So a couple of days aside this week should go alright. Besides this i should be able to get one other chapter up at some point. This chapter actually turned out longer than i thought it would, and i'm not sure if it's because it dragged out or just because a lot of stuff happened. I'm really hoping it's the latter. xD So here's the first chapter for the week and i hope you guys like it.
Disclaimer: I do not own High School Musical.

Chapter Thirty-Six

Chad was woken up early by his ringing phone. Chad groaned and tried to turn it off, not wanting to take his head out from under the blankets and wake up. There was no need to get up so early today; he didn't have to take Taylor to work, he didn't have any interviews or big plans…there was nothing Chad could think of that should have him wide awake at whatever time it was. When he finally got his hands on his phone, he ended up answering it. Not that he knew why, though. Chad was probably just too tired to think straight.

"What?"

"Oh good you're up."

Chad raised an eyebrow. "Cassie?"

"The one and only. Listen I need you to do me a favor today," Cassie answered.

Chad glanced at his clock and rubbed his eyes. "It's seven in the morning."

"I'm sorry, do you have to get a child to school in an hour?" she questioned.

Chad really didn't want to fight now. "Carry on," he gave in.

"Look, I have a meeting to go to in Santa Fe today and I need someone to pick Kari up and watch her after school. Can you do it or not?" she asked.

"You're seriously asking me?" Chad asked confused.

"Taylor's working and Mom's going out of town again. So it's either you or I dump her on one of her poor sappy friends' parents," she replied.

Chad was definitely up now. He didn't expect Cassie to ask him to watch her kid, not to mention be so outright about it. At times Chad didn't even think that Cassie trusted him. He wasn't sure if this was her trusting him or if she was just desperate or just didn't want someone else's parents watching her for the day. What even made Chad qualified to babysit? Then again maybe he shouldn't ask that.

"Are you interested or not?" Cassie questioned impatiently. "I gotta start getting ready."

"For how long?" Chad asked.

"Eight, nine at night maybe," she answered. "I should be home before she goes to bed. It's an all day meeting and possibly dinner."

"So I just pick Kari up from school and we're at your house all night?" Chad asked.

"Yeah, you know how to work the oven right?" Cassie asked.

"Yeah," Chad nodded.

"So there should be no problem unless you're busy, too," she said.

In retrospect, Chad had nothing to do today. And Cassie did help him a lot, so if anything he should at least agree to babysit Kari.

"No, I can sit today," he decided.

"Excellent. Now listen up cause I'm only gonna say all these once," Cassie started speed talking, "Kari goes to South Eastern Elementary School. They let out at exactly 3:00. Make sure you park down the street, it's going to get crowded there. I usually meet her by the gym. There's a big tree there but make sure you stand far enough from it so she can distinguish your hair from the tree. She can have a snack when she gets home, but make sure it's the Goldfish crackers. I have cookies but those are a dessert or a weekend food. She has to get started on her homework by 4:00 or else she can't watch TV tonight. No excuses. Make sure you wash your hands after handling fruits, raspberries give her hives. Have your cell phone next to you at all times because I will be calling-"

Chad was struggling just to find a paper and pen to write down a quarter of the stuff Cassie was saying. He couldn't keep up with her at all.

"Cass, I know you're rushing a bit but can you slow down a little?" he asked hopefully.

Cassie rolled her eyes. "What'd you get up to?"

Chad squinted in attempt to read his chicken scratch handwriting. But in his defense, if he actually had time to write everything he could read it a whole lot better.

"Um…something about a tree."

Cassie hit her forehead. "I'll leave a list for you. Just remember the school and the meeting place. And the raspberries. If you can work the oven you can make chicken nuggets for her for dinner, they're easy enough. If I get back late, she has to be in bed by 9:15."

"No fruit, wait by tree, chicken nuggets, bed before 9:30," Chad repeated. "Got it."

"And make sure you can reach your cell phone. I will be calling any free second I have," she warned. "If you're really that helpless see if Taylor can help you when she gets out of work."

There it was. Chad should have known Cassie would squeeze in something about not having faith in Chad. Granted, Chad could screw up at a lot of things. But he didn't need someone like Taylor or Troy to always come to his rescue. Chad got along great with kids. Kari loved him and his niece and nephews loved him. If he could handle being around them then he was sure he could watch one kid just fine. Unless there was an emergency and Chad really had no clue what to do, he had no intention of calling Taylor asking for help. But he did plan on calling her during her lunch break just to talk. Totally different.

"I'll be fine," Chad promised.

"'Fine' isn't good enough," Cassie argued. "I am trusting you with my child's life!"

"Overdramatic much?" Chad inquired.

"I'm serious, boy!" she insisted. "I almost lost custody of her to my mother. I've been working my ass off to prove to my mother that I could handle her! If anything happens to her, if one hair is out of place on her head, I will come after you, tie you to a chair, shave your entire head, make you watch as I throw your hair into the river and lock you in an asylum, break down that asylum and then build a new one on top of it. Do you understand?"

Cassie sure could be graphic. And scary. It threw Chad off guard a bit how overprotective she was of Kari. He could kind of understand why, though. But he wanted her to know that he wasn't going to be the reason anything happened to Kari. Too bad he just couldn't say it as confidently as he wanted to after her comment.

"Crystal," he nodded.

"Don't make me regret this," she said before hanging up.

Chad put his phone down and rubbed his eyes. How did he get into these situations sometimes?

Chad decided to keep it a low-key day until it was time to get Kari. He even left earlier to make sure he could get a decent enough parking space. Unfortunately a few other parents had the same idea so Chad had to circle the area until he found a space that wasn't blocking anyone's driveway and that didn't have a parking sign near it. The wait for school to be over felt long, but nowhere near as long as Chad waited to get out of school. He remembered staring at the clock all day until the final bell rang. Eventually he noticed Kari exiting and heading his way. She seemed kind of distant when Chad saw her, but he attributed that to a long day and she just wanted to get home.

"So how was school?" he decided to ask as they walked to his car.

Kari shrugged her shoulders. She didn't seem in much of a talkative mood, which was odd for her.

"That good huh?" Chad asked sarcastically. He knew that feeling. "Wanna talk about it at all?"

Kari didn't answer. She just got into the back seat of the car and buckled her seat belt.

Chad sighed and started the car. "Are you mad cause your mom had to go out today or something?" he asked.

She shrugged her shoulders.

"You know if you don't talk much this is gonna be a long day for both of us," he told her. "C'mon, entertain me here. Give me something. Annoying kid, what you had for lunch, who stuck a crayon up their nose. Something."

Kari sighed. She must have really not wanted to talk, but she probably said something just to satisfy Chad. "Jonah gave his cookies to Remisha."

"Is that bad?" Chad asked.

"Yeah, cause it means he likes her," Kari said.

Chad scoffed. "Who'd like anyone with a name like Remisha?"

"Her mommy owns a doughnut place," she replied.

"Doughnuts never last," Chad shook his head. "Ice cream is better."

"That's not what everybody in my class says," she said.

She was really making this hard on Chad. The entire rest of the car ride home he couldn't say anything to cheer Kari up or make her want to talk more. It was like everything out of his mouth was the wrong thing. He was hoping that a snack when they got back to the house would make everything better. Now what was it that Cassie said about snacks…? No fruit, but something about cookies? Chad really hoped she left a note like she said she would. When they got inside Chad looked around the kitchen and living room for a note from Cassie. But Kari was still waiting by the door, probably wanting instructions from Chad what to do. Cassie sure was strict with her kid.

"So…how bout a snack?" Chad asked, trying to nonchalantly glance around the room.

"Not hungry," she shook her head.

Chad raised an eyebrow. "You don't wanna start your homework now, do you?"

Kari shrugged her shoulders.

"Ok are you always like this after school or is it just me?" Chad wondered.

Kari shook her head.

Chad sighed. "Look if you really don't want a snack how about just watch TV? But then you gotta start homework ok?"

Kari shrugged her shoulders. She put her backpack down and sat on the couch. Chad watched her flip through a few channels, but didn't really seem all that interested in what was on. He took the opportunity to help her get her schoolbooks out of her backpack and set them out on the coffee table. Not that he'd be an expert to help with homework, but he was sure he could do basic math if he had to. When he got out the last notebook he noticed a piece of paper jammed in there. He pulled it out and saw it was a note from Kari's teacher. This was probably parent territory, but maybe he should at least ask Kari about it. Then he could explain the situation to Cassie gently. His definition of gently, not Cassie's.

"Hey Kari," he asked, "what's this?"

Kari glanced at the paper and shrugged her shoulders. "Paper."

Chad looked at her doubtfully. "I know that. Why is it paper?"

"Teacher said it's for Mom," she answered.

"So I can't look at it then?" Chad asked.

She shook her head.

"Can you tell me what it is?" Chad asked.

She shook her head again.

"I promise I won't get mad," he offered.

The answer was still no.

"C'mon Kari, I got in plenty of trouble in school. You're talking to the master of detention."

"Really?" she asked.

Chad nodded. "Wanna know the worst thing I did when I was your age? I dipped a girl's hair in red paint."

Kari's eyes widened and her jaw dropped.

"True story," Chad said. "She got so mad she pushed me into a desk. I knocked like two of them over."

"Why'd you do that?" she asked.

"I don't remember," he admitted. "But whatever this is, it can't be as bad as painted hair."

"I pushed someone," she confessed.

Chad knew there was some common ground with Kari. There was no way he was going to get mad at her; he didn't have that right to. His future kids, however, would be a different story. "Why?"

"Cause she said Jonah didn't give me cookies cause I'm lame," she answered.

"You don't like this Remisha girl do you?" Chad guessed.

Kari shook her head.

"You really can't fight another kid over a boy and cookies," Chad told her. "I had a slap fight with a guy over cookies once. It's not the answer."

"I'm sorry," she apologized.

"I'm not the one you gotta say sorry to," Chad shook his head. "You gotta say sorry to the girl and you gotta say sorry to your mom."

She nodded.

Chad snapped his fingers. "I think I know what'll cheer you up. Wait right there. Don't move." He eyed her and then grabbed his car keys. Chad ran outside and was back inside in less than a minute. He showed her the gift bag he brought. When Kari looked confused he explained. "It's a present for you. I thought that since the new baby was gonna get a lot of stuff you'd want something just for you. And you wouldn't get left out."

He offered her the bag but she knocked it right out of his hands.

"What'd you do that for?" Chad gasped, surprised by her sudden outburst.

"I don't want a baby and I don't want your stuff!" she yelled. She was about to run to her room but Chad lightly grabbed her in attempt to get her to stay put.

"Hey, hey, hey," he said trying to calm her down. "What's going on?"

"Leave me alone!" she struggled to get loose.

"Not until you tell me what's wrong," Chad argued.

"No!" she yelled.

Chad thought he'd been doing so well acting like a responsible adult figure around Kari. He really had to think about this now. How would that same responsible adult figure react about this? What would they tell her? While Chad tried to figure out what to say, Kari managed to get loose. She ran down the hall to her room and slammed the door. Chad groaned and followed her.

"Kari," he sighed. He knocked on the door. "Kari, open up."

"No!" she insisted.

"What if your mom gets mad at me?" Chad asked. Ok, so that was kind of a selfish question.

"I don't care," she answered.

"Well what if she gets mad at you?" he tried turning it around.

"Go away!" she yelled.

"But-" Chad started. He was cut off when he heard his phone ringing. "This isn't over," he warned Kari. He rushed into the other room and grabbed his phone, "Hello?"

"Did you get Kari?" Cassie asked.

Chad held in a groan. He knew Cassie said she'd call every possible minute, but this really wasn't the time to talk to her. He just brought Kari home five minutes ago and already he was failing. What was Cassie going to say about her daughter locking herself in her bedroom?

"I got her, she's in one piece," Chad nodded.

"Did you feed her?" she asked.

"She didn't want a snack," Chad answered.

"Well then did she start her homework?" Cassie replied.

"I said she could watch one show first and then she has to get started," he said.

"Then I should be able to talk to her," Cassie said.

Chad bit his tongue. "Yeah…about that…."

"What did you do?" Cassie demanded.

"Nothing, nothing," Chad promised. Well, he was pretty sure it was nothing. "But Kari locked herself in her room."

Chad could hear Cassie's nostrils flaring on the other end. He was pretty sure she was trying to keep calm and not overreact, but he wasn't sure how that was working out. He closed his eyes and braced himself for Cassie's wrath, knowing if he didn't hear the end of this then it would be over the next little thing he did wrong.

"What is she doing locked in her room?" Cassie asked through gritted teeth.

"She got mad at me, I guess. I don't really know," Chad admitted.

"You need to get Kari out of her room. If she goes off schedule…" she started.

"She's not listening to me," Chad said. "I told her she might get in trouble if she didn't come out and it didn't work."

"That's because you're being too soft on her," Cassie told him. "You have to be strict or else she's going to think she can get away with anything. I am due in a couple of months. Do you know how crazy it's going to be in that house with a newborn?"

"Insanely?" he guessed.

"Insanely!" she stressed. "I don't know how much I can take! If Kari's on schedule I can make a schedule for the baby and I can devote the time and attention to both of them. But if Kari thinks she can just go off the books and rebel and do what she wants…"

"I don't think she's thinking that far ahead," Chad said.

Cassie groaned. "I don't have time for this, I have to get back to the meeting. Just do what I'd do. She listens to me." Then she hung up.

Chad ran his fingers through his hair. He had to do what Cassie did? Was that really the way to get through to Kari? Mr. Danforth was rough on Chad sometimes and that didn't always keep him out of trouble. But Kari was Cassie's daughter. So maybe Chad had to trust her judgment on this one. He sighed and reluctantly went back to Kari's room. He took a deep breath before knocking on the door.

"Ok Kari, enough games. Time to come out," he said.

"No," she replied.

Chad let out a sigh. "Kari, out. Now."

"No, you're not the boss of me," she insisted.

"Yes I am. Your mom said so," Chad responded. Ok, maybe that sounded a little more childish than it should have. That wasn't how Cassie would've handled it. He'd better fix that. "You have homework. Now come out and get to work or no cookies tonight."

"I don't want cookies anyway," she said stubbornly.

This was starting to get out of hand. If there was only one way to handle this, Chad was going to handle it now.

"Kari get out here, go do your homework or you're grounded. Now!" he insisted with as much authority as possible.

It took a minute, but Kari did open the door. With her head hanging down, she quietly went into the living room. For a moment it made Chad feel good that he was able to get through to her. But he couldn't think that way for long; he had to focus and make sure the rest of the day went flawless. He watched over Kari while she worked on her homework and made her chicken nuggets for dinner, as per Cassie's request. He received two other calls from Cassie – one an hour after the first, and the second just before dinner. He then got a text message from Taylor; Chad gave her a quick update and she offered to come help. As much as Chad wanted to see her, he didn't want her help. He was doing fine on his own. Kari was listening to him. There were no more problems. If Taylor came over and Cassie came home to see her sister, then that would pretty much prove to her that she couldn't trust Chad with Kari, if at all. So Chad was a little taken aback when Taylor ended up coming over.

"What are you doing here?" he asked.

"Nice to see you, too," she said sarcastically walking into the house.

Chad sighed and closed the door. "It's not that I'm not happy to see you. But I'm fine here, I don't need any help."

"I know what you said," Taylor replied. "It doesn't mean I can't see you today. And I never said I was going to help you."

"So what are you gonna do then?" Chad wondered.

"I can sit in the kitchen and do some writing. I brought my laptop," Taylor suggested. "That way if you do need any help I'm here, and maybe while Kari's watching TV or doing homework we can talk."

"And kiss?" Chad asked hopefully.

"Well, there's always that option, too," Taylor admitted.

Chad smiled and playfully nudged Taylor. She rolled her eyes and was about to go into the kitchen when she saw Kari sitting on the couch. There was a textbook and papers in front of her, but Kari wasn't doing any of the homework. Instead she was brushing a doll's hair. Taylor raised an eyebrow, immediately picking up that something was going on.

"Hi Kari," she started by greeting casually.

"Hi Aunt Taylor," Kari replied.

Taylor paused before speaking again. "So…what are you doing?"

"Doll," she answered simply.

"I see…" Taylor responded. "What about that homework you have out?"

Chad was putting Taylor's jacket on the coat rack when he overheard. Kari was playing with a doll? When did that happen? He could have sworn he saw Kari doing homework before. He walked over and looked at the seven-year-old.

"Kari what are you doing?" he asked.

"Doll," she repeated.

"But you have homework," Chad said. He picked up one of the papers to show her, as if he were trying to prove a point. Then he saw the paper wasn't even filled out. Instead of answers to questions, the paper was covered in scribbles. Was she doodling this whole time? Was Chad seriously being tricked by a little kid? Or did he just spend more time talking to Taylor than he realized and that was when Kari did all this? Chad wasn't sure what all this was. Maybe the stress was finally getting to him, the stress of watching a kid and trying to prove something to Taylor's sister. Maybe he was taking Cassie's suggestion too seriously. Or maybe he just couldn't handle this anymore.

"Kari…" he started. Then he paused and looked to Taylor confused. "What's her middle name?"

"She doesn't have one," Taylor answered.

"Ok then," Chad nodded. He turned back to Kari and went back to sounding authoritative. "Kari McKessie what the hell are you doing?"

"Chad!" Taylor gasped.

"Well I deserve an explanation. She has some explaining to do," he insisted.

Taylor rolled her eyes. She put her laptop in the kitchen and sat on the couch next to Kari. She put her hand on Kari's shoulder, who looked like she might cry. "Why don't you go play in your room while I talk to Chad?" she suggested softly.

Kari nodded but didn't budge. Taylor got up and went to the bookcase; on one of the higher shelves behind a big book there was Cassie's iPad. Taylor took that and put in the password to get on. She then brought it over to Kari.

"You can play on this while we talk. I sneaked a few more games on there," Taylor said.

Chad stared wide-eyed as Kari took the iPad and went down the hall to her bedroom. "What'd you do that for?" he questioned Taylor. "She can't play with that! Cassie set a ton of rules, I gotta make sure Kari follows them!"

"She's my niece. I think I have more say than you do," Taylor answered simply. She signaled him to follow her into the kitchen. She didn't even wait until he was in the room before questioning him. "What do you think you're doing?"

"I think I'm trying to do what I'm supposed to!" Chad replied.

Taylor closed the kitchen door and turned to him. "So you're supposed to upset her?"

"I didn't do anything," he insisted.

"Really? Because my instincts tell me otherwise," she folded her arms.

"Oh so it's my fault?" Chad replied. "Let me guess, you think this is what happens when I babysit, too. That Kari's gonna get in trouble and I'm not gonna do anything about it cause I'm so irresponsible!"

"Where is all this even coming from?" Taylor questioned.

"What's that supposed to mean?" he replied.

"I've seen you with Kari plenty of times," she said. "Yelling at her isn't you. What's gotten into you?"

"Cassie said-" Chad explained.

"That explains it," Taylor cut him off.

Of course Taylor would cut it off right there. She thought she was so smart, putting all the pieces together like that. Chad doubted she would understand.

"You didn't even let me say anything," he said.

"I don't need you to," she replied.

"No, I think you do," Chad intervened. "Cassie trusts you. You know what to do and what to say without screwing up. The only reason Cassie even called me to sit tonight was cause she was desperate. She doesn't think I can do anything. And the only way I could even get Kari to remotely listen to me was to act like Cassie. So if that's what I have to do then so be it."

"You're letting this bother you too much. Why are you overreacting?" Taylor asked.

"Cause you don't get it!" Chad insisted, exasperated. "You never had anything to prove to anyone. My family knew from the moment they met you that they could trust you. They never had to worry or question anything. But no matter what I do or say it's never good enough for Cassie. I need her to know that I can do this, that she can trust me around her kid and she can trust me with you!"

Chad would have expected Taylor to fight back. This would be the kind of thing that'd make them argue for quite some time. But it took a completely different turn. Instead of fighting back with words, Taylor stepped closer to Chad and slapped him right across the face. Chad often said he sometimes needed a good slap in the face to get something through to him, but he didn't realize it could be so literal.

"What'd you do that for?" he gasped, rubbing his cheek.

"To knock some sense into you! You're standing here complaining and worrying about what one person thinks! Cassie may be my sister but she's only one person. Her opinion isn't the only one that matters. And whether she likes it or not you're going to be around for a long time so she'd better get used to it. If she doesn't want to trust you then that's her problem, not yours!" she explained. When she saw Chad looked taken aback and maybe even a little ashamed – and he was – Taylor softened her tone slightly. "Did you ever stop to think that you're not the issue here?"

"What do you mean?" Chad asked.

"Maybe it's not a matter of how you're caring for Kari. Maybe she's the one with the problem," Taylor answered.

Chad shook his head. "I don't follow."

"Maybe she's not as happy about the new baby as everyone else is. And it's causing her to rebel and give you a hard time," Taylor suggested. "Cassie's always busy with something so she may not see it easily. If you be yourself with Kari and just try to talk to her about the situation then maybe she'll talk to you and the rest of the night will go just fine."

"How do you know?" he wondered.

"Cassie and I share a lot of things," Taylor admitted, "but one thing we don't share is our way with kids. She may be trying to be strict to prove a point, but that's how she is. Cassie doesn't take bull from anyone, including her own daughter. But if everyone starts to be that way around Kari then that's who she's going to grow into. She needs those different experiences. Even I know that. That's why when I watch her, even though I know she has work to do, Kari is still a child and she needs to have fun. She's not a robot like me."

"You're not a robot," he replied.

"And you're not Cassie," she pointed out. "Kari's comfortable with you as you are. Don't change that."

Chad rubbed the back of his head. He didn't expect Taylor to get what he was going through, but he was surprised at how easily she understood this. The entire day Chad had been concerned about proving something to Cassie. But in reality, he'd already done plenty to prove himself. He showed her that he was serious about his future and Taylor, and he gave her some advice on how to talk to guys. And whether Cassie fully trusted him or not, she wouldn't have come to him about watching Kari if she didn't remotely have some faith. Taylor was right; Chad shouldn't try to be Cassie. And if he actually listened to Kari as himself then maybe they could get through the rest of the night in one piece.

"I guess I'd better go apologize to Kari for being such a dictator," Chad said.

"And I should apologize for slapping you," Taylor added. "I shouldn't have needed to go that far just to get through to you. I didn't like you trying to be someone else, whether it was validated or not. That's not who I fell for."

"I know," Chad nodded. Then he rubbed his cheek, "But dang, you got a really good right hook."

Taylor kissed his cheek. "I'm sorry," she apologized again. "What can I do to make it up to you?"

Chad thought for a minute. "Make sure the chicken didn't burn while I talk to Kari?"

"I'll make something extra for us, too," she nodded. "And I'll stay out of everything else tonight. You won't even know I'm here."

"Wait, what if Kari needs help with homework?" Chad panicked.

Taylor giggled. "Fine, I'll just be the homework helper. You just go talk to her."

Chad nodded. He left the kitchen and grabbed the gift bag from the living room. Screw it being a gift for Kari, he was just wanting it to be a peace offering now. He stopped at her bedroom and knocked on the door.

"Kari? How are you doing in there?"

She didn't answer. Maybe she was still mad.

"I'm gonna come in, ok?" Chad asked. "If you don't want me to then say something."

Whether it was that Kari was tired or she was just too immersed in the iPad, Chad took her silence as an ok. He went into her room and saw her sitting on her bed. Chad sat down and watched her play the iPad.

"What are you playing?" he asked in attempt to make conversation.

"Cut the Rope," she answered.

Chad nodded. "When you're done can we talk?"

"I don't wanna," she answered.

"You don't have to talk. Just listen," Chad promised. "I wanted to say that I'm sorry."

Kari raised an eyebrow.

"You were being so distant today and I didn't understand why. So I thought the only way to get you to listen to me would be if I acted like your mom," he explained.

Kari shook her head. "You don't look anything like Mommy."

"Not even if I put on one of her dresses?" Chad joked.

"Your head could never fit in it. It's too bushy," she answered.

"Oh yeah, it's a miracle I can even get through doors," he joked.

Kari smiled lightly. She didn't respond other than that, but at least it was a start.

"Look, I'm sorry for snapping at you," Chad apologized. "It was wrong and I should've just kept doing what I was doing in the first place. Just cause you don't wanna talk about something doesn't mean you won't come around. Even if you didn't wanna tell me about school or anything, we could've still watched TV or played a game after dinner. I'm not gonna make you talk about anything, but if you do talk then I can listen." He then offered her the gift bag, "Screw what I said before about this. I want you to have this. So we can start over tonight."

Kari took the bag and pulled out the tissue paper. Her eyes lit up when she pulled out the plate. "Orange and pink and yellow! My favorites!"

"I painted that for you," Chad said. "But that means it's only for you. No one else is allowed to use that plate, ok?"

Kari looked at Chad, then the plate and then at Chad one more time. "Why do I get this? I was bad before."

"Well I was kinda bad, too," he admitted. "But I made this for you and I couldn't just not give it to you."

"So it's not for the baby like everything else?" Kari asked.

Chad raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

Kari looked down. Maybe it was a bad idea to ask that after all.

"You know what, don't worry about it. Let's just go eat dinner," Chad suggested. He got up and walked out of the room.

"Remisha said if a new baby comes then I get nothing anymore," Kari admitted.

Chad poked his head back into the room. "That the same girl with the cookies?"

She nodded.

Chad sat back down in the room. He waited to see if Kari would continue, but decided not to pressure her. If she wouldn't say anything in the next minute then Chad would drop it. But to his surprise, Kari started talking.

"Jonah asked when the baby was coming and I said real soon. But when I went back to him he was giving Remisha his cookies. And then she told me not to worry cause I wouldn't need them any more cause the baby was gonna replace me," she said.

"Hey, hey, hey, no one's getting replaced," Chad promised.

"How do you know?" Kari asked.

"Well when I came around my sisters sure as hell didn't go anywhere," Chad said.

"You didn't take anything from them?" she asked.

"Well, sometimes I did. But I was just being a troublemaker," Chad admitted. "I don't know what it's like to get a little brother or sister. But I know what it's like to be one. And as long as you look after the new baby and help it, then you two are gonna be really close."

"You think so?" Kari wondered.

Chad thought back to his own sisters. Sometimes they really got under his skin, with all the girlie stuff they made him do with them. Sometimes they teased him a lot. But through all those times with them Chad hated so much, Chastity always made it better for him. After they'd do his hair, Chastity would watch any movie with Chad that he wanted. Or she'd try to dress like him to make it seem like it was all on purpose. Even if she was the typical big sister like Avery and Bethany were, Chastity would always make it all right for Chad and be there for him when it mattered most. Chad could never understand what it meant to have a little sibling; but maybe he could still help Kari prepare for the craziness that would come with one.

"I know so," he promised. He checked his watch, "I think dinner's ready. We should hurry and eat so we can get your homework done before your mom gets home."

"Yeah, I didn't get much done," Kari admitted.

Chad chuckled. "I figured when I saw your doodles. Don't worry, though. Some teachers like seeing a few doodles on tests after you finish them."

"I have a test tomorrow. Can you help me study?" Kari asked.

Chad raised an eyebrow. "What subject…?" he hesitated to ask.

"Science," she answered.

On the bright side, it looked like the rest of the night was going to turn out just fine. When Kari realized Chad was being his usual self, she responded to that. That's what she knew. But it looked like the one thing she still didn't know about him was how he sucked at schoolwork. As much as he still wanted to attempt to be a responsible adult for the night, it looked like he was still going to need some help.

"Tay!"

Yes, yes, we just had to have the usual chapter teaching us the very important lesson of being yourself. It seemed like a good idea to throw in given Chad's relationship with Cassie. She's made it kind of clear she's not his biggest fan in the world so naturally Chad thinks this is the chance to change her mind and when she tells Chad what to do he thinks listening to her will work. And that's also why Taylor went to the level she did with Chad, because she knows Cassie is the last person he's like. And let's be honest, who wants to see the person they love turning into the complete opposite? I think that's also why it had to end on kind of a humorous note, so that way it kind of balances out and proves everything's back in place. And even though there wasn't a lot of Chaylorness happening in this chapter you will get to see more next chapter! And you won't be waiting long either! :)