AN: I would like to start the new updates of this story with a public service announcement courtesy of Khaesta Aradia: If you or anyone you know has ever been sexually assaulted it is not right and you can get help from the nation's leading organization toward sexual assault prevent and recovery at .org or by calling 1-800-656-HOPE.

PS: MY thoughts and prayers go out to Carol Wesley and her family who are bravely battling the recovery of her 8 year old granddaughter who was raped in her own bed last week and has gone through two surgeries from the injuries. May she and anyone else ever assaulted know that there is hope out there and people do care. ON WITH THE STORY!

Chapter 7:

The sunset casted dark shadows on the pavement as Sharpay walked home from school. She needed the time to think, to breathe. She longed for a sense of safety. She wondered what it felt like to be normal, if there was such a thing. How would it feel to see your father as an idol, someone to look up to instead of someone to fear?

Sharpay was so lost in her own thoughts, her own dreams, that she never heard the car pull up behind her or the door slam shut. She never saw the man running up behind her because the shadow was just one of the thousands that decorated the cool cement beneath her feet.

"Hey Sharpay," Troy called as he jogged up behind her.

The petite blond jumped nearly ten feet of the ground at the sound of his voice. It was rough and husky full of pleasure, the mere sound reminded her of her father coming into the room prepared for a long night. Noticing she was a mere three blocks away from Gabriella's house, she immediately assumed they had kissed and made up. The sweat rolling down his cheek was a metaphor for more than the heat of an Albuquerque night. Sharpay felt a tingle threw her body as she stared at the athlete behind her.

"Sorry I didn't mean to scare you," Troy apologized reaching his hand toward her shoulder reassuringly. He smiled at her and looked down the street toward Gabriella's house. "I was just driving threw the neighborhood and saw you."

"You don't have to lie to me," Sharpay said rolling her eyes, turning her back on Troy and continued walking. "She didn't need to relish on just another thing she couldn't have. She lived in a Grimm Brothers' fairytale, the kind where the heroin dies alone and in agony. She would never get her prince charming; she was stuck with the villain, or on her own on the streets.

"You're right I should be honest with you," Troy breathed as he ran to catch up with the alluring woman ahead of him. "But I don't want you to think I am pathetic." He sighed as he ran his left hand threw his hair and kicked a small stone on the ground.

"Troy I would think you're pathetic no matter what you did," Sharpay grinned turning around and almost running into the brawny brunette chasing her. She couldn't breathe with her prince charming standing mere centimeters from her body. She thought about the way his voice sounded, manly and full of life. She thought of the way his muscles thick with sweat glistened in the dull sunlight that was slowly setting in the distance. She thought about the bazillion reasons why they were wrong for each other. But she refused to think about how good it would feel to have his lips on hers in this moment.

"Well then I have nothing to lose do I," Bolton joked as he glanced down the road yet again. "I skipped the shower after practicing just hoping I could catch whoever she is with. Then I saw you and realized I have more important things to worry about than who Gabriella is making love to instead of me."

"Like taking a shower," She coughed plugging her nose. She would never let the foolish teenager know that she enjoyed everything about him from the way her looked to the way he smelled with the night air.

"Ha-Ha," He shook his head not sure of what to say. He couldn't explain why he pulled over at the sight of Sharpay Evans. There wasn't a way to explain that the more time he spent with her the more it just felt right. There was a reason that he turned down this street that she was walking down.

"I...If you aren't lying to me, I shouldn't lie to you."

"Are you hungry, because a good workout makes a man hungry?"

"I am… famished!"

"Then what are we standing here for, let's go!" Troy smiled grabbed her hand and dragging her towards his car.

"You really have an amazing car!"

"Its more work than anything. When I bought it, it was a pile of metal and oil."

"Can I drive?"

Troy looked at Sharpay, then his car, then back again. The pleading look on her face almost made him say yes, but he worked so hard on the damn car he was half afraid the second someone else drove it, it would just fall apart at the seams.

"Sure why not?" Troy shrugged. Gritting his teeth he ran to the passenger side and hopped in. Why couldn't he tell her no?

Squealing in pleasure she jumped behind the wheel and started the engine. Just hearing the car roar to life was uplifting. Sharpay would never tell anyone but she had a secret obsession about cars, she loved everything about them… She even almost got into a drag racing circuit.

"Thanks," Sharpay whispered barely audible to Troy. She was rubbing the leather steering wheel looking over the inner workings of the car. It had a total different feel from the driver's side. This was their little sanctuary. Troy and Sharpay were real and honest in here. This was where they first started talking on the way to a diner in the middle of the desert.

"Are you thinking what I am thinking?" Troy asked looking at the smiles coming and going on her face as scattered as the thoughts she was thinking. In that moment he realized he could spend forever looking at her. He wanted to breathe her in and discover everything that made her tick. In these rare occasions where she let her guard down, she was magnificent.

"No," She simply stated. "I will not have sex with you in this car!" She put the car in drive not even sure where she was going or what they were doing. The thought of food was erased with the thought of being on the open road and just driving.

"Ha-Ha." Troy laughed. "I was actually thinking of going for a drive to a little diner with the best burgers in New Mexico."

"I don't think I even remember how to get there," She replied shaking her head. She didn't want to have to spend the next three hours with Troy. She was afraid of what she might say or do. But then again a great burger sounded absolutely incredible.

"Just drive," Troy whispered letting his hand fall on her thigh offering encouragement. He couldn't help but notice how firm and defined her thigh muscles were. His lingering eyes also noticed she tan recently due to her slightly darker complexion. Quickly darting his focus on the road he tried to think of anything but what she implied before…

"Alright," she said pressing lightly on the breaks as they approached a red light in the middle of town. "On one condition…"

"I will pay," Troy said instantly replying. He didn't want her to notice the way he kept glancing at her, every inch of her. He couldn't believe he never looked at her before. Every time he saw her, it felt like the first time.

"No!" Sharpay snapped. "Your car, your gas, your conversation?" She looked at him pleadingly quickly before turning back to the road as she took a right turn onto the main street to which the interstate connected.

"You want me to talk to you?" Troy asked raising an eyebrow. He practically has to beat any type of dialogue out of her, and here she was asking him for a little chat. It was completely out of character and unexpected. This was going to be an unforgettable experience; he just realized he was finally seeing the real Sharpay.

"I promise I will pay just as long as there isn't another long drive with awkward silence. It's been a bad day… I don't think I could take it." She let her mind slip back to the one thing she would die to forget. She fathers naked body forcing itself into her. She wanted to close her eyes and just cry but she was driving she couldn't take her eyes off the road, at this speed she would kill them both, and Troy deserved better.

"You're offering to pay?" Troy was shocked. He didn't know if this was a trick. He felt like he was on the civilian version of punk'd. He felt like they created a new show that targeted everyday people instead of superstars.

"Well of course," Sharpay shrugged. "Naturally I have more money than you. It only makes sense."

"In that case what do you want to talk about?" Troy looked at her reclining his car seat a little bit. If he was going for a joyride he was going to be comfortable.

"Can I ask you something?" Sharpay asked timidly. She looked softly out the front window. She had to tell someone, why not Bolton. If someone was going to destroy her from the truth behind the mask, it might as well be her prince charming. It would be the perfect ending to her fairytale.

"Anything," Troy asked leaning forward to look at her delicate face. She looked so innocent, so pure and yet so tainted.

"If you had a dark secret, like an earth shattering secret, would you tell someone?"

"Sharpay, is there something you want to tell me?"

She drove in silence for the next half hour. She could feel his eyes staring at her, she could feel his thoughts. She could feel him become more nervous just because she didn't respond to him. The tension was thick in the car, but could she really trust him? She barely knew him, and yet somehow he felt like the only one who understood her.

"Sharpay, please talk to me…" Troy pleaded with her frown lines wrinkling upon his forehead as his eyes softened.

She slowly put the car in park on the side of the deserted country road. She turned the car off and climbed out of the car, slamming the door behind her. She walked to the front of the car and just sat on the hood.

Troy stared out the front window for a minute debating on whether or not he should get out and follow her. The crisp air was a signal that this moment was something special and secretive. He knew whatever happened next would change the course of their relationship… He was about to see what really made the ice princess tick.

"Sharpay?" He asked quietly gently hopping next to her on top of the impala. He put an arm around her shoulders comfortingly. He wanted her to know whatever was going on with her; he was a friend that she could count on.

"Have you ever had something so deep, so dark, and so painful you just had to tell someone inside of you? A secret masked so deep that even you don't know the truth to anymore? Maybe you deserve it; maybe pain is what you really deserve?" She whispered between tears. Her whole body shaking at the mere strength of the agony behind her tears, Sharpay was in so much pain she would kill herself just for it to end.

Troy looked into the night sky. He could feel her pain. He could feel her honesty. He wanted to be the one to make everything better, but he knew at this moment words wouldn't be enough. Without understanding the truth behind the tears, the real tenderness behind her soul, he would never really be able to say anything to soothe her throbbing tears.

"Bolton I swear to God if you so much as think about what I am going to tell you I will kick your…."

"Sharpay whatever you have to say to me will stay between me and you, I promise. I just want to help you." Troy quickly cut her off throwing his hands up in defeat.

"Troy, my father… the man who is my blood and genes… the man that I have looked up to since birth… he is… You know what forget I ever brought it up!"

Troy just pulled her closer and rubbed her back. He didn't know what she was trying to say but the sound of her heavy breathing and dark tears made him furious. Her father had hurt her and he wanted to make him pay. He didn't even have to know what Mr. Evans did to hate him.

"NO… I brought it up… I have to tell you… I can't have you wondering… It would be best if you knew. I think it would be best anyways. The truth is… my father… he crawls into my… every night he… It hurts… I don't want to think about it…"

Troy jumped off the car and stood in front of her. His eyebrows were raised up in a mixture of anger, confusion, and sympathy. He reached both of his hands forward and cupped the soft skin that graced her chin and looked her in the eyes as he spoke. "Whatever he did to you… Sharpay I want you to know that I… I care for you and I want you to be happy. If he is hurting you in anyway you have to let me know. We have to stop him Sharpay. It isn't right."

"See Troy, I don't think you are pathetic, you think I am. I knew I shouldn't have brought it up… But you know life sucks being a personal blow up doll to be used when the fuck your father needs a good rush. I am the spitting image of him I have his hair, his nose his eyes… It's like fucking the female version of himself… How the hell can he get off on that? I am his fucking daughter, not his sex slave. I have feelings and I wanted to know what love was before I crossed that line. But I was kidding everyone… NO one would love me… NO one would even fucking like me… I am a toy I am a thing. I am my father's creation. He has used me and abused me. I am nothing. I am just a fucking joke. It would be best if you left me on the side of this road to die. NO one would miss me, no one would notice."

"You're wrong about everything! How can someone so smart and talented be so god damn stupid and delusional? What your father did to you is complete bullshit. Sharpay you are strong and independent and you are an unbelievable person, you are truly amazing. And to think that you aren't deserving of friendship, love, or true happiness is just bull shit!!! I know you can be more than you ever imagined if you fucking try. I will make your father pay for everything if it's the last thing I do."

"Troy, I can't… I mean, you can't…." Sharpay jumped up from the car and just screamed as loud as her lungs would let her. She just stood there screaming releasing her anger and her sorrow. She didn't know what else to do. When she finally couldn't scream anymore she just looked at Troy.

"Sharpay…"

"Listen to me Bolton, and listen good! I don't know what else to do I have nowhere to go; I don't have friends the way do. I have to take what my father does… because he feeds and he puts a roof over my head… I don't have any more options. But this morning in our rehearsal something clicked. I will starve and I will live in a box if it means I never have to see him again. If it means I never have to feel his cold dirty hands on my warm unwilling body. I would do anything.'

"Then come home with me…"

"I am not going to go from being one man's sex toy to another one's."

Troy fell to the ground laughing. He knew it wasn't the time or place to laugh, but the look in her eyes and the level of seriousness that came from her words were completely crazy. He would never use Sharpay for his own twisted pleasure. While he did find her unbearably sexy on several occasions, he knew that he could take care of her. HE could hide her in his room and watch after her.

"I don't find my personal pain hilarious!"

"Sharpay you have it all wrong. I love Gabriella and I will win her back if it's the last thing I do. I don't look at you that way. I want to be a friend and help you. I can sleep on the floor and we can hide you out until we find you a place of your own."

"I don't have a job or any money…"

"Then I will help you pay with my job from the country club." Troy shrugged. He was willing to do whatever it takes to help her through this. If she trusted him enough to tell him the truth he was going to do whatever it took to release the real Sharpay and see her shine.

"I won't take your money." Sharpay lit up like a light bulb when she came to the simple fact that she knew all along. Tomorrow was her 18th birthday. Tomorrow she would have money, her grandfather's money. When her papa died ten years ago he set up two trust funds for his grandchildren for college or whatever it was that would make their dreams come true. Tomorrow she would be a millionaire.

"Fine, don't say I didn't try to help."

"I don't need it." She grinned rubbing his forearms and taking a step closer to him. "All I need is a man with some bulging muscles that can help a small women carry her stuff up to her own apartment. Tomorrow is my birthday."

"Like your father is just gonna give you a place of your own for your birthday!" Troy mocked glaring at her.

"I will buy it myself with my ten million dollar trust fund."

"This isn't time to start making up shit!" Troy exclaimed shaking his arms free of her hand, even if it did feel good…

"I am not making anything up; I can explain everything to my grandmother… I just need you to go with me, tonight!" Sharpay said throwing her arms around Troy in a warm embrace. He gave her courage, she didn't know why or how, but she felt stronger around him, like she could do anything.

"What can I do?"

"Just follow my lead!" Sharpay grinned walking over to the passenger side of the car and climbing into the passenger seat motioning for him to drive. This was going to be the greatest test of either one of their acting skills. She looked at him as he started the car again and gently set her hand on his thigh gently squeezing her thank you in his flesh. What neither of them expected was the electrical spark that flew threw both of them at that moment. They were intimately connected and that would never change. They have crossed the point of no return…