Don't Give Up On Me ✔

Chapter 1 ~ Beach

Isla's POV

"Isla, it's breakfast time!" My mom yells from downstairs.

While most kids my age would ask for five more minutes of sleep, that is not me. I am a morning person or at least when it comes to my family. You see, I have an amazing family. My mom and dad are the greatest people in the world. They support me and my younger siblings in any and everything we do. I have twin siblings, Isabelle and Isaac. They are seven and they are the cutest kids you'll ever meet. As you can tell, my parents really like names that start with the letter 'I'.

"Good morning, mom." I chirp.

"Good morning, darling and happy 18th birthday." Yes, today is my 18th birthday.

"Thanks, mom." I say as I start making plates with bacon, eggs and toast for me, my brother and sister.

"Isabelle and Isaac!" I yell. "Breakfast is ready."

You can hear their feet run down the hallway as they make their way to the kitchen. "Morning, sissy." They say in unison as they grab their plate and start eating. The word sissy makes me cringe, but they have called me that for as long as I can remember.

"Isla?" My mom walks over to the table to join us for breakfast.

"Yes, om?"

"Do you have any plans for next Friday?" My mom already knows the answer. I never go out. She thinks it's because I am shy, but really, it's because I haven't had any friends since freshman year.

"No. Is there something going on?"

"Do you think you can watch your sister and brother after school? Dad and I need to attend the grand opening for our new restaurant."

"Of course, mom."

"Thanks, honey! So, what do you want to do today for your birthday and last day of summer?"

"Can we go to my favorite Italian restaurant, the beach and get ice cream?" I ask.

"Whatever you want. Did you want to invite some of your friends to tag along?" My mom asks. "You've been so busy working this summer, I haven't seen you hang out with anyone." She's hopeful that I will say yes, but she doesn't know that her daughter is a social outcast at school.

I carefully think out my response before answering her. My mom has no clue that everyone at school hates me because of Chelsea. "No, I want to spend time with just my family. This may be my last birthday we all get to spend together. Next year, I will be in college." At least I didn't fully lie to her. Next year, I should have already moved into the college dorms.

I head upstairs to my room to get ready. I decided to wear a black two-piece that has a red trim that outlines it. It's rare that I get to show this much skin. Normally I have to keep myself covered to hide the bruises I get from school. I sigh as I look at myself in the mirror. Tomorrow starts another school year meaning Chelsea will start bullying me again. I can handle being called names like whore and slut, even though it's not true. It's harder handling the physical attacks that I get from the other girls who think I'm flirting or have slept with their boyfriends. The worst part is at the end of last school year, random guys started grabbing me and asking me to do nasty things with them since I'm 'easy.' The guys used to never mess with me, but I've now been hit, kicked, slapped and punched for telling guys no.

I walk over to my closet to grab a sundress to put over my swimsuit. I stop at my desk to see a picture of me and Chelsea at the beach a few days before we started freshman year. We had been best friends since kindergarten, but that all changed when she became popular. I didn't want to be popular. I like my life to be simple. I prefer spending time with my family and dressing in comfortable clothes. Chelsea, on the other hand, wanted attention. She always wanted to wear the newest clothes and go to parties. We stayed friends for a while until she wanted to date the 'bad boy' of the school, Lucas Montgomery. She was so 'in love' with him, but he rejected her because he said he liked her friend, me. I, on the other hand, wanted nothing to do with him. He attracts attention and that is not something I needed or wanted. Also, I may or may not like someone else, but it doesn't really matter. I haven't seen him since the beginning of sixth grade. Unfortunately, Chelsea blamed me from the fact that Lucas liked me, and not her. Since then, she has made my life a living hell.