Last chapters was a little short, so here's a quicker update. Thanks as usual for all the comments and reviews.

Disclaimer: Not mine.

Chapter 7: Backing Off

Once, when Macy was seven, she had cheated in a potato sack race. She hadn't meant to, really she hadn't, but she'd taken a hop before anyone had said go, and no one had noticed, and even though she had finished miles more than just a hop in front of everyone else who was racing, she had never gotten over the feeling of guilt that overcame her.

She always remembered the sinking weight in her stomach that reminded her that though she was being given a trophy and everyone had applauded for her, she hadn't really earned it like she should have. Macy had never cheated again, accidentally or not.

There had been that one time when the marker had been off when he'd counted her long jump as a little longer than it had been, but Macy had sensed it and quickly pointed out the error to the officials. Macy was not a cheater.

And so she wasn't surprised by the uncomfortable feeling in the pit of her stomach as after two weeks, Kevin was still taking care of her and barely paying any attention to Brooke at all. He thought it was his fault that she had gotten hurt, and not only was that embarrassing, but it was giving her an advantage that she hadn't really earned.

"I don't get it," Stella said as she sat next to a gloomy looking Macy. "You're obviously winning. You should be happy. Kevin is paying so much attention to you that I wouldn't be surprised if he had totally forgotten that Brooke even exists. You're ahead, girl. You should be celebrating."

"But he's doing it for the wrong reasons. It's the potato sack race all over again."

"What?"

Macy sighed but didn't say anything more.

"Macy, please don't do anything stupid."

"Like what?" Macy asked, wincing when moving her leg an inch sent a shot of pain up her body.

"Like anything that will give Brooke the upper hand. She physically hurt you, Macy. That's cheating too."

"I don't know."

Stella shrugged as she passed Macy a shirt she had just sewn for her.

"Besides, all is fair in love and war, right?"

Macy sighed as she hopped to her closet to put away the shirt.

"Yeah, but this wasn't supposed to be about either of those."

***

"Are you hanging around to cheer the team on during their practice tonight?" Kevin asked Macy as he dropped both their lunch bags on the table. A lunch bag, she had insisted, was something she could still carry despite a sprained ankle. Kevin had, as usual, ignored her.

"Yeah, I thought I might. I mean, I need to know how the team is doing so that I can help them when I'm back on, right? Besides, it'll be good to see it from the stands. Maybe I'll notice things that I don't see when I'm on the court."

"Cool. So, I can give you a ride home around six then. You should be done by that time, right?"

Macy sighed. "I can get a ride from someone on the team, Kevin."

"You could, but why would you when you have your own personal chauffeur for the next few weeks?"

"Maybe because there's no reason for you to still be hanging around the school at six?"

"You'll be here and needing a ride. That's my reason for hanging around the school until six."

"But you don't—"

"Hi, Kevin! Macy," the last word was said between gritted teeth as Brooke joined them at the lunch table. "Kevin I was thinking maybe today you could show me around a little more. I have to find a dress for next week's dance, and I really don't know where any of the cool stores are. You're always so fashionable that I thought you'd be a great guide."

"I can't," Kevin shrugged as he took a closer look at his sandwich. "I'm giving Macy a ride home after practice, so I'm here until six and by then I'll have to be home for supper."

"Why can't someone else give Macy a ride home?"

"Someone else can give Macy a ride home," Macy suggested.

"Because I'm giving Macy a ride home," Kevin answered, ignoring Macy.

"Ah, Macy how sweet. You fell all over yourself because you were busy with your crush on Kevin and now he's taking care of you. Isn't that sweet, Macy?"

Macy's jaw dropped. She was too angry to even blush. The words couldn't have been spoken any louder if Brooke had stood on the table and screamed them out. It didn't even taken a move of her head for Macy to know that the entire room was looking at them.

"I'll find my own way home after practice, Kevin. You should really help Brooke out. She's new. She doesn't know any better. And I'm fine really. I don't need you to carry anything for me or take me anywhere. I fell by accident, and you had nothing to do with it."

Macy grabbed her lunch bag and left before Kevin could offer to carry it for her wherever it was she went.

She was pretty sure she understood a little better what Stella had meant about her not doing anything stupid. Even with her anger still filling her, Macy knew she had definitely just done something stupid.

***

If the piece of chocolate suddenly being thrust toward her wasn't surprise enough, the boy holding the food out at her certainly was.

"What's this?" Macy asked as she took the chocolate and popped it in her mouth.

Nick shrugged and sat next to her, back against the lockers and legs stretched out in front of him. "I figured you could use it after your fight with Kevin earlier today."

Macy felt herself blush as she lowered her eyes.

"Don't worry," Nick said, his elbow jutting out to lightly nudge her in the side. "If there's one person who understands how annoying it can be for the oldest member of Jonas to baby you, it's me. I have definitely had worse blow-ups at Kevin than yours today."

"You weren't even there."

"We were all there by the time you told him he had nothing to do with your injury. You were just a bit too preoccupied to notice us."

Macy shrugged. "I'll apologize tomorrow."

"Why don't you let me give you a ride—out of the goodness of my heart and not because you're injured or anything—and you can just apologize to Kevin now?"

"He's on a date with Brooke right now."

Nick's eyebrow rose. "Really?"

"Yeah. She needs a dress for next week's dance."

Nick sighed and got up off the floor, reaching down once he was standing so he could help Macy do the same.

"Idiot," he mumbled. "Well, let's just go wait for him, then. You can help me with my geography homework anyway."

"And when you say 'help you with your geography homework' you mean beat you at Guitar Hero, right?"

"Only if we can get Frankie away from the thing. Come on."