Ahhhhhh September is well and truly commenced and that means busy busy busy. But I have saved a wee bit of my energy to update…… So here you go my lovelies!

Kitchen storms and hallway fires

Sharpay's POV:

"Hey baby didn't hear you come back"

Troy was sitting at the breakfast counter happily munching on a bowl of cereal. Sharpay made her way further into the kitchen and faked a smile in his direction, so much for being home alone…

She switched on the espresso machine, (A first wedding anniversary gift from her parents) and taking her post from the side board she sat herself opposite him waiting for the click of the machine meaning she could take her hot drink upstairs, run a bath and loose herself in thoughts of dark blue eyes that she had nearly been tempted by.

"Gabriella was here just before" Troy broke off with a reminiscent laugh "she came to show me some pictures of her mums boyfriend. he looks exactly like Mr. Fulton!

Seriously Shar like he could be his brother"

Sharpay gave him an absent smile and returned to opening one of her letters. Her eyes scanned it quickly and a genuine smile broke her lips.

"This is great!"

Troy looked curiously at the letter but unable to read it from the way she was holding it so tight, he turned questioningly to her. "What does it say?"

She looked up, suddenly not resenting his presence, she wanted to share this news with someone.

"Their offering me a permanent position!"

Troy's smile followed hers. "Wow, well done Shar, my wife the model!"

She put the letter down, her eyes still shining met his; "No not modelling, it's the local theatre; their offering me a full time teaching post."

"You're not gona take it are you?"

She frowned puzzled

"Of course I am, Troy this is just what I wanted!"

"Yeah but come on, teaching?" He replied as though the idea was amusing.

"What do you mean 'teaching?' it is what I've been doing for the last couple of months"

"Yeah but that was part time, as in it would lead to something…"

"And it has; a full time position"

Troy pushed his bowl of cereal away slowly as if to make room for his point;

"I don't know… it just so… well I thought you wanted something bigger you know"

"Well I don't." Sharpay frowned not liking his reaction.

"I don' see why you don't just use your parents contacts, they must know lots of people-"

"Troy, I'm not going to do that even if I wanted to." She tried to keep her voice even; she hadn't used her parents in that way since her teens and she had no plans to.

"I don't see why not, you've used them for other things" Troy shrugged nonchalantly bringing the cereal back toward him as though it made more sense to him then her excitement at the job offer.

"No actually I haven't, not for years. I've worked hard to get that teaching spot-"

"And I haven't?" Now he was indignant and he turned to her an unusually cold expression on his face.

"I never said that." Sharpay was now loosing any calm, why couldn't he be happy for her?

"Yeah well it sounds like your heading that way Shar, I've worked hard too and that's without the Evans might behind me"

"What the hell?!" She stood up furiously.

"That's how it feels sometimes"

"You are not listening to me! Everything I've achieved for the last few years has been from my own efforts, I thought you knew that and it was something you respected." Sharpay almost shouted down at him.

"Sharpay-" And now a flicker of regret was registering on his face, dripping cereal spoon still in hand.

"But I guess I thought wrong" She grabbed the car keys she had disposed of only a few minutes ago.

She no longer wanted to be in the kitchen, in this house with his attitude ruining something positive, something good that she had worked for.

Jack's POV:

Jack watched but didn't really take in the basketball match on the screen.

Sighing slightly he turned the volume up, this house was so quiet.

Lou-Anne was out and Jack needed some noise to fill the empty feeling inside him.

It had been a few days now since that near kiss and he felt like a child that had been about to be handed a sweet, so close he could taste it and then in an instant it had been snatched away.

And all that was left was this emptiness, silence; dull suburb, dull middle age.

Even basketball was failing to distract him properly.

Getting of the sofa Jack walked to the fridge; perhaps if he drank enough beer tonight he could forget her, if only for a couple of hours...

Beer in hand he was stopped making his way back to the couch by the door bell.

Frowning lightly Jack checked his watch; it was too early to be Lou-Anne.

He opened the door, hoping it wasn't Troy and barely registered the twinge of guilt.

Hell, nearly all his thoughts were tinged with guilt as nearly all his thoughts revolved around her.

"Hi-"

He was shaken out of his lethargic state when he saw the very blonde who haunted his mind day and night.

She seemed to step past him and shut the door behind her.

"Lou-Anne is out with my mum right?"

He nodded slowly and frowned.

"Sharpay what are you doing here?"

Jack tried not to let any anger come through, but he didn't want to set himself up for disappointment.

"I just.. I needed to be-"

She broke off shaking her head distractedly and now that he looked closer Jack could see something was up, she was pale and tears seemed to be on the brink of her eyes.

"What's-"

"I've been offered a full time position at the local theatre." Sharpay cut in abruptly

Puzzled at this statement, it took him a second to realise she was watching him, waiting for him to say something.

He could see her dark eyes searching almost imploringly through his. Jack had the strangest feeling a lot was riding on his response and now that she was here he wanted her to stay, wanted to say the right thing, but seeing as he had no clue what that was he just went with honesty.

"Wow, well done. You are happy about the offer right?"

Sharpay answered neither yes or no but flung herself at him and kissed him fiercely.

Jack was even more startled at this but made no attempts to fight it and soon they were both leaning against the wall; closing up the gap of the last four years.

Eventually Sharpay began to pull away softly, he didn't want it to end just yet but he could sense that she was in a fragile state.

They stood there in the Bolton hallway, leaning against each other.

"Thank you."

Her breath tickled his ear an he grasped her waist closer to his.

"For what?"

"For… just for being happy for me."

In some ways she was making no sense and yet Jack understood what she meant.

"I love you."

Jack pulled her head up gently so that the hallway light shined in her eyes and he stroked her cheek, loving her, loving that he could do this again.

"How long do you think she'll be gone?"

"A couple of hours"

His eyes shifted to upstairs and he turned them back to hers; a question burning in his orbs. She nodded smiling softly.

Jack took Sharpay's hand in his own firm grasp and slowly led her upstairs.

Shack attack!

Explanation time; I just wanted to highlight the different reactions of Troy and Jack to Sharpay's news. Troy was not understanding her at all, and as much as Jack is no saint, Sharpay knows he gets her.