I owe you guys everything for being so patient. I swear I will not stop until this is done. I hope that my original readers like the changes I've made and I hope my new readers like it as well. You guys rock my world. This one's for you.
…
"Of course you can see your daddy today," Sharpay said softly. Celeste smiled, she hadn't seen her daddy in quite a while. She missed him, along with her grandparents. She missed the way their house smelled, like the candles that they sold in the mall. And she missed the basketball goal.
"And my grandma and grandpa?"
"Oh you know they will be there too," she followed, and then there was a vibration on the table, the iPhone blinked and buzzed
"When can I open up my presents?" Celeste said quickly and with enthusiasm. Her mommy held up a finger and slipped away into the other room. She would do this sometimes when it wasn't "appropriate," as she would say, for Celeste to hear a conversation.
The little girl sat up straight as her mother always told her to do, and as excited as she was to have fun today, she drank her orange juice quietly.
"It's my birthday, it's my birthday," she said setting her glass down carefully like a big girl. There was nothing left on her plate except a pool of syrup. She excused herself from the table and stepped on her tip-toes to put her plate in the sink.
"And I get to see my daddy…" she said quietly, "and my grandma and grandpa. And they're going to get me presents and I'm going to like them."
She jumped up and down with excitement and squealed to herself. She just wanted to see her daddy. She loved her mommy. She loved her mommy's sweet voice, and the way her mommy would bend down to pick her up and put her to bed when she was too tired to walk. She loved their house that was so big for just the two of them.
But she missed her daddy, all the time. And she was so happy that she would get to see him today.
Celeste didn't need music to dance, and being happy made her want to dance. She strutted around the island of their kitchen with one hand on her hip and the other stuck out in the air.
"I want fabulous, that is my simple request, all things fabulous bigger and better and best," she sang the way her mommy did. She did a spin and put her other hand in the air, while half-way skipping around the kitchen and down the hall.
"I need something inspiring to help me get along, I need a little fabulous is that so wrong?"
He was standing on the green lawn, watching the fountain in its endless cycle. Wondering if Gabriella had really just left. One light was on across the yard. It was just him and the night, nobody around to watch him slowly crumble. No one to watch him hurt worse than he ever had. The things she said, the hurtful things, they were true. That's why they hurt.
He wasn't used to feeling this way. Ashamed? Embarrassed?
His attention was quickly interrupted when he heard loud footsteps hitting the concrete sidewalk. He looked around until he saw her, the Ice Princess, walking like she was on fire with hell blazing around her.
His eyes followed her swift steps and he thought what could she possibly know about having a real problem? Just as he was about to call out her attention, he watched her heels give out and she tumbled violently down on the sidewalk.
"Hey," he called out as he started running towards her. As he approached her he held out his hand to help her up. She lay crooked on her knees with her face hiding behind her arm.
"Leave me alone!" she shouted through tears. His immediate concern got stronger when he heard the horrible pain in her voice.
"Sharpay, you're hurt," he said gently. She threw her head up and he saw her tear stained face. She was crying before she fell.
"It's okay," he said bending down to sit next to her. It didn't matter who she was or if they were friends. He held her in his arms and hushed her until she was able to stop crying.
"You'd better go before Gabriella catches you," she hissed.
"Well she's not really talking to me much these days so I'd say it's okay."
Sharpay scoffed, "Little Miss Perfect."
Troy looked around and wondered what time it was. He should be getting home soon, the club was closed. No one was there but the two of them and probably the night guard, if they had a night guard that is. Only one thing was for sure, he didn't want to stay much longer there, with an emotional Sharpay.
"Do you want to have a drink?" Sharpay asked Troy, catching him off guard.
"They don't care," she said standing up. "Come on, I'm not going home like this."
Before he could even react he was following her towards the main building.
"Are we-" he started to ask as he got closer but she was already at the door, disarming the alarm.
The inside of the familiar building was spooky at night, especially when most of the lights were off. It didn't feel the same, every part of him was wanting to go.
The ballroom was so quiet…Sharpay got behind the bar and started grabbing glasses.
"Oh…I don't," Troy mumbled.
"Relax," she said as she began to get out the mixes from the coolers. To his surprise, she didn't look lost. She actually looked like she knew what she was doing.
"You've done this before?" he asked quietly with a stutter. Why was he so nervous? Oh, maybe because his ass was on the line. First of all, he wasn't supposed to be here, second of all this was his boss's daughter.
"I've been to enough galas, charmed enough bartenders. Let's start out with something simple."
She poured the white bottle into a clear glass, only filling it about an eighth of the way for him. She herself, poured about half a glass. Then she quickly spilled cold orange pineapple juice into the rest.
She poured his glass into another glass, back and forth mixing it up.
"Here you go," she said slamming it down in front of him, smiling when he flinched.
She didn't mix her drink, she just gulped it as he watched in awe.
"What is this?" he asked.
"Coconut rum. It's good. Now for banana shots," she said finding a tiny glass and pulling another bottle out from behind her.
Troy warily looked at his glass, he'd never taken a sip of alcohol before.
"There's hardly anything in that," she said holding her shot up in the air.
"Hurry up. I want you to try a banana shot. It tastes like popsicles."
He looked at the glass again, then he closed his eyes. His hand drew the glass up to his lips and he sipped it. The taste. The bitter taste hidden behind the fruity filler.
She laughed at him, maybe because of the way he puckered his lips and cheeks.
"I can't do this," he said putting the glass down. Sharpay downed the shot and grimaced slightly when she swallowed.
"It gets easier. Get drunk, come on."
There was so much…no…there was something missing in her voice. Fear. She wasn't afraid. She didn't care what people thought about her. Even she knew that she was crazy, but at least she belonged to herself.
In a twisted point of view, perhaps he could learn from her.
"I'll try the shot," he said reaching out for a tiny glass.
As prompting and pushy as she was, she cocked her head when he poured himself a shot.
"You might want to finish that first," she said gesturing the rum. "This is a lot stronger. It'll fuck you up fast."
Troy downed it. He almost choked as it sucked the air out of his lungs. Never had he ever tasted something so strong.
"Here," she said handing him a glass of water. He downed it too but he wanted more.
"Let's go back to the coconut rum," she smiled and he nodded. She poured them each another glass, which they both quickly consumed.
After several drinks and a few shots, Troy started to wonder what being drunk felt like, if it would slowly take him or if it would hit all at once. And then it hit him. He could feel the heaviness. There was a lucid piece inside where he knew what was happening, he could hear himself talking inside his mind. But the rest of his body…there wasn't much he could control.
His head would rise up and he heard Sharpay tell him to keep drinking the water, or he would get sick.
…
"I'm so sorry about Gabriella, Troy. She's just a girl though," he thought he heard say.
The boy, so lost in his own head. Maybe she shouldn't have introduced him to the banana shots. Gabriella would be so pissed.
"Sharpay," he said when she laid him down on the ground of the room. He was almost passed out.
"I'm going to call Ryan, he'll come get us."
Again her voice was dampened by the power of his intoxication, but from down on the ground, he had a horrible need to pull her down next to him and kiss her. So he did.
His lips pushed up against hers and she pulled away.
He thought he heard, "Troy, no, no, no…" or something like that.
Damn Sharpay was so hot. She was hot just leaning over him. He couldn't read the expression on her face, he could only see her wobbly silhouette. Even in his state he could feel his flesh reacting to the beautiful woman above him. She was more beautiful than Gabriella ever was.
"Thank you for making me feel better, Sharpay," he mumbled. Hopefully she heard him.
"Thank you, Sharpay. Gabriella-she's doesn't-I love you so much right now. I love you, Sharpay."
And then he with his eyes closed he felt something soft and wet hit his lips, hers. He felt her tongue go into his mouth. They played with each other for what seemed to be all night long. His growing sensations sprouting limbs of their own and he groaned loudly when the teasing became too much for him to continue.
Troy forced himself to swap places with her, he pinned her down on the ballroom floor. Kissing her bare chest, her pink shawl that covered her swimsuit… it somehow got misplaced.
"Hurry!" he commanded as she fumbled miserably with his pants.
"I've always loved you, Troy," she whispered as she ripped off her swimsuit. Her glistening hot cheeks, he knew the throbbing in between her legs was intense as she sat on him. She whimpered lightly and that made him grow even more. He gasped as she mounted herself over his erection, and she whimpered again when her body absorbed him. They groaned and flopped around so clumsily, their heavy bodies fell with almost every thrust. All responsibility had been thrown out the window and that lead to the most ironic ending to any evening either one had ever experienced.
…
Pieces. There were only pieces in the early morning. He remembered the banana shots and the Malibu. He remembered her pulling him inside the building to drink.
Nausea, he remembered getting sick in the middle of the night. And she was there, wiping his face with a cold towel. Ugh, the sickness was still burning his throat.
Never again.
It was 5 AM, there were sitting in his truck.
"I can drive you home," she said with a smile, "Ryan can come get me from your house."
Troy looked at her confused, how did they get here? Pieces…she helped him… she kept pouring him drink after drink….
"You should probably just go," he said feeling around for his car keys which were still in his pocket, thankfully. He ignored the uncomfortable silence that was dawning itself into the early morning air.
"Troy," she started but he didn't even look at her. Gabriella, it was over. Sharpay, he touched her? No…this was turning into a living nightmare. There's no way he would've let that happen, but it happened. The hickies on Sharpay's neck and chest proved it. And her tangled hair. And he could almost smell her perfume on his skin. Oh God, he was going to throw up again.
"Look, Sharpay, I don't know what happened last night and I don't want to know. I quit."
Her mouth dropped open, like she didn't understand. Slowly, she began to get out of the car with a stunned expression still clearly written on her face.
"We made love…" she whispered with the cruelest sadness in her eyes. He felt really bad for her. But he couldn't pretend to be interested and make her think that…whatever this was…that it actually meant anything. The whole thing was the worst mistake he'd ever made. Besides letting Gabriella walk away.
"Stay away from me."
…
The boy. He was gone. He was never there. The boy that was hers for a moment. The happiest moment of her life.
Now he was angry and she was to blame. But he's the one who lied. When she said "I love you," she meant it.
Was she allowed to miss him? Are you allowed miss something you never had, but she felt like he was hers, even if only for a second. He said that he loved her, you can't just say that you love someone and then change your mind the next morning. You just can't do that. Especially when all they ever did was care about you.
This whole thing was so messed up. Every bit of it.
It was over, move on, she would tell herself. Over. Let him go.
It hurt her so much when they would pass each other in the halls. When she had to see him in the classes they shared. Day after day, week after week he just ignored her. If she could only talk to him and explain because she remembered everything that happened that night. She knew that she did nothing wrong except for let him take her virginity.
They were strangers, after one night of being naked inside and out, they were done. She grieved over what happened, she dwelled over what happened. It wasn't just a one night stand, it was a mistake that she would never get back. He was the first and he took it all.
And then it never came. It wasn't late, it was gone. It just stopped and she never even had to take a test to know. And she didn't have any idea of what to do, except hope that some kind of miracle would happen. What that miracle was, she didn't know either. Love was too strong of a word to describe how she felt. All she wanted to do was protect it. She was just too young, too selfish. It wasn't something she was proud of but it was the truth.
It only took a moment for the car to be parked that Celeste unbuckled herself out of her seat. She threw open the door and darted toward the big house.
"Wait for me!" Sharpay yelled at the hyper child, she giggled at the excitement she heard in Celeste's voice,
"No you hurry up, Mommy!"
Sharpay tried to catch up to her before the door opened, but it did just as she took the first step on to the porch.
"Happy birthday!" the woman at the door exclaimed. Lucille, Troy's mother, reached her arms out and Celeste quickly ran into them.
Her grandpa appeared behind the woman as Sharpay finally stood on the doorstep.
"Hey Sharpay, how are you doing?"
"Just trying to keep up with her," she laughed. Jack nodded his head, the sadness in his eyes was masked but still visible.
"What team?" Celeste screamed loudly when her grandpa reached for her.
"Wildcats!" he exclaimed with just as much enthusiasm.
"My little wildcat," Lucille smiled stroking her granddaughter's cheek.
"I want to see my daddy," Celeste said boldly. The two adults in front of her smiled, "He's been waiting for you, too." Lucille was such an amazing grandmother. She always knew how to talk to Celeste and she was there for both of them. Every now and then she would ask Sharpay to let Celeste spend the night. It took a little while for Sharpay to agree but eventually she did. Celeste loved her daddy's family just as much as her mommy's family.
The four of them walked single file down the hallway, Celeste in the front and Sharpay in the back. On her way to Troy's room she looked at the pictures on the walls. Family pictures, school pictures, some going to back when Troy still had that sorry gap. Thank God Celeste didn't inherit it.
Some pictures she could see Celeste in him. Those eyes…they would never erase themselves from her mind. Not when she saw them every single day when she woke up her child.
They stopped in front of the door and Jack picked up Celeste. Lucille pushed the door open.
And then she saw him, the father of her child. The boy she loved all her life.
He lied on the bed with pictures of Celeste on his walls. If he could only see her now, and how beautiful she was.
Sharpay always felt teary when she would drop Celeste off at the Bolton house, but it was a completely different experience when she would come in and see Troy. She tried to avoid it as often as possible, but holidays and birthdays…she never had a choice.
The machines were enough to disturb a little girl but Celeste had known it her whole life. She never knew it to be scary. She was fearless, she knew her Daddy loved her even though she couldn't remember his voice.
"Daddy, it's my birthday," she said to him. He didn't move, he didn't reply as usual.
"His eyes are always closed," she said sadly.
"You know he would wish you a happy birthday if he was awake, baby," Lucille said.
"I know," she said.
Still in Jack's arms, he inched closer to the bed and with Celeste's permission he set her down over the railing.
Celeste touched her dad's hand.
"I wish you would wake up, Daddy."
Every adult in the room used all of their willpower and strength to control their tears. Lucille wrapped her arms around Sharpay while Jack looked on.
Sometimes she wondered what good was his body without his voice, or his ability to tell his daughter he loved her? She had to believe that it was just a season, and that soon he would open his eyes. But it had been years, 4 years since she heard his voice. Since he smiled. Since they sat together under the stars at Lava Springs. The three of them, a family.
So many nights she wondered how much different things would be if that night never happened.
Would they be married?
Would Celeste still be an only child?
All of the what-ifs that humored her restless mind…more than likely, at this point, she'd never know.
…
XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH!