Sharpay was staring at the PICU babies through the glass.
What was she doing here?
I hadn't seen or talked to any of my East High friends in over three months. Not since the gender reveal party. I had resolved that they weren't my friends after what happened. This was the last place I'd ever expected to run into any of them again.
"That's Sharpay," I said, "What's she doing here?"
Javier shrugged, tilting his head. "This is a hospital, maybe…." Javier guessed before I stopped him.
"Believe me, this is one department you'll probably never find her in," I responded with a sudden ache in my heart that I knew was for her.
Javier raised a brow, giving me a curious look. "Want to talk about it?"
I glanced in Sharpay's direction for a moment, remembering my promise. I let out a decisive breath and shook my head. "Nah, no need. She has friends to talk to when she's ready."
Javier nodded and asked, "Does that include you?"
I tilted my head. "Huh?"
"Ayden, Chase, and Bridgette," He reminded me. "Not all our friends were always that understanding right off the bat. But that didn't mean we couldn't be friends. Question is, are you willing to give them another chance and help them understand?"
My body slumped, and I shrugged. "She doesn't want to be my friend."
"Doesn't mean you can't reach out and be hers," Javier reasoned. "Maybe it won't be like your friendship with Teagan and Blakely, but she doesn't have to be your enemy either."
Biting my lip, I stared back in the direction Sharpay left. Were we friends? Could they really understand?
I knew Javier had a point, and if I was being honest, I was curious to know why Sharpay was here. If she needed help or someone to talk to, I didn't have the heart to turn away. It wasn't the kind of person I was, and it's certainly not the example I wanted to set for my girls.
Knowing what I should do, I sighed. "If I don't come back alive, it's on your head."
Javier chuckled. "I'll say some nice words at your funeral," He joked.
I scrunched my face at him, pretending to be angry. He only responded with a mischievous smile, and I shook my head with an amused smile. Leaving it to Javier to make me smile in any situation.
Stopping behind Sharpay, I tapped her shoulder to get her attention. "Your heart really goes out to them, doesn't it?"
Sharpay jumped, wiping her head around. She relaxed and smiled when she saw me.
"Gabby, what are you doing here?"
I glanced behind Sharpay at the babies in the PICU. Each one of them looked so fragile and helpless. My heart went out to them and their families.
My eyes stopped on my little girl. A familiar tightness constricted my chest.
Pulling my arm closer to myself, I sighed. "The PICU very quickly becomes a second home when you have a little one in here."
She stared blankly at me, and I let my words sink in. When it clicked, she frowned, avoiding my eyes. Her eyes were sad and worried as she stared at the babies again. It made me wonder if we were still friends.
She finally turned back to me and asked. "How far along were you?"
"26 weeks, nearly 27 weeks," I answered.
We started walking to a nearby bench. "Mind if I ask what happened?"
I shook my head as we took a seat. "Not at all. The best way to put it is I had a not-so-great day with my T.A., and it got the best of me."
Sharpay brows furrowed with a quizzing look. "I thought your T.A. was under control with meds and doctor visits."
I folded my hands in my lap and shifted slightly in my seat. "It was, for the most part, but like with any health condition, you can still have good and bad days."
"I'm gonna take a guess and say other things, like pregnancy, has an effect too," She guessed with gloominess in her voice.
I nodded. "Yup."
She sighed. "Sounds like your life isn't as great or glamorous as we thought."
I smiled. "Not always," I agreed. "But, I have plenty of good days even with my T.A."
"That's good," Sharpay replied, staring at the PICU babies. "Does your daughter have T.A.?"
My smile faltered a little at the thought of my girls. "Yeah, they confirmed it with tests and scans a couple of days after she was born."
"And are you OK?"
"It definitely helps that I was kind of expecting it and knowing she's well cared for," I reasoned, "But there's still that guilt there and, of course, the what ifs."
She nodded. "And your daughter? How is she?"
I smiled at the thought of how tough my little girl was. "She's a tough little girl. My family nicknamed her Dynamo because she had such a determined and firey personality."
We sat in silence for a few minutes. I realized we were only talking about me. I debated if I should ask again. Or maybe she didn't want to talk about whatever it was.
I decided to try again. "So, how have you been?"
Sharpay shrugged. "The same; rehearsing and staring in shows."
I raised a brow, waiting for more. "And dropping by the PICU just to see the babies," I added when there wasn't.
Sharpay's cheeks turned a flashing pick, giving me a sheepish, innocent smile. "These babies could always use more visitors and encouragement. Plus, it's free, so why not?"
I could tell she was avoiding the subject. Chewing on my lip, I questioned if I should press on. If it were me, I'd appreciate not having to talk about a subject I didn't want to. But was that why Sharpay was avoiding the subject? Did she really not want to talk about it, or did she have another to avoid the topic?
Narrowing my eyes at her, I studied her for a long moment. "Want to talk about it?"
She sighed, blowing out a huge breath. "There's nothing to talk about. It is what it is, and nothing can change it. I just have to be OK with it, and I'm working on it."
I could hear the suppressed sadness and shakiness in her voice. She wasn't as OK as she appeared. Something was really bothering her, and I had a pretty good idea what it was.
"You haven't talked to Zeke, have you," I already knew the answer from the look in her eyes.
She fidgets with her ring, tracing the simple design and diamond. Dropping her gaze to her hands, she whispered. "Doesn't matter. It wouldn't change anything."
"My Nanna used to tell us all the time all it takes for anything to matter is for it to matter to even one person," I told her gently. "If it matters to you, then it matters."
Sharpay picked her head up, turning to me, she admitted, "I love Zeke, and I want him to be happy. I just wish I could still be the one to give Zeke what he wants."
Sharpay's voice got lower as she spoke. I could hear the sadness she was trying to hide when her voice started trailing off. I knew the thought of Zeke with someone else really bothered her.
"How can you be sure you can't," I asked, pausing for a long moment. When Sharpay didn't answer, I continued. "Three years ago, I let my fears get the better of me and ended up making everyone's choice for them. It was a mistake that unknowingly turned me into someone I didn't want to be. Don't make the same mistake I did. Let Zeke make his own choice, whatever it may be, and be confident in who you are."
She frowned. "It's easier said than done, though."
I shrugged, remembering the Sharpay I knew in high school. She was so confident and sure of herself. It was what I admired most about her.
"Remember when we were in high school," I reminded Sharpay. "You had so much confidence, and it showed through in everything you did. It was one of the things I admired most about you. What happened to that Sharpay?"
"She got a harsh dose of reality," Sharpay replied sadly. "And it's anything but pretty."
"Reality can be harsh and scary at times," I agreed, shuttering myself at the thought of how harsh and scary reality could get. "But, it isn't always that bad or scary once we face it. Our fears are only as bad as we make them, and having the confidence to face them is half the battle. It took me turning into someone I hated to learn that."
I stood and headed in the PICU nursery, figuring Sharpay could use some time alone. I stopped in front of the door and gripped the handle.
Turning, I gave Sharpay one more piece of advice. "We are capable of so much more than what we believe."
Suddenly, Ryan came racing around the corner right past me, out of breath. "Loan sharks were at Skylar and Aspen's school," He huffed, handing his phone to Sharpay.
A chill ran through me as Ryan's words sank in. "Are they OK," I asked when I found my voice.
Ryan whipped his head around, surprised to hear my voice. "Gabby, you're here? Why? Are you OK?"
"I'm fine," I assured him. "Skylar and Aspen, are they OK?"
Ryan shook his head, still trying to catch his breath. "A couple of the kids were injured, and one was kidnapped. But there's no news on the kidnapped or injured yet."
Sharpay handed Ryan's phone back to him. "I thought the Bolton's paid off the debt?"
"They paid off a small part of it after his Grandparents sold their house in Albuquerque," Ryan explained. "But it was only enough to cover part of the interest. So you can guess what the loan sharks did the moment they got a chance."
Sharpay pulled her phone out. "Call Dad," She told Ryan. "I'm calling Troy to see what's going on."
I was pulling out my phone to call Antonio when Javier came out from the PICU. The look on his face was horror.
Is it Aspen, Skylar, or Britton.
My stomach sank as a feeling of dread hit me. "What's wrong?
