AN: Thanks so much for all the reviews so far! It means a lot to me that there is at least some kind of response. =D anyway, really quickly just a few Disclaimers -- I do not own High School Musical in any way. I only stand in possession of the characters that you are not familiar with from the series (such as Riley, Daniel, Peter etc. etc.)[though, haha, you can imagine Kelsi's upset over the fact that "technically" I own her daughter. no mother ever wants to hear that] To move on, I also do not own Drew Seeley or Belinda because...they are real people and slavery is against the law. (but i still LOVE them!)

Anyway, Riley's little song from the last chapter is called, "The Way I Am" by Ingrid Michaelson, it was in no way an original composition, though sometimes...no...all the time...I wish it was. =P *sigh* i wish i could write music as easily as i can write stories.

ah. but enough of the self-pity. ON WITH THE STORY!

"Well, I'm going to head back to my parents house, do you want me to wait around for you?"

She shook her head and motioned him away, "Go ahead Zeke, I'm just going to stick around a little bit."

He nodded, "So I'll pick you up in the morning?"

He approached her and engulfed her in a friendly hug as she sighed and agreed, "Yeah, nine-thirty sharp."

He chuckled, "Big day tomorrow."

Kelsi smiled, "Yes. Yes it is."

Zeke had picked her up from the airport and immediately brought both her and Riley to her parents house. John and Karen Nielsen were excited to see their daughter and grandchild, but right away Kelsi was pulled away by Zeke and brought to the church.

She sighed and checked the clock noting the hour it was as the last member of the church choir, that had offered to sing with her at the wedding, left. It was late, but Kelsi felt very confident that the next day was sure to be amazing. The church was all set for the wedding with flowers and lace everywhere and Troy had promised to make sure no one would come back that evening so that she could practice and set up any equipment she needed. But he didn't know that Kelsi had contacted the minister of the church after he had first propositioned her to sing and requested use of the choir.

She had told him it was a surprise and Pastor Dan had been more than willing to help, as was the choir. They had all successfully shown up after Troy left and it had been a fruitful rehearsal making Kelsi certain that Gabriella and Troy were going to remember this day for the rest of their lives together. She also couldn't help but take some pride in having a part in it. After all, they had always been the couple she wrote in her music.

Looking back at the piano she brought her fingers to the keys and began to play her mind whirring through the familiar tunes of her youth. One in particular stuck out in her mind, one that hadn't been written for Troy and Gabriella, but for someone else. With a sigh she began to sing,

'It's hard to believe
That I couldn't see
You were always there beside me

Thought I was alone
With no one to hold
But you were always right beside me

This feeling's like no other
I want you to know
I've never had someone
That knows me like you do
The way you do

I've never had someone
As good for me as you
No one like you

So lonely before
I finally found
What I've been looking for...

oOo..oOo...oh...'

As the song ended she couldn't help but sigh and shake her head. She continued to play the chords that were imprinted in her mind and thought of when she wrote it and who she wrote it about; the boy with the voice that stole her heart that first day at East High freshman year. It was slightly soothing, being in the empty church at night.

Now that she sat reminiscing about where it all began her life spanned out in front of her eyes and the chord progression changed to a different song; another song that had it's own meaning not because of who it was written for, but who it was written with.

'Everyday
of our lives
Wanna find you there
Wanna hold on tight

Take me hand
Together we
Will celebrate
Oh everyday...'

"Kelsi?"

She jumped nearly a foot off the bench and let out a strained cry of shock, "Oh. Sorry sorry, I didn't mean to startle you."

She turned in a panic remembering that no one was supposed to see her there when she caught sight of Chad Danforth and chuckled nervously, "Hey...Chad. Long time no see."

Her old friend chuckled and nodded, "Yes it has been a long time Small Person. So long in fact that when Troy told me you were here I almost didn't believe him."

She smiled at the nickname and shook her head, "So he told you?"

He laughed again, "Yeah. I am the best man after all." She sighed and turned around, getting to her feet and wringing her hands nervously but Chad didn't let her stay in that discomfort, instead opting to move towards her and engulfing her in a hug, "I've missed you Kels."

She giggled, "I've missed you too. Does anyone else know that I'm here?" Chad quickly shook his head as he set her down.

"No...well...Taylor does, because she's been on crazy Maid of Honor mode so Troy had to tell her, but otherwise no one else. Gabriella came really close to finding out, saying she left her jacket here and was on the brink of coming back for it when I told her I would get it because I had left my basketball here too."

Kelsi raised her brow, "And she bought that?"

Chad shrugged, "She was a little suspicious, but Taylor distracted her. She's really good at that." At this statement Chad adopted a goofy grin and Kelsi's threw him a questioning glance.

"What's with the face?"

He looked up, "What? What face?"

Kelsi laughed, "That face. The one you're making about Tay--oh. Wait a minute...you and Taylor? Really? Again?"

It was common knowledge that Chad and Taylor had broken up at the end of senior year to go their separate ways. They both had dreams of their own and Taylor's was taking her all the way to Yale University, last Kelsi had heard they stayed in contact, but were satisfied with their decision. Taylor went on to find a substantial and crucial part as Congresswoman Georgia Johnson's Aide while Chad got drafted into the NBA like he always dreamed. He was drafted by the Boston Celtics and still was part of the team, as far as Kelsi knew. But now Chad Danforth stood before her, almost blushing at the thought of his ex-girlfriend...or...now-girlfriend.

Chad laughed and rubbed his neck, "Yeah...it was kind of weird really, when Troy told me about being his best man he told me immediately that Taylor was Maid of Honor. So I called her up, asking if we could meet and she agreed. She happened to be in Boston for Congresswoman Johnson and it was off-season for me so it was easy to just go to lunch...and the rest is history. It was like nothing changed and being with her again made me realize...that I missed her. So we're trying to make it work."

Kelsi shook her head, "That's amazing Chad, really, I'm so happy for you."

He smiled a little wider and ran a hand through his afro boyishly, "Yeah. Me too. Anyway, do you need anything? Troy told me to ask."

Kelsi sighed and looked around, "Not really, everything is set up for the wedding tomorrow I just..." Suddenly Kelsi smiled. She had been having trouble with Zeke and the song she had written for the reception. He had been so busy with the cake and the catering that he hadn't had time to learn the song in it's entirety. This was her gift to Troy and Gabriella and she had been fearing that it wouldn't be ready. But now, maybe Taylor and Chad could help.

She ran back to the piano and pulled out the music sheet with a smile and returned to Chad, "Everything is set up for the wedding tomorrow, but for the reception I need your help. This is my wedding present to Troy and Gabriella, their wedding song that I wrote and I wanted to perform it for them, but... Zeke hasn't had time to learn all of it."

Chad took the music and looked at it, "So you need singers?"

Kelsi nodded, "You think you and Taylor could...help?'

Chad sighed and looked up skeptical but Kelsi pouted innocently and he couldn't help but chuckle, "Alright alright Small Person, put the face away. Taylor and I will take care of it." Causing Kelsi to squeal and hug him.

"Thanks Chad. You're the best Best Man ever."

He laughed and nodded, "Thank you, thank you, I try."

And with that Kelsi smiled and pulled him toward the piano, "Do you want to hear it? That way you know how it goes?" And Chad shrugged.

"Sure, it's been a long time since I heard you play. Play it for me."

Excited Kelsi took the music and sat at the piano, letting her fingers set the mood as she told the story.

Sharpay Evans had woken up early to go for a run and was currently bopping along to the music blaring in her ipod while keeping a steady pace. She had found out years ago that running in the morning kept her more relaxed throughout the day so she tried to go everyday in order to clear her mind and run through the day she had planned. This led to her snapping less at the people around her and though it had been hard at first, her body slowly got used to the early hours and it soon became her most treasured habit. Especially now, the novelty of running through her hometown was not lost on her and she found herself reflecting back on all that had changed.

After graduating from University of Albuquerque Sharpay had moved to Los Angeles just like she had always dreamed of doing and used her brother's contacts in the music business to slowly further her own career. At the time, nothing was going to stop her from being everything she dreamed of being.

Hollywood had really taken to Sharpay Evans just like she always knew it would and she had found success in a popular young adult drama called Rumor Mill, as the female lead Ashleigh Cooper. The show circulated around teenage socialites and the scandals they got themselves into, while ending each show with some kind of moral lesson about life, love, and the way rumors could destroy you. It was a very popular and well-rated show that did extremely well in the four years(eight seasons) that it ran but after it's after it's series finale Sharpay found herself type-casted. For a year, she couldn't book any of the jobs she wanted and it was in that moment that she realized how fake her celebrity "friends" really had been. They all seemed to abandon her and were unwilling to lend any kind of hand, and, with her brother gone on tour, she found herself alone.

It was then that she had run into Troy and Gabriella at a Starbucks of all places. Maybe it was the fact that they were a sight for sore eyes, or that she was feeling particularly lonely, but she bonded to them, finding common ground easily and quickly. The three became friends despite everything in high school and Gabriella had said that because they were not in competition anymore they could leave all their history in high school. But, whatever the case was, Sharpay had been indebted to the two of them.

They had helped her through her dry spell and had given her the self-esteem to keep trying, ultimately being there when she did get work. She had been in a few very successful independent films, as an array of characters, and her big break came in the movie "The Lead" As Kristen Willard; a girl fighting for her spot on the broadway stage. After that Sharpay was in the spotlight once again as a triple threat, an actor, dancer AND singer. But, strangely, she continued to cling to Troy and Gabriella, not wanting to lose their friendship and knowing that she couldn't trust those in the business to be true and genuine.

The year of being shunned had humbled Sharpay in a way and going back into show business she found herself to be more aware of life and how stupid she was for thinking it was going to all be "Fabulous!" once she was famous. And she grateful that, because of everything that happened to her and Troy and Gabriella, she was halted on her dangerous path toward being the ultimate diva.

Of course there were still some things that would never change. There were always fellow celebrities who would find something negative to say to or about Sharpay, or paparazzi that would take pictures of her in the wrong context. But she found, with the help of Troy and Gabriella, that taking the high road seemed to burn much harsher and taste much sweeter than responding in kind. If she killed her enemies in kindness, not only did she get better publicity, but her attackers got bad publicity. Why had no one told her that killing someone with kindness could be the most satisfying way of extracting revenge?

Now, not only had she proven her acting chops by being a wide range of characters, no one could say anything bad about Sharpay Evans unless they wanted to come off as a total jerk. At the thought she chuckled because if anyone had told her in high school that she would be the all around American girl-next door, she would have laughed and said that that wasn't the kind of publicity she wanted. But now she thrived on it. And, in spite of a few years ago, when someone had leaked out that in high school Sharpay had been a class A She-Devil, she calmly went on the Tonight Show and explained that she had come a long way from there. This only made her more appealing to the average American house-hold. Of course not everyone would like her, but she was fine with that. Respect got her a lot more jobs than fear did.

It was only recently though that Hollywood had begun to lose it's appeal. She had always been very staright-forward about what she wanted and worked very hard to mold into whatever part she was given; always moving toward a successful career, but it had become tiring. And, despite Troy and Gabriella's presence in her life, constant exposure to people who were just like how she used to be was aggravating. She wanted something new. She didn't know what it was, but she knew she wanted something more than the silver screen and Tinsel Town.

But being in Albuquerque was proving to be helpful. When Gabriella had asked her to be a bridesmaid and said that the wedding was in Albuquerque, she found herself just as thrilled about the location as she was about the actual wedding. Maybe coming home, she would find exactly what she was looking for.

As her mind suddenly came back to the present she became aware of her surroundings, chuckling slightly at seeing East High before her. The center of her universe for much of her adolescent life still stood proud, tall, and amazingly comforting, so much that she immediately walked forward. There was no way she could get into the school through the front. It was a weekend and so the school was probably locked up, but she knew sometimes the gym door was open for the athletes who wanted to get in a weekend workout and she could possibly find a way in from there. She wanted to see the theater.

As she quickly jogged around the back her mood soared as she saw the gym door was wide open and she made her way over, pulling her ipod out of her ear. It was then that she realized there was a sound coming from inside the gym, the familiar bounce of a basketball. Curious she walked toward the door and peeked in feeling her heart somehow stop at the sight of one Zeke Baylor shooting hoops...with absolutely no shirt on.

She had known he was going to be at the wedding, she had even seen and spoken to him in the last week while successfully hiding any feelings that he still stirred within her. But now, looking at him things came rushing back painfully strong, including the fact that she had not been intimate with a man in almost a year and furthermore, she with the men she had been intimate with, none could compare to how Zeke Baylor made her feel.

Zeke and Sharpay had started dating after prom, but they hadn't gone public with their relationship until they got to college. At the time she was never comfortable with admitting out loud how dependent she was on Zeke, but he had understood and had never pushed her to do so. It was just something unspoken, the fact that she loved him and it was enough. He, on the other hand, told her every day how much he loved her, and she would be lying if she said she got tired of it. In fact there were times, when they were intimate, that she would plead he say it again because it always seemed to make every moment sweeter.

But it was at the end of their sophomore year when he got the acceptance letter from the Culinary Institute of America that everything had turned. It was the chance of a lifetime to go and do what he loved to do at one of the most prolific schools in the country and she had been very very proud of him. But the prospect of him leaving was enough to drive a wedge in their relationship. Zeke wanted to stay with her, she knew it. He loved her after all, and quite frankly, she wanted him to stay too, but she couldn't ask him to. Asking him to stay would be the ultimate declaration of love that proved she needed him and at the time...Sharpay Evans needed no one, including Zeke Baylor. So she convinced herself that she was being supportive and told him to go. Or, to be more correct, she pushed him to go and that had finally pushed them over the edge.

"Sharpay can we please stop talking about this?!"

She huffed annoyance at his tone and crossed her arms, "Zeke, we're going to have to talk about it some time because you should go! This is a once in a lifetime chance! I don't understand how you could have any doubts!" At this he turned to her and shook his head.

"What if I don't want to go? What if I want to stay in Albuquerque?"

She scoffed, "Zeke, be reasonable. No one wants to stay in Albuquerque, that's just idiotic."

"Well I do!" He insisted and Sharpay threw her hands up in frustration.

"Well why the hell for? When New York is calling you why the hell would you choose to stay here?!"

She stared him down, knowing in her heart the answer, but putting her acting skills to the test as he met her gaze and walked forward. Her resolve faltered and she took a step back only to have him grab hold of her arms and say in a deathly calm and serious voice, "I want to stay with you."

She couldn't breathe. She felt like she wanted to just take him and show him how much she wanted him to stay too, but she shook herself out of it. She couldn't ask him to stay, she just couldn't. "Well then you're an idiot." She whispered back, "Leave the chivalrous true love crap for the movies Baylor because there is no place for it here in the real world." She pulled away from him and backed up, creating a gaping distance between them before she went on. "You know if I had the chance to leave here I would. If I got the call today to be in New York or LA for a role I would go in a heartbeat. I wouldn't think twice. That's the smart thing to do, so stop being stupid!"

He flinched but none the less turned back to her, "Sharpay, can't you see how much I love you? New York will always be there, but I'm afraid you might not always be. So I want to hold onto you as long as I can. I need you! Can't you see that?"

For a second time in their conversation she felt as if she would throw the whole act away, but even as hard as she tried to say it back she couldn't. Instead she turned back to him, feeling the steel in her own gaze and said, "Well I don't need you. I don't need anyone. You're wasting your time Baylor because only fools fall in love and I am no fool."

She saw his expression falter, "What do you mean by that?"

Painfully she replied, "It means that I don't love you Zeke. I never have, never will. Why do you think I never said it? Because it was never true and you've been wasting your time." She saw the air deflate from his body and felt tears coming to her own eyes as he dropped his gaze to the floor.

"You don't mean that." He whispered and she knew she didn't, but she was too committed to her character and only scoffed in response.

"Yes I do. So there you go. You are free from any bindings to this place. Go to New York and leave me alone." With that Sharpay opened her door motioning for him to leave and, though it took him a while, he finally shuffled out. She slammed the door behind him, wincing at the sound and wondering if she had cracked the door under the sheer force of it, but soon enough she didn't care. Instead she fell to her knees and was wracked with sobs.

AN: WOOT, I've been dying to put this up, the whole Sharpay and Zeke subplot is one of my favorites so hopefully you like it. I was going to continue it, but I've found myself at eight pages and needed to cut it. BUT that does mean I'll probably update soon. WOOT for silver linings! Anyway, please! PLEASE! LEAVE ME REVIEWS!

-penman