-1Title: Action and Reaction

Rating: Teen

Summary: Troy confronts Sharpay about Gabriella and their future is determined.

Warnings: A boatload of angst. Seriously.

Notes: This is the last chapter, next to the upcoming epilogue. Yes, that's right, only one more part where everything should be completely tied together.

Disclaimer: I own it like I own Santa

Chapter Nine: Communication

It seemed like an eternity since the last time he'd kissed the sweet girl in front of him. The last time had been at prom, where he'd been forced into a stuffy tux and she'd looked marvelous in her emerald green gown. They'd danced, posed for pictures and kissed under the sparking lights. Even under the quick flashes of luminescent lighting, he could see her blush and bite the inside of her bottom lip. They'd been the perfect couple at the dance, even if no one else realized it. It had been their last true night together.

Of course at the time it had been slightly spoiled by the crowing ceremony. He'd won prom king unequivocally, and that had been no real surprise. But somehow Sharpay had muscled her way into the title of prom queen. At the time he'd been convinced she'd cheated, because while she wasn't hated, the school population treated her like an outcast. She was fine from a distance, certainly beautiful, but if you got too close, you were liable to catch one nasty attitude.

Troy had taken Gabriella home, walked her to her door and held her hand. They'd stumbled around nervously, each unsure of their next course of action. Finally he'd gone to kiss her goodnight and she'd told him her mother was out of town. He'd barely made it home for curfew, and even then he'd gotten the disappointed looks from his parents, as if he was radiating guilt.

Now as he drew back from the kiss her eyes were wide and hopeful, nearly crushing his soul. She was special to him, so very special. He'd cherish their time together and look forward to long lasting contact. Nothing would ever change the fact that she had been his first serious relationship, first kiss and first intimate relationship. She'd been his everything for what had seemed like eons. He'd been an inch short of falling madly and deeply in love.

But she wasn't his soul mate. She was enough to curl his toes and keep him warm on the coldest days, but not nearly close enough to be the one who made him feel important. She wasn't the one who was destined to stand by his side through the good times and the bad. She could always be his friend, but it wouldn't feel right to have her hands on his bare skin late at night, or to feel his child growing in her stomach. The kiss told him that much, he was so completely convinced.

"Gabriella," he said softly, pulling away from her. His eyes soften and he braced himself. "I'm so sorry."

Tears began to pool in her deep eyes and she pleaded, "Why?"

He said, "You're not the one." When he meant to say so much more. He wanted to explain it was a feeling that didn't have the appropriate words. But part of him knew he'd butcher any attempt, or instill some form of false hope by prolonging the agonizing, necessary scene. He needed to be blunt and ready himself for the onslaught.

"How can you say that? Don't you feel it?"

He rubbed his forehead, a sure sign of how stressed he felt. "What you feel for me and what I feel for you are two completely different things. Gabriella, if I told you you were the one, I'd only be lying to you. Sure, we could have a relationship, maybe get married, have a few kids and grow old together. Still, it would be a lie, and I'd have to put you through that every day and live with it for the rest of my life. It's not right and I won't do it, no matter how much you're hurting now."

She cried openly now, demanding, "What's wrong with me?"

"There's nothing wrong with you!" He rubbed a little harder. "You're making this difficult."

"I'm difficult? That's why you don't want me?"

"You're putting words in my mouth!" He clambered to his feet, hissing at her, "Don't do that."

Gabriella asked, "What would it take to be the one?"

He smiled softly and bent down to press a kiss to her cheek. "You could never be the one, I'm sorry."

He barely contained himself as he left the cafeteria, forcing himself no to run. He could feel her eyes on his back, burning through his clothing, swearing death and doom on his soul. He almost expected her tea to come flying at him, maybe ruin his favorite shirt. Nothing came, though, and he exited as he entered, filled with anxiety.

His key slid home in the slot, and he paused in front of the door, wondering just what scene he'd be walking into. Nevertheless, even if he was about to face Sharpay, who had a killer left hook, it had to be done. He had to tell her he was confident Gabriella wasn't who held his heart.

It didn't turn. He wiggled it for a moment, wondering if he'd somehow gotten it stuck. Yet after several failed attempts, it still didn't move. Realization hit Troy in the chest. The locks had been changed.

He pounded on her door, oblivious to the tenants around her. "Sharpay!" His voice was loud and desperate. "I get it, you're angry, I messed up. I'm sorry, okay? Let me in so we can talk!" He knocked again and remarked, "How'd you get the locks changed so fast?"

The door popped open several inches, but was ultimately held up by the chain. Ryan peeked out with a dark look. "It took me an hour to get her out of her room. She doesn't want to talk to you, see you, hear you--anything. She says you can pick up your clothing and go stay with Gabriella." The door slammed closed in front of Troy.

"I don't want Gabriella!" He leaner forward to rest his head against the door. "Gabriella isn't the one! Sharpay Evans is!"

Spirits at an all-time low he turned his back to the door and slid down it slowly. With his knees pulled to his chest he was prepared to wait it out for as long as possible. She had to leave her place sooner or later and he'd sit out all night if necessary.

The door cracked back open again, no chain this time. Troy scrambled to his feet to meet Ryan's eyes.

Ryan told him simply, "Five minutes, Bolton."

Troy slipped into the familiar apartment after Ryan, trekked down the short entrance hall and into the living room. His eyes settled on Sharpay, hair bunched up, eyes red, fists clenched. He couldn't help the small step he took backwards.

"Sharpay," Troy began, then his eyes jetted over to Ryan, who showed no sign of leaving them to talk in private.

Sharpay sensed the situation and told her brother softly, "It's okay, Ryan. Troy and I are only going to have a talk, a very short talk."

"Alright," Ryan agreed after a contemplative moment. "I'm going to step out for a minute." His tone spoke volumes.

When Ryan was surely departed from the apartment, Troy continued, "Sharpay, I can't apologize enough for what you heard." He saw her stiffen at the memory. "I was talking to Chad and you heard that out of context. You ran off before I could explain it."

"So it's my fault?" She accused, bringing her arms up to cross over her chest.

"No!" He exclaimed, moving just slightly towards her. "It's my fault. I'm an idiot."

The corners of her mouth perked up a bit, and she almost radiated agreement.

"Anyway," Troy quickly followed through with, "It was a mistake and I don't want you to, well, I mean to say, I just," he stumbled over his words, heart beating furiously. "Sharpay, I--"

"Well?" Sharpay asked shortly, eyes narrowing. "Did you kiss her?"

"Did I kiss her?" With a coffee table between them Troy let his shoulders fall and he told her softly, "I had to know."

She rounded on him, "You piece of dirt. Bolton, you've got some nerve."

"You don't know, Sharpay, what it's like to have these feeling inside that tear you apart. To be so conflicted that you can't sleep, or eat, or think properly. Those feelings are like a storm that just destroys everything and everyone." He sighed, lowering his voice. "I knew where you stood in my heart, Sharpay. There was never any question as to how much I cared for you, and what I'd do for you. It was Gabriella who was the unknown. I had to know before our relationship went any further."

"You're pretty presumptuous, Bolton."

His gut clenched. This was the moment, he realized, when she broke their relationship in two, along with his heart, and they never saw each other again. This was when his world ended.

Sharpay said, "You went and saw her. And what?"

He peeked open from eyes he'd subconsciously shut. "And we talked," he edged out slowly.

"About?"

"A bunch of different stuff. Our history, the breakup, the musical and the future."

"Audiences are dying to know," Sharpay snapped, nails biting into her palm. "Are you taking the little whore back?"

Troy jumped forward. "Hey! Don't call her that!"

"Nice to hear you defending her!"

He yelled back, "No one deserves to be called that, least of all Gabriella!"

"Then what am I supposed to think of her as?" Sharpay glared. "You're the best thing to ever happen to me, Troy. Before you all I had was Ryan, and one poor relationship that left me afraid to face the real world for months. Before you I didn't know the difference before sex and making love. I didn't understand how you could care for someone so unconditionally and go the distance, no matter the pain or cost."

Her hands flew to her hair and she nearly burst into tears. "Then came along you, Troy Bolton. You wrecked my perfect little enclosed, self-sustaining world. You dragged me into the real world kicking and screaming, and let me know it was okay to be human. When we met up again and began a relationship I knew I'd never find anyone like you again. You're it, Troy, the whole damn package, and I'm just supposed roll over as your ex enters the picture and steals you away from me?"

She sniffed, feeling her nose congest, which was a sure sign the tears were coming and fast. She was losing the bit of control she'd managed.

She asked him, "Do you know what it's like to be beaten down and broken by just about every person in your life?"

He shook his head, feeling his own eyes grow moist.

"Then you can't understand how much you mean to me and how much this hurts. I foolishly believed you'd be here for me until the end. What kind of a stupid thing is that to believe?"

He whispered hoarsely, "I love you Sharpay Evans. You are everything to me, worth the moon and the earth and basketball a million times over. I know you've been terribly hurt before in the past, and that's why I had to go see Gabriella. I had to risk you, Sharpay, because I couldn't be the next person who hurt you. I promised you safety and love and everything you deserved, and if I pretended that I wasn't having weird feelings about Gabriella, I'd be just as bad as everyone else who's caused you tears."

Troy crossed the distance between them and locked his hands over his shoulder. "I kissed her because I had to be sure, and I'm incredibly confident you're the one. Gabriella is a remnant of the past, nothing more."

"Incredibly confident?" Sharpay frowned, stepping back to shrug his hands away from her. "That's what worries me. You didn't say sure, Troy. And I'm just supposed to forget that you even had the feelings in the first place?"

"Don't do this," Troy begged. "Don't."

"I think maybe we aren't so right for each other." She moved even further way. "Gabriella was just the right motivation for something that's been right in front of me the whole time."

He moved after her. "If you run I'll come after."

She shook her head. "No you won't." She reached for her purse lying near. "I don't think you will."

"I will!" he nearly screamed. "I love you."

She choked out a sob. "I don't doubt that, but it might not be enough, Troy." She walked towards the front door, her back to him. "I'm leaving now. You say you'll come after me, but I don't want you to until you're sure, not 'incredibly confident'. Don't you dare come after me. Don't come after me."

With her hand on the door handle Troy called out, "Sharpay!"

"Don't!" She enforced. "Don't come after me unless I'm the woman you want to spend the rest of your life with and you have no conflicting feelings."

She opened the door, stepped out, and then paused, holding the door open. After only a moment more of waiting she shut it after herself.

Troy stood bolted to the floor, wanting to scream out he was sure. But, he had to ask himself, if he was so sure, why couldn't he run after her? If there were no conflicting feelings, why had he just let her walk out of his life?