I don't know how to say this but I think I'm in love with you ..

By. simpleee.meee

Disclaimer. AII don't own it . x)

Chapter 15: Happy 16th Birthday Sharpay!

Troy's PoV:

Destiny, Chris, Dante, Chad, Kelsi, Kathryn and I met each other outside the gate of New York: Performing Arts & Sports School and stood around, nervously trying to fix our hair or asking each other what they thought about the gifts they had bought.

"Nevaeh and I got her a bottle of this really nice perfume. I think it's called something like, Rosa something something. It took us ages to raise the money to even be able to afford something so expensive!" Kelsi nervously stated and wiped the palms of her hand on the side of her jeans.

"I just hope we'll be able to exit properly!" Chad whispered.

"Shush, shush! She's coming!" Destiny shushed us and we all leaned on the wall, trying to make everything look casual.

Today was the second Saturday ever since we got back from Albuquerque, where we celebrated my 16th birthday party. Which meant, today was Sharpay's birthday! As soon as we came back to New York, Nevaeh, Dante, Chris, Destiny, Kelsi, Kathryn and I were busy trying to figure out what to do for Sharpay's birthday and how to make it all worthwhile. We had to do this in secret, where she wouldn't be able to pick up the vibe that we were going to do something for her.

"Yeah, up you get." Nevaeh approached us with Sharpay blindfolded and dressed appropriately for the day.

"Then take a step forward. Down the steps." Nevaeh kept instructing Sharpay.

"Wait, stay right there, I'm gonna go and close the school gate." Nevaeh chucked a glance at us and widened her mouth and eyes in mock, silent laughter.

"Where are you taking me Nev? It better not me somewhere you know that I would hate." Sharpay complained nervously.

"Ok, I'm back. Take about two steps forward. Now you're ready for the blindfold to be taken off." Nevaeh said dramatically and then motioned for us to gather in.

"Ok, after three, I'll take the blindfold off." Nevaeh excitedly said and mouthed for us to say 'Happy Birthday,' after her finger had finished counting up to 3.

"Happy birthday Sharpay!" We all shouted and joined in a big hug.

"How did you guys know it was my birthday?" She asked, with bewilderment.

"Oh, sources here and there." Nevaeh threw me a glance.

"So, what are your plans for the day?" Sharpay smiled nervously and asked.

"Well we were thinking of going to the-."

"Nevaeh, dear cousin, it wouldn't be a surprise if we told would it?" I asked, clearing my throat and speaking over the top of Nevaeh's voice.

"Oh yeah. Sorry Sharpay. Nearly ruined it!" Nevaeh apologized.

"Well, let's get going!" Destiny suggested nervous that Nevaeh might ruin another surprise.

When we walked further down the busy streets of New York, there was a limo waiting for us all. Sharpay's eyes grew large and she started squealing. Dante took a step back and stared at her with eyebrows raised, hands up in the air. Sharpay calmed down considerably and eyed the limo, looking back from us, to the limo.

"You guys didn't .." She nervously started, afraid what the answer might not be.

"What?" Dante joked around, "We didn't what?"

"The limo?" Sharpay played along.

"No." Dante laughed.

We all joined in the laughter. We would be broke for a couple of months but anything for my best friend. The chauffeur by the name of Mr. Daniels walked out, opened the door for us. Chad entered first. The driver allowed this. Usually he would have let the birthday girl go first, but we thought that it would be better if she sat in the middle. After all it was her birthday. Then Kelsi followed. After that I followed. Then Sharpay was ushered in by Destiny.

"Happy birthday." Mr. Daniels greeted her.

She smiled. Destiny came in next, Dante across from us, then Chris. We were all seated; Mr. Daniels shut the door lightly and got back to his seat.

"Oh, my gosh guys! I can't believe that you would do such a thing for me!" She stated, her eyes misting up.

"Well you better now. I mean we'll be broke for .. who know how long?" Chad joked.

"Aah, true true." we all chorused.

After a while of talking and drinking and watching. And making fun of we were finally there. By there I meant the,

"Welcome to the Food Festival Carnival Sharpay. And happy birthday." Nevaeh's mom and my aunt was one of the women cooking here.

There were lots and lots of individual stalls. And there were food samples from all over the world. We thought this would be a fun adventure for Sharpay, since she's never been to a Food Festival Carnival before. We ushered her into the carnival. It was like a carnival but also with food.

"It's not much, but it was so last minute!" Chris apologized; making sure that Sharpay understood the quality of this party.

"It certainly isn't as grand as Troy's." Dante commented with a hint of apology.

"It doesn't need to be as grand as Troy's. It's already grand, in my heart! Thank you guys!" With that she gave us all another hug.

I could see her hesitate a bit when she got around to hugging me. I could see my cousins and Chad, Kelsi and Kathryn's minds working. They were preparing for the exit. It was the exit that Chad had made a comment on earlier. They all threw a glance at each other when we were hugging. Sharpay's back was facing them so she didn't see, but I did.

"Come on, break it up! Break it up!" Dante joked around.

"Let's go check out some food and the rides." Kathryn suggested.

"Yes, let's." Chad agreed stiffly. Chad was one person that couldn't lie naturally. He was either always blushing or avoiding eye contacts. He was the worst liar ever.

"I know! Let's pair up. We'll divide and then we'll meet back here by .. a little past midday, yeah?" Destiny suggested her rehearsed line.

"No! How about two o'clock?" Kelsi said.

"Yeah, there is a lot to be seen here!" Chris agreed.

"Ok. Two it is then. Pair up." Destiny altered the plan a bit and immediately drew Chad to the side along with Chris. Dante and Nevaeh went together and Kelsi and Kathryn went together.

"You two are together." Dante pointed out.

"Naah," Sharpay said with mock sarcasm.

"See you later guys!" With that they split off in their pair/trios.

"Bye." Sharpay weakly said after them.

"So, where should we go first?" I suggested.

"Umm, the Jap section. I want sushi! I haven't tasted them since your birthday!" Sharpay smiled.

What a gorgeous smile. I shook my head a bit, in order to get out of that trance so that I wouldn't make Sharpay uncomfortable. I offered her my arm, like the men in the olden days. She slipped her slender arm into my offered arm. We walked off, feeling excited, to the Jap stall.

"Where's the one that was at your party?" She unlinked her arm and stared intently at the sushi's on the stall table.

She tried all the samples, took some money out and bought a pack of each that she liked. I laughed at how cute she looked when she was eating. She probably thought I was laughing at her because she was eating so much, so she joined in the laughter.

"What's so funny?" She asked.

"You eat a lot." I lied.

She smiled and we walked off to a section chosen by me. It was the Filipino section. I once tasted a purple bread and a purple cake from Shella. It was so sweet and delicious, I fell in love with it. Since then Shella had kept me some from her home and brought it to school for me. But lately, in New York I wasn't seeing a lot of her or Jaquelyn. I shrugged and searched for the purple cake.

"What are you looking for?" Sharpay asked as she tilted her head to the side.

"That purple bread, Shella gave us last time remember?" I remembered the time she walked up to us and gave me the bread. She had also offered Sharpay some and Sharpay accepted gratefully.

"Oh! What was it called?" Sharpay started clicking her fingers, "Ahh, I know what it's called .. AAH what's it called?"

"Ube!" She turned to the stall keeper, pointed at her with a bright look on her face and shouted.

"Ube? Would you like some Ube bread?" The woman had perfect English.

"Uh, yes please." I said, embarrassed.

If I knew that she spoke English, then I would have just asked her about the purple bread. I shook my head as I took a sample. Sharpay took a sample as well.

"Oh my gosh! It's so yum! I'm gonna get so spoilt with all these foods!" Sharpay mumbled.

Then I bought a container full of Ube. After that I tried some of the hot food samples. One caught my named. It was called,

"A .. doo-boo?" I tilted my head to the side, like Sharpay.

"Ah-doh-boh. Would you like some of that too?" The lady asked.

"Oh ok." I mumbled and she gave me a cup full.

She handed me a fork. Sharpay was staring at me eat, so I offered her some. She took the offer.

"Mmm, not bad. It's quiet nice actually!" She cooed.

"Agreed."

I didn't bother buying some of that. We decided to spice things up a bit by assigning each other to stalls and feeding them something of their choice. Sharpay won the scissors paper rock and was to go first. She made sure that I had closed eyes, put her hands on top of my closed eyes and led me somewhere.

"Don't open yet." She warned.

"Say Ahh."

"Ahh."

Something was in my mouth.

"Chew it." She said excitedly.

I chewed it. And it was so ..

"Hot! Hot! Water!"

"Here," Sharpay cracked up laughing and gave me a cup of water.

"What was that?" I asked, fanning my mouth with my hand, as I was leading her to a different stall.

"Mexican Chilly." She giggled.

"What!" I said in ridicule.

"You should have seen your face!" She giggled again.

"Well you're gonna pay Evans!" I joked.

"Bring it on, Bolton!" She joked back.

I brought her to this French stall. It was crowded with people. They were mostly staring at something brown on the table. Cooked snails. I smiled in glee.

"Don't open your eyes yet." I said in a warning tone, picked a steamed snail and said, "Aah."

I popped it into her mouth. She closed her mouth and started to chew. She nodded and smiled. My hand was still over her eyes.

"Mm, not bad. What was that?" She asked.

"Snail." I replied simply as I lead her away from the French stall.

"What!"

"Now do you get how I felt when you fed me that chilly?" I joked.

"Oh yeahh .." She poked her tongue out and pretended to gag, "Ew. A snail."

"It's a delicacy in France. Enjoy it!" I laughed.

"Whatever. My turn?"

We spent the last two hours going to the bathroom, going on a ride, going to the bathroom, going on a ride, going to the bathroom, going on a ride .. yeah you get the picture.

"It's two Troy!" Sharpay said in alarm as we were on the last turn of the Ferris wheel.

"Already? Time went way too fast!"

"Oh no! I see them, over there!" She pointed down.

"Hey Sharpay .." I moved next to her.

"Yeah?"

"You do know that I meant what I said in my room, on my birthday party, right?"

"You told me that already."

"Hey Sharpay .."

"Yeah?"

"Can I ask you a favor?"

"Go."

"Promise me you won't get mad."

"Oh, I dunno."

"Then I won't ask a favor."

"No, no, no! Go tell me."

"First the promise. Promise me that you'll grant it and that you won't get mad." I thrust out my pinky.

"Promise."

With that I turned her chin up and asked for my most wanted wish, "Can I kiss you again?"

"I .. I guess a promise is a promise."

I kissed her with passion. I held her longingly and let the sparks fly. I knew that Sharpay was feeling it too. I could feel her getting into it.

"Is that who I think it is?" We broke apart, to see that the Ferris Wheel had stopped and our cousins were there.

Our eyes grew wide and we blushed. We got out of our carriage.

"Are you's together now?"

"Troy and Sharpay, sitting in a tree-." Dante teased.

"No comment." I wearily said.

Then I reminisced the kiss. It was so sweet and passionate. And I loved every second of it. A smile formed on my lips as soon as I thought about the kiss.

"Earth to Troy, Earth to Troy?" I snapped out of the trance as Nevaeh waved her hand in front of my face.

"Uh, yeah?" I asked.

"What movie would you like to watch?"

Then I realized it was the second part of our plan for Sharpay's birthday. I shrugged as part of the plan but I had a thought that my cousins might have gone ahead with out me and planned all our partner, seating arrangements. I was glad for my cousins. But at the same time I was so .. confused. Which side should I stick to? Aah, stuff the side that doesn't like the idea of me liking Sharpay. From now on I would admit my feelings, not bottle them up. Who cares about that other side that kept making me feel guilty? Who cares ..

"How about Silent Hill?" Dante cried out.

"No way!" Sharpay argued.

"Yes way! Come on Sharpay, you're 16 now. Just watch it. It will be a life threatening experience!"

"A life threatening experience?" Sharpay asked out of horror.

"No. What he meant was a life thrilling experience!" Destiny called out, smacking Dante on the back of his head.

"Stupid much?" She whispered.

"Shut up." Dante replied.

"Let's go!"

This time we took a bus, to the cinemas. It wasn't far. Everyone was too pre-occupied with everything, with our kiss, and with Sharpay.

"Let's go!" Destiny yelled at us and we all came off the bus, into the cinemas.

We bought our tickets, hung around in the shops nearby and just as the movies was about to start, we burst in and found our seat. We sat down. Dante swapped with Sharpay with the excuse of being too cold and so Sharpay sat next to me, on the end seat near the corridor. I think we all knew why Dante sat at the end. So that he could swap with Sharpay, and when the scary ugly things came up she would either hug me or bury her face.

"Troy!" Nevaeh said in a sing-song voice that evening when we were coming back to the school.

"What?" Sharpay was leaning on my shoulders and she was asleep.

Nevaeh wriggled her eyebrows up and down. I looked away out to the window.

"Sharpay, wake up." I gently chided her.

She hugged me around the stomach and kept sleeping. My cousins were watching and silently laughing.

"Wake up, Sharpay. We're nearly there!" I tried again.

"That won't do!" Nevaeh laughed.

"Sharpay? Why are you in bed with my cousin?" Destiny grinned.

Sharpay woke up with a startle and my cousins roared with laughter. The bus came to a stop and we got off, walked the short way back up the school, showed the securities our student ID card and walked in. From there, Kelsi made Sharpay close her eyes, Kathryn helped Kelsi, and Nevaeh took the presents off of us and carried it to their dorm. Dante, Chris, Chad and I were walking to our dorm. The guys immediately broke into songs and teasing and taunting me.

It was going to be a long night ...

Author's Note: So how was it? Good, or bad. Just remember I love getting reviews from you guys! You guys are all the gunnest! WHOOP ! x)