Sorry for the long wait but I've been busy with school. And you know how it goes. I fail a class, and I'll be grounded. And that'll mean no more stories for a while. So, here's chapter 12 of "Eating Disorder." Hope it's okay.

Promise Me

Normal POV

"Hey, Chad," Troy greeted his best friend. "You ready for the midterms?"

Chad stared at Troy. "Are you really asking me that question?"

Troy stared back. "Are you going to answer that question?"

"What is this, 'Whose Line Is It Anyway'?" Chad wondered, getting aggravated. "Why are you answering every question with another question?"

"You started it," Troy mumbled. "So, how do you think you're gonna do on the English midterm?"

"Fail," Chad admitted. "I haven't been able to concentrate on anything since Taylor went away."

"As hard as it is, Chad," Troy told him, "you're going to have to put Taylor to the back of your mind. At least just until the midterms are over."

"You're right, Troy, that is hard. I can't do it. I can't push her to the back of my mind for even a second, let alone for four days."

"Well, you're going to have to, Chad, or risk failing these tests." Troy paused. "And you know your English grade has been slipping. And you know what my dad said, Chad. As much as he doesn't want to, he said you're off the team if you can't get a C in every subject."

Chad was getting aggravated. "You think I wanna fail? You think I wanna be off the team? I'm trying my hardest. I just don't get English. I can read and write. Why do I need to know the poems old dead guys wrote?"

"Hey," Troy said, "Gabi said she'd tutor you."

Chad sighed. "I know but I've never had this problem before. I've never needed a tutor before."

"Well, maybe its about time you stop acting so damn proud, and let Gabi help you. She's an A student. If she can't help you, I don't know if anyone can."

"I don't know . . . "

"Well, you better answer fast," Troy said, "because our English midterm is tomorrow. We can have an all night study session. My house, after school, one o'clock, okay? We have a half day today, so just go over your house after school, grab your stuff, and meet over my house. Gabi's already coming, and I'm sure she got Sharpay, Ryan, Kelsi, Jason, Martha, and Zeke to come. Okay?"

Chad nodded. "I'll be there, Troy," he promised.

"Great!" Troy exclaimed. "I gotta go take my history midterm. See you next period!"

"Bye," Chad mumbled under his breath, walking to his Spanish class. "Ugh, I hate midterms."

"So do I," he heard a voice say.

That voice . . . it sounds like . . . But it can't be. She's in New Jersey. Just stop it, Chad. You miss her so much, you're starting to hear her voice everywhere. Just ignore it and it'll go away.

"Chad?"

There's that voice again! It can't be her . . . can it?

Chad, nonetheless, turned around. There she was, standing there, looking at Chad, waiting for him to say something. She looked so much better. All the weight she had lost she had gained back. She looked better than better, if that was possible. She was smiling at him, the smile he had been missing for way too long.

His books fell to the floor, creating noise, but Chad didn't care. He was just happy to have his girl back in his arms.

0o0o0o0o0o0o

An Few Hours Before:

"Taylor?" one of the staff at the rehab center wondered. "I have great news."

"What is it, Marge?" Taylor wondered; she was on a first name basis with all the staff.

"You can leave," Marge announced happily.

"Really?!"

Marge nodded, her smile lighting up her whole face. It was contagious, and soon Taylor was smiling twice as big. She gave Marge a huge hug, thanked her, and ran off to find Marci and her friend Paige.

"Ah, Taylor!" Paige Williams exclaimed. "We heard your leaving." She handed Taylor a number. "Marci and my number. Just in case, you know, you ever wanna get together and hang out."

Taylor threw her arms around the teen. "I'll miss you," she said, and smiled at Marci Thompson who sat next to her. "You, too, Marce."

"We'll miss you too," Paige and Marci said in unison.

"Now, go," Marci said with a knowing smile. "I bet you wanna get back to New Mexico so you can see Chad."

"But . . . promise you'll keep in touch?" Paige wondered.

"You know I will," Taylor promised. "Bye, guys!"

"Bye!" they echoed.

Taylor hurried back to her room, eager to see Chad again after so long. She quickly packed her bags, said bye to the people who were so nice to her, and caught the next plane out to New Mexico.

She had called the school, and told them about the rehab center she was in, and asked if she could come back.

The secretary had originally said no, that she could take her midterms some other time. But Taylor wanted to come back, and nothing could keep her away. Finally, she struck a deal.

"What if I come back, and sit with Chad in his classes?" Taylor had asked, nearly begged, the secretary. "Please?"

The secretary had sighed. "We usually don't do this but since it's you, Taylor, we'll make an exception. You can come back, and stay with Chad, if that's really want you want."

"Oh, it is!" Taylor exclaimed. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

After saying "Thank you" about another ten times, Taylor hung up. She contemplated about calling Chad and telling him but in the end she decided she wanted it to be a surprise she was back.

And she was right. It was a shocker to Chad, but he was glad she was home again. He didn't know if he could handle life without her for a second more.

0o0o0o0o0o0o

Back to The Present:

Chad's books were scattered around the couple but they didn't mind. They were too absorbed in the tight embrace they were in that a hurricane could whip the school away and they wouldn't even notice.

"You look amazing, Taylor," Chad said into her ear. He wasn't ready to let her go, not just yet. "You look better than amazing. You look . . . you look . . . phenomenal."

Taylor tried pulling away but Chad's arms just tightened around her. She didn't mind. Her body relaxed and she rested her head on Chad's chest. She was just as happy to be back in Chad's arms as he was to have her there.

"Taylor, promise me something," Chad told her, finally pulling out of the hug to look into her eyes. "Promise me you will never go on a crash diet to change yourself again. Don't you get it? You're perfect, just the way you are. You're perfect in my eyes, and I never want you to think you have to change yourself to make me like you. All right? 'Cause you're the best thing to happen to me, and I don't want to lose you." He kissed her forehead. "Can you promise me that?"

Taylor smiled, resting her forehead on Chad's. "I can, Chad," she promised. "I can promise that."

Did you like it? The end?? Or to be continued?? This might be the last chapter but I'm not sure. Anyway, how was it? Plz R&R!

JonasFreak07