Not So Perfect

Chapter Three: The Same Page

A/N; Sorry this chapter took so long, but... enjoy:D

Disclaimer: I wish.

Troy slammed on the brakes, turning the wheel as far away from the other car as possible. Still screaming, Sharpay felt her body fling sideways, then jerk to the other side when a crashing impact drove the car the opposite way. When the vehicle finally screeched to a halt, she clutched her chest, breathing heavily. Troy, his hands still glued onto the steering wheel, looked at his windshield, eyes wide, his breathing just as labored as Sharpay's.

After a moment, Troy looked over at Sharpay, his hands still on the wheel, and asked, "Shar… pay… Are you all right?" His voice began as slightly choked, but as he continued it gained strength.

Her hand still on her chest, Sharpay nodded, "Yeah… I'm fine…"

"Are you sure?" he asked.

"Yeah, I'm sure. Just… wow."

Troy's hands fell off the steering wheel, as he sat in disbelief, his hands running through his hair, then touching the wheel, then rubbing his legs. "I really just can't… believe—listen, I'm going to go outside, okay?"

"I think I will too," Sharpay replied shakily, unclipping her seat belt and teetering out of the car.

Already, clusters of people had formed around her; talking to each other, cell phones whipped out and calling the police. The man who had drove the other car was already out, a worried expression on his face. He approached them, apologizing, telling them he was on the phone with his wife and had missed the red light. Sharpay just nodded off his apology, her expression dazed. Never in her entire life had she ever felt that close to death.

She walked over the bumper of the car and sat delicately on it. After she heard the wailing sirens, Troy joined her.

"Are you sure you're okay, Sharpay?" he asked, frowning.

"Of course I'm okay," Sharpay defended, standing up straighter.

"Well… you just looked a bit peaky." When she didn't answer, Troy continued. "Listen, I'm really sorry about that… it was the last thing I was expecting."

"Hey, Troy. Don't worry about it. I'm really okay," Sharpay told him, looking at him straight in the eye and smiling for extra effect. "Are you sure you're okay? I think you're the one that looks peaky."

"I've just never been in an accident before," Troy replied, raising his hand to his hand and ruffling his hair. "My mom's going to freak."

"I would imagine."

"Excuse me, sir?" A policeman had walked over to Troy a cap on his head and a notebook in his hand. "Were you driving this car?"

"Uh… Yeah, yeah I was."

"And can I see your driver's license?"

Troy handed it over, giving a wary smile to Sharpay, who gave him a reassuring smile in return. After a detailed interrogation, which involved a phone call home to Troy's parents, Troy looked troubled, defending himself fervently. He handed the phone to the officer and walked back over to Sharpay.

"What'd they say?"

"That they would never trust me with a car until I get to college," Troy admitted, looking a bit wired.

"Ouch."

"You can say that again."

"What are they going to do about your car?"

Troy shrugged. "They just said they'd wheel it home. The car only hit the back, so the engine's still good for the most part. I guess my parents are supposed to do something with it."

"Would they pay for the costs?"

"Probably not," Troy snorted humorlessly. "It took me long enough to get them to get a car for me in the first place."

"That car?" Sharpay asked with a raised brow.

"Yeah… why?"

"Well… it's a bit ugly," she replied bluntly, looking at Troy blankly, as if this was an obvious observation. "And a bit old. Don't tell me you begged your parents for that car."

"Well, not that particular car, I guess," Troy admitted. "But I was happy I got a car from them at all. Not everyone's parents are as generous as yours."

"If you can call that being generous," Sharpay snorted.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"No meaning you need to know," Sharpay answered, crossing her arms. She was always defensive when her parents came into the picture. They weren't bad people, they just never found any time for their children. It was always work, work, work. Not that they were poor or anything either. In fact, her parents were pretty wealthy, and got her almost anything she wanted as compensation for never really being there.

"Do you two need a lift home?" the policeman had wandered over and gave the pair an appraising look.

"Yeah, thanks," Troy replied. Sharpay followed Troy into the back of the car, and they sat.

"Are you and your friend going to the same place?" the policeman asked once he had taken the driver's seat and started the ignition.

"Oh, no," Sharpay smiled. "I'll show you." The man drove her home and she stepped out of the car, waving good-bye to Troy. He waved back, and she walked into her house, closing the front door behind her. She walked silently up to her room, where Ryan was sitting on her bed. He looked up when she entered, placing a photo album he had been looking at beside him.

"Yes, Ryan?" Sharpay asked, throwing her purse on her chair and hanging her jacket on the coat hanger.

"Where were you?" her twin asked, crossing his arms.

"You heard Darbus, didn't you? I had after-rehearsal time," she reminded him, disappearing into her walk-in closet.

"But not for that long," Ryan called from her bed. "Not until almost midnight. Even Darbus wouldn't be crazy enough to keep you guys there for that long. The only people who stay until midnight are the techies, and you know I know that. What happened?"

"If you really must know," Sharpay answered loudly, changing into her pajamas. "I got in a car accident."

"A what!" Ryan sounded surprised, a thump emitting from her room.

"A car accident, Ryan. Because you took my car and I had to hitch a ride home."

"But you're okay, aren't you?"

"Yes, I'm fine. Not a scratch on me, thankfully. So don't take my car next time," she told him, emerging from her closet in her pajama pants and a tank top.

"So I'm supposed to take my car?"

"Exactly," she grinned, walking to the bathroom. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have to get ready to sleep. Tomorrow's another long day at school and at rehearsal."

"What about Gabriella?"

"What about her?"

"Do you think she's coming back?"

"Not until closing night," Sharpay beamed, closing the bathroom door.

In two days, Sharpay had the entire second act down cold. Darbus, looking overwrought, approached the two when the came back into the theatre. She was instructing the last of the set building, and looked annoyed when Sharpay and Troy came in.

"Have you two finished yet?" she asked, her voice projecting from the stage.

"Yeah, we did," Sharpay told her.

"Good," Darbus said, turning back around to yell at an unfortunate young boy who had nailed his shirtsleeve to the back of a wall. Once she was done reprimanding the boy, her eyes trained on Sharpay and Troy. "I expect both of you to be here tomorrow. Our show is in a little more than a week, and we haven't worked with our two most important characters yet. Be on time. I cannot stress enough that the theatre waits for no one… Not even the two main characters." She gave the couple a particularly harsh glare at this before walking off.

"She seems a bit moody," Troy commented.

"Moody?" Sharpay snorted. "Full blown insanity's more like it. Shows are always like this a week before opening night. We call it hell week."

"Sounds fitting."

"Oh, it is."

"Now, are we going to head out of this dump or what?"

"After you," Sharpay smiled, letting Troy walk in front of her. Sharpay was now solely responsible for taking Troy home, since his parents had his license suspended for his accident, even if it wasn't his fault. Ryan found his own ride home, usually with Kelsi, who was pretty nice to him if not to her.

"It's weird," Troy commented quietly once they had gotten on the road.

"What is?"

"You."

Sharpay looked over at the boy sitting next to her, an eyebrow raised, suddenly defensive. "What's that supposed to mean!"

"No! I didn't mean it like that," Troy countered quickly, looking slightly aghast at his word choice. "I meant that… well… I never really imagined you as this… nice."

"Oh, thanks a lot, Troy," Sharpay replied dryly.

"Well, what I mean is, that I never really… well, liked you, really, after you tried to sabotage our auditions. Not to even mention that I never thought I'd end up doing the musical with you," he told her hesitantly. Sharpay cocked her head, mulling things over, and she did the last thing she thought she would ever do when told that. She grinned.

"What's so funny?" Troy asked.

"You."

In a perfect rendition of Sharpay's face and tone a few moments prior, Troy exclaimed, "What's that supposed to mean!"

"No, I just thought the same thing about you. That you were trying to sabotage me and Ryan's chances of ever being onstage again. You and Gabriella. I thought it was being planned out. You know, some joke gone bad, just to get at us. I was wrong, but I don't think I liked either of you at all after that."

"Then I guess we were on the same page all along," Troy laughed as she pulled up into his driveway.

"Yeah… I guess we were."