Author's Note: I have returned from the void of the writer's block! Sorry it was practically on hiatus. It took me a week just to get this out. Hope my reviewers haven't given up on me! But even if they have, I must persevere!

Anywho! This chappie continues from where Chapter 10 left off, so it's a continuation of the day. Just thought I'd clear that up to help clear potential confusion.

There's a little wink-wink to a GREAT fic, Take Me, Baby, Or Leave Me, in which Ms. Darbus stages a production of RENT in East High. I can't tell you to check it out. She's got enough fooking reviews already!

Chapter 11

Nothing I Wouldn't Do

Sharpay

"What is it you like about Sharpay?"

"I don't know. Why do you ask?"

"Because I wanna know. You seem to have…taken a shine to her lately or something. I'm just trying to figure out what you see in her that I don't."

Sharpay as Gabriella tried not to hold her breath as Troy contemplated. He was sitting by her desk, fiddling pensively with her fingers, oblivious to the buzzing of the class around them.

Troy shrugged after a while and she was tempted to slap him upside his dumb gorgeous head. But then he spoke: "She's just…crazy." He did not look her in the eyes. "Crazy in that good kind of way, you know? She's not afraid to be…a complete bitch. When she's feeling something you know it. She doesn't pretend to be anything other than what she is. And believe it or not," he laughed a little, "she is kind of smart. I think she got ninety percent of the brains between herself and Ryan."

Sharpay's face fell. She was this close to dragging him into a lusty, smothering kiss. Everything he said about her was just so…

But being the dumbass pretty boy he was, he just had to ruin the moment by slagging off her brother. Now Sharpay knew Troy harbored a mild contempt for Ryan. Most of the heterosexual meatheads in East High did. And she could always get past it, because she never actually heard the words coming from him.

But now she was left with no choice but to defend her brother. She had been doing so all her life and she was not about to stop. Not even for Troy.

"What the hell did he ever do to you?" Sharpay went straight for his throat.

Troy's eyes widened. "What?"

"You heard me." She pulled her hand away from his. "What did Ryan do to deserve all your stupid jibes? Does every guy that takes the time to pick up a book instead of a basketball have to be the victim of your over-inflated machismo?"

Troy looked as if he had been slapped. "What? No. Jeez, Gabbie, I didn't think you felt so strongly about this."

"Well, I do!" She ignored his helpless blue puppy eyes.

Troy laughed incredulously. "But it's just Ryan Evans!"

And in a swift dramatic movement, Sharpay as Gabriella was on her feet, glaring down upon him.

"Just Ryan Evans, huh? Just the prissy little ballerina with no worth, huh?" She poked his chest.

"Gabriella, I wasn't trying to upset you." Troy lowered his voice hastily. Chad was glancing at them from where he sat talking to Zeke and Taylor.
"Well, you did!" Sharpay was not so big on discretion. "How can you look into someone's eyes and smile, then backbite when they're gone?" Sharpay was horrified to realize she was getting tearful.

"I don't backbite!"

She scoffed. "Please. You never say any of this stuff to Ryan's face. I bet you save it all for your slumber parties at Chad's house. And then you have the nerve to masquerade as Sharpay's friend."

She suppressed laughter now, through her misty eyes. If Troy knew it was her speaking, Princess of Gossip as well as Ice, he would call her a hypocrite, and rightly so. But as it were she was Gabriella, and so her self-righteous anger was totally justified.

"You must bitch about Sharpay, too," she sniffed. "When she's not around."

There was a sudden change in Troy's expression. "I'd never say anything bad about Sharpay behind her back. I told you she's been a lot cooler the last few weeks. Maybe just with me, I don't know."

She leered. "So what? Now you think she's Saint Sharpay or something?"

"No. I wouldn't want her to be a saint."

She tilted her head. "You mean you like her as a sparkling, soulless bitch?"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa…" he was grinning uncertainly. "Who was the one going on about backbiting?"

Sharpay snorted and shook her head. "Just shut up about, Ryan, okay?"

"I will," he said in a way that would make her forgive him of anything. "I'm sorry." He seized her hand again, and she knew that Troy had never looked at Gabriella this way. Even if he thought she was Gabriella.

And suddenly the moment was restored. But a glimpse of glittery blue distracted her and she turned instinctively. Sharpay was not focusing on herself for once (although she did look rather fetch), but on Ryan; shirt untucked, hair a mess, and…NO HAT?! What had she done to him?!

Troy traced her gaze. "Wow," he murmured. "Ryan's not wearing a hat."

She resisted a wry, "Is that a fact?"

Instead she murmured: "I'll be right back…"

Gabriella attacked first as she approached. "You're throwing a party at m- your house?"

"Yep," she said shortly, looking Ryan up and down. "Ms. Darbus gave me the go-ahead."

Gabriella put a hand on her hip. "I also hear that Marie Alman is going to be at this party?"

"Yeah." She grinned slyly. "She's got a great band going. And a really supportive dad…"

"Great idea, Gabriella," Ryan gushed before the real Gabriella could respond. "You're furthering the Drama Department and you get to have a cool party at the same time. Totally killing two birds with one stone- for lack of a more original analogy. And who knows?" he continued mindlessly. "With enough money we could stage our very own production of RENT!"

Sharpay would have laughed just then as Ryan's babble ceased. She could almost hear him thinking, 'God, could I be any more gay?!" But her focus was on his decimated outfit which was no laughing matter. In all their years of siblinghood Sharpay had never let Ryan out of the house looking anything less than immaculate. If Gabriella was going to start messing with her life, things would get very ugly, very fast…

Gabriella

"We'll talk later," Sharpay as Gabriella said with a decisive glance at Ryan.

"Sure," Gabriella as Sharpay gave a bright fake smile and watched herself flip her hair and walk away. She shuddered. Forget Ryan's appearance! Sharpay was up to something. And she feared that something had everything to do with her mother and Mr. Alman. Hadn't the biatch understood her well enough the first time?

Throughout the homeroom notices Gabriella was sullen. All right. She had to admit it was a pretty good idea. She probably wouldn't have bothered with it herself. But there were no good intentions in Sharpay Evans' plans! She was taking some sick glee in trying to pair off a woman who was perfectly happy already. Gabbie's brain began to work a mile a minute as she tried to dredge up ways to kill this fundraiser. It would be difficult if the Head of the Drama Department was backing it.

The bell rang shrilly and there was an eager rush out of the class. Ryan went on ahead of her and on Gabbie's way out Ms. Darbus called:

"Er…Sharpay?" She paused only briefly before turning. "Yes, Ms. Darbus?"

The wispy blonde professor, draped in a red and gold shawl that day, clasped her hands together and gave Gabriella a bit of a strange look. "Well, as you know, Ms. Evans, Gabriella Montez will be hosting a fundraiser at her house. Now I understand Mrs. Montez is on the PTA, therefore she'll be very supportive, but I don't think it will do any harm for you to lend your assistance, as well. You are reputed for being quite the party planner. Now before you protest, I really think this will be a good opportunity for you and Sharpay to finally-"

"I'll do it."

Ms. Darbus blinked. "You will?"

"Yes," said Gabriella quickly. "I will do it. I will…lend my assistance."

"Ah!" Ms. Darbus trilled, obviously pleased. "Wonderful. You two will get on splendidly, I'm sure."

Gabbie suppressed a wry chuckle. "Yes. Splendidly."

Gabriella managed to avoid Sharpay until the cafeteria. She and Ryan talked over fruit cups while her former clique, Chad, Zeke, Jason, Kelsi and Taylor communed at the 'jock table' below, chatting unknowingly to Sharpay. It suddenly seemed so ridiculous for them to claim that table now that she wasn't sitting at it. Was it possible nothing had really changed in East High, and she just never noticed?

Gabbie laughed as Ryan recounted his botched Biology prac, but it was forced. Their chatter was suddenly a lot less comfortable for her. Gosh darn it, it was just a dream! But she felt she was still trapped in it. Or maybe trapped was not the word…

"Hullo? Sharpay!"

She started with surprise. "What?" she protested. "What are you screaming for?"

He cocked an eyebrow. "Are you even listening to me?"

She nodded. "Sure."

"But you're not looking at me."

"I am!"

"Your staring at my forehead."

"Well…" she went on the defensive, "why not? Can't I listen while admiring your eyebrows at the same time?"

Ryan blinked. "O-kay."

Gabriella nodded indignantly and looked away. She had been staring at his forehead. She had been staring at his forehead because she could not look into his eyes. She could not look into his eyes because every time she did so Gabbie went all soft and warm inside, like a marshmallow over the fire. She had tried and tried throughout the day to look at him squarely, steeling herself, but every time it had the same effect. Damn those blue eyes! Gabbie exhaled vehemently. She needed to get out of this body and away from him, before…

"Sharpay! Hi," Gabbie looked up to see herself in that bright yellow sundress she bought but never wore. "Can we talk now please?" she heard herself ask sweetly. Oh, she so did not sound like that. "In private?"

Gabriella glanced at Ryan, who was staring up at her with thinly veiled adoration. So sweet, she thought before Sharpay grabbed her arm and dragged her into a corner of the cafeteria balcony.

"So!" Sharpay hissed. "I hear Darbus wants you to get involved in my fundraiser."

"You hear correctly," she chimed.

Sharpay grimaced at the tone of her own voice. "Look, Montez, If you are planning to ruin this because of some vendetta-"

"Oh, I wouldn't dream of it!" She smiled understatedly. "I'm just going to make sure Mr. Alman isn't getting frisky with my mum."

Sharpay threw her hands up in the air. "God, what is with you, Gabriella? Do you want your mother to be miserable??

Gabriella gaped. "She is not miserable! She is perfectly happy with the way things are."

Sharpay shook her head. "Boy! For such a smart girl you sure are dumb."

And with that she stomped back down the stairs, leaving a livid Gabriella to return to her table and stare at Ryan's forehead.

Author's Note: Sorry this took so long! Damn writer's block. I know y'all know what ahm talkin' about! Oh, do review. I shall take it as a sign that you love me as much as I do you. And now I'm talking like someone from a Jane Austen novel. I'll stop.

Ciao!