So sorry it took so long to get this up. I just...I don't know, I haven't been on the computer lately, I've had writer's block. So, any ideas are welcome. They help me think.

Chapter 4

She bounced into the kitchen and opened the door. Her smile vanished. "Calum? What are you doing here?"

"He's back Mack, and he went after Cam."

"What do you mean he's back?"

Calum leaned against the door frame and took a deep breath. "Mom was at work and he pounded the front door down. Cam pushed me out the back way before he came in. But I heard him yelling at Cam. He heard somehow about Cam transferring and he's ticked!"

"But I thought he left to escape charges."

"I did too, but I guess he doesn't care anymore, as long as he kills me and Cam before they throw him in jail."

"Get in," Mack said, grabbing his wrist and pulling him in the house. "The girls are upstairs you can go up there."

"Where are you going?"

"I just need to talk to my dad," Mack said. Calum walked up the stairs and Mack turned toward her dad's office. She knocked softly and he looked up from his papers. "Are you busy?"

"No, actually I'm grading your brother's paper and it's giving me a headache, I could use a break. What's wrong Princess?"

"Calum came to the door, him and Cam have a problem...their dad's back."

Jack put the cap on his red pen and sighed. "I thought he might come back. Daniel Boucher would never leave without doing what he intended to do from the beginning and he likes to make sudden appearances. They're both here right," he asked.

"Calum is, I think Cam's still at their house."

"I'm going over there. What ever you do, don't open the door," Jack said as he stood up and walked out the door. Mack heard the slam of the door and leaned her head against the wall. She sighed and shut her eyes.

"Why can't things be okay," she whispered to no one in particular.

"What are you talking about?"

Mack's eyes snapped open and she turned to face the voice. Troy was standing in the hallway with his arms crossed over his chest. "What are you talking about? And why is Calum here?"

"I...I can't tell you," she stuttered.

"Why," Troy asked concerned.

"Because you'll try to be the hero and I don't want you getting hurt."

Troy stared at Mack and she turned her head, not able to look at his face. He walked over to her and placed an hand on her chin, lifting it up to look at him. "What do you mean I'll 'try to be the hero'? What's going on?"

She blinked. Staring into her brother's bright blue eyes, the eyes she knew she had, was the hardest thing for her to be doing at this moment. "Tell me Mack. Dad rushed out of here in a hurry, what's up?"

Again, all she did was blink. That was all she could do, blink.

"Mack...please?"

She hated seeing Troy beg. It was almost as bad as seeing Troy in pain. But she knew she couldn't tell him. If he knew what was going on, he'd try to go and help and right now that house was a dangerous spot to be at.

Troy sighed, knowing that Mack was stubborn like there father. He looked up at the pictures on the wall. "Cool pictures, huh Mack."

She nodded, not daring to open her mouth in fear that something would come out of it. Troy kept looking at the pictures. After a minute he turned to face her.

"So...how do you like East High," Troy asked, trying to start a conversation.

"It's cool."

"Your classes-"

"They're okay."

"Awesome," Troy said. There was an awkward silence between the two. A year ago, the two would have found something to say to fill in the blanks, but the two had grown apart over the past year's events.

"How are you," Mack asked, getting annoyed with the silence.

"Good."

"How's your hea-"

"It's fine."

"You didn't let me finish," Mack said annoyed that Troy didn't let her finish the word 'heart'.

"I already knew the question," Troy said, a little bit to harsh.

"Oh," Mack said. She looked down at her feet and became focused on the blue slippers she was wearing.

"Hey," Troy said. "Don't look so upset."

Mack looked up at Troy and shook her head. She heard the door slam shut in the background. "Dad's home," she said.

Troy didn't answer, he just walked right by her. "And you wonder why I'm upset," she said to Troy's retreating back. "You only come to me when you need answers or you feel guilty."

Mack walked over to the window and looked out into the yard. "Why do people have to change?" She sighed. "I should get back to my friends." She walked through the living room, where Troy was talking to Cam, who was bloody and bruised, but other than that looked fine. Cam waved to her as she passed and she smiled back. Troy didn't look until after he knew she wasn't looking.

She ran up the stairs and put on a smile -forgetting about her meeting with Troy- as she walked into her room. The pizza still wasn't there, but everyone had forgotten about that. She sat on Calum's lap and listened to what her friends had been talking about before she arrived.

hsmhsmhsmhsmhsm

"Hey Chad!"

Chad groaned. "I hate school," he said as he turned to face Taylor and Gabriella. "I am behind."

"Again, we've only been in school for a month," Gabriella said.

"Again! Chad, I just helped you get caught up," Taylor said.

"Yeah, I know...but I mean, I can't do my homework if I don't get it."

Gabriella giggled, but Taylor sent him a glare. "Chad..."

"I know what you're going to say, but I'm doing it all this weekend if it kills me! And I'm doing extra credit."

"What classes are you behind in," Taylor asked calming down.

"Math and History."

Taylor rolled her eyes. "Do you need help?"

"Oh yeah," Chad said. "I could use a lot of help."

Taylor smiled, "okay. I'll help you, but you have to promise to not fall behind again."

"Taylor I'm afraid that's impossible," Troy said, walking up to the group. "Chad's been behind in homework since preschool."

Taylor and Gabriella laughed as Chad glared at Troy, who leaned against Chad's locker with a big grin on his face.

"Gabriella!"

Their heads turned to see Sharpay bounce toward them. "I thought you and Troy would want this," she said handing her a packet of papers.

"What is it," Troy asked looking at it over Gabriella's shoulder.

"It's a pairs audition for the musical. They need two leads and who would be better?"

"What about you and Ryan," Gabriella asked.

"Ryan has decided he doesn't want to do drama this year and I don't want to find another person to audition with."

"Ryan doesn't want to," Troy asked.

"He wants to focus on getting his grades up, and everyone knows he needs to."

"Are you sure you guys don't want to," Gabriella asked sweetly.

"I'm positive," Sharpay said. "I'm going to do cooking club instead...with Zeke. I'll see you guys later. Toodles," she said as she walked away.

"Well, that was something I didn't expect," Troy said, looking at the pairs audition.

"Yeah," Chad said. "Those two not trying out for a musical. If this had happened last year, I would have said something was up."

Troy nodded and Gabriella looked up at him. His eyes was focused on the words of the song. "Troy?" He blinked and looked at Gabriella. "What is it," she asked.

"Nothing," he said. "Nothing at all."

Chad looked at Troy, trying to find his best friend doing something out of the ordinary. He thought he saw Troy wince, but he shook it off. 'I'm over analyzing things,' Chad told himself.

"What's the song about," Taylor asked.

"Looks like its romance, like last year," Troy said. "Ugh, Twinkle Towne. I hope Kelsi comes up with a better name this year."

"Me too," Gabriella said. "But it fit the play."

"Hey Chad, you ready for basketball?"

"Troy, basketball is still a month away. It's only October," Chad said. He looked at Troy who was smiling, then he noticed he was holding his basketball. "Ha ha, very funny. Making fun of me already are you?"

"Chad, who else could I make fun of for holding a basketball around all year."

"Taylor, we should start heading for Advanced Biology. See you boys," Gabriella said. Troy kissed her cheek and Chad rolled his eyes.

"You're so lovey dovey. Makes me sick," Chad said to Troy. He turned toward Taylor. "See ya later babe. I'll call you!"

Troy raised an eyebrow. "What," Chad asked.

"Nothing," Troy said, turning to walk in toward his next class.

"So Troy," Chad said catching up. "I was thinking-"

"Really, that's a change."

"Shut it. Anyway, about try outs-"

"What about try outs. We don't need to go. Or have you forgotten, we're the captains, we're already on the team."

Chad rolled his eyes. "I know, but I mean we only have two spots to fill this year and we already know Cam's going to get one of them."

"So what's your point?"

"I mean, your dad probably already knows who he's picking right."

"Maybe. Chad, new talent comes in every year."

"I know, but..."

Troy gave him a look. "What's really on your mind?"

"Try outs."

Troy shook his head. "No way, I know you. You have something totally different on your mind."

Chad sighed and stopped , but Troy kept walking. "You haven't had another episode, have you?"

Troy stopped walking and turned around. "No Chad! You can stop asking. I'll tell you if anything bad happens. Okay make you feel better? It seems like that's all you ever want to talk to me about."

"I just wanted to make sure. You seemed a little weird earlier."

Troy walked over to Chad and placed a hand on his shoulder. "I'm fine. It's Cam we need to worry about now. He's a nervous wreck, with his dad out on the loose."

"Yeah, I guess."

"Chad, come on. I'm fine."

"Wahoo!" Chad felt someone jump on his back. "Guess what," the voice said.

"Ugh," Chad said. "Cam go on a diet, jeez you're heavy!"

"176 pounds of goodness! But anyway, Meghan and I are going out!"

"You finally asked her," Troy asked.

"Well, I couldn't ask her when I was all bruised and gross," he said outraged.

"Cam! Off, now!"

Cam laughed and jumped off. "Sorry Chad."

"Don't worry," Chad said.

"Well, lets hurry," Cam said racing toward their next class as the bell rang. "That is the last thing I need, detention."

Troy rushed off after Cam, but Chad leaned against a locker. "Yeah, Cam sure seems like a nervous wreck." He sighed and walked to the window. He looked out into the courtyard, before turning and walking toward their next class, which he didn't know what it was, so he wandered around.

Soon he found himself in the science hallway and outside a familiar door. He looked in the window and saw a class of juniors listening to one of Coach Bolton's lectures. He smiled remembering his junior year, which had just ended a few months ago.

Junior year had changed everything. Gabriella moved in, Troy started singing, he asked Taylor out, Sharpay and Zeke finally became a couple, Troy had his hospital scare. Mack and Calum confessed that they liked each other, Cam turned out not to be so bad. So much had happened last year, more than any other year Chad could remember.

"Chad?"

Chad shook his head and noticed Coach Bolton standing in front of him. "Hey Coach."

"The kids saw you outside, is everything okay?"

'This is it Chad. Tell Coach Bolton about Troy. You know Troy's hiding something.' Chad told himself. 'But, maybe you're blowing everything out of proportion. Maybe Troy already talked to Coach.'

"Yeah, everything is just fine. I just...wanted to know...when is basketball starting?"

Chad watched Coach Bolton's eyes as they searched Chad's own eyes. Chad fake smiled, knowing Coach Bolton knew he was lying, knowing Coach Bolton knew that something was up.

"Chad, you can talk to me," Jack said closing the door to his classroom. "What's up?"

'Chad, if you tell him anything about Troy, you'll look like an idiot. Troy's smart, he would tell if he knew something was wrong. Lie Chad, you're good at it.'

"Um...I was late for class and decided to walk around," Chad said. 'Okay,' Chad thought. 'Not a lie, but good enough.'

"Are you sure you're alright?"

"Yeah, I was just late for class is all. Actually, I don't know what class I'm supposed to be in now."

Jack sighed. "You can sit in the back of my class, wouldn't want you getting detention for wandering around. I'll talk to your teacher and explain that you weren't skipping." Jack opened the door, motioning for Chad to go in first. Chad walked in and sat at the empty table in the back, noticing that all the juniors were staring at him. He tried to ignore it, thinking he'd do the same thing if a senior had walked in on his class last year.

He looked up at the clock, only twenty minutes before school let out and weekend came. He decided to start on the make up Ms. King gave him for History. He grabbed his history book out of his bag and a piece of lined paper. He had two questions left when the afternoon announcements came on and interrupted his thoughts. He didn't listen to them, he rarely did. To him, they signified the end of school and that was it.

Chad stood up with the rest of the juniors and made his way out of Coach Bolton's room. He looked down the halls, trying to find one of his friends. Once the halls were too crowded to see anyone, he pushed through to the stairs and then out to the front of the school. He sat on a bench under a tree and waited to see one of his friends.

"Chad, where were you man?"

He turned to see Zeke, Jason and Ryan walking toward him. "Cam and Troy went looking for you, said you weren't at last period," Jason said.

"It doesn't matter, they'll figure out I'm out here sooner or later. How was study hall," Chad asked.

"You should have picked study hall as your elective, it is so good to do nothing last block," Ryan said. "Gives your brain a rest."

Chad smiled. "I'll call Troy and Cam and tell them we're down here," he said he pulled out his cellphone. He press speed dial 1 and it soon began ringing.

"Hey," came Troy's voice.

"Hey, we're all down by the bench, if you're looking."

"Where were you?"

"I'll tell you later, just get down here, we're bored," Chad told him.

"Chad, I hate you. We're on the third floor, and now you expect us to run to you?"

"Good exercise, you need it," Chad joked.

"You're dead when we get down there," Troy said.

"Should I be buried or cremated?" Troy laughed at Chad's question. "See you when you get down here."

Troy hung up the phone and looked at Cam. "Chad wants us to rush down to them because they are bored."

"Well we shouldn't keep them waiting," Cam said. "Lets take iddy biddy baby steps."

Troy smiled and the two of them walked slowly down the stairs.

Again, sorry about the wait. I gave you an extra long chapter to make up for it. Hope you liked it.

Also, I decide to skip the first month of school, because (at least for me) nothing really happens the first month, everything starts happening after you know your schedule by heart and you start to get familiar with the school.

Mr. Boucher won't pop up for a while, as Jack said, 'he likes to make sudden appearances.'

East High has sort of gotten used to seeing Cam around, but I'll get more into the kids reactions to him in the next chapter. But we know that some people like him, like the guys and Meghan.

Let me know what you think!

Review!