A/N: I AM SOOOOOOO SORRY FOR NOT UPDATING FOR SOOOOO LONG. I was working at the fair, plus working my normal job, and then I had so much to do, and I didn't have enough time to do it in. I would have done this yesterday, but I was in seattle, where my aunt was having surgery, and yeah… in the past two or three days, I have put over 400 miles on my car. Horrible.
So yeah, I got really embarassed today while watching the Cheetah Girls 2, because they were showing a commercial for Halloweentown: Witch University, and they showed Lucas Grabeel… who I think is one of the hottest men alive, and I screamed girly excited scream like a school girl… it was funny. I didn't even mean to do it :D
Reviews:
Billybobbers – Tears of joy… and I think you will have more Tears of Joy in this chapter too… or you should want tears of joy.. .lol
Hotsodagirl – who wouldn't press charges? Is sharpay one of those who wouldn't? read and find out.. lol…
Lucas-Grabeel-Fan – yeah, I thought ryan's idea was pretty cool.
Night's girl – Yes, the suspense. :D
Crushie – a lot of people want her in the slammer… hahaha
MissZacEfron – yes, lots of tears of joy.
XxAnnaxx – happy when it's sad… or sad when its happy? Huh? Lol
Palindrome713 – isnt it great to leave you with a cliffhanger, and then not update for a week… :D imagine if I had done that with chapter 26, the one where they want Sharpay to identify a body… yeah… that would have been great… lol
SYLVIA – I love you anyway
"We would like to know if you want to press charges against Shari Johanson." The officer asked. Sharpay looked down at her daughter, whom she kissed on the forehead. Sharpay watched her daughter's movements while she thought about her answer. She looked up and met Troy's eyes. His eyes only confirmed her answer. She turned her gaze back to the officer, and tried to speak.
"Yes. She said.
"Are you sure?" Kelsi asked. She nodded.
"Yeah, she needs to pay for what she did, she had no right." Sharpay said. The officer went into a quiet corner, and got on his phone. All the officers were packing their things, and taking it to their cars.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
One week later, everything returned to normal, except Shari kept calling, asking Sharpay to bail her out of jail.
"No Shari, I will not."
"Why not?" she asked.
"I am the one pressing charges." Sharpay said, and hung up the phone. She blocked all calls from the number Shari was calling from.
At school, Sharpay would wait for basketball practice to be over, then afterward, Ryan, Kelsi, Zeke, Troy, Gabriella, Chad, Taylor and Sharpay would go to the park, and they'd work on homework while Kimi stretched out on the blanket everyone had gathered around.
Sometimes, Ryan, or one of the group members would have to cut out early for classes, appointments, or other reasons. Ryan had his classes that he taught. They were cut to Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, and only on Wednesday was class after basketball practice was over. On Monday and Friday, the class got over fifteen minutes before practice let out. He showed p right when Troy, Chad and Zeke came out of the gym.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
On a breezy November day, Sharpay broke the comfortable silence that surrounded the group.
"Troy, have you gotten that room finished yet?" she asked.
"No, it should be finished tomorrow." He replied.
"Okay, well, if you want Kimi to spend the night, you can take her."
"Alright."
"And, I'll have to cut out early."
"Why?" Chad asked.
"I am going to go talk to Shari." Sharpay said.
"Are you sure you want to do that." Taylor asked. Sharpay nodded.
"I have to find out why she did it." She said.
"When is the trail?" Gabriella asked.
"There is a trial in a month, but we won't find out the verdict until after Christmas." She said.
"Okay." They all finished their homework shortly, and packed up their belongings. Ryan put Kimi into her car seat while Sharpay folded the blanket. She placed it in the trunk with her and her brother's book bags, while Ryan placed the car seat in the car. Everyone said their good byes, and headed off in their own directions. Zeke and Kelsi followed the twins to their house.
"I will start dinner." Ryan said as he opened the door. Sharpay took Kimi out of her car seat, and took her into the kitchen.
"Do you need any help?" she asked.
"Nope, I got it all. Kelsi is helping me." Ryan replied. She went upstairs to change her daughter's diaper, and Zeke followed. When she was finished, she put hand sanitizer on her hands, and picked Kimi up.
"Sharpay." Zeke said.
"Yes?" She answered, all chipper like.
"How long have we known each other?" he asked.
"Since Kindergarten." She replied.
"You are right, aren't you?" he laughed.
"Yeah, I remembered you as afro-boy's friend." Sharpay laughed.
"Afro-boy." He asked, chuckling.
"Chad had the biggest hair I have ever seen." Sharpay said.
"Sharpay, there is something I want to tell you." Zeke said seriously.
"What is it?" Sharpay asked, concerned. He looked at her, and they had complete eye contact for several moments, before Zeke got the nerve to say it.
"I love you." He said. Sharpay's mouth dropped open, she couldn't believe her ears. She tried to say something, but nothing drifted into he brain. Zeke took this the wrong way.
"I knew you'd freak out. I'll let myself out." He said, turning around. He made his way to leave when Sharpay shouted his name.
"Zeke!" He turned around. She took three quick steps forward, and kissed him. She pulled back, and looked him square in the eyes.
"I love you too." She said. Zeke smiled, and laughed. He picked Sharpay, with Kimi in her arms, and spun them around once. They kissed again, and went down stairs.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
The next day, when school let out, Sharpay left Kimi in Troy's supervision. She put the diaper bag next to the car seat, and looked Troy in the eye.
"You remember how I told you to put the car seat in?" she asked.
"Yes." He replied.
"Okay, and there is a set of clothes in the bag, and diapers, and some wipes. Formula, and a couple bottles are in the front pocket." She said.
"I know." He replied.
"Okay, bye." She said, she waved, and started to walk away. She suddenly turned around, and came back.
"Don't forget you need to play her music so that it will help her to sleep." She said.
"I know, we've been through this a million times today." He said. Chad and Zeke chuckled from the background.
"Oh, I know, it's just that I have never let her spend the night anywhere else that I wasn't at, so I am really nervous." She said.
"I know, everything will be fine, you know my number, and I know yours. Our daughter will be fine." He said. Sharpay smiled, and kissed Troy on the cheek, and left.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Sharpay went through all the security measures that were required for her to see Shari. She sat at a table for ten minutes while she waited for the guards to get her mother. Shari sat down in front of her, and looked at her nonchalantly.
"Come to your senses, and decided to bail me out now did you?" she asked.
"No." Sharpay said.
"Then why are you here?" she asked.
"I want to know why you did it?"
"What? Take my granddaughter?"
"Kidnap MY daughter." Sharpay corrected.
"She is my granddaughter."
"No she is not. The only grandparents she has are Jack and Susan Bolton." Sharpay snapped.
"You wouldn't let me be your mother." Shari said.
"So, you never acted like a mother, so you obviously don't want or need to be one."
"You wouldn't let me be a mother, and if I can't be a mother, then you shouldn't be a mother either."
"So you kidnapped my daughter?"
"I didn't kidnap her, I saved her from the horrible life you were about to give her."
"She was not going to have a horrible life."
"Yes, she was. You were gallivanting off with that Negro, and couldn't marry that decent white boy. You were going to make her life miserable."
"I LOVE ZEKE, AND I WILL DATE HIM IF I WANT TO!"
"YOU DON'T NEED TO BE A MOTHER! YOU ARE ONLY 17!" She yelled.
"I am legally emancipated, and I can have a child if I want to!" Sharpay said, and got up from the table. Sharpay left her Shari at the table, and drove home.
"What's the news?" Ryan asked as Sharpay got home.
"She says that I don't need to be a mother, because I wouldn't let her be mine." She said. Ryan shook his head, and went back to the oven.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Kimi had a great night at Troy's house, and came home unscathed. Although, Sharpay didn't think anything bad would happen, she was just worried about being away from her daughter. She seemed almost sad about not having to wake up four times during the night to deal with her daughter.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
On December 15th, Sharpay, Ryan, and Troy took the day off from school, to go to the trial. Their lawyer had a great case against Shari, considering Shari had no reason whatsoever, to take Kimi.
"All rise for the honorable Judge Williams." The officer said. Everyone stood up, and sat when directed to. After hearing each person's case, Shari's lawyer called her witnesses, which Sharpay's lawyer cross-examined, and it was Jerald's turn to call witnesses. Jerald called Sharpay to the stand.
"Raise your right hand and repeat after me." Sharpay placed her right hand into the air, and put her left on the bible in front of her.
"You swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, nothing but the truth, so help you god?" he asked.
"I swear." The bible was taken away, and Sharpay lowered her hand.
"Miss Evans, please tell the judge what happened the day of November sixth." Jerald said.
"I woke up in the morning to find my daughter missing from her room. Both baby monitors were turned off, the diaper bag was missing, as was the car seat. My brother called the police, who showed up, and started the reports." She said.
"And, what led you to think that it had been the defendant who had taken your daughter."
"She had shown up two days before, and was coddling my daughter, and got mad when she found out I was not dating her father, and started making racial comments about my current boyfriend. Then, the day before, she came over, and borrowed one thousand dollars from me. I wrote her a check, and she left." She said. Jerald finished questioning her, before the other lawyer questioned her.
"Miss Evans. How old are you?"
"Seventeen."
"You are not a legal adult are you?"
"Yes, I am emancipated."
"Do you have proper documentation?" Sharpay nodded, and Jerald took her emancipation papers, and put them on the judge's stand. He nodded, and they proceeded.
"How did you come to live by yourself?"
"My father got Leukemia, and after he died, my brother and I didn't want to go live with family, so we emancipated ourselves, and began our lives as adults."
"When you were only sixteen?"
"Objection." The Jerald said.
"What does this have to do with anything?" Jerald asked.
"I am trying to prove that this lady is too young to be a mother, and that my client took the child to keep her from potential poverty." The lawyer said. Jerald rolled his eyes, and sat down. The lawyer continued.
"How did you make a living, providing for the bills?" he asked.
"My father, when he died, left a sum of money to us."
"And what were your plans for when the money ran out?"
"The money was a large sum, that was supposed to last us until after college."
"Was supposed to?" he asked.
"Yes, once we found out the baby was coming, we viewed it that the baby would use up quite a large amount of the money, so my brother and I both got jobs."
"Jobs? How did you think you would manage a job and a baby?"
"My job was an at home one. My brother is a dance instructor."
"What is your job?"
"I am a Teen Crisis Line Counselor."
"And how did you plan on juggling a job, school, and a baby, all while keeping the house fit for a child?"
"We hired an Au Pair for while we were at school, Ryan has his dance classes after school, while I went home, and worked while I took care of Kimi."
"And when did you work on paying your bills?"
"Sunday's, after church and lunch."
"When did you clean the house?"
"Saturdays, after we finished our weekend homework."
"What about your extra curricular activities."
"We decided not to pursue them until we had a better chance to."
"What ever happened to the Au Pair?"
"We let her go, because we decided to take her to the daycare at my school."
"And, you say your mother left. How many years ago was that?"
"Ten years ago I think."
"Okay, and how long have you had your alarm system?"
"Four years."
"So, how does this explain her knowing the code to turn off the alarm?"
"It's the code that my family has used for every pin number they have ever had. My dad couldn't remember any number besides that one."
"And, how about the front door, did you lock it?"
"Yes."
"Then how did she get a key."
"My dad told my brother and I that there was a spare key hidden somewhere, but whenever told us where him and Shari put it." After this series of questions, the lawyer decided to stop before he completely blew his case into a thousand tiny pieces. He just ended up making Sharpay look like an excellent mother. After the trial was over, the judge announced that he would announce his decision on January first, and pounded his gavel. They had seventeen days to wait and see what the judge would decide.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
On Christmas Eve, Troy invited Sharpay and Ryan over to his house to spend the night, so that they could have a real Christmas morning, just like regular teenagers. Ryan Slept in Troy's room, and Sharpay slept in the guest room.
Ryan and Troy came into Sharpay's room, bouncing on the bed, at exactly seven a.m. Sharpay slapped them for waking her up, and pulled the covers back. She went to go to Kimi's room, but was stopped by Troy.
"Nope, my parents said that they would take care of her today, so we can act like normal teens in the morning. They will get her up. No need to worry." He said. She smiled, and they all ran down the stairs. They all opened presents, and Kimi laid on a blanket between her grandparents. Ryan and Sharpay had even gotten a lot of presents from the Boltons.
"Thank you all so very much." Sharpay said.
"It's not a problem. We were happy to do this. You two don't need to be having a lonely Christmas morning." Susan said.
That afternoon, the group decided to have Christmas dinner at Ryan and Sharpay's house, the main cooks being Zeke, and Gabriella. Sharpay helped out quite a bit. As they were all sitting around the table at dinner, they were discussing Shari's trial.
"I cannot wait until we find out the verdict." Taylor said.
"You are telling me, I'm her mother, and I think I am going to explode if I don't find out soon." They each chuckled and went on eating their dinner.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
After everyone left, Sharpay and Ryan were getting ready for bed, and as they were putting Kimi down to sleep, Sharpay paused and looked at her brother.
"This has been the best Christmas since dad died."