WOW…I posted pretty late last night and this morning there were already 13 reviews…you guys are totally amazing! Let try to get an even 20 this time around…which I think is pretty fair since this is a fairly long chapter!

CHAPTER 8

Sharpay listened to their conversation through the intercom feeling guiltier by the second. She wasn't drunk, not even close. Craig was an only friend of hers from acting school, nothing else. He had brought her a change of clothes and she changed in the car. They had gone out to dinner and then watched movies at his house until it was a good time for her to change back into her slutty clothes "drunkenly" go home. It was a good plan; she just hated hurting her friends and Troy like that. But it was the only way.

She didn't go downstairs at all the next day and no one came up. They were all furious at her and she didn't blame them. Part of her wish she really had gotten drunk last night so at least she would have an excuse for what she did. Nobody understands, and how could they? But you know, if she was honest with herself, she really didn't want anyone to understand. No one knew what had really happened and hopefully they never would because it would destroy them.

Sharpay threw down her journal. She was tired of writing; she needed to run. But how could she get out of the house without letting anyone know she had left. The house might be huge but it was very open so it was pretty hard to get out without someone noticing. Her eyes landed on the window. She threw on her jogging clothes and tied her tennis shoes. She climbed out onto the roof and walked over to the tall tree next to the house. She made her way down the tree slowly and began to run.

She really didn't even know where she was going; she just knew she had to get out of there. Maybe Troy was right; maybe she is a runner. Granted it had never really happened so openly before but for the first time in her life she just wanted to take the easy way out and stop fighting. Because really, where did fighting for what you want leave you? It got your mother killed, that's where it got you. Her life was a mess and she didn't have any idea how to fix it. Part of her knew that this plan was going to blow up in her face and leave her worse off but she couldn't help it, it was all she had left.

Before she really knew where she was going she was standing at the cemetery gates. She stopped running abruptly and made her way inside towards her mother's grave. The headstone had an angel on it, underneath the angel it said, "With a voice of hope; Sarah Elizabeth Evans; Loving wife, mother, sister, daughter and friend."

Sharpay traced the letters of her mother's name with her fingers as she knelt in front of the headstone. "I'm so sorry mama." She whispered as the tears trailed down her cheeks. "I didn't mean to." Then she got angry, "Why did you have to come?" She shouted, "You let me down all the time why did the one time you were going to be there for me did I kill you? I hate you! How could you leave me?" She fell to the ground all her fury pouring out of her in her tears.

She lay that way for a few minutes trying to regain her composure. "This isn't me. I'm not weak, I refuse to become like her. I won't do it." Sharpay stood resolutely and began to walk back to her house trying not to think about what she almost did.

She didn't have to work hard to avoid her brother the rest of the weekend. He was furious at her and while she didn't blame him it still hurt. She spent her time packing up the rest of her clothes and loading up her car. She was going to be leaving for Olson on Saturday after school lets out on Friday. Her dad agreed to let her drive there by herself and then he was going to come and visit her the next weekend while he was in LA on business.

That week at school was pretty lonely. Sharpay's friends were all mad at her still. They talked to her but not much beyond what was necessary. Finally, Wednesday at the lunch table Sharpay had enough, "I'm sorry OK! It was a stupid thing to do; I know that. Can we please stop the shutout?"

"Shar, we aren't trying to shut you out." Gabby explained, "We just don't know what to say."

"Don't say anything." Sharpay said, "I know it was wrong can't we just move past it?"

Gabby answered for them all, "Sure. So when do you leave?"

"Saturday."

"Are you coming to the party on Friday?" Taylor asked

"Umm, I hadn't really planned on it." Sharpay said

"Oh, come on! It will be fun." Kelsey urged

"Well I'm going out to dinner with my dad but yeah sure after that I guess." Sharpay shrugged

The boys remained resolutely silent. Maybe they could see something that the girls couldn't but they knew she wasn't really sorry. Besides they knew Troy liked her and since she was shaking up with that Craig character they weren't ready to forgive.

Friday came quickly. Sharpay and Ryan's dad took them to dinner at The Capital Grill. They didn't stay long because he was leaving on another business trip that night. When they got home Ryan and Sharpay both changed their clothes barely speaking to eachother. Ryan drove them to the party, before he could get out of the car at the party Sharpay stopped him. "Ryan please talk to me."

"What do you want me to say?" Ryan asked

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry I hurt you." Sharpay pleaded

"Its like you think you're the only one who's hurting." Ryan said angrily

"I know you're hurting Ryan but there is so much more that you don't know." She said quietly

"Because you won't tell me!" Ryan exploded

Sharpay jumped at his outburst, "Don't you think I want to?" She shouted back, "You aren't just my twin, you're my best friend. But its hard you know?"

"You've never had a problem talking to me before." Ryan reasoned

"This time its different. I'm just like her."

"Well yeah I know," Ryan started confused, "You look like her and sing like her too."

"No, not that. I mean I am just LIKE her." Sharpay emphasized

A look of comprehension dawned on his face. "When did you find out."

"A week before." Sharpay answered

"Does dad know?" Ryan asked

"Yeah, when I was silent he talked with my doctor and they told him." She said

"Why didn't you tell me?" He asked

"I didn't even want to admit it to myself at first."

"And now?"

"I don't know." Sharpay answered truthfully, "Can you accept that?"

"I guess I have to." Ryan said and turned to hug his sister, "You know I love you right?"

Sharpay sighed in relief, "I love you to."

Inside Ryan and Sharpay quickly located their friends. "Where's Troy?" Ryan asked

"Not here yet." Kevin said

"Actually he just walked in." Gabby said

"Hey guys." Troy said sauntering up to them drink in hand.

They group had been chatting aimlessly for a while when Sharpay looked up and choked on her drink. "Are you OK?" Chad asked slapping her on the back.

"Um, yeah. I'll be right back." Sharpay coughed and ran quickly outside to the deck. "Craig! What are you doing here?"

"Hey Sharpay! This is my boyfriend Dan." Craig pointed to the guy standing next to him.

"Yeah, yeah. Again I ask what are you doing here?" Sharpay hissed

"Its Dan's party." Craig said, "He goes to your school."

"What!" Sharpay shouted turning several heads, "Oh this is not good."

"Why?" Dan asked

"My brother and friends are here." Sharpay said

"And that's bad?" Dan asked

"You remember what I did last weekend. This is the girl." Craig explained

"Oh, that's right. Friend from acting school, needed help confusing people or something." Dan said

"Yeah pretty much." Craig said

"Hey, watch where your spilling." Dan shouted at some kid, "I'll be right back. Nice meeting you Sharpay."

"What am I going to do?" Sharpay mumbled

"Sharpay! There you are." Gabby said walking over with Taylor and Kelsey.

"We looked for you in all of the bathroom lines." Kelsey laughed

"Oh well I umm." Sharpay muttered then stiffened

"So this is where you girls ran off to." Chad said walking over with Brad, Kevin and Ryan in tow with Troy stumbling behind them.

"We were looking for Sharpay." Taylor said.

"And you found me, lets go." Sharpay tried to usher them all inside.

"Who's your friend?" Ryan asked

"Craig Thomas." Craig stuck out his hand, "I saw you the other night."

Ryan didn't take the offered hand, "You got my sister drunk and then had sex with her."

"I what?" Craig turned to look at Sharpay who shrugged, "Can I talk to you for a minute?" He pulled her a few feet away, "What exactly did you do when I dropped you off?"

"I didn't tell them we had sex, I just let them believe what they already thought." Sharpay explained

"Right OK." Craig said

"Can you please just play the role for a little bit longer and I promise one of these day's I'll tell them truth." Sharpay begged

Craig didn't answer but walked back over to where her friends were staring at them, "Yeah look I'm real sorry about that. Things just got out of hand. Your sister's quite the wildfire."

Ryan looked ready to kill him but he would have to get in line. A slightly drunk Troy pushed past him, "I ought to beat your ass for sleeping with my woman."

"Your what?" Ryan asked

"We kissed once Troy. That doesn't make me your woman." Sharpay said annoyed

"Well it sure doesn't give you the right to go and sleep with the first random guy you see." Troy shouted at her

"What was I supposed to do?" She shouted back, "It was just a kiss it didn't mean anything."

"Bull shit." Troy spat, "It sure as hell meant something; you're not that good an actress."

Sharpay was about to respond when Dan walked back over. "ugh, some idiot spilled on my brand new Banana Republic hat." He looked at the people standing around Sharpay and Craig, "Oh you must be Sharpay's friends, I'm Dan, Craig's boyfriend."

"WHAT!" They all shouted.

"Oh, excuse me again. It looks like the appetizers need refilling." Dan hurried off not knowing the bomb he just dropped.

Sharpay laughed, "Funny story." She stopped when Ryan held up his hand.

"Craig Thomas, acting school Craig?" Ryan said, "That's what you meant by 'I can't believe you didn't recognize him', isn't it." He said accusingly

"Yeah umm, about that." Sharpay said when she realized she had been caught, "I wasn't drunk. I just faked it." She wanted to explain more but Troy had had enough.

"I can't believe you." He shouted, "I never would have guess that you were such a manipulative bitch."

Sharpay had wanted to apologize but this was going to far, "Well maybe if you had just left me along and not kissed me I wouldn't have had to do that."

"I thought it was just a kiss that didn't mean anything." Chad asked

"It was but--…" Sharpay started

"You got scared, AGAIN and did something stupid AGAIN." Troy yelled.

"Stop yelling at me! I'm not five years old." Sharpay said loudly

"I can't believe I ever had feelings for someone so selfish and self-absorbed." Troy said and walked away leaving Sharpay reeling.

Chad, Kevin and Brad followed sending her dirty looks. Ryan was looking down at the ground as Taylor, Kelsey and Gabby went to follow the boys.

"You guys please. I'm sorry. I just didn't know what to do!" Sharpay begged

Gabby shook her head, "Troy doesn't deserve this and you don't either for that matter. Let the guilt go, stop lying, just be yourself. Let someone help you. Be safe at Olson. Use the time to heal OK?" Gabby didn't have it in her to just leave Sharpay standing there looking so lost she pulled her into a hug, "Just give everyone some time. We aren't going to abandon you."

Gabby left leaving Ryan and Sharpay alone. Before Sharpay could say anything Ryan spoke, "Even I never thought you would be capable of something like this."

"Take me home." Sharpay said

When the twins got home they went their separate ways, "Don't forget to say bye before you leave tomorrow morning." Ryan said

"I promise. Good night." Sharpay responded

She laid in bed that night tossing and turning. Finally she threw off the covers and walked the half mile to Troy's house. His parents were out of town that weekend too. She opened the door and walked up to his bedroom. She kicked open his bedroom door scaring the four boys in there half to death. "I need to talk to you, alone. Now."

Troy sighed, "Fine. I'll talk to you guys tomorrow." He said to the guys who got up and left the house without another word. When he was sure they had left the house he spoke, "What do you want? Don't you think you've done enough damage?"

"I never wanted to feel this way." She said, "I just wanted to be left alone. But you just kept showing up and these feelings that I've never felt before kept coming up and yeah I was scared. I didn't know what to do."

She looked like a lost little girl, in her pajama pants and tank top. Troy was still pretty drunk and he damned the consequences as he pulled her towards him and kissed her. They kissed against the closed door for what felt like hours before they moved to the bed.

For a long time after, neither of them spoke, just laid there wrapped in each other's arms. But after a while Troy spoke, "Can you stay?"

"Tonight?" She asked unsure what he meant.

"Yeah." Troy answered

"Sure." Sharpay answered

"Good." He pulled her closer, "After we left the party we all decided that we are going to caravan with you to Olson and help you unload and get settled."

"That's nice." She said

"So when we wake up, we'll go back to your house and the gang will meet us there and then we can go." Troy sighed contentedly, "It will be nice to show my girlfriend off to LA. What won't be nice is going the whole summer without seeing you."

"Yeah." Sharpay agreed distractedly, her mind was still stuck on the word 'girlfriend'. This was so not good. She never wanted this to happen. She just planned on coming over and apologizing to him and explaining to him why they could never be together. Instead the second he kissed her all coherent thought went out the window. She waited until his breathing evened out and she slipped out of bed.

She found her scattered clothes and hastily put them on, trying not to wake Troy up. Sharpay grabbed a piece of paper off Troy desk and quickly scribbled him a note and left it on the pillow next to his head. She left the house in a hurry and ran back to her own. She jumped in bed and tried to fall asleep. She did manage to get a couple hours of sleep but still woke up at 6am. Sharpay rushed to shower and get ready still trying not to wake up Ryan who was only a few doors down. She had scanned through his texts last night on his cell phone and saw one he had responded to with the subject Sharpay. It was from Chad, it said the whole gang was coming over at 9 to surprise her and caravan with her to Olson. Ryan had responded that it sounded like a great idea and since she was going to wake him up to say good bye before she left he would be able to stall her if she was ready to leave and the gang wasn't there yet.

Sharpay glanced at her watch and jumped, it was already 8:30am. She ran around her bedroom looking to see if she had forgotten anything. She did a quick scan of the kitchen and grabbed a couple bottles of water and soda for the cooler. She would stop and get some snacks a little bit later. At 8:45 she jumped in her car and sped away. She stopped at a gas station a few miles away, luckily her car was small enough to be mostly hidden from view because just as she put the car in park a very familiar caravan of cars turned down the road that would lead them to her house. She finished filling the tank quickly and sped off.

She turned the volume up loud as the songs from her I pod played clearly thought the speakers in her car. Sharpay glanced down at her cell phone as it began to ring.

'Troy ' it said on the caller id.

She ignored it and kept her eyes on the road.

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