"Where's Jake?" Callum asked as Isabel trotted down from her bedroom, late for school. Cegs had been waiting outside but Callum had told him to go on.

"Why would i care?" Isabel shrugged, eating Callum's toasting and playing with Rowan. Penney exchanged glances with Callum.

"So, what's going on in school today?" Penney asked like a mother. Callum stood behind her like father.

"You two are not my parents! And I'm fine!" Isabel had been saying that the last few days since the big blow up. She;d get up ,go to school, eat and sleep.

"We're just worried about you Bel! We knwo it must be tough, dealing with Jake and all..."

"I'm not dealing with Jake, remember! He doesn't need me, he made that perfectly clear! And since when has it been 'we'?" She frowned before heading out the door.

"I better take her. Can you make sure he gets up!" Callum instructed Penney as he left. She nodded with a smile and yelled 'JAKE' one more time.

Cegs was receiving homework from one of his many rally girls when Tami and Isabel walked by. "Isabel!" He yelled after her but she didn't even turn her head.

"Isabel, just listen to me!"

"She doesn't want to talk to you!" Tami told him as they walked.

"She told you?"

"She didn't have to tell me! I already knew you were a bad egg! Now got get rotten bad egg cause this girl's done with you!" Tami whacked him on the nose.

"Just tell her I'm sorry." Cegs told Tami but was looking at Isabel "And that i didn't mean to hurt her. Could you tell her that, please?" And he stopped walking, and watched as her green eyes glanced in his direction sadly.

"Elliot! Where in christ name have you been?" Coach dragged him by the collar into his office. Jake was'nt in his football uniform but wore a blacks hoodie and jeans. "Well, you don't look at all like a serial killer!"

Jake was jumpy and irritable in his seat and sniffed a lot. He looked pale and his eyes were puffy. "Elliot?"

"Yes sure?"

"What the hells going on with you? I haven't seen you in a week? Where've you been?" Coach Tanner was shocked with Jakes behaviour. He was normally very easy to deal with.

"I've...I've been sick Coach..." He stuttered, his eyes focusing anywhere else but the coaches eyes.

"Sick? Christ Elliot I'm sick every day, but it doesn't mean i miss training!" Coach could see he was getting through to him.

"Now you listen here young man, i don't know what's gotten into but this attitude needs to stop! No more missing practises! No more getting sick! And no more of what ever the hells going on with you right now!"

"I know you've had a tough time of it lately but god son, get your act together! Be a man! This is your future! And one match not won doesn't mean its over! Is this what's this is all about?!"

"I'll try Coach..." Is all Jake could say.

Penney pecked Callum on the lips and smiled "You do?" She played with the strings on his hoodie while he messed with her hair.

"I do it all the time!" Callum repeated, kissing her again.

"Ugh, kill me now!" Isabel walked into the kitchen and then walked back out. Callum saw a glimpse of what she was wearing and practically threw Penney off him to follow Isabel.

"Where are you going?"

"A party!" Isabel gathered her stuff and fixed her wavy hair in the mirror. She checked her make-up which was flawless and made her green eyes look glowing.

"And where's this party?" Callum tried questioning her as Penney wrapped her arms around his waist from behind.

Isabel wore black skinny jeans with rips going down both legs, a tight red tank top that just covered her belly button and an over-sized denim jacket with band badges pinned to it.

"A some guys house...i don't know! Tami's picking me up..." She fixed her dark red lips and smokey eyes. Penney eyed her black doc-martens that she wanted to steal.

"Isabel, i don't kn-"

"Would you stop trying to be the protective brother? That was Jakes job and he ditched it!" As if by magic, Jake came walking down the stairs. He didn't say anything but watched as Isabel fixed herself up.

A car horn beeped from outside and Isabel went to grab the door handle. "Isabel." Callum called after her.

"Don't play happy families Callum, it doesn't look well on you!" Isabel looked at Penney "Do you actually think he cares about you! Cause he doesn't!"

"Is-"

"You break girls hearts Callum, its what your good at!" And she slammed the door shut. Penney walked off awkwardly and Callum looked up at Jake.

"Were you even going to try and stop her?"

And once again, Jake didn't say anything.

"We're here for fun! No drama! No fighting! Fun!" Tami reminded Isabel as they walked into the already crowded house. It was a Dean Michaelson party, which meant it was going to get wild.

Tami and Isabel walked in with linked arms and hot outfits. All eyes went to the pink princess and rock chic who had just entered the building.

Including Cegs, who as per usual was surrounded by girls. He had a famous red cup in his hands and he had on his lucky checked shirt. Isabel eyes connected with his but she looked away

"Lets get drunk!"

Isabel Elliot was know for being a party animal. Whoever got with her was a jerk and every girl wanted to be her or be with her.

She was famous for the best truth or dare and had perfected beer pong. Having parents gave her no responsibilities and she believed she'd never be tamed.

She had made out with three guys when she found Tami playing strip poker in the kitchen. She was begged to play but decided not to. This party was different.

See, in other party's, she had wanted to have fun, strip and drink. But in this party, all she wanted to do was forget. Forget about Jake and Cegs, Callum and Clare. She just wanted a drink that would memory-wipe her.

"Hey Cegs, what's up man? Strip poker?"

"No man, I'm good" Giving a friendly nod to a topless Tami. He saw Isabel in the corner of his eye messing around with some dude.

"CEGS! MY MAN! You need more TEQUILA!" Mason Zeevy walked over, pouring more and more into Cegs red cup. It over flowed and everyone yelled 'TEQUILA'.

Mason brought along to of his friends, Zach Hart and Robin Fairway, team-mates. They chatted around and girls and what not before Mason laid his eyes on Isabel.

"I'll tell you who's looking fine tonight, Isabel Elliot!" The other two agreed and Cegs put his drink to one side. "I'd tap that!"

"She's a freshman!" Cegs argued.

"So, she's easy! I heard she had a foursome...one guy, three girls!" Zach Hart slapped Robin Fairways hand which pissed Cegs off more.

"Yeah well, she's also Jake's brother, or have you idiots forgotten that?" Cegs looked ta the three guys. Mason smirked.

"Hey man, we're just talkin'" Mason tried making amenze with Cegs but it didn't seem to work. "And besides, its like Jake's actually here to stop us!"

That's the comment that pushed Cegs over the edge and used one hand to pin Mason to the wall. "Well i'm here to stop you! So lets not talk about Isabel Elliot again, ok?"

"You got it man" Mason pushed him off and the three walked away while Cegs amde his way through the crowd to save Isabel.

This guy was getting to grabby and Cegs could hear Isabel explaining soemthing while his hands rubbed her legs and kissed her neck.

"Hey Isabel...friend of Isabel's..." Cegs nodded at the guy. The guy looked angry at Cegs but he didnt seem to care.

"Go away man, get your own girl" And he proceeded to kissing Isabel's neck while she sat there talking to yourself. Cegs didnt like it.

"Hey, how about we get a beer man?"

"I wanna beer!" Isabel yelled, trying to get up but she was too drunk and was pushed back down by her new friend who now had his hands under her top.

"We're fine thanks, thanks!"

Cegs was'nt taking no for answer and knew he was much stronger than this dude."I'll ask again, do you want a beer?"

The guy seemed to recognise who Cegs was and seemed pretty scared "Ok..."

Cegs managed to walk calmly over to a free doorway and calmly ask "So how's it going with her, huh?"

The guy relaxed a bit and glanced over at Isabel who was now dancing on the sofa. "Good man, i think a few more beers and I'll be taking her home..."

"That's cool man, that's cool. But em how 'bout you find another girl, alright?" Cegs was trying to keep cool and was doing a good job as he was'nt that drunk.

"But i like her..."

"Yeah, well the thing is that if you ever, and i mean EVER, touch her or look at her or even think about her again, I'll end your life. You got that?" He said it so calmly that the poor guy didn't know if he was being serious or not.

"Ye-yeah...ye..i got that"

"Good, glad we had this talk man!" And he patted him on his way. He made his way back to Isabel who had gotten her hands on more booze "Ok, I'm cutting you off!"

"Hey...where's my...friend?" Isabel frowned as Cegs helped her stand up.

"He's gone and his most definitely not coming back."

"But he had.... cute hair..." They made their way through the party-goers out onto the street.

"He did have cute hair but you have had too much to drink" Cegs sat her down on the steps of the house as people left and entered the mad building.

"Boo, you sound...like Jake!" Isabel sat close to Cegs and pushed his hair from his eyes as he tried to wave her off. "Hey, I'm meant to be mad at you"

"You remembered that, huh?" Cegs grabbed her wrist lightly so keep her away from his hair and set them down on his lap.

"I remember.... everything and you.... should really brush.... your hair sometime..."

"I should, shouldn't i?" He chuckled. She smiled at him laughing at her and began messing with his hands.

"I don't... wanna be mad... at you... any more Chace" She said sadly.

"I don't want you to be mad at me any more either Isabel"

"Why? I'm your... ex-best friends.... annoying.. little sister..."

"You are annoying, that's true..." He laughed, she punched him hard in the shoulder "But you're...my friend. And i need you to stop being mad at me cause iv'e got stuff to tell my friend..."

"Like what?"

"I don't know...stuff i tell Isabel...stuff i only tell Isabel..." Cegs tried making her believe it. She nodded knowingly.

"I'm your friend?"

"Yes."

"When did that happen?"

"I think some where along the way we accidentally became friends..." Cegs noticed Isabel's hands wrapping around his and he realised he didn't mind it.

"Yew"

"I know"

"I'd say I'm your best friend..."

"Would you?"

"Yes. We...go to school together...we eat lunch together...we get beaten up together...we get drunk together..." Isabel explain, making a good point.

"Ok, and what about Tami and Jake?"

"Oh they can go suck it..." Cegs let out a roar of laughter and Isabel copied him. They said nothing for awhile as Isabel rested against Cegs shoulder.

"Hey Chace, do you think my families ever gonna be fixed?"

Cegs was a bit taken back by the question and wondered what was going on in the girls mind. He cleared his throat "If there's one thing i know about your family, is that their strong as fuck Isabel."

"Not this time though. This time everything's...messed up...Everybodies...crashing.." Isabel told Cegs and first the first time in a really long time Cegs felt sorry for Isabel.

The pain seemed to radiate out of this girl in soft, silent waves of emotion. For so long Cegs believed Isabel to be the Brave one. The strong one.

But now it all dawned on him she was not. She was not alright. She was not ok. And while her family were speeding round trying to fix Jake and Callum and Clare and even Rowan, they had forgotten about Isabel.

Isabel was the child that everyone looked past. Because she was meant to feel no pain. She was meant to be the one that could handle herself. She was the one no one had to look after.

Cegs had just left Isabel sleeping and was walking down the stairs when he was greeted by Callum in the kitchen. "Cegs."

"I was just dropping Isabel off..." Cegs explained, realising Callum might be mad at him. Callum was'nt though.

For as long as Jake's been around, its seems so has Cegs. He's the wild brother he's never had. Clare even used to question their mom why Cegs lived in a different house to them if he was part of the family.

He was part of the family. Callum knew his parents had always thought of him as their son. He just hoped that just because they were gone, they weren't going to lose Cegs.

"Yeah, thanks man...Hey!" Callum called as Cegs was walking out the door. "How...how are you man? I know the whole bust up with Jakes been har-"

"You need to look after Isabel." Cegs eyes were harsh but compassionate when he linked eyes with Callum.

"What?"

"She..." Cegs thought "She is crying out for help. She is...a drowning girl..." Callum had heard that expression before.

"I know you're worried about Jake and so am i, but Cal you need to care about Isabel as well. You NEED to take care of her. Cause she's not fine!"

"She's so far from fine and its killing her! And nobody notices! Nobody cares!" Cegs raised his voice "You so concerned about the obvious stuff you can't see her dying in front of you!"

"She is lost! And afraid! And she misses them..."

"I'm tryin-"

"I know your trying Cal! I know it must be hard! I get that! But Isabel's my friend..my best friend and I'm telling you that she is in pain!"

Cegs left with that line and opened the door only to be greeted by three ugly looking men. Cegs looked back at Callum, who's eyes were wide with fear.

"Pacco"