"Four days!" Jordan bursts in my room without warning,

He was beyond excited, literally counting down the days until we left. He said he had a surprise for me when we got there but refused to tell me what it was until Saturday.

I however was still trying to prepare myself for Lance and Ryan leaving on Wednesday, they'd been with us since my birthday, it still wasn't enough time.

"Yep" I grin at my best friend. I still wasn't okay but I'm getting better at masking my sadness. Co and I still weren't talking.

"You okay?" He simply questions, plopping in my bed

"I'm just fine Jordy, you don't gotta worry about me" I grin at my best friend

"I always worry about you. You got a lot of issues girl" he smirks, pointing to his head. I just laugh before pushing him off my bed forcefully.

He's been coming over and checking in since he found out. I knew he was checking in on Co too. He may be my number one but Co and him are almost as close as he and I are too.

Jordan helped me take my mind off everything, he'd insult me and make me feel like things were normal for a little bit at least.

"Well now that we've established that you are okay, even though I know you're lying, I say we go get Kanes" He stands up with a grin

"You just wanna go cause your girlfriends working tonight" I smirk at my best friend,

"How do you know?"

"Dude we talk you know? Don't think I don't know how you farted when you to were making out on her bed the other day"

"She told you?!" His eyes go wide and cheeks go red in embarrassment. I was the first one she had called after he left, we then proceeded to add both Em and Amy to that call and laugh for what felt like forever about it.

"Oh yeah, hysterical" I nod, a smirk making it's way on my face

"I serisously hate you so much" he groans

"You could never" I grin, he really couldn't even when he was mad at me.

"You're right, now lets go" he laughs before walking out of my room, I just follow, still laughing at his embarrassment.

-----------

"Baby Ski! What's up kid?" Kane greets and I walk in with Jordan, I haven't been in since that night Em told us she got accepted to A&M.

"Not much" I grin, I've gotten good at masking a sad face

"Well I got a bacon burger and fried pickles calling your name, it'll be right up" He grins before walking back to the kitchen

I see Lexi serving a table looking over at us and grin, Jordan just awkwardly waved at her and smiles. I knew he was doing this for my sake.

"Hey, awkward ass, just cause my relationship failed doesn't mean you gotta conceal yours, go talk to your girlfriend" I order him

"You sure?" He questions looking from her back to me

"You don't even have to ask, go" I laugh before walking over to the bar and pulling my phone out

"What's up Kazer?" I hear Kane's voice yell as he exits the kitchen

Please be Arya, please be Arya.

"Not much Kane," I hear the familiar deep voice.

Yep. Definitely not Arya.

"Uh-Hey Belle" he says, sitting two seats down from

"Hey Co" I maintain my composure. I hated everything we were doing right now. We were never like this. Ever. He would greet my by nudging my side or calling me princess, or dumbass or something other than my actual name to annoy me with a smirk on his face.

I'd call him some equally annoying name, a smirk mirroring his on my face.

Being awkward wasn't us.

"You excited for Friday?" He questions

"More than excited" a small smile graced my lips "I need a break from things for a few days" I shouldn't have said that

"Me too" he agrees before looking around, stopping his eyes on Jordan who was now sitting and talking animatedly to Lexi "Lover boy drag you here?"

"I came willingly" I grin at my best friend. He really liked Lexi, like REALLY liked her. It was weird seeing him like that, Jordan isn't that type, I guess. He never has been, but I'm beyond happy for him. Despite how Lexi and I started out, we've found out that we have a lot more in common than we'd thought.

"Here you go Belles" Kane plops my food in front of me

"Thanks Kane" I smile at him, before handing him a twenty

"Thank you" he grins before tossing it in the cash register.

After he left, Co and I were just sitting there in awkward silence, thankfully though, both Jordan and Lexi came over.

"Hey Belle" Lexi greets, sitting next to me while Jordan sits in the seat between Co and I.

"What's up?""

"I told you not to tell him you knew!" She scolds me and I just laugh, I had to tell him.

"I'm sorry I had to" I grin "It's hilarious and I will embarrass him any chance I get"

"That's fair" she nods "So are you as excited as he is for Chicago?" She gestured to Jordan. I don't think anyone was as excited as he was.

"Of all the places the boys have been for football, none of them have gone to Chicago, I don't thinks it's possible to be more excited than he is" I just chuckle

The three of them all continue to talk, I just kinda sit back and observe while eating. Once I finish though I decide to leave, letting Jordan and Lex have their couple time without their designated third wheel.

"Hey, I'm gonna go" I tell both Lexi and Jordan

"Aw you sure?" Jordan question

"Yeah I'm good Jordy, besides, I still gotta get my stuff together for Friday, I'll see you guys later" I bid them goodbye before yelling back to Kane and then starting my walk home.

It was nice just walking home, alone. I get so wrapped up in my friends and family that I don't take time to actually look around me. I loved just walking around town when I was little, all of us would walk everywhere, whether it be to Kane's or the Woods or just to the park.

"Hey Belle" I hear some of the kids at the park yell, I just smile and wave as I continue walking.

"Hey Kalanski, need a ride?" Nico calls, as he slows his truck down on the side of the road beside me "I was already goin over there to see your bitch of a brother and Lance"

"Nah I'm good Nico" I grin at him "I'm just walking around right now, I'll be home in a few"

"Alright, I'll see you in a bit" he just tips his hat at me in true Texan fashion before speeding down the opposite way towards my house. I however find myself walking towards Bockerman road, straight to the woods.

"I hate this road" I mumble to myself as I continue my way until I find my usual trail to enter the woods. It was overgrown and almost invisible. If I hadn't had its location ingrained in my head, I would've missed it.

I walk through the trail until I reach my favorite spot in this town. It was just a little fallen tree. I'd found it when we were little, it was my favorite little stump, I don't know why. The woods had technically been Nicos land forever, but he'd never really cared who was on his property, especially if you were a Kazer or Kalanski, he loved us like we were his own little siblings.

I sit down, and lean my back against my stump, just looking up at the trees and the light shining through. I can't help but think about everything going on right now.

Holy shit.

I'm graduating in two months. Leaving in four.

And I got accepted into Stanford.

I opened the letter yesterday, my brothers were all out, Cheri was currently in New York and comes home today, and my Dad was at work.

No one knew I even applied to the school, let alone got in. Well except Beck, but I swore him to secrecy. I was only looking at UCLA and Vandy, I'd only applied to Stanford on a whim Just cause I could. I wasn't expecting this.

I actually got accepted.

I cried when I read the letter. Throughout my life, sure there were so many people supporting me. I had my dad, I had my brothers and I had all of my friends. But I also had my aunt, who'd told me when I was just nine years old, that I'd amount to nothing and be just as useless as my mother, her sister. There was my cousin, she'd told me I was nothing but a fat idiot who's done nothing with her life. There was also my grandmother, everyone knows how she is. To her, I'm just the stupid bitch who she despises just as much as my father. I was less than the dirt on her shoe. And then there was my mom.

The minute I told her I wanted to stay with my brothers and be with my friends. She yelled and screamed at me. Telling me I was a waste of talent, intelligence and space. That my existence was a waste of life.

Hearing the people you're supposed to trust most tell you those kind of things, it wears on you.

It's what made all of this so much better. I proved them wrong. I did every single thing they said I'd couldn't.

I don't focus on myself, it's rare when I do. But right now, I couldn't be prouder. This was all me. I did that.

I smiled to myself, feeling tears slipping from and eyes as I leaned my head against the fallen trunk. Thinking about that, gave me the first ounce of real happiness I've had since Co and I broke up.

I'd closed my eyes, only to open them a second later when I hear the rustling on leaves.

"What the hell are you doing all the way out here alone?"

"I'm good Ry" I peek one eye open to see my big brother, standing before me with a brotherly scowl on his face.

"Who told you you could come out here alone?" he questions again, now taking a seat beside me by the trunk. Now he was going into protective brother mode. Though I joke now that Arrex is like our dad, Ryan will always be our original 'dad'. He's the one that actually raised us after my mom left and my dad worked.

"I did" I shrug, a smirk now plastered on my face "Why're you out here?"

"I was coming by to hang out with Nic" he states. The trail eventually lead to a shortcut to Nico's house and the lake.

"I just saw him a little while ago going to our house to see you" I chuckle

"Why're you out here?"

"I just needed to get away for a minute" I sigh looking back at him "Our house is loud and as much as I usually love it, I needed some real quiet"

"Why've you been so quiet lately?" He questions raising a brow "If I know anything about my little sister, she is never quiet" he snorts, making me grin

"I've just had a lot on my mind the passed few days" I shrug

"A lot wouldn't be a codename for Caleb Kazer would it?" He visibly cringes as he says Co's name. I can't help but let out a light laugh.

"How'd you know?" I grin

"You both look like shit and are super quiet. Kinda weird for the loudest two people I know" he shrugs "So what's up?"

"We just got in a fight" I shrug

"Nah this isn't just a fight, I've seen you two fight. Many, many times, I think it got to a point where it was an everyday thing," He grins "And every time, it ended with him bringing you ice cream or cookies, or you bringing him a burger, or you two physically fighting it out before you tired each other out and then both had milkshakes while watching cars or something. With those it was never long either, you two made up hours later. So tell me what this is, cause it's not just a fight" he goes on, giving me that 'dad' look.

"Fine" I huff "We were together."

"Like together together?" I can't even explain the smile that made its way to his face. I think he's happier than Jordan was to find out we were together.

"Yeah" I mumble "Not anymore though"

"What?!" A genuine look of surprise crosses his face "What happened?"

"I messed shit up" I look back down at my hands "We'd kept it a secret from the boys. The only ones who knew were Em, Jordan, Amy and Colton. On St. Patrick's day, he wanted to tell everyone because he was tired of lying and felt horrible about it, rightfully so. I did too, but I was terrified, so I told him I can't tell them. We then argued, and it ended with him ending things" I ramble "I cried myself to sleep that night and like the six nights to follow"

"I can't even kick his ass for that" Ryan slumps back "I'm sorry Belles, I can't even be mad at him for this one"

"I know. I'm not either. He just wanted to tell them and I let my own fears get in the way of us" I feel my eyes start to water. My brothers just moved closer and throws an arm around my shoulder.

"Why didn't you just tell us?"

"Have you met Beck and Arrex?" I question, "They would've flipped on both of us if they found out"

"They would've eventually come to terms with it Belle. Especially with the rest of us all backing you" he reasons "Now, what they would've been pissed about was the lying. They would've forgiven you eventually, you're their sister, but Co, he had a lot more at stake with this" he explains

"He said that exact same thing" I mumble

"Great minds think alike" he smirks slightly

We were both quiet for a second before he speaks up again.

"When Lace and I first got together, I was in Co's position, and she was in yours. She was terrified to tell Lance, I wanted to tell him" he starts to explain "eventually, she gave in, and we told him. He wasn't nearly as mad as we both thought he'd be."

"I know, he was happy wasn't he?" I question

"He didn't show it at first, but I knew he was. We'd both hated her passed boyfriends, but he really hated them, I think he was finally happy she found someone they could both trust. It's the exact reason we'd both wanted you and Co to be together" he admits

"Why?"

"Cause I know that he'd never hurt you." He shrugs

"Yeah" I nod. Co would never intentionally hurt me, he never has.

"I'm sorry Belles" he states just as his phone starts to ring

"It's okay Ry, I'll figure it out" I shrug, I always do, somehow. I'm lost on this one though.

"I'm always here for you, you know that right?"

"Yeah I know" I grin

"Good, now we gotta go, everyone's wondering why we went rogue" he laughs as we both stand up "God you can't get a second of peace in our family can you?"

"Never"

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