Author Note: First off, very sorry about leaving all my wonderful readers hanging for ages, i keep doing it and it drives me as insane as it does you. I have this story to finish, which i think it almost is, 3 other ones to finish, and about a million i wanna start writing! Plus Uni work but i can cobble something together for that no problem =) joke, i actually do work pretty damn hard at Uni, hence why this is only being updated now. I hope to have the next chapter up before i graduate from University, so fingers crossed!

I want to say thank you to everyone who has reviewed, favourited, put on alert and read this story, and all my others. You guys really keep me writing. Of course, if some of you readers could review a little more i'd be eternally in your debt, but i write for me, so i'd never quit a story because of the lack of reviews.

Okay, so i hope you enjoy this chapter, i quite liked writing it and the song is something i whipped up myself =) sorry it's short but that's the way it goes.

I don't own a damn thing. It sucks.

Chapter 10

Now all I could think about was what she wanted to tell me! She really wasn't doing me any favours. Ryan did his job as decoy again, distracting Kelsi so I could sneak off. The bell had only just rung, but already the school hallways were busy. It took me longer than it usually did to get to the theatre, as it'd had to avoid Taylor, Troy, Martha, Chad and Zeke. I felt like I was playing dodge ball, the amount of times I'd had to dodge, duck, dip, dive and dodge. But even so I still beat Sharpay there.

I dropped my bag on a front row seat and climbed up onto the stage. I always forgot how daunting it was to stand up here and look out into the Auditorium… so many people… I shook my head, trying to clear away the all too familiar butterflies. As I did, I noticed the sheet music on the piano. Had Kelsi left her stuff behind?

With the thought of returning them to her I set about gathering them up, when I realised what song it actually was. A smile formed on my lips as I sat myself at the piano and placed my hands on the keys. I was a little rusty but it didn't matter. I started to play the familiar melody and, now that it was slower, I found I liked it and started to sing along.

"I never knew a heart could break
into so many tiny pieces.
But I saw it was easy
when I did it to you.

I slip and I fall and I can't breathe,
because I know you're around,
I know you still care.
And it doesn't feel right 'cause
nobody loved me like you.

I never knew a heart could break
into so many tiny pieces.
I didn't want it to end
the way that it did."

It was such a beautiful song; too good for a musical… I wanted to go on singing but something stopped me, something told me it was unbelievably personal and I had no right. I'd feel the same if somebody sang one of my songs. It just wouldn't be right.

"It sounds better when you sing it." I turned hastily and shot up off the stool when I saw the blonde walking slowly down the aisle towards me.

"I-I'm sorry, I just wanted to hear it now you changed it."

"And?"

I swallowed hard. "It's much better. It's such a sad song; the music makes it even more beautiful."

Sharpay stopped in front of the stage, her arms folded, looking up at me. I felt strange standing up here, being scrutinised by her, not really sure what to do with myself. She didn't say anything for a long moment, then, "I didn't know you could play the piano."

I let out the breath I hadn't realised I'd been holding. "Uh… yeah." That had been rather an anticlimax. I'd expected something big, something heart breaking, maybe even something witty, I don't know… just not that. It was like we were talking about the weather.

She must have seen the look of confused disappointment on my face because she sighed and let her arms drop to her sides. "I don't know, Gabs! I've never done anything like this before; I don't know what I'm meant to say. There isn't a manual on how to tell someone you love them and can't live without them!"

"You- You love me?"

"Oh. Well maybe it is easier than I thought." She shrugged, a dazzling smile appearing on her face taking my breath away.

"Sh-Sharpay…" She cocked her head and waited for me to go on. "I don't understand." Understatement of the century but the words I actually wanted to use to describe my current emotional state didn't really seem… um… suitable. Although if I didn't get an explanation soon they might very quickly become suitable!

"What do you mean 'you don't understand'? Gabs, I love you! What's so hard to-"

"No."

"No?" She looked as confused as I felt and her smile was slowly slipping away. "What do you mean 'no'? Gabs?"

"I mean… No." She opened her mouth again but I rushed on, determined to try and make her see why it was so hard for me to understand. "I don't get it, Sharpay. And I don't think you do either. I've loved you for so long now that I've forgotten what it was like to not love you. My life before coming to East High… I can hardly remember it. There was just nothing before seeing you for the first time. And what I do remember seems unimportant." I found I was pacing the stage in front of her, gesturing wildly with my arms; I just couldn't keep still any longer. "But you… at first you just use me, play with me like I'm some toy. You get me hot then throw a bucket of ice water on me. You screw around with my head, my feelings! You make me care; make me believe that maybe- just maybe! - I had a chance." I spun back round to face her, ignoring the shocked look on her beautiful face. I strode towards her and crouched until we were level. "I would have done anything for you, I poured my heart out to you, laid it right out there for all to see.

"So what do you do? You build me up some more and then stamp on it, when I least expect it." I straightened up and whirled away from her again. "God! Girls always complain that guys are bad, they don't listen, they're insensitive, dumb cavemen. But girls are so much worse! Everything's a game to you, Sharpay! Well you know what?" I jumped down off the stage and grabbed my bag. "I'm sick of it. Sometimes you can't have it all. Sometimes you have to choose. Now or never, Sharpay," I felt my phone start to vibrate in my pocket. "Cause this is one pawn who's done taking orders." With that I turned on my heels and strode away.

I flipped my phone open. "Hey, Kels. I'm on my way now. And don't worry, I'm fine."

Author Note: So lemmie know what you thought and if any of you have any ideas for maybe a sequel to one of my previous stories, or even a whole new story for HSM, Camp Rock, etc, then please, let me know. Or just send me a first line and i'll see what i can write from that. Anywho, Peace Out XD