Je t'aime

Lucian Reeves sat in front of his favorite café thinking of a story.

He opened his laptop and clicked on Word. He stared on the virtual blank page of his computer and tried to think of a story. A waiter brought him his first cup of coffee for the day and he sipped it as he tried to think of a starting sentence. Nothing…

People passed by the café and Lucian didn't take notice of them. He kept staring at his computer hoping that inspiration would come to him. Suddenly, he noticed something in the corner of his eye. Looking at his left, he saw a couple strolling by. The man was holding hands with the woman and both were oblivious to the world around them.

They were giggling and cooing at each other as they strolled and the man wrapped his arm around the woman's waist and kissed her deeply. The two were in front of Lucian and he tried not to gag at the sight. It was sickeningly sweet and he was happy for them but he just wished they didn't kiss. It was a bit too much…

As if by magic, Lucien's fingers started tapping on the keyboard. He did not know how or why they did, but it happened. Suddenly the story he'd been trying to write was revealing itself to him as if it had waited for its chance in a very long time. His fingers whizzed on the keyboard and the words just flowed unto the screen. He typed and typed and typed.

Lucian wrote about two very different people who met each other in the nick of time. Traveling in different cliques, they hardly noticed each other during high school. But fate had other plans for the both of them…

He entitled it Je t'aime…

~***~

Troy Bolton was East High's basketball king and every girl's dream during high school but a certain Gabriella Montez was the only one who was able to capture his heart. The two had a perfect relationship until college.

They were not really living in a fairytale and even with the close proximity of their colleges; their relationship wasn't really able to survive that long. Gabriella had an affair with her favorite professor and it became quite a scandal leaving Troy hurt and humiliated.

He became quite lifeless after that. Nothing he did ever meant something and he ended up throwing his life out the window. He miraculously finished college, but not with flying colors, and took up a job as a freelance photographer for different magazines and got to travel to a lot of places. This seemed to help him move on and he became more passionate about photography which in turn, left him quite well off.

One day, he was assigned to photograph famous places in Paris for a tourism magazine when the most important turning point in his life happened.

He was on top of the Eiffel Tower and was about to take a shot when his camera zoomed in on the most beautiful girl in the world.

Suddenly, he felt like heaven and earth conspired to make this moment come true – they had brought Troy Bolton back to life!

~***~

Sharpay Evans had it all.

She had looks that could stop traffic.

She had the attitude that was bitchy yet alluring.

She had money that seemed to be unlimited.

Her life was already set, her plans of the future, flawless. Yet it all came tumbling down with the appearance of one Gabriella Montez. She stole Sharpay's role in Twinkle Town along with Troy Bolton, both of whom were neither experienced in drama.

Ever since that spiteful moment, Sharpay's ambition was reduced to pieces bit by bit. It hurt her but she learned to move on. She learned the hard way that she couldn't really have it all.

But she was Sharpay Evans! She couldn't just sit and mope about her fallen dreams; she would make new ones and act upon them; so she did.

She immediately traveled to Los Angeles after college and started to make her name in Hollywood. It wasn't Broadway since her brother would be the one dominating that world. She wanted a name of her own. As she rose to the top, more and more movies were offered to her.

Recently she accepted an offer where the filming would be on location, which was Paris. It was a whirlwind romance based on a popular romance novel by Lucian Reeves. It was entitled Je t'aime – the French for "I love you".

~***~

Lucian wrote how the couple met.

It was an unexpected and surprising reunion but a pleasant one. The man was becoming taken with the woman every single day they both spent together. The woman was starting to rekindle the attraction she felt for the man many years ago.

Alas, fate had to play its cruel little game.

The couple had to separate upon short notice. The man was still bound to where he is yet the woman was supposed to leave. The two agreed that maybe they were never meant to be and the separation was bitter. It announced the end of a new beginning…

Upon the pressure of their lives, the two were forced to move on, but neither could forget the other. They had a mutual wish to meet again.

If only for a moment…

~***~

Troy and Sharpay strolled around Paris together hand in hand.

Their meeting had been an unexpected surprise and both were curious to know how each other's lives went.

Troy told Sharpay what went down between him and Gabriella and how he became a photographer because of the freedom it provided him. He was able to travel to places to take a snapshot for the whole world.

It was fun, since he was able to be part of a lot of different things. It didn't matter that he only had to take snippets of what he'd really experienced back home but the fact that he was there. It was a thrilling experience for him everyday.

Sharpay told Troy about her life in front of the camera. It was different than what she was used to. There was no live audience and no room for mistakes, literally. It seemed strange to her that she was performing for a set of lens and a crew without the immediate crowd reaction. But then the premieres were a blast since she got to see how she'd done on the big screen.

It was pressure though, since she had to look good in order to earn good criticisms. There was no room for mistakes, yet she knew she couldn't claw her way to the top without getting scathed. And she was determined not to sleep her way up there too.

Sadly though, shooting was finished early and Sharpay had to go back to Los Angeles for more filming. Just as she was about to tell Troy what she really felt, she had to leave. Troy felt terribly bitter for being left hanging. He reverted back to his lifelessness…

~***~

Lucian paused to take a sip of his coffee.

It was already closing time for the café and the waiter told him that he must leave. He saved his work and closed his laptop.

Walking back to his apartment, he thought of what will happen next in his novel.

He stopped by the grocery and bought himself a few things for dinner. At his apartment, he cooked himself up a little something and got ready for bed.

Tomorrow he would continue his little tale…

The next day, Lucian woke up and went back to his favorite café.

He opened his laptop and opened the file where he was writing his new story. The waiter once again brought him his coffee and he started sipping it before he typed.

Once again, the couple passed by him and he did not dare look at them fearing that they might start kissing again.

For the whole day, he wrote about how the couple got back together.

The man was starting to lose himself; he just could not bear the pain of being separated from the woman whom he thought was "the One". He wanted her back no matter what the cost and he spent his days agonizing about his apparent loss.

The woman was also getting restless, her life becoming meaningless with each passing day. She wanted to be with the man she thought was "the One". She just couldn't function without him – he had become her other half. She wistfully looked back on the days they would just stroll down the streets of Paris hand in hand without a care in the world.

She missed being with him as much as the man was longing to be with her again…

~***~

Troy was being berated for submitting the photos late. Good thing he did not lose his temper at the editor or else the amount on his paycheck would affect his lifestyle. He had to grudgingly take photos of Paris. Ironic since it was a place for romance, but in Paris is where he lost his own love.

Sharpay acted her part halfheartedly and it was troubling her director that she does so. The film could not push on if the leading lady could not act her part correctly. The director didn't want to flush her career down the toilet so suddenly, she was making incredible progress. A bit more and she would be a star!

~***~

For a month, Lucian kept going back to the café to type his story.

He felt the inspiration flow inside him every morning which kept him going as the story became more interesting. The cups of coffee were also doing a great job of helping him focus on his task.

The man couldn't keep on moping anymore, so he went back to the most important turning point in his life and tried to relive those moments. He was bent on making a memory relive itself it seemed like he was whack. But he had to try – he had to do it!

It pained him to know that no matter what he did it could only remain in the past. Why can it not be the future? He was angry, he was bitter – he needed her back…

The woman needed a break.

It was eating her alive, her thoughts upon this man. She had to go back to him at all costs! She had to see him once again, to be with him once again or else she would really go mad! She decided to go back to the place where they first met.

It was a place chock full of happy memories – but that was what they'll ever be: memories. The woman wept with hurt as she realized that they may never be together after all…

~***~

Troy bent down and hugged a weeping Sharpay.

He did not expect to see her back in Paris; it had been two years since they got together and parted. The separation was a bitter one.

"Why did it have to end?" she cried, holding onto Troy's shirt.

"I'm not sure, Pay…" he tried to console her.

"Then why are you back?" she looked up at him, her eyes full of question.

"I never wanted it to end." Troy whispered into her ear.

"So, why are you back too?" he asked her. Sharpay closed her eyes and whispered.

"I wanted to go back to where it all began…"

"Are you up for a rewind?" Troy asked her, caressing her cheek. Sharpay shook her head,

"I'm up for a sequel…" she said and Troy smiled as he leaned in.

The two kissed passionately underneath the Eiffel Tower where it all began and where it continued…

~***~

Lucian sighed with happiness.

Finally he was able to finish the story and he felt like celebrating!

It would be a hit and he knew it.

Lucian smiled and continued sipping his coffee. He had to send the manuscript to the editor tomorrow and he wanted to savor this moment before things start getting hectic once more.

The couple passed him again on their way home and the woman smiled and waved at him.

Lucian waved back.

~ ***~

Mr. and Mrs. Bolton were strolling around Paris.

It was a routine they started right after settling into their new home. Even if the couple passed by the same things everyday, it never bored them and they thoroughly enjoyed each other's company.

One day, they were strolling and Troy started cooing into Sharpay's ear. The two then continued to coo and giggle and Troy kissed her passionately in front of a café. When they walked away, Sharpay told Troy that she the man with a laptop was somewhat familiar to her.

A month passed before Sharpay realized that the man she and Troy passed everyday at the little café was Lucian Reeves, a well known novelist.

On his final day, Sharpay managed a small wave as she and Troy were walking back home. He glanced at her and waved back as he continued to sip his coffee.

Hey guys!
Please review.. :)
Is the story quite confusing?
Basically it's the writer telling the story of Troypay which is happening in real life.. :)
An attempt at metafiction, something we learned at school.. :D
I do hope you like it though.. :)