Hi.

Thanks for all of the reviews I received. I truly appreciate them.

Disclaimer- See Chapter 1. I'm not really in the MOOD to type them up.

Okay.

Troy kicked the dying machine. "I am so dead!" he cursed again. The mower continued tearing through leaves. Then it sputtered once more, then died.

"Oh. Mygosh." Ashlyn pulled herself out of the pool, making sure to slowly flip her hair over her shoulder. She left her towel behind and dripped all the way around the hous to Troy. "Are you okay?" she asked.

"I uhhh…" Troy gave her his famous once-over, and lingered for a moment longer on a few body parts. "Yeah, I'm fine." I nervously shifted his weight from one foot to the other.

"I'm Ashlyn." She stuck out a wet hand, waiting for Troy to grasp it. "And you are…?"

I swam to the shallow end, closest to the gates. "Are you ready to go?" I tried interrupting, "'Cause I am."

"Troy," he finished, "Troy Bolton." He looked in my direction and waved. Yes, Troy Bolton waved. At me. I froze and looked down.

Ashlyn sounded as flirty as I did when I used to like Troy. I remember the "Tootles." And the "You're sooooo dedicated." Now, it seems pretty… disgusting the way I gushed over everything he did.

"That's a nice name." she giggled. "Sooo… you know Sharpay." She confirmed.

"We uhhh… we go to school together." He shrugged. That was all he had to say about me? He didn't even mention the whole, "I was the first person to beat her out of a musical since kindergarten." thing. And he didn't even utter a word about, "And even though she tried to win that part in such a heartless manner, there's still something about her that I like."

Well, he doesn't know Ashlyn well enough to confess that. I'M not even sure that it's true.

"So what brings you to the Hamptons?" Ashlyn leaned against the gate.

"The whole team's here." He explained, casting one more look in my direction. "We're here for…"

"Team?" Ashlyn raised her eyebrows excitedly. I knew Ashlyn well enough to jump to the conclusion that the only reason she sounded interested is because of the cute guys ON the team.

"Basketball." Troy finished.

"Reeeeeally…?" Ashlyn looked to me and wiggled her eyebrows mischievously. "More guys to meet."

I rolled my eyes and took the steps out of the shallow end. I walked around the edge of the pool to my pool chair.

"Actually, the guys are hanging out at the beach tonight," he offered, "You know, once it gets dark."

"Are you inviting us?" Ashlyn bounced on her toes excitedly. She grabbed his arm. "Please, please, please, please be inviting us."

Troy shrugged. "Well I…"

"Great!" Ashlyn interrupted. "We'll see you then?" She turned from Troy, smiling widely, and ambled to the front of the house then back around to the pool.

"Byeeeeee, Troooooy." She sang, grabbing my wrist and dragging me back into the house.

"Ashlyn!" I sat down at a kitchen stool, leaving a trail of drops of water. "I can't believe you just… invited yourself like that."

"Correction. I invited ourselves. You're going." She told me.

"What?" I freaked out, "No way. There are going to be… boys there. Including Zeke! I can't. You go.

"Fine then. Just give up the opportunity to be alooooooone. In the darkness. With a hottie like Troy Bolton!"

"Ashlyn, I…"

"Come on, Shar," she placed her hands on my shoulders, "Do yourself some good. You really deserve it." She begged, pouting.

The second she saw my face soften, she perked up. "We have got to go shopping for new bikinis. I've got my dad's American Express…" she sang again.

I gave a smile and stood up. I decided I would go.

Because who's stupid enough to give up a shopping spree?

Please Read and Review!