amber. She sat on her thruster with her back facing the shore, admiring the calm scenery, drifting in the water while the tides rolled out in gentle waves. Inhaling the fresh salty air, she couldn't help but cherish in the beauty of the moment and the simplicity it represented.

"So, are you ever going to tell us, Shar?"

Until Trista shattered it with that question.

"I told him that I'll think about it," Sharpay began, knowing that she didn't really need to address the person in question. "And I'm still thinking about it, but I don't know…I really thought that…I was so ready to give him a chance…"

"Well, what happened?" Dan asked. Trista had filled him in on the details of the night before when she was over at Sharpay's house so that he was in the loop on what was happening, since the blonde actress's life ran like a freaking bullet train. Everything seemed nice and placid—fragile, probably, but nice and placid nonetheless—where the story last ended, so the two friends were sure that something drastic had occurred during the day for her to suddenly be this hesitant.

Sharpay sighed, running her fingers to create ripples in the water. "He texted me this morning and told me his dad insisted on driving him to school. He had left his car there the previous day and I offered to pick him up." She paused to deeply inhale and exhale. "I didn't think much of it, you know, I mean, it's not like we're officially dating or anything, so technically I didn't get to be suspicious."

She glanced over at Trista for a reaction, to which she just shrugged in response, and then over to Dan who was staring out at the ocean, seemingly deep in thought, so she took that as an encouragement and continued.

"He got to school and there was this big cut below his eye, and before you jump to any conclusions that his dad hit him, it was his ex-girlfriend," she explained. "Turns out that bitch had been in his room, waiting like some shit-ass creep and apparently started talking crap." At that, Dan turned his head and gave her a quizzical look, a hint of a smirk ghosting on his lips. Sharpay leaned over and gently pinched his bicep.

"Ow!" he whimpered, rubbing the sore spot, a red imprint of her fingers already beginning to appear. "Shar!"

"I know what you were thinking," she narrowed her hazel eyes at him. "And that's not very nice."

He snickered, and she resumed with her story.

"Troy wouldn't take none of it, and so he asked her to leave. That ho got angry about it and slapped him."

"It cut his face?" Trista wondered.

"That bitch has claws like a fucking dinosaur," Sharpay confirmed. "I'm surprised she didn't rip half his skull off."

"Alright, so then what happened?" Dan wanted to know.

"Well, I've been getting shit since the moment I stepped into school that morning—people whispering, the weird stares, the usual—but it was exceptionally harsh 'cause everyone thinks I did something to break-up the bromance that Troy had going on with his best friend." Heaving another sigh, she tucked a stray strand of damp hair behind her ear. "But for some reason I felt responsible about Gabzilla hurting him, and so I apologized. He was being nice about it and kept assuring me that it wasn't any of my fault, and then I told him that I was still thinking about it."

Trista made a noise, something incomprehensible and vague.

"What?"

The other girl shook her head. "Talk about a bullet to the heart, Shar."

"I didn't mean it like that," Sharpay replied. "I really did feel responsible, especially since I really am still thinking about it, I mean, we're not even together and he's already taking all this nonsense, I can only imagine what would happen to him if we were."

"That's not true, and you know that," Dan pointed out wisely. "You're running from this because he told you he loves you and you can't say it back. You don't feel responsible, you feel guilty."

"Wait, how did you—"

"I'm your best friend, Shar," he reminded her with an easy smile.

He was spot on with that accusation and she took a rough moment to ponder over the truth behind his words. It left her speechless because nobody had ever put it into that much perspective before, and it blew her away. Suspecting it was one thing, realizing it was another, but having someone actually saying it out loud was a whole new experience altogether.

So come and find me
I'll be waiting up for you
I'll be holding out for you tonight

"Anyway, I take it that's not the actual story?" Trista cut into her reverie.

"No, not really," Sharpay muttered. "He told Chad about my secret."

"Which one?" the brunette questioned.

"The one where Ryan and I were abandoned as a baby, and that we were adopted," she told them. "Now the whole world knows about it because that afro-head had to announce it during lunch, in the cafeteria, in front of the entire school."

"Wait, I thought they weren't on speaking terms—"

"They're not, Dan," Sharpay clarified. "Troy told him before all this—this thing—happened, and then everything was a blur after that. I trusted him with that secret, and he said that he didn't even think Chad believed him."

"Well, to give him credit, I don't think this Chad guy would've believed him either," Trista spoke up, offering her opinion. "I mean, there's no concrete evidence of anything, and the dude probably thought you told Troy some bullshit just to gain something out of it. That's how you work, right? You're the H.B.I.C because you didn't want anybody to see your weaknesses. It's your default defense mechanism, and your past is too much of a different concept for anybody to grasp. I'm actually surprised Troy bought it the first time round."

"When did you get so introspective?"

Dan chuckled while Trista splashed seawater at her.

"Shut up," the brunette growled.

Sharpay wiped the spray off her face and contemplated on the situation. "He shouldn't have told Chad to begin with. He promised me he wouldn't breathe a word to anybody. I just—I feel betrayed—like I don't know if I can trust him. It's a constant tango between us. Each time we take one step forward, something comes up and we take two steps back. It's exhausting."

"His intentions are pure, Shar," Dan said quietly. "And he wants to clear the air before anything happens. If you think about it, he just wants a clean chance, and this thing with Chad and the secret, he's actually doing you a favour."

"How so?"

"What else is there left for you not to give him a chance?"

Sharpay raked her brains for anything at all that Troy Bolton had done to not earn him the rights of her trust, but she couldn't come up with any. All the things that had happened, he had admitted to them, and Dan was right. Troy's intentions had been for the good and there weren't any other ulterior motives for them—except for lying to her about the party, in which he had also reasoned with her why.

"Sharpay, if anything, you probably don't deserve a chance with him," Trista remarked bluntly.

"Tris, what—"

"Shut up, Dan," Trista interrupted before he could say anything else. "From what I see here, Shar, the only one who's not honest is you. It's not fair for Troy if you're the only one who's going to make the final decision when you're not exactly telling him everything in your life. He doesn't deserve it, okay, he doesn't deserve to cling on to that hope of being with you if you're not going to commit to trusting him. If you're going to give him a chance, you have to tell him, and then maybe he'll forgive you enough to give you one as well."

"But don't you see?" Sharpay burst out, her lips trembling and the tears threatening to escape her eyes. "I want to be with him. I want to give him that chance, and see that look on his face, but I can't bear to do that to him. I don't want to be the one that would give him all that hope and then take it away."

"You're afraid he'll leave." It wasn't a question, more of a statement.

Yeah, I'm ready to feel now
No longer am I afraid of the fall down

"Tris—"

"No more fucking bullshit, Shar," the brunette said pointedly. "If you think he's just going to bolt the second you tell him, I seriously think you don't give the guy enough credit."

"She's right," Dan agreed, reaching his hand out to wipe the lone tear that had trailed down Sharpay's cheek. "He loves you. I'm sure he'll move mountains for you, but you've got to learn to trust him—to completely trust him—and not dwell on whatever he did before."

"So you guys think I should tell him?" Sharpay mumbled.

"Absolutely," Dan stated with finality.


It was already dark by the time they loaded their gear onto the back of Dan's pickup, the night air still and silent sans the gentle lapping of the ocean waves. The three teenagers leaned up against the side of the vehicle and reveled in the calming serenity. Sharpay's gaze was out at the sea, watching as the tide manipulated the moon's reflection in contorted shapes. Sighing in content, she finally allowed herself to truly relax.

"God, it's been a long day," Trista grumbled, cracking the muscles in her neck.

"Do you know what we really need right now?" Dan wondered out loud, wistfully glancing up at the stars amongst the velvet sky.

"What?" Sharpay groaned, wanting nothing more than to take a nice warm bath and wash away all the salty stickiness, and then cuddle up in front of the television to watch a feel-good Audrey Hepburn movie.

"We need a drink."

Trista quirked an eyebrow in complete disinterest. "I thought you have an infinite supply of soda stashed under the seat?"

"No, I mean, we really need a drink," Dan reiterated, a thoughtful gleam in his eyes. He pushed himself away from the truck and faced his two female friends with a lopsided grin.

"Oh, my God, you're thinking what I think you're thinking, aren't you?" Sharpay narrowed her hazel eyes and pointed an accusing finger at him.

Dan nodded, his face breaking out into a gigantic full-blown smile, like a kid on Christmas morning, and both girls whined in distress. If there was one thing Sharpay hated, it was to babysit a pair of drunkards while being assigned as the designated driver.

That's going to be so fun, she thought sarcastically, knowing that Trista was terrible at holding her liquor even though she was a notorious drinker. Just three knocks of shots and she'd be dancing on bar tops in only her bra and jeans. Dan, on the other hand, wouldn't stop downing anything till he's fully passed out.

Sharpay wrinkled her nose in revolt. She wasn't able to consume hard liquor of any sort; the doctor had advised as much. Excessive amounts of alcohol in her bloodstream could be dangerous, perhaps even potentially fatal. So as her friends drowned their problems with vodka and tequila, she was stuck with virgin martini cocktails with mini umbrellas on the sides. Not that she was really complaining. On the contrary, she was more than pleased to stay sober. The last time she got intoxicated, she had ended up having sex with Troy Bolton and not remembered a smidge of it. Frankly, she was rather curious about it—about how it had been—but then she figured, she was better off not knowing. Nothing good would ever come from it, anyway.

"I'm fucking sick of those sleazy karaoke bars, Dan," Trista scowled, fidgeting with her jet-black hair as she tried to untangle the knots. "Those places are only filled with perverse red necks trying to stick their dicks up your ass."

Sharpay winced at the mental image. "Seriously?"

"Don't even," Trista warned, frowning at a particularly bitter memory. "I kicked that asshole's balls so hard I'm sure he's stopped producing sperm."

"Okay, so no karaoke bars," Dan gave in, his shoulders slumping in defeat. "Why don't we go to a club?" he suggested.

Trista glared hard at him. "Do you need to get laid or something? That place is just swarming with erected wangs."

"What?" he scrunched his face up in confusion and mild repugnance. "No! I'm just saying that we can really use some good booze and let ourselves hang loose."

"Hey, that rhymes!" Sharpay exclaimed gleefully, raising her palm for him to slap.

"Come on," he coaxed. "It's been a long day—a long week, in fact—it'll be nice to just let our inhibitions run free and live in the moment. Life's too short to dwell on the 'what if's."

The girls exchanged looks, still not persuaded.

Deciding that he had to draw out the big guns, Dan said, "drinks are on me."

"You sure?" Trista asked skeptically, not because she didn't believe him, but because he couldn't really afford it.

Sharpay tried to read his expression, wondering if there was a catch to his offer, but his face remained neutral, like he couldn't care less if Trista would possibly wipe his pocket clean.

Dan sighed, nodding. "All on me," he confirmed.

The brunette shrugged. "Alright then, I'm in."

"What about you, Shar? You up for it?" There was a devilish tone in his voice, almost daring her.

Sharpay paused for a moment, weighing her options. She reckoned that she probably could use a truly good time without having to worry about anything. The events of the week had caught on to her and she really wanted nothing more than to escape. It was why she'd called Dan that afternoon to begin with. Besides, she trusted both her friends enough to know that they wouldn't lead her into uncompromising situations.

What was the worst that could happen anyway?

"Fine," she conceded. "Count me in."

As if on cue, a minivan squealed to a halt next to them—parked way off the lot—and a group of college students flooded out of the compact vehicle, laughing and squealing as they raced down towards the beach. All in all, Sharpay counted seven of them—three guys, four girls—and watched with amusement while they blindly tossed their clothes onto the sand and splashed—or rather canon-balled—into the water in nothing but their underwear.

"See that?" Dan smirked, gesturing towards the rowdy bunch. "That's living in the moment."

"Those guys are pussy-whipped," Trista commented dryly.

"You know, Tris, you could really use some spontaneity in your life," he told her, to which her reply came in a rude snort.

Sharpay couldn't help the twinge of envy that she felt in the pit of her belly as she observed the interaction going on. Those teenagers really did look like they didn't have a care in the world, like an earthquake could be threatening to rock the country and they wouldn't bat an eyelash. Suddenly, she wanted that—that freedom—and that ability to just vanish with nature.

It must be time to move on now
Without the fear of how it might end
I guess I'm ready, I'm ready to love again

"Let's do it!" Sharpay blurted out, the anticipation illuminating her delicate features.

Laughing, Dan pulled the blonde into his strong arms and kissed the top of her head. "There you go, Shar!" he cheered, playfully tweaking her nose with his middle and index finger.

"Wait a minute," Trista interjected, crossing her arms across her chest. "Can we at least clean up first before we go? Like possibly at the Evans mansion so that I can steal more black eyeliner."

Sharpay gasped in faux horror and made a big show of lunging for the other girl, fingers poised in a clawing manner, only to be held back by Dan's iron grasp around her torso. Trista stuck her tongue out childishly, playing along and Sharpay felt Dan's whole frame vibrate as he let out a hearty guffaw. He dug his digits into her sides, and the ticklish jolt sent her into a fit of giggles. Rolling her grayish eyes, Trista pushed the tailgate up and latched it into place.

"Come on, kids!" she called out, climbing into the passenger's side. "I have a warm shower and a Jell-O shot calling out to me. Hustle up!"

Dan ceased his ministrations and set Sharpay down onto her feet, her face a deep shade of red from the effort as she tried to catch her breath. He thoroughly enjoyed making her laugh like that—those moments were rare for her—and for everybody else too. For him, though, he was just glad that he was able to do his job.

"I'll meet you there, alright?" he informed her, his large calloused hands lingering on her waist. "Be careful."

"Yes, sir," she promised, giving him a salute.

With another chaste kiss to her forehead, Dan shot her one of his trademark swoon-worthy affectionate smiles—the one reserved specially for her—and hopped into the driver's seat. The pickup rumbled to life as Sharpay slid into her sleek convertible, and she pulled out of the parking lot seconds after Dan drove off.

Then, it was just her and her thoughts. Nothing can be any more dangerous than that. Sharpay knew that she probably shouldn't be thinking of him at that moment but everything her friends had said was echoing in her head. She was acutely aware that each accusation had a certain degree of truth to it all, and that there were no definite or one-way answers to solving her issues. Juggling the pros and cons, adding more 'what if's into the equations, she was at a critical cross-junction in her life. Although neither Dan nor Trista would allow their opinions to dictate her decisions, Sharpay felt that her best friends played a major role in her happiness. They've been looking out for one another for so long now, it's an unspoken rule to protect each other from crumbling into dust.

Am I willing to take the risk? Will it all be worth it?

Never before had decisions been so difficult. He head was starting to throb in the makings of a migraine. Not really wanting a damper on her mood, she flicked on the stereo and blasted some feel good songs that were playing on the radio. She forced her dilemma out of her mind, choosing instead to focus on the road ahead.

Dan's white Silverado was already parked in the driveway by the time she reached home, so she drove her car into the garage and entered the her ridiculously gigantic house through the side door. She came into the kitchen, where she found Dan piling up a sandwich, vegetables and ham slices spread out in front of him. He seemed to have already snuck a shower in, clad in a pair of denim jeans and a navy blue button-down. His dirty blonde hair was still slightly damp though, and she could smell the musky scent of an aftershave.

"Really, Dan Patch?" she mock reprimanded and popped one hand on her hip, her duffel bag clutched in the other. "Carbs before dinner?"

"I'm hungry," he replied between bites, crumbs falling onto his shirt.

"But a sandwich? Really?"

He swallowed his food, and then dusted the bits off his clothes before taking another big bite. "Leave me alone," he growled with his mouth full. "Go take a shower, you stink!"

Sharpay eyeballed him and surveyed the kitchen. "Where's Tris?"

"In your room, I guess."

"Alright then," she dismissed with a nod, exiting the room and heading for her own on the second floor.

"Don't take your own fucking time!" he yelled after her.

Sharpay snickered, knowing that wasn't going to work. She trudged up the stairs to her boudoir and heard the running of water in the bathroom. Carelessly she tossed her bag onto the bed. "You in there, Tris?" she called out, flopping down on the soft mattress with her limbs spread out.

"Yeah!" came a reply. "I'll be out in a minute."

The blonde girl groaned. Trista was never one to know exactly how long a minute was. She could jolly well be in there for another half an hour or so. Shutting her tired eyes, Sharpay figured she could probably use a short nap. It had definitely been a long day, and the surf session had only contributed to tiring her out. She squirmed around the bed, trying to get comfortable, but the dried up salt on her skin was starting to feel itchy.

However, just as she was about to drift off into dreamland, she felt a dip in the mattress and a shift in presence beside her. Sharpay turned her head and took a peek, coming face-to-face with her best friend, a cheeky smile playing on his lips. Annoyed at the interruption, she blindly flung her arms out, attempting to hit him only to have her palm collide with the soft duvet. She heard him chuckle—that deep, sexy way of his—and she begrudgingly lifted her heavy eyelids.

"Wake up, sleeping beauty," he whispered huskily, rolling onto his side so that he could properly face her, resting his head on a propped-up elbow.

"Go away," she mumbled. "I'm sleepy."

"But the party hasn't even started yet," he reminded her. "And you're Sharpay Evans. The party doesn't start till you walk in."

She didn't say anything, though her lips twitched up in a small smile. Eyes back shut; she shifted her body and curled up into his warm frame, her face burrowed into his muscular chest as she inhaled his boyish essence. Sharpay loved cuddling up to him because it felt like the most natural thing on the planet. Dan provided the brotherly love that Ryan never did, and he knew her in more ways than her own twin sibling. In unmentionable ways, they fitted perfectly.

"Shar?"

"Hmm…?" she let out a contented sigh and wriggled closer to him while he tenderly began running his fingers through her tresses.

"You know that I want the best for you, right?" he said softly.

Sharpay glanced up into his sky blue eyes, a million questions swarming in her twin pools of honey. "Where are you going with this?"

"I really want you to be happy, Shar," he told her sincerely, brushing away some stray strands of hair. "But I want you to want to be happy too."

She was genuinely confused. "What do you mean?"

"Whether or not you choose to tell him, I just want you to do it on your own accord," he informed her. "Not because me or Trista told you to. Troy…I'm sure he's the one guy who can truly make you happy. You just have to let him."

Yeah, I'm ready to feel now
No longer am I afraid of the fall down
It must be time to move on now
Without the fear of how it might end
I guess I'm ready to love again

"Where's this coming from, Dan?"

"Look," he said, ignoring her question. "Tris and I were talking and—"

Before he could finish what he was meant to say, though, the bathroom door slid open and the brunette emerged in Sharpay's hot pink bathrobe, a towel wrapped on top of her head. She stopped short at the sight of her two best friends on the bed in a semi-compromising position and her eyebrows sprung up.

"About time, Tris," Sharpay teased, pushing herself up to a sitting position. "Your one minute was up ten minutes ago."

In typical Trista fashion, she rolled her eyes. "Alright, shut up. It's all yours now."

"Thank you," Sharpay chirped back. Jumping to her feet, she plastered a mega-watt smile on her face and skipped into the steam-filled bathroom.

Tris and her hot showers, she snickered inwardly, and before she closed the door, she could hear the other girl shriek.

"What the fuck was that, Dan Patch?"


Sharpay found Dan still lying on her bed by the time she was done with her shower fifteen minutes later. She had to go grab her clothes and change—thinking that he'd probably gone downstairs to find some more food to eat—and wasn't expecting him to be staring intently at the ceiling, continuously throwing her stuffed teddy bear up in the air and allowing it to fall on his stomach.

"You okay?" she questioned tentatively, startling him out of his reverie.

He caught the toy this time and absently replied, "yeah."

Sharpay's brows furrowed, instantly detecting that something was obviously off as she made her way towards her walk-in wardrobe. The first thing that came to her mind was that Trista had probably done something to upset him. They may be best friends but Trista loved pushing his buttons. "What was that about just now?"

"Just now?" He was playing dumb and she knew that, but she decided to cut him some slack.

Taking her eyes off the rows of clothes, she glanced over her shoulder at him. "Yeah, before, when I went into the shower. Why was she yelling at you like you were some lunatic?"

He shrugged his shoulders and sat up. "I don't know," he muttered.

"Did you two argue about something?" she pressed on, rifling through her clothes.

"You can say so," he responded vaguely.

"Okay, sweetie, you have to be more specific," she told him, fishing out a simple white dress to inspect. It had quite a deep cut down the valley of her breasts with rhinestones sewn along the neckline, the hem reaching just above her knees.

"It's nothing, Shar," he insisted with a nonchalant wave of his hand. "Just forget it."

"Fine," she gave in, pulling her lingerie out of the drawers. "You two are like North and South Korea. One wrong move and the whole country blows up."

He laughed good-naturedly and made his way over to sit on the stool by the vanity desk. "That would be about right," he agreed.

Sharpay slipped her panties on underneath her bathrobe, and then proceeded to take it off when she had to hook her bra, well aware that Dan was watching her get dressed but she was beyond being conscious of her body around him. They'd seen each other naked countless of times now, catching glimpses of each other during their skinny-dipping escapades, modesty just wasn't in the cards anymore. She sidled into the dress and wordlessly turned her back to him. Understanding her needs, he helped zip her up.

"So, what were you saying previously?" she asked, shooing him out of the seat so that she could fix herself up. "Before Tris came out."

"Oh, well, just that you don't go out and have fun often," he said, crossing his arms and leaning against the wall. "You need to let go more."

It must be time to move on now
Without the fear of how it might end
I guess I'm ready, I'm ready to love again

"I just have better things to do," she countered as she searched around for her favourite black eyeliner, which she suspected that her brunette friend had 'borrowed'. "Besides, it's not like I can drink anyway."

"It's not just that, Shar. You live once, so make full use of it."

Those words hit a little too close to home, and Sharpay tensed at the implications. However, she tried to keep the ache in her heart from showing, but it was too late. Dan had already realized his mistake and quickly enveloped her in his arms.

"I didn't mean it like that, you know it," he murmured into her hair.

She nodded. "I know. It's just…unexpected. It threw me off guard for a moment."

"I'm sorry," he regretfully apologized.

"Don't be," she told him, pulling away from his embrace to give him an assuring grin. "You're right about it."

"You ready to go, then?"

"Yeah, sure," she told him lightly, appreciating the change in subject. "Just give me five minutes in here. Go get my car ready and then park yours in the garage. You'll have to pick it up tomorrow."

He gave her arm a gentle squeeze and then walked out of the room to go carry out her orders. When she was at last satisfied with her appearance, she hurried out of the house and climbed into the back seat of her convertible, seeing that Trista had already claimed her spot at the front with Dan behind the wheel. The hood was up, and Sharpay was thankful for his consideration as they drove out of the mansion gates. It wasn't long till she realized that they were heading in the wrong direction.

"Er…Dan? I think downtown's the other way," she spoke up. "You missed the exit two junctions ago?"

"We're making a pit stop first," he calmly explained.

Sharpay glanced around at the surroundings and noticed that the roads seemed familiar. She just couldn't quite put a finger on it. "Where are we going?"

"You'll see," Trista said mysteriously, craning her neck around to give the blonde girl a cheeky smirk.

"Oh, my God, please don't tell me we're picking up weed," Sharpay's eyes grew wide. "I swear to you—"

"Relax, Shar," her female friend cut in. "We're not picking up weed, at least not today."

"So then where are we going?"

When she didn't receive an answer from either one of them, Sharpay figured she might as well give it a rest. Dan and Trista were clearly in some sort of ploy together. They might not get along half the time but they were both pretty scheming.

Oh well, Sharpay thought. At least they're not at wits with each other.

More familiar streets and landmarks passed by and Sharpay had a sinking feeling she knew where they were heading. It didn't take a genius to piece two and two together. Her suspicions were confirmed a few moments later as Dan pulled over by the curb in front of a house she knew so well. Sharpay stiffened and slinked further into the leather seat, just wishing to be sucked into a black hole.

"Why are we here?" she demanded with a frown.

"Because you're going to go up to that door and ask Troy Bolton to come out with us," Trista instructed, a mischievous glint in her smoky eyes.

Sharpay shot her an incredulous look. "You have got to be kidding me."

The two teenagers simultaneously shook their heads, both of them wearing completely different expressions. While Trista seemed foxy and artful, Dan was utterly serious.

"Why?"

"You can't avoid him forever," Dan reasoned out. "And I know you're going to try and do that, so what better way to be reacquainted than at a club?"

Sharpay scowled, the sourness of the memory stabbing at the back of her throat. "The last time I was near Troy and alcohol, it had ended with a drunken fuck fest that I can't remember."

"Are you upset about the fuck fest or the fact that you can't remember it?"

Sharpay shot the brunette a death glare.

"Come on, Shar," the girl said. "What are the chances of that happening again?"

"Is that a rhetorical question?"

"We'll be there, alright?" Dan added in. "Nothing bad is going to happen, I'll be sure of it. We just want to see you happy and enjoying yourself tonight."

"And you're happier when Troy's around," Trista stated like it was an everyday observation.

"But—"

"Just trust us, okay?" Dan appealed, unleashing the power of this puppy-dog eyes.

Damnit! Sharpay cursed silently when she felt herself slowly caving in. Fuck you, Dan Patch!

Taking a deep breath to steady herself, she glanced over at the guy in the driver's seat, waiting for him to tell her that she didn't have to go through with it if she was not comfortable. It never came. Instead he presented her with an encouraging smile as a prompt to bite the bullet. She hesitated, knowing that her friends absolutely right once again but not really wanting to agree with them. Frankly, this situation could go both ways. Sharpay just couldn't figure out which one she preferred more.

"Shar?"

Maybe that was just the push she needed.

I guess it's now or never.

Sharpay braced herself with one final personal pep talk and then opened the car door, sliding out of the vehicle. She stood on the pavement just staring at the house, still wondering if this was a good idea. From inside her convertible, Dan cleared his throat and she turned to him, a sudden rush of panic flooding through her body. She was so ready to jump back into the car and hide under a rock for the rest of her life, but her best friend was gesturing supportively towards the property, and she couldn't find it in her to back out.

Yeah, I'm ready to feel now
No longer am I afraid of the fall down
It must be time to move on now
Without the fear of how it might end
I guess I'm ready to love again

Her first step was the hardest, and then it seemed like the path leading up to the Bolton's front porch went on forever. Eventually, she made it to the door, pausing a second too long before she reached up and pressed on the doorbell.

And then she waited.

And waited.

Until she grew impatient and rang the bell again.

Is he even home?

And then the door flew open.

His face broke out into a huge smile, immediately illuminating his boyishly handsome features, and Sharpay could feel the blood rushing up to her cheeks. She didn't know what it was but Troy Bolton had a way with taking one look at her and reducing her into a puddle of mush.

"Shar!"

"Hey, Troy," she mumbled.

He tilted his head in that adorable way of his and regarded her with curiosity, although his grin on his lips never faltered one bit. "Hi—I mean, what—why—what are you doing here?" he asked, tripping over his words. "Are you okay? I texted you a couple of times in the afternoon and left voicemails on your phone, but you never replied, and I was getting worried—"

God bless him.

"Are your parents home?" She didn't mean to cut him off, but she was starting to feel awful about ignoring his messages. He must've thought that she was still mad at him. Well, in a way, she still was, but it just didn't seem so important anymore. In truth, though, she had her cell on silent mode—in which she hadn't had the time to check—since she got to Pure Shores.

His forehead creased in confusion at her question. "No, they—"

"Great!" she blurted out. "Go get changed now. We're going to Oasis."

"Oasis?" he parroted stupidly, like what-the-hell.

"Yes, hurry!"

"Now? But I—"

"Come on, Troy," she snapped, getting slightly agitated. "You live once. Make full use of it."

"But I have a curfew and—"

"Fuck it, Troy, what's the worst that could happen?" Sharpay shrugged. "You're already getting detention. Besides, it's a Friday night."

"Shar—"

It must be time to move on now
Without the fear of how it might end
I guess I'm ready, I'm ready to love again

"Just trust me, okay?"


A/N: So I know that there's little to no Troypay interaction in this chapter, but bear with me the next chapter's just going to flood with it. There's some major Dan development in this chapter, and I think it's going to get people thinking and guessing…Please do let me know how I'm doing. I'd really hate to drop out of a story halfway and not finish it because of the drop in interest.

TheDude47: Hi! I'm not sure if you realized this but as you read, I've given line credit to you with "one step forward two steps back". It was inspiration for me to write the line for Sharpay. Thank you so much for reviewing and reading and the encouragement to write more. Sorry for the late update, it kind of gets hard to write when you don't get feedback on your work. Either ways, let me know what you think of this update :D

Song used — "Ready to Love Again" by Lady Antebellum