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Chapter 16

Mack walked down the stairs and even though it was past noon, she was still in her pajamas. She had never slept so peacefully. The house was suspiciously quiet for a Saturday. She walked into the kitchen to find her mother sitting at the table reading a book.

"Where's Troy," Mack asked getting her mother's attention.

"He's out with the boys," she answered, not looking Mack in the eye.

"What's wrong?"

Elaine looked up. "Sweetheart, Mikaela passed on last night. Bailey wants you to go over to her house, Keisha's already there."

A single tear ran down Mack's face. Her feet guided her out the door and the entire way to Bailey's. She stared at the house for a minute without knocking. Bailey's mother let her in and smiled sympathetically at the young girl. Mack knew her way around and walked into the living room where her friends were.

Bailey's head was rested on Adam's shoulder and had this been any other time, Adam would have been enjoying this. But tears were flowing down the boys face just as fast as they were coming out of Bailey's eyes.

Keisha was in hysterics. Teagan was trying his best to calm her down, but it was useless. When Keisha was this upset, you just had to let her be. Teagan's usually bright green eyes were cloudy with unshed tears.

"It seems to me we're the only ones who aren't crying."

Mack turned to the voice. Calum was standing directly behind her. He wrapped his arms around her and she buried her head in his chest. "I can't," she said. "I've only shed one tear."

"Did you find out-"

"This morning. I just woke up."

"I can tell," he said looking at her blue pajamas.

"I can't believe she's gone."

"No one can," Calum said, resting his head on hers. "She didn't deserve it. She shouldn't have died."

"Maybe..."

"What?"

"Never mind."

"No Mack," he said, lifting her head slightly. "Tell me."

"You're going to think this is stupid." He gave her a look and she sighed. "Promise you won't laugh?"

"Promise."

"Well, when me and Troy were little, he got really sick one time. He couldn't keep down any of his food and it was really scary. I asked him...why he thought he got sick easier than me. He said that...before you're born, you choose cards or something with like, your occupation, your family...your life. I don't know, I doubt its true. I mean, he was eight when he told me this...but-"

"Maybe Mikaela picked some bad cards."

"Yeah. Its not like it her fault she died...but..." She shut her eyes. "I don't know to think anymore!"

"Think whatever you want. She said she was here for a purpose, maybe that was one of the cards."

Calum felt his shirt become damp and seeing her like that made tears burn his own eyes. He looked up to see what the others were doing. Adam and Bailey had stopped their tears, Keisha still had a steady stream and Teagan was wiping his own eyes.

Calum rubbed Mack's back, wondering which cards she had picked. She was one of the sweetest people in the world, but bad stuff seemed to be attracted to her more than anyone else he knew. Between her brother and Mikaela, her heart had broken so many times fearing for them, Calum wondered how much more it could take.

hsmhsmhsmhsmhsm

Troy tiptoed across the hall into Mack's room. It was at least three in the morning, he hadn't looked at a clock. He hadn't been doing anything wrong, he was only at Chad's house, plus he had called telling his parents he would be late coming in. They had been okay with that, but Troy didn't know if that was because they were really okay with it or they were preoccupied with Mack and the recent loss of her friend.

Sure, Troy was Mikaela's friend too. She had helped him through a rough time in his life and he was forever grateful. But, Mikaela and Troy's friendship was only because they were in the hospital. Had either of them been healthy, it would have been different. Either, they wouldn't have known each other, or Mikaela would have been one of Mack's silly friends. If Mikaela hadn't had cancer, she would have gone to the same elementary, middle and high school as Mack most likely.

Troy didn't really want to think about that, it made his head hurt. Thinking at three am was a bad thing for him to do.

Mack was asleep. He quietly pulled over a chair. "Hey Mack."

She kept sleeping, so Troy kept talking. "I'm sorry about Mikaela. She was a great person, but that wasn't why I came here. I've been thinking lately about me and you. I haven't exactly been Albuquerque's number one brother huh."

He paused, making sure she was still asleep. "I uh, was talking to Gabriella. She said I should apologize. I agree, I mean, I've been a real jerk." He laughed. "So, why am I apologizing when you're asleep? Um...I was afraid that you wouldn't accept it, I guess. You can't reject it if you're not awake. So, I'm sorry."

Troy stood up and walked out of the room. When the door shut behind him, Mack's eyes flew open. "I accept your apology," she whispered. "I just wish you gave it to me when you knew I was awake."

hsmhsmhsmhsmhsm

"That wasn't too hard," Adam said, leaning against the wall. "People acted as if Mikaela didn't just die.

"That's high school," Mack said.

"Wait a minute, I left my backpack in the gym. Wait for me," Calum yelled as he ran back to the gym.

"Where is it," he whispered as he looked around the bleachers.

"Looking for this?"

Calum looked to the voice. It was a girl with brown hair that he'd never seen before. "Yeah, that would be it," he said relived. "Thanks."

He tried to grab it, but she pulled it away. "Hey!"

"How about a little something for finding it."

"I don't even know you," he said, not knowing what she wanted.

"Oh but I know you," she said. "Calum Boucher, starting guard for the junior varsity and sure to be the star of next year's varsity team. Your best friends names are Adam and Teagan and you have a girlfriend named Mackenzie."

"Mack," Calum corrected.

"That's her nickname," the girl said.

"What's you're name, I'll give you a rain check on what you want, my friends are waiting."

"You can give me what I want right now." She pulled his head down toward hers and wrapped her arms around his neck. "And my name's Alyx," she whispered before she kissed him.

"CALUM!"

He pushed Alyx away at the sound of Adam's voice and turned, just in time to see Mack run out the door and Adam, Teagan, Bailey and Keisha stare at him. Before long, Bailey and Keisha composed themselves and ran out after Mack.

"Bye, call me," Alyx said handing him a piece of paper with her number on it. "You're a good kisser." She ran out out the back door of the gym and Calum ripped her number to pieces.

"What the hell was that," Adam yelled.

"It-"

"Don't you dare say it wasn't your fault, you were kissing back," Teagan yelled. They walked over to Calum.

"You are an idiot," Adam said.

Calum tried to push past them, but they grabbed hold of him. "Let me go," he growled.

"Not if you're going to Mack. You should have thought of her- your girlfriend -before you went and kissed the other girl."

"Adam, it's not like that. You know I love Mack," he pleaded.

"Obviously, not enough."

"Teagan! You guys are supposed to be on my side, you're my best friends!"

Adam and Teagan looked at each other before turning back to Calum. "Okay, what's your story." After Calum had told them what happened (exactly what happened), Adam and Teagan decided that it was logical, but they were still skeptical.

"You'd think I'd lie about something like this?"

"Calum...it just doesn't make sense. Why would she know that much about you and want to kiss you if she knew about you and Mack?"

"I don't know," Calum said sitting on the bleachers. "I don't know."

hsmhsmhsmhsmhsm

Mack sat down by the fountain. She couldn't believe that Calum would do such a thing and she wouldn't have if she hadn't seen it with her own eyes. She wasn't paying attention when a weird car drove up.

Suddenly, she felt a large hand over her mouth and an arm around her ribs, picking her up. She started to kick, but the voice of the person said, "if you scream, I have a gun in my pocket."

Mack was shaking with fear and she could barely breath. It was a man that was holding on to her. He threw her into the back seat of his car. She whimpered.

The man shut the door and sat in the drivers seat. "Bolton, if you whimper, you'll only die sooner."

"It's," she said, now scared more than ever. "You."

I know, cliffhanger, I'm sorry! So...who is this guy and what does he want?

And poor Calum...he really didn't deserve that, but to fit my plan...I had to make him look like the bad guy to Mack. You'll see.

I have a basic out line for the rest of the series. Yey me!

Hopefully, there will be some major Troy/Gabriella in the next chapter.

Review!