Hayden's POV

It's been two weeks. Two fucking weeks since Isla found out about us living in foster care. Things have only gone from bad to worse. I have basically not spoken to Lucas or Nick at all. Isla hasn't been at school since her parents died, and even Kaira hasn't been around. I see how Isla feels now. It's lonely not having anyone. My plan for today is to talk to Lucas and Nick. We are supposed to be best friends. Best friends don't just give upon each other. I also need to talk to Isla and Kaira. I am really worried about Isla. Especially since she hasn't been back to school. I don't think anyone has spoken to her since that day she found out about us. Not even Kaira. Speaking of, I need to find out why Kaira isn't talking to Isla.

Being that it's Monday, I am hoping that Isla will be at school. If not, this will be the third week that she is missing. I take a quick shower before getting dressed and heading downstairs for breakfast.

"Good morning." Beth greets me. By the way she is acting, something must be wrong.

"Morning. Beth, are you okay?" I ask while making me a bowl of cereal.

"Hayden." She pauses for a second. "When you and the boys get home this afternoon, we need to talk."

"Did we do something wrong?"

"No. Of course not. Don't worry about it right now. We just need to talk, okay?"

"Umm... Okay, Beth. I need to get going." I grab my backpack and head outside. I wonder what she wants to talk to us about. Maybe she has noticed that the three of us have been acting strange lately.

I hurry outside and notice that Nick and Lucas have both left already. No surprise there. We haven't gone to school together since everything happened.

When I get to school, I see Isla getting out of her vehicle. I make my way over to her but stop when I see her staring at something. Her eyes go wide and fill up with tears. She jumps back into her vehicle and rips out of the parking lot. I look to where she was staring at and I'm shocked to say the least. Actually, I think I want to throw up. Up against the school wall is Lucas making out with Chelsea. What the fuck?!

I clench my jaw and make my way over to him and Chelsea. What the hell is he thinking? I thought he was in love with Isla, and even if he isn't why would he be making out Chelsea. Out of all the people in this damn world he's swapping spit with Chelsea. Him licking dog crap would be less gross than Chelsea, especially after all she did to Isla.

"What the fuck man?" I say as I pull him off of Chelsea. His eyes are hazed over and he smells like alcohol. "Are you fucking drunk?"

"What's your problem, Hayden?" Chelsea hiss at me. "You had your chance with me, and you turned it down. So, what... now you're jealous?" She smirks while rubbing her hand down my chest. Wow! Is this girl serious? She just had her tongue shoved down Lucas' throat and now she's rubbing on me.

"Don't touch me." I growl. "You are the nastiest thing I have ever seen and in no way would be jealous of anyone who is with you. You disgust me." She tries to slap me, but I grab her arm before she can. "Darling, that will be a big mistake. I don't condone hitting girls, but for you I will make an exception."

She looks at me with wide eyes knowing that I am being serious. "Lucas, Baby, you wouldn't let him touch me, right?" She whines as she grabs his arm.

Lucas looks at her and me then opens his mouth to say something, but I cut him off. "You screwed up again, Lucas. She saw you. She fucking saw you making out with Chelsea. How many more times do you need to hurt her?" I bellow.

"Wh-Who ssssaw meee?" He slurs.

"You idiot. Isla saw you." I scream while grabbing his shirt by the collar and yanking him away from Chelsea.

He shoves me off of him. "I don't care about that slut." He growls while Chelsea smirks.

I look at him with disbelief. "Are you fucking serious? Why would you say that about her? I thought you cared for her?"

"Why should I care about someone who doesn't care about me? I tried calling her. I tried texting her. It always goes straight to voicemail and the texts are always unread." Hurt flashes in his eyes but disappears and is replaced by anger. "She wants nothing to do with me. Why should I waste my time? Chelsea on the other hand wants me. Chelsea and I will make a great power couple."

I can't believe my ears. I get that he's drunk, but a drunk mind speaks a sober heart. I know he's hurting but so is Isla. I can't handle this anymore. I punch him in the face breaking his nose. "You are really fucking pathetic, Lucas. You turn Isla away. She didn't do a damn thing to you." I grit my teeth. "All you care about is your damn reputation. Well I hope you're happy with how everyone sees you. I hope it is all worth it to you in the end. I hope it was worth losing the girl that you were so called in love with. I hope it was worth losing your best friend because to me you mean absolutely nothing now."

I storm off. I have to get the hell away from him before I break more than just his damn nose. He's the one that got us involved with Isla. I had never paid any attention to her before this year and I regret that. She has a heart of gold and she doesn't deserve this. He's nothing more than a hypocrite. Him and Chelsea deserve each other.

I make my way to the back of the school and head over to the willow tree. Isla's willow tree. I'm lost in thought when Nick walks over to me. "Hayden, what the hell is going on?"

I look at Nick, but my vision is blurry as tears stream down my face. This is new for me. I don't normally cry. Nick seems a little freaked out by my crying but sits down beside me anyways. "Are you okay?"

I wipe my eyes. "No." I say through my tears. "I-I can't be his friend anymore."

Nick's jaw drops. He then opens and closes it like a fish trying to figure out what to say. "W-Why? H-He's your b-best f-friend. I-I mean all th-three of us a-are best friends." Nick stutters.

"Not anymore." I say trying to hold back my tears. "I have to choose between him and Isla."

"But why?" Nick says with tears forming in his eyes also. "Why are you having to choose. Who's making you choose?"

"I am. I am making myself choose." I say while trying to form the words in my head. "Isla showed up to school today."

"What? I haven't seen her. Where is she?" Nick says surprised.

"She left already. When she got out of her vehicle, she saw Lucas and Chelsea making out. She started crying and took off."

Nick clenches his jaw in anger. "What?"

"When I confronted Lucas about it, he said he didn't care about Isla and called her a slut. He said that he would rather be with someone that wanted him like Chelsea. He said Isla was a waste of time and that him and Chelsea would be a power couple." Great, I'm crying again.

Nick lets out a loud growl. "Is really that fucking stupid? How could he do that to Isla?"

"I don't know, but I think we need to talk to Kaira. Maybe we can get her to eat with us at lunch. She hasn't been sitting under the willow tree." I tell Nick.

"How do you know that?" Nick asks

"That's where I've been sitting...alone." I say.

"Sorry about that." Nick says rubbing the back of his neck.

"It's okay. I'm glad that we are at least friends again."

We search the tables outside for Kaira, but she isn't at any of them. "Let's check inside." Nick says as he heads towards the cafeteria.

I follow him and once we get inside both of our jaws drops. We see Lucas sitting at the popular table with Chelsea sitting on his lap. To make matters worse Kaira is sitting with him laughing at stuff that Chelsea said. Nick and I stare at each other in confusion. "Fuck this." Nick growls as he storms his way over to their table. I follow right behind him.

"What in all that is holy are the two of you doing with that slut?" He screams. The entire cafeteria goes silent and all eyes are on us.

Kaira stands up and places her hands on her hip. "Excuse me?"

"You..." Nick says pointing at Kaira, "are supposed to be Isla's best friend and you..." He snarls pointing at Lucas. "You said you were in love with her. What is wrong with the two of you that you would turn your back on Isla and befriend this she-devil?" He questions while glaring at Chelsea.

Kaira barks back at him immediately. "This was Isla's choice. She didn't want us as friends. Why am I going to waste my time waiting around on someone who doesn't want to be my friend? I tried being her friend, but she came home saying she didn't want friends anymore."

Losing my cool, I start screaming at Lucas and Kaira. "You are both mental. Have you ever thought for one moment how Isla really feels? Do the two of you really believe the crap that is coming out of y'all mouth? Look at what she's been going through. Isla is entitled to get mad and lash out at us. If y'all were a true friend to her than y'all would know it was just out of pain and hurt. Fuck. Lucas, you out of everyone, should understand what she's going through. I'm done with the two of you. I officially clean my hands of the two of you."

"Same here. I hope that bitch that y'all are sitting with is worth it." Nick growls. I watch as guilt and hurt flash across Lucas and Kaira's faces.

Chelsea stands up from Lucas' lap. "We can ruin the both of you." She hisses at me and Nick.

I start laughing. "Do it. Who cares about a silly high school reputation? I sure as hell don't." As I say that you can see the realization in Kaira and Lucas' face. Yep. They're giving up three people for a few months of popularity.

"Once we get out of high school, y'all will be nothing." Nick laughs as we walk away. Seriously this is just high school. Once we leave here, we probably won't see most of them ever again.

Isla's POV

I feel so lonely. Maybe if I go school, I won't feel so lonely. I know I don't have friends anymore, but maybe being around people instead of being alone in this house will help a little. I made Isabelle and Isaac go back to school last week. I guess if I want to be a good role model then I should go back to school too. I get out of bed and take a quick shower. Even after a shower I look like crap. I can't seem to stop crying so I don't know when the redness and puffiness will ever go away. I put on a little bit of make. Just enough to make me look like I am a part of the living world. I put on some baggy pants and a huge hoodie. I really don't care how I look right now. I go downstairs and see Isabelle and Isaac already eating breakfast. They're eating cereal. I should have been a good sister and made them pancakes, eggs and bacon. I'm a failure as a sister just as much as I am a failure to my friends. Well ex friends now, I guess.

I decide to skip breakfast. I don't think I could stomach the food. In fact, I've been skipping most meals. I make sure Isabelle and Isaac eat, but I just haven't been hungry. I think the most I've been able to handle is a piece of fruit and maybe a slice of toast a day.

Once my sister and brother are finished with their breakfast, I hand them their lunch money and then I drive them to school. The car ride is silent, but peaceful. It is a beautiful day and for the first time in the past few weeks I don't feel so down. I definitely am not happy and joyous, but at least I feel a smidge better.

I pull up to the elementary and wave goodbye to my sister and brother as they walk inside of their school. I turn on the radio and start to sing with it.

God, keep my head above water

Don't let me drown, it gets harder

I'll meet you there at the altar

As I fall down to my knees

Don't let me drown, drown, drown

Don't let me, don't let me, don't let me drown

'Head Above Water' by Avril Lavigne. I sing with it until I pull up to the school. I recheck my makeup before getting out of my vehicle. I've decided that today I will try to talk to Lucas, Kaira, Hayden and Nick. I would have called them or text them, but I dropped my phone and it shattered. I should have replaced it by now, but I haven't had the energy too. Maybe I can somehow salvage our friendship. I need them. I need them more than I thought. I need their emotional support. These past few weeks have been hard without them. They're worth fighting for. If they end up rejecting me at least I can say I put my best foot forward and tried.

I put a smile on my face, even though it may be forced. As I shut the door to my vehicle, I see two people making out. It can't be.... He wouldn't do that to me. I thought we had something special. Lucas is making out with Chelsea. Every last ounce of happiness that I have is drained from me. How could he? After everything she has done to me. Was this some sick prank that everyone is playing on me. Was he ever truly my friend? Is Hayden, Nick and Kaira a part of this too?

Tears start falling down my face. I was stupid to think that I could even try and get my friends back. I'm too broken for them. Why would they want to hang out with someone like me? I get back in my SUV and pull out of the parking lot like a crazy person. I don't care. I need to be as far away from this place as possible. I drive to the library where one of Isabelle's friend's mom works.

I wipe the tears from my face and try to look presentable. I walk inside and find her at the counter "Mrs. Ford?"

"Isla, how are you darling? Is everything okay?" She asks her voice lace with concern.

"Yes ma'am. It's just been a tiring day so far."

"Oh Isla. I'm sure it has been. I am really sorry about your parents. If there is any thing I can ever do to help you out, please don't hesitate to ask."

"Thank you, Mrs. Ford. I actually did want to ask you something. I've been really tired and wanted to get a little bit of rest. Would it be possible for you to pick Isabelle and Isaac up from school and let them stay with you for a couple of hours?"

"Of course, darling. How about I drop them off at six? I will take them to get something for dinner too."

"Thank you. That would be perfect. Isaac knows the gate code and Isabelle has a key. I really appreciate this."

"Any time. Seriously, Isla, any time. You are doing so much for your sister and brother, but you need to take care of yourself too. I know you're eighteen, but you're still just a kid yourself." I thank her again before leaving.

I drive to my house in silence. As I pull up memories of my parents flood my head. I feel lost and don't know what to do now. After what seems like forever of me crying in my car, I walk into my house. It doesn't feel like a home anymore without my parents. I go to my room shutting and locking the door behind me.

"Why does everyone make me feel so alone?" I scream to no one. I start throwing stuff and breaking things in my room. I want to give up. I don't want to do this anymore. The only thing keeping me here is Isaac and Isabelle. I promise them that I wouldn't leave them, and I mean it. I just hate how I feel like the whole world has given up on me. Feeling weak, I lie on my bed and let darkness take over me.