Chapter 8: Driving Me Pupule
A/N: I'm trying some new writing styles out so you might sense a change in mood for this chapter. I've been changing my style for almost every chapter; just trying to find the best way. Suggestions and comments are greatly appreciated. But please, give me something more than 'I love it!' It's great that you're reviewing but personalize it a little. What did you love? Was there something you didn't like? I'm probably not alone when I think that writers like actual feedback. It helps us to make the story better overall. Thanks for hearing me out.
With a wave of her hand, Sharpay disappeared around a corner while clinging to Troy's arm tightly. Troy led who he thought was Maddie up the stairs to his not-so-secret spot so that they could be alone together. What had been whispered in the cafeteria had soon escalated into sweet kisses and coy smiles. Gabriella and the real Maddie watched in shock and horror as Sharpay walked off with Troy.
"That backstabbing witch! I can't believe that she would do that to her own sister!" Gabriella turned to march after Sharpay and Troy and to yell at the two of them for being complete idiots. Sharpay for being so thoughtless and Troy for having no thoughts at all in his head. Maddie stopped the fuming brunette with a hand to the collar of her shirt, effectively stopping her like a leash would for a dog.
"Wait Gabriella. If Sharpay wants to be Maddie for a while that's fine. That just means I get to be Sharpay for now." She rubbed her hands together evilly as a plan began to formulate in her head. The gears in Gabriella's head began to turn as she quickly caught on to what Maddie was planning.
"Two can play at this game." Maddie said to no one in particular as she flipped her hair over her shoulder and turned to head to class.
Meanwhile at Troy's secret spot
Sharpay and Troy spent the rest of their lunch period talking about anything and everything. Sharpay realized that Troy was actually more than just a basketball jock with good looks. He was a real person with real feelings and a love of music that rivaled her own. It soon dawned on Sharpay that she didn't even have to act when she was around him; conversation with him was surprisingly easy and enjoyable. She soon forgot that she was pretending to be Maddie and actually held a real talk with someone just for the sake of talking to someone.
"Maddie, you are probably the first girl that I can just talk to. Gabriella could never hold a conversation with me very well; she was always shy and soft spoken. But with you, I can be myself." Troy held her hand in his and looked her in the eyes. A chill ran down Sharpay's spine at the intensity of his gaze. Words escaped her consciousness as she gazed back at Troy with the same intensity. All of the sudden those playful pecks they had shared in the cafeteria were meaningless as Troy's lips moved down to capture her own. Her breath caught in her throat at the tenderness in the kiss and the emotion poured out of her. She returned the kiss with the same tenderness that he had used to initiate the kiss. Without a care in the world the pair continued to lose themselves in the emotion. The kiss was long but not hungry or needy. There were no moans or deep exhalations that normally accompany a more passionate kiss though.
'Oh my gosh what have I done?' Sharpay thought in her head as they broke from the kiss for air. Troy offered her a smile which she kindly returned. He didn't push for another kiss; that one was enough for now.
'I just ruined my chances of ever having him for real. Damn it! Just because I got greedy and couldn't wait for him. I had to go and pretend to be my sister and then fall for him. Shit!' She cursed in her head as Troy gave her a questioning look.
"Umm…Troy?" She asked quietly to get his attention. Her eyes had drifted to their entwined hands as she debated in her head about what to say next.
"What is it?" He cupped her chin in his hand and brought her eyes back up to his. Trying desperately to look anywhere but at him; her eyes darted around as she tried to think of something to say. Giving up, she shook her head and smiled at him.
"Nothing." She gave him one final peck just before the bell rang signaling the end of lunch.
Later that evening, Evans' residence
Dinner at home was tense as Sharpay sat at the table trying to avoid Maddie and her inevitable questioning. Maddie sat across the table with a firm stare set on the top of Sharpay's head. Ryan sat confused in the corner as the two girls had a telepathic fight. Feeling the high tension at the table, their parents wisely decided to step out of the room to let the siblings work out the problem themselves.
"How could you!" Maddie suddenly burst out angrily causing Ryan to jump out of his seat and for Sharpay to drop her fork on the floor. She cringed as Maddie continued to stare her down trying to crack into her psyche.
"I'm sorry. I don't know what came over me. I just saw an opportunity and I took it, not even thinking about whose feelings I would be hurting." Surprise appeared on Maddie and Ryan's faces as Sharpay apologized. She looked up to meet Maddie's surprised face and showed real regret and remorse on her own face.
"Shar, you're apologizing. What happened?" Ryan spoke up from his seat.
"I think I grew a conscience. I think I fell in love with him too. The real kind of love." Sharpay played with her mashed potatoes as the anger slowly melted off of Maddie's features.
"You still lied to me. You lied to him too. He thought you were me while I was you." Confused at her own ramblings, Maddie stopped speaking and looked back at her plate.
"I know. I feel absolutely terrible about it too. I think I'm going to come clean to him tomorrow and hope for the best. I really am sorry Maddie." Sharpay said as she crossed the room and gave her sister a hug. Feeling left out, Ryan got up and scooped his sisters up into a hug and held them close.
"Ryan put us down you idiot." Sharpay laughed as a tear leaked out of the corner of her eye.
"It's just so beautiful the way you two get along. I felt left out." Rolling their eyes at the same time, Sharpay and Maddie turned and gave their big brother a hug as well.
"I told you it would work out." Their father whispered to their mother as they watched the scene unfold from the hallway.
School the next day
Gathering her courage up to face down Troy, Sharpay quickly made her way over to him to get it over with. Maddie and Ryan followed behind her discreetly to make sure that she wasn't pretending.
"Troy we have to talk." Sharpay stated as she pulled him away from his friends to a corner of the hallway.
"What is it Sharpay? Where's Maddie; I thought you were her for a second." Troy questioned her and tilted his head to the side.
"That's what we have to talk about. Yesterday, at your secret spot. That was me pretending to be Maddie. Well I was pretending for about a minute. Then I got to know you and I feel terrible about what I did because now I know I'll never have a chance with you." With everything finally off of her chest, the emotions suddenly broke free and a tear rolled down her cheek.
"I should be mad at you right now." Troy held a finger up to wipe the tear away.
"But I'm not. I'm just really disappointed in you Sharpay. And I'm glad that you came clean about what you did." He offered her a half smile as she looked up at him with hope in her eyes.
"I don't know what to believe anymore Sharpay. You're nice, then you're not nice. Which one is the real you? When will I find out?" Troy shook his head and dropped his hand from where it had rested on her cheek.
"I need to think about some things." With that he turned and rejoined his friends, though he did not participate in the conversation.
"That was probably the bravest thing I have ever seen." Maddie appeared from around the corner and hugged her sister tight.
"Yeah, I think I actually ruined it for both of us now though. He won't be able to trust either of us for a while." Sharpay and Maddie stood together and watched as Troy walked down the hall with his friends, glancing back once at the identical girls.
'They're both great girls. Damn why do I have to pick one!" Troy thought as he offered a small wave before he was out of sight.
A/N: The title of the chapter is taken from a song by a local group called Three Plus. Pupule is Hawaiian for crazy if you haven't guessed by now. It's mostly used to describe a person along the same lines as calling someone mental, insane, retarded, etc. There was enough teeth rotting sweetness in this chapter to tide you over until the next chapter goes up which at the moment is unforseeable. Peace out.