A/N: So the story is winding down…but like I said I have an idea for a sequel…and I have some other Troypay ideas so not to worry…you'll still get your fix! Thanks for reviewing!

CHAPTER 15

Dinner was awkward to say the least. Troy kept bringing up singing into every conversation and the rest of the boys at the same time kept trying to change the subject. To make matters worse it turned out to be karaoke night at Moe's and the only word to describe it would be disaster.

Ryan and Sharpay ended up leaving early because Ryan could tell that Sharpay was about two seconds away from either crying or screaming. When they got home Sharpay went straight to her bedroom saying that she was tired and wanted to take a bath before bed. Ryan just nodded feeling too upset with Troy to argue with her.

Feeling to energized to go to bed himself, Ryan headed to the basement where his recording studio was located. To get there he had to pass the music room. Out of habit he was about to breeze right by without looking at them but something made him stop and stare. The doors were open! Only slightly, just a small crack but they were definitely open.

He quietly opened the doors and stepped in to the room. The curtains were open letting the faint glow of moonlight hit the room. Ryan didn't have to time to thoroughly look around because at that moment he heard his sister calling his name. He ran out of the room carefully and quietly shutting the doors behind him. He met Sharpay at the bottom of the stairs in the kitchen.

"You called?" Ryan asked

"I was just wondering if you knew if Mrs. White had gone to the grocery store yet?" She asked

"Umm, I think so." Ryan said

"Oh, ok. I'll just go to the market myself tomorrow." Sharpay said

"Why? What do you need?" Ryan asked curiously

"Just some fresh tea, not the crap in the bags." She smiled, "Oh well. Goodnight."

"Goodnight." Ryan eyed his sister as she retreated back up the stairs. Something was definitely going on here. The only time she ever drank tea was before she was about to sing. First the music room and now this, what was she up to?

Sharpay waited until Ryan went to the basement before she moved. She pulled the ottoman from her comfy "Relaxing" chair into her closet and shut the door. She grabbed her guitar from where she had hid it earlier. Sharpay pulled it on to her lap and began to strum a few chords. She opened her mouth to sing but nothing came out. It was like an invisible force was preventing her from singing and she wanted to so badly but she just couldn't.

Sharpay felt the tears spring to her eyes as she furiously played; finally when her fingers were numb she stopped. She calmly replaced the guitar in the back of her closet. She pulled the ottoman back to the chair and climbed into bed.

School that week was torture. Everywhere she went there was something about the musical or the talent show. People were practicing in the halls, in the cafeteria, outside; or flyers and posters all over the walls. She couldn't escape it.

Sharpay was waiting for Ryan to come out of musical practice one afternoon. Her car was in the shop so she had to wait for him to take her home. She would have had one of her friends do it but they were all either in the musical, at basketball practice or being a dork and studying in the library.

Even after school, everywhere she looked people were singing or dancing, and not all that well. Finally, she'd had enough. She had worn a Juicy Couture tracksuit and tennis shoes today so she took off running. Of course the track would be on the other side of the school so as she ran through the halls she attracted a lot of attention.

She pushed through the marching band that for some reason were standing in the middle of the hallway. After scattering the band Sharpay was facing a roadblock. It seemed like every team that had seniors on it was in the hallway practicing for the talent show. She had no choice but to run through the gym.

She doubled her speed as she ran right past the basketball team ignoring their shouts. Sharpay burst through the doors and leaped over the fence separating her from the track. She hit the ground running and didn't stop. Her hair flew out of its ponytail and was like a blonde flag flying behind her. She was already on her second lap and running out of breath when she saw the basketball team running out to the track.

Jeff Bolton had seen the terrified look on his best friend's daughter face and for the first time in his life basketball practice would have to come second. He sent the team out to get her. She was pretty damn fast and when he saw her just leap over that fence his mouth dropped open. His team would have a tough time catching her so they might get a little bit of a workout at the same time.

"She's like the fucking energizer bunny." Brad said annoyed to Kevin and Chad who were running next to him.

"Seriously, she keeps going and going." Kevin laughed.

"My grandma would say she's running like the devil is after her." Chad said already breathing heavily.

"Because it is." Troy puffed, "Just not the same kind as your grandma's talking about."

Sharpay had already run a mile and had lapped them once when Troy had an idea. "Stop chasing her." He shouted to the team. They stopped and looked questioningly at their captain.

He didn't answer but waited until Sharpay was about to pass them again. Then he grabbed her.

"Let me go." She shouted and struggled. When she broke free she succumbed to the dizziness and stumbled to the grass in the center of the track. She fell the ground and vomited. Troy sat next to her and rubbed her back as she wretched.

Chad ran to grab some water. She sipped it thankfully. By then a crowd has gather around her in addition to the basketball team. Jeff Bolton had seen her fall and come out to bring her inside. Troy and his dad escorted her to the auditorium where rehearsal was still taking place. Chad, Brad and Kevin followed behind.

Mr. Bolton explained what had happened to Mrs. Darbus who ended the rehearsal shortly after that. Chad whispered hurriedly to Gabby, Ryan and Kelsey what happened and pointed to where Sharpay was laying on the floor with Troy sitting next to her.

"Oh shit." Ryan ran over to her, "Shar? Are you OK?"

Sharpay sat up, "Yeah, just tired. I ran a long way."

"All right well rehearsal is over so lets go home." Ryan wrapped his arm around Sharpay's waist and walked her to the car with her head resting on his shoulder.

Troy and the rest of the gang followed behind. Sharpay was sitting at the kitchen table when everyone arrived at the Evan's home just a few minutes later. Ryan was looking through a drawer full of take-out menus. Before anyone could say anything Taylor ran in the kitchen.

"Man, you sure know how to set the school a buzz." She said to Sharpay.

Sharpay smiled, "Really?"

"Sure, first you ran through the school knocking people out of the way and then you run a mile on the track lapping the basketball team and then you pass out." Taylor explained

"Ok, I get it." Sharpay said, "No need to continue."

"Why were you running anyway?" Brad asked

"It just got really annoying." Sharpay said, "Everywhere I looked people were practicing for the musical or the talent show and I just wanted to get away from it."

"Makes sense I guess." Gabby said

"Listen I'm going to take a shower but I'll be back down for dinner." Sharpay left quickly.

"You guys this is great!" Ryan said with a smile.

"OK, walk us through this hun." Kelsey said, "How is this good?"

"Right, sorry." Ryan said, "Last week I found the door to the music room opened."

"So?" Brad asked

"So!" Ryan said indignantly, "I didn't open it, my dad didn't open it. Sharpay did!"

"I'm feeling really dumb. What does it matter if the doors were open?" Brad asked

"You remember when she closed them." Gabby started, "It was this whole ordeal how that doors were never going to be opened again."

Troy jumped in, "It was the beginning of the end. Everything went downhill from there."

"She left and lied and just fell apart." Ryan said, "The fact that she opened that door means everything."

"So do we say anything to her?" Brad asked

"No, I went back to the room the other day and it was locked again so she obviously doesn't want me to know she was in there." Ryan said

"Did she get anything out of there?" Kevin asked

"I don't know." Ryan said, "I thought I heard music from her room that night but it could have been the radio."

"What should we do then?" Brad asked

"Nothing." Chad said, "Just being near people singing and dancing made her sick. What would happen if we tricked her into singing?"

No one said anything out loud. They all knew that a best-case scenario would mean that Sharpay would sing again. But a worst case could be disaster.

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