I Want You This Much
Chapter 2
"Mommy, do you think you could come to school too this week?" Libby asked her mother over the phone.
"I don't know, Baby. I'll try to make it. Maybe Uncle Chad or Auntie Kelsicould pop in. I'm kinda busy, Honey," Sharpay sighed as she stood at a payphone right outside the restaurant.
"I know," Libby replied sadly.
"I have to get back to work... Love you, Sweetheart," Sharpay reminded.
"Love you too, Mommy," Libby responded. Sharpay made a kiss noise before hanging up. Libby listened to the dial tone for a minute before hanging up to go eat with the rest of her family.
Sharpay sighed, wiping the sweat from her forehead with the back of her hand, walking into the kitchen to pick up another order.
"Shar', maybe you should go take a break. Get somethin' to eat," Logan advised. "I'll make you something."
"I really don't have much to give you, Logan," Sharpay admitted.
"I don't care. For the hell you're going through, it's free," Logan said.
Sharpay smiled a little, "Thanks, but I really need to get my hours in..."
"You work eight hours a day!" Hailey butted in, walking into the kitchen.
"And only make about three dollars an hour, which is only twenty-four dollars a day and unlike you, Hailey, I make no tips," Sharpay reminded, picking up the order. "I'll see you guys later." She walked out to give the customers their food, when a wave of dizziness hit her, sending her to the floor. Food flew everywhere as Sharpay faded.
"SHARPAY!" she heard from Hailey before she collapsed into complete blackness.
"Hmmm..." Sharpay muttered, fluttering her eyes open.
"Shar'?" Troy said, taking her hand.
"Hey... What happened?" she asked.
"You fainted at work," Taylor said. "You're boss is ordering you to stay home and will pay you for the entire month you're gone. You're not allowed near the restaurant at all."
"You scared us," Gabriella said sadly, frowning with tears in her eyes.
"I'm sorry, Gabby," Sharpay apologized. "Where's Libby?"
"At school," Troy said. "Speaking of which... I better go pick her and the others up. I'll be back soon." He kissed his wife and left to pick up the kids.
"How long have I been out?" Sharpay asked.
"A few hours. You hit the floor pretty hard," Taylor said, placing the icepack back against Sharpay's temple.
Sharpay took in a sharp breath, backing away from the icepack, "Jeeze, Taylor!"
"Well... it's your fault, Sharpay," Taylor reminded.
Sharpay nodded. Everything seemed to be her fault lately.
Troy was buckling Chad and Kelsey's three year old daughter in one of the many car seats in the minivan.
"Troy? Troy Bolton?"
Troy turned around, "Zeke? Is that you, Man?"
"Good to see you, Bro!" Zeke said as they hugged. "These all your kids?"
"Nope, four are Taylor and Chad's and the other three are Kelsi and Ryan's," Troy said, knowing Sharpay would kill him if he ever mentioned her to Zeke.
"They're cute," Zeke complimented.
"Yeah they are. Ummm... Libby's in that class you're going to be at," Troy informed, closing the door to the minivan so Libby couldn't say anything.
"Really?" Zeke said in an interested tone. "That's great. I can't wait to see her tomorrow."
"T- t-t-tomorrow?" Troy stuttered.
"Yeah," Zeke assured. "Listen, I better go. See ya around, Bro'!"
"See ya," Troy responded, watching him leave.
Sharpay sat at the bar in the kitchen eating something Taylor had made her.
"You feeling better?" Gabriella asked.
Sharpay nodded, "I just hope I can keep it all down."
"Yeah," Taylor said, swaddling Leo in her arms and feeding him.
"You think you'll eat anymore?" Gabriella asked, rubbing Sharpay's back as she finished the sandwich.
Sharpay shook her head as she swallowed, "Nope. I'm full for now. Thanks guys."
"Look whose up!"
Sharpay looked up at her brother and ran into his arms.
"You okay, Shar'?" Ryan asked, kissing her cheek.
"Yeah, I'm okay now. I just needed some rest and something to eat," Sharpay assured.
"And she got both," Taylor smiled, putting Leo in the playpen with his blanket and stuffed elephant.
"Hey, hey, hey!" Kelsi greeted, coming from the back door. She threw all her stuff on the kitchen counter and engulfed her sister-in-law in her arms, squealing and crying. Sharpay hugged Kelsi back as tears arose in her eyes. "You're so small..." Kelsi cried, holding onto Sharpay for dear life.
"I know..." Sharpay sobbed in her sister's embrace.
"MOMMY!"
Sharpay parted from her sister-in-law and picked up her daughter, "Libby! Oh, Libby! Mommy loves you so much!"
"I love you too, Mommy!" Libby smiled, hugging onto her mother. "Never leave again!"
"I won't, Sweetheart, I won't," Sharpay promised.
Sharpay helped Troy, Ryan, and Chad outside on the deck, painting the side of the house.
"So... I ran into Zeke today," Troy said. "He seems in good shape... Shar'?"
"Did you say anything about me?" Sharpay asked, continuing to paint.
"All I said was that one of the kids in the car was in the class he was going to be teaching this month," he replied.
"Thanks, Troy. You're a lifesaver!" Sharpay said, hugging him with one arm.
"Speaking of lifesaver... Kelsi and Gabriella are making some famous meat dish tonight," Ryan informed.
"What does that have to do with the word 'lifesaver', Man?" Chad asked in confusion.
"It doesn't... I just wanted to tell you guys," Ryan responded.
Sharpay giggled, "Good ole Ryan!" He pulled her into his arms and gave a nuggie, making her squeal. She pulled away as paint dripped down her face. "You did not just do that to me!" she exclaimed.
"Now... Sharpay, think about this! This is Troy's jersey!" Ryan exclaimed as his twin sister prepared to throw paint at him.
Ryan opened his mouth to speak again only to be greeted by paint in his face. He spit it out, wiping his eyes. He dropped his paintbrush and tackled Sharpay to the wooden deck. She screamed out between laughs as he tickled her.
"Mercy!" she squealed. He stopped tickling her and they continued painting. Chad and Troy laughed at the siblings.
"Shut up," Ryan said, flinging white paint at Chad.
Chad filled his brush and flung it at Ryan, but he ducked at it hit Troy.
"Ohhhh!" Sharpay said. Troy threw paint at her and the four adults started their paint war.
Taylor was playing with the kids outside, when she looked back at Troy, Sharpay, Chad, and Ryan. She saw them throwing paint at each other, slipping all over the deck, screaming and laughing with glee as if they were in high school again and they were screaming, "SCREW THE ADULT WORLD" out to everyone in the universe. Nothing mattered to the four but conquering each other to surrender.
"I am queen of the paint!" Sharpay screamed, tackling Troy and Chad to the deck, making the three slide into the house.
"Whoa there, Cowgirl!" Troy exclaimed.
Taylor ran inside and pulled Kelsi and Gabriella outside.
"Now, Taylor, don't freak out, they're just having a little fun," Gabriella soothed as Taylor was about to scream.
"My five month old can paint better than those four!" Taylor said.
Kelsi giggled, covering her mouth. "I'll go play with the little one." She made her way to the playground.
"CHAD DANFORTH!" Taylor shouted at the top of her lungs.
"Oh hell..." Chad muttered.
"She's mad," Ryan said in a sing-song voice.
"Shut up, Man," Chad demanded.
"Don't tell my brother to shut up!" Sharpay exclaimed.
"Make me, Ice Queen!" Chad shot back. Sharpay's face dropped and she turned away. "Sharpay, I'm sorry... that came out wrong..."
"No," she said, facing him. "It came out perfectly clear..." She made her way down the steps to the lawn.
"I'll go get you a towel," Gabriella said, going inside. Sharpay just nodded.
"Shar', I'm sorry. Chad didn't mean it," Taylor apologized.
"I'm fine," Sharpay assured. Gabriella came back out and wrapped the towel around Sharpay, guiding her inside to get cleaned up.