Chapter Eighteen

A/N – This chapter may be a little short, but the next two will probably be average length…only two chappys left tear

Sharpay walked into school the next day, a proud smirk on her face. The play had been excellent the night before and she was expecting praises from everyone she passed. She stopped before the main doors, checking herself off. Her high heeled pink shoes were speckled with sparkles (A/N – wow, try saying that 10x fast, speckled with sparkles), she had on a pink and white sleeveless tunic dress that went to her mid thigh with neon pink shin length designer pants under it. She had on a white shrug and carried her white coach bag hanging around her elbow. She also decided to wear some pink pearls and her white hat to complete the out fit. She checked her straightened hair, perfect…as it should look if you've spent 45 minutes straightening the damn thing!

She took a deep breath, claming herself before she pulled open the doors and briskly walked into the building. Her smirk quickly faded as she noticed the not friendly looks thrown her way…some were even, well, glaring at her as she passed.

Unfortunately for Sharpay, she wasn't as well liked as Troy was, no one even bothered to keep their voices hushed as she walked towards her locker.

"She's such a bitch!" Someone remarked.

"I know, can you believe she made Troy break up with Gabriella?"

"That is so cruel!"

"Couldn't she see they loved each other?"

"I wonder what she did?"

"Egh, I don't even want to know!"

"I bet she slept with him!"

"I bet she did more than that, the hoe…"

"…she must have done something…worth his while…"

"…and they were all alone in New York!"

"…just one bed!"

Sharpay swallowed hard as she reached her locker. Once she opened it, hundreds of notes fell out…none of them good. The words bitch, whore, skank, slut, hoe, and freak, jumped out at her, among some others she didn't know. She grabbed her books, slamming her locker shut before making her way down the hall as fast as her heels would let her…which wasn't fast enough to escape most of the conversations that leapt out at her.

"…must have got him drunk…"

"…course she did, who would want her?"

"…seduced him…"

"…stalked him…"

"…maybe she cast a love spell on him…"

"…wouldn't surprise me…"

"…witch with a capital B…"

She ran into homeroom, stopping in the doorway seeing some students already there, pointing and laughing at her. She backed away slowly, before taking off down the hall, tears in her eyes.

"Sharpay!" she heard a voice call, she knew it was Troy but she kept running.

He caught up with her; of course, one can not run very fast in high heels.

"Pay!" he shouted, wrapping his arms around her from behind.

"Let me go Troy!" she shouted, trying to break her way free.

"Are you ok?" he asked, realizing only after he'd asked how stupid it sounded.

"What do you think?" she practically spat.

Her shoulders started to shake, and he knew that she was starting to cry. He looked around, people were staring at them, those on either side of him seemed to be in shock that the Ice Queen could cry. He shook his head at them before pulling Sharpay with him up the nearest stair case. There were less people on the second floor of the school, which made it easier for Troy to get Sharpay to his secret hide out to talk. He was sure that word would get to Ms. Darbus and she'd understand why they'd both not been in homeroom.

As soon as he sat her down on their bench, she wrapped her arms around him and cried into his chest. There was nothing Troy could do but to wrap his arms around her as well, rocking her back and forth and muttering soothing words in her ear.

"I'm so sorry Pay," he whispered to her as soon as her tears subsided

She shook her head, "It wasn't your fault." She took a shaky breath, "People were bound to find out sooner or later."

He shook his head this time, "But I wish we could have been the ones to tell them."

"They still would have thought the same things," she said sitting back, but still leaning against him. It was like he was her rock, her wall, the thing that would always be there to support her and offer support.

They sat in silence for a moment or two before Troy spoke again, "I…I know a way where they could change their minds…"

She looked at him, "How?"

"Tell them," he said simply, "tell them what you're really like, prove to them that you're not an ice queen, that you're not a bitch."

"I can't," she said shaking her head, "They'll think I'm acting."

"Not if I back you up," he said, starting to get excited about the idea of people not commenting on Sharpay and her not having to act like she had a heart of stone. In all honesty, he was afraid that she would start to become what she was acting as well. "I've spent more time with you then they have, they'll have to believe me."

She kept shaking her head, "They'll think I put you up to it."

"Then we'll get Ryan to help."

"He's not speaking to me," she sighed, "And besides, we're not exactly on friendly, helping, terms right now…and he's my brother, of course he would say something like that."

Troy racked his brain trying to come up with something that would help prove to the students what Sharpay was really liked, "We'll get pictures, signatures,"

"We can always fake them and forge them."

"Must you be so pessimistic?" he asked.

"Sorry," she bowed her head, "I just…I'm scared…"

"Of what?" he questioned, tilting her head to look at him.

"Of what they'll think of me after that…"

"I'll be with you every step of the way," he said, smiling softly at her.

She smiled too, she was actually starting to like that idea…she had considered showing off her real personality for a few weeks now, but didn't quite know when…now was the best opportunity she'd get.

"Tomorrow." She said finally.

Troy nodded in acceptance as he heard the warning bell ring, "Are you…going to be alright for the rest of the day?"

She took a deep breath before nodding, "I'll see you 3rd period, and 4th, and 5th, and…7th?" she asked. That wouldn't be too bad…she could block out most of the comments…and then she'd see Troy and everything would be fine…it was really only 4 periods if you thought about it…and one was in a language that no one understood.

He nodded; he'd find a way to meet her 7th period, even if that meant he had to fake a ruptured appendix to do so.

A/N – Yay…two chappys left…next one…the reaction of the students and the gangs journey to find out if Sharpay is just acting in her 'new' personality.