The night after seeing Nathan I can't fall asleep right away. I don't really know why but I can't.

Its like my brain won't shut up. Except there's no reason for it to keep me awake. No reason at all. Right now everything is OK.

Well except for all the bullies and Julie. But everything with my friends and family is good. Me and Nathan are happy. Cayla is speaking to me and my dad is home.

Wait? Is he? I realize that he's not home yet. Rolling to my side I glance at my alarm clock only to remember I broke it this morning. So I reach through the dark for my phone and finally my fingers grasp the screen.

My screen comes alive and I read the time. 1:30

Where is he? Now I'm worried, what if he's not coming home. He's never been out this late. He always goes to bed early. Always. He's like and old man in that way.

I dial his number hoping he'll answer. After enough rings I get his voicemail.

Beep.

"Hey Daddy I was wondering where you are. Please call me and come home"

I call again. Voicemail.

"Daddy please answer. I'm starting to worry"

Then I wait five minutes until I can't take it and I call him again.

When I hear his voicemail I begin to cry thinking about him being lost or hurt.

"Daddy please. I'm scared" hiccup "I need to know where you are" hiccup "Please come home" hiccup "Please"

I hang up and continue crying. When I cry this hard I start hiccuping so the next 20 minutes is filled with hiccuping and crying.

When my phone rings I cry tears of joy.

"Hello?"

"Hey Alison, I'm so sorry I didn't call I'm with Julie and I'm fine. The real question is are you okay? Because I heard you crying"

"Daddy I'm fine now. Please call next time alright?"

"Promise"

"Alright goodnight I love you"

"Love you too"

Finally I can breathe. He's alright. But now I realize I'm mad. Not at him but at Julie.

She just shows up and steals my Daddy away. She took him from me. Its not just me and him anymore.
**

School is school until after school when I have to take all those tests and quizzes which I am so ready for considering I'm already halfway through the book. This will be as easy as pie.

When I sit down at my test my brain is relieved even more. I know all of these. I love taking tests when you know all the answers.

I'm done with everything in 30 minutes. When I bring everything up to my teachers desk she is shocked.

"Alison is there a problem?" She insists probably thinking I have a question

"No,I'm finished with everything" I set the papers down on her desk.

"Excuse me?" She looks worried probably thinking I cheated

"I said I finished. Done. It was really easy for me"

"You can't possibly be done"

"Yes I can, I basically binge read the book"

She glares at me one last time "If you cheated I will find out. Believe me. So you can either confess now or get in more trouble." She grabs my papers and huffs more than the big bad wolf as she walks out of the room

Well then. She can look all she wants for proof that I cheated but its going to be hard when I didn't cheat. I mean she is obviously delusional.

After gathering all my things I walk out of school dialing my Daddy's number.

"Hello?" I hear a giggle

"Oh um hey Daddy. I was wondering if you wanted to order Chinese for the night and watch movies?"

We try to do this when he comes home. It's how we spend time together after being separated for so long.

"Oh sorry I can't. Maybe another time? Alright, I got to go bye love you" he hangs up before I can even respond

What just happened? I was not expecting that response, and he didn't even sound that sorry. My brain flairs with Jealousy thinking of the giggle I heard. He must be with Julie. The woman who is taking away my Daddy. At least she'll never be my mom. That will never change.

I begin my ride to the coffee shop but when I arrive Nathan's not there. Someone else is working for him.

"Um excuse me, do you know where Nathan is?" I smile politely

"Oh um I think he had a doctors appointment or something" the guy mutters

"Alright thanks" I walk out to my car and text Nathan.

Me- Hey I stopped at your work

Nathan- Oh ya I just have a check up, I can come over after?

Me- Oh um no you're fine I'll see you later bye love u

Nathan- Love you too

I lock the screen and drive to a familiar town.

When I get to the house I ring the doorbell

"Alison! How are you!?" Caylas mother greets me with a hug

"I'm good, is Cayla here?"

She looks sorry "No she's not, she'll be here soon though"

"Alright, can I wait for her?"

"Of course make yourself at home"

I smile and make my way inside. Cayla's mom walks away and I go out to her backyard. Its still there. The treehouse we built.

As I climb up the ladder memories flood my mind.

I came here when my mom died. I ran up here and cried. And of course eventually Cayla being my best friend found me.

"Aly, you're going to be alright. I'm here" she hugged me

"How can you say that? I need my mom! She's gone! She's never coming home! We'll never laugh again! Never hug each other! She won't be at my wedding! My sweet 16! None of it. It's not ok!" I screamed all of this at Cayla but in reality I was speaking to the universe

"You're right it does suck. But you know what? She loved you so much. And you got that time with her. Not everyone can have what you've had. 13 years of your life she was there! And don't you ever believe that things will never be ok. Things can always get better" she kissed my for head and I cried in her arms

And now sitting here years later I begin to cry. Because I feel like I did that day. I feel like things won't get better. For years those words echoed through my brain giving me hope. Those words had meaning. But now sitting here all alone I can't find any meaning in those words. They're hollow.

"Alison?" My eyes connect with Cayla's

"Cayla?"

She comes inside and sits down next to me. She found me just like last time. But this time is different.

She rests a head on my shoulder and admits something "I've been seeing Brian again"

I turn to face her and see her eyes flooding

"My dads new girlfriend is taking him away from me"

We both laugh and cry over our sucky lives.

It has started to rain outside to match our mood. Every time it rains I think of the fire. It was caused by lighting during a rain storm.

On cue Cayla squeezes my hand trying to calm me down.

I squeeze back motioning that I'm scared. She puts her arms around me and we watch the rain fall. Its funny how beautiful a storm actually is. No matter how much I want to hate them I can't. Their beauty is too strong.

What did you think of this chapter? Too short? Too long? Also what do you think of Julie and Brian? Please comment and vote! Also I would like to give a shout out to thedeathofafighter for voting and commenting a lot. It means a lot to me and go read her story "The Writer and the Pen" its on my reading list