Hey! Sorry about the wait-explanation at bottom-but I thought I'd show you this e-mail I received:

"Hi!

As you may or may not know, I am running the first ever HSM Fanfiction

Awards.

I am pleased to inform you that you have been nominated in at least one

category.

Your Nominations:

"Stay Away From MY Sister" for Best Drama, Angst or Tragedy

Congratulations!

Please feel free to promote your stories and encourage your fans to

vote. Instructions are at the HSM Fanfiction Awards Forum."

Well, you can check it out if you want. Here is the long awaited (by you and me) CHAPTER 45!

"Why am I blindfolded?"

"Because my dear sister, I am taking you to a far away place."

"Ah, kidnapper! Somebody help," Mack muttered. "Please Troy, tell me where we're going," she whined.

"Stop walking like that, people are already giving me weird looks."

"I wonder why," she said under her breath.

"Hey! Do I look like the kind of guy that would kidnap his little helpless, defenseless sister?"

"Yes."

Troy rolled his eyes. "Hold on, I'm going to carry you up the stairs!"

"Why are we going up stairs? Are we like at the mall?"

"No," Troy said as he picked her up.

Mack relaxed in his arms, knowing that he wouldn't bump her into any walls now. She was unsure of any place she had ever been to that Troy would take her to that had stairs. She stopped thinking when his movement stopped and he set her down on the ground, carefully untying the blindfold.

"Look around," he said as he whipped the piece of cloth out of her face. She blinked and gasped. The view was gorgeous and there was flowers all around her. She looked puzzled, "how did we get up here? This is East High right?"

"I pulled some strings." Mack gave him a weird look. "This is my secret spot, thanks to the Science Club. Though, it's not too secret anymore," he added the last part more to himself than to Mack.

"It's beautiful up here."

"Yeah, that's what I thought when I found it," Troy said excitedly. "Then the Science Club asked if they could put some plants in. I couldn't say no."

"You must really love it," Mack said sitting on the bench.

"It's amazing isn't it," he said sitting next to her. "It reminds me of when Mom used to take us to the garden after school and teach us everything she knew-"

"Before she had travel all the time," Mack finished for him. "Back when Dad wasn't stressed and the basketball court was brand new."

"I knew you'd understand!"

There was a long pause. "The more I think about coming to East High, the more scared I get."

Troy looked at her. "Mack, why would you get scared? You'll have me and the guys, not to mention Taylor, Sharpay and Gabriella. Dad will always be in his office. You'll have it so easy. Everyone will now your name!"

"I thought you were supposed to be invisible as a freshman," she scoffed.

"You get to skip a whole step."

"But what if I wanted to be invisible?" Troy opened his mouth, but Mack cut him off. "Troy, you wouldn't understand! I've always been known as Troy's sister, the Coach's daughter. I just wanted to be a girl, a regular girl for once, instead of a name."

"I know what you mean." Mack opened her mouth, but it was Troy's turn to cut her off. "I was the basketball dude, the teacher's son remember? I still am and some people think I get special privileges because of it. They think I got on the team because Dad's the coach."

"Then they should see you play."

"Exactly, don't think about anyone else but who you want to be. Just because someone calls you Troy's sister, or the Coach's daughter, doesn't mean they know anything other than you're name. It's your friends that matter in the end."

Mack smiled. "I always thought you liked the attention?"

"I got used to it. But, we can't talk about that anymore because we have a strict schedule to follow." He picked her up and threw her over his shoulder.

hsmhsmhsmhsmhsm

"Where are we going now?"

"Mack, has anyone ever told you that you ask way too many questions?"

"Yes, but my teachers say that my ability is a gift."

Troy laughed and looked out the window, parking the car on the side of the road. Mack looked around, she didn't recognize the area. "Do you remember this?"

Mack shook her head, keeping a look out for something that caught her eye. "I remember that," she said pointing to a tire swing in the front yard of a house.

Troy smiled nervously. "Do you have any idea where we are?"

"It's our old house."

Troy's smile widened and he nodded. "I didn't think you'd remember, you were really little when we moved."

Mack looked at him. "It's so small!"

"Mack, this was when Dad was just starting out as a teacher and he didn't have the coaching job. Mom wasn't making as much as she does now either. And all the bills I racked up didn't help much."

"Troy, they didn't have a choice, you were early and needed medical attention. You just wanted to meet Mom and Dad really bad," she said trying to cheer him up.

Troy smiled slightly and started the car.

"Where are we going now?"

"You'll see."

Mack rolled her eyes and reached for the radio. "Centerfield" by John Fogerty was playing. She looked out the window, lost in the music. She had never really liked baseball, it was boring and slow to her. It wasn't like basketball, where any second something unexpected might happen. With baseball, you were expecting the batter to hit the ball.

But, she was forced to like it a little, because Keisha played it. Actually, Keisha played softball, but she liked baseball too. The more she thought about sports in her middle school, athletes played everything. Like Keisha played softball, soccer and she swam. Bailey played tennis, field hockey and ran track.

Mack and Calum seemed to be the only kids that just played basketball, but the results were very noticeable. Mack was destined to be exactly like her brother, on starting varsity by sophomore year and captain as a junior. As for Calum, since he was going to East High, Troy was already taking about Calum rising in the ranks early on as he did. Her father liked Calum too, giving him that much more advantage over the others- not that he needed it.

She felt the car stop and looked around. Mack saw that they were in the park. "Why are we here?"

"Just get out and you'll see," Troy said.

She opened the door and hopped out. It seemed normal to her. The playground had kids on it, there were a few teenagers she could hardly see throwing balls and Frisbees.

"Don't you see it?"

She looked harder, but all she saw were the kids on the playground, and the guys throwing the toys. She looked in the trees, but there was nothing unusual about the birds in the branches. She heard someone pluck at guitar strings behind her. She turned to tell Troy that she didn't see anything, but when she faced him she couldn't form words.

Troy, Chad, Jason, Ryan, Zeke and Cam were leaning against the jeep. Troy had his guitar, Jason was holding some Frisbees and Zeke was holding a basketball. Troy started to play the guitar and Jason stepped up.

"If its always once upon a time in New York City,

Why does night fall leave you feeling so alone.

How could any one stay starry-eyed,

When its raining cats and dogs outside.

And the rain has said, "Now you're on your own."

Mack smiled at the song, "Once Upon a Time in New York City" from the movie Oliver and Company. Jason had lived in New York before his parent's split up and he and his mom moved to Albuquerque. She heard the music of Troy's guitar change and Cam start singing.

"Because I was afraid to speak

When I was just a lad,

Me father gave me nose a tweak

And told me I was bad.

Then one day I learned a word

To save me aching nose.

The biggest word you've ever heard

And this is how it goes.

OOOO!

Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!

Even though the sound of it

is something quite atrocious

If you say it loud enough you'll

always sound precocious

Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!"

Cam wasn't all that bad, even though you could tell by his face he was disgusted by singing. The beginning of Cam's choice made her sad. How it talked about the father telling him he was bad, was like real life, with Cam and Mr. Boucher and eventually Calum. Troy's tune changed again.

"The second star to the right

shines in the night for you

to tell you that the dreams you plan

really can come true.

The second star to the right

shines with a light so rare.

And if it's Never Land you need,

its light will lead you there."

She smiled, Zeke's favorite movie had always been Peter Pan. Whenever Troy had a sleepover, Zeke would beg and plead that they watch Peter Pan and then leave the window open so Peter could fly in. Troy flipped the guitar over and started to use it as a drum.

Look for the Bear Necessities,

The simple Bear Necessities,

Forget about your worries and your strife!

I mean the Bear Necessities,

It's why a bear can rest-at-ease

With just the Bear Necessities of life!

Mack laughed at Chad's choice, because it fit him perfectly. He never seemed to worry about anything. Troy flipped the guitar over again and started to play.

The sun'll come out tomorrow

So you gotta hang on til tomorrow

Come what may

Tomorrow, Tomorrow,

I love ya Tomorrow

You're always a day away

Tomorrow, Tomorrow,

I love ya tomorrow

You're always a day... a... way...!

'Of course,' Mack thought. 'Ryan would pick a song sung on Broadway.' Then a familiar tune hit her ears. She shut her eyes as Troy started to sing.

"A dream is a wish your heart makes

When you're fast asleep

In dreams you lose your heartaches

Whatever you wish for, you keep

"Have faith in your dreams and someday

Your rainbow will come smiling through

No matter how your heart is grieving

If you keep on believing

the dream that you wish will come true"

The others had sung bits of their songs, but Troy sang the whole song. It was what their mother had sung to then when they were little.

"No matter how your heart is grieving

If you keep on believing

the dream that you wish will come true."

So, Cam has become friends with the guys...is that good or bad? Hmm...how'd you like them singing to her. They all picked Disney songs that I thought sorta went with their attitudes or life. Sorry about the wait, I have a major project that I waited until last minute to do, to do and I was watching High School Musical Friday where I learned that I can't multi task!