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Chapter 28

Mack and Calum walked over to Adam, Bailey, Keisha and Teagan hand in hand. Bailey and Keisha squealed with delight and grabbed Mack, pulling her forcefully away from the boys for some much needed girl talk.

"So Cal, she forgave you," Adam asked. Calum just nodded in response, a large grin spread across his facial features.

"You have got to be the happiest guy on campus," Teagan said.

"Yeah, so...how did Caleb take it?"

"Huh," Calum said, shaking his head.

"How did Caleb take it," Adam said slower.

"He didn't," Calum said quickly.

Adam and Teagan's eyes widened and mouths dropped. "What," Adam spluttered. "I think I heard you wrong. Caleb didn't take it as in, you haven't told him, as in Mack's still dating him?"

"Bingo," Calum said.

"What a minute you lost me," Teagan said. "I thought you were smart."

"He's going to kill you," Adam exclaimed. "Oh, and when he does, can I have your stereo?"

Teagan looked at Adam. "Not helping," he said.

Adam raised his hands in the air. "Just asking because after Caleb finds out about him and Mack, he won't need it, that's for sure."

Calum groaned.

"Hey, cheer up," Adam said. Then in a joking manner added, "we'll attend your funeral."

"Thanks," Calum said sarcastically.

"No problemo," Adam said with a fake Spanish accent. Teagan -who had some Spanish heritage- shook his head and rolled his eyes. "Lets get to homeroom."

The boys passed the girls on their way to the building. Calum kissed Mack on the cheek before walking away with Teagan and Adam.

"You know Caleb's going to flip right," Bailey said.

"Yeah," Mack said. "But, he's going to have to deal with it. I mean, me and him were never meant to be."

"You and who?"

Mack took a deep breath and turned around. "Hello Caleb."

"You and who?"

"I'll tell you after school," she said as the bell rang. "Because right now I'm going to be late for homeroom."

She, Bailey and Keisha walked into the building Caleb's eyes on them the entire way, narrowing with each step the girls took.

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Mack took a deep breath as she walked into the gym where she and Caleb had decided to meet after school. Caleb was already there, staring up at Troy's jersey.

"Hi," she said, trying to catch his attention. He turned and faced her. "We need to talk," she said.

"About what?"

"Us," she said. "Me, you. It's not working."

Caleb laughed, a cold, heartless laugh. "There never was a me and you was there. It was always Boucher. You never opened up to give me a chance," he hissed. "Tell me, what do you see in him that you don't see in me?"

"Compassion," she answered simply.

He walked over to her, his eyes narrowing. He grabbed a hold of her wrist. "You know what, no one dumps Caleb Harding."

"I just did," she answered confidently.

"You know what, I don't hit girls," he said. "But, you're not a girl, you're a whore and a slut." Then he punched her in the nose. But, what Caleb didn't know, was Mack Bolton was like her brother and she never backed down.

"Oh, you shouldn't have done that," she said.

"What are you going to do, call big brother Troy?" He pushed her to the ground and stepped on her stomach. "What's that moron going to do?"

"I thought you said he was a legend," she asked. "You told me you idolized him."

"Yeah, well, how else was I going to get his sister to like me?"

Mack told herself she wasn't going to cry, but as Caleb showed her that he -being a sophomore and a guy- had more muscle and was stronger, she felt tears sting her eyes.

"Hey Harding," she heard. Caleb had heard it too, because he turned to the voice and had stopped beating her. She pushed herself up and toward the wall.

"What do you want Boucher?"

"Leave Mack alone," Calum said. "You didn't deserve her in the first place."

"What are you going to do to me," Caleb asked. "I'm taller and older and stronger than you."

"But you're not taller and older and stronger than us," Troy said walking in the room with Cam, Chad, Zeke and Jason. Adam and Teagan followed to back Calum up. "Stay away from my sister Harding," Troy warned.

"You can't fight me, what if I hit you in the right place," Caleb said pointing to his heart.

"No, but we can," Cam said. "And believe me I can throw a good punch."

"You wouldn't fight me, it would be unfair. That four on one!"

"Well you should have thought of that before Harding," Chad said walking toward the sophomore. "And we will show no mercy."

"Get out," Troy hissed.

"As you wish," Caleb said as he passed the boys.

"And if you think you're making the team next year," Zeke yelled. "Think again."

Troy and Calum ran over to Mack who was laying almost motionless on the ground. "Mack, can you hear me," Troy asked. "Mack, please answer me."

"Mack, listen to your brother," Calum said. "This is all my fault, I should have come with you."

"No, it's no one's fault," Chad said. "Troy, let's get her up to your dad."

Ryan walked into the gym, holding up Chad's video camera. "Oh that boy didn't know who he was messing with."

"Good, you got it on tape," Cam said.

"Everything from the time Troy walked in is on this tape," Ryan said, turning it off. He looked over to where Troy was picking up his sister. "Oh, shoot is she okay?"

"We don't know," Zeke said.

"Troy," Mack croaked. Troy put a finger to her lips. "It's okay, you're going to be okay." Then he carried her up to Coach Bolton's room, walking by people staring and asking questions.

"What happened," Gabriella asked, stopping Chad as he and the others followed Troy. Taylor, Sharpay and Kelsi were with her and Chad took them all to the side.

"Caleb Harding, that's what happened."

Sharpay put a hand to her mouth. "Is she okay," Taylor asked.

"She's said Troy, but that's all we've got out of her," Chad said, tears stinging his eyes. "She's beat up pretty bad."

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"Okay, it looks like she broke her radius and a few metacarpals. She has a few broken costals and her coccyx is bruised so she will be sore. Then she sprained her talus. She did hit her head, but other than a bruise there seems to be no damage to the brain or cranium," the doctor told Jack in the waiting room of the hospital. Troy, who sitting in the chair looked about ready to kill, glared at the man.

"English please," Troy sneered. Jack hit him with the back of his hand. "Ow."

The doctor laughed and ran a hand through his dark brown hair. "Oh, it's okay," he directed to Jack. "I completely forgot you might not understand. Well," he glanced to Troy, "in English, that would mean she broke her arm and a few fingers and ribs. Her tail bone is bruised and her ankle is sprained." He looked back to Jack. "So, we'll put her arm in a cast and her fingers in a splint. Her ankle will be in an air cast. As for her ribs and tail bone, she just needs to rest and take it easy."

"Thank you," Jack said.

"Any time, we'll send her out when she's got her casts."

Jack sat down next to Troy. "You know," he said. "She looked a lot worse than she really was."

"Yeah," Troy said picking up a sports magazine.

"You scared me when you brought her in like that," Jack said.

Troy didn't answer. Jack sighed, "well, I'm going to call your mother." He waited for a response, even a simple 'yeah sure' but it didn't come. So he stood and walked to the pay phone. Troy looked up for a moment, seeing his father dialing the number before he looked back down.

"No, no way! I'm fine with crutches thank you very much!" Troy looked up from the magazine. It had been about twenty minutes and he hadn't even noticed his dad sit down again. The door opened and Mack -complete with a red and white cast on her arm- used her crutches to get to Jack and Troy while a kind looking nurse trailed behind her.

"I tried to get her in a wheelchair, but she wouldn't do it," the nurse said.

"No way," Mack said as she passed her father and brother and started to leave. "Lets go."

Jack nudged Troy, silently telling him to follow Mack and make sure she didn't get in any trouble. "Thanks," Jack told the nurse. "Sorry if she was any trouble."

"Oh, no," the nurse said smiling before turning toward the door she had come through. Jack turned and jogged in the direction Troy and Mack went, finding them in the lobby.

"So, you ready," Jack asked.

Mack nodded and started out the door toward the car.

So...how was that...I bet you hate Caleb now...maybe...

Anyway, when I broke my arm, instead of one color I got to have two colors on my cast. I had blue and green and it was pretty cool, but a girl in the waiting room had red and white, It looked like a candy cane sort of, but it was fun looking. Anyway, just wanted to share that.

Tell me what you think!

Review!