Isla's POV

The ride home from the diner is quiet but peaceful. As we pull up to my house, I think about how much the relationship between me and Hayden has changed since the beginning of the school year. "Hayden?"

"Yes?" he replies as he turns the engine off and pulls his key out of the ignitions.

I push a strand of hair behind my ear that has fallen in front of my face. "Thank you for everything. Especially for coming to my parents' funeral. You were the only that showed up for me."

He looks at me with guilty eyes. "Isla, I'm sorry that I didn't come up to you at the funeral or say anything. I thought you might still be upset from the day before, and I didn't want to make the day worse for you. That's why I stayed in the back. I showed up because I wanted you to know that I was there for you if you need me."

"Make it worse? If anything, you made it better. I saw you in the back. It helped just knowing you were there. I thought everyone hated me, but seeing you there made me feel like I still had a friend. One friend is better than no friends. It didn't help that I had shattered my phone after I left Beth's house that night. I wasn't able to contact any of you."

"Hate you? I could never hate you. I thought you need space. Maybe I should have made a better attempt to check on you. To see if you were doing okay. I'm so sorry if you thought I hated you. I swear I didn't, and I never could. Like I said the day you woke up at the hospital, you're stuck with me now," Hayden says with a huge grin.

Hayden jumps out of the car and runs to my side and opens the door for me. "You're such a gentle man," I giggle.

"Only for you," he tells me as he scoops me up bridal style and carries me to the front door. I get a strange feeling being in his arms. The best way to describe it would be that it feels like home. With me still in his arms, he easily opens the front door. He puts me down once we are inside. The entire room is dark and silent.

"Welcome home!" I hear voices cry out in unison. I look around seeing Nick, Isabelle, and Isaac. The living room has been decorated with flowers, balloons and streamers. There is a lopsided cake on the coffee table that must have been made by Nick and my siblings. My sister has drawn several pictures for me that are hung up around the room.

Tears begin falling down my face as I laugh. "Sissy, why are you crying? Do you not like it?" my little sister asks with worry written on her face.

I pick her up in a hug and swirl her in a circle. "I'm crying because I am happy. This is amazing and I love you. I love all of you!" I place her back on the ground and hug Isaac.

"Where's my hug?" Nick complains, walking up to me with his arms open widely. He wraps his arms around me and spins me like I did with Isabelle causing me to laugh.

"I've missed all of you," I say as we sit on the couch. "So, who made this beautiful cake?" I wonder with a chuckle. Nick blushes as Isabelle grins and points to herself, Nick, and Isaac. I sit there and talk to my siblings and my friends, catching up on things that I've missed since being in the hospital.

We are all laughing and having a good time. This is my new family. By no means is it a typical family, but everyone in this room loves me and cares for me, and I feel the same towards them. I have really missed my sister and brother. I have never gone for more than a few hours without seeing them. I wish they would stay home with me tonight, but Mrs. Ford has agreed to keep them for a few more days so that I can settle in and figure out my new routine with them being home.

Mrs. Ford is going to be picking them up soon, so Hayden walks into the kitchen to grab us plates and silverware for the cake. The cake looks like a complete mess. I mean, what do you expect when a seven-year-old and two eighteen-year-olds who act like seven-years-olds make a cake? It's the thought that counts, right? Anyways, while it looks like a mess, it's one of the best cakes I've ever had.

Shortly after finishing the cake, Mrs. Ford picks up Isaac and Isabelle causing the three of us to shed a few more tears. I hate them not being with me, but I understand that I still need to take some time to let myself heal before I jump right back into taking care of everyone else.

Nick and Hayden clean up everything, before joining me in the living room to have a movie day. They try talking me into picking the movie, but I don't care what we watch. I'm just happy to be home and out of the hospital. The beeping of the heart monitor was really starting to get on my nerves.

"I'll pick!" Nick yells as he races to the closet that we keep the movies in.

Hayden groans and whines, "He's going to pick a cartoon." I laugh. I like cartoons so it doesn't bother me.

Sure enough Nick walks into the room proudly holding 'How to Train a Dragon' movies one through three and 'Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs' movies one and two. Hayden rolls his eyes causing me to laugh.

Hayden nudges me with his shoulder. "Sure, you think it's funny now, but you haven't lived with him yet. Just wait and see, every movie night he's going to pick cartoons."

Nick playfully glares at Hayden. "It's for the children. Isabelle and Isaac should be watching cartoons."

I start laughing harder. "Okay, but why cartoons now? They're not even here."

"Well. Umm. I've really wanted to see these movies," he admits sheepishly.

I pinch his cheeks. "Aww, Nicky wants to watch cartoons." He smiles widely and pinches my cheeks back.

We are about to hit play when the doorbell rings. We all look at each other in confusion because we were expecting anyone. I stand up, but Nick pushes me back on the couch. "Sit," he orders me. "You are supposed to be taking it easy. I'll answer the door."

Nick answers the door and growls. "What the hell are you two doing here? You're not welcome here."

He's pushed aside by Kaira, who's standing in front of Luke. "This isn't your place," she hisses at Nick. "Who are you to say if we can or can't be here?"

Nick looks at her and Luke in disbelief, "Let me guess. You didn't tell her," he says to Luke. He then looks towards Kaira and smirks, "Sweetheart, I live here along with Hayden."

Kaira looks at Hayden and he nods his head in agreement. She then gives me a weird look before asking, "Is it true?" I nod my head like Hayden had. Kaira starts to laugh humorlessly. "Is that really such a smart idea, Isla? If anyone at school finds out it's going to make you look like a slut."

"E-excuse me?" I stutter. Did she really say that? I guess Luke hasn't told her about being in foster care and that they guys needed a place. Why would he though? He still had a place to live and he wouldn't want to ruin his reputation.

"I think you should leave," Hayden states, standing in front of me to block her view of me.

Nick is fuming as he walks up to Luke. "Get your little girlfriend and go back to Chelsea where the hell y'all belong."

"Please give me a chance," Luke pleads. "First off, she is not my girlfriend. Secondly, I don't want to be anywhere near Chelsea. She's not my friend—y'all are. I miss y'all. Please don't turn me away."

"Lucas, lets go. They're not worth our time. Chelsea was right. Isla is a slut. Why else would she allow these two to stay with her? They're probably both fucking her at the same time. You said it yourself, Lucas, Isla is a slut!" Kaira screams.

All four of them are now arguing. Tears pool in my eyes. I can't stand it—I know that Luke had called me names, and I have forgiven him, but part of me had hoped that Hayden lied about Luke calling me a slut. I know, though, that Hayden wouldn't lie. I just didn't want to believe that Luke could say something like that about me. Honestly, it doesn't matter to me if the school knows or not that Hayden and Nick live here. Everyone already thinks bad of me—only those who are important to me know the truth. Kaira, though, was supposed to be my best friend. I know I told her that I didn't want her to be my friend, but I was upset and wasn't thinking clearly. I was hoping things would go back to normal with her and I, but she's no different than Chelsea. Wait. Scratch that. She's worse than Chelsea, because she knows the truth. She knows my parents died. She even knows that I was adopted. I don't know what her problem is, but I don't care anymore.

As they continue to argue, I begin to feel as if I am suffocating. The walls seem like they are closing in on me. The others are so busy yelling and screaming at each other that they have forgotten that I am here. I quietly get off the couch and sneak out the back door. The moment I get outside, I start running. I have no clue where I am running to, but I keep running. I shouldn't be running. I am supposed to be taking it easy, but I just want to get away from it all. I can't even escape being called a slut in my own home. I'm so grateful for Hayden and Nick standing up for me, but the pain of it is all still there.

Luke/Lucas' POV

We can't keep arguing. This is all my fault. If I would have just told Kaira the truth this wouldn't all be happening now. I can't believe she called Isla a slut. She then had to remind Isla that I called her a slut too. If Kaira really thinks that way of Isla, my friendship with her is over too. The yelling and screaming continues to increase. No longer being able to handle it I yell, "Enough!"

Everyone looks at, before Kaira grabs my arm and tries to pull me away. "Come on Lucas, let's get out of this whore house."

I yank my arm away from Kaira. "Don't," I growl. She looks at me, confused. "Don't talk about Isla that way. She is not a slut or a whore."

She glares at me. "I don't understand you, Lucas. She's living alone with two guys. They probably take turns banging her. Anyways, you even called her a slut. This all just proves that Chelsea was right from the beginning."

"What?!" I yell. "I came here to get my friends back. Not to drive a bigger wedge in between us. I know I fucked up, but I am here to fix it. Why are you really here?"

She looks down at her shoes. "I wanted to be friends with y'all still."

"With us? Who do you mean by that?" I demand in a low tone.

"With the three of you. Who wouldn't want to be friends with y'all?" she asks quietly.

"What about Isla? Did you still want to be her friend?"

"I tried at first, but she didn't want to be friends with me. That's on her now. She's not innocent in all of this. She even hurt Chelsea. Did you ever think that Chelsea was hurt because of Isla? That maybe she treats Isla like this because of how much pain Isla put her through. Y'all just went with Isla's story and believed her. She knew Chelsea liked you, but she had to get you to fall for herself instead. All three of you follow Isla around like a lost puppy dog. Chelsea can make you happier that Isla ever could. I can make y'all happier than she can, but no, y'all only care for her. So, to answer your question, I came here to become friends with the three of you again. If that meant I had to put up with Isla, I was willing to make that sacrifice," she whimpers, trying to make herself seem innocent.

Hayden's fists are balled and Nick is clenching his jaw.

"Get. The. Fuck. Out!" I scream as my fist goes flying through Isla's living room wall.

"Y-you'll r-regret this. All of y-you. Isla, will p-pay for y'all t-turning me d-down," she stutters as she runs to her car. Fuck. Now I am going to have to worry about Chelsea and Kaira making school a living hell for Isla.

The moment Kaira is out of my sight I run toward the couch. "Isla, I am so sorr—" I stop when I don't see her. I look around the living room, but she isn't anywhere. "Nick. Hayden. Where's Isla?"

"I don't know," they reply in unison.

We search the entire house, but we can't find her. Hayden runs downstairs, panicking. "Where is she? We have to find her?"

"Guys, come here quick!" Nick yells from the kitchen. Hayden and I hurry into the kitchen. "She left. The back door is open. She took off," Nick tells us.

Fear washes over all our faces. She's not supposed to be over doing it. She's still not well and none of us have a clue where she went. "She couldn't have gotten far, could she? Her SUV is still here so she left on foot," I say.

Hayden has tears in his eyes. I know he likes her, but I love her, and I don't even have tears in my eyes. "We have to find her now. Let's split up and look for her," Hayden whispers.

Hayden's POV

Once I tell the guys we need to split up, I don't even wait for them. I'm out the back door and running. Isla is a strong girl, but health-wise, she isn't in the greatest shape at the moment. On top of that, she has a new enemy that we must worry about. If Chelsea, Kaira, or any of the guys who thinks she is slut finds her before we do, who knows what they will try. I'm running, but I have no clue where I'm even running too. All I know is the girl I like...wait. Who am I kidding? I fucking love Isla. The girl I am in love with is missing and I need to find her.

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A/N: Hello lovely readers! Thank you for continuing to read this story. If you are enjoying it please comment, vote and follow me! ~KJ<3~