This chapter sucks. Really! Sorry if I disappointed you with this one. Forgive me. I was distracted by the noise of our neighbor when I was doing this chapter. I'll make it up to you.

I don't own High School Musical. Also, I do not own 'Once On This Island' and 'Les Miserables' (musical plays that I mentioned in this chapter).

Hold your questions (with regards to Once On This Island) for the next chapter. ;)

Anyways, this chapter is where Sharpay starts acting weird.

If you like it, please review. Thanks. ;)

"You can't avoid her forever, Troy!" was Gabriella's only sentence for the rest of the week. Troy had been avoiding Sharpay since the 'I swear I'm going to kill you, Bolton' incident. Troy feared for his life, it's Sharpay Evans who told him that and not just a bunch of bullies.

Even bullies are afraid of her. Were his thoughts, reminding him of the day he saw Sharpay spank the heads of three young men who looked like bullying Ryan in the parking lot. She was throwing everything she picks up while screaming at the top of her lungs with 'leave my twin brother alone or I'll kick your asses off at East High you morons' paired with evil eyes. But being the Sharpay Evans everyone knew at East High, she got them expelled after a few days.

Troy sighed repeatedly since Gabriella had been using this line before and after their classes starts. It was a Friday morning and Troy was sitting right next to Gabriella once again. "And I can't cover up for you anymore. You've been sitting right next to me since the day Sharpay told you she was going to kill you." She continued muttering under her breath. "You know I never lied, Troy."

"I know." Troy muttered back. "And I know you're uncomfortable telling 'lies' to Mrs. Darbus, but wouldn't it be much more disturbing if one day you'll find out that I've been murdered by…" he glanced at Sharpay's direction who seemed to be ordering Ryan to write. "her!" and nodded his head towards her direction.

Gabriella merely looked at the Evans' twins' direction, and then turned to Troy. Her eyebrow rose. "Seriously, Troy." She started. "Sharpay? She'll never do that to you. I mean, she'll never actually kill anyone just because of a love letter –"

"It wasn't a love letter. Just a note."

"Fine!" Gabriella exhaled. "A note. Sharpay wouldn't kill you just because of that. Troy, be more sensible, will you?"

"I am being sensible, Gabriella." Troy defended himself. "You know I'm sane. But Sharpay?" he put up his arms in air as if surrendering in the middle of war. "She's insane."

"Yes, Mr. Bolton?" called out Mrs. Darbus. Apparently, his right arm was higher than the other one. Both Troy and Gabriella looked in their teacher's direction, Troy's eyes widened upon seeing Sharpay's dagger look on him, standing beside Mrs. Darbus. He shortly put down his arms. "You volunteered?"

"Uhm…"

"Oh, please. Mrs. Darbus!" Sharpay rolled her eyes while turning to Mrs. Darbus. "Bolton? He doesn't know anything. He's just a stupid basketball headed boy!" she stated as the whole class began laughing at Troy, except for Chad, Taylor, and Gabriella.

"Hey, I'm more than that!" he answered back but was taken aback instantly.

Sharpay shot him another pair of dagger eyes. Her arms crossed. "Really, Bolton? What do you know aside from basketball?" her tone was challenging. When Troy failed to answer at once, a sharp grin formed on Sharpay's lips.

Troy tried opening his mouth but no sound came out so he decided to close it. He looked at Gabriella hoping for help but she just shrugged her shoulders.

"So, any other volunteers?" Mrs. Darbus asked the whole class but no one raised a hand except for Ryan Evans.

"Pick Ryan, Mrs. Darbus." Sharpay almost had the tone that she wasn't demanding. She was smiling excitedly, her hands together as if wishing something to come true.

Mrs. Darbus shook his head. "You've been working together since…ever!" Mrs. Darbus told her and Sharpay nodded.

"That's why it's easier to work with Ryan, Mrs. Darbus."

"No." Mrs. Darbus still shook her head in disagreement. "I want something new for a change, Ms. Evans." She trailed off, looking to Troy's direction. Sharpay and Ryan looked at each other in confusion. "Mr. Bolton, you're paired with Ms. Evans here, while Mr. Evans will work with Ms. Montez."

Sharpay's and Troy's jaw dropped open as they looked at each other's faces. "Him? I can't work with him! Mrs. Darbus, this is a major suicide for my career!" She exclaimed, her arms wide open.

"Now, now, Ms. Evans. I'm sure you'll do better together with Mr. Bolton." Mrs. Darbus told her calmly. "Now, get back to your respected seats." Her tone was ending their discussion. "Next, who will pair with…" she looked at her list.

Sharpay started marching off towards her vacant seat. "YOU ARE NOT IN MY SHOW, BOLTON!" she screamed, pointing her finger to Troy's direction. She sat back on her chair with a thud on her desk as she punched it with her palms.

'What?' Troy mouthed in confusion, to Gabriella who smiled at him. "You look happy. I'm scared with that smile."

Instead, Gabriella continued to giggle. The kind of giggle that Troy knew too well. The kind of giggle that underlines her words. The kind of giggle that silently teases him. Gabriella has always been his best friend. Aside from Chad and Taylor, only Gabriella has the kind of sixth sense when it comes to some matters that he couldn't discuss with Chad.

"Maybe she likes you back." Gabriella concluded. They were at her place right after Sharpay warned him that she would kill him. While Chad and Taylor were busy playing dominoes, Gabriella was preparing snacks for them in the kitchen with Troy.

"Yeah. I'm sure she does." He replied looking at the cookies Gabriella had made. "She likes to kill me!"

Gabriella laughed a bit. "Troy, don't be silly. We both know she wouldn't do that."

"Have you seen her eyes?" he asked her, holding Gabriella in both arms, making her to face him with cookies on her hands. "She has the eyes of the devil, Gabriella. I swear, if I'd stare at her eyes longer, my soul would be rotten right now." His eyes were wide with his own imagination.

Gabriella laughed more. "Troy! Listen to yourself." She suggested. "You just said in that letter -"

"Note."

"- note." She corrected herself as well. "That she has the most angelic face you have ever seen and now you're understating that she's a demon?" she asked him, Troy looked blankly at her. "And would you please let go now? Your grips are becoming tighter by the minute and I don't want to literally die in your arms, Troy."

"Oh." As Troy came to his realization, he let go of his grip to his best friend. "Sorry. I was, uh, carried away."

"That's okay." Gabriella answered as she poured orange juice on each glass and put them all in one tray. "Just be sure to never do that again."

He nodded. "Yes, ma'am." He saluted and they both went into the living room to join Taylor and Chad.

"You really think she likes me?" he asked Gabriella after homeroom as they both walk in the hallway towards their locker area. Gabriella looked lost in thoughts that she missed Troy's words. "Gabriella?" he called to the spaced-looking Gabriella when he noticed she was lost in thought. He snapped a finger on her face.

"Whoa?" she faced him. And before he could say a word, hers came first. "Troy, I think you're dead." She told him and before Troy could ask a question, she pointed her finger to someone. "Again." She continued.

He turned to where Gabriella was pointing. To his horror, he saw Sharpay's angry look. Her eyes were fastened to him and he gulped. "Oh. My. God! My killer." He whispered under his breath. "Let's head back." He told Gabriella and they both made an about-face turn.

"HOLD IT, BOLTON!" Sharpay called out. Both Troy and Gabriella froze in silence, waiting for Sharpay. "Turn around, morons!" she ordered them and they both turned to see her.

"Y-yes?" it was Troy. His voice was trembling. Sharpay raised an eyebrow. "Look, Sharpay. About this morning, I really didn't mean to –"

"Five thirty, at my house!" she cut him off.

"Huh?"

"Are you stupid, Bolton?"

He shook his head.

"Be there on time if you want to save your neck, got that?" her eyebrow still raised, eyeing him dangerously while putting her right hand on her hips.

He nodded in agreement and Sharpay slowly vanished from his sight. And with a great sigh, he turned to Gabriella who hadn't had the chance to say a single word.

"Gabriella." A voice came in from where Sharpay was standing a while ago. They turned to the owner of the voice.

"Ryan." She squeaked to the blonde boy, with his signature hat, standing right in front of them.

He nodded to Troy to acknowledge his presence before turning back to Gabriella. "About our project," he started.

"Oh, I've started researching about the musicale." She said. But I don't have my copy with me. I ran out of ink." She said apologetically.

Ryan nodded. "That's fine. I also have started researching, here." He handed him his own brown envelope. "Well, I need to get going before Sharpay freaks out looking for me. Bye." He told them and with just a smile from Gabriella and Troy, he vanished to where Sharpay had disappeared.

Troy looked at Gabriella, sending her a malicious smile.

Gabriella turned to him. "What?" she asked.

Troy gave her a wider grin.

"Seriously, Troy. What?" she asked, almost bursting into laughter as Troy's grin grew wider on his face. "You look like a retard. Stop it." She informed him jokingly as she took a step ahead of him.

"You like him, don't you?" he teasingly asked her behind her ears.

"What?" she exclaimed as they both made a turn towards their math class.

"You like Ryan!"

Gabriella stopped from walking and faced Troy. "You know, I almost believe that you are a sane person, Troy. But hearing you say those words? I think you're as insane as your precious Sharpay." She told him teasingly and went into their math class.

Troy walked through the gates of the Evans' manor. He was instructed by Sharpay to go to their house by five-thirty that day. Soon as the security guard knew who he was, he opened the iron gate for him to pass. Newly trimmed grass surrounds the cemented driveway he was walking in. It was a European style manor.

"Mr. Bolton?" he butler asked, waiting for him at the entrance door. He nodded. "This way, then." He assisted him as they entered the manor's wide spaced living room. Upon entering the Evans' living room, he felt like he was in a castle. "Lady Sharpay would be joining you in a while." The butler added as two maids dressed in a black uniform with white aprons appeared before the butler. One was holding a tray with chocolate cake, while the other one holds a tray with orange juice.

"Anything more, Mr. Bolton?" the maid who served him with a slice of chocolate cake asked.

Troy shook his head. "N-no. These are fine, thank you."

The two maids, including the butler, went out of the room and headed back to their own chores in the kitchen. Troy was left alone in the living room. He wondered through his eyes. The chandelier was enormous. Just below the grand stairs of the manor, lies a piano.

As much as he hesitated, he went towards the piano and started playing the keys of it. He closed his eyes and hummed to the melody of the piece he was playing. He was lost in deep thoughts. He imagined him and Sharpay together where the sky is of their reach.

"Well, well, well." Came Sharpay's voice behind him.

Troy looked back at her. "Uhm." Was all he could mutter.

"I didn't know you could play a piece, Bolton." Sharpay acknowledge him with a smirk, handing him a piece of paper, while walking towards the carpeted living room. Sharpay grabbed a pillow from the large sofa, put it in the carpeted floor, and sat on it. Troy did the same thing, sitting just across her.

"Les Miserables of Victor Hugo has been picked by my brother as his project with Montez." She told him flatly.

Troy looked at her, unaware of the things Sharpay had mentioned.

"That would be our project." She told him while looking at her own copy.

Troy looked down to the papers he was holding. "Once on this Island?"

Sharpay nodded. "It's a musical." She replied shortly. "Written by Lynn Ahrens, and music by Stephen Flaherty. The musical is actually good. It's a story retelling Hans Christian Andersen's Little Mermaid with a bit of Romeo and Juliet in it." She stopped talking and looked at Troy's amused faced. She frowned at the site of his face. "What's with the shit face, Bolton?" she asked him, her tone changing from informative to irritated.

"Well… Uhm… See…" he uttered words not completing any sentence.

"You don't have any idea of what you've gotten into, do you?" she asked in a tone that she obviously knew what his answer would be.

Troy cleared his throat. "I-it's not that. You see,"

"What?" she cut-in, one eyebrow raised. "See? This is why," she started standing up from where she was sitting. Troy watched her. "I don't like you in my show, Bolton! With you, in this project, will ruin my career!" she almost shrieked.

Troy stood up most immediately; instinctively, he held Sharpay's hands before she could grab anything else and hit it to his face. One almost-broken nose is enough for him for the week, and having his face smashed into pieces is too much to deal with.

"LET ME GO, BOLTON!" she warned him, eyeing him with a pair of sharp eyes.

"No way, Sharpay!" he told her, trying hard to control Sharpay. "An almost-broken nose is enough for the week. And you acting like this sends chills throughout my body." He informed her without really intending to voice it out.

Sharpay's body became calm. "Really?" she asked innocently.

Troy nodded and let go of her hands.

"Good!" Sharpay's evil eyes are back on her face. "Because you really should be scared you moron!" she added through gritted teeth and started to punch Troy's arms which he find so brutal of her. Yet, it was still her punch that touches his very skin.

"Shar…pay!"

"I really, really hate you and you'd be dead before you could even step out of my house you stupid, basketball freak!" she continuously yell at him as punching him harder.

And much to Troy's and Sharpay's amazement, the next minutes they spent together was in complete silence. Sharpay was shocked by the unexpected event that had happened between them. Troy was more in shock at this state.

He was holding Sharpay's hand. Not only that their bodies are close to each other but their lips are as well! They were… kissing! It was unexpected and unplanned. He could feel Sharpay stiffened by that kiss. None of them knew how they ended up kissing each other.

After a minute or so, Sharpay pushed Troy away and unintentionally, kicked his groin. He was on the ground, holding his manhood in agony.

"Y-you…" Sharpay pointed a finger on Troy. She scratched her head irritably and went to Troy's side. She helped Troy up to his feet and made him sit on their sofa. "You know, that's what you get for being a pervert!" she told him, but Troy was too weak to speak for himself. "MARTHA! JEFFRY!" she called to their household helpers who ran to her call out.

The fourth rule was then born and it says: Never try shutting up Sharpay with a kiss. (Or else, say goodbye to your precious manhood).

I got my nose almost broken by Sharpay and now this. What's next? Troy asked himself, still holding his manhood in the middle of his suffering.

Just something to share: I was once a part of the play Once On This Island in our school two years ago so I mentioned it here since I was reminiscing my theater life the night I was also doing this chapter. ;) And Les Miserables was the first musical play I have watched (not in Broadway, though) back when I was in high school. ;)