"What?" I stood frozen. Then I turned to Zach and he looked like a puppy that just did a really bad thing. I gave him a heartless chuckle before replying to my own question. "I can't believe you," I ground out, shoving him out of my way as I ran out of the school. I could officially dub this day the worst day of my life.

"Cammie?" I heard Kyle say my name as I ran past everyone in the hall. This was a great attention getter - just what I needed.

I ran out of the doors and when I was just out of the front doors I was grabbed. "CAMMIE!" I knew it was Zach.

"Zach, what the hell did you do," Kyle demanded in a menacing growl.

"We should take this somewhere else," Zach quietly suggested.

"NO!" I screamed. I think I scared them both. "JUST LET ME GO!"

"No, Cam, let me explain," Zach whispered as he held onto my arm.

"Let her go."

I think we were all surprised when we heard Tina make herself heard.

"Tina, look, I'm sorry I don't like you-"

"I know that," she snapped.

"What?" Kyle's confusion was cute and almost funny. But again, not in the mood.

"She needs to go somewhere. She has things she has to do," she told them. Slowly Zach's grip loosened on me, confusion and hurt on his face.

"Thank you, Tina," I whispered before running off.

I left people shocked.

I left people confused.

I heard Kyle tell Zach he was going to spill everything that was going on.

I wanted to know what was going on.

I ran home, not bothering waiting for Grant. First of all I needed to know what happened with Macey, and get my mind off of Zach. What kind of person does that though?

I was halfway home when I remembered when I got stopped a while back by Zach's friends. I fully stopped as I looked out into the woods. I made a split-second decision and ran towards the woods.

No one would be finding me for a while.

I slowed down to a walk as the treehouse came in sight. I stopped at the bottom and looked around for anyone.

"Cammie?" I looked up to see Macey.

Macey.

Wait, MACEY?

"Mace?" I asked completely confused. She gave a small chuckle and moved so I could climb up.

"Hurry, someone might see us," Mace told me as I climbed up.

"I'm pretty sure no one's going to come looking out here, and if we do I'm sure we'd be a lost cause," I gave a small grin. We crawled up against one of the walls and slumped against it.

"What happened, Cammie?" Mace asked me. I stared out into the wilderness. These were the times you could tell we were sisters. The times when we needed a shoulder, we were always caring for each other. It made me feel more calm to know we had each other's backs.

"I didn't know where you were all day," I gave a small smile as I glanced at Mace. Her face was impassive. "Tina and I became friends," I saw Macey's eyes widen a fraction. That was a lot for her. "Zach's transferring," I finished quietly.

"You guys got close didn't you. Over the weekend," Macey talked to me. I just nodded. It seemed after every sentence I would look away, as if I were about to be scolded.

"Well, as you probably already know, I got in an... argument, with mother," she said distastefully.

Mother... she said mother. This must've been a pretty bad argument.

"What was it about?" I asked quietly.

"I need to be free. I need to get away," she quietly told me. I didn't fully understand, but I nodded anyways.

"What-" I caught myself and rethought my thought before spilling, "what do you need to be free from?"

"Mother," Mace replied with hate full in her voice.

"What did she do?"

"She was going to make me date Preston Winters." It took me a moment or two to figure out what that meant. Mom forcing relationships? Preston Winters? OH! He was the rich kid from down the block. "She thinks it would be good for me to date him, it would give me a good reputation in school." I looked back over to her.

I was horrified to see my baby sister with tears forming in her eyes. Mace never got teary eyed.

"Macey!"

"I don't care about reputation. I just want to be me," Mace whispered. I was confused and at a loss. Maybe I shouldn't have gone at the trip. I never thought that it would have resulted in this though. And most of all, why was mom suggesting who Mace should date?

I knew that no words should have been spoken, but I let my mind wander instead. I didn't think about anything as I sat with my sister in the middle of no where in the woods in a tree house.

What was the chances of that ever happening?

After about an hour or two, Mace spoke again with a parched voice.

"Dad's leaving."

"For where?" I asked genuinely curious. He was probably going to visit Grandpa and Grandma in Woodbury, our old town.

"No, Cammie, you don't understand," Mace gave a heartless chuckle. I looked back over at her, she had tears streaming down now.

"Macey!"

"Dad's going back to the war, Cammie!"

PAGE BREAK

We both came home after sunset. As we walked in Grant came out of the kitchen rushing to us.

"Cammie, Macey, thank God," Grant got to us and pulled us into an awkward hug.

"Grant," I whispered. He pulled back, stunned at my small voice.

"Macey! Cammie! Where have you been!" I couldn't tell if it was worry or anger that coated mom's voice, but there was something there.

"No where," Mace coldly spilled before walking up the stairs to her room.

They all looked at me. I stared at dad, he looked normal, just confused as to why we were both so upset. I knew they were expecting an answer out of me but I didn't have one. Instead I shook my head and walked up the stairs.

PAGE BREAK

"Cammie, what the hell is going on?" Grant yelled at me as I shrunk into my bed.

"Nothing," I replied calmly from under the covers.

"That's bullshit!"

"What would you know?" I screamed back at him. I was in a bad mood.

"More than you!" he seethed back. I glared.

"I came back to find Macey gone, no one tells me anything, I got to school, find out ZACH is transferring schools, I run away, find Macey, find out mom tried to force a relationship, and most of all, that NO ONE bothered to tell me about, oh yeah, that little non-important thing, THAT DAD'S GOING BACK TO THE WAR!" I screamed at him.

I can't even describe how fast his face paled.

"You weren't supposed to know," he quietly told me. "You can't handle it. You and dad, so close-"

"So you weren't going to tell me? Oh yeah, I come home one day and dad isn't home. Must be somewhere else. After a week what would I think? Would you tell me then? TELL ME THEN THAT MY DAD HAS GONE BACK TO THE WAR WITHOUT SAYING GOODBYE?"

Grant sighed as he slid back against my door.

"Yeah, I guess we all know 'what the hell is going on'," I told him icily. He looked up at me sadly before slipping out my door. As soon as he left I got up and turned off the lights.

This day was a nightmare.

PAGE BREAK

I got to school the next day and slipped past groups of people. These were the times when being able to blend in were amazing. I quickly and quietly finished putting books away at my locker before walking to gym. No one noticed me, and I wasn't sure if that were a good thing or bad thing. I guess right now it was a good thing.

I got by gym class easy enough and there was no Zach. As long as I didn't see his face for a few days I would be okay. Then I would wish him a happy time where ever he goes and it would all be good.

I didn't expect what happened though.

A week went by, and there was no Zach in any of the classes I had with him. I couldn't even hear his obnoxious voice during lunch. So I decided that it had been two weeks and I was going to go say bye to him.

As I was walking out the door I heard mom call out to me.

"What?" I asked, waiting for a repeat.

"Where are you going, sweetie?" she nicely asked me. She had been such a suck up since I found out dad was leaving. He was leaving in three days.

"To Zach's," I replied honestly, but then I saw strange mixed emotions cross her face.

"Where did he move again sweetie? Shouldn't you get Grant to go with you?" she asked me.

"I think I can walk next door, mom," I told her a little confused. Why should I go get Grant? So he can hold my hand as I walked next door?

"He moved already, sweetie-" but that was all I heard.

He moved without saying goodbye.

He left without saying anything.

He left me.