This Girl
Chapter Four: Joe Walker, Tiara, and Spit Takes
"Gooooooooooooood morning Albuquerque! It's six AM on this beautiful Monday morning. The hallways are clean, the backpacks are new, and the sound of cranky teenagers is filling the air. That's right folks; it's the first official day back to school."
Jimmie groaned at the radio DJ's voice. No one should ever be that peppy at six in the morning. He groaned inwardly at the idea of having to start school again, but rolled out of bed anyway. If his mother didn't hear him moving soon, she'd come up and make him move.
After showering and getting dressed, Jimmie dragged his feet down the stairs to the kitchen where his mother was.
"Morning, Jimmie." Mrs. Zara happily greeted.
"Hey, Ma."
"Excited for the first day of school?"
"Not even remotely." Jimmie answered dryly.
"It'll be fun, Jimmie. You get to see all your friends again. I can't even tell you the last time you and Donnie hung out."
"I've been busy, Ma. You know that and Donnie knows that. He understood." Jimmie said, poking his head into the fridge and pouring himself some orange juice.
"Well isn't he a good friend. All the more reason to hang out with him again."
"I know, Ma." Jimmie sighed. Mrs. Zara looked at her only son. She walked over to him began rubbing his back.
"I know you miss her, sweetie. And I know that she misses you too. But you're going to make it work. She's still coming to spend the weekend with us, right?"
"Yeah, she is. I'm just sort of worried, you know? She's on a whole new level now. She has classes with guys who are way smarter than me. She has lunch with guys much more funny than I am. She's on a floor with guys much better looking than me. I just fell like I can lose her so easily."
"Trust me, Jimmie. You and Sharpay have something way too strong to lose. You two have something that no college guy can tear apart. I promise." Mrs. Zara reassured.
"Yeah. Thanks, Mom." Jimmie said as he gave his mom a kiss on the cheek.
"Anytime. Well, you better get a move on. Don't want to start are tardy streak on the first day."
"Later, Ma." Jimmie said. He grabbed his bookbag and skateboard and was out the door.
The skateboard ride from Jimmie's house to his school was a good ten minutes away, which in Jimmie's opinion was the perfect opportunity to call his girlfriend. Taking his cell phone out, he dialed the familiar numbers and waited to hear his favorite voice.
"Hey there, sexy boy." He heard after a couple of rings.
"Hey Shar." Jimmie smiled.
"What are you doing?"
"I'm just headed to school." Jimmie replied casually. Unlike his girlfriend, first days never really made him nervous.
"Aww, you're first day as a junior! Now you'll be taking the SATs, and you'll be taking driver's ed, and you'll have your junior prom! My little Jimmie is growing up so fast." Sharpay cooed.
"Well hey, look at it this way: at least now your boyfriend will have a driver's license and a car to drive you wherever your little heart desires."
"Well I can't wait. So, what classes do you have this year?"
"Well I don't get my schedule until homeroom, but I know I'm at least signed up for AP calc, honors English 11, and AP Latin."
"Interesting." Sharpay commented, secretly not very interested.
"So what are you doing?" Jimmie asked.
"Oh, I was just taking a little break from reading. I have to read a five hundred page book in three days."
"Haha, sorry babe. What kind of a break are you taking?"
"My absolute favorite kind of break, obviously." Sharpay giggled.
"Watching A Very Potter Musical on YouTube while eating double stuffed Oreos?" Jimmie smirked.
"I'm telling you, if I lived in Michigan and had never met you, I'd have no problem with being Joe Walker's sex slave. I mean seriously, he's hot even when tap dancing!"
"Oh come on, he isn't that hot." Jimmie rolled his eyes.
"Jimmie, when he gets his body back, let's just say I'd become a Death Eater in a heart beat." Sharpay said seriously.
"I love your weird obsession with Harry Potter." Jimmie smiled.
"Why thank you." Sharpay giggled again.
"Well, I'll let you get back to drooling over Joe Walker. I hope he's out there and knows that you worship him."
"I hope he knows that too. Well have fun on your first day, babe. Sorry I'm not there to make it more enjoyable."
"That's okay. As long as you let me call you when I'm home."
"Of course. Well, bye Jimmie. I love you."
"Love you too, Pay." Jimmie said before ending the call. And he had perfect timing, because the moment he hung up East High School came into view.
"Junior year, here I come."
Sharpay closed her own cell phone and sighed. She did feel really sorry she wasn't there on Jimmie's first day, even if it was to only see him for a moment. But she wouldn't be there to help with the drama department until the beginning of October.
A knock on the door brought her out of her train of thought. Sharpay got up from her desk and opened the door to reveal Maltese.
"Why hello Sharpay." Maltese smiled sweetly, giving Sharpay air kisses. Sharpay reluctantly returned them.
"Hey Maltese."
"Oh, Sharpay, call me Malti, please." Maltese said, walking right into Sharpay's room and taking a seat on her bed.
"Can I do anything for you, Malti?"
"Yes, actually, you can. I've been seeing you hanging out with a boy lately. Tall, dark, with wildly curly hair. Ring a bell?"
"Yeah, his name's Chad. He and I went to high school together." Sharpay shrugged.
"Chad. What a fitting name." Maltese smiled.
"Why do you ask?"
"Well I wanted to know what happened with you and Jimmie. I mean it's pretty obvious you dumped him for this Chad boy." Maltese said innocently.
"No, no, you got it all wrong. I'm still with Jimmie. Chad and I just ran into each other the other day and hung out. We're friends, that's all." Sharpay explained. Maltese smirked, stood up, and walked close to Sharpay.
"Sharpay, darling, friends don't go into their other friend's room late at night when said friend's roommate is not there." Maltese state quietly.
"How did you know I went to his room? And we didn't do whatever you're implying; we watched videos on YouTube, that's it." Sharpay frowned.
"Of course." Maltese smiled devilishly.
Sharpay didn't have a good feeling about this girl. There was a reason they never stayed in touch over the years, and Sharpay was beginning to truly remember why.
"Well, I must be going. I have a class all the way in Tawny Hall in fifteen. But it was nice to see you Sharpay. Maybe we'll see each other again later today?" Maltese smiled, beginning to walk out of Sharpay's room.
"Maybe." Sharpay said.
"Definitely. Au revoir, Sharpay." Maltese said before strutting down the hallway and out of Sharpay's sight.
Sharpay stayed where she was, a frown still on her face, before closing her door and sitting back at her computer mumbling "Joe Walker would never want her as his sex slave."
"So than I go 'I thought you said tape that letter, not paper shredder!'" Donny said, laughing to the punch line of his own stupid joke.
"That was so not funny, Donny." Jimmie said, even though a bright smile was on his face.
"Whatever you say. So, here we are. Another year at East High. Except now we're juniors." Donny sighed with a smile.
"And except for the fact that I won't be able to spend time with my girlfriend." Jimmie said.
"Jimmie, come on, man. Every other word you've said today has been about Sharpay."
"Can I help it? it was a year ago today that I saw her for the first time. it was my first day at this school, since I had just moved here the week before. And I was walking down the halls, so unsure and insecure. And then, there she was. Walking down this very hallway, with her brother by her side. And she was the most beautiful creature I had ever seen." Jimmie swooned.
"Dude, I've heard this story a thousand times. I get it, for you it was love at first sight. Now can we please just head to homeroom?" Donny asked with slight irritation.
Yeah, sure, let's go." Jimmie said, and the two friends began walking down the hall. They were almost halfway there, when a voice interrupted them.
"Hi Jimmie." Jimmie and Donny both turned to see none other than Tiara Gold.
"Oh…hey, Tiara." Jimmie turned around again, in hopes that the conversation would end at that.
"How was your summer holiday?" Tiara said, foiling his plan. Donny shook his head and continued on his way. Jimmie sighed and turned around again to see Tiara dangerously close.
"It was nice."
"What'd you do?" The British girl asked enthusiastically.
"Oh, you know, this and that. Traveled a bit. I hung out with Sharpay a lot." Jimmie noticed the scowl of disgust that Tiara made at the sound of her former boss.
"Well that sounds…lovely. So, what homeroom do you have this year?" Tiara asked, changing the subject.
"Um, 307. Mr. Jeffers."
"What a coincidence! Me too!" Tiara squealed.
"Oh…but uh, weren't you in Darbus' homeroom last year?" Jimmie asked, disappointment clearly written across his face.
"That was only because I was working for…a senior in that homeroom. Besides, it wasn't a sophomore homeroom last year, or a junior one this year." Tiara explained.
"Oh." Was all Jimmie could say.
"So, I need to go speak to Ms. Darbus about this years winter musical. Walk me to her room?" Tiara asked with a wink.
"Oh, Tiara, as much as I'd love to, I have to…go…talk to coach. Yeah! Um, he wanted to go over some details with me about the upcoming basketball season, with Troy gone and all now. But uh, I'll see you there in a few."
"Oh, alright I suppose. Well, toot – I mean, ta-ta!" Tiara said with a smile and a wave before going down the other end of the hallway, her three inch heals clicking with each step she took.
Jimmie let out a loud sigh. How he'd get it through Tiara's head that he had no interest in her and was in love with Sharpay, he had no idea. But it had to be done, and soon.
So he continued on his way. Donny was leaning against the wall by the door to homeroom by the time Jimmie got their. Donny shook his head once again.
"That girl's got it bad for you."
"I wish she'd just get the hint that I'm not interested. I mean I have a serious girlfriend for Christ's sake! What more can I do?" Jimmie exclaimed.
"I'm pretty sure she will never be uninterested in you, bro." Donny said before walking into room 307.
"Fabulous."
Since she managed to knock out 218 of the 500 pages she needed to read, Sharpay thought she deserved another break and decided to call Ryan.
"Hey sis." Ryan's voice said after one short ring.
"Hey bro. How's New York treating you?" Sharpay said, grabbing a water bottle and settling on her bed.
"They don't call it the city that never sleeps for nothing. There's always so much going on, I never want to stay in and study even though I should."
"Sounds just the way I remember it from last Christmas." Sharpay chuckled.
"How are you doing?" Ryan asked.
"Alright I guess. You'll never guess who I've run into already."
"Who?"
"Well first there's Chad."
"Chad? as in Chad Danforth? As in East High Chad Danforth?" Ryan asked.
"The very same. I mean I remember hearing this was where he was going, but I never thought we'd run into each other."
"And have you two killed each other yet?" Sharpay could tell her brother was smirking.
"Surprisingly, no. Actually, he and I decided to put the past behind and let bygones be bygones. We've actually been getting along pretty well. I think we may become friends." Sharpay explained, taking a sip of water.
"Wow. I was definitely not expecting that."
"Well here's something else I bet you weren't expecting. Guess who's in my building?"
"I give up."
"Maltese Gavin. As in Lava Springs, my ex-best friend Maltese Gavin."
Ryan was silent for a few seconds before whispering "Oh damn."
"My sentiments exactly, bro."
"Sharpay, don't get involved with her. You remember how she made you act. You don't want to go back to those days." Ryan warned.
"I'm not eleven anymore, Ryan. I'm not going to go attacking the girl for stealing the boy I liked. And yeah, I don't want to get to buddy-buddy with her again. Although she seems to want to."
"Really Shar, stay away from her. She's a bitch. Always has been, always will be. She isn't good for you."
"I know, Ry. Thanks. So, how's Kelsi?" Sharpay asked in desperate hopes to drop the topic of Maltese.
"She's…stressed." Ryan sighed.
"Why? Julliard harder than she expected?"
"No…it's got nothing to do with school, really."
"Well is she okay; what is it?"
"Sharpay, if I tell you, will you promise to not tell anyone else? And I mean seriously promise on your life?"
"Ryan, you're my twin brother. Of course I do."
"Alright. Well…Kelsi…well, she isn't sure yet, but she thinks it, but-"
"-Ryan, just say it." Sharpay interrupted, taking another sip of water.
"Kelsi thinks she might be…pregnant."
At those words, Sharpay spit out all of the water in her mouth. It was a spit take no Hollywood movie could do better than.
"WHAT."
"She isn't sure. She's going to get a couple of tests later today. But…she's late. She's really late." Ryan explained.
"Ryan, how could you let this happen!" Sharpay exclaimed.
"I don't know, okay! We've always been safe! We've always used protection! I don't know how it happened. But…I think it did."
Sharpay wasn't sure what to say at this point. Ryan, her brother, might have gotten his girlfriend pregnant. They were only college freshman. They were only eighteen. They couldn't have a baby now. Not when they both had all of this untapped potential.
"What are you going to do?" Sharpay eventually asked.
"We're not sure. We haven't talked about it yet. I think she wants to wait until she actually takes the tests." Ryan answered.
"Well, if Kelsi is…pregnant, what do you want to do?"
"…I don't know. I mean I want kids, but this is way too early."
"Yeah. It really is." Sharpay agreed. Unsure of what else to say, both twins stayed silent for a few minutes.
"I'm scared, Pay." Ryan finally spoke. Sharpay wished nothing more that she could be with her brother to give him a hug.
"I know you are, Ry."
"Well, I think I need to go. Kelsi wants to talk about…everything."
"Alright. Well, keep me posted."
"Will do. Bye, Pay."
"Ryan?" Sharpay said, before her brother hung up on her.
"Everything will be okay." She could hear Ryan sigh heavily on the other line.
"Thanks. I love you, Pay."
"Love you too." Sharpay said, before ending the conversation.
Had she known college would bring all of these drastic changes, she would have failed her senior year of high school.
A/N:
Right now, everyone must go to YouTube and watch A Very Potter Musical in its entirety. It's super-mega-foxy-awesome-hot, and it will forever change your lives. So much, in fact, that you'll feel the need to tell every single living soul you know to watch it as well. Enjoy Joe Walker and his bodacious-ness after enjoying the overdue chapter four! -ZashleySilver