A/N: Sorry, in the last chapter, instead of Taylor, I posted Monique. Sorry. Also I changed my pen name from LuvInstntStr24 to MakeAChoice.

Disclaimer: I do not own HSM or Like a Prayer by Madonna

Like a Prayer

When you call my name

It's like a little prayer

I'm down on my knees

I want to take you there

Bruised and beaten, Sharpay creeped her way out of Chris's house in the midnight hour. Wandering aimlessly on the vacant streets. She followed the hidden ebony path to the one house she could at least feel safe. Even if she wasn't. She took out her cell phone and called Troy Bolton, of all people. Why? She did not know. For some bizarre reason she felt safe and secure with him. Sometimes, even more than she did with Chris. No longer could she ever feel love for Chris, because, he could never love her the way she needed him to. Still, she would stand by his side, for ever and always. The phone rang twice before a groggy voice answered it

"Hello?" He grumbled

"Troy?" she asked nearly in tears, wondering how she could have been so stupid as to call him this late.

"Shar?" The tone in his voice had changed immensely.

"Can I stay the night. I...I, please." She could not dig deep enough to find an explanation for her weakness. Weakness was for the little people, and she had never felt so small.

"Why? Did you get hurt.?" Silence. What to say to him, how to cover it up. Random thoughts raced through her mind.

"Sort of. Listen, please, can't you just do this one favor for me. Please."

"Under one condition. You have to tell me why you get hurt when you get up to my room."

"Fine."

"I'll unlock the door for you. Just walk in. My room is up the stairs, and then take an immediate left."

"Ok"

Ninety seconds later, she slunk through the doorway up to Troy's bedroom. She looked around his house. Trophys were scattered in every square inch of the house. MVP, State championship, Most likely to succeed, the list went on.

She walked into his room, noticing no one was to be found. She smoothed out the sheets on his bed and sat down, cross legged. She heard a faint gargling noise from his bathroom, and smirked. Mouthwash, of course. She noticed him mat down his tangled bed-head in in the mirror. He flashed one last cocky smile in the mirror before he emerged out of his bathroom to find Sharpay on his bed. They stared at each other for what seemed like hours, without saying a word. She admired his well toned body, that seemed to gleam. She gave in to a half smile when she noticed he was shirtless, and how disheveled his hair was, despite how he tried to fix it, and how wonderful it still looked. He gazed at her smooth toned legs that were visible under the mini-skirt she was wearing. He studied her smile, it was genuine, and warm. Not at all icy.

"Hey Sharpay." She granted him with a smile and a nod of acknowledgment, "Oh God, you're bleeding."

"It's fine. I can handle it."

"Tell me what is going on."

"My boyfriend...um, his name is Chris. He's 22. He doesn't really like me to talk to other guys, or disobey him. So, he, um, punishes me. I always learn my lesson." Troy's expression turned into a worried one.

"You don't deserve this. Nobody does."

"I knew you wouldn't understand! Chris hurts me because he loves me,Troy. He's only trying to better me. Of course you wouldn't understand that. You have your prim, proper, perfect, Gabriella." she whined flailing her arms around.

"What makes you think she's so perfect? She felt like an outcast for so long at her old school."

"At her old school, Troy. When she was in freaking Kindergarten!"

"Sharpay."

"And she is so talented at everything. Perfect grades. Perfect body type. Perfect skin. Perfect voice. Perfect stage presence! Perfect friends. Perfect status."

"Calm down, please."

"And you. With your hideous persona of being this all-star basketball player, smart, nice, caring, decent looking."

"Decent?"

"You would think that you would be this mean, awful, insecure, broken person inside. But you're not! You're not, and I hate it. I hate how perfect you are. And I hate you! I hate you so much! I hate you!" She pounded her fists into his spongey mattress, and then into his chest. Attempting to leave a mark. Trying to bruise his strong body. After the twenty second punch, her let her lips crush onto his. Hurting him more than ever with her lips, pushing onto him harder and harder. Falling on top of him onto his bed, continuing to kiss him. And he kissed back, with passion and fire. With white heat. She straddled him, and continued kissing him. After a while, he tasted more than her mouth and her tongue. One tear spilled into his mouth. It was salty and bitter. Soon, more and more dripped in. She broke away and sobbed against his chest.

"You're not broken, Troy. I am. I'm broken."

"I know," he whispered, "I know..."

Okay guys, R&R. Love Ya!