CHAPTER 5

Troy moved quickly through the throngs of people at the party about 30 minutes later. He found the boys laughing in a corner. "What are you laughing at?"

"Ryan." Chad laughed, "He's been trying to flirt with Kelsey since we got here."

"Oh yeah? How's he doing?" Troy asked

"Lets just say it's a good thing he's cute." Marc answered

"Where are the girls?" Troy said looking around

"They went to get something to drink." Kevin said, "In the meantime you can tell us what you were up to."

"What do you mean?" Troy asked

"What he means is, how'd you and Sharpay make out?" Chad asked, "Pun intended."

"Guys, get real. I just wanted to see if she was OK." Troy answered with a half-truth.

"Oh please, you are so into her." Brad said

"So into who?" Gabby asked walking up to the group with Taylor, Ryan and Kelsey.

"No one." Troy said at the same time as Chad answered, "Sharpay."

"You and my sister?" Ryan asked

"No, it's not like that." Troy said pleadingly, "She talks to me so I just wanted to make sure she was all right. Just drop it OK."

"Sure." Chad shrugged.

When Troy went to go get a drink, Chad turned to the group, "I don't care what he says, he's so into her."

"She used to have a crush on him." Ryan put in helpfully

"What! When?" Brad asked

"Elementary school, something about he kissed her and cooties." Ryan answered, "I never got the full story. I still haven't found her journal-hiding place. She moves it every 6 months."

"Sharpay, a journal writer? Didn't see that coming." Kevin said

"Song writer definitely, journal, not so much." Taylor put in.

"Yeah, our therapist recommended it." Ryan said

"Therapist? You guys see a shrink?" Brad asked

"Not anymore, when our mom—" He broke off and shook his head to clear it, "When our mom started touring we were only 8 so Dad made us go talk to someone because of our anger. At first they suggested that we draw pictures of what we were feeling, that eventually progressed to writing."

"That makes sense." Kelsey said

"Oh hey, Troy's coming. Remember no more talking about him and Sharpay." Kevin said

"So what are we going to do this summer?" Gabby asked changing the subject as Troy came back. "Its our first summer all together, er—well almost all together." She just realized that she hadn't changed the subject quite enough.

"Almost?" Marc asked

"Sharpay will be at Olson." Ryan said

"Is she still going?" Troy asked

Ryan shrugged, "Hell if I know. She hasn't said one word about it to me or dad and every time either one of us brings it up she leaves the room."

"Well, if she goes," Chad said, "We could do a road trip and go visit her, and if she doesn't go we can still do a road trip anyway."

"That would be fun." Taylor said.

"We'll only have one more summer together after this before we leave for college." Kelsey said

The group pondered that thought for a while before moving on to other topics. Troy was only vaguely aware of the conversations going on around him. Would Sharpay even go to Olson this summer? If she did would she miss him, would they still talk? It was all a lot to think about. Wait, why was he even thinking about Sharpay? Maybe he should think about that before anything else.

Even though is was April and the weather was very warm Troy noticed that Sharpay continued to wear long sleeved shirts. He spent the next couple weeks trying to get her alone to talk to her but she always managed to evade him. At lunch she would sit between Ryan and Gabby, if they had a class together she would make sure they didn't sit anywhere near each other. He tried to call but she wouldn't pick up the phone. If she saw him walking towards her she would run into the nearest girls bathroom or in the opposite direction and damn she was fast. Finally after almost 2 weeks he spotted her alone. It was just before basketball practice and she was outside running on the track.

She hadn't noticed him yet so he started jogging until he was just behind her. "You know I never figured you for a runner." He said jogging up beside her.

She let out a small shriek, "Oh my god, you scared me. Why'd you sneak up on me like that?"

"Why have you been avoiding me for the past 2 weeks?" Troy countered

"I haven't been avoiding you." Sharpay panted slightly, she glanced over and at his expression she threw her arms out to the side, "Ok, so I was avoiding you. Sue me."

"I take it back." Troy said, "You are a runner."

"Yeah, the ice queen is in shape. What a shocker." Sharpay said sarcastically

"No, I didn't mean a runner like that." Troy explained, "I meant you run away from your problems. Instead of confronting them you just run away and hope you don't have to deal with them."

Sharpay stopped suddenly, "Who the hell do you think you are?" She said loudly, "You don't know anything about me."

"I know a lot more than you think." Troy said turning to face her.

"Yeah right." Sharpay laughed

"Try me." Troy said and started to jog again.

Sharpay followed suit, "Ok, what's my favorite color."

"Pink."

"Easy one, what's my favorite movie?" Sharpay asked

Troy shrugged, "Casual observation, I would have to say that you tell people its Rent or some musical like that but its really White Chicks."

"How the hell did you know that?" Sharpay asked with a shocked expression on her face.

"I told you I knew you better than you thought." Troy laughed, "Come on ask me a hard one."

"What did I want to be when I grow up?" She asked

"Queen of the world." Troy joked, "Just kidding, uh, actress is to obvious so I'm going to go with teacher."

"Seriously how the hell did you know that?" Sharpay panted frustratedly, "OK, what did you mean when you said you didn't take me for a runner."

"You really want to know." Troy asked glancing sideways at her.

"Yeah."

Troy nodded, "You moved here when you and Ryan were like 5, right?"

"Yep, dad got transferred and mom decided that she was to big for Broadway." Sharpay remembered

"From the second you walked into Mrs. Poe's kindergarten class, I knew that there was just something about you. You had this air that just dared people to mess with you and so help them if anyone tried. As we got older your passion or obsession, or whatever you want to call it was just so strong it was scary but at the same time you were still the same old Sharpay and seriously god help the person who stood in your way of whatever you wanted." Troy started.

"What does that have to do with running away from my problems?" Sharpay asked

"I'm getting there." Troy chastised, "Everything that you did, especially with music, you put your all into it. When the guys picked on Ryan for liking to sing you didn't ignore it or confront them in private, instead you walked right up to those guys in the middle of the cafeteria and literally reduced them to tears. You were never afraid of anything. When we all went rock climbing freshman year you went first even though you were terrified of heights, even though you know you're a shoe-in for a part in the musical you spend weeks on end practicing or whatever. You've never been scared a day in your life and then all of a sudden you just stopped. You stopped fighting and you turned and ran away because you got scared and that just isn't you."

Sharpay opened her mouth to speak but couldn't so Troy continued, "What happened to you mom was horrible, but you just stopped living. Even now, you try and act like your old self but your not and what I can't figure out is why you can't admit that your scared and need help, it doesn't make you weak, in fact I think that makes you stronger."

"Did it ever occur to you that I've lived in fear every single day of my life and that maybe I'm just a better actress than anyone ever gave me credit for?" Sharpay asked, "Did you ever stop to ask yourself why I used act that way? Did you ever think that maybe for the first time I'm not in control of my life and I don't know what to do? Or, maybe--…" Sharpay broke off and stopped running.

"Maybe what?" Troy pushed, stopping in front of her.

"I've forgotten how to feel." Sharpay whispered, "Its like when I heard the crash and her dying, I just died with her. I'm numb. We were in Hawaii after the funeral and I dropped a glass and it cut my hand. It should have hurt; I mean there was blood everywhere. I didn't feel anything so I took a piece glass and cut my arms, my legs, my stomach, everywhere but I couldn't feel anything. I need the pain, I need to remember how to feel."

"If you feel anything, feel this." Troy pulled Sharpay into him and did what he had wanted to do since he drove her home that day. He kissed her.

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