Chapter Twenty-Four

A/N - So...I'm going to try to give you all a good New Year's by finishing the enitre story today. I'm almost done, working on the last chapter...and a surprise right now. Hopefully I'll finish :)

The next day, Troy and Sharpay walked into East High, his arms around her shoulders with her arms around his waist…but there was something different about them…No one could really pinpoint what was different, there was just something there that hadn't been before.

Sharpay just couldn't keep the smile off her face. Last night had been amazing! And that morning had been even better. She had woken up to an empty floor and, thinking to herself that Troy had left, had taken a shower. But when she got out, she was pleasantly surprise to find Troy standing on her balcony, doors open so that she could see him. She smiled as the memory of that morning came back to her…

She just left the steaming bathroom, bathrobe wrapped tightly around her as she dried her crimping hair with a towel still singing the song she had sung in the shower. She turned when she noticed the doors to her balcony open and smiled when she saw that Troy hadn't left yet…he was standing on her balcony…fully clothed. She walked over to him, wrapping her arms around his waist as he turned to face her as she finished the song.

"Peu, peu…" he murmured as Sharpay's heart stopped. Had he just said what she thought he'd said? She looked up to see him smirking at her. He had said it! He had said bravo in ancient Arabic…the…the language of the pharaohs…

Her eyes widened as his smirk grew, "Bonjour, mi amour," he continued in French.

Sharpay's mouth dropped open. Troy reached across and gently shut it. "Pulchra…" he whispered in Latin before leaning down and capturing her lips in yet another passionate kiss that made Sharpay's head spin.

When Troy pulled away Sharpay had to blink a few times to clear her head. She took a deep shaky breath before looking back up at Troy. "You…do you…" she had to ask him, but her words weren't coming out. She shut her eyes, collecting her thoughts enough to continue. "Do you remember?"

Troy smiled broader this time, nodding slowly to her question. "Everything?" she asked.

"Everything," he confirmed. The next thing he knew Sharpay had launched herself at him, tears in her eyes. Troy held her, shushing her gently as her tears started to subside. "Hey…what's wrong?" he asked.

She shook her head into his chest before pulling back, "I'm just…happy…"

He nodded, wiping the tears from her face. He knew that Sharpay remembered their pasts; she had told him just a few days ago. She had sat him down and explained why she had been acting odd the weeks before. He had to admit, it made a lot of sense to him. It explained why Sharpay had acted weird, it explained all the weird feelings he had been getting, and also helped him realize what his dreams and day dreams had been about. He knew that everything he'd dreamed of had actually happened; it was just a feeling he got. But that helped him realize what they were. Sharpay had even tried to jog his memories by explaining some of the ones he'd dreamed of in detail.

But now…now he remembered everything! Last night had been the turning point for him. He and Sharpay had been so connected that his mind went completely blank…only to be followed by crystal clear memories. He couldn't explain it…it was like he woke up that morning and just knew everything he had forgotten. He'd crept out of the room with Sharpay's notebook to read about her own versions of the memories. It confirmed for him that they truly were meant to be together. He'd come back in to hear the shower going and Sharpay singing beautifully as always.

He was brought back to the present when he heard Sharpay sigh contently in his arms. He smiled, hugging her one more time before she led him down to the back door so he could head home. It was still pretty early and he doubted that his parents would be awake at 6 in the morning, since they usually arose and woke him at 7. He kissed Sharpay goodbye before jogging across her yard and back in the direction of his house…barely able to wait till he saw her in school in only a few hours…

Sharpay sighed happily once more as she and Troy stopped by their lockers, which were next to each other's this year. Sharpay shrugged off Troy's Varsity Jacket that she had been swimming in and handed it to Troy so he could put it in his locker…hers was already filled with clothes. She turned back to her locker, rummaging around in it for something she obviously couldn't find. She turned, mouth opening to ask Troy something only to find Troy holding out a pencil. She smiled softly, taking the pencil, just the thing she had been looking for, and turned back to her locker, placing it in her purse.

Troy smiled as well, facing his locker for a moment before turning back to Sharpay. He was about to say something when Sharpay turned without warning. She gave Troy a small peck on the lips somehow knowing that that was what he was about to ask her for. His smile grew as he turned to face his locker, unaware of some students watching their silent exchange.

Sharpay finished putting her books in her bag, shutting her locker to face Troy…her mouth dropped open in shock. Troy was facing her, locker still partially open, a small golden ring with a pink jewel held delicately between his thumb and index finger…held out to her…

"Troy…" she breathed out, "Wha…"

He smiled when she took the ring from him, still too shocked to form a sentence. "It was my grandfathers," he explained, "He gave it to my grandma, and they gave it to my dad…who gave it to my mom…"

She nodded, "I think I get it," she said softly still gazing at the ring.

"Anyway…" he continued, "It's a promise ring…my dad gave it to me this morning before school. Told me to give it to someone special."

"Me?" she asked, as if she couldn't believe he'd chosen her.

"You," he confirmed.

Sharpay threw herself into Troy's arms, ring clenched firmly in her grip as she hugged him. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!" she exclaimed.

He rocked her side to side in his arms, smiling wider than he had in a while. "I take it you like it?" he asked as she pulled back.

"I love it!" she shouted. She tried to slip it on her finger…but it was a little big and shifted on her finger. She looked up at Troy worry in her eyes.

He laughed, turning to pull something out of his locker before shutting it. In his hand, a thin golden chain hung. He took the ring off her finger and looped the chain through it. He nodded for Sharpay to turn around so he could put it on. She lifted her hair as Troy fastened the lock. She felt his hands slip to her shoulders and she turned to face him, tears of happiness collecting in her eyes.

Troy leaned in and hugged her gently. "I thought that your hands might be too small..."

She smiled into the hug, before pulling back and feigning anger, "Too small?"

He nodded, not fooled for a second. "Too small for the ring…" he said before taking her hand and lacing his fingers with her. "But perfect for me."

Sharpay looked down as Troy did, both of them just admiring how perfectly their hands fit together. Sharpay looked up as Troy did, staring deep into his eyes, "I love you…" she whispered.

Troy leaned in and laid a soft kiss on her lips. "I love you too…" he murmured pulling back. He smiled gently, "Semper…" he added using his new found knowledge of Latin.

"Et à jamais," she finished in French.

They turned and headed down the hall, a content feeling settling over them with their promise to love each 'always and forever'. And true to their word, their love and passion showed through their roles that night at the musical. They went out to dinner with their friends knowing not to party just yet…the cast party was tomorrow…

A/N – So…just to clear up something that might be a little confusing. Sharpay and Troy (because of their memories) know how to speak and understand French, Latin, and ancient Arabic. Peu, is pronounced Peh-ooh, I'm not sure if it's right, but I was watching the Mummy Returns, it's what the Pharaoh says after the battle between Anak-su-namen and Nefertiti. But anyway… what do you think will happen at the cast party? Anything interesting? Well, you'll find out soon enough…the cast party (next chapter) is the second to last chapter there will be…two left…