Kevin's POV:

When I get home from school I slam my backpack down in front of the door and head to the kitchen.

"Mom?" I call out.

No answer.

When I reach the small kitchen I notice a piece of paper taped to the fridge. It reads:

Probably won't be home till late, working a double shift tonight. Leftovers from last night are in the fridge, heat them up in the microwave if you get hungry!
Mom

Putting the note down, I sigh. She's almost never home anymore. She's trying to earn enough money for us to move but the moving fund always ends up disappearing in exchange for food or something for school.

I pop a small portion of meatloaf into the microwave, making sure to leave some for my mom. The microwave ticks and I close my eyes. You could say that today was exactly how I expected it to be.

And that's not a good thing.

Yes, I expected Peyton to abandon me as soon as we were halfway to the school parking lot. I mean why wouldn't she? She's the most popular girl in school, again, and everyone loves her.

Meanwhile I'm the school freak everyone hates and tries to stay away from. And sooner or later Peyton will figure out why and she'll more than likely never speak to me again.

How do I know this?

Because it happens

every

single

time.

Beep! Beep!

I unclench my eyes and open the beeping microwave. Sitting down at the table, I chew my meatloaf and think. I hate school, like absolutely despise it. And not because of the learning, that's my favorite part, it's the people, rumors, and the truths.

The stupid, terrible, awful truth.

Why can't my life just be a lie? That'd be easier than the truth.

I wish I were like Peyton, with a second chance. She may see her double identity as a curse but I'd see it as a blessing. A chance to forget. A chance to start over. To be the Kevin I used to be, the one that didn't have such a crappy life.

Peyton

Jealousy surges throughout my body. She has everything and yet she doesn't even realize it! She may not remember anything but she still has a mother who is always there, friends that like her no matter what, and a boyfriend that loves her deeply.

She's had a tough life too, remember her father. A small voice tells me.

My face twists. And my father left, who was there for me when that happened?

But she's your friend.

Is she? As soon as everyone's watching she turns her back. And no matter how much I expected it I'm still angry.

So angry.

Why has she been acting so weird lately? So...different. She's acting just like the old Peyton and she thinks that nobody notices that she's pretending. But I noticed and I'm mad. Doesn't she get it? Olivia is a part of her now, someone that she just can't get rid of.

If people actually liked her then they would accept her for who she is: Peyton Comber and Olivia Wright. Well of course people don't actually know about Olivia, but I saw how those girls acted when they noticed that Peyton was different.

And it makes me furious.

And—wait, why am I getting so riled up about this?

Because she's your friend

Friend

Friend

Nothing else.

The doorbell ringing interrupts whatever those weird thoughts in my head were. Could my mom be home early? No that couldn't be it. Maybe Steve is coming by to tell me that I don't need to protect Peyton anymore? More likely. I head to the door and open it.

"Peyton?" I ask shocked and a tiny bit angry.

She looks flushed and out of breath like she ran here. Her loose blonde hair is tangled and her eyes look weirdly panicked.

She catches her breath. "Can I come in?"

I hesitate. I'm still very angry at her and a conversation is the last thing I want right now. But...the look on her face. She's scared about something and even though she was an awful friend earlier it doesn't mean I have to be one right now.

"Sure." I respond quietly.

When she steps through the door she doesn't stop, she walks straight to my room. Biting my lip I ignore the urge to groan. Then I follow her to my room.

When I get there she's pacing my floor with a note in her hand muttering quietly. She freezes when her eyes land on me. Then she marches over to me and sticks the note into my hand.

"Read it." She orders me firmly.

"What?"

"Read it!"

"Okay okay!"

I unfold the small piece of paper and read through it.

You think you know what's going on? You think you know all the answers? Let me assure Miss Comber, you don't know the start of it. Have you ever wondered how you got to the highway that day you were hit by that truck? Why you were running? Or more specifically, who you were running from? The answers are right in front of you Miss Comber, you just have to be smart enough to see them. Good luck Peyton, or should I say, Olivia.

Whoa

I look back at Peyton and her expression becomes even wilder.

"I haven't told anyone but you and Steve about Olivia Wright. I trust both of you and I know that neither of you would tell anyone if I asked you not to. But they know, I don't know who they is but they know! How do they know?!" Peyton screeches.

I grab her arms. "Calm down, we'll figure this out." I reassure her, hoping that I sound confident.

She takes a deep breath. "Okay, your right. It's just...I've tried so hard to forget her and now all of a sudden some random person leaves a note in my locker knowing everything about her! Not to mention all those other things..." She trails off but I know what she's talking about.

She's talking about the other things the note said: "Have you ever wondered how you got to the highway that day you were hit by that truck? Why you were running? Or more specifically, who you were running from?"

"The answers are right in front of you." I murmur. Surely it couldn't mean...

"Kevin, there's something I need to ask you and please don't get mad." Peyton tells me tentatively.

"What is it?" I ask already dreading the question.

She bites her lip so hard it could be bleeding. The blurts out: "Whydoeseveryonehateyousomuch?"

"Huh?"

She takes a deep breath. "I said why does everyone hate you so much? You—you don't have to answer but I can't pretend that I haven't noticed how Rachel gasped when she saw you or the panic in Steve's eyes when I mentioned you. I thought it'd be best to leave this question alone but...the note changes things."

My breathing picks up. "How so?"

"It says the answers are right in front of me and so are you." She answers firmly.

"So is everyone else at school, why don't you ask them since they love to talk about me so much."

"I want you to tell me."

I grit my teeth. "Then you're going to be disappointed."

"Kev the people at school would never tell me the truth, they'd probably twist it in some way. Please, you can trust me." Her blue eyes plead with me and for a minute I think about telling her.

But only for a minute.

I move away from her and clench my desk. "You're not going to get anything out of me."

"But why? What could've you possibly done that's so horrible you can't tell me?"

I close my eyes. "Please just stop."

"No! Kevin I won't leave—"

"Everyone leaves!" I shout. "Everyone always leaves! No matter how many times they say they won't, that they'll still see me as me, they never do!"

There I broke, I cracked, I hope she's happy.

A feel a sudden warmth on my clenched fist and open my eyes. Peyton's clutching my hand and looking at me with worry.

"Well I won't! Kevin I promise I will never leave you, no matter what happened, what you did, I never will. I promise."

"Like you left me today?"

I want to believe her, more than anything. But she's already left me once today and no doubt she'll do it again. Especially when she learns the truth. No one sticks around after that.

Even if they know it wasn't my fault I'm the one that'll always be blamed.

Always

I was a fool to think that things could be changing. That hope I felt was idiotic. Nothing ever changes in my life, nothing for the better. Accepting it is the best option. And the first step to accepting it, is sending the only good thing in my life away.

"Kevin did you hear me? I said I'm so—"

"Leave."

"What?!" The hurt look on her face is more than I can take. But I know it'd be a whole lot worse if I told her the truth

"I said leave Peyton." I try to keep my voice from shaking.

"Kevin I don't understand, what is the deal with you? No one will tell me!" She practically shouts.

I look her in the eye. "And I won't either. It's better this way. If I tell you you'll just be more hurt."

She laughs bitterly. "You think you're protecting me? You're just protecting yourself! I don't want to get into another fight Kev, just tell me!"

"No! Now leave!" I yell at her. We stand in silence for a moment. Then I turn away. "I don't want you to hate me, you're the only one who doesn't." I add so quietly I'm sure she can't hear me.

She comes closer to me. "I already told you that I wouldn't hate you! No matter what! And if you don't believe me that's your loss. I'm going to leave...but the note is staying here. Because I know that if we work together we can figure it out. No matter how stubborn you are, I'm not letting us drift apart again." She pauses. "I'll be back tomorrow and when you're ready, you will tell me the truth." With that she drops the note onto my desk and marches out of my bedroom and out of my house.

I lock the door, sit on my bed, and freeze. I freeze until my anger overcomes me. I pick up a nearby book and fling it at the wall. Then another and another, stopping only to catch my breath. When all the books are gone, I face plant onto my bed and scream.

Peyton's so annoying. So stubborn. So persistent and nosy. She...hasn't given up on me yet. She hasn't left.

Not yet

Hope is a very dangerous thing, don't get caught up in it

My eyes drift around the room, landing on a picture of someone who looks almost identical to me. I pick it up and stare at it. Then white hot anger burns through my body.

"This is all your fault." I say through gritted teeth. "You were supposed to be my brother! Why did you have to ruin my life along with yours?! You forced me to get into that truck! You were the one drunk driving! NOT ME!" I slam the picture frame against my wall, smashing it into a million pieces. Yet my brothers picture remains unharmed.

He may be the one in jail, but I'm the one paying for all this crap

And I always will be.

Sorry that this chapter was kind of short, I just knew exactly how I wanted it to go and this is how long it came out lol. I hope that it wasn't confusing or anything because I know that Kevin's feeling very confused about his feelings right now😂. Anyway, please vote and comment!-Vanna💜