AN: My first post in... well, I'm too lazy to check. I actually just thought of this today and had to write it. Incidentally, I have a ton of homework tonight. Oh well. So just an FYI: I'm writing a new story for HSM that right now has 13 chapters. It has no title: instead, I've conveniently decided on "The Story" for now. I have no idea when I will post it because I'm currently stuck. Soo... yeah. I hope you like this story.
Title: Days of the Week
Rating: K
Author: MadiWillow
Summary: Every day of the week is special to Chad and Sharpay.
Genre: Romance
Chapter: One-Shot
He asked her out on a Monday.
It was the summer before they were due to start college. Their final summer as kids, and their final summer together as friends. Only they were staying together. He was going to UCLA for basketball; she was going to USC for film.
He didn't want to waste any more time.
He pulled her aside after a movie with their friends one night. He didn't think it would be so hard, but as soon as it was the two of them, and she was looking at him expectantly, he felt his heart jump into his throat. He gaped. She cocked an eyebrow.
"Cat got your tongue, Chad?"
He opened and closed his mouth repeatedly, in the form of a fish. Finally, after what seemed like hours, but was probably only sixty seconds, he just threw it all out there. "Will you go out with me?"
He expected her to sneer or laugh, but he was hoping she wouldn't.
He got lucky. Her face lit up and she grinned. "Yes! It's about time." Then she blushed, and backtracked. "I mean, I could fit it in. Tomorrow?"
"Tomorrow is fine." But it really wasn't soon enough.
Their friends found out on a Tuesday.
They'd been very careful about keeping their relationship a secret. None of their friends suspected anything, and thought the two still hated each other. Whenever they were in public, they stood as far away as possible from each other as they could. They were casual. But as soon as they were alone, it was a free-for-all.
It didn't last very long, though. One week before Gabriella was due to leave for college – the first out of them all – Jason barged into his room without knocking. It had even taken him a few seconds to notice them wrapped up in each other on his bed, as he'd been talking a mile a minute and not exactly paying attention. But after a few blinks, it clicked. A wide grin split over his face, and he whipped out his phone to snap a picture before the two could react.
"Chad! Sharpay! Kissing! Chad and Sharpay kissing!" he cried gleefully.
The next day, everyone knew.
They made love for the first time on a Wednesday.
They'd been in school for two months and barely making it by, mostly only seeing each other on weekends. On Fridays, after his last class, he would rush over to her dorm and the two would spend the entire two days together.
They'd sleep in the same bed together, wake up with their limbs tangled, but nothing even happened. It was decided that they would wait until she was ready. It was his idea.
Then, one day when he came over after an early end to a class, she greeted him with a passionate kiss. Nothing out of the ordinary. But when she led him over to his bed and started ripping off his shirt, he broke away and asked, "Are you sure?"
She cocked an eyebrow in the way he found so adorable.
In answer, she pressed her mouth to his again.
The rest of the day was spent with the two wrapped up in each other, relying on the other for warmth.
They broke up on a Thursday.
They were juniors and had been dating for over two years. Their respective demanding schedules had been straining them, as well as their relationship, for a while. What with her part-time job as a personal assistant in a casting agency, and his obligations to the basketball team, plus schoolwork, they found it increasingly difficult to see each other.
He went over to visit her at work one day after practice to find her a disheveled mess.
"You can't be here, Chad," she said breathlessly. "Carrie yelled at me last time you came."
"Sorry. I just wanted to know if you could grab dinner after work?"
She ran a hand through the hair that had fallen in her face. "I don't know if I can. Carrie wants me to work over time --"
"Oh, okay. I get it. Your job is more important."
"No, Chad, that's not what I --"
"It's okay, Sharpay, really. This was getting in the way for both of us, anyway."
She froze. "You mean our relationship?"
He gave a half-shrug.
She glared at him. "Fine. If that's how you feel."
"Wait, what?"
"I guess we're over. Since you think it's supposedly taking up so much time."
"Sharpay --"
"Get out of here before I get fired from my oh-so-important job."
He sighed but didn't press the matter. He walked out.
They got back together two days later.
He proposed on a Friday.
They had already graduated, and she had given up her dream of being an actress after her personal assistant job. She saw the ugly side of fame, and decided she didn't like it. Instead, she was making good money as an interior designer in their hometown.
He had, as well, decided against pursuing basketball as a career. He quit playing for the team as a senior and fell back on his Business and Marketing major to work behind a desk for a successful health insurance company, of which he was quickly moving up the ranks. He was also Coach Bolton's assistant for coaching the East High Wildcats whenever he could.
They had been together for five years when he proposed – long overdue, in most opinions. Partly, the blame was put with his inability to figure out how exactly to propose.
Troy told him he should propose where they had their first date, but their first date had been in a bowling alley. He didn't exactly have much money then, and he knew he would be murdered if he proposed to her in a dirty bowling alley.
Jason suggested where he asked her out, but he didn't want to propose in the corner of a movie theatre.
Zeke said he could bake them a fancy dinner and put the ring inside his famous crème brulee. He said no; he always wondered what would happen if the girl accidentally swallowed the ring.
Ryan said simply, "Where would she love to be proposed to?"
It took him a while, but once he figured it out, he realized it was so simple. He got permission from Principal Matsui to have to theatre off-limits to students the whole day and spent it decorating the stage with props from her favorite musical, "The Sound of Music." Thank God for eBay.
He enlisted in the help of Gabriella in getting her in the theatre. To this day, he still doesn't know how she did it, but what he does know is that, right as night was falling, the door opened, and the two girls were standing in the threshold.
She gasped loudly at the sight before her – "The Sound of Music" set gleaming at her, and him standing in the middle, wearing a tuxedo. Her hand immediately went up to her face; she had no makeup on, and her hair was pulled back into a bun. She was wearing Victoria's Secret sweatpants and lacy camisole. He had never thought she looked so beautiful.
"Oh, my God," she whispered. She slowly walked up to the stage, her eyes wide and disbelieving. She reached Chad after a few moments, and said softly, "What is all this?"
"Do you like it?" he asked nervously.
"I love it," she said truthfully, still looking around. "But --"
"Sharpay," he interrupted. He took her hand and slowly leaned himself down on one knee. Her face depicted even more shock than before, if that were possible. "We've been together five amazing years, even if we've had some rough patches along the way. There is, honestly, nothing that would make me happier than you becoming my wife." She nearly fell over. He reached into his pocket and extracted a small, velvet box. Opening it slowly, he revealed a sparkling, pink diamond ring. "Marry me?"
Tears sprang to her eyes. "Oh, Chad, I'm not wearing any make-up!" she cried, but she was laughing at the same time.
"Is that a yes?"
"Yes, of course it's a yes, you dumbass!" She let out a sob mixed with laugh. He stood up and slipped the ring onto her ring finger. She held it out and examined it. "Oh, Chad, it's gorgeous."
She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him in for a deep kiss.
He'd never been one for marriage, but maybe it wouldn't be so bad.
They got married on a Saturday.
All of their old high school friends who'd left Albuquerque flew in for the wedding. Her matron-of-honor, Gabriella, was there to help her through the panic details – making sure the cake got to the reception hall on time, that the flowers were exactly the right color. His best man, Troy, was doing the same thing, albeit soothing different worries – like if he would be able to live up to her expectations as a husband.
Nothing seemed to matter anymore once she started walking down the aisle. Her dress was simple; strapless, tight on top, and then it fanned out into a hoop skirt. Her blonde hair was curled to perfection right at her shoulders, and the veil hid her beautifully made up face. In an uncharacteristic display, she actually felt tears in her eyes as she saw him staring at her.
He couldn't take his eyes off her. She looked like heaven in her dress, her fair skin gleaming in the lights from the Church. He couldn't see the smile on her face behind the veil, but he didn't care. He'd known her long enough to know that she was beaming.
They joined hands at the alter and never broke their gaze throughout the entire ceremony. It was a half hour long, but it felt like five minutes. Before they knew it, their vows were read, he had removed the veil, they had kissed, and they were husband and wife.
The reception afterwards was a blur. They knew it was filled with many congratulatory faces that years later they couldn't place, and little kids running around the dance floor with balloons tied to their legs. Normally such a display would have infuriated her. Perhaps it was because she didn't care, or didn't notice, but it didn't bother her that day.
Nothing bothered her that day.
Their son was born on a Sunday.
Eleven hours of labor and the baby still wasn't out. There were many swears and curses and divorce threats tossed around if he even so much as thought of touching her. But he knew she didn't mean it.
All the same, he held her hand as she pushed, her face red with exhaustion and hair sticking to her neck from the sweat. She was breathing heavily, swallowing and gasping.
"I can't believe the kid won't get out," she growled through gritted teeth. "This is all your fault. You just couldn't let me sleep."
"I'm sorry, Sharpay. Next time, I'll do it."
"Next time!?"
Two hours later, an infant's cry broke out over the room, and suddenly it all seemed worth it. After he cut the cord, the baby was placed on her chest, wrapped in a fluffy blue blanket. She took him in her arms and held him for the first time.
"How do you like Kevin?"
"I thought we decided on Travis?"
"He looks like a Kevin."
His lips slowly crept into a smile. "Kevin Travis Danforth. I like it."
And now, it seemed like another one didn't seem so bad.