Disclaimer: The movie High School Musical and all the characters that are in it are NOT mine and I do not claim to own them. Mickey Mouse owns them…sadly. But all characters that were not in the movie are my own creation.
A/N: Sorry for the long wait on this chapter and thank you to everyone for your patience. With spring break and everything it's been really hard to find time to sit down and focus all my energy on writing. But now that I have I hope you all enjoy. Y'all have been so awesome with your comments and everything; it makes me happy that I decided to write this story. You know reviews make me all giddy so keep on writing them.
Details: Years after graduation, Sharpay Evans moves to New York City. She changed professions and has quit what she knew best, theater. But will an unexpected encounter with a long lost friend make her life change back to the perfect one she once had? Or will he only bring more drama back into her life?
Chapter #003: Dreamer
The bright blue sky…
Fluffy white clouds…
Freshly cut green grass…
Beautiful red and green leaves…
The most colorful day I had ever seen; the last day I would ever spend with the man I love, or…loved.
We stood in front of one of the gorgeous fountains in Central Park. This fall was the best I had ever seen since I moved to New York. The beautiful colors made it the perfect day to go out on an early afternoon walk through the park. It was too bad that the scheduled trip wasn't going to turn out to perfect.
Her name was Misty Valentine, a model that was auditioning for the same part I was in an off-Broadway musical; a musical my fiancé had written the score for.
Luckily, I decided to go home instead of on an audition and stumbled upon my naked fiancé, with a naked woman, in OUR bed. After throwing an antique vase, which I absolutely adored, against the wall (I was actually aiming for that bitches head but sadly, I missed) I stormed out, bringing a few essential necessities with me; Clothes, lip-gloss and cigarettes.
I spent the next few days in some crap New York hotel, thinking about where my life was going. The room that I was in was disgusting but there was one thing that it had that could've possibly helped me make some rather difficult decisions. It was a room with a view; a view of the city streets and the millions of people that walked and drove down them everyday.
I had made up my mind. My life went full circle when I became engaged. But the question is did I do this for me, or for him?
He called me fours days after I caught him with Misty in our house. He wanted to meet in Central Park, thinking if we were in a public place I wouldn't punch his lights out. He was right but not because we were in public but I had just got my nails done the day before and I would've been pissed if I broke one off in his face.
He told me I was self-centered, inconsiderate of his feelings and I didn't know how to take care of a man. Are you fucking kidding me? So, in telling me that, I pretty much figured he only proposed to me and took me to New York because he wanted some proper house wife that would cook and clean all day.
SCREW THAT SHIT!
So I politely handed him the beautiful engagement ring he had given me and told him to have a good life. In return, he grabbed my hand and put the ring back on my finger. Then he told me to have a happy birthday.
Yeah, happy twentieth birthday Sharpay.
Three years and I'm still dreaming about it for some reason. A lot has happened between now and then and I keep wondering to myself, is it possible that I still love him?
I have done so many things to make up for what I have lost.
Design school…
A successful business…
My own home…
But it seems like I'm missing something. And then all of a sudden I start thinking back to high school and the last few months I spent in Albuquerque. My ex-boyfriend Zeke, who is actually still a really good friend of mine, has called me and told me everything that goes on back home.
I guess I was the only one who picked up everything and moved across the country without even looking back.
Taylor and Chad are married and expecting their first child in May.
Kelsi just got done writing her first musical which is going to be performed on Broadway.
Gabriella…well from what Zeke heard, she is about to get married and is going to be a doctor. Whatever.
And then there was Troy…
"Troy?"
Hearing a voice from another room, Troy immediately closed the notebook sitting on the small dining table near the window. He woke up around six and watched Sharpay sleep until he made his way to the kitchen to make coffee. That's when he noticed the notebook sitting on the table where they had previously shared a night of drinking and talking. He wasn't trying to be nosey but he just wanted to know a little more about Sharpay. He felt like she wasn't telling him everything that's been going on in her life and it's now obvious that she wasn't.
Troy got up from his chair and poured a cup of coffee inside of a large white coffee mug. The black liquid steamed and filled the air with the rich smell of the morning drink. He slowly walked his way, coffee mug in hand, to the bedroom. He peeked his head inside the room and saw Sharpays naked back as she put on a men's long sleeve button-up shirt.
Taken aback by the sight of Sharpay, Troy moved away from the door and leaned his back against the wall. Her beauty was radiant, especially as such an early time of the morning. After catching his breath, he walked back up to the doorway and knocked quietly on the side of the wall. There was no answer, so he decided to just go in.
"Sharpay?" He didn't know where she was as he made his way into the room. The bed was made and the curtains were open, allowing the morning sunlight shine into the room.
"I'm in here Troy." The voice came from around the corner and through another doorway.
He made his way through the room and came upon Sharpay, fingering through her closet full of clothes. Everything was organized by color; whites, pinks, blues and greens. Troy saw that Sharpays fashion was still very much the same; very couture.
"I made some coffee." Troy said, handing Sharpay one of the hot mugs. "I didn't know how you liked it so I brought some creamer and sugar." Sharpay giggled as pulled out a bottle of French vanilla creamer from his back pocket and packets of sugar from the other.
"Thanks," Sharpay smiled at Troy as she put a little of both inside the mug. "So what do you have planned today?"
"I have a cast meeting and rehearsal this afternoon." He watched as the blonde looked through more clothes and took a sip of her coffee. "What about you?"
Sharpay then pulled a silky navy blue dress off of the rack and examined it while taking another sip from her mug. "I actually have a meeting this afternoon with a potentially lucrative client." She held the dress up to her body and did a little pose for Troy. "How does this look?"
Troy looked up and down Sharpays perfect body and was amazed. Her bare, long, creamy white legs and her petite body made his heart strings tug a little. He thought to himself for a second, ''Why didn't I ever see her like this when we were in high school?"
All of a sudden there was a snap in front of Troy's face. "Earth to Troy," It was Sharpay and she stood there looking at him with a smile on her face. "Are you okay?"
Embarrassed and turning beet red, Troy quickly lowered his head. "Yeah, you look really good."
Sharpay giggled and walked out of her closet and placed the dress on her bed. "Well I'm going to go take a shower. Are you going to stick around, maybe have some breakfast?"
"Yeah, breakfast, sounds great." Troy was stuttering due to the fact that he was still a little red-faced from the earlier situation.
"Cool, I'll be right back."
As Sharpay entered the shower, Troy walked out to the kitchen and began preparing breakfast; Belgian waffles with strawberries and whipped cream. The whole hour and a half Sharpay spent getting ready gave him an ample amount of time to smoke a cigarette and make the perfect meal for them to share.
Troy picked up the two plates he made for the both of them and placed them on the table near the window. Everything was garnished with mint and a single red rose in a bottle made the mood a little more romantic. Sharpay walked out of her room just as he set them down and was a little confused as she crossed her arms and leaned against the wall. "You cook, Troy Bolton?"
Troy laughed at that little stab at him. "No, the delivery boy is actually still at the door. I still need to go tip him."
"Awe, well that's too bad. I always thought it was sexy when a man could cook." Sharpay said as she made her way over to the table.
"Well in that case…"
"Oops, sorry, you can't change your story now."
For the next half hour, Sharpay and Troy sat there eating together, joking around about different things that happened while they have been away from high school. It seemed like they never ran out of anything to talk about.
Wiping his mouth with a paper towel, Troy set his fork on his plate and began to reach for Sharpays. "Let me get this out of the way for you."
"Don't even think about it, Bolton." Sharpay barked, grabbing his wrist and shooting that 'ice queen' stare. "You cooked for me, the least I could do is the dishes. Plus, you stink, so go get in the shower, I'll clean up."
"Are you serious?" Troy said, lifting up his armpit and smelling it. He gave Sharpay a funny look. "Is it okay? I mean I could always go back to my place and shower."
"Don't be silly. You're already here and plus you have to go to work soon." Sharpay got up from her seat and grabbed the plates from Troy. "Now go; the towels are in the bathroom closet and if you want to use cherry blossom shampoo, conditioner and body wash, be my guest."
Taking the plates to the stainless steel sinks, Sharpay watched as Troy walked in to her bedroom where the only bathroom in the loft was located. Scrubbing one of the plates with a sponge, she couldn't help but wear a smile on her face. This man, who she hasn't seen in almost five years and wasn't really friends with through out high school, has all of a sudden become someone she is letting stay the night and use her body wash.
But where this was all going to, she didn't know. The topic of Troy's marital status still hasn't come up and she doesn't want to cross any kind of unwanted territory.
In the middle of her dish washing, Sharpay heard a distant ringing that she couldn't quite make out. Then she heard a cheerful tone and recognized what it was; her cell phone.
She made her way to her bedroom and to her side table where her cell phone was plugged in to the charger. Picking it up and flipping it open, there was a little notice reading One Missed Call and a name next to it; Jay.
Before walking out of the room, something caught her eye. She forgot her loft had no doors and she could see right into the bathroom, directly at the shower. Troys perfectly tanned naked figure, shown through the fogged shower glass, made Sharpays mind rush. His head was leaned back as he washed his hair and body and Sharpay couldn't help but stare for a few quick seconds before running out of her room.
Once she made it back into her kitchen, Sharpay just leaned against the counters, trying to catch her breath. She stumbled trying to pull out a cigarette and her hands shook as she tried to light it up.
"Hey Shar," The voice from behind her made Sharpay spin around, a cloud of smoke escaping her mouth at the same time. "Was that my phone ringing?"
"No, no, no, that was just my phone." Sharpays stuttering was very reminiscent of how Troy sounded after looking at her.
"Good, I just looked at my watch and I'm running late. I was hoping my cast mates weren't calling to bitch me out." Troy rushed to put on his shoes. "I'm sorry I have to run out of here so fast but I really have to go."
Grabbing his cell phone and pack of Newports off of the counter, he walked over to the door and Sharpay followed right behind him. "Well, call me later. I'll just be at the boutique if you want to meet for dinner or something."
Troy smiled at her. "I'd like that," Feeling a spark between the two of them, Troy leaned in and softly pressed his lips against hers. "It's great to finally see you again, Sharpay." And with a wave goodbye, Troy walked out of the door and Sharpay shut it behind him.
She was in complete shock. She turned around and sat against the door, thinking about the one thing she had always wanted and finally got. But something still didn't feel right. She hugged her legs close to her body and put her head against her knees. With a deep sigh, she lifted her head back up and brushed a few curls out of her face.
What have you gotten yourself into, Sharpay Evans?
