Author's Note: First off let me apologizzle for the meager chapter! My mum is breathing down my neck to 'get some work done', (other than fanfics) so I'm churning out little sections of the party as fast as I can, as opposed to just two chapters and then moving on! Anywho, please enjoy. Where's Dernier Cri at?! Hope she hasn't been hit by a bus or summat! Suggestions welcome…

Disclaimer: I do not claim to own High School Musical, OR the Googoo Dolls' 'Iris'. But it's one of my fav songs.

SHAMELESS PLUG: All Harry Potter fans check out my Fred and George fic if you like! It's called My Brother and I…

Chapter 8

Songs For Troy

Sharpay

"Hey, hey, hey! It's fun to stay at the YMCA! IT'S FUN TO STAY AT THE YMCA-A!"

Sharpay was caught between crazed laughter and cheering as she bopped along to Troy, Chad, Jason and Zeke's performance. It was a sight as would make Elton John weep with joy.

The party was in full tilt as the clock moved towards midnight. An actual stage had been set up in Chad's living-room, along with a kareoke machine and mic stands. "The Village People" pranced around, looking quite confused as they belted out their one and only hit, Jason wiggling his butt every now and again for attention.

Sharpay turned to make a remark to Ryan but found she was standing next to Ian, a lanky member of the school basketball team. She shook her head and glanced back at her brother, in a corner of the room with Gabriella. She was starting to miss him a lot. But she didn't want to go near him tonight. He had been ogling her ever since he arrived and it was seriously freaking her out, even if she knew he was looking at Gabriella.

The performance was as awkward as it was entertaining, and they all looked a little relieved as it came to an end.

"Thank you, thank you!" Chad grinned his smarmy grin as the now drunken applause swelled. "I'll be here all night, people! All right…" the cheers and random calls of 'We love you, Chad!' subsided. Sharpay rolled her eyes discretely as Troy walked over and wrapped his arms around her waist. "Love you, too. Now…the mic is open, people! Who's gonna rock the house next?"

Suddenly nobody had much to say. Sharpay glanced up at Troy who shook his head fervently.

"I've embarrassed myself enough."

She smiled. "Fine. I'll go alone."

"You will?"

"What's with the tone of surprise?" she teased, sliding out of his grip. "You think I can't function without you?"

He shrugged. "Prove me wrong."

She settled a hand on her hip in a most unGabriella stance. Troy watched at her curiously as she raised a hand.

"I'll sing, Chad!"

Cheers of encouragement now. She cocked her head at her temporary boyfriend and sauntered through the audience, every nerve in her body buzzing from alcohol and excitement.

Sharpay as Gabriella whispered her request in Chad's ear and he nodded, hopping off stage to get the CD.

She glanced at Gabriella who was glaring at her. In fact, she looked just about ready to jump on stage and drag her away by the hair.

"All right," said Sharpay as Gabriella. "Let me just warn you in advance that this isn't really 80s material. But you all know it anyway."

She was not going to let an opportunity like this pass. There was nothing sadder to her than having to sing with Gabbie's voice, but she was going to. Most importantly she was going to sing to Troy. Because it was cheesy and romantic and she had never thought she would get the chance.

"I am dedicating this to a special Wildcat. Please bear in mind I'm a little drunk." They all chuckled, but uncertainly. A drunk Gabriella? Gabriella Montez? Who would've thunk?! "But it's okay because I love you, Troy," she added softly. Sharpay did not even bother looking at her nemesis as the party-goers 'aawed'. It would only kill the mood.

Chad returned and popped in the CD. Soon, the violin cords of Iris rolled over the silence.

She gripped the microphone in both hands and began without thinking about it any more than she had to.

"And I'd give up forever to touch you, cause I know that you feel me somehow. You're the closest to heaven that I'll ever be, and I don't want to go home right now…"

It was as she always thought it would be, looking right at him, no syllable leaving her lips without purpose. And soon he was the only person left in the room.

"And all I can taste is this moment, and all I can breathe is your life. Cause sooner or later it's over, I just don't want to miss you tonight. And I don't want the world to see me…"

She burst out dramatically and was only vaguely aware of the cheers now.

"Cause I don't think that they'd understand! When everything's made to be broken, I just want you to know who I am…"

By the end of the song Sharpay knew she meant what she had said. She loved him, she had loved him, she would love him, whether or not she was with him, and long after the spell had died…

Gabriella

Gabriella tore upstairs blindly. It was not the images that evoked her tears. There was no need to cry at the sight of Troy jumping on stage and kissing her. That would just be stupid.

No. What upset her was the reality. Gabriella would never have had the guts or the audacity to get on stage and sing for him. And she always thought Troy would die of embarrassment if she did something that corny. But everything little thing Sharpay did Troy seemed to love. The truth was he was not kissing her. He was kissing Sharpay. He wanted Sharpay. He just didn't know it.

She found Chad's bedroom, shut the door and flung herself on his bed.

What if he was falling in love all over again? But with Sharpay. Would he be disappointed when they got back in their bodies? If they got back in their bodies?

Or perhaps she was overreacting. The fruit punch she drank was obviously not just punch because she was buzzing all over. She felt giddy and couldn't seem to control her own sobs.

She barely heard Ryan enter the room.

"Shar?" She felt the dip of his weight on the end of the bed. She exhaled hard. Just him there, his voice, calmed her a little. "You okay?" A fresh sob overwhelmed her.

"D-do I look like I'm okay? I don't just cry for the fun of it, you know!" Although it was kind of fun. Or rather relieving. It was nice to be sad and self-pitying for a bit.

"All right, all right," he soothed and moved further up the bed. He rested a hand on her shoulder. "Is it Troyboy?"

"Who else? He doesn't love me," she whined irrationally.

"Sharpay," he said gently. "It took you this long to figure that out?"

She glared at him. "That's not a very helpful response."

"Honesty is always helpful." He rubbed her shoulder a little.

She sighed and flopped back down on Chad's pillow.

"What's so great about him anyway? Seriously."

Gabriella as Sharpay shook her head. "He's just…a great guy."

"I'm a great guy!" he exclaimed suddenly. "You don't see Gabriella fawning over me."

She laughed a little. All this irony was killing her.

"I mean," he continued, "is it really Troy you're after? Or the image?"

She shrugged. "What does it matter? He's just Troy. Why do you like Gabriella? Because she's beautiful?"

He took his hand off her shoulder and she instantly felt colder.

"Because she's beautiful and she doesn't know it. She doesn't use her looks to get her places, or as an excuse to treat people like crap. And she's sweet and warm and…perfect."

Gabriella as Sharpay smiled and turned slowly onto her back.

"No, Ryan," she said wryly. "She's not."

Ryan stared at Chad's wall, covered in basketball posters.

"Well, she's pretty close to me. And I'm sorry that I've been reduced to talking like a lovesick moron, but it is what it is." He scratched his head absently. "No wonder she'll never look at me."

Gabbie sat up hastily. "But she does look at you!"

She might, but she doesn't actually see me. Not with Troy's pearly whites blinding her."

Gabriella was starting to feel confused. Suddenly there were all these things she wanted to say but couldn't, both because she was Sharpay and because she was Gabriella. It was so muddled. And she never felt muddled. Must have been the punch.

"Ryan…" she touched his shoulder hesitantly. "you are closer to perfect than Gabriella could ever be."

"You have to say that. You're my sister."

Gabriella was more than a little relieved when Chad stumbled in with Taylor. She removed her hand from Ryan's shoulder hastily.

"Uh…excusez moi," he said in the most unconvincing French accent she had ever heard. "This is my room. There's a sign on the door."

"Sorry." Ryan stood hastily.

Gabbie rolled her eyes and followed him out of the room. She patted Taylor's shoulder as they walked past each other.

"Stay safe, you guys," she murmured. "Stay safe."

"Um…thanks?" said Taylor, closing the door on them.