Author's Note: Finally the new love interest shall appear! Please review. You guys been quiet lately! Oh, and there's a Borat reference in here. Pretty obvious when you see it but I'm in a silly mood so whateva!

Disclaimer: If I owned High School Musical I wouldn't be here writing this, would I? I'd be rubbing shoulders with young, hot Hollywood, acting like I deserve an Oscar and taking advantage of a drunk Zac Efron. Hee hee hee…kidding! Hee hee hee…sort of

Oh, and I didn't write "Pour Some Suga On Me" either. That's Def Leppard! Hot sleazy track that one…

Chapter 9

Michael and Lola

Sharpay

After a few more cups of suspicious punch, Sharpay's romantic mood had died.

She was now belting out Living On A Prayer with Ian (dressed as Freddy Mercury unfortunately) while Troy watched her from the other side of the room. Chad had disappeared. Probably off to make sexy time with Taylor.

The music faded, and the Janet Jacksons, Eddie Murphys and Madonnas roared in drunken encouragement.

"All right, people." Sharpay's voice was unnecessarily loud considering she had a microphone but she could no longer control the pitch of it. This level of intoxication was not a norm for her, but she was safely hidden behind her Gabbie mask, so it didn't really matter. "Who's up for Thriller?"

The cheers soon turned to boos when Troy quickly swept her off the stage.

She hooked her arms around his neck as he carried her into the dining area across the hall, the only room not packed with people.

It was modern/rustic, like the rest of the house, with a rectangular glass table, wrought-iron chairs and hardwood floors.

"Oh, come on, Troy!" she said as he set her down on a perch under the window. "They love me in there!"

"Of course, they do," he said, reaching behind her to open the large square glass. "But I think you need some fresh air now."

She shook her head fervently. "Nope. I don't need fresh air. I don't need to breathe or anything because I'm perfect! Perfect Gabriella. Accessories sold separately."

She drew his face to hers and pecked him on the lips.

He grinned uncertainly. "You okay, Gabs? You seem…different lately. Or is it just that you're drunk?"

Sharpay tilted her head. "I'm not drunk enough! Oh!" She gasped and pointed at the doorway which Ryan and Gabriella were walking past. "Look it, Troy! It's Sharpay. My gorgeous best friend, Sharpay."

She hopped off the perch and ran out of the dining room. He tried to follow her but was intercepted on the way out by Mimi Rogers in a ghastly pink cardigan and curly hair.

"Shar," she said sweetly, grabbing hold of her own body and turning herself around. "Where're you going?"

She could see Gabriella's annoyance emanating from her eyes.

"Ryan and I are going home. Are you drunk?" she added.

"Are you?"

Gabriella took a step forward and hissed in her ear: "Sharpay! What did I say about you making a fool out of me?"

"You said…" she whispered back, "you were going to make sure I didn't. And you fai-led! Ha ha…"

Gabriella groaned and marched over to Ryan.

"Gabriella's had too much punch," she muttered.

"I can hear you!" she sang. "Don't think I can't!"

Gabbie glanced back. "I better stay here. Look after her."

Ryan's eyes widened. "Look after her?"

She nodded. "Ms. Darbus is always going on about us being friends and whatnot. I figure I should make the effort."

He still looked unconvinced. "Well, do you want me to stay and…and help? I could help. I could help her."

"Nope. It'll be fine."

He nodded slowly. "'Kay. Have a good night. Love you." He pecked Gabriella as Sharpay's cheek.

"Love you, too, Ry!" Sharpay called as he left and giggled at his expression.

Gabriella proceeded to shake her fervently, telling her to pull it together before she doused her with ice water.

But Sharpay was barely listening. Her body was swaying helplessly to the new track, the familiar bass of Def Leppard.

"Step inside, walk this way. You and me, babe, hey, hey!"

Gabriella stopped her as she headed for the living room.

"Don't even think about, Sharpay."

She grinned. "Gabriella, you can watch or come with me, but you sure as hell aren't going to stop me!"

Gabbie saw in her eyes that nothing could be more true and so she merely groaned and allowed Sharpay to drag her along.

Of all the crazy things the East High students had expected from Chad's party, none had foreseen this. It had to be the late hour, or the magic fruit punch. But there was no way Gabriella Montez and Sharpay Evans were getting down to Pour Some Suga On Me, a song most popular among the strip club crowd. It simply couldn't be. And yet it was. They even seemed to be…having fun?

"Pour some suga on meeeee!" Sharpay hollered. She grabbed Gabbie's hands and moved her arms about encouragingly, as one would a baby that is enjoying a piece of music but doesn't quite know what to do except bop up and down.

Sharpay laughed at the horrified expression being displayed on her own face. People were crowding, cheering, guys and girls practicing that poor excuse for a dance they called "bump and grind."

"Love is like a bomb, baby, c'mon get it on," Sharpay continued with the track, prowling around Gabriella. "Livin' like a lover with a radar phone! Lookin' like a tramp, like a video vamp Demolition woman, can I be your man?"

Troy, Chad and Taylor stood in the doorway, come to see what the new commotion was and just as shocked as everyone else.

"Don't act like you don't know the words, Gabriella!" No one but Gabbie heard the challenge and reluctantly she began to sing along.

"Razzle 'n' a dazzle 'n' a flash a little light, television lover, baby, go all night. Sometime, anytime, sugar me sweet, little miss ah innocent sugar me, yeah!" Gabriella began to laugh, and Sharpay did, too, forgetting for a minute who she was laughing with.

"HEY! C'mon, take a bottle, shake it up! Break the bubble, break it up!" As if in some R-Rated musical, everyone seemed to know the words now.

Gabriella as Sharpay spun on her heel and did some weird wiggle. Even through her drunkenness Sharpay had to suppress a grimace. At least she was trying.

"POUR SOME SUGA ON ME! Ooh, in the name of love…"

As she grabbed Gabbie's hand and spun her, Sharpay thought this was truly bizarre. One might look at them and think they were actually friends, or something just as laughable.

"POUR SOME SUGA ON ME! C'mon fire me up. POUR SOME SUGA ON ME! Oh, I can't get en-"

Abruptly the music was cut. But Sharpay was still going.

"I'm hot, sticky sweet! From my head to my feet, yeah!"

She was far too tipsy to notice that everyone had gone quiet, that some were sidling quickly out of the house, that Gabriella in her body was tapping her shoulder insistently, and that there was a rather imposing man standing right behind her.

Gabriella

Gabriella watched in quiet frustration as the Sharpay in her body swayed about, totally oblivious to the guy that had just appeared on stage, holding the unplugged stereo system's cord.

"Pour some suga on m- what? What's the problem?" Sharpay turned abruptly and started. "Oh." She grinned. "Hey."

The man shook his head grimly and grabbed a microphone.

"Anybody who doesn't live here, or want me to call their parents, should leave." The tone of his voice was level, gravelly, full of grown-up authority. Gabriella had seen Chad's dad at basketball games and this definitely was not him. But he had that you-are-in-so-much-trouble look about him all the same. "Now would be good."

They did not need telling twice. All at once the underage drinkers surged out of the house, pushing Chad and Troy out of sight. Gabbie and Sharpay were moving off stage when he called over the murmurs:

"You, stay." They weren't sure exactly who he was talking to or why so they both stopped.

"Do you know him?" Sharpay hissed.

Gabriella shook her head. "Do you?"

She shrugged. "Looks like somebody my dad would play golf with but no."

He was very tall, probably six foot something, his hair cut short and gray, his eyes round and bright blue, set in a slightly drooping face. He reminded Gabriella of a bull dog puppy her cousin had once owned.

As the house emptied, Chad reappeared, looking perfectly guilty and conspicuous in his headdress.

"Hey, Mr. Alman," he said uneasily.

The Mr. Alman guy folded his arms across his chest, apparently not in such a friendly mood.

"Where exactly are your parents, Chad?" he inquired in his smoker's voice. "I know they can't be here, unless they're tied up in the basement, because there is no way in hell they would be okay with this."

Gabriella could almost see the lie forming in his mind. "They uh…they went to Mexico."

"Mexico, huh?"

"No-o!" Sharpay exclaimed before Gabriella could stop her. "They're not in Mexico, silly!" They're at Lava Springs. My- well, her parents' resort." She jerked a thumb back at Gabriella.

Mr. Alman simply glanced at her before turning on Sharpay. "You're Lola Montez's daughter, aren't you?"

"Hm?" Gabriella prodded Sharpay in the back. "Oh…yeah. Right. I am. How do you know my mum? And are you Chad's uncle or something?"

"I'm on the PTA with her. I'm Chad's neighbour. And you're drunk."

"Yep."

"And does your mother know you're here?"

Gabriella refrained from stepping in. Of course, Mrs. Montez didn't know. From what Sharpay had told her, she was supposed to be spending the night at Kelsi's, and Kelsi was at home with the phone in her lap, ready to pass the lie on to Mrs. Montez.

She immediately felt guilty, though it wasn't even her fault in the first place. What was it to Mr. Alman anyway? It wasn't like he was her dad or anything.

"All right," he sighed. "I'm taking you home. You," he pointed at Chad, "are going to stay here and clean up."

He began to usher Sharpay away and Gabriella piped up hastily:

"Wait! What about me? I-I'm Gabriella's best friend. I need a ride home, too."

Chad was looking at her like she was insane, but said nothing as he grumpily picked up cups and empty chip packets on his own. Gabriella had no idea why, but something in her gut was telling her not to leave Sharpay and this Mr. Alman person alone with her mother for longer than she had to.

And so they made the silent journey home, Gabbie and Sharpay glaring at each other haughtily in the back seat.

"Madonna," said Sharpay when they reached the house. "That is so passé."

"Shut up."

They pulled up into the driveway and the girls reluctantly clambered out of the car. They followed Mr. Alman up to the house. All the lights were out and Gabriella dreaded to think what her mother would do when she found out where her body had really been.

It took five minutes of knocking before Ms. Montez finally came down in her blue nightgown, looking very surprised to see them. Gabriella's heart swelled as she peeked at her from behind Alman's broad back. She was really starting to miss her.

"Is this your Madonna impersonator?" He sounded a lot less stern now.

Mrs. Montez's smile instantly faded when she spotted Sharpay, who she assumed, of course, was Gabriella.

"Gabbie? What on Earth are you doing dressed like that?"

Mr. Alman stepped aside for Sharpay.

"I uh…I was kind of at a costume party."

Mrs. Montez shifted her weight onto her other leg, a typical sign of motherly pissed-offness.

"Really? And at one point did you decide to go to this party? While you were at Kelsi's house? Or did you not even go over there?"

"I didn't go," she mumbled.

Gabriella had never seen her mother so furious, and this was obviously just her suppressed anger considering the present company.

"In that case you lied to me. And in that case you are in a lot of trouble, Gabriella Montez."

Both girls grimaced.

Mrs. Montez exhaled and shook her head. She turned her focus up to Mr. Alman and almost immediately the expression softened. "Well…thank you, Michael. For bringing her back."

Sharpay and Gabbie turned to each other. "Michael?" they mouthed incredulously.

"Would you um…like to come in? For a minute."

Gabriella's eyes bulged. "No!" All three turned to stare at her. "I mean…I-I've got to get home. My parents are waiting."

Michael Alman gave a small, wry smile. "I'm sure they can wait another five minutes."

Her mouth dropped open. Who the hell did he think he was?

Her mother and Michael Alman moved up the hallway together. Gabriella made to follow but Sharpay grabbed her hand and dragged her to the foot of the stairs. They were standing, standing and talking. Talking in low voices. Was it the punch playing tricks on her or did Mrs. Montez look a little flushed? It had to be the punch.

Gabbie felt Sharpay nudge her in the side but it took a few tries before she finally paid attention.

"What?" Gabbie scowled. "Don't give me that look."

Sharpay grinned. "What look?"

"That conspiracy look. Like something's going on here. Nothing's going on here."

She shrugged. "If you say so."

"Yeah, I do say so!"

"All right, all right! Chillax already.

My mother doesn't date. Mums don't date."

"Okay. "

"Okay?"

"Okay."

There was a moment of silence as they watched the pair.

"But if she did, he'd be a pretty good candidate."

"Sharpay!"

"All right, Sharpay." Mr. Alman was strolling towards her. His puppy dog face looked borderline jovial now. "It's way past late. Let's get you home."

Gabriella nodded silently, warily as they began to leave.

Mrs. Montez watched them from the doorway. Gabriella hopped into the backseat again and glared at Michael Alman as he waved goodbye to her mother.

"Goodnight, Micheal."

"Goodnight, Lola."

Gabriella bit her lip hard to suppress a scream. LOLA?!

Author's Note: So there's the love interest! Hope everybody likes him coz he'll be a fairly significant character from now on! Suggestions welcome, reviews appreciated…