Family Means Everything (Book 3)

Chapter 10

Christina's POV

After the way Bella treated both Kath and I last night, I'm not the happiest to be stuck in a car with her. She doesn't seem happy either.

She stares out the window blankly while I drive.

"Where should we check?" I ask.

"Starbucks," she snaps.

"What the heck is wrong with you?" I practically yell.

"Just drive," she snaps and goes back to looking out the window.

We go into the Starbucks but she isn't there. Then Bella looks at her phone.

"Kath and Laur found her in the park," she says. We run to the car and I drive us quickly to the park. Following the directions Kath is giving Bella, we find them.

Dani looks up at Bella and I and starts to cry. I kneel beside her as Lauren tries to comfort her.

"Why did you do it?" I ask. She cries harder and I feel myself being shoved to the side. I fall on the dirt and look to see Bella now at Dani's side.

"Don't feel ashamed Dani," she says stroking my youngest sister's hair, "We know life gets real tough sometimes." Dani hugs Bella tight and whispers something in her ear. I see Bella nod.

I feel lost and replaced now. I used to be the understanding one who everyone turned to with their problems. Things change I guess.

Lisa and Amy appear just then.

"Dani!" they scream and hug her. She smiles a little, it's hard not to.

Finally we head to the car and I drive us all home. Kath proceeds to go out with friends.

"Lauren, Bella, Lisa, Amy," Dani lists, "Let's go to the beach. I don't care if I have cuts on my wrists, that's my business not anyone else's!" They get all happy about that and agree and then suddenly I realize I'm all alone in the house. I'm left out.

Is it my age? Did I say something they didn't like? Is it just me? I can't do this. I wonder if any of them still care about me.

Bella's the one who's getting to me the most. She's like my best friend in this family and she seems to hate me. A tear rolls down my cheek as I think that.

I decide to do an experiment to see if any of them still care. I send a text to all my sisters but Kath since she's out with friends and Dani because she's been through enough already today.

Bella's POV

Everyone else is running around in the water but I decided to lay down for a bit. I hear my phone buzz and I pick it up. It's a text from Christina.

Christina: I feel like I may hurt myself...

I drop my phone and quickly get to my feet. I say nothing to the others as I run as fast as I can back home. I burst into the door and run up the stairs. Very out of breath, I check the bathroom which is empty and then run into our room. Christina is laying on her bed. I quickly find a seat next to her.

"Chrissy," I whisper and realize I'm shaking. She realizes it too and grabs my arms.

"Belle, please don't be scared or worried. Um I kind of lied..." she says.

"WHAT?" I scream at her.

"Please don't be mad," she quietly says to me, "I just wanted to see if anyone still cares about me."

"Why would you ever think that we don't care? I care so much Christina and so do the others," I tell her confidently. I know we all do.

"Then where are they?" she asks.

"They were in the water, they never saw the text, I don't even think they saw me leave," I explain.

Lisa's POV

I saw Bella get up and run real fast somewhere but I didn't think much of it. I figured she'd just gone to the bathroom in a hurry. It's been over 15 minutes though and she hasn't come back. Now I'm a bit worried.

I walk over to our towels when I notice Bella's phone sitting on her towel. That's unlike her to just leave her phone here. Huh.

I check my phone and see there's a text from Christina.

Christina: I feel like I may hurt myself...

My stomach drops and I feel like I'm going to throw up. Suddenly Bella running fast makes sense to me. She got the text too and ran home to find Christina. I start to panic.

"AMY!" I call. She gets out of the water and comes towards me. I show her the text. She tears up.

"Bella ran over 15 minutes ago, I need to go find them. Gather up the stuff with Lauren and Dani and head back to the house slowly," I tell her. She nods and goes back to Lolo and Dani.

I run home now too, getting anxious along the way. What if she did hurt herself? I never thought my oldest sister would even think about something like that.

I burst into the house and run upstairs. I hear talking and poke my head in the other girls' room where I find Christina and Bella.

"Chris!" I say and then burst into tears. The two of them wrap their arms around me and we sit down on her bed.

"D-did you do anything?" I ask, terrified.

"No," Christina says and I feel relieved. Then we hear the door open and shut downstairs and suddenly Amy and Lauren burst into the room.

"CHRISTINA," they yell. She hugs them and tells them she's alright. Bella looks kinda mad though and I don't understand why. I give her a look.

"She lied," Bella says. Amy, Lauren, and I quickly turn to face her.

"What?!" I ask, it feels like someone slapped me.

"I wanted to know if anyone still cares about me," Christina says quietly and sniffles.

"We do," Lauren tells her, "We truly do."