Chapter Six

Sharpay Evans, the Ice Queen of East High, had never before in her entire life been so nervous to audition for the spring musicale. Never! But there she was sitting in the bathroom stall, taking deep breaths trying to calm the butterflies in her stomach…butterflies? It felt like there were pterodactyls or something flying around in there.

She couldn't believe that Gabriella had gotten her so nervous! Sharpay had managed to reclaim her lead status for the fall play…Troy was a great singer and actor, but Gabriella was too…awkward…She hadn't really been able to get into her character as Minnie, especially during the 'argument' scene with Arnold…she'd been horrible! Sure she could sing…but that was as far as her theatrical abilities went.

Sharpay had been thrilled when she'd gotten the lead in the fall…it gave her hope that maybe she could do the same for the spring musical…but now she wasn't too sure. She'd been in the auditorium, watching the rest of the students trying out during free period. Gabriella and she had managed to convince Taylor to try out as well, and they were to be the last three people going. Ms. Darbus had refused pairs tryouts due to the complications of last year.

Troy and Ryan had managed to convince Chad to try out as well; they had gone as one of the first. Sharpay smiled softly as Troy sang, she had always thought he'd been a great singer…even if she had only heard him sing once in kindergarten during a parent's day presentation. She had absolutely no doubts about his singing talents after last night. That song…that song had been so intense. The way that Troy had been staring at her…her heart sped up as she just thought about it. It was almost like he was looking straight into her, seeing all her feelings and secrets, everything she'd been trying to hide from everyone…she shook her head, she was being ridiculous…

Troy's song was the best of them all, he'd gone first out of everyone…all the boys had gone first, and then it was the girl's turns. It wasn't because the boys were 'better' than the girls, it was just that there were less of them than the girls so Ms. Darbus had arranged for them to go first and get them out of the way. Then the girls went, and finally it was Gabriella's turn. The three girls had drawn straws just before walking into the auditorium. Gabriella drew the shortest; she had to go first, then Taylor, leaving Sharpay to finish it up.

Gabriella had gone up once the girls were done, with encouragement from Taylor and her. She was great…which made Sharpay extremely nervous. She really wanted to finish up her senior year as the lead. She could have cared less about getting the leads in the other plays, but this year…this was her year. But now she wasn't too sure…

As soon as Gabriella had come off the stage and Taylor stood to go on, Sharpay had stood, excusing herself to go 'calm her nerves' while Taylor went. As soon as she was out of the auditorium she bolted straight for the girl's bathroom and locked herself into her stall.

She felt so queasy she actually thought that she might have thrown up. She probably would have had it not been for another random girl that was in the bathroom. She really didn't need any more rumors to be spread about her. She shuddered slightly at the mention of rumors. Last semester, a particularly nasty rumor had gone around just after she broke up with Zeke. People had spread word that Sharpay had…well…lost her virginity to him…

She hadn't! She had been so upset that people had thought that about her! They had called her so many horrible things; even Zeke telling people that they had never done it didn't help. And now she really didn't need people to think that she was bulimic or something…

She sighed in relief as she heard the girl leave the bathroom. She took a few deep breaths before finally exiting her stall, eyes cast downwards with nerves. She always did that when she was nervous, she could never look anyone in the eye when she was scared or nervous…she didn't know why, she just didn't.

She put her pink purse on the ledge of the sink as she ran the cold water. She washed her hands off slightly, really just letting the cold water run through them. She placed both her hands on either side of the sink and stared at the running water for a moment, trying to collect her thoughts.

She closed her eyes, leaning down slightly as she took two more deep breaths. She reopened her eyes and lifted her head to check her hair and makeup…

Her eyes widened in shock as she stared at her reflection…the girl staring back at her wasn't her! It looked like her…but it wasn't…

The woman in the mirror had longer, more wavy hair than Sharpay did at the moment, and had a sort of crown in her hair with a snake on it. Black eye make up surrounded her sky blue eyes, ends of it reaching across her face towards her ears. She looked closer seeing not the light blue top that she had picked that morning, but seeing herself wearing a white bikini top like shirt with golden trim and a golden necklace. She looked past her reflection to see orange-tan bricks behind her with torches sticking out of them.

"Wha…" she started as she turned to look behind her…seeing only the partially open greenish doors of the bathroom stalls…She stared curiously at the stalls…almost as if they shouldn't have been there…like what she saw in the mirror was the real thing.

She looked back in the mirror and her brows knitted in confusion…her reflection…it was back…it was normal.

She squinted her eyes but still she remained the same, straight hair held back half up half down, with her blue top on and sapphire earrings. She shook her head, rubbing her eyes as she looked back in the mirror once more. Still, her normal reflection stared back at her.

She gave the mirror an odd look before grabbing her purse and rushing out of the room. 'Stress,' she thought to herself, 'it's just stress…and nerves…that's all…that's all it is…just stress…'

But even as she thought this, walking into the auditorium just as Taylor finished her audition, she couldn't help but feel like that wasn't true…

Troy was breathing heavily, sweat literally pouring down his face as he bounced the basketball up and down. He faked right, broke left, and took his shot. Swish!

"Troy!" his father shouted as he caught the ball that fell from the hoop.

Troy sighed, before turning to face his father; he could tell from his voice that he'd done something wrong.

"You were supposed to fake left, break right, and shoot! Not the other way around!" He shoved the ball into Troy's stomach, taking a deep breath before continuing, "You learned how to do that last year, it's time for something new!"

"Sorry…dad…" Troy said in between breaths. His dad was working him to the breaking point; he had been nearly all week. His mother had refused to let them practice over winter break so Jack Bolton felt like they had a lot to catch up on.

"Now get your head in the game and do it!" his father shouted, taking his place behind Troy as he turned around.

Troy took one more deep breath before faking left, breaking right, and taking his shot…he missed…he wasn't used to doing that! He'd been faking right, breaking left for a year now!

Jack Bolton angrily grabbed the ball and passed it to his son, "Again!"

Troy caught the ball, turning around once again. He faked left, broke right…but tripped on his feet and fell to the ground…

…he hit the ground hard, the soft grass beneath him the only thing that eased his forceful decent. He looked up just in time to see his foe lift his sword and bring it down. He rolled to his left trying to escape the sword…but he failed. The sword pierced his side as he let out a yell of pain. He looked up when he felt the sword pull out of him. His adversary raised the sword once more, ready to strike again when an arrow flew at his heart and he fell to the ground. He felt someone grab his arm and pull him to his feet…a searing pain coming from his side…

…he let out a strangle cry of pain as he placed his hands against his right side, applying as much pressure as he could to stop the bleeding…but…there was no blood…no wound…

Troy opened his eyes, which he had closed as he fell, to find himself lying curled in a fetal position, hands clamped to his side with his father kneeling next to him.

"Troy!" he called, dropping the basketball as he knelt by his son, "What's wrong?"

He pulled Troy's hands from his side, a confused expression reaching his face as he saw nothing wrong with his son.

Troy groaned, pulling himself out of his fetal position and sitting up slowly. "I…I don't know…" he said, breathing heavily, "I…think it was…a cramp…or something…"

Jack Bolton nodded, helping his son to stand. "You didn't stretch before we started did you?" Troy shook his head no, his father let out a curse, "Troy the whole point of stretching is so that something like this doesn't happen! You could seriously injure yourself!"

"I know…" Troy started, but he was cut off by his father.

"I know that you know, but you don't seem to remember. Sometimes I wonder if all this singing stuff had gotten to you."

"What?" Troy asked.

"Ever since you started this acting stuff, you've been neglecting your practicing, your workouts, the team…I'm starting to reconsider letting you tryout for the plays at all…"

"Dad you can't!" Troy shouted, following his father as he headed for the house.

"You need to get your head in the game!" his father shouted turning to face him, "And that's not going to happen if your head is somewhere else, like on some stage!"

"My head is in the game!" Troy argued.

"You could have fooled me." His father said, he took a deep breath, calming himself, "Look Troy, I know you love this singing thing…but Basketball has to come first. You can get into a college for basketball…not acting. Look at me," he held out his arms; "I wouldn't have gotten anywhere if it wasn't for basketball, that was the only thing that got me into college! If I hadn't concentrated 100 on…"

"I'm not you dad!" Troy shouted in anger. His father had been trying to make him a clone of himself since before Troy could remember, "I can do both."

Jack sighed, "Just go wash up for dinner Troy…"

Troy shook his head at his father, pushing past him and heading up to his room. He hated how, just because it wasn't something that his father wanted to hear, he'd completely stop whatever conversation he was having.

Troy threw open his door, barely flinching as it hit the wall and slammed back shut behind him. He threw himself on his bed and screamed all his frustrations right into his pillow. Without even looking up, he slammed his radio on, listening as the next song started to play. He looked up once he realized what song was playing…it gave him an idea…

A/N – The rumor will actually play a role later on in the story…strains a few friendships even more…but you'll find out about that later…Next Chapter is more Troypay-y. There wasn't really any in this chapter…sorry…but the next one has a bunch.