Isabelle's POV
It's been 2 weeks since my first day. Every day is pretty similar and uniform. I've grown closer with Ethan and Grayson. We sit together at lunch and talk about things like our favorite and least favorite things. They make me laugh a lot.
It's lunch. Grayson went to talk to his English teacher about his grade. It's just me and Ethan.
"So, tell me about her." He reaches his arm across the table and tucks a strand of hair behind my ear.
"Who?" I blush and look up at him.
"Taylor." My heart clenches.
"Oh..." I pause.
"You don't have to if you don't want to."
"No, I think it'd be best if I talk about it." I swallow and look down at the hoodie I'm wearing. It was Taylor's.
"I went to a party the night before the shooting. Taylor was late to school that day. I was supposed to give her a ride but I totally forgot. She had to walk." I already feel myself tearing up.
"The shooter was holding us hostage in the gym. She was walking to the gym for PE. She walked in and the shooter immediately shot her right in the chest. I watched her die. I screamed... and it was like all my memories with her played in my head." My eyelashes spike with tears.
"If I had just picked her up that morning. Maybe... Maybe she'd still be here. She was an honors student. It should've been me. I'm going nowhere in life. I don't deserve to be here. She deserves to be here." I bury my face in my hands and cry. Ethan gets up and comes around to my side of the table. He sits beside me and pulls me into his chest. His hand rubs up and down my back as I sob.
"Don't say that." He says quietly, "It's not true. You deserve to be here. Okay? I want you to be here." I listen to the vibrations of his voice in his chest. My tears run down my cheeks and his warmth comforts me.
"I miss her. We were practically sisters." I say, muffled into his shirt.
"I'm here with you Izy. I'll never leave you." He rests his head on mine and I let all my tears out.
Ethan's POV
She lets everything out.
I hate seeing her in pain.
It hurts me to see her sad and it makes me want to hurt whoever did this to her. She deserves everything in this world. She deserves to be happy. I want to give her everything but the one thing she wants is impossible to get back.
I know now that I have to do everything to keep her safe.
