Sorry it took me so long to update! I am really busy at this time of the year with my finals (all Algebra students are required to take a final; that's what I get for being in the highest level math… sighs) and I'm just finishing up with dance for the season. Like I've been saying, dance is a total 24/7 commitment.

I really appreciate all of the reviews I have gotten. You guys have all been so great and I love getting reviews; it makes me happy! 

Disclaimer: As you all probably could've guessed, I don't own any of the characters from High School Musical. I am simply borrowing them. However, I do own Katrina, because she was my idea. No, you can not have her.

And, without further ado…

Chapter Five

Sharpay sat in the school's gym, singing along to the song blasting on her pink I-pod. Her bus had come earlier than she had expected it to, so she had missed it. Ryan and Katrina were on there way to the school, and were planning on picking her up in the gymnasium. She was humming along to a song from Chicago, her favorite musical. She got bored of listening to songs from Chicago and switched to Phantom of the Opera.

Think of me
think of me fondly,
when we've said goodbye.
Remember me
once in a while -
please promise me
you'll try.

When you find
that, once
again, you long
to take your heart back
and be free -
if you
ever find
a moment,
spare a thought
for me

We never said
our love
was evergreen,
or as unchanging
as the sea -
but if
you can still
remember
stop and think
of me. .

Ugh, Sharpay thought as she listened to the lyrics of the song. She wasn't really in the mood to listen to a sappy song like that, no matter how much she usually loved the music and the musical. One day, Sharpay thought to herself happily, I'll be a huge Broadway star. Then I'll be able to play the part of Christine in an actual Phantom of the Opera play. She smiled at the thought. Or maybe I'll be able to play Roxie Hart in Chicago. Now that roll would be perfect for me!

Sharpay smiled again; which was a rare thing to happen ever since she failed to get the lead role in last years musical. She had started smiling again when she had become friends with Katrina. She was so supportive. Katrina was the type of person that could make you smile on your worst days. She could still remember the exact words that Katrina had said to make her realize that she was one of the best friends a girl could possibly want:

"Shar, you can't let something that happened in the past effect what your future is going to be like. So what if you missed one opportunity to be the lead in a play. There will be more chances. As Alexander Graham Bell once said; when one door closes, another opens; but we often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door that we do not see the one which has opened for us. Sharpay, there will be so many more opportunities for you. All you need to do is be done with the past and look ahead towards the future."

That was the day that Sharpay realized that she would most likely never have a better friend by her side than Katrina Taylors.

Sharpay sighed. She wished that she could be the type of friend that Katrina was; always there and always supportive. Even as kind to Sharpay and as patient with her as she was, Sharpay still got jealous of Katrina. Maybe it was because Katrina was a better person than Sharpay. However, she didn't believe that was the reason. The reason was most likely that Sharpay was always jealous of those who had any sort of advantage over herself. Katrina was pretty, kind, and extremely talented when it came to music. Not to mention, she had lived in New York City and had taken singing lessons there since she was five. There was no way in hell that she couldn't make it to Broadway, unless she got in some sort of freak accident and it left her unable to sing.

And that was the type of life Sharpay wanted.

But, unless she and her family just decided to randomly pack up there bags and head to NYC, she was going to be stuck in boring old Albuquerque until she was eighteen. Then she would head out and leave the life that she desperately hated.

She began to flip through the songs that she liked from Phantom. She randomly selected a song.

No more talk
of darkness,
Forget these
wide-eyed fears.
I'm here,
nothing can harm you -
my words will
warm and calm you.

Let me be
your freedom,
let daylight
dry -your tears.
I'm here,
with you, beside you,
to guard you
and to guide you. .

Say you love me
every
waking moment,
turn my head
with talk of summertime . . .

Say you need me
with you,
now and always . . .
promise me that all
you say is true -
that's all I ask
of you . . .

Let me be
your shelter,
let me
be your light.
You're safe:
No-one will find you
your fears are
far behind you . . .

All I want
is freedom,
a world with
no more night . . .
and you
always beside me
to hold me
and to hide me . . .

Then say you'll share with
me one
love, one lifetime . . .
let me lead you
from your solitude . . .

Say you need me
with you
here, beside you . . .
anywhere you go,
let me go too –

Sharpay just rolled her eyes. I'm so not in the mood for these songs. She sighed heavily. Then she put her I-pod in her purse and began to walk out the door.

"Sharpay?"

She quickly turned around. Troy Bolton stood a few feet away from her, still walking towards her. He smiled at her.

"What do you want, Bolton?"

"I…I, well, I just came in here to practice for basketball," he paused as Sharpay stared at him waiting for him to continue with his explanation. "I usually come here after school when my dad has to stay late. He wanted me to practice for the game on Friday and…"

"Yeah, I don't care anymore," Sharpay interrupted when she got tired of Troy talking about basketball.

"Um, okay. So, why are you here?" Troy asked her.

"Oh, well, I missed the bus because I went to talk to Ms. Darbus about the musical. Ryan and Trina are coming to pick me up soon."

"Cool." Troy responded. They sat there in silence for a couple of seconds.

"Are you and Gabriella trying out for the school musical this year?" Sharpay asked, pretending she didn't already know the answer.

"Um, yeah. Gabi was really upset that the auditions weren't in pairs this year. She doesn't want to get paired up with anyone but me," Troy said.

"You do know there are four main characters in this year's musical; there are two pairs," Sharpay said sagely. Troy nodded.

"Yeah, I know. I figure that it will be you, me, Gabi, and Ryan for the lead parts,"

"Don't count on it," Sharpay snapped. Troy gave her a confused look. "You're forgetting about Katrina. I think she could give me and Gabriella a run for our money." Troy agreed.

"Yeah, I suppose you're right; she is really good."

A few minutes passed with silence.

"Hey, Sharpay," Troy said. Sharpay looked up at him. "Do you want to play?" He bounced the basketball to her and she caught it. She gave him a blank stare. "It beats sitting here doing absolutely nothing," Troy said hopefully. Sharpay sighed.

"Why not."

Katrina and Ryan entered the building.

"Ok, now where did she say that she'd be?" Ryan asked Katrina. She rolled her eyes.

"Wow, you really are as dense as you look."

"Hey, I can't help it. It's the way God made me," Ryan said smiling.

"Well, I guess there need to be some abnormal people in this world to make the rest of us look better," Katrina mumbled.

"Hey!"

"Hay is for horses," Katrina responded. Ryan cocked an eyebrow at her. "My dad used to say that all the time when I was little. It used to really piss me off."

"Oh," Ryan said quietly. "Hey you never answered my question."

"We're going to the gym, moron."

"Oh, ok."

When Katrina and Ryan came close enough to the gym, they began to hear laughing. They looked at each other, confused as hell.

"Are you sure she said the gym?" Ryan asked.

"Positive."

"Okay, if you're sure." Katrina made her way to the door and began to listen.

"Come on Sharpay! That's traveling!"

"If you were gentlemen, you wouldn't complain about me traveling."

"Yeah, but I'm not, so stop."

Sharpay laughed, "Like I'm going to stop just because you told me to."

Katrina gave Ryan a confused look. She peered into the gym. When Ryan saw this he did the same. They saw Troy with his arms around Sharpay's waist, attempting to pry the ball from her hands. They were both laughing hysterically.

"Damn it, Sharpay! Give me the ball."

"It's quite pathetic that you can't get the ball from me; considering that you're so much taller and stronger, not to mention you play basketball," Sharpay said laughing.

"That's because I'm not trying," Troy said smugly.

"Okay, if you're so tough Troy Bolton, then try."

Troy picked her off the ground, causing Sharpay to scream and drop the ball. Then he quickly picked up the ball.

"See, are you sure you want me to try," Troy said confidently. Sharpay lunged at him, causing him to fall to the ground.

"Duh, I want you to try," Sharpay said as they each began to tug on the ball.

"Okay, you asked for it," Troy said smiling.

Katrina and Ryan both pulled their heads from sight and looked at each other. It took everything they had not to laugh.

"Should we break this up?" Ryan asked Katrina.

Katrina smiled evilly and said, "No, let's give them another hour or so. Come on," she said tugging at Ryan's arm, "I'm starving. Let's get something to eat and then we'll interrupt them when it's convenient for us."

"Sharpay is going to be pissed if we show up late," Ryan said cautiously.

"Trust me Ryan," Katrina said, "Sharpay will be just fine."

(A/N: Well I hope that chapter was worth the wait. I got reviews saying they wanted more Troypay, but I also got reviews saying not too much Troypay. In the end, I just decided to do what I wanted. After all it is my story. If you're not happy, oh well. I'm guessing that other people are. Remember to review! I except criticism, but only constructive criticism. Don't tell me that you hate my story and then not tell me why it is so terrible. I guess you could call that my pet peeve. Thank you all for reading!)