69Disclaimer: I do not own High School Musical
Inner Strength
"You foul, evil, nasty little bitch!"
Sharpay started out of her careful examination of all the available sliced cheeses ('The recipe calls for Cheddar but the Colby's on sale,') at the sound of her grocery cart being slammed into the nearby refrigerating unit. Along with the other cheese contemplating patrons, Sharpay looked up in alarm to see who would cause such a scene and why on Earth they had picked Sharpay's cart to send decimating the store display cases.
"You ugly, conniving, man stealing whore!"
Sharpay's stomach clenched when she finally saw who was shrieking but her disciplined acting practice allowed her to keep her face pleasantly composed. "Oh, hello Gabriella."
"Oh no, don't you 'Oh, hello Gabriella' me!" She spat, raising her voice to a squeak in a mocking imitation of Sharpay's greeting.
Sharpay sighed. "Fine then, what would you have me say? Hey there you big fat cow?" She heard a woman behind the bread rack give a subdued 'guffaw' at this comment as Gabriella sucked in a shocked gasp. Sharpay kept her voice as pleasant as ever but the venom was blaring in her eyes and she readied herself to stand her ground.
"How dare you?" Gabriella gasped, as though she herself hadn't just been firing insults as if they were pieces of potato in a fully loaded, ready to fire potato gun.
"No!" Sharpay bit back, interrupting Gabriella from any further comment. "No, you know perfectly well you and I are not to be talking. Your little issue is between you and Troy. I don't want to have anything to do with you." Sharpay turned and refocused her attention on the cheeses, actively searching for the Colby again.
"My issue?" Gabriella laughed. "Do you really think that Troy is going to abandon his child? Do you really think that he is going to still be with you in a few months time when this thing has squeezed itself out of my vagina and starts screaming at the top of its lungs for its daddy? How is that not your problem?"
Without turning to look at her rival, mostly for fear of showing her insecurities in her face, Sharpay calmly replied, "That right there is a different issue entirely. And that issue is between me and Troy. It does not involve you, therefore I will not be discussing the matter with you. Now, if you truly want to get this thing resolved, why don't you cooperate with any of Troy's requests and leave me alone?" With that Sharpay grabbed her cheese and walked away hoping that Gabriella wouldn't follow.
She wasn't so lucky.
With her heals clicking away, Gabriella scampered after Sharpay. Catching up to her in the checkout aisle, she leaned over and whispered menacingly in her ear, "You think you're different from me, but let me tell you something. You and me? We're the same. Which means that I have no problem doing whatever it takes to get rid of you. And when I say whatever it takes, trust me, I mean it." And with a meaningful look, Gabriella slowly backed up and walked away leaving Sharpay in line nursing a racing heart.
"No! No, no. No. Gabby, will you just listen to me?" Troy pleaded pathetically into the phone.
Sharpay looked up from her coffee to where Troy was sitting on the couch. His back was too her but she knew his face was currently contorted into a frustrated combination of gloom and irritation. She blew on her coffee lightly, pretending not to listen in on his conversation though she made no move to leave.
"No, I don't think I'm being unreasonable, I just want to take a paternity test before we make any other rash decisions….no that isn't supposed to be a slight on your private life….I don't think you understand, Gabby, even if that child is mine, I'm not getting back together with you. In fact, I believe we'll be having a pretty hefty custody battle, if that really is the case…..No, I said if the child is mine….YES, I'm still with Sharpay! What does that have anything to do….No! No, no, no, Gabby! Have you heard anything I've been saying?..."
Troy sighed in exasperation and stood to begin pacing the room, once more. Sharpay smiled to herself, proud of Troy's strength. Slowly, careful not to spill her coffee, Sharpay returned to the bedroom and closed the door quietly behind her, leaving Troy to finish battling this out with Gabriella.
'You've reached the automated voice message system of…Sharpay Evans…Please leave your name, number and a brief message after the beep. Thank you…
Sharpay, you should have answered your phone. If you know what is best for yourself, you will stop putting stupid, selfish, abhorrent idea's into our little Troysie's head. I know you are the mastermind behind this paternity test thing and I'm not going to stand for it. If you still want your face to be pretty for the camera's, I suggest you stop talking to him. Oh yeah, and one more thing, I hear you and Troy want to raise my baby. Well, let me tell you, if that in any way turns out to be the case, then I promise you, there will be no baby for you to raise.'
Troy sat in appalled silence after listening to the message left by Gabriella. Sharpay watched his reaction expectantly, but he didn't say anything. He just sat in stony contemplation, his brows furrowed and his arms crossed. Then, all at once, his entire demeanor changed. He leaned forward eagerly, his elbows on the table, his hands grasping Sharpay's as his features pleaded with her.
"God, Sharpay. I am so sorry," he implored. "I never meant to drag you into this. I mean, Jesus," he sighed to himself and, letting go of her hands, dropped his head into his outstretched arms in defeat, "I completely understand if you want to just pack your things and leave me. You should not have to deal with this."
Sharpay, smiling a sad smile and placing a comforting hand on Troy's shoulder, softly replied, "I already made my decision a long time ago. I'm afraid you're stuck with me." Troy's head shot out of his arms and he looked up in surprise. "But for the mean time," Sharpay continued, making an effort to sound stern, causing Troy's elation to quickly slip from his face, "you, sir, have to buck up and learn to take the heat! Because if we're going to win a custody battle, we'll need some tougher skin and a really good defense. Of course, I have a sneaking suspicion this message might possibly work to our advantage."
"But, Sharpay, this is a human life we'll be responsible for. It's something bigger than us and our stupid bickering. It will make us a true family."
"And don't you think we'll make a gorgeous family? Look, Troy, even though this baby isn't mine, I promise you I'll love it with all my heart. It deserves a stable home and a caring family and parents who don't threaten to kill it just to get what they want. And I'm pretty sure we can provide that."
"But–"
"We need to provide that."
"I–"
"And this way, I won't have any stretch marks!"
Reluctantly, Troy allowed himself to chuckle quietly. Finally giving up his dispute, he nodded, breathing in a visible sigh of relief. Leaning forward, he gave Sharpay a soft kiss and whispered, "Thank you," before collapsing back in his chair with the heavy air of one who's been beleaguered to his breaking point.
Sharpay nodded, still watching Troy intently. Then, in almost an accusatory tone, she said, "But, seriously, Troy? That girl is insane." Troy laughed. "No, I mean that girl is, like, clinically insane."
Troy met Sharpay's intense gaze with weary eyes. "Yeah," he said with a sigh. "That surprised me, too."
Troy opened his eyes suddenly as if a sharp noise had woken him up. He lay still and listened into the darkness, wondering what it could have been. But the seconds quickly ticked by and the only noise he heard was Sharpay's shallow breathing right beside him. He looked over at her lovingly as she slept, her mouth slightly open, her arm thrown at an odd angle above her head. Forcibly releasing the tension that had been building up in his shoulders, he took in a deep breath and closed his eyes, hoping to catch a few more hours of sleep before he had to go to work.
Buzz. Buzz.
Troy's heart sank into his stomach, a ubiquitous sense of foreboding clouding his thoughts and weighing on his chest, constricting his once normal breathing. He opened one eye and looked over onto the night stand where his phone was positioned in front of Ryan's portrait, next to the alarm clock with its green numbers persistently announcing the time. The main screen on the phone was lit up bright and the alert light on top was flashing urgently. Troy watched it dance across the table from the ringer's intense vibrations. The tension in Troy's shoulders immediately assaulted him once more and the recently relentless pinch in his neck made itself known. Troy winced slightly at this sudden barrage of pain.
With a heavy sigh he carefully sat up and pushed the blankets away being sure not to disturb Sharpay out of her still peaceful sleep. He grabbed the phone off of the nightstand, silencing it as he did so, and hastily stumbled into the living room, carefully closing the bedroom door behind him, before answering the phone.
"Gabby, why are you calling me so late?" he hissed into the receiver.
But instead of hearing words, he could only make out the short, harsh gasps of air from someone unable to control their breathing for crying. Troy sank down into the couch, his heart sinking even lower than it already was.
"Gabriella?"
"Troy?" She sobbed. "So-something's wr-wrong."
"With the baby?!" He asked, alarm and worry washing through him in thick, unbridled waves.
"Pl-please, help." And with that, she broke down into a fresh onslaught of tears.
Troy's pulse hammered in his temples, his hands shook uncontrollably. He couldn't see straight and his mind created a constant torrent of worst case scenarios – car accident, alcohol consumption, miscarriage – all admittedly detrimental to the baby.
"Troy?" Gabriella asked in response to Troy's silence.
"Oh, right! Where are you? I'll be right there!"
Troy ran to the front door, yanked on his boots, grabbed the keys and sprinted down the apartment complex hallway, all while Gabriella slowly managed to choke out which hotel she was staying at. Just inches away from a full blown panic, Troy hung up the phone in order to fully focus his remaining attention on his driving.
'Speed limit, ten and two, Renaissance hotel, speed limit, ten and two, Renaissance hotel…'
In an effort to stay calm, and to keep his mind off of what could possibly have gone wrong, Troy created a sort of tribal chant in his head to keep himself safe and on track.
'…speed limit, ten and two, Renaissance hotel…'
With hardly any recollection of his stressful drive to Gabriella's hotel, Troy didn't stop his methodical chanting in his head until his hand firmly knocked upon the cold, heavy door. He stood stock still, breathing heavily as he anxiously awaited the door to be opened. He sensed the apprehension that had popped up when he first opened his eyes and had been lurking just beneath the surface ever since. As he was waiting in the overwhelmingly silent hallway, he could feel this unease still congealed thickly in the pit of his stomach. And with it came his fear for the baby, forcing its way to the front of his mind where he became all too aware of how long he'd been waiting for Gabriella to open the door.
Unable to stop himself, Troy pounded heavily on the door with the heal of his hand, the panic rising like bile in his throat. "Gabriella! Open the door!"
Finally, Troy heard the latch to the door snap and saw the handle slowly turned. The door opened a crack but Troy was too anxious to wait any longer. He grabbed hold of the handle in one hand and pushed fiercely with his other to barrel his way into the room. Surprised, Gabriella gave a squeak but quickly moved aside to let him in, closing and bolting the door behind her.
"Gabriella, for God's sake, what's wrong?" Troy asked, his voice rising despite himself. He searched her face but was completely thrown by what he saw. There were no traces of tears, her make-up was perfectly done, the mascara both in tact and dry. Her eye's weren't blood-shot or weary. In fact, she'd rarely looked better. Her features were serene, her expression dreamy.
"Gabriella?" Troy asked, still nervous, but no longer for the baby.
"Thank you for coming so quickly."
Troy looked furtively around the room. The heavy, flowery-fabric curtains were drawn and only one lamp was on, casting the room in overbearing shadows. The bed was perfectly made and not one personal item or piece of luggage could be found within the small space. It was as though Gabriella hadn't actually been living in this room for the past few weeks.
"Please, sit." Gabriella trilled in her adolescent voice as she indicated the desk chair that was set out in front of the television. Troy sat, entranced by Gabriella's tranquility though slightly aware of his rapidly beating heart.
"I've been giving our situation a lot of thought lately. It is quite a difficult position that you have put me in and I wanted to be sure to handle it properly."
Gabriella started to pace up and down the small entryway, never turning her back on Troy. This was the first time Troy noticed that she had somehow squeezed her undoubtedly swollen feet into stiletto pumps. She moved slowly, carefully, keeping a fervent gaze on Troy's face, with one hand resting naturally on her swollen belly and the other on her lower back, balancing her front-heavy frame and taking some of the strain off of her spine.
"You see, Troy, I want you back. But I can see that you aren't willing to leave that twig, and that's just not going to work for me. So, and I truly regret this, but I feel there is only one option left for us."
Gabriella stopped pacing and Troy registered a malicious gleam in her eye. Thoughts were racing through his head, appearing only long enough to be recognized before disappearing with a new image to take its place. Sharpay laughing happily, his clean, comfortable apartment, his mahogany work desk, his close group of friends, all the things that he loves most.
Troy's blood flowed fast and hot in anticipation for what was to happen next. He jumped out of the chair just as Gabriella whipped her hand out from behind her back and, this time with real tears, whispered, "Goodbye Troy," as she pulled the trigger on a Jericho 941 F nine millimeter handgun.
Lunging forward, Troy gasped as a very angry mouth bit into his chest knocking him back a couple of steps and chewing up his insides. He felt the blood drain rapidly from his face, instantly making him sick as his lung burned like a blazing fire. Looking down he saw his shirt dripping with blood and it took him a moment to realize that it was dripping with his blood. He dropped to his knee, gasping for a breath that refused to come, his vision rapidly going dark. He had only one word left on his lips.
"Sharpay"
Sharpay woke at the sound of her name. Looking up, she saw Troy sitting on the edge of the bed, smiling down at her. "Morning love."
Sharpay smiled. "Troy, what are you doing? Aren't you supposed to be at work?"
"Oh, I'll be leaving in a little bit. I just needed to let you know that I love you. I love you with all my heart."
Sharpay furrowed her brows accusingly. "Troy? What's going on? Why do you look so sad?"
But Troy didn't respond. He stood, gave her one last, intense gaze, and walked out of the room. Sharpay watched as he slowly closed the door, leaving her in darkness.
"Sharpay"
Sharpay jerked awake, sitting up straight in bed, her heart racing and her mind reeling.
"Troy?" She was sure he had called her name. She looked over and saw that the bed was empty, the sheets in a tangled mess. "Troy?" Looking at the clock, Sharpay saw that it was still early. He couldn't possibly have gone into work yet. Sharpay sat in the silent darkness for a few more minutes, waiting for her breathing to return to normal and her heart to stop pounding. But her nerves were too on edge with the faint memory of a dream lingering somewhere beneath her consciousness. A dream that was now causing her stomach to clench in a menacing unease.
Sharpay stood quickly and grabbed her robe that she had thrown haphazardly across her armchair the previous night, wrapping it tightly, comfortingly around her. Putting on her fluffy slippers, she padded silently into the darkened living room, listening for any sound of life, absentmindedly noting that Troy's boots were no longer sitting by the front door. Sharpay's stomach gave another lurch and she ran into the empty bathroom to spill its little remaining contents. This had lately become an unusually frequentl act, though tonight it seemed to be much more significant.
Breathing deeply, Sharpay wiped off the light film of sweat that had gathered on her forehead and hastily brushed her teeth, eager to rid her mouth of that horrid taste. Then, stepping back into the living room, she shuffled over to the couch and sat down uneasily, negative thoughts racing through her head.
Hoping to find some comfort in mindless noise, Sharpay reached for the nearby remote that was lying next to Troy's mug of unfinished tea and flipped on the television.
'The gunman, or gunwoman I should say, was taken into custody just about ten minutes ago. Guests in the room next to this Gabriella Montez had called the authorities immediately after hearing the gunshot. She was found sitting on the bed, near the body of the victim, with a fake five-month pregnancy belly placed next to her. No other object was in the room. Authorities are still looking for the weapon.
Sharpay looked up in alarm to see a news reporter standing in front of the Renaissance hotel. The flashing lights of police cars and ambulances could be seen reflecting off of the face of the building and there was a barricade of people, all still in their night clothes, watching as the police set up caution tape all around the entrance.
'The victim of this fatal shooting has been identified as,' the reporter paused to look at her notes, 'Troy Nathaniel Bolton. His body has been taken to St. Mary's Medical Center. St. Mary's has asked for a close relation of Mr. Bolton's to formally identify the body…'
Sharpay sucked in a harsh breath. She continued to stare at the screen in a sort of trance but she could no longer hear the reporter. A deep, powerful sense of despair had quickly filled her, penetrating to her very soul and momentarily crippling her senses. This was a sadness that was so deep she would never truly be able to get rid of it, instead having to learn to survive every day, feeling its effects.
But something else had managed to creep in, along with the despair. Something that only a minute portion of her mind was currently aware of but would later show itself to be the one thing to save her. Something she hadn't possessed with Ryan's death, something she hadn't needed when he was around. It was a strength. A strength more powerful than any despair. A strength that she knew would pull her through this, not allowing her to spiral into a self-destructive pit of depression. A strength that had previously belonged to both Ryan and Troy, but which now she alone possessed.
Sharpay stared at the moving screen, seeing only colors and shapes, not comprehending any of the objects. She heard nothing but a muffled buzzing in her ears, her stomach slowly churning in an upset manner. But with this new inner strength, Sharpay soothingly rubbed her tense lower abdomen, muttering consolingly, "I think it's just you and me, now."
I'm so sorry this took me forever to get out. I wanted to make sure it was perfect because it is both the end of the story and a very emotional chapter.
I really appreciate everybody who read and enjoyed my story. Please leave me one final review! If you are an end of story reviewer, here's your shot. I love any and every comment I receive!
Thanks so much everyone!