Chapter 20
Bittersweet
Three weeks passed. Sharpay was getting settled into her waitressing job, and Troy and his parents were spending a good deal of time with Troy's grandpa as his condition continued to quickly deteriorate.
Troy's grandpa didn't have the strength to leave the house anymore. He slept a lot, and Troy and his parents were preparing all of his meals. He still had that fiery spark in him, though, and he hadn't lost his ability to crack jokes at all.
Troy knew that his grandpa's time was coming to a close, and it tore him up inside. His grandpa had been there for him his entire life. And when Troy and Sharpay had shown up at his front step, he didn't even hesitate to invite them into his home, even though he was dying.
Troy found himself spending all of his waking hours with his grandpa. When they weren't cracking jokes or playing cards or reminiscing about their past fishing trips, they were both silent. Troy spent a lot of time reflecting about who he had become and how integral of a role his grandpa had played in his life.
When the pain of knowing that his grandpa was dying was too much, Troy often found himself on the beach with Sharpay. They were becoming closer everyday, but Troy was surer than ever that he couldn't date her. Not now, anyways, not when his grandpa was dying. Sharpay seemed to be fine with that.
Troy could tell that his grandfather's deteriorating health was affecting Sharpay, too. In many ways, Troy was aware that his grandpa had become Sharpay's parent figure. The kindness he had shown to Sharpay seemed to have a significant affect on her, and Troy knew that she would probably need comforting too when his grandpa died.
Troy was playing cards with his grandpa when his cell phone rang.
Troy looked at the caller ID. He didn't recognize it, but the zip code was from Albuquerque.
"I'll be right back," he said to his grandpa.
He left the room and pressed the talk button on his phone.
"Hello?" he asked.
"Hi, is this Troy Bolton?" a man's voice answered on the other end.
"Yes."
"This is Jim Richards, the head coach of the Red Hawks."
Troy raised his eyebrows. That was the last person he expected to hear from, especially after he dropped the team.
"I received word that there was a bribe involved with the acceptance of your scholarship."
Troy's heart sank. There was no way this was going to be good.
"Well, it is also my understanding that the reason you declined your full ride here was because you found out about it."
"Yeah," Troy replied. What did that have to do with anything?
"Well, Bolton, I've seen you play, and I still want you on my team. Because of the NCAA rules, you will have to be on the practice squad your first year, and I can't offer you any sort of scholarship. But if you prove to be the player that I have seen and continue to show the character you have demonstrated, then I wouldn't doubt that a full ride may be in the making for your second year."
Troy was speechless. He had no idea what to say. His parents had broken a major rule, and this man still wanted him on the team!
"I understand if you need to think it over for a few days, but just remember that you've already been enrolled in our school so as long as you can come up with some money for your first year, you're already set."
"Th-thanks," Troy finally managed. "I'll let you know."
"I look forward to hearing you're answer."
Troy hung up his phone in a daze. He could still live out his dream. Then it hit him, and a huge smile swept across his face and he began jumping up and down.
He bounded into his grandpa's room, hysterical.
"Boy, what happened to you?" his grandpa asked.
Troy sat down next to his grandpa. "That was Coach Richards. He invited me to be on the practice team for the Red Hawks next season! He said that if I was good enough, I could even get a full ride my second year! Can you believe it?! I could still live out my dream!"
Troy's grandpa smiled knowingly.
"What?" Troy asked. "Don't tell me you somehow had to do with this."
"I didn't, but I think you might have an idea about who did."
Troy's eyes widened in realization. His parents. They must have called and confessed what they did.
That was insane! By telling the coach, they could face a huge fine, or even worse, they could do some jail time.
"I've gotta go," Troy said to his grandpa. He needed to find his parents.
Troy ran out of his grandpa's room and right into Sharpay.
He jumped back.
"Guess what?!" he said at the same time Sharpay said "You're not going to believe this!"
Troy looked at Sharpay. Her eyes were shining.
"You first," he said.
"I just got a letter from the University of Southern California today. They accepted me! I'm in!" she gushed.
"That's great!" Troy replied.
"Your turn," she said.
"I just got a call from Coach Richards, who's the head coach of the Red Hawks. He wants me on his practice squad this season, and I might be able to get a full ride for the next season!"
Sharpay's face fell.
"What?" Troy asked. "We both got what we've been hoping for."
"Don't the Red Hawks play in New Mexico?"
When Troy realized, what Sharpay meant, his face fell too. If they both accepted their dreams, they would be 11 hours away from each other.
Troy took a breath. He hated what he was about to say, but he knew that he was right, too. Troy had already lost his dream once, and he knew how much it hurt.
"I think that maybe we both should accept that our paths are taking different directions right now. College is temporary, you know. And maybe when it's over we'll cross paths again. No matter what, though, I promise that you will be able to count on me for a friendship."
Sharpay looked down. "I guess I was just hoping that maybe it would become something more once we were both felt more settled."
Troy knew that Sharpay meant once he had come to terms with his grandpa's death, but he couldn't bear to think that right now.
Troy put his finger under Sharpay's chin and lifted her head until she was looking him in the eyes.
"If there's one thing I have learned, it's that we can't allow ourselves to be victims of circumstance. If one door closes, then we look for the next to open. Plus, doors are opening and closing all the time. I've been through the front door of this house at least 150 times since we got here. Maybe our door will open again."
Sharpay let a tiny smile play on her lips.
"Well, I'll miss you," she whispered.
Troy sighed. "Yeah. Just don't forget to have fun, even without me there."
Sharpay gave him a playful shove. "Who says you're the one who makes my life fun?"
Troy smiled.
They looked at each other for a moment.
"Well, I was going to tell your grandpa that I got accepted into USC," Sharpay said.
"Yeah. I was gonna go thank my parents for telling Coach Richards the truth."
With that, Sharpay entered Troy's grandpa's room, and Troy drove over to the Embassy Suites.
--------
After Troy told his parents the good news and thanked them for calling Coach Richards to explain what they had done, he got a call from Sharpay.
Troy frowned. He had just seen her not even an hour ago.
"Hey," he said.
"Troy," Sharpay whispered. She sounded scared. "I think you need to come see your grandpa. Bring your parents."
Troy dropped his phone. It landed on the floor with a thud. He knew exactly what Sharpay meant.
He looked at his parents' worried expressions.
"We need to go," he said, confirming their fears.
They arrived in Troy's grandpa's room to find Sharpay sitting next to him. Troy could tell that he was struggling to breath.
"Come here, boy," he managed to say to Troy. "I have a joke for you."
Troy approached his grandpa and sat next to him. His grandpa put his hand on Troy's shoulder. "Paddy was rather sad after viewing the body of a dead atheist. 'There he was,' she said, 'and no place to go.'"
Troy mustered the best laugh he could, which was a rather pathetic one.
Then his grandpa's voice got serious. "I am very proud of you, Troy. You did the right thing to forgive your parents. Your character will take you far in life. Never lose that, ya hear?"
"Yes sir," Troy replied.
"Now lemme talk to your parents."
Troy nodded and he and Sharpay retreated to the door while his grandpa said his last words to them. Troy saw a lot of hugging and crying, especially on his mother's behalf. It was her birth father, after all.
When they were done, his mom and dad motioned Troy back.
He looked at Sharpay.
"You go on," she whispered. "I think you need some family time."
Troy nodded, unable to speak.
"Go grab my bible. It's on my dresser right there," he said between shallow breaths to Troy.
Troy retrieved the bible and returned to his bedside.
"Would you read Psalm 23, please?"
Troy nodded and turned to the passage in his grandpa's tattered bible. "The Lord is my shepherd," he began, "I shall not be in want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for though art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever."
Troy could feel himself shaking as he put the bible on the nightstand next to his grandpa's bed.
"Thank you," his grandpa said between shallow breaths.
"Now, don't you worry about me. I'm goin' to be with my maker, see? He promised."
Troy and his parents sat in his grandpa's room for several hours. All he could hear was his grandfather's pained breathing.
"Does it hurt?" Troy whispered sometime late in the night to his grandpa.
"Naw," he said. "Cause I know I'm gonna be alright."
Troy nodded.
'Cause it's a bittersweet symphony this life
Trying to make ends meet, you're a slave to the money then you die
I'll take you down the only road I've ever been down
You know the one that takes you to the places where all the veins meet, yeah
No change, I can't change, I can't change, I can't change,
but I'm here in my mold , I am here in my mold
But I'm a million different people from one day to the next
I can't change my mold, no, no, no, no, no
Well, I've never prayed,
But tonight I'm on my knees, yeah
I need to hear some sounds that recognize the pain in me, yeah
I let the melody shine, let it cleanse my mind , I feel free now
But the airwaves are clean and there's nobody singing to me now
No change, I can't change, I can't change, I can't change,
but I'm here in my mold , I am here with my mold
And I'm a million different people from one day to the next
I can't change my mold, no, no, no, no, no
(Well have you ever been down?)
(I can't change, I can't change...)
(Ooooohhhhh...)
'Cause it's a bittersweet symphony this life
Trying to make ends meet, trying to find some money then you die
I'll take you down the only road I've ever been down
You know the one that takes you to the places where all the veins meet, yeah
You know I can't change, I can't change, I can't change,
but I'm here in my mold, I am here in my mold
And I'm a million different people from one day to the next
I can't change my mold, no,no,no,no,no
I can't change my mold, no,no,no,no,no
I can't change my mold, no,no,no,no,no
(It justs sex and violence melody and silence)
(It justs sex and violence melody and silence)
(I'll take you down the only road I've ever been down)
(It justs sex and violence melody and silence)
(I'll take you down the only road I've ever been down)
(Been down)
(Ever been down)
(Ever been down)(Lalalalalalaaaaaaaa...)
(Ever been down)
(Ever been down)
(Have you ever been down?)
(Have you ever been down?)
(Have you ever been down?)
The You Tube link to this song (Bittersweet Symphony) can be found in my profile.
A/N: Well...what do u think? The tune to this song really goes w/ the chapter, so don't forget to listen to it. Please REVEIW!!!! I know you have some sort of opinion about this chapter.
