Forks scratched against plates. Knifes cut into food. The occasionally "Pass the salt' echoed.

The Eliots were at an all time low. Clare had done her interview and they loved her. Callum was trying his best to play referee between the three siblings. Rowan just guzzled and burped.

"What times the game on at tomorrow?" Clare tried making conversation.

"6" Jake replied quietly.

"Its a big game, right?" She tried again.

"Ye..."

"Ok, enough! As head of this family, I'm ordering everyone to stop this!" Callum looked around "Clare, has this amazing opportunity and you two are ruining it for her."

Clare eyes darted from Jake to Isabel. Isabel shrugged "Have you spoken to social services?"

"We've arranged a meeting for Monday 0 nodded.

"And what if they say no? What if they say if you leave, me and Rowan go into care?"

"Then I won't go."

"But it's not gonna come to that Bel! Cause their gonna see we can still handle everything without Clare!" Callum tried explaining.

"Bel, I wouldn't let them break us up!" Clare muttered.

"You're the one breaking us up Clare. It was suppose to be the five of us." Isabel stated "First you, then Callum and soon Jake will leave"

Jake frowned at her "That's no-"

"You three just think about yourselves and never think about what will happen when you all go."

"This is Clare's big dream? Next Callum will have a dream we can't say no to and then Jake will find one, where we have to let him go. And in the end it'll just be me and Rowan."

"And no one ever thinks about me and Rowan because we're too young. And while you all live your dreams will be stuck back in this house! Trying to be a family!" The door slammed, shaking the table.

Jake cleaned up dinner and got Rowan's clothes ready for tomorrow. Clare and Callum were talking quietly in the kitchen. Jake knew where he'd find Isabel.

He lifted himself up to the skylight, and squeezed out of it. Isabel lay on the old tiles of the roof and watched the very dark sky without stars.

He lay with her for awhile before she spoke "Are you nervous for tomorrow?"

"The Dillions are pretty good. Really good..."

"But?"

"I think we're ready. I'm ready. So is Ceg-"

"Its just a stupid name." Isabel stated. Cegs and her always had a love hate relationship.

"You know why we call him that?"

"I'm not dumb, i know why! Its just stupid!"

Jake chuckled and breathed a sigh of relief. Isabel was a in a good mood. Now was his time to say it. If not now, when?

"You know we have to let her go!"

"I know..." She admitted sadly to Jake's surprise. "Its just...she's going off to a better life. She's leaving us behind."

"And everybody is always leaving. Everybody always leaves us. And what if she likes it there? What if she meets some guy? Or finds a new family? Then what?"

"One less Elliots left. And we started with seven J. We started with seven and now it down to four. And i know he won't it admit it but Callum hates it here."

"I can see it in his eyes. I know him. He hates being a parent. Being incharge. I'm pretty sure id hate it too. Mom and dad just dumped this big task on him. Like he's meant to jump up and down with joy?"

"You always say you're gonna stick around but you're gonna play college football and there's no good colleges near here. There's no good anywhere near her-"

"Hey hey hey. Hold on there, when i say I'm not leaving i's not leaving" Jake tried convincing her but she was having none of it.

"You say that now but you're a senior. Cegs will go, you have to go with him..."

"Bel. I. AM. NOT. GOING. ANYWHERE." Jake stated. He cicked his head to the side, banging off her head "Its me and you till the end. Dumb and dumber"

"AND HERE WE ARE FOLKS! THE QUARTER FINALS! THE TEXAS DILLIONS AGAINST THE CHICAGO BULLDOGS. I DONT KNOW ABOUT YOU BUT IM EXCITED"

The crowd roared and the horns blew. The game wasn't starting for another half an hour but the stadium was full. It was a Sunday and Families were every where.

Clare thought it would be a nice last day for her family but in true Elliot style, that didn#t happen. Callum was on the phone all day with who knows who.

Rowan was asleep in his pram while Clare stared in boredom of it all. Football never really interested her but Jake was playing so it was full attendance.

Isabel was going to meet with her friends but bailed. She watched at the side lines as Jake warmed up. Three cheerleaders came racing past her, over to Jake and she puked in her mouth. She turned to be greeted by none other then Cegs himself.

"Firecracker, what you doing here?" Cegs wasn't from the south but seemed to have the sexy accent somehow.

"Coach is gonna kill you. Five hours before the game, didn't you get the memo?" Isabel turned and leaned against the fence of the pitch.

"Relax, coach loves me" Cegs joined her, fixing his uniform in place. He tried fixing his hair but it didn't do much help.

"Coach hates everyone. Especially players who show up drunk." She grinned at him. She could smell his breathe from a mile away.

"I'm not drunk, miss-goodie-two-shoes " He corrected her "And don't let this get to Jake..." He ran on to the pitch "We wouldn't want him finding out what you did at Eric Grains party last weekend!"

Isabel cursed under her breathe.

"Finally! Where'd you go?" Clare moaned, dragging Callum down in sitting position beside her while Isabel walked up to them.

"I was getting popcorn!" She handed the bucket to Clare and sat down. Clare's frowned disappeared and she shoved popcorn in her mouth.

"THE BULLDOGS BET THE DILLIONS! THE CHICAGO BULLDOGS HAVE JUST BEATEN THE TEXAS DILLIONS. I'M IN SHOCK. I'M IN TOTAL SHOCK"

"And here's the man of the hour!" Callum announced as Jake rushed through the front door, dropping his bags in the process.

"Just getting changed!" Jake yelled while running up the stairs. Callum shook his head smirking and continued in washing the dishes.

Within 5 minutes Jake was back downstairs wondering where his key's were. Callum turned to laugh at Jake but his smile soon disappeared.

"What are you wearing?"

"Oh..." Jake laughed at the t-shirt that supported a team Callum disliked. "Come on man, this hatred must go! They're one of the best te-"

"I'm not talking about the team. Why are you wearing that?" Callum still wore yellow gloves however his face was not at all bright.

"Um...cause i want to..." Jake eyes frowned before lightening up after finding his keys. He waved them at Callum, all the key chains jingling.

"That's dad's."

Jake's smile soon turned into a small crease on his face "So?" 

"So you can't wear it."

Jake exhausted out a deep breathe and put his hands on his hips, shaking his head at the ground. "Dad's gone Cal!"

"Oh know fucking way i didn't realise, now take off the shirt!" Callum told him.

"No i'm not gotta take off the sh-"

"You can't keep taking their stuff from the laundry!"

"Well WHAT ELSE IS THERE TO TAKE? EVERYTHING ELSE IS GONE!" Jake yelled at him. "ALL THEIR STUFF. ALL THEIR CLOTHES, EVERYTHING....GONE!

Jake shrugged his shoulders sadly "EXCEPT FOR THE STUPID WATCH ISABEL'S CLINGED ONTO, THERE'S NOTHING LEFT OF THEM!"

"EXCEPT THIS FREAKIN' TOP!" He tugged at the red material "EXCEPT THIS FREAKIN' TOP AND FEW OTHER CRUMMY BITS OF STUFF THEY LEFT AROUND THE HOUSE AND THAT'S IT!"

"J-"

"NOTHING!" Jake yelled again. Callum watched his brother calm down a bit before walking over to him but Jake waved him off and walked out the front door.

"I knew we could do it! I knew we'd kick those bastards asses. They can go weeping there their mommy's tonight! But we..." Cegs yelled "WE GONNA CELEBRATE LIKE KINGS!"

Everyone cheered and the party started. The team had won. They were victories and Victoria had given up her house for her party. Things were looking up.

A person Jake never talked about was Cassie his long term girlfriend who he never brought round to his house. Cassie was a cheerleader and Jake's number one fan.

"Now a speech from our star...JAKE ELLIOT!" Cassie screamed through the mic. Jake walked up shyly and began his inspiring yet funny speech.

"He's so sappy"

Cegs turned to see Isabel leaning against a wall next to him. He grinned "And what gives me the pleasure of your company tonight Isabella?"

"Some of the guys asked me here, thought i check it out..."

"I thought average parties wasn't your thing?"

"And i thought that for you. Aren't you the heavy-metal-lets-get-drunk-and-high type?"

"You know me too well Isabella! Too well."

"Why do you even play football if you're drunk all the time?"

"Cause i like hurting people and i get to do that on the field..." He offered his half drank bear but she passed just by luck. As then Jake came walking over.

"What are you doing here?" Jake snarled at Isabel, dragging to the side. Cegs followed for who knows why.

"Couple of the guys invited me..."

"What guys? You're a freshman? You can't be here!"

"J, its a celebration! Let it go" Cegs tried pushing him off but he just pushed back.

"You shouldn't be here! Go home Isabel!"

"Using my full name, are we?" She crossed her arms, entertained.

"Isabel."

"Let her stay man. Its not a big deal."

Jake ignored Cegs "Isabel, please just leave."

"I'm allowed to have fun too Jake"

"Not when its dangerous your not!"

"What is your problem? I'm in high school now! Deal with it!"

"My problem?" He leaned in closer to Isabel "My problem id why do you ALWAYS make my life so god damn hard, Bel? Do you purposely try to ruin it? It it your mission in life to destroy peoples days?"

Isabel felt like someone just stabbed her in the back. And front. And side. And heart. Her eyes blurred over with tears. "I just came to say Clare's leaving..." And she stormed out, Cegs calling after her.

Jake sat alone on a deck chair outside. The party had died down a little and no one was outside any more. Cegs got two beers and handed one to Jake. He accepted it.

"Sorry about your sister..." He sipped his beer quietly.

"Which one?"

Cegs glanced at Jake "I ever tell you why your my best friend J? Cause its a pretty good story" He chuckled. Jake said nothing.

"We had just finished elementary and i told you i wanted an ice cream. You shrugged you're shoulders and told me there's no ice cream shop nearby."

"We walked home dreaming of ice creams and its all we could think about. We agreed on Friday we'd run to Mc Charthys after school to get the best ice cream they had."

"Course Fridays we're pretty bad days for me since my dad came home drunk every Thursdays night. And i remember that Friday i didn't make it into school."

"So you..." Cegs laughed "You ran to that shop and got those ice creams. You even skipped school to get to my house before your mom noticed. And i thought..."

"If this dude ran miles to get me ice cream even though i told him i had some at home, then he was one dumb mother fucker" And they both laughed through the streets.