Hey! So, I'm SOOOO sorry for taking so long to update! Finals were underway and I just couldn't get away from them. I hope you guys forgive me. Thank you all for the amazing reviews. They always make my day! :D Also, they make me want to update sooner. I was having writer's block. This chapter is kinda short—sorry!—and just a filler. I'm really sorry about that. I hope you all don't hate me….Read on!

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters (except Nick) but I do own the plot.

Oh! In case ya'll were wondering, I passed my finals!

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Chapter Five

Cammie's POV

I woke up at 6:00 the next morning. Even though classes don't start until 8:00. We have to be ready, look good. Turns our, though, that it doesn't take long to take a shower, getting uniform, and let Macey do your hair. Huh. Who woulda thought?

However, the most peculiar thing happened. At 7:30, Macey came out and asked, "Do I look okay?" in a kinda nervous voice.

We all stared at her, incredulously. Liz finally answered, "Of course, Macey. You're a McHenry. You always look good."

Macey's face lit up. "Thanks, guys!" she squealed. She skipped out the door, toward the Grand Hall. We followed her out the door, kinda surprised that she was in such a perky mood.

We caught up to her but she was walking now. When we got to the Grand Hall, it was filled with talking girls. We had to speak Farsi. My mom was standing to speak when we sat down. "Good morning, Gallagher," her voice rang out in the hall. "Some of you may have met some of the boys that will be joining out school." This got the girls'—the ones who didn't know—attention. "Well, some of you met them last semester, Welcome to Gallagher Academy, students of the former Blackthorne Institute," she added as the doors flew open. "Take you seats. Due this very special occasion, classes will be postponed until tomorrow."

I started to smile. Special event it was.

Zach slid in next to me and snaked an arm around my waist. "Hey, Gallagher Girl," he said smiling.

Tina nearly dropped her fork when she saw that. "So," she said casually, dragging out the "o." "You two are together?"

I smirked. "Yep, so hands off." She grinned at me. She knew I was joking but she knew that I really did want her to keep her hands off my boyfriend.

"Got it." Her gaze slid to Gran. "What about Newman, over there?"

"Um, well, Bex and he are…" I trailed off, unsure of what to say.

"He and Bex are dating," Zach jumped in quickly.

Tina pouted. Then she spotted Nick. I wasn't sure what Mace would do if Tina said something. Macey was sitting on my other side, going through flash cards for her organic chem. class. I knew she was listening.

"What about the new kid?" Tina said. "I wouldn't mind playing with him."

Macey tensed up. She kept her gaze down but I noticed her knuckles were white.

I looked at Nick to see if he heard. He was playing with his food, oblivious to the admiring looks he was receiving, with a blank expression on his face.

Finally I answered Tina. "Ya might have a hard time 'playing' with him. It doesn't look like he's interested…in anyone." Anyone but Macey, I added to myself when se shot her a very, very fleeting glance. A spy notices these things.

"Well," Tina answered. "Maybe he'll like me!" before I could answer, she jumped up and went and sat across from him. "Hi," I heard her say in a flirtatious look. "I'm Tina. And you are?" she asked, fluttering her eyelashes.

I glanced at Macey. She was sneaking quick glances at Nick and Tina. I held my breath, waiting for him to answer.

He glanced up. "Nick," he said, then went back to playing with his food.

"Well, you probably need a guide." She smiled but before she could speak, Grant appeared out of nowhere behind Nick.

"He already has a guide," Grant said with a wink at Macey. "It's Macey." Then he walked off. Nick had a shocked look on his face and it looked like Macey was having a mixture of shock, relief, and anger.

Tina blinked. "Oh?" She turned toward Macey. "You are?"

Macey looked hard at Nick. He was pleading with his eyes. She studied him for a minute. Finally, she answered Tina, not taking her eyes of Nick. "Yes. Yes, I am." He gave her a relieved look and smiled slightly at her.

For a minute they stared at each other, Nick's eyes held a little hope, and then Macey shook her head and studied her flashcards again. Nick slid down to sit across from her. I knew she knew. She had a small smile on her face. "Mace?" he said.

"Hmm?" she said back, not looking up.

"I really am sorry."

The statement caused her to look up—or maybe it was his tone o voice. "Sorry? You're sorry?" she asked incredulously. "Nick, can I honestly believe that?"

"Yes," he said defiantly. "I do, Macey. I wanted to tell you. Really. I just…couldn't. My parents forbade it. I tried to do it in private, get you alone. But you didn't get the note."

My head whipped up. The note in my gift. I knew I should have told her.

"The note?" she asked quietly. "What note?"

Nick looked around. "You mean, you really didn't get it? I thought you were avoiding me. I put it in the box that bracelet—the one that I helped you find—was in. you didn't get it?"

I looked down and felt Macey's gaze on me. "You're bracelet, Cammie. Did you find that note?"

I gulped. "Um…yeah. I did. I just didn't know if you wanted me to tell you or not because it was too late and I didn't want you to be hurt or—"

Macey cut me off, smiling. "It's okay, Cam. I know you didn't mean to. I know you thought you had my best interest at heart." She took a deep breath. "But next time, tell me, kay?" I nodded.

Nick looked at her and smiled brilliantly. "So, you gonna forgive me?"

Mace smiled and nodded. "Of course."

I glanced between them and smiled slightly. They were perfect for each other.

As if sensing my happiness and relief, Zach pulled me closer and asked, "Why the smile?"

In response, I smiled toward Nick and Macey. Nick was studying Macey, slowly eating, while she studied her cards.

Zach smiled. You're good."

I grinned. I didn't bother telling him that it wasn't me. "Yeah, I know." I smiled wickedly. "But that's why you love me, right?"

He rolled his eyes. "Of course." He leaned down slowly but before he could kiss me, Macey threw a piece of pop tart at me.

"Get a room," she hissed.

I glared and nodded toward Nick. "I'm sure you want one."

She blushed and couldn't look at him. "Whatever, Cammie. But seriously, all this sickening love is gross."

I rolled my eyes and shook my head, turning back to my food. "Ya done?" Zach asked suddenly. "Because I'm done and I want to go."

I sighed. "Yeah. I'm done. Let's go." Together, Zach and I walked out of the Grand Hall with most sophomores' and juniors' envious eyes following us.

Macey's POV

I watched Cammie and Zach leave with a smile on my face. She was so falling for him. And Zach had already fallen. Fallen hard, if you put it in Bex's words.

And guess what? It was so my fault. I knew, when I told her—Cammie, I mean—to go on that date with Zach, that they were the perfect match. That was one of my talents: matchmaking. Everyone but myself but still. That relationship was going to last a lifetime. As were Bex and Grant and Liz and Jonas. I was good.

As I sat there, thinking about that, my eyes strayed to Nick and my heart hammered in my chest. This feeling was so new to me. Yeah, I'd liked guys before but I've never fallen in love with them. With my best friend of all people. Which just goes to prove that, the whole theory about how a guy and girl fall for each other at some point when they're best friends? It's true. Except, in this case, it's just me. Nick couldn't fall for me. And it wasn't like it was actually love…I didn't think, anyway. I wasn't the kind of girl he would go for anyway. Trust me, I've watched over the years what kind of girls he goes after. Granted, a lot of them are cheerleader types and, according to lots of magazines, the second daughter looks like the cheerleader type. But do I? Don't answer that.

"Yo, Mace," Nick's voice brought me back to the present. "Are you ready to give me the tour?" he asked with a smile that nearly melted my insides.

"Y-yeah, I am." I stuck my flash cards in my pocket and stood. We walked in silence out of the Grand Hall. I knew we were giving everyone the wrong impression but I can't say I minded. I didn't want any girls—hem, hem, Tina—throwing themselves at him. I mean, I had to protect him. Right?

"So…"I trailed off and then simply said, "Where should we start? Yeah, real smooth, Macey. Real smooth.

This was not going to be easy.

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Okay! There's chapter five! I hope ya'll like it. Sorry it's not longer and it is kinda boring. I still want your reviews and…ideas for the next chapter? I have ideas as a whole but I need one for the next chapter. Thanks everyone! If you review, I'll update sooner…if I get ideas!

~IheartZacharyGoode