Since they all had the same class together, Aunica, Chan, Brianna and Cameron walked into the same room to where math was just beginning.

"Pst, Aunica, over here!"

Aunica looked and smiled when she saw Peter, her dance partner gesturing over to her with one hand and patting the empty seat next to him with the other.

Though usually she sat next to Chan or Brianna, Aunica decided to sit next to Peter.

She slid in next to him and set her books on top of her desk.

Chan and Cameron sat behind her and Cameron whispered, "Jealous?" to someone. Aunica craned her neck to see who he was talking to and Chan looked like a deer in the headlights for some reason. She scrunched her eyebrows together.

"Alright, class, let's get started," Mrs. Brenner, the teacher stood at the front desk.

Aunica turned to face the teacher and focus on her worst subject.

After class Brianna and Aunica were chatting at their conjoined lockers when Greg Carter walked up to them with an apple in one of his hands.

"Here, Brianna," he offered it to her.

Brianna forced a smile.

"Um…the teacher's that way?" she jutted her thumb towards one of the classrooms.

Greg laughed.

"Cute. No, it's for you. Dance with me at the Paradise festival."

Greg was Gary's older brother, and the differences didn't stop at their ideas of gifts for girls. From what their parents have told them, Greg was worse than Gally ever was at that age.

"Oh…I possibly couldn't…" Greg raised his eyebrows in her direction, "I'm considering someone else."

Greg smirked.

"I'll see if I can't get you to say yes." he took a bite of the apple and walked away.

Aunica raised her eyebrow.

"Both Carter brothers in one day? What did they do, bet on you or something?"

"Probably not. More likely, Greg saw Gary ask me and was trying to see if he could usurp his brother."

"Poor Gary. But that would make more sense considering Greg never took an interest in you before this point. Gary, on the other hand, has been stealing glances at you since high school started last year."

"Yeah. Wait, what?"

"Whoops."

"I didn't know that."

"Then I shouldn't have told you. It's been obvious to the entire school Gary's had a thing for you for a little while now."

"Wow. But whatever the case is, I wouldn't dance with Greg Carter if he was the last boy in Paradise. Especially since he decapitated that squirrel last summer."

"No kidding. I'm not sure what's more disturbing. That he did it, or that he built a guillotine for that sole purpose."

"Yeah, that's right up there with drowning kittens in a sack."

Both girls shuddered.

"Well, I just might go with Gary, though I might need to think about it more considering he gets the brunt of Greg's cruelty. Other people have asked me, but I wasn't really interested in dancing with them. Don't ask me why, I just wasn't."

"Gary can take good care of himself. He may be one of the quietest boys in school, but he gives some pretty sharp right and left hooks as you've seen in wrestling."

Brianna tilted her head in agreement.

"True."

The bell rang and Brianna grabbed one of her text books.

"Well, I've got home room."

"And I've got PE." Aunica closed her locker door.

Brianna smirked.

"Have fun; I hear Couch Mac's going to do a combination of pole jumps and salmon ladders."

Aunica groaned.

"Thanks."

Brianna laughed.

"No, problem. See you in history."

"Okay."

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"As you can all clearly see, I've decided to step it up a couple of notches considering Summer Vacation's only a few days away, so let's go out with a bang!"

Couch Mac walked in front of his line of students which included Aunica, Chan, Cameron, Lily and Greg. Lily made sure she as far away from Cameron as possible who frowned at his predicament.

Standing a head taller than Chan who was the tallest boy in school, Couch Mac trained his students like he was training them for the army (Google Henry Simmons to get a good visual of him).

"Now," he clasped his hands behind him, "Who wants to try the pole jump first?"

No one volunteered.

Coach Mac sighed.

"I can't believe half of the kids in here are direct descendents of the Gladers and/or Group B! Lily. No, never mind, I just remembered you're recovering from an ankle sprang. Chan!"

Chan, who stood next to Aunica shut his eyes tight and cringed like he knew he was going to be chosen. He took a deep breath and stepped forward.

"You're first."

"If you say so, sir." Chan had learned a long time ago that his sarcasm and wit only went so far with Couch Mac.

Aunica took a peek at Cameron farther down the line and she could tell he was viewing him through different eyes. The eyes of a guy who wanted to go out with his daughter. And the terror within his eyes was very real.

Chan positioned the pole within his hands.

"Cameron Edison."

Cameron gulped.

"Yes, sir?"

"You're first on the salmon ladder."

His gave a nervous laugh.

"I'm not sure I could…" Couch Mac glared at him, "…but you know it wouldn't hurt to try."

As Cameron positioned himself under the salmon ladder, Chan performed a perfect pole jump.

Coach Mac smiled.

"Now that's what I'm talking about. Do a couple more." he looked at Cameron who hadn't even started the salmon ladder. Aunica felt bad for him.

Cameron held the pole in his hands as looked at his PE teacher who raised an eyebrow. Cameron got to work.

He pulled himself up on the first rung at a painstaking pace while Chan, in contrast flipped around using the pole with ease.

"Okay, okay," Cameron said to himself, "Seven more of these, seven more of these…" he yanked out the pole from the nooks where it was held and latched it into the next nook pulling himself up with a clenched jaw. Repeating the process he pulled himself one more time.

"I can't do anymore!" he cried lowering himself.

"One more!" Coach Mac demanded.

"But-"

"One more!"

"Alright!" Cameron whimpered and pulled himself up one more time. He lowered himself as easy as he could. He let go of the pole and let himself drop on the mat. He hugged himself to rest his arms wincing.

Coach Mac smirked.

"Are you ready for the pole jump?'

"What?!"

"I'm kidding. Take five, Edison."

Cameron breathed a sigh of relief as he walked to a nearby bench.

Coach Mac called in his next victim.

"Carter, you're next!"

Greg groaned and sauntered over to the salmon ladder.

"And, Chan!"

Chan landed on his feet the pole in his hands without breaking a sweat. He looked up.

"Good job. You're next for the salmon ladder. Now, who is next for the pole jump?" he walked down the line of teenagers, each of them, no doubt, wishing to be invisible. He lingered over Aunica who wished she had an excuse.

"Newton, grab the pole and let's get going."

Aunica suppressed a groan knowing it would require her to do more flips if heard.

She paused as she held the pole realizing that it had been a while since she had used it. Chan walked over and stood behind her and grabbed the pole without her letting go of it.

"Hold the pole like this…" he gently moved her hands more to the center as she, for reasons unknown to her, blushed at his nearness, "And stand like this…" he gently turned her by the shoulders, "Put your weight in your jump and you're good to go!" squeezing her shoulders he walked away and Aunica swallowed trying to get her head back in the game. What was wrong with her?

"Newton, let's a move-on; there are more who are going to use the pole too!"

"Yes, Couch Mac." Concentrating hard, Aunica gave a running start then let the pole drop to the ground as she leaped in the air. She felt sweat begin to form on her hands being that she had never been that good with heights. She landed on her feet feeling the impact in her ankles. She blinked. That wasn't so bad! Smiling she did it again. On the third try, however something went wrong.

Maybe her feet weren't positioned right or she had too much weight on one side, because the moment she landed, her right ankle bent sideways.

A shard of pain dug into her ankle and foot as she cried out and fell to the ground.

"Aunica!" Chan was at her side in seconds. He knelt down beside. "How bad does it hurt?"

Aunica threw the pole to the side and sat up on her thigh stifling groans with little success.

By now, the entire group had gathered around her and Chan gently moved her foot. More pain shot through it and Aunica drew in her breath through her teeth.

"Sorry." Carefully he put it down and wrapped both of his arms around her waist. "Now I'm going to stand up now; help me out here."

Aunica nodded and wrapped one of her arms around his shoulders.

"Okay. One, two three, up."

Slowly Chan stood up, and he scooped her up into his arms once he was in the right position.

"I'm taking her to the nurse," he looked at Coach Mac who nodded.

"Alright; everyone back to what you're doing! Just because someone is down doesn't mean everyone turns into a bunch of coach potatoes! Edison, time for the pole!"

Cameron moaned before he could stop himself.

"For that, you'll do three extras, now let's go!"

Chan carried Aunica out of the gym, her arms wrapped around his neck and her head buried in his shoulders trying to stifle whimpers.

"Does it hurt that bad?" his voice was tender towards her.

Aunica pulled her head away from his shoulder.

"Only because my ankle is hanging in midair."

"I'm sorry, I should have let you try to stand."

"No, it's okay; I'll be fine soon." leaning her temple against his shoulder, she processed the moment.

If it wasn't for the fact that she had just sprained her ankle, she would have enjoyed him carrying her in his arms.

It confused her why she was enjoying it so much.

This really isn't Aunica's days isn't it? Then again, it hasn't been Cameron's either! Anyway, please review and comment. Please no language and/or character bashing.