R E M I N I S C I N G
by Bl1SSFuln3ss

Chapter 19 Review Replies

Stessa: I’ve missed you and Tulle most definitely - mark my word, I shall go to Copenhagen someday, Haha! Thanks for the review, I love you Tess!

HelloLish: I love you for being those people who instantly reviewed. I haven’t told that I love the change of username. I’m sure you’ve thought this story was discontinued or whatever, or maybe you've forgotten that this even existed. Thanks for the review (:

princesssamz: You’re welcome, and I’m sorry for keeping you waiting on the update. It has been forever, like, over a year? I also wanna say that I love your stories :) Thank yourself for reviewing

Drama4Twilight: They finally meet? Haha, you made it seem like they've been seperated for longer than that, anyway - thanks for the kind review (:

x j a m e y: Oh gosh the last chapter wasn't exactly angst yet - I think this chapter is more angst and more fluff at the same time, but oh well I'll let you be the judge of that. I feel like apologizing a hundred times for the lack of updates, some of you might thought that I'm dead or something. Haha, I do love your stories, I haven't seen your updates in awhile as well, I might've been gone but I kept an eye for stories that I love. Tell me if I did okay in this chapter? This should be the last chapter, though (:

..x.: Jas! Yeah smoker, psh, we do talk about you - Sam and I - Haha, you might aswell think I'm dead, right? Meh, somehow it always means more to me when Troyellas read my story - and you're just saying it's awesome because you're like, one of my best friends Jas, gosh. In case this is Sam though, I love you Sam and miss our emailing thing (: Tell Jas if her msn been hacked, get a new one because I need to catch a lot up with her - like she doesn't know. I'm glad that you two, reconcile (?) as well. Love you both x

heyhello: Ren, duh! How could I not give the last chapter to you. You're like my best best best friend whom got all spastic talking about Jackson and Ashley haha, and stalking Zac (: Haha, reading your review made me realize it has been like almost a year since I updated, this is almost summer again! Haha, isn't that just so - weird? Lol and I'm glad we're still friends seeing how long it's been. Of course Troy won't marry the female doggy, chill out - if I did that to him, both you and Troy would hunt me down and I don't want to die yet - I LOVE YOU, get online, I wanna talk to you about something (;

CJMx: Oh my gosh Catherina, it has been just forever since we've talked in AIM - what did happen? I MISS YOU, you need to get online, hm, we do have twitter but still, it's nothing compared with our conferences with everyone else. I could still remember the talk about Pennia and the sword that one night. We so need to talk I could cry.

LoveiflifeLifeisLove: Hey there, ha, of course there should be Troypay no no there shall be no Troy and Laura, that should be icky and you get to find the wonders of Troy convincing his love again - only if Troypay does really happen in the movies (: Thanks for the review

x3x-MUSiC-is-LIFE-x3x: Haha whether you read it or not, you do review my chapters and that makes me happy because you're just the best friend I do love (: I miss you too, we should talk pretty pretty soon and your parents and dinner seem to always interrupt, yes? Haha, karma - somehow

troypay-zashley-4ever: Haha, did I build the tension alright at the last chapter? Oh well, this would pretty calm everything down since it's like, the last chapter but thanks for the kind review anyway, I know I hadn't been the best updater ever (: but tell me what you think?

Clotisy: I'm sure the reason we are so attracted to Sharpay is because of her stuborness and the fact that she's skin-tone-compatible with Troy freaken Bolton (like you've said before). Oh gosh, I miss reading your long fan girl review, I truly do - you have no idea, you're like one of the best reviewers out there and I adore you for that. Yes Troy Bolton whom the fan girls adore shall find a way. I know I haven't been updating much and people might not truly forgive me not haven't been updating this far - it'll be nice to have someone still sticking to the story though, thanks (:

SeBabGr: The fact that you reviewed twice makes me smile so wide that I am glad I could finally update this - Thank you and you have no idea how much I love your stories aswell (:

CHAPTER 20
Crystal

Sharpay had no idea what was Troy planning to do. He had been driving all over the neighborhood and she had no idea where he was taking her - mainly because she hadn't been in Albuquerque for quite a while. She wanted to complain about it, wanting to just tell him to stop with it already and just let her be.

The sky had turned paler and moved since the time that everyone called ‘a sunny side day’. Sharpay kept her eyes of what’s stilled across the window; she didn’t dare to take a peek on what’s going on with Troy. She didn’t dare to look inside his love or lust that filled his eyes. Because she wanted to get over him, but he just wouldn’t let her.

A slam from the other side of the car snapped her up, there they were in a middle of nowhere and the dreadful thing was that it was starting to get dark, the fog was starting to fall and blurring her vision. She got out from the car herself and looked up to see that they were shielded by a wide-spread leaves shadowing the almost damp soft green carpet.

“Troy, it’s going to rain!” she shouted, leaning in front of the door – a witty response that she’d rather stay there

Yet, he ignored her words and took her hand to come with him. That firm touch of him brought her to take step after step down the hill they parked the car and to the sight of a small hut placed in the middle of nowhere surrounded by grass

She remembered this place a little too clearly. That hut was there since God knows when; and it was since elementary school or something when they used to play there since the carnival came to town and build it there as for a temporary thing. The adventure they took once the carnival got them bored; and their path sent them to the hut. But they've never actually set a foot inside the hut until the place was completely abandoned - afraid that it might've been possessed by someone.

The rain was starting and Sharpay couldn’t believe that Troy was still dragging her out there to that little old wooden hut. They knew it was abandoned, the hill with its field had always been too, ever since the carnival never came back into town; consequently they never knew whom the hut belonged to, exactly – unless than their illegal childish consent of ownership. They have never figured it out anyway, because it was empty when they had found it and no one had proclaimed it as their prized possessions - not like there's anything valuable there except for the memory it held.

Sharpay held back gasped when Troy let her in and everything she could remember was still placed there. The hut only have a room and a small corner of the room held stacks of shelves. Troy and Sharpay once brought a scruffy old carpet and Troy had moved a small mattress for one back when they spent almost everyday there. It was always the place whenever they needed to get out from the world. A quite, abandoned field was the perfect scene.

“Troy, why are you doing this?” Sharpay ripped her eyes from the carving of ‘Troypay’ on the wooden walls; finally turning to Troy who was still taking his shoes off before he can stain the carpet with the muddy grass streaks he had picked up from scraping the ground a little too deep when they went there

“Doing what?” he asked innocently

“Bringing me here, taking me here back, everything to convince me coming back home with you to LA… This thing, why are you doing this thing that’s wasting our time? I told you no more than once, so why you kept coming back?” Sharpay spilled

“It’s not wasting our time” he stated simply, almost like he was avoiding anything to answer it

Troy revealed the wooden floor once he exposed the carpet as far as he can. Pulling out a little hook from the floor, he found a box placed on the small space hidden under the floor. Blowing all the dust from it, she could see the carved ‘S.E & T.B’ on the old wooden box. Suddenly Sharpay felt herself shrinking in time

“I know, we promised to open this on our wedding day…” Sharpay moved closer to Troy, “But we did miss it already, so… I think we should open this…” Troy handed the box to her and shakily she took it on her own hand. She, herself wasn’t so sure, she was scared as hell

That maybe that box contain her feelings

-

Sharpay fixed herself against the leather of his father’s car while Troy attempted to dry his hair by shaking his hair lightly, careful not to splatter excess of water to her sitting beside him. She glanced back at the opened box. They hadn’t rummaged through it thoroughly, but they found an old cassette, so now they were… moments of hearing their own voices back when they were just 7

“Are you ready?” Troy asked on Sharpay’s stiff self—she pretty much knew that it wasn’t because the cold that was overwhelming her slowly by seconds; but she managed to nod, “Here it goes”

With that, Troy pushed in the cassette and waited patiently for it to play as the cassette began roughly before,

‘Hey there’ a much younger version of Troy’s voice came, ‘Hi!’ followed quickly by her little angelic sound

‘Don’t you think it’s weird to say hello to yourself?’ Troy asked

‘No, we’re recording it, now stop it!’

Sharpay chuckled and couldn’t believe what she was saying back then, the day in that year was a blur inside her memory; the fun she had with Troy back then had never left her head. She had kept a few mental polaroids of him and her fooling around the little city back then. And now that she was hearing herself, amused, the pictures were starting to resurface.

‘Okay, moving along… This would be heard in like… a loooong time… That is, if Troy didn’t cheat taking the time capsule back’ Sharpay’s voice filled the silent air between them

‘Hey, I will not’ Troy’s voice butted in, ‘So, what’re you putting inside the box?’

‘Troy, it’s a time capsule!’ Sharpay defended

‘Whatever, its shape is still a box nonetheless!’ Troy fought back

‘Guys suck!’ the small voice of Sharpay told, ‘You even brought that stupid plane of yours!’

‘Hey, at least I got something' Troy remembered wanting to put in his basketball and whining of getting a bigger box so his ball would fit it, but Sharpay had smacked him and he brought he miniature plane instead, 'What are you even trying to place in here?’ Troy asked

‘This locket your grandma gave me. It’s still looks old on me, maybe I’ll get it when I’m bigger’ Sharpay told, ‘Troy! Don’t put our picture at the bottom!’ Sharpay complained

‘Like it matters, Shar!’ He complained back, ‘Where’s your letter anyway?’

‘Here!’ she squealed, ‘Put everything in!’ she ordered

‘Okay, jeez’

She squealed, ‘So when actually can we get this back?’ Sharpay’s voice asked

‘I don’t know…’ Troy trailed, ‘At our wedding day? That would be nice’ he suggested

‘Why?’ she reasoned

‘Because if we wait any longer, we’ll be married and then too busy with our 9 kids!’ Troy complained

‘That actually makes sense’ Sharpay’s voice lightened up

Sharpay rolled her eyes and her childlike manner back then. 9 kids didn't make sense to her now.

‘Well… we better get to lunch. She’s Sharpay’ Troy told

‘And he’s silly Troy’ Sharpay’s voice squealed

‘And this is our time box recording’ Troy said

‘Capsule, Troy!’ Sharpay’s voice butted in, ‘Gee, we sounded like Fashion Polices’

‘Whatever Shar’ Troy’s voice sounded as if he didn’t care

‘Oh god you're just so dumb, Troy’ she giggled

‘Come here you!’ Troy’s voice sounded distant and more distant by the second, followed by Sharpay’s fading out giggles and laughs

…

Troy turned to Sharpay, not sure what to say after that. Sharpay just stared at the huge oak tree where they had first parked his father’s car. The rain hitting the windshield hard was the only sound going on between them

“Sharpay…” he called out, and she turned her head to him to meet his blue shining eyes, and in that particular moment, she refused to believe that she had never succeeded to quit him despite 9 years they grew apart

“It was a time capsule, Troy…” Sharpay silently spoke—getting a chuckle out of him and she gave out a small smile

“Sharpay, my feelings never went away” He told her with all his might

She stayed silent after his confession “But I’m too afraid to come pass this phase between us, Troy. I’m afraid to let you in once again, get my heart to thrown away and stomped to the ground. Maybe I’m not ready to have you in my life… yet. And I don’t know if I will ever be again” Sharpay stared on her thighs, she didn’t dare to get Troy’s expression,

“Don’t completely let me off the hook; I’ve done a lot of wrong things…” But he was cut

“What if Laura wasn’t a mistake? What if maybe you’re just supposed to be with her and this was all just a twist, Troy? Maybe you’re supposed to be with her from the beginning” She fought silently- not sure of why she was saying this; she wanted deeply just to accept his apology already, but she had an undyingly urge to know, hear what he had got to say

“Sharpay, Laura will never get my heart skipping beats, she never had me impatient to see her, she never love my kids just like you and mostly… she never loves me the way you did” Troy explained - what was that? Taken from a sappy love story somewhere?

“That’s great, Troy. But…” Again; why can’t she just shut up when she wanted to? Stop fighting, Sharpay told herself

“There are no buts, Shar… I lov—need you and that’s that. There’s no Laura or anyone in my heart, it belongs to you from the right beginning. You’re just trying not to accept it with the mistakes in the past. We can move pass this, you’re afraid to get your heartbroken again, but I know I won’t do anything to do it ‘cause…” Troy told her sincerely

“You did the last time” She looked sadly to the guy before her eyes

“It was a misunderstanding Sharpay. I never loved her and never will. Whatever life and jerk I've become these past years without you is not me, Sharpay! It was a horrible timing and place; I never wanted that, I never even wanted her in our life” He wished she could just believe him already—because he was exposing everything he felt and she seemed to hold on to the fact that she was going to get her heartbroken once again if she took a chance, “I don’t know what can convince you, but I never stopped caring for you…”

“Do you really?” Sharpay asked truly, a glint of hope was shining inside her chocolate eyes

“Shar…” Troy moved closer and ran his fingers on her damped blonde locks, “Anyone with a half brain could see…” When his palms met a certain spot on the back of her head, he pulled her closer to his face—against his slow hot breaths, he whispered, “I love you”

And that finally slipped his mouth, their lips met. He had missed her too much- too much that he could bear. He realized that these days he had to have her for himself. He needed more than his lips crashing into hers. He needed more hope to know that once again she was fully his, he needed to know that this was all real

“You’re calling me…” she managed to escape, but followed with a gasp when his mouth moved down to a sensitive spot on her neck, “a moron, Troy” she made him aware he was insulting her in a way

“I’m calling you anything…” he stopped for a moment- the heat of love inside of him vanishing for a second, “To get you back with me, Sharpay” his eyes gleamed with desire and sincerity as they stare her down

Sharpay spilled the truth; “What if we stumble back to a situation even worse than this” she looked in the future complications that were having chances of not occurring

“This is not worse” His voice hoarse and low as his lips made contact with her neck while his hand snaked on her neck and pulled her closer, “It’s not bad” He moved to her cheek, “Not at all” He looked inside her glazing eyes, his fingers softly stroking her cheeks

Then she realized

This was wrong

These sweet, sugary, romantic talks were soon turning into lust. And she didn’t want that

He was driving her into the point where she was helpless to say no—to which had she spent 9 years trying to work on it; at least that’s what she thought. She didn’t want him using sex just to get her back. She didn’t want to overlook whether it was love or just lust

And the fact that now she couldn’t tell. She didn’t want this to happen between them. She didn’t want to fall off the wagon with him all over again. She wasn’t ready. But he was making it harder for her to handle; and to breathe

She can’t breathe

Now.

“Stop it, Troy” she quickly stated before his hands and mouth could get farther, “Just stop looking at me…!” She fought the lust heating up in her stomach - she knew it wasn’t right. That wasn’t right. She thought they were getting over each other together

In return, she received a confused look, “I told you I am not ready yet. I’m afraid it won’t work just like it did last time. And you pushing me over the edge with lust to convince me I’m ready are not helping anything” Her words mingled with the hard drips of rain against the windshield, “And I… I can’t breathe; I can’t breathe with you looking at me like that!” She announced to him

Troy didn’t stop. He didn’t stop staring, in fact he watched her so intense that she couldn’t take it anymore. She quickly captured his lips for a kiss, a mind-blowing kiss where it was those moments she would remember for the rest of her lives. She didn’t get how he had turned her against her own statement with just a single stare

He parted them both and somehow proving her that it wasn’t the lust that was between them

He just stared - still and immobile, he didn’t say anything. And she just watched him back; not sure of anything else she could do in front of him.

The sky was getting darker, and thunders was heard constantly every a minute or so. She couldn’t tell if it was a perfect moment for both of them- but she didn’t want this to happen right here and now. She wanted some breathing space, not right there, and not now. She wanted to wait.

She sat upright and raised her feet to the leather seat, watching the rain fell down towards her as if it was prevented by the windshield of Jack Bolton’s Cadillac Escalade—any effort to not being drawn to his intent electric blue eyes. She bit her bottom lip; she could still taste how his lips felt against it

The rest of the car gradually settled into the cool stillness of rain. The heat was dying and the shadows crept closer, no longer held at bay by the warmth and hot sensation of their actions earlier

Troy decided he had to try. He wondered what Sharpay would think if she knew he felt more fear asking this question than he had the first time

“Marry me, Shar?”

She heard that before. When they had just graduated from high school right away—it had been in a place much sweeter than in this insurmountable condition. She thought she was prepared, but she wasn’t—so she ran out from the car; slamming the door as hard as she could

To the rain, she felt each drops slowly wetting her more and more. The gusts of wind that huge oak tree’s leaves made wasn’t helping—cold was the last thing she needed. Oh no, him coming out from the car was the last thing she needed

“I need you” his voice was low and rough

“Are you sure?”

“I freaking asked you to marry me for the second time. How sure am I?” he asked her back

“Troy…”

“I know you said you weren’t ready for this again, but I know we never stopped loving each other. I know we do” Troy made his voice clear through the rain

“Whether I love you or not doesn’t matter” Sharpay told him back—did he even know the meaning that she still needed time? Plenty of time; but he didn’t want to waste any

“It’s all that matters!” Troy facted from his own opinion—he would get through whatever until he finally convinced her to

“I won’t marry you, Troy. Not when I know I’m not ready. Give me time. When the time is right, I’d… I’d say yes. I want to take things between us slow, Troy. I’m not saying I don’t want to be with you. I need you to convince me, with time… Not just with your words, Troy” She stuttered as she tried to get him look things on her perspective

“When I’m with you, I feel a kind of calm I’ve never felt in my life. I’m tangled up in you and it feels right. Like it was meant to me… I love you Shar, and I’m sorry it’s taken me so long to say it to you again” the backs of her eyes stung and she bit her bottom lip—maybe words are enough to convince her

Sharpay couldn’t take it anymore, seeing the shining devotion from his eyes, she smiled and looked up at him, “I’ve missed you” right now, she was glad that the rain hid her tears, “but not enough to make me re-marry you” she added

For the first time in a long time, she heard him genuinely laughed and his dimples dented his cheeks, “You haven’t missed me any more than I’ve missed you. I’ve been one miserable shit head”

He drew her for another kiss, his fingers running smoothly on her damped hair. Creating another heated sensation between the falling raindrops between them

He finally settled in to stop and do things her way—anything to make this work, “What does this mean?” he asked her, his voice low and hoarse, their noses pressed side by side as he enquired her

“We wait. Wait for me until I’m convinced that love is all that matters” She offered him, and he sealed her deal with a peck on her lips as his hands wrapped around her waist,

"I'll wait forever" He reassured her, "Just as long as it's you I'm waiting for"

“I’m glad you came here, Troy” she said randomly as she looked up to the coat of leaves from the oak tree

“Me too” his voice low as it mashed with the rain, taking her hand and dragged her towards the Escalade, opening the back door for her—he was going to put all his might to convince her. Then quickly got into as well…- he couldn’t wait, meeting their daughter; just to tell everything’s gonna be alright from now on.

Sharpay stared softly at the only man that made her heart flutters, smiling slightly to him. She placed her hand on his cheek, giving him a sweet, chaste kiss. And when about she was about to withdraw, he pressed even harder to her lips… Then he pulled her even closer to him, ready to throw their damped clothes off

She didn’t know why she blew up on him earlier for convincing her to stay with him…

But all that she could sum up now was that she’s glad that he came to Albuquerque, home.

I have to thank every single person that have stick with me through this story, it has been years and that I've finished this far felt as if I've accomplished so much and this chapter is dedicated to Sierra (xXsierraXx), who has reminded me that I do need to update my stories

THE END - but how does an epilogue sounds?