Chapter 7: Troy Finally Understands
(This chapter picks up right after the last chapter. The song lyrics and some scenes from chapters 1 and 3 are also going to be in this chapter as well. I might add or reword some of it.)
Father Time and Troy appear right in front of the entrance to East High School. This happens to be where their relationship came apart. Troy looks around and sees that Sharpay is also standing at the entrance to the high school. (This is earlier in the day before the wish and the party.) He sees that Sharpay is looking at something in her hands. He goes over to her and looks over her shoulder and sees that she is looking at the last photograph that they ever took together before things got complicated.
Troy, confused walks over to Father Time. "Umm…Father Time?"
"Yes?" Father Time asks.
"Sorry to that I am asking you so many questions, but why are we in front of the school? And why can I see Sharpay? Is she able to see us?" Troy asks feeling very confused.
"Answer to all of your questions. First of all, we are here because this takes place before Sharpay made her wish for you. She was here earlier today and so we are actually seeing her right after she left her house. She had spoken to her brother, Ryan earlier which led her to coming here. She was here to think about her past and you were a huge part of her past. No, Sharpay isn't able to see or hear us, as she was alone when this happened."
"I thought that I was going to see things through her eyes?"
"You are going to see things through Sharpay's eyes. But you are to be going to do that by watching from a distance."
"Then how can I understand, if I'm not actually seeing it through her eyes?"
"Troy listen to me when I say this because you don't really have to be inside someone's mind or body to be able to see things through their eyes. You can do that simply just by watching them from a distance. Seeing how they react to certain events or see the pain that enters their hearts. As well as seeing how their reactions to it."
"Okay." Troy says.
"Now in order for you to truly understand, you have to really be paying attention this time around. Because I can tell that you weren't really paying attention the first time around when the Ghosts of Past and Present showed you some of these flashbacks. This time please pay attention to Sharpay. For this is her past, her present you already know some of it."
"Alright." Troy answers.
"Good. Are you ready to begin?" Father Time asks, while looking at Troy. Who nods his head in agreement. "Now listen…"
(Sharpay is outside her former high school)
Sharpay had left her childhood house after talking to her twin brother Ryan. She arrives at East High, where in beginning she thought that things between her and Troy wouldn't change until they did in the end. She never thought that things would have gotten so bad until she had to force herself to look at everything that had happened.
(Sharpay pulls out the picture that she has of her and Troy. It was the last one that they had ever taken. She sees how happy they were and begins to wonder again where it all went wrong. So she begins to sing a song she heard from a movie a long time ago. )
Here I stand alone
With this weight upon my heart
And it will not go away
('Funny how this part was always true'. Sharpay thinks while continuing to sing.)
In my head I keep on looking back
Right back to the start
Wondering what it was that made you change
It's the first day of High School: Freshman Year
(two months before Sharpay breaks up with Troy)
Sharpay Evans walks into the school along with her twin brother Ryan. She sees her boyfriend Troy of four years talking to some guy with afro hair (Chad).
"Ry, can you believe that we are now freshman in high school?" She asks excited because she is already planning her high school future.
"Yeah! Come senior year you and Troy are going to be homecoming royalty as well as prom royalty!"
"I know! Oh there he is I'm going to go and talk to him. I'll see you later at lunch ok?" She says hugging her twin brother.
"You know it, but we have the same homeroom. I'll just wait for you and Troy." He says once he sees how big the school is and not wanting to get lost.
"Okay, let me go and get Troy." She says and walks over to the lockers where Troy and Chad are talking. She sneaks up behind Troy and covers his eyes. "Guess who?"
"Well it can't be my mom or dad. So it has to be my amazing and beautiful girlfriend!"
"Great guess and you win a kiss". They kiss and she sees Chad standing there. "Hi my names Sharpay," she says extending her hand to greet him.
"Chad nice to meet you," he says rudely when Sharpay was just being nice and friendly. "But do you mind Troy and I have a lot to catch up on. Being as we are going to be co-captain of the varsity basketball team."
Sharpay looks up at Troy wondering why he is just letting Chad some guy who she has never met before talk to her like that. (He and Chad met at basketball camp over the summers while Sharpay was away with her family on vacation. He just didn't think that Chad would ever come between them and he would end up losing Sharpay forever. ) Troy just looks between the two not knowing what to do but little did he know at the time that Chad was planning to break him and Sharpay up. With that Troy and Chad leave to class leaving Sharpay behind hind. Not knowing what had just happened.
Ryan goes over to his sister seeing the whole thing. "You ok sis?"
"I don't know what just happened?" She says as the bell rings for class. With that said they leave for class. Never knowing that in just two months Troy and her would be over. "I don't know. I'm not even sure about what just happened." She says as the bell rings for class. With that said they leave for class. Never knowing that in just two months Troy and her would be over.
Well I tried
But I had to draw the line
And still this question keeps on spinning in my mind
That was the beginning when things between her and Troy changed or more like he changed. He Started missing dates and ignoring her at school. It continued for two months until she finally had enough. Or when she called wondering where he was as it was their four year anniversary.
Sharpay is at the movie theater waiting for Troy to arrive. He was supposed to be there 3 hours ago. So she calls his house and his mom answers the phone.
"Hello Bolton residence." Troy's mom Lisa says answering the phone.
"Hi Mrs. Bolton its Sharpay. I'm wondering is Troy there?"
"Oh hi Shar. How are you honey?"
"Good and you?"
"Good, oh but honey Troy isn't home he went to a party at Chad's house and won't be back home until later. Do you want me to tell him that you called?"
"No that's ok I'll just try his cellphone. Thank you though." With that said she hangs up the phone. Lisa just looks at the picture of Troy and Sharpay. Troy has his arms around Sharpay and they are both smiling happy. Lisa and Sharpay's mom Linda (they have been friends since they were kids) had a dream of Troy and Sharpay getting married one day. Little did they know that would never happen.
After getting off the phone with Troy's mom she calls Troy on his cellphone. Only it wasn't Troy who answered though but it was Chad who answered Troy's phone that fateful night.
"Don't you know he's busy having a life without you?" He just says right away without saying hello. (Troy doesn't know about any of this yet)
"What do you mean? He was supposed to meet me here at the movie theater for our anniversary."
"Oh you mean he didn't tell you?"
"Tell me what?"
"He decided that he doesn't want to be with you anymore. Plus he told me that he was never in love with you. In fact he is making out with this really hot cheerleader right now?"
"What?" Sharpay asks trying to keep her tears from falling out of her eyes.
"Yeah here hold on and I'll send you a picture." With that said Chad hangs up the phone. But a few seconds later Sharpay sees the picture with her own eyes.
She then calls Ryan to have their mom come and pick her up at the movie theater. She ends up leaving there that night with a broken heart.
That evening she makes the choice to end things with Troy. So she calls Troy only to get his voicemail this time and leaves the most painful message in her life.
"Hey you reached Troy leave a message after the beep and I'll try and get back to you as soon as I can."
"Hey Troy, it's me Sharpay. Listen I've been thinking lately and I think that it's time that we end things between us." She hangs up and lies down on her bed crying. Ryan having been there through the whole thing stays there holding her in his arms. Listening to her cry her eyes out until she finally falls asleep.
What if I had never let you go
Would you be the man I used to know
(Sharpay knew that when she made that phone call her heart was going to break even more, but she had always thought that Troy only needed time. And that he would come back to her and be the man or boy in this case that she fell in love with. That never happened though as this choice was a choice that stayed that way until she met her husband. )
If I'd stayed
If you'd tried
If we could only turn back time
But I guess we'll never know
That evening she makes the choice and calls Troy only to get his voicemail and leaving the most painful message in her life.
"Hey you reached Troy leave a message after the beep and I'll try and get back to you as soon as I can."
"Hey Troy, it's me Sharpay. Listen I've been thinking lately and I think that it's time that we end things between us." She hangs up and lies down on her bed crying. Ryan having been there through the whole thing stays there holding her.
"Ry, what did I ever do wrong?" she asks with tears in her eyes.
"You did nothing wrong Pay. Troy made the mistake and now he has to pay the price. He is losing a wonderful girl." Ryan says as Sharpay goes on to crying her eyes out.
"I hope that he will come back to me someday Ry, but as of right now I need to change. I need to make sure that my heart never gets broken by another guy like this again. I don't know if I could take it next time." with that said Sharpay cried herself to sleep that night with Ryan beside her.
(Sharpay who is now walking away from the high school enters to the part. Back when they were in Middle School after getting out of school. A place where she felt happy whenever she and Troy were together. She sits down on the bench and takes out the picture and touches Troy's face.)
'What if I had stayed a little bit longer? Would he had changed if I just given him another chance? Would he go back to the start to fix things between us? Does he ever miss me?'
Many roads to take
Some to joy
Some to heart-ache
Anyone can lose their way
(Life from there on changed after that night. Sharpay and Troy both went their separate ways. She ended up changing into the drama queen or the ice queen as Chad likes to call her. She did that so that no one else would ever get close enough to break her heart again. She didn't think that she would be able to heal it a second time. )
The next day at school her and Ryan entered the school and saw Troy. He is talking to Chad. (He hasn't heard the message yet. But he will later that evening) As Sharpay sees Troy; she just ignores him and goes to her locker to get her books for homeroom which is drama. Ryan in the meanwhile glares at Troy because he broke his sister's heart.
Troy having just recovered from seeing Sharpay walk past him tries to go after her only to be held back by Chad.
"Leave her be man. You know how girls are and plus you have us now." Chad said while giving Troy a fist bump.
"Yeah ok, I'll just meet up with her later I guess. " With that he and Chad head through the same doors that Sharpay and Ryan entered.
(Sharpay begins to walk away from the park and walks to the Bolton house.)
(Life moved on for both Troy and Sharpay. She managed to get into the Drama Club with Ryan and became co-presidents. Two years later Sharpay saw something that broke her heart all over again. She sees Troy and Gabriella (who has moved there in January). Sharpay saw Troy putting a necklace around Gabriella's neck. It was the same necklace that he had given to her after their first date. When he had asked her to be his girlfriend.)
Junior Year:
Two years later right before leaving the summer for summer vacation. Sharpay saw something that broke her heart all over again. She sees Troy and Gabriella standing by the lockers.
"Oh thank goodness it's finally summer Ry." She said in a happy voice.
"I know! No homework and No school for two whole months." Ryan says.
"I know ri…" Right before she could finish her sentence she as saw Troy putting the T necklace around Gabriella's neck. However before Troy or anyone else could see her, Sharpay runs out of the school with Ryan following right behind her having seen what had upset her. Once she gets into Ryan's car and the tears start to fall from her eyes.
Ryan takes them home and he holds her in his arms while they are inside of their house. She is once again crying her eyes out over Troy Bolton.
"Ry, how could he just give her the necklace that he got me after our first and asked me to be his girlfriend?"
"I don't know Shar."
"I wish that I never even met him." She said once they were in Ryan's car and he was driving them home.
"Surely you don't really mean that do you?"
"I do and I can't believe that I wasted so many tears on him."
"Shar, I say this to you out of love ok?"
"I know."
"Then you know that it's his lost. And one day he is going to wake up and realize that he lost you. But by the time he realizes that it's going to be too late and you would've found a guy who is going to treat you like a queen."
(While at outside of the Bolton house she thinks back to the day she left for college. The very same day where she saw Troy again for what would be the last time. Or at least that is what she thought ten years ago.)
And if I said that we could turn it back
Right back to the start
Would you take the chance and make the change
Do you think how it would have been sometimes
Do you pray that I'd never left your side
Junior and Senior Years of High School passed and before anyone knew it Sharpay and Ryan leaving for College. Sharpay had gotten into Yale law and Ryan had gotten into Julliard their dream schools, while Troy on the other hand had been drafted for the MBA. While driving Sharpay sees the Bolton house, a house that she knew well. Her parents where still friends with the Bolton's. Every time her parents had gone out to dinner with the Bolton's, she would always not be up for it or come up with an excuse and one excuse being that she did want to be around Troy. But her parents understood and decided never to push her knowing that she was still healing a broken heart. Jack and Lisa understood as well and even though they were disappointed they however knew that she needed time to heal. Troy in the meantime had always wondered where she was and how she was doing. But her parents would always tell him that something else came up.
(Troy had been standing outside his house knowing full well that today was the day that the Evans' twins were leaving for college. He remembered hearing around school that Sharpay had gotten into Yale law and Ryan Julliard and were going to be leaving a few days after graduation. So when he sees Sharpay driving and looking at his house he waves goodbye to her. Only to see that she turns her head back to road and ignoring him.)
What if I had never let you go
Would you be the man I used to know
If I'd stayed
If you'd tried
If we could only turn back time
But I guess we'll never know
Her parents where still very good friends with the Bolton's'. Every time for the past three year her parents went out for dinner she would always not be up for it. Not really wanting to be around Troy. Her parents understood and decided not to push her knowing that she was still healing a broken heart. Jack and Lisa understood as well and even though they were disappointed, but they knew that she needed time to heal. She still kept in touch with Troy's parents or actually his whole family. Everyone in his family was her second family and they always loved her. Troy had always wondered where she was and how she was doing. But her parents would always tell him that something came up.
The real reason why she never went was because she couldn't be around Troy. Without looking back at the memories before being painfully reminded that they we're not together anymore.
If only we could turn the hands of time
If I could take you back would you still be mine
(Troy's House)
Now here they are ten years later and Sharpay now being married to Brian they are at the Bolton's house. Where his parents are hosting a party to celebrate Troy's MBA career. After a few hours and catching up with Troy's parents who still love her as their own daughter, she goes up the stairs to Troy's old room and sees an old photograph of the two of them on the floor. She sees a candle on Troy's desk and lights it while saying:
"Troy my wish for you this year is the miracle of understanding." With that said and done she blows out the candle and put the book down on the bed.
(She Flashes back to that phone she made when she had enough of Troy ignoring her. )
"Hey Troy, it's me Sharpay. Listen I've been thinking lately and I think that it's time that we end things between us." She hangs up and lies down on her bed crying.
'Cos I tried
But I had to draw the line
And still this question keep on spinning in my mind
(With that said and done she blows out the candle and goes back downstairs to find her husband. After returning to her husband's side, she looks around and there she finally sees Troy standing in the middle of the room there by himself. )
What if I had never let you go
Would you be the man I used to know
What if I had never walked away
'Cos I still love you more than I can say
No matter how much time had passed by Sharpay always loved Troy. A part of her heart still held on for hope that one day he would find her and sweep her off her feet. That night after coming back from the Bolton's party and talking to her husband.
(Sharpay dreams as she flashes back to every joy and heartache of her relationship with Troy. Knowing even though she ended things she still loved him. She wanted what was best for them both and for them to be happy. )
If I'd stayed
If you'd tried
If we could only turn back time
But I guess we'll never know
We'll never know
'What if I had stayed and worked things out would Troy still be the man I fell in love with.' She thinks as she dreams. 'I guess I'll never know what could've been we can't mess with time. I only wish him the best in life.'
(After Sharpay finishes singing)
Father Time looks at Troy and asks, "Now do you understand?"
"Yes, I understand."
"Do you now understand that no matter how many times you hurt her that she still loved you with all her heart?"
"Yes." Troy says with tears in his eyes.
"Just know before I ask you this I think you deserve to know this. No matter how many times you hurt her. She really did still love you with all of her heart. Sharpay wanted you to have the best life after what happened. But instead you turned into an even bigger idiot than you were in high school. You just let her slip away."
"I know."
"Now what is your decision? Do you want to turn back time? Do you want to make sure she never leaves your side?"
"Yes." Troy says, but before Father Time can continue, "Last question, who are you?"
Father Time takes off the hood revealing to be ….
"Oh my…" Troy starts saying shock realizing who Father Time was.