AUTHOR'S NOTE: Finally, the third installment of my Kelpay trilogy! I never knew these two would draw such an amazing following and feedback, and I hope this story doesn't disappoint! It's a oneshot, a little on the lengthy side, that takes place after graduation when the two run into a little bit of trouble. I highly recommend reading the two prequels first: "Break the Mold" and "Cliche" in order to make this story more enjoyable. Please review as you feel compelled, the feedback means the world to me!
DISCLAIMER: Sadly, I own nothing pertaining to any of the High School Musical movies or music. I envy Kenny Ortega! :-p
It had been 56 days since Kelsi and Sharpay broke up, and today was the first day that Kelsi didn't feel like dying. Completely, anyway.
The petite brunette rolled out of bed, her hair a tousled mess that framed her face and hung in her eyes, and marked yet another passing day on the calendar. Only 2 more unchecked spots remained before August 24th where "Julliard Orientation" was scrawled in her calendar. She sighed and ran her fingers through her hair. Julliard, after all, was the root of the whole breakup.
After their official and ultimate coming out at graduation, Kelsi had envisioned a perfect, chick-flick-esque summer. Everything with Sharpay -- the way they got together, the way they fell in love, the way they showed everyone they were in love -- felt movie-worthy to Kelsi. Like all movies, there was a central conflict, but that revolved around being closeted and having to keep their relationship secret, so Kelsi was convinced that now that everyone knew, things would feel near-perfect. But even though the two were able to overcome one of the hardest obstacles that a young couple could face, sure enough another conflict arose that even in all their bravery, they couldn't rise above.
Kelsi thought back to the day they spent together almost two full months earlier, just before everything began to unravel. Ironically, the day couldn't have been more perfect. Kelsi took advantage of the fact that Mr. and Mrs. Evans were already at Lava Springs, and with the help of Ryan, arrived early and surprised Sharpay with breakfast in bed. The two cuddled under the sheets, sharing sticky syrup kisses and bathing in the warmth of the morning summer sun as it streamed through the window.
As Sharpay got ready, Kelsi sat at the piano, improvising chords and melody lines as the singer vocalized, a private creative tradition they had developed between the two of them that never got old. Some of Kelsi's favorite compositions as of late spawned from their impromptu duets and it brought the two closer and improved their artistry.
In the afternoon, the two met up with Troy and Gabriella for a coffee and movie date. Gabriella had mentioned the idea to Kelsi, who reluctantly agreed to mention it to Sharpay, knowing that there was still potentially some bad blood between her diva and the all-star couple, but things couldn't have gone better. A third-party bystander would have likely thought that the 4 had been the closest of friends for years, their history simply not mattering as they talked over mochas and took in an afternoon movie. Part of what made things so special was that it was the girls' first public date being completely out with no one left to hide from. While ordinarily they would have envied Troy and Gabriella for being able to show subtle displays of affection, the composer and her singer felt empowered as they held hands as well as took turns putting their arm around one another in the movie theater.
Settling down for the night, the couple joined Ryan back at the house as they ordered a pizza, and for once, Sharpay actually ate it, without even trying to opt for a salad instead. They all delighted in new episodes of their collective favorite shows (that they could actually watch with Mr. and Mrs. Evans away), LOGO's The Click List: Best in Short Film and The Big Gay Sketch Show, and Sharpay and Kelsi got ample entertainment in hearing Ryan assure them that every attractive gay guy that appeared on the screen was his future husband. When the couple proclaimed they were going upstairs, Ryan informed them, with a campy wink, that he would be sleeping on the couch that night and not across the hall from Sharpay as he usually did.
As amazing as the day was as a whole, Kelsi's mind particularly kept returning to that night; the last time she and Sharpay were intimate:
Kelsi was teetering dangerously on the bridge between sleep and consciousness as she breathed in the pleasant aromas of Sharpay's bedroom and everything it encompassed.
When Sharpay lightly grazed her fingernails along Kelsi's bare stomach from behind, the little spoon's bright blue eyes opened abruptly, piercing the darkness. There was unbelievable sexuality in her touch, and no words had to be exchanged for Kelsi to detect the path that her girlfriend's hands would soon embark on.
As well as she thought she knew Sharpay, however, this time things seemed different. The blonde seized her lover in a delicate urgency, climbing on top of her and mixing both primal and sensitive instincts into a sudden collision of lips with lips and hands with hair.
"Fuck," Kelsi unexpectedly whimpered, her center aching as Sharpay's deft fingers massaged it effectively and then made their way downward and formed teasing circles around her entrance.
Sharpay's eyes penetrated Kelsi as her middle finger followed suit, slowly sliding deeply into her eager wetness. It was enough to make Kelsi moan aloud, but not enough to brace her for the amount of pleasure she was about to feel.
"I love you," Sharpay respired earnestly, her shiny brown orbs still locked with Kelsi's.
Sharpay's finger still inside her, Kelsi breathed deeply before replying "I love you, too, Babe," just as truthfully and with a slight shudder.
Before the words could even fully leave her lips, Sharpay quickly withdrew and re-entered Kelsi with 2 additional fingers all in the same breath, startling Kelsi into a near-scream of pleasure.
Instead of keeping her mouth otherwise occupied below the composer's waist like she usually did, Sharpay thrust her fingers steadily inside Kelsi, all the while staring passionately into her girlfriend's eyes, occasionally placing searing kisses on her mouth.
Kelsi's body was thrashing uncontrollably as she became dangerously closer to climax with each plunge. She never knew it was possible to be pushed over the edge so quickly, and the burning gaze of Sharpay only made things go faster. The brunette normally emitted low, throaty moans of satisfaction, barely audible to anyone but Sharpay, but tonight she was noisy, unable to restrain the blissful cries that played on the surface of her lips. As Kelsi felt herself getting close, she went to grab a pillow to bite into, but Sharpay forcefully knocked it out of her grip.
"Don't hold back," Sharpay commanded, making a purposefully deep plunge inside her girlfriend to bring her over the edge.
Kelsi's lower half arched off the bed as she screamed as loud as her voice would allow, a powerful orgasm washing over her and coming to a shuddering stop. Her eyes remained shut, stuck in a disoriented daze of how amazing her body felt. When she opened them, Sharpay was leaning in close, lips inches from hers and panting warm breath in her proximity. Kelsi closed the small gap by kissing her diva on the mouth, wrapping her hand around the back of her neck and preparing to make her feel as incredible as she just did.
As Kelsi was about to switch places so that she was on top of Sharpay, the blonde stopped her, taking the pianist's hands in her own.
"No, that was for you," Sharpay said, running her fingernails across Kelsi's scalp.
"But, Shar -" Kelsi began.
"Just hold me, okay? That's all I want," the blonde said.
Kelsi lifted her arm, allowing Sharpay to nestle her in the perfect nook between her neck and shoulder before securing her tightly in place with her arm.
"I love you so much," Kelsi said before planting a soft kiss on her girlfriend's forehead.
"I love you, Kelsi. More than you know," Sharpay replied.
The next day, they broke up.
Kelsi was sitting at the piano, playing something that had generated from what they improvised the day before. Sharpay was lying in bed, not having moved all morning. She was awake, thumbing through a magazine and keeping to herself. It left Kelsi slightly curious, but not enough to be alarmed. While most people assumed that the blonde never stopped talking, Kelsi knew enough to know that Sharpay was often reserved, sitting back and quietly observing or doing something else, so she didn't let it worry her.
After about 20 minutes of piano-occupied sound waves, Sharpay spoke up.
"This isn't working," she said, abruptly.
Kelsi took the pencil out from behind her ear and held the eraser toward the page. "Which part, the chorus?" she asked innocently.
"I didn't mean the song," Sharpay clarified. "But that's not really working, either. You're going to Julliard now, Kelsi, you need to raise the bar a bit. This isn't the East High Spring Musicale."
For Kelsi, time truly stopped. Her fingers froze mid-chord, her breath caught in her throat. She instantly felt like her life had been thrown in reverse give or take a year and a half and she had reverted to the mousy, scared little girl who everyone stepped on. Before Sharpay helped her with that problem, she was part of that problem. Kelsi was convinced it must have been a joke. There was no other way to explain it. This couldn't really be happening.
With bated breath, Kelsi turned to face Sharpay. "Babe, are you serious?" Kelsi asked, her half-smile fading when she saw the blonde's unwavering firm expression. "What are you talking about? What's not working?"
"The short version? I'm not feeling this anymore. It was fine for the time being, but it's getting old and irrelevant now that we're getting older and moving on with our lives," the diva said callously.
Kelsi didn't even try to hide the tears that began falling rapidly from her eyes as she stood up from the piano and rushed over to the bed. The icy barrier literally brought Kelsi to her knees as she simply knelt by the bed, daring to rest a hand on Sharpay's, who was unresponsive in return.
"You… why are you saying all of these things?" Kelsi asked.
"Because it's the truth, Kelsi, I'm not sure what else you want me to say," Sharpay snapped, stepping off the bed and around Kelsi as if she wasn't even there. "I have some errands to run today, and I need to get ready, so you might wanna get going soon."
"Sharpay! You can't just throw this away, please just tell me what's going on!" Kelsi stood, now frantic, losing her composure more and more with each passing second.
"I've told you everything I'm going to say! Just let it go, okay? We are done, and you need to leave!" Sharpay yelled, a meanness in her tone that Kelsi never knew existed.
Broken, defeated, and mortified, Kelsi slowly made her way to the door, vision muddled by an onslaught of tears, and she dared to look back at a visibly unfeeling Sharpay before leaving the Evans home and having a complete emotional breakdown.
As she started to sort through things to pack for school, Kelsi began reflecting on her relationship with Sharpay and willed herself to move from the devastation stage to the stage of anger so that maybe she could start moving on. There were plenty of good-natured and pure-hearted people in her life who had extended their attention and sympathies in the wake of their breakup, people that Kelsi previously hadn't considered herself incredibly close to, and yet the one person she thought would always be there for her not only was the one who broke her heart, but seemed to have no remorse for doing so nor interest in making things better. As she sorted anything that Sharpay had ever given her into the "don't-pack" pile, she committed herself to feeling better, no matter what it took.
A few hours later, Kelsi got a text message from Ryan asking if she wanted to do some college shopping -- his (or more appropriately Mommy and Daddy's) treat. Although she wasn't entirely up for it, there really was no easy way she could turn down an offer that good. Besides, maybe Ryan would actually be able to cheer her up, although after dating his twin sister, Kelsi had trouble not seeing the many ways in which they were similar.
Much to Kelsi's delight, she was starting to feel a little bit better, even laugh a little. She and Ryan were armed with countless shopping bags and were yelling off-key renditions of whatever came on the radio before they stepped into a world where they couldn't do that anymore.
When Kelsi noticed Ryan taking the familiar back roads headed to the Evans' home, she stopped him before he could go any further.
"Ryan, we're not going to your house, are we?" Kelsi inquired, alarmed.
"Relax, she's at Lava Springs with the parentals. Come on, I want to gorge myself on pizza and ice cream while I still can. Those Julliard dancers see me so much as reach for a nonfat yogurt and they'll banish me from the kingdom," Ryan jested.
"All right, but only for a little bit," Kelsi said.
"Good, because I've missed that smile. I haven't seen nearly enough of it lately," Ryan grinned.
They pulled in the driveway and Kelsi was relieved to not see the Sharpay-mobile, although everything still felt surreal, especially given the circumstances in which she was last at the Evans home. She physically shook her head in an attempt to literally rid the bad memories from her head, and she promised herself to make every effort to have a good time that night.
They stopped at the door, Kelsi waiting for Ryan to open it, and Ryan texting at a speed likely unknown to God and man.
She playfully elbowed him in the side. "Ryan? Are we gonna go in or stand out here and pretend to eat that ice cream you're dying for?"
Ryan laughed, appearing slightly nervous and making Kelsi nervous in turn. "Oh, right. Let's go in, sorry.'
Kelsi's slight suspicion that something was up was confirmed when they walked into a dark house, the only light coming from a candle flickering from the otherwise dark kitchen. Kelsi looked at Ryan, and Ryan looked anxiously at Kelsi.
"Don't be mad at me," he begged before dashing up the stairs, tripping over his own feet.
"Ryan!" Kelsi screamed in his direction before starting up the stairs.
""Kelsi," a soft, familiar voice spoke from the kitchen. A shadowy silhouette took the candle from the table and began walking toward Kelsi, and even though her face could not be made out, Kelsi knew that voice and face anywhere.
The brunette trembled just hearing Sharpay say her name and she tightly squeezed her eyes shut to blink back tears and reached for the doorknob to leave.
"Wait, please don't leave. I need to talk to you," Sharpay begged frantically, her voice clearly choked up as she switched the lights on in an attempt to leave all pretense behind. As much as Kelsi's better judgment yelled -- no, screamed -- at her to just leave, Sharpay still had the power to stop her dead in her tracks at any given moment.
When she turned around, the room now lit, she saw Sharpay in her prom dress, looking even more stunning than she did on prom night. Her hair was pulled back and away from her face, (just how Kelsi liked it), with a few wavy pieces hanging in front. Her make-up was subtle, yet impeccably done (just how Kelsi liked it). Hanging on the doorframe between the foyer and the kitchen was a stunning deep blue dress with a silver bodice and a flowing skirt, the one Kelsi had been eying for the months leading up to prom. Sharpay was planning on buying it for her, but when she suggested it, Kelsi told her that her dad had already bought her one, and she couldn't bear to tell him she preferred a different, more expensive one.
Internally, Kelsi's heart fluttered at the thought that Sharpay apparently wanted her back, an occasion she wasn't sure would ever surface, but she couldn't help but recall the words that were exchanged and the way she was made to feel 56 days ago.
"What is all this?" Kelsi asked simply, yet directly.
Sharpay took a cautious step toward Kelsi. "I wanted to take you to the prom I never got to take you to. It's been months and I still regret not having you as my date."
Prom was another bridge that the girls had to stumble across together. Kelsi's dad knew they were a couple and couldn't have been more supportive. Sharpay's parents knew they were a couple and "supportive" wasn't really the right word. They somewhere between ignored and tolerated the two, and while no threats were made to throw Sharpay on the streets just yet, the blonde especially wasn't sure it was worth it to stir things up. She suggested that Kelsi and Ryan go together so that he could go with someone he was close with, they could all travel in the same limo, and it would keep Mr. and Mrs. Evans at bay. Although it all technically worked out, Kelsi was a little more disappointed than she let on.
Again, she instructed herself to be cautious. "Yeah, well not going to prom was a choice. Just like callously insulting me and breaking my heart was a choice. Do you think that one romantic gesture out of nowhere like nothing happened is going to make everything better?"
"I never said nothing happened," Sharpay answered truthfully, not defensively.
"Well, you're acting like it!" Kelsi countered angrily.
"Okay," Sharpay exhaled, "Do you want me to change into something else?"
"I want you to tell me what the hell all this is! What are you trying to do here?" the shorter girl asked, taking a giant step toward Sharpay that made her heart race whether she liked it or not.
Sharpay's voice cracked slightly, and she cleared it to regain composure. "I just.. hate that because of me, my two biggest regrets involve the one person who I thought I could never regret anything with, and I just wanted to try and fix it before you went away."
Kelsi had to blink back tears for a second time as it was now her turn to find her voice before speaking. "Sharpay, I want to know why. Why did you say such horrible, hurtful, disgusting things to me to want me back 2 months later? And more importantly, how could you? You say you couldn't help but regret prom, and that wasn't even something you tried to do to spite me, so I find that a little hard to be true considering you would purposefully and deeply hurt me."
"Look, Kelsi, if you're looking for me to make sense of what I did, it's never going to," Sharpay relented. "Sometimes I'm just… like this. Being evil is easy for me, it's the one thing I know how to do. It's expected of me."
Kelsi laughed, running her fingers frustratingly through her hair. "I'm sorry, but I don't buy it. The girl that I've been dating -- that I've been in love with -- for the past year and change isn't evil. The girl I'm in love with is the one who would rather spend the entire day in those obnoxious pink pajamas than any designer clothes, and who cooks… or tries to cook…. for me, and who cries at Lifetime movies and sings sappy love songs in my ear. You're not even good at playing evil anymore, Sharpay. The jig is up; I know you too well. So, if you're going to make excuses for yourself, at least make them believable."
"If I had to lose you, it was going to be on my terms," Sharpay answered immediately.
Kelsi's heart sped up again, in that not-good-yet-not-bad-either way. "What?"
"You heard me. And I may not be evil, but I am spoiled and privileged and have always been handed everything I've wanted when I've wanted it, and suddenly all of that was being taken away and out of my control. My dream… the thing I wanted and worked for since I was little, crashed and burned. For the hundredth time, my best just fell short of good enough. And then the only two people in the entire world I can trust not only get to live it, but are going to live it thousands of miles away from me while I'll be stuck in the same place, losing any hope of the freedom I thought would come with graduating," the blonde said.
"Sharpay, this doesn't change -"
"Do you know how many beautiful, talented, special girls there are going to be at Julliard? Girls that are going to make me look like nothing, that you're actually going to be able to see and spend time with every day? My ideal school, my brother by my side, all of those things can be taken away from me, but you -- it would kill me."
Instead of touched, Kelsi looked and felt even angrier. "So, you let me take the blow instead? Did you think getting brutally broken up with would be a blast for me?"
"God, why is everything I'm saying coming out wrong? You wanted an explanation, and that's what I'm trying to do; explain, not defend, and I can't even do that much. I may not be able to put it into words the right way, but it doesn't change the way I feel and what I know. I know that you're the girl that I'm in love with, Kelsi. The girl who falls asleep with her glasses on and sings in the shower when she thinks I'm not listening and makes my stuffed animals talk when I'm sad," Sharpay took a brave step forward and lowered her voice to a raspy sensuality, "and makes love to me like I'm so much more than just a pretty face and a nice body."
Their bodies were a mere inch or two apart now, the heat trapped between them tangible and nearly visible. Kelsi couldn't speak, so she let Sharpay keep talking.
"Forget all the pleasantries and romantic setup -- I want you back and I'll do anything it takes. There it is, on the table." The brown-eyed girl was earnest and passionate as Kelsi had ever seen her.
The rhythm of Kelsi's heart was bumping at an unparalleled speed, and she honestly felt like it might explode. The stern voice of what used to be reason was slowly fading into the background as the brunette contemplated doing the one thing she desired and had missed most as of late.
Kelsi applied slight pressure on the tips of her toes, decreasing the already small gap between she and Sharpay to the point where their lips were so close to meeting that they could almost taste each other. Before Kelsi could completely close the gap, however, Sharpay whispered a single word against her lips.
"Don't."
Kelsi remained where she was and matched Sharpay's volume. "Don't what?"
"Don't kiss me unless you're ready," the taller girl said, retaining her position in case Kelsi was ready.
But they both knew she wasn't.
"So, now what?" Kelsi asked, curiously anticipating Sharpay's answer.
The blonde exhaled deeply and paused to think. "Well," she began cautiously, "why don't you change into your dress and let me have a second chance at that prom I never got to give you?"
A few seconds of silence hung in the balance where neither girl knew what Kelsi's answer would be.
Finally Kelsi replied. "Okay. But on one condition."
"Anything," Sharpay replied.
"You have to do my hair and makeup. You know I couldn't do it to save my life," Kelsi said with a smile.
Sharpay laughed softly in relief. "You bet. But that's where Ryan comes in. It's bad luck for me to see the prom queen before it's time."
Kelsi looked to the stairway where Ryan was carefully peering from around the corner.
"You can't be mad at me after I make you look amazing… right?"
……………………………….........................................................
Just about an hour and a half later, Kelsi's prom look was complete, and she was starting to wonder if she was doing the right thing. Her biggest fear that this might be a conditional circumstance, or that Sharpay would backpedal on her apology, two possibilities that she never would have imagined a few months back, but now, she couldn't rule anything out and it was making her nervous.
When she walked downstairs, however, her fears were soothed at the splendor of the ambiance. The foyer was lit by white strung lights and candles and an extravagant meal was set at the dining room table. Balloons marked the entrance of each doorway, and the most beautiful of all, Sharpay stood at the bottom of the stairs, anticipating Kelsi with a look of quiet surprise and contentment in her shimmering eyes.
"You are absolutely beautiful," Sharpay whispered in Kelsi's ear when she was finally within arm's reach.
Kelsi cleared her throat, already feeling overwhelmed by the moment. "Thanks. So do you," she eyed the dining room, "You made dinner?"
"Yes," Sharpay replied, "But I'd like to dance first if that's okay."
"Sure," Kelsi replied without objection.
Sharpay secured her arms tightly around Kelsi's waist, prompting the shorter girl to hang her hands around Sharpay's shoulders.
Kelsi half-laughed. "Uh, there's no music."
"I was about to take care of that," Sharpay smiled softly, "Just relax."
Kelsi dared to rest her head on Sharpay's shoulder and did so in a shaky exhale, her body overwhelmed at being in such close proximity to the other girl. Sharpay, too, took advantage of their proximity to provide the music she promised as she began to sing one of Kelsi's compositions:
I've got a lot of things I have to do
All these distractions, our future's coming soon
We're being pulled a hundred different directions
But whatever happens, I know I've got you
You're on my mind, you're in my heart
It doesn't matter where we are
We'll be all right even if we're miles apart
All I wanna do is be with you, be with you
There's nothing we can't do
I just wanna be with you, only you
And no matter where life takes us
Nothing can break us apart
You know it's true
I just wanna be with you
You know how life can be, it changes over night
It's sunny, then raining, but it's all right
A friend like you always makes it easy
I know that you get me every time
Through every up, through every down
You know I'll always be around
Through anything, you can count on me
All I wanna do is be with you, be with you
There's nothing we can't do
I just wanna be with you, only you
And no matter where life takes us
Nothing can break us apart, you know it's true
I just wanna be with you
Kelsi couldn't help but allow a few tears to fall from her eyes, the song providing extra significance to an already beautiful moment. Bearing in mind all of the rocky history between Sharpay and Troy and Gabriella regarding the school musicals, Sharpay had been frustrated when Kelsi had wrote "Just Wanna Be With You" with her in mind and then gave it to Troy and Gabriella to perform. The song, that had originated from one of their improv sessions, had turned into a touchy subject of sorts, and for Sharpay to sing it as a promise to Kelsi meant the world to her.
"I can't apologize enough for how much I hurt you, I know that. And there's no insecurity in the world that justifies hurting you. If you give me another chance, I will never hurt you again -- on purpose."
Several minutes of silence passed before Kelsi spoke up. "That song promises a lot. You sure you're willing to live up to it? Even while 2,000 miles away?"
"I will write, I will call, I will visit whenever possible… I survived 56 days without you, so I'm pretty sure I can do anything."
That moment of uncertainty, of not being ready, dissipated, as Kelsi finally brought her lips to Sharpay's, a surge that both of them feared had long ago died out once again becoming alive, real, and electric.
The kiss broke and a moment of comfortable silence dwelled as they looked into each other's eyes.
"So… on to the dining room?" Sharpay asked.
"No," Kelsi replied softly, "Not yet. I just want to stay like this for a little longer if that's okay."
"Of course," Sharpay said before placing a kiss on Kelsi's forehead and pulling her closer than either of them thought imaginable as they drifted slowly in each other's arms to the music in their minds.