Author's Note: Please review and ideas are always welcomed.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything.

You're the One That I Want

Chapter 10: Happier Times

By musiclover94 and Baby-M-xo

Last Chapter…

Sharpay wiped the tears from her face with the back of her hand and sniffed. Her hand found its way to the letter. She didn't know why, seeing as how she loathed Troy. At least, that's how it appeared on the surface. She smoothened out the folds and read the started to read the somewhat messy handwriting…

--

Sharpay-

I can't even begin to explain how sorry I feel about the past few weeks' events. I feel totally responsible for your condition and I'm forever sorry. I know that probably sounds like an understatement. And I don't blame you if you hate me right now, as you're reading this. But I do appreciate that you're reading this. I need to clear this whole thing up, whether you're going to listen to me or not. You can rip this piece of paper to shreds; I just want to make things good between us, at least for me. And, for me, that means getting my complete point across.

I'm writing this from jail, Sharpay. Yes, jail. This nurse who works at United Christ, Kara, says to me, when I say I didn't try to kill you and didn't commit a crime when Gabriella pulled the wires keeping you alive out, and I tried to shake you into consciousness, "Oh, yes you did, you stole me heart." And whenever she or Gabriella tried to make out with me, I basically had to peel them off me. I don't have any connection with them that I enjoy. You're the one that I want, Sharpay, and that will never change.

I remember the day I first saw you in the hallway at East High, you stuck out like a sore thumb. You were all in pink and it clashed with the read and white colors that were on the walls. When you walked past me, your blonde curls bouncing as you moved, I remember thinking, "Wow, she's beautiful." As the day went by, I remember the first time I heard your sweet angelic voice even if it was telling me to get out of your way. Which it usually was, but I didn't care. And eventually everything worked out, until now.

Sharpay Evans, you are my life, and you always have been, since the blessed day I first saw you. I just want to make things right between us, but if you want to avoid me until we graduate and go our separate ways, that's fine for you. I just wanted to begin to explain to you what's been up, and this seemed like the only way I could tell you a part without being interrupted. The other parts I'll have to show you later, tell you my side. You'll see why I can't show you now.

Forever yours,

Troy Bolton

The frazzled blonde read through the script on the tattered page several times, but only seeing the words the first few times. After that, her mind drifted to happier times…

Flashback

Sharpay straightened a minute wrinkle in her baby blue dress and crossed her silver-wedged feet. She pushed a sheet of perfect blonde hair out of her brown eyes and looked out the window. It was still three minutes until five, when Troy was supposed to meet her at her house and take her on a date.

She still felt a bit bad about the whole thing. She had basically accepted the offer on pity. Troy Bolton wasn't exactly what you would call her normal type. He was the Supreme Ruler of the school, the captain of the East High Wildcats basketball team and the object of almost every girl's affections. Except Sharpay, who, by contrast, was the leader of the Drama legion of the school. In short, they were total polar opposites. She had often seen Troy quietly telling his best friend Chad off after he teased her. She hadn't thought much of it; he must be required to do that or something. She wondered why he didn't go for the head cheerleader, Gabriella Montez, who had such an obvious crush on Troy that he probably even knew it himself. But she couldn't get his expression of pure happiness when she had hurriedly said yes right before the late bell rang out of her head…

The doorbell chimed and Sharpay walked over and pulled it open, knowing who was on the other side.

"H-hi," Troy stuttered. He was standing awkwardly on Sharpay's front step and didn't look at all like he did on the court, smooth and coordinated. Here, he looked like he was about to fall over at the touch of a feather. He was blushing beet red and had one arm behind his back.

"Hi Troy!" she said enthusiastically, smiling at him, giving him some sort of encouragement.

"These are for you," he said, whipping out a dozen red roses from behind him rather jerkily and presenting them to her, almost as red as the petals.

"Thank you," was all she could say. She relieved him of the bunch and stepped out of the house, closing the door securely behind her.

"So where are we going?" she asked as they stepped down the porch steps. Troy occasionally tried to make eye contact with her, but whenever she caught him, he looked away hastily, blushing.

"The beach, over by Red Hawk Lake." He grinned slightly. Red Hawk Lake was a man-made, clean lake near downtown Albuquerque, practically as clean as the Michigan side of Lake Michigan.

Sharpay just nodded and they continued their walk to the water in a saturated silence. Troy opened his mouth several times, as if aiming to say something, but then closed, looking embarrassed.

After a few more moments, Sharpay brought up the subject of basketball and a true grin spread on Troy's face. He was talking about it for several minutes, but then paused and looked at Sharpay as if at any moment, she would bite his head off.

"Am I boring you?" he asked, sounding nervous.

"No," she said, keeping a straight face.

"Honestly?" he asked.

Sharpay paused for a moment before saying, "Just a little bit." She grinned at him to try to lighten the mood. Troy took one look at her and looked at the ground again. Instead of turning red, he was steadily turning white, getting paler and paler. Sharpay would have consoled him, but if she as much as looked at him, he might kneel over right there on the sidewalk.

The warm, sun-baked sand felt relaxing under Sharpay's feet. She had removed her shoes two blocks from the house, proving new wedges to be a poor walking choice. Troy had them in his hands, insisting that he carry them, being a gentleman and all.

"Erm…there we are," Troy said awkwardly, pointing to a red-and-white checkered blanket with a wicker basket situated on it, a little ways from the shore. The beach was almost empty, so the colors stuck out against the white sand. Sharpay smiled to herself and followed Troy.

"Here you go," he said, handing her something from the depths of the basket, holding it out to her like it was going to bite him.

Sharpay looked wide-eyed at the glorious thing in Troy's hands: a Hershey's-and-croissant sandwich.

"How did you know I like these?" 'Like' was an understatement.

Troy smiled at her, visibly relieved that she hadn't rejected him yet. "I have my sources."

Sharpay smiled at him and took a bite of the sandwich, instantly transporting her to heaven.

"So," she said, taking another mouthwatering bite, "tell me about yourself." She fixed him with a look.

"What's there to know?" he asked, throwing his arms in the air for emphasis and grinning. He was looking less and less pale now.

"Oh, come on, there has to be more to you then just three-pointers and free throws!"

"Well, there is this one thing…" And he talked about all these fascinating things about him for several minutes, all the while captivating Sharpay so much that her sandwich lay forgotten in her hand. Only when Troy reminded he it was still there did she take another bite, feeling slightly embarrassed.

"What about you?" he prompted, eyeing her.

"Oh, nothing except drama and singing," Sharpay smiled.

"So drama follows you?"

"No, it rides on my back."

"What's that supposed to mean?" he asked.

Sharpay thought for a moment, and then said, "I honestly have no idea."

They both laughed. A firefly flew past them and Sharpay looked skyward and saw a perfectly starry night sky above them. Troy followed her lead and then looked down, looking guilty.

"I'm so sorry I kept you so late, Sharpay," he said, looking at his feet again.

Sharpay put a hand on his shoulder. At her touch, he looked up quickly, looking ghostly. She didn't remove her hand. "It's ok! This was a really fun date. You went to all this trouble just for me? No one's cared about me like that before, Troy." She looked into his eyes.

And before time could betray her, or before Troy could high tail it out of there, she stood up on her toes and kissed him. Troy looked beyond shock, stood frozen there like a permanently surprised statue. Only when she took his hand in hers and half-dragged him to the sidewalk did he stumble behind her, fireflies flying around them.

"See you at school," Troy said when they had reached the Evan's front step.

"Yeah, see you then."

He nervously leaned down and kissed her on the lips. Sharpay reassured him by throwing her arms around his shoulders, which seemed to keep Troy on his feet.

"Yeah, see you then!" Sharpay said giddily, grinning like a villain.

Troy just smiled. Sharpay, with one hand on the dozen roses from earlier and one hand on the doorknob, opened the door and stepped inside, still grinning.

"What are you grinning about?" Ryan asked suspiciously.

"Oh, I'm just happy," she sighed.

Flashback Ends

The present Sharpay located a pen on her side table and scrawled three words on the back of the page in response

'Show me, then'

She put the words 'Troy Bolton' over it. The nurse would take the hint and give it to him, since he always seemed to be wandering around the place, like he was protecting her.

Author's Note: That 'drama rides on my back' is from a Cute is What We Aim For song and the Hershey chocolate on a croissant if from Queen of Babble by Meg Cabot. PLEASE REVIEW!