It's Eleven PM ™
by iYesh

Summary:
"What Troy? It's almost eleven. Spit it out" "That's it… I just want to tell you that it's eleven PM" Is it so hard to say I love you? Maybe if you're saying it to the Sharpay Evans.

Story Guide:
None.

Disclaimer:
You've probably missed my name in the HSM credits, that's because it's not there.

Ratings:
T, slight mature content.

Pairings:
Troypaylicious

Category:
Romance / Humor

Dedication:
The most awesome (drum rolls, please) Stessa!
She's the most amazing godmother and she did say she likes this story. I love you, Tessie! :)

"Are you his girlfriend?"

It was the question that haunts her for quite a while now.

When is it gonna stop?

She doesn't know.

What's the answer?

She doesn't know.

She was just a lounge soloist at Upper East Side's Grand Balcony at the Met—thus perhaps that's not just a job. That's a dream job, at least for her—the money is far-fetched, she lives in Upper East's Village and celebrity stars come to spot her.

Troy Bolton was no exception.

He always came. He had never missed Friday Night at the Met before taking her back to his Fifth Avenue penthouse and held her in reserve for the weekend. A way of maintaining something commonsensical in his life before Monday came and the frenzied life of being New York's most eligible bachelor, the Knicks' basketball superstar.

He was a bachelor.

She wasn't considered as his girlfriend – they've never talked about it. And that's because the issue never came up, nor he ever asked her to be. They enjoy each other's company since one faithful reunion through their same connections of friends, things progressed and that's that.

Until that day on the Troy's birthday gala at The Mets.

Their private relationship started to bathe up to the surface of other Hollywood dirt, like a new Angelina's tattoo and surfed up to the internet and corrupting people's brain quickly – soon the lackluster Met becoming the it place to be and Sharpay Evans got the spotlight even outside the stage. People like to get glimpses of their togetherness and made up a few ideas for themselves. He was the golden boy and she was the distraction for the Knicks. A dead ringer for those damn high school years she'd desperately wished to erase away.

"Happy birthday" She whispered charily as she pulled him out of the room into the hallway; a few bodyguards were eyeing them, but you couldn't tell from the black sunglasses. They started to talk to their small microphones but didn't give move more to give them more privacy.

He placed a chaste kiss on her peach glossed lips, "I'm sorry."

"You don't have anything to be sorry for." She placed her lukewarm palms on his face. The cold luminous diamond band made contact with his skin. "It's your birthday." She leaned closer just when he took her hand to his and pressed his thumb against the 12-carat diamond; just the fact she was wearing it was enough to put him in high spirits.

"Troy!" Chad and some other of his team members caught them off guard and she flinched from surprise. Troy sighed, he didn't even wish for this birthday bash – it was his publicist's idea, "Some reporters are waiting for you inside…"

His idea of a birthday bash was lying on his bed all day long with a bare Sharpay in his arms—that seems more fun; this was hell. Not to mention his publicist has thought brilliantly to invite the little demon to report on his dreaded day and extend it to the next day as they replay the events on national television.

Sharpay allowed him to take her hand as he drew closer to her ear. His cologne seeped through her nostrils and she wondered how someone that made a living running around sweating like hell could smell so nice when he made the little effort for it. "We'll ditch all this later and have your birthday present later." He smirked, too cocky and she could slap him.

"You mean you in your birthday suit?" She teased. She didn't want to feel all lusty before the party even ends but the promising image of a bare-naked basketball superstar slouched on her queen sized bed was very irritating. "It's more like my birthday present."

"That way we both win, right?" He sprinted to the reporters flashing his pearly whites. Ready to dive into the sharks. This time, he did not bothering to keep his voice down.

She kept smiling there watching his retreating back. What a wonderful back it was. She bet she looked so stupid caught up in his dazzle so she was grateful when Taylor - the woman in her late 20s, the same year as her, with black hair and studded earrings and bangles - startled her. "When will you admit that you're both a couple?"

"We have nothing to admit." She retorted – it was spot on, in one condition.

Chad came from Taylor's behind and wrapped his hands around his wife's pregnant belly. "He got you a freaking 28.000 dollars ring." Chad stated, smiling a little when Sharpay faced around to observe Troy answering all sorts of questions.

"And your point is...?" She shot back.

"Chad!" Taylor scolded her husband. "That wasn't polite."

"He never said we were an item" Sharpay added.

"Oh, so… you're both sleeping around in regular basis, give you jewelries, take you on dates and not seeing other girls is not called being loyal to a girlfriend." Chad argued. "I don't get it. Most girl would probably put a label on their forehead telling the world she's Troy's girlfriend at a first lunch date."

"I'm not his girlfriend"

"This whole year, you are!" Taylor supported her husband. "Remember what my sister says, you are whether he said it or not. She's a…"

Sharpay cut off Taylor. "I know, I know. She's a boy expert; she had gone through 4 divorces and a twin" Sharpay brushed the invisible dust off her white custom made Valentino's white summer dress, "It's not right calling myself his girlfriend when he never even calls me his girlfriend"

"You're as impossible as he is" Chad stated.

"I'm not." She exclaimed.

The three of them proceed to a little quarrel that Troy and Sharpay were each other's plus ones at their wedding and that supposed to 'seal the deal' and she began to explain how they were both supposed to thank them that they didn't bring different plus ones so Taylor and Chad could cut back on the number of people they're serving in the reception.

"Excuse me, Sharpay Evans, right?" A scrawny, tall man in his bowler hat and suit tapped her arm politely– despite that he had been there, listening to their tête-à-tête for quite a while now. He was just another reporter trying to get attention of Troy Bolton, however instead, went for his 'friend with benefits' or whatever label they were.

Sharpay turned around and her undone loose curls almost battered the reporter's face. "I'm Ben from E! Entertainment. I'm hoping if you got a second" Ben who was confident with his mic and a tall, chubby man behind him with a camera was ready to quarry the dirt out of her.

Before Sharpay had even gotten a chance to answer, Ben took off his hat and faced the camera. He began his usual rehearsed line and smiled charmingly. "Hey I'm Ben Lyons and we're here at The New York's Met inside the NBA superstar, Troy Bolton's 29th birthday gala. I'm right here with Troy's rumored gal pal and this is an E! Exclusive."

With Ben saying all those lines, Sharpay felt dumbstruck. Sure she looked like some classy Hollywood movie star, but she wasn't impeccably smart when suddenly getting caught up having cameras, microphones and reporters up shoving personal questions to her. She didn't have stage fright or anything some sort like that. She was definitely confident in front of a camera. On the other hand, that was performing and having people shove into her privacy was a whole different thing.

It was Troy's fault. Why couldn't he be one of them low profile basketball players?

She knew it. Troy Bolton could not be low profile even if he wanted to. His alluring charisma trapped everyone to be so fucking engrossed in his life.

That was what he was sorry for earlier – he was feeling sorry for something everyone wants. The truth

Their truth.

She wants it too but she didn't know how to get about it or what is it exactly. She didn't want to say the wrong thing. The last thing she wants is for Troy to run out the door the minute she say something to tie them down.

That has to be it. That's the only reasonable explanation.

"So Sharpay Evans. We've heard a few rumors about you and basketball player Troy Bolton seeing each other exclusively. Can you give us the truth? Is Troy really not a bachelor anymore? Because I heard he turned down an offer from the show 'The Bachelor' what comment do you have on that?"

Comment? What comment, she was flabbergasted! She didn't know what to say, she couldn't visualize Troy being the star of the Bachelor reality show and fell in love with one of the sluts clad in designer pieces. Even though after all, that was the point of the show.

"I'm not, really…" She stuttered, trying to avoid the area under discussion. She glanced to see that Taylor and Chad was gone, probably to go call Mariss (Troy's publicist) that her idea of this huge open birthday gala was starting to perish into an added portion into the collection of ghastly public appearances. She'd known it since the start but Mariss controls everything, including what people think is a good or bad idea.

When she didn't seem to be giving him the right answer. He tried again. "We've all seen the pictures on the Star tabloid cover of you and Troy Bolton at the Met's. Are you really Troy's girlfriend? Is he finally no longer a bachelor?"

And just like that, she felt under par of the question.

"I don't know if I'm Troy Bolton's fucking girlfriend!" She snapped, she didn't actually screech—but that didn't make anything she said any better.

Mariss came over the little interview. She grabbed Sharpay by her arm - digging her fake nails to skin almost to deliberately hurt her - and took over, "I'm Mariss Fisher, Troy Bolton's publicist, and I wish you would excuse yourself from Miss. Evans. We only provide interviews just for Troy tonight. Thank you" With that, she grabbed Sharpay's wrist, the diamond-encrusted bracelet were cold against her wrist, but Mariss' palms were so much colder.

Sharpay realized that she had bust the faultlessly running public stunt Mariss had set up.

Not that it hadn't had faulty hints since the beginning

"I'm sorry to disrupt the interview guys." Chad said courteously as Troy was just mumbling 'no comment on the matter' about the photos some bastard jackal sold to a trashy tabloid of him and Sharpay tearing each other's attires in a kitchen. They looked like a few sex-crazed teenagers and that had put them in a spotlight. He on the other hand would just ignore it until some big news take over and soon they'd all forget about it. "I think you should go find Mariss and Sharpay. It's not pretty." He whispered careful not to be overheard or show a panicked face. "I'll keep them covered."

Chad took over his place and entertained the reporters as he began to search for the women. A part of Troy was glad that he had a reason to break free from all the parallel questions, but part of him was hoping that Mariss hadn't kill Sharpay yet.

"You didn't have to do that interview! You have to mess up and now I have to clean up the unnecessary damage. God, I probably have to suck up to Ben Lyons from E! so that he wouldn't air your stupidity!" Mariss shouted.

They were in the balcony, where Taylor had said they were. It wasn't the hardest thing to find, since it was the only balcony that was suspended by the closed grand door and some people who were perched near it were questioning on the shouting going on the other side of the door. He stepped in to the bitter of the night. And all of the sudden Mariss turned to Troy. "You shouldn't have brought her here!" Mariss hissed.

"Excuse me?" Sharpay had never felt so rejected although Mariss did have a point.

"I told you not to have brought her." Mariss hissed. She started searching her purse franticly, desperate for a smoke. "She's causing all sorts of trouble for you."

Mariss didn't have to pronounce it out loud. Sharpay already knew that. Troy reached for her hand that she pulled back. "I am." She said admittedly.

"Sharpay..."

"See?" Mariss rummaged her small Swarovski studded purse to look for a cigarette. She put the joint between her lips and started to light it up. "You're a star, but more notably, a bachelor. You're the most wanted man at this moment. You're ruining it with a girlfriend by your side."

"I'm not his girlfriend."

With that she left.

.

Sharpay draped the golden quilt over her stripped body and sighed. Troy looked down to see sweats beading down from his chest after their lovemaking. He had let her to be on top since she was so mad tonight, in spite that it was his birthday. Despite the fact he hated that she was enraged, she'd been so hot, she worn him out.

"Shar…" He started to talk. She, in the other hand, didn't want to talk – that was why she quickly attacked him down to the bed when he started to talk and shut him with her lips. She didn't want to hear it.

But this time she was also dead beat. She could only prolong their conversation for so long. Their conversation means his scolding and her apologize for having misbehaving tonight. So she turned around and faced the nightstand. His naked body was pressed against her back. It felt more exposed than the fact they just had gorilla sex a few minutes ago.

He sat up and leant on the king sized bed's headboard and stroked her cheek but she didn't even flinch. He sighed. "Sharpay…" She didn't so much as stir "Sharpay, you're amazing."

There was a few moment of stillness. The atmosphere was thick and he was growing uncomfortable before she finally said. "You're referring to the sex…" Sharpay glanced on the candles resting on the headboard, all in different heights and thickness – candles Troy had lit up. As if candles would give their bed romping any kind of signification.

It's not significant of course. This entire unnamed thing between them is not. It's just complications.

"No, I'm referring to what Mariss said. Let's just forget about that" Troy assured, softly stroking her cheek, "Come on, you've never been too fond of her."

"Maybe the problem is not just Mariss." Sharpay pushed his hands away from lingering around her face. He did that a lot. "You didn't even know what I did. She has a right to throw a tantrum at me."

Troy's eyebrows scrunched together. "Are you okay? Maybe you're not hearing what you're saying right now. Mariss's screeches probably get to your hearings."

"No." She removed Troy's hand that's beginning to snake up to her hips. He could feel her structures. He had always thought she never eats enough. Maybe it's the stress, ever since the press found out about them the hard way.

The sex pictures way.

She got up from the bed and her bare feet made contact with the carpet. She took the Troy's white Ralph Lauren, shoved herself into them, and buttoned up shirt until the last button. Then she grabbed her underwear lynching at the bedside light on the nightstand on Troy's side. As she passed, he watched her mildly, cursing the person who sold those sex pictures. Everything was fine before that. Or maybe there was something wrong, it's just they've never both acknowledge it out loud.

"Sharpay, talk to me please…" He begged desperately, something was bothering her. What did happen back there?

"I'm going home." She announced without glancing on him. He quickly shot up from bed.

"Stay, please." He said softly, holding her wrist and looking deep into her eyes. He started to stroke her arm through the sleeves of his previously discarded dress shirt.

Usually that would work. "No." She ended their discussion and started to step out the bedroom to gather her pieces of clothing that were discarded around the living room.

"I'll take you home. Just please, wait" He might've had a chance to talk to her in the car. He found his jacket thrown over the desk at the west of the room and ignored it but made his way towards her instead so that she'd wait for him to at least put some pants on. He didn't care if he'd drive her bare-chested as long as he got to find out what's wrong.

But when she opened the bedroom door, she found a surprise was waiting for them outside…

"You kids really need to bolt the door."

Jack Bolton in his entire splendor, sporting a green knitted sweater made by his wife and salt and pepper hair slicked back, his after shower smell was still around. Staring intently at both of them -

Intently.

"Shit!" Troy exclaimed and shut the bedroom door, hiding his nude self in front of his father – not that he needed to, but it didn't seem quite appropriate since his father was standing in front of the elevator that went straight to his living room. God knows if he brought other people to throw a foiled after-birthday-party party surprise. He hoped he didn't.

"Hi, Jack" Sharpay greeted him uneasily. Troy was pretty rude; although she was thinking of doing the exact thing Troy just did – she didn't even if she were missing pants. "What are you doing here?"

"To tell you kids to put some pants on." He could see through her white lacy underpants under the oversized shirt and chuckled. "I'm just dropping by since Mariss said she 'forgot' to send me the invitation to my own son's birthday party. She just assumed I'd appear in my coaching uniform. I swear I'd blow my whistle as loud as I can once I get even the slightest chance of damaging her hearing."

"Right." Sharpay grabbed her dress thrown over the kitchen island. "Shit." Cursing at the sight of a rip at the bottom of the dress while dashing to the bathroom to change, eager to leave Jack's presence as fast as she could.

Once the bathroom's door slammed close, Jack sighed and collapsed to the settee in front of the fireplace under the equally large plasma TV. Looking down to the white fur rug, he grinned and picked up the lacy cups. Heading to the bathroom to give his son's 'friend' her bra.

- something he'd never thought he'd have to do in a lifetime.

"So, are you?"

Sharpay Evans hated going through the notion of being the other end of the question.

"Am I, what?"

But she could just play dumb.

"Well, you know…"

The shower inside the bedroom was running and she was alone in a room filled with after sex smell with Jack Bolton; asking her that question. The question fucking Troy Bolton should answer instead of her. Is she the only one having to put up being questioned like this?

Coach turned entrepreneur; her high school coach…

"What?"

Troy Bolton's father…

She could only play dumb for so long.

"Are you Troy's girlfriend?"

He could be her father (in-law) someday... but chances now are highly unlikely. If she didn't know if they were each other's significant other how was she supposed to know if they were engaged? Would he just expect her to be in an altar someday? Or what? He never asks, he just assumed and she was getting sick of it. It's gone too long.

Her feelings had gone too long without saying and she's irritated of everyone questioning about it.

She was wrong though. The question could get more irritating because it's coming from Jack Bolton.

"I mean it's pretty obvious, he brings you home to see us, we see the tabloids - I mean, its kind of hard to miss." Jack added when he saw Sharpay's porcelain skin turned even more of a wishy-washy color. "I know you two are going out. He never introduced you officially to me and Lucy but I thought by now he would come to me and ask me how to propose to you already."

Sharpay felt sick. He didn't even talk about their relationship to his own father. Well go figure – he didn't even say anything to Chad. Chad just goes complaining about it at her.

She didn't know and she's a part in their relationship.

Or what they had wasn't a relationship. It's just two people having constant sex, and the jewelries he gave… as a thank you gift?

What did that say about her then? A whore?

"You should ask Troy." She should ask Troy.

"Why can't you answer the question?" He retorted.

"It just wouldn't be rational." Sharpay defended.

Jack groaned. "You're just like my son. The only reason I'm asking you is because Troy's never lucid. If I asked him, it would be like searching for a snake's arms. His answers are never clear."

Sharpay smiled tenderly. She couldn't wait to get the hell out of Troy's building and have Troy deal with this whole matter alone.

"Just answer it. If it's yes, I'm done. If its no, then I'm done with my question as well." Jack offered. "No harm."

The room fell silent for a moment. Sharpay bowed down her head and tried thinking about it for a second. "Actually, I don't know either." She answered straightforwardly – maintaining her cool.

"But do you love him?" Jack checked.

She figured she might as well admit it to his father for the first time than to the jerk himself. "I love him, but…" he never said he loves me.

Jack cut her. "There's no but…" But before he finished his son had to cut him.

"Come on, Shar… I'll take you home" Troy smiled charmingly in his new fresh t-shirt and jeans, his hair still dripping from the shower and he smelled like the cologne she just gave him a few hours ago, "I won't be long, Dad."

"Wait a second" Jack held both of them, palms raised like a traffic cop. "Troy, what exactly do you call your relationship with Sharpay?" Jack enquired. Troy's eyebrows knitted up together. Did his dad come all the way there just to ask such silly question out of the blue? "Sharpay said she loves you and even she doesn't know what she is in this so called thing you have going on between you two. Now, do you love her?"

Sharpay's eyes nearly bugged out off their sockets. She couldn't believe Jack Bolton. Did he just spit that out to Troy – in front of her! Did it take his dad to even push him to make him admit that he loves her?

But then again…

Silence.

Shit she knew it. She knew it! He didn't have the guts to say it because he didn't love her.

If he did, he should be saying it like right now. How could he not love her even after almost a year of being together? Heck, they didn't even have an anniversary date. They're not even a freaking couple. So technically, she didn't have any right to keep her hopes high on him.

She was stupid. The most stupid woman who's agreed to be with some guy without even realizing what's she's signing up for and her being confused was her own fault. He seemed clear about it. They're enjoying each other's company; they have sex, just a mere convenient.

They're just two adults having a good time.

It's all clear now then.

A part of her was sad but another part of her was glad that she now sees how things actually were. They didn't have strings attached, no matter what everyone assumes. At least now she know where she stands with him instead of wondering about it time to time.

"I'm going home." She announced and frantically pushed the lift's button, ran inside the elevator and tapped the close button repeatedly until it slides close.

.

Once the elevator's door closed, Troy paced around the room and didn't bother to keep his voice down. "Shit Dad! I can't believe you fucking did that!"

"I just asked her. You were the one that made her leave." Jack answered swiftly raising his feet to the coffee table.

"WH—what?"

"You should've said you love her!" Jack argued, "God, you're so stupid sometimes and I won't even try to blame my gene pool."

"She knows I love her!" Troy went on the defensive despite that he wasn't sure himself. But Sharpay had to notice it by now, the way he couldn't keep his eyes off her, how he'd be unable to really laugh at a joke just because she wasn't there to share it. It's not that hard to miss. There's thousands of signs of him, so smitten over her, even the press had probably figure that themselves.

"Well have you ever told her?" Jack asked and Troy fell silent. "Exactly, you never even asked her to be your girlfriend or court her to have dinner with your mother and I." Jack added the Troy's guilt. "How exactly are you saying that she's special for you?"

"Fine, maybe I've never told her. But she knows I love her!" Troy repeated, trying more to convince himself than his dad. Then the ugly words she spat out at the balcony replayed in his mind.

Jack Bolton groaned – how did he have raised such a fool he never know. "She knows but she wants to hear it too, Troy!" Jack was now standing up and shouting. For a moment he felt bad to have scolded him so harsh but it's all for Troy's sakes.

The atmosphere felt thick and perturbed for a minute as Troy let his father's words sink in.

"So what do I do now?"

"Lord helps us." Jack groaned, "You go and tell her you love her, Troy!"

"Now?" Jack could tell Troy was already nervous, "It's getting late and-"

"YES! NOW!" Jack barked.

.

Troy mumbled incoherent words as the elevator opened the access and revealed Sharpay's floor. There were just two doors in the small separator room, one straight in front of him was to Sharpay's East Village penthouse – he had driven all away across town in an annoying one and a half hour drive, no thanks to the traffic coming from the Mets – and the other in the right was the emergency stairs room. He could back out now and pick door in the right…

Or it's time to be a man and face what's needed to be done, right here, right now.

Knock. Knock

Thankfully Sharpay didn't take too long to answer for him to chicken out and run to the door at the east - the door he kept glancing on now and then. He heard the soft pats of her feet and braced himself.

"Oh, it's you." Sharpay's didn't sound too pleasant that her door revealed Troy Bolton. Other women might have fainted right then and there but she just wanted him gone from her hallway. "What do you need?"

Her mascara was still on her murky bronze eyes. The faint blush of her cheeks was smeared faintly. Her hair was all over the place and musty. And although she just popped her head from the door instead of letting him in like a gracious woman should – he still thought that she's fantastic.

She's everything he wants. The knowledge is so clear but it didn't scare him like it should.

"I wanted to apologize for before." Troy said gently. He wanted to reach out and fondle her cheek then kiss her senselessly until they're both breathless but he was too scared she would bang the door shut and snap his fingers in doing so.

Troy couldn't tell if he was imagining that she had rolled her eyes on his sincere words or not. "Fine. Apology accepted. Good night" She said in a quick monotone. She almost slammed the door to his face before Troy prevented her by putting his palms against the door.

"I need to tell you something…" He blurted out. He saw a flash of curiosity in her eyes for a moment and that glimmer changed back to the edgy manor in a second. "I…"

"What?" One of her eyebrow rose up – he saw the Sharpay in high school; Sharpay the Ice Queen.

"I… I…" God, he couldn't bring himself to say it. It just doesn't seem right, him in front of her penthouse, her whole stance of just poking her head to the doorway wasn't helping - it seems like she's hiding another man back there or something - and he was afraid her demeanor wouldn't changed even if he declared his love or worse, the other man that's hiding behind the door would pop out.

Highly unlikely but if there's a man back there he wished it to be Ashton Kutcher and put him out of his misery.

"You what?" She snapped. This time he didn't blame her for being snappy towards him. He was taking to long with it, wasting time by stammering.

It just didn't seem right. Wasn't saying this supposed to be special, maybe he should take her on a romantic cruise and then say it. Write a romantic poem; take her in front of the East High's choir before proclaiming it. "I just…" It didn't matter he just got to say it. The point was, he loves her. Not a romantic cruise, spending thousands dollars he had made from his uphill struggle as a job. No choir with romantic lyrics, just the words he'd say, that what matters. But he couldn't. He couldn't say it.

It's like his throat is clogged with big, heavy chunks of pebbles and it wouldn't go away. He tried clearing his throat and nothing come of it. "I…"

"What Troy? It's almost eleven, spit it out!"

"That's it. I just want to tell you that it's eleven pm!"

With that, he left her in confusion; silently cursing himself as he ran for the elevator to leave as soon as his basketball player sprints could take him.

It was just 3 little words…

Apparently it's not that easy saying it to Sharpay Evans.

Should I continue? Review! Tell me what you think :)

Edited: Should you expect a follow up for the next chapter please reread this chapter. I (who just changed my penname, tell me you at least notice that much) have made a few changes that probably had to do with character flaws - just something to be added if the follow-up chapters would be anything promising.

x Yeshi