Chapter 4: This is all a horrible prank

The doctor said my bump on the head wasn't much to worry about. That means it probably didn't cause me to hallucinate.

I come half an hour earlier to school to sneak around and try to find whatever I saw yesterday. Call me crazy, but something was there. I'd bet my life on it. Or maybe not my life, because who'd want to take a life, right? Maybe I'd bet my favourite necklace on it instead (worth twenty-five dollars).

I figure I should go visit my locker first to put my book bag away so I don't have to lug it around while I go disappearing-girl-hunting.

My jaw drops when I close my locker and turn around because she's the first thing I see.

And, good heavens, she looks an awful lot like Sharpay Evans.

Except with sunken eyes, a hopeless expression and, of course, that translucent-ness. Which isn't very Sharpay Evans-like, but after blinking a few times, I realise this is undoubtedly her. The pink attire and blonde hair are possibly the only things that remind me of her past self.

"Can you hear me?" she croaks, veins popping out of her neck.

I blink some more, dumbfounded. And trying very hard to breathe.

The only reason why I haven't screamed or fainted yet is because my brain is trying to figure out which one to do first.

"Can you … see me?" see-through Sharpay asks again, curiosity laving over her voice.

My throat's dry. "I … yes … but how? Sharpay?"

"You know me?" She floats closer. Uncomfortably close, as I try to press myself harder against the lockers. A tilted head to the side tells me she's confused, too.

But, honestly, even though my mind is having a little bit of trouble processing what's going on here, I can't help but feel a little hurt she can't remember me.

"Yeah, I do." I gulp. "How are you here? I thought you were, um, well … "

She demands, "Who are you? How do you know me? How are you the only one who can see me? I've been searching forever!"

"Are you a ghost?" I blurt out.

How stupid of me. Of course she's a ghost. Has she died? Check. Is she somehow still here? Yup.

Looks like a supernatural being to me.

She seems taken aback. "A ghost?"

"Well, didn't you … "

"Didn't I what?"

"Didn't you die?"

"I'm not dead!" she shrieks. "This is all a horrible prank!" She's sobbing now. "I can't remember anything, and no one knows I exist … "

Then she disappears. Again. Fuck.

"Sharpay?" I yell.

I can see ghosts now? She forgot everything except her own name. Do all ghosts have their memory erased? What do I do with her? Is she haunting me? Am I the only one who can see her? Hm, Troy couldn't.

I knew I should have chosen to watch Ghost Whisperer instead of my reality TV, damn it. I could have learned something useful. Now the only thing reality TV helped me with was choosing not to have 17 kids.

"Sharpay?" I yell again, starting to wander down the hall. "Please come back."

No way is this a prank on her. This is probably a prank on me. The whole school's in on it. The whole city's in on it. The obituary was fake. Sharpay's hired those special effects people. She got Troy Bolton to knock me to the ground on purpose to distract me and set everything up. She knew what happened with him when we were younger.

So I give up looking for Sharpay and start the search for hidden cameras, keeping my ear out for a snicker coming from someone who's working on the prank, too.

Yes, I think this is my best theory yet.

"I know you're out there, Sharpay," I chuckle. "I know this is all a--"

"Gabriella?"

I whirl around. It's Troy Bolton looking quite perturbed. I commend his expression, as it looks very real. Kid could be an actor someday.

I grin. "Troy, I also know you're part of it, too--"

He doesn't hear me. "Were you just talking to Sharpay? As in Sharpay Evans?"

His eyes shift, and I notice he's staring at the bruise on my forehead.

Wait. There's a possibility that there is no prank. And I'm just crazy.

But he can't know that.

"Um, no." I rock back and forth on my feet, my fingers linked behind my back. "I was talking to my Sharpie. Calling out to it, actually. I've lost it."

"A Sharpie? That's a … pen."

"Yes, a pen. I happen to love pens, and I talk to all my inanimate objects, didn't you know?" I titter lightly. "So, I should continue my search now." I motion to the direction opposite the one he came in.

Troy looks just as eager to part ways. But, like the gentleman he is, he asks (albeit hesitantly),"Let me know if I can help?"

"I'll probably be fine, but thanks anyway."

Well, shit, that was a sucky second (third?) conversation. Not the best way to woo a boy (not like I consider myself in Troy Bolton's league). But I have bigger things to worry about.

I hear her before seeing her.

She's screeching into Mrs. Falstaff's ear and flouncing around in front of her, but the librarian, as sensitive as she is to loud noises, doesn't seem bothered at all.

Desperation doesn't suit Sharpay. I kind of feel sorry for her. For this and the whole dying thing.

Mrs. Falstaff leaves, off to do her own business, and that's when Sharpay spins around to see me, blonde hair flying as her eyes narrow.

"You again. Who are you, anyway? Why are you the only one who can see me?"

I grip the ends of my sleeves nervously. "I'm Gabriella Montez. And I don't know why I can see you. The first time I did was yesterday, but you left before I could say anything." Maybe hitting my head gave me these abilities?

She glides closer until she's directly in front of me. "So how do you know me?"

"I … I've seen you around. You're pretty popular. Known you since elementary school. Do you really not remember anything?"

She sniffs. "Not much. But it's coming back bit by bit. I remember who I am, that I went to this school and my family." Her voice lowers. "But even my they can't see me either."

"Oh, I'm sorry." I must be the worst of the worst at consoling people. "Do you remember how you … "

"Died?"

Well, she's finally accepted it. That's a good thing. "Um, yeah."

She shakes her head. "Do you know?"

"Well, your obituary said you were in a car accident. There was a storm the night you … "

"Died." She says this with melancholy and a far away gaze.

I don't know what to say, but luckily, she snaps out of it. "Did you know people can't hear or see me, but they can feel me?"

"What do you mean?"

Without warning, she charges right through me. I'm not at all surprised she's not solid, but it's as if Antarctica's just paid me a visit. She's frigid.

I shiver. "Holy shit, Sharpay."

She reappears in front of me, frowning. "Yes, my mother didn't respond too well to that either when I tried to embrace her." She sighs.

Then I hear a bus pull up. Students will start swarming the halls any minute now. They can't see me talking to myself!

"Hey, I can help you," I say quickly.

"Help me what?"

"With anything. Remembering your life, your family, getting out of this state." Someone's left her in my hands, so I guess I should be the one to help her 'move on'. Whatever that takes. I still feel guilty for those feelings of hatred towards a dead person.

"Really, Gabriella?" Her mouth relaxes into a smile.

I beam back at her willingness to accept my aid. "Yes, really. Only I'll have to talk to you later because other people are going to get suspicious if they see me conversing with thin air."

"Right. Okay." She's excited now. "I'll visit you when you're alone!"

With that, she fades away.