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"Where is Troy going?" Coach Bolton yelled as Troy ran out of the gym. There were shrugs and 'I don't knows' coming from the players. The coach just sighed, there were other problems at hand. The scoreboard was new.

"For safety regulations, we need to all make an orderly exit from the gym," the principal said. Coach Bolton watched in suspicion as his team smiled, turned abruptly and made their way out of the gym in a hurry. From the look on Chad's face Coach Bolton knew he had something to do with it.

"Daddy?"

The coach turned to look at his daughter, who was fighting through the crowd to get to him. She looked so small trying to duck under a couple's intertwined hands. "What happened?"

"I don't know, but I bet Chad and your brother have something to do with it."

The coach's words floated through Mack head as she pictured the day she ran away. Troy had sung her to sleep before they started to talk about any plans. She never felt so relaxed, even if it was in the middle of the playground. She could still feel herself in her brother's warm, muscular arms as he sang a lullaby their mother use to sing to her. Her brother was far better then her mom.

"Well Mack, let's follow the crowd. Maybe then we'll see what's happening."

Mack had an idea what was happening even though her father had no clue. She really didn't want to be by her father when he saw Troy singing instead of playing basketball. She saw her chance to escape: the front door to the auditorium. She couldn't see her father anywhere, so how would it hurt if she went in that way?

"Mack!" She turned to see Taylor walking up with the Scholastic Decathlon team. Before she knew it, she was ushered in and sitting next to them. Troy and Gabriella started prance around the stage after the 2nd verse. Chad stood cheering them on. Mack turned her head to the side door where her father had come in. She was surprised to see a smile form on his lips. She could tell he was in disbelief, but she could tell he was proud of Troy too. She smiled when her brother and Gabriella ended the song and made a mental note to herself that she needed to scold him for kissing her on the cheek. She felt that it would have been more romantic if he had kissed her on the lips, but then again, she didn't exactly want to see that and she needed to scold him for kissing her at all.

She stood and walked over to her father. "Why didn't you tell me he was a good singer?" Coach

Bolton asked. She just shrugged and turned her head to look at the stage where Ms. Darbus was talking to the two performers. Sensing her father's annoyance with her answer, she said, "I guess I didn't want to believe it myself."

hsmhsmhsmhsm

The buzzer rang as Troy's final shot fell in the basket. The people in the stands all jumped for joy as the players hoisted Troy in the air chanting their chant. Mack swore she could hear Chad's voice from her seat next to Sharpay in the stands. Today was truly an interesting day. Troy in the musical, Sharpay and Ryan actually attending a basketball game, the Scholastic Decathlon team winning their meet and the fact that Taylor and Gabriella called Sharpay to tell her. What were the chances of that?

As she walked down to the court, she noticed Gabriella come up behind Troy and fling her arms around his neck. She was about to turn away when Chad cut in between them. 'Go Chad,' she said mentally. 'I didn't have to see my brother kissing Montez.'

She stepped down off the step and onto court where she was grabbed by Chad and hugged. She smiled as Chad told her how excited for the after party he was and how he was going with Taylor. Then he was summoned by Jason and Zeke and walked away, leaving her free to roam around in the crowd of excited people.

She noticed that Troy and Gabriella were walking out of the gym. She frowned to herself slightly. If Troy had acted that differently when they were only friends, she tried to picture him when they were dating. She felt a tear trickle down her cheek, Troy was never going to be the same and she had to deal with it.

"Mack. Sweetie what's wrong?" Mack hastily wiped the tears from her face and turned to look at the person who had spoken. She found herself looking into the two concerned faces of Taylor and Chad. Mack just smiled sweetly and walked to the forgotten bleachers, sitting on the hard wood.

Taylor looked at Chad expectantly. Chad just nodded and walked over to the upset 13-year-old, sitting next to her on the bleachers. The crowd was starting to diminish slowly, as people were headed to the after party. Mack climbed into Chad's lap, tears pouring freely down her face. He hugged her, knowing that it would have made her feel better if it was Troy holding her, but Troy was the one making her cry. He rubbed her back and whispered in her ear that everything would be alright. Zeke and Jason had noticed and started walking over. They were her honorary big brothers, she had said so herself. They were there for her when Troy messed up.

"I should be happy for them," she said as she wiped away the remaining tears on her face. "But it's so hard." The cheeks that had just been dried were wet again and she hid her face in Chad's shirt. Zeke rubbed her back and Jason told her that sometimes these types of things would be hard for her to deal with, but Gabriella wasn't so bad and she would get use to it.

"Hey, I'm going to get her out of here," Chad said, adjusting Mack so he could pick up her tiny form. "I'll meet you at the party."

Zeke said that he was going to stay for awhile, to wait and see if the janitor's needed any help picking up the mess the team had made. Chad and Jason nodded and walked toward Taylor and Kelsi, who had started to talk to Taylor when Jason went to help with Mack. The gym was still crowded with people and nobody noticed them leave.

Chad, Taylor and Mack walked to Chad's house where they let Mack clean her face a little bit before going anywhere else. Chad knew that Mack appreciated it. He and Taylor sat on the couch as Mack rushed to the Danforth's bathroom. There was an awkward silence until Chad broke it by saying, "I can't believe Troy is... I can't even find a word. He didn't tell Gabriella about Mack at all?"

"That's what Gabriella told me. Troy never so much as mentioned he had a sibling. She thought he was an only child."

"I just don't understand. I mean I could see someone forget to tell their friend that they had a dog or a cat or something, but a sister. And Mack too-"

"She is pretty sweet," Taylor interrupted. "Why would Troy not mention her?"

"That's the million dollar question," Chad replied. "He is going to get a long talk from me at this party, if he even shows up. This isn't like Troy."

"I'm ready," Mack said walking down the stairs. She entered the room a jean skirt and Troy's sweatshirt he had left in Chad's room a month ago. Her hair was put in French braids. Taylor smiled and Chad had his mouth in a perfect "O" shape. He hadn't expected that. His sister's head popped out from behind the wall. "You didn't think I was going to let her leave in sweatpants and a t-shirt, Chad. Are you crazy? Doesn't she look so cute, Taylor!" Chad rolled his eyes. He couldn't wait until next year when she left for college.

"What, do you have a wardrobe for her here?" Chad asked. His sister shook her head, "she fits into my old clothes. You know I never part with some things."

"Oh, how could I forget," Chad answered sarcastically.

Hope you liked it just as much as you like the last chapter. Mack's pretty upset with Troy... he's really the only one who can make her cry. Review!