Summary: There is always more to a person than what they allow themselves to show. Sharpay and Ryan may seem like Ice Queen and King of East High, but in reality, they are so much more.

Disclaimer: I only own the characters you don't know

Chapter 1

Sharpay's POV

I glanced over at Ryan, who nodded and went back to turn on the stereo. "All right, let's run over that part three more times then we'll call it quits for the day. Ready?" After an affirmative nod, he pushed the button and jogged back to his place, and we waited for the music to start.

"Five, six, seven, eight!"

Loose, footloose

Beat Beat

Everybody cut, Everybody cut,

Beat Beat

Everybody cut,

Everybody cut,

Beat Beat

Everybody cut, Everybody cut,

Everybody Everybody cut footloose!

Dum, dum dum dum THUMP!

Ok, that was not part of the routine. "Ryan! You weren't supposed to drop me!"

"Nooo, really? I thought it would bring, oh I don't know, a little more pizzazz to the dance!"

"Ryan! That's not-" Just then, snickering from behind me cut me off. Oh, right, rehearsal. "On second thought, I think that's good for now. Emily, I think it's your turn today, so go ahead and pick a cd, and everyone do some freestyle for a while. I think I'm just going to stay here on the floor for a while. Go ahead and just dance around me. Do me a favor though – please try not to step on me. I can only take so much!"

Ok, so that was a little dramatic, but what can I say! My students love it when I go all drama queen on them! Hey, stick with what you know – and I know drama. And dance, which is how I ended up here in the first place. Co-director of the theatre arts program for the Evans Youth Activity Center. Ryan is the other director. He and I have been volunteering at the center since it first opened, and have just become a part of the team. I cant even begin to explain how much I love being here! Ryan and I get to teach a bunch of dance and voice and acting classes to kids who probably would have never had the opportunity to learn any of this. I mean, most of the kids we work with some are from the really run down part of town. The part of town that you dread having to go into, that whenever you do you double and triple check that you have locked your car door and rolled up your windows. People forget that there are real people living behind those doors, people who are doing the best they can, and every once in a while, could use a hand. But, I think that one of the reasons I love being here with these kids is that when I'm here, I can really be me.

After the callback auditions, Ryan and I did apologize to Troy and Gabriella for trying to ruin their chance at a fair callback. They said we were forgiven, and since then all of us have actually gotten along pretty well. It's actually been fun going to school and meeting up with "the gang." But I'm not stupid; I know that even though we might all be getting along, they will always think of Ryan and I as the Ice King and Queen of East High. Like the other day, the basketball team had an away game the same day as the final performance of "Twinkle Town," which meant that as Troy's understudy, Ryan would be doing the final performance. Oddly enough, I was perfectly content in the role I was playing, but that didn't stop me from hearing Taylor's comment to Chad – "I bet Sharpay's trying to come up with some way to make Gabriella step down so she can have the lead. It would be such a Sharpay thing to do." I waited to see if Chad would come to my defense, but he didn't. He just nodded right along with Taylor saying "I wouldn't be surprised if she already told Darbus the chemistry between her and Ryan was so much better than what Ryan and Gabriella could have on stage." I Did not! Not like they would believe me though.

But here, at EYAC, this is my world. A place where I can be away from my parents, my problems, my "friends", and I can simply be me. Miss Sharpie. Whoops, Miss Sharpay. I guess that's what teaching three year olds will do to ya! And I wouldn't have it any other way. As long as I'm here, I'm free.