Chapter 1

She struts down the hall in her white mini skirt, pink top and pink heels. She holds her head high, even though, as she walks, she knows everyone glares at her. She is the perfect girl: beautiful blonde hair, the perfect body, and the perfect life (or so they thought). Her father was a leading stockbroker at Dean Witter, so they were filthy rich. Her mother had died in a car accident about eleven years ago, so she barely remembers her at all. She has a twin brother, named Ryan. He followed her every footstep, and they were known as the Drama Twins. They had been in every school musical since they were in kindergarten. Her name was S H A R P A Y E V A N S!

Sharpay had enemies, sure, but she only had one R.I.V.A.L! Troy Bolton, or "Troy-the-basketball-boy", was the Wildcats Basketball Team Captain. He was really the only one in school who could compete with Sharpay's status. He was roughly 5'10", athletic body, brown hair, and dreamy, light blue eyes. He was the most gorgeous guy in school, so he could get any girl he wanted. His father, Jack Bolton, was the Wildcats Basketball Team Coach. So, Troy got to see him a lot more than he really wanted to.

These two people were the most popular kids in school, but there was only one difference: Troy was the guy that everyone liked, but, Sharpay, she was the "Ice Queen". People had started calling her that freshmen year after summer break, because she left so nice and came back so "icy". Someone had actually spread a rumor that if you touch her, you'll turn to ice. They never figured out who it was, but they assumed it was Chad Danforth. Chad was Troy's right-hand-man and his best friend. He was known for hating Sharpay, and that was it. Anyway, back to our story.

As she struts down the hall, she notices the glares, but is pretty used to it since it's been going on for quite some time now. It's the first day of school, so she arrives early to meet up with someone. As she walks into a large classroom, the woman seated behind the desk, arose. "Oh, Sharpay! What a pleasant surprise! How was your summer?" Ms. Darbus said happily.

"Oh, it was great! I just got back from Paris a few days ago, so I am still kind of tired. How was yours?" Sharpay relied.

"Oh mine was fine, I just can't wait to see you and your brother up on that stage again!"

"Oh, well, thank you very much! I can't wait to hear what we are performing this year!"

"If you will stop by after school, I would like you to help me choose!"

"Ok, I will stop by right after school, and we can talk then, Goodbye Ms. Darbus!"

"Goodbye!" Ms. Darbus ended as she sat back down with a smile on her face.

On her way to her locker, Sharpay was thinking about her goals for this year. There weren't very many of them, but the ones she did have were huge. She arrived at her locker just in time to hear the warning bell, so she quickly took out her books and ran back down the hall. Her first class was Homeroom, with, whom else, Ms. Darbus. As Sharpay entered the room, Ms. Darbus shot her a quick smile and stood up. "Hello, class! I know it is the first day of school, but I hope you have not forgotten our situation with cell phones in my class and the theatre! If they make a sound, they go in my bucket, and you go to detention! Are we clear?"

"Yes, Ms. Darbus." The class said simultaneously.

"Most of you here are in Musical Theatre, so I would like to make a quick announcement. I have not yet chosen this year's musical, but I shall know by tomorrow. My co-president, Sharpay Evans and I are meeting after school today, so if you have a suggestion, stop by my classroom!" Just then the warning bell rang and students piled out of the classroom.

Sharpay walked out the door, checking her cell phone (which never got taken away, because she was Mrs. Darbus' favorite student). Troy Bolton just happened to be walking right in front of the door talking to Chad, so neither was paying any attention to where they were going. Sharpay and Troy collided and Troy spilled his coffee all over her new outfit. She screamed, just as Ms. Darbus ran out of her room: "What in the world is going on out here?"

"Ms. Darbus, this filthy role-stealing, ball-bouncing thing just spilled coffee all over my new outfit! Bolton! Do you know how much this outfit cost me? I got this in Paris!" Sharpay let a small tear slip just to add to the effect, which, luckily, Ms. Darbus saw.

"Sharpay, I am sorry, but maybe you should watch where you're going instead of texting! Trust me, you are not that coordinated!" All the guys laughed at his remark.

"Honey, do you have something else to where in your locker?" Troy hated the way

Ms. Darbus always sounded so sincere when she talked to Sharpay.

Sharpay nodded, wiped away a tear, and took off down the hallway to her hot pink locker. She was thankful she always kept another set of clothes in her locker in case of emergencies. She was soon changed into a new outfit, so she continued on to second and third period. Fourth period was lunch, so she walked up the stairs to her table, or the "Ice Table", and sat next to Ryan. She was startled when she saw Kelsi, the musical composer, sitting across from them. "Hey, Kelsi." Was all Sharpay could even mutter when she sat down at her table.

"What, no 'why are you sitting with us, get the hell out of here?'" Ryan laughed at Kelsi's imitation of his sister, until Sharpay caught his eye and glared at him.

"Don't expect this ever again, but I am too tired to tell anyone off today!"

"Oh yeah, we heard about your little collision with Bolton today. Sorry sis."

"It's ok; I got Darbus to give him detention, so I feel much better now."

"I am so proud to call you my sister!"

"You should be, for all the good I do for this school!"

Just then, Ms. Darbus came up to their table and said: "Sharpay, I am very sorry, but I cannot meet with you after school today, maybe tomorrow?"

"Why don't you sit with us now and we can all talk about it, I mean, Ryan is my partner and Kelsi has to learn all the songs, so what's a better time?"

Ms. Darbus looked around hesitantly but then said: "I suppose so. So Sharpay, Ryan, and Kelsi, what were you'll thinking about for the musical this year?"

"I was thinking something a little greener, if you know what I mean, either that, or something a little shinier."

"So I have Sharpay down for Wicked and Moulin Rouge. Ryan?"

"I have a question," Kelsi spoke up, "How do you'll do that?

"What?" All three of them spoke at once.

"I guess what I'm trying to say is: how do you'll know every aspect of every musical?"

Ms. Darbus spoke first: "Well, I have a list of every musical these two have ever seen, performed, or even written, and I study musicals as a past time. And these two, they're just marvelous like that." The twins smiled at Kelsi and then looked back at Ms. Darbus so that they could decide.

"Ryan, what were you thinking for this year's musical?" Mrs. Darbus asked.

"Well, actually, I think that Sharpay had great ideas for Wicked and Moulin Rouge."

"Okay, Kelsi, what about you?"

"Um…well, I haven't really given it much thought, but I suppose that Wicked would be fun."

"Okay, it's settled! Wicked it is! Now, will the three of you come to my room next period so that we can discuss the musical further?"

"But, Mrs. Darbus," Kelsi said worriedly, "we have class next period."

"Well, I will write you a note excusing you from it. Does that make everyone happy?"

"Yes, Mrs. Darbus!"

"Okay, I will see you later!" with that she got up and left the table and left the three teens alone once again.

Soon, lunch was over and the three ran off to Mrs. Darbus' classroom, just to see that she was teaching a class. Not wanting to intrude, Sharpay lightly knocked on the door. Sharpay saw Mrs. Darbus wave them in through the little glass window in the door, so they entered the crowded classroom. "Oh, my darlings thank you for coming!"

"Um, Mrs. Darbus, I thought it was just going to be the three of us talking today." Sharpay had taken Mrs. Darbus over to the corner of the classroom to speak with her.

"Well, these are all of my beginner actors and actresses, and I wanted the three of you to speak to them about what it takes to be a actor and what it's like to be on Broadway, Sharpay. Is that fine with you?"

"Of course, Mrs. Darbus!" Sharpay walked back over to the front of the classroom and stood there a minute loving all the attention she was getting from her admirers.

"Okay class, as you all should know, this is Sharpay Evans. Ms. Evans is my pride and joy! I have been coaching her since she was a mere five years old! Now does anyone have any questions for her?" All hands shot up at once, and Mrs. Darbus randomly chose "Sarah" who had on a "Sharpay's Biggest Fan" t-shirt, which Sharpay thought was kind of odd.

"Sharpay, what is it like kissing a guy on stage in front of a huge audience?"

"Well, it's not much, you just have to remember that it's strictly business and you should come out just fine!" Sharpay thought back to when she had to kiss a boy when she was on Broadway and she had fallen in love with him, only to find out that he had a girlfriend back home.

The next question was one that made a tear slip from Sharpay's eye: "You say that it's always just business, but didn't it turn out to be more when you had to kiss Troy Bolton?"

"You know, now that I look back on that, I realize that that was one of the dumbest mistakes of my life." By now, tears were falling freely and Sharpay ran out the room, with Kelsi at her heels. She soon reached the girls' lounge and sat down on the couch furthest away from the door, with her head buried in her hands. Kelsi walked over and sat down beside and placed a hand on her back.

"Sharpay, talk to me. You can tell what's wrong."

"Why do you care?"

"Sharpay, I have always tried to be your friend, but you've never let me, and now I think I know why."

"How would you know?" Sharpay was bawling by now, but Kelsi kept talking to her.

"I saw Troy break up with you that day in the auditorium. I have never told you because I knew you would be furious. I know you never let anyone in, because, when you finally did, they hurt you. But, Sharpay, not everyone's like that. I have always been there for you if you needed a friend, but you just pushed me away." Sharpay looked up at Kelsi with a shocked look in her eyes.

"Oh my god, I don't think anyone has ever spoken to me that way!" Kelsi got a frightened look on her face, but then she heard: "Thank you. You know, no one's ever spoken to me like that, because they're all scared of me, but you're not?"

"I used to be, believe me! But what you think of someone can really change when you see them cry."

"Thanks, Kelsi. I think I am going to be ok after all. Why don't we go back to class now?"

"Are you sure?"

Sharpay nodded, got up, walked out the door, and re-entered the classroom, to find it empty except for Mrs. Darbus sitting at her over-sized desk. She got up and walked over to Sharpay: "Honey, are you okay?"

"I think I'll be fine."

"Well, you know I'm here if you ever want to talk to me about anything."

"I do, and thank you for everything; you've been like a mother to me since my real one passed away."

"I am always here for you, my darling." With that, Sharpay walked out of the room and Kelsi followed closely behind.