Yesh, the last chapter. It makes me sad. Nothing exceptionally witty in this one, it just kinda wraps everything up. Have fun!

Disclaimer: Not mine.

There was a party at the pub for those who were indirectly involved with the production. Boyfriends and such. But everyone knew where the real party would be. No, not at your house. There are no Broadway parties at your house, unless you know fictitious characters who would gladly go to a house party, to which I say, "Lay off the Absinthe."

No. Here's the party:

There were roses. Lots of them. Troy Bolton looked forlornly at the bunch he had brought, and sized up the number on stage. Meh. They'd probably all go to Gabriella.

"Sharpay?" He tentatively entered her dressing room, where the real party was.

"Troy! Come in! Wasn't I great? Brought the house down! Oh, but Gabriella did a great job, too! I believed for a second that she was really in love with Michael! Oh, sorry, I meant Erik. Can't ruin the magic for the audience. Anyway, isn't that ridiculous?" She rattled off quickly. She was still in her Curtain Call costume.

"Uh. Yeah. Great job."

"Hmm? Oh, Troy, you shouldn't have. These are beautiful." She deposited the bunch in the middle of her dressing room table.

"Anyway, come say hi! Here's Michael, and Ryan, you remember Ryan! Jordan—Jordan's the set director, weren't his sets beautiful?—Derek, the conductor, and Meredith, Meredith makes the best cookies, Troy, you should try them some time, make you want to commit murder, they're so good—" She paused as Gabriella walked in. "Gabriella!"

The entrance would have been an awkward silence, had Sharpay not graciously begun cheering. There was something contagious about her cheer. It made you feel feverish and act accordingly and then want to pass it on. It was like a booster shot for Gabriella's self-esteem, in that it hurt a little, but would protect her for a while against other attacks.

At the same time, Troy slipped his hand into Sharpay's, and she squeezed, once, and he knew how hard it was for her to remain civil tonight.

She gripped his hand harder and she wound her way up to Gabriella. "Theater kisses." They exchanged the three air kisses that might or might not be theater. They were probably French, which was good enough. "I'm so glad you didn't actually break a leg. That would have been horrible!"

Amanda came in. "Amanda! Great job with the make-up, Michael looked hideous." She reached over Gabriella to greet the make-up artist, who stood aside to reveal more people.

"Why is it that everyone always converges in the smallest room?" She asked, laughing. Gabriella and Amanda were shooed into 'the smallest room,' where the word 'mingling' may be correctly applied.

Still holding Troy's hand, she managed to squeeze out of the doorway, past other party guests, and make it into the corridors.

"Oh god, I'm happy that's over." She looked carefully back into the brightly lit room. "I can't believe she actually wanted me to go up for her. I mean, I'd all but given up any hope of appearing on opening night, but for her to have worked so hard and then want me to take her place...At least someone came to her senses in time." She stopped mid-rant, and her mind took a different track. "I'm sorry, what did you want?"

"You. You are the most amazing, the most selfish, the most ridiculous woman I have ever known in my life."

A mischievous smile danced over her features. It did a solitary tango. "Thank you. Now, tell me, does being amazing and ravishingly beautiful have any good effect on your opinion of me?" She didn't bother batting her eyelashes.

"I love you."

"I love adoring fans." There were no sparks. There was no passionate melting or buckling. Certainly no swashing. But there was something. Something in the kiss, and it was a something good. "I'll consider you a very adoring fan."

And the rest, as no one ever says any more, is history.

-end-

Okay, maybe it was a bit amusing, for me at least. The dressing room line was a Jean Butler observation. There's also a slight knock on POTC, since I'm watching that right now.

This is really kinda depressing, for me. I had such a great time writing this. I hope you guys enjoyed it just as much.

I'm watching the Emmys, too, I'm allowed to be sappy.

Please review