I stared at Bella, not understanding the words that had just come from her mouth.

Not healthy? Didn't they understand? We needed each other.

Bella was the only person who could ever understand what I was going through. She was the only one who would ever feel the same pain as I felt. And I, her.

What was not healthy about it?

"Are you okay?" Chase asked from beside me, reminding me that Bella and I were not the only two in the room.

I closed my mouth, which was gaping open in misunderstanding. I didn't want him to see just how pathetic I was. I didn't want him to know that I didn't know what to do without Bella by my side. I hadn't tried to be without her since this nightmare started, and I knew I didn't want to try.

Though, I guess now I didn't have a choice.

"What?" I stammered out, looking in the opposite direction in case my eyes decided to leak again. "Yeah, yeah... I'm okay."

"I tried to argue with them, Indie, but they didn't want to listen. They said we should do whatever the therapist recommends."

"But what does she even know?" I questioned, looking down at the table. My fingers had wrapped themselves within each other, fidgeting with themselves like a nervous habit.

"Well, Bella said she is a grief therapist, right?" Asher chimed in, "maybe she knows what she's talking about."

That caused me to raise my eyes, and I pointed them like daggers at Asher, who seemed to instantly understand that he said the wrong thing.

"I mean, she's definitely wrong," he tried saving himself. Though it didn't work completely, I did appreciate the effort.

"She is wrong," Bella said, the annoyance dripping in her voice. "She doesn't know a damn thing about us. She doesn't know me, or Indie. She definitely didn't know Isla, she doesn't understand our friendship. She doesn't understand that we weren't normal friends. We..." Bella's voice faltered, she was struggling to find the words. "We were..."

"Soulmates," I finished for her, my frown that was so permanent on my face these days as prominent as ever.

"I'm calling that stupid therapist and telling her how wrong she is," Bella steamed, raising from her chair once again. Her phone was already in her hand, her fingers angrily tapping against the screen. She walked out of the room, and Asher only waited a second before following her out.

Once they were gone, I rested my arms on the table, sighing as I let my head fall into them. This just confirmed it, didn't it? Bella and I were alone in this. We were all alone. The emptiness that had been diminished by Chase this morning was filling me up again. Though, I wondered how you could be filled with nothing. It didn't make much sense, did it? Nothing about grieving did.

"Are you sure you're going to be okay?" Chase asked again, and I could feel the sense of helplessness in his voice. He knew it as much as I did, as much as he wanted to spare my pain, he couldn't.

"I..." I started, wanting to lie. I wanted to tell him I was going to be fine. I wanted to tell him that being alone was nothing new. I wanted to tell him that I had gotten used to the loneliness a long time ago, but I didn't lie, I told the truth instead. "I don't know. I don't think so."

"Why would your parents just leave?" Chase asked me, a hint of anger in the words. "Can't they see that you need them here?"

I paused, stunned silent by his questions. I had known that people were curious about my parent's parenting skills. Of course, leaving a 17-year-old to her own devices while you jet-set around the world causes concerns, yet no one ever voiced them. They nodded their heads and pretended as if they understood.

I opened my mouth, about to answer, when Bella stormed back in the room, Asher right behind her. I knew what she was about to say from the look on her face, the way her eyebrows were pulled together, and by the flush on her face that she got when she argued. She was pissed.

"It turns out, you can't fire a therapist that your parents pay for," she told me, slamming her phone on the table. "I can't believe they would do this to us."

"I know," I agreed with, my voice just a breath. I was slipping into quiet disbelief, feeling the betrayal from those all around me.

"I hate to interrupt," Asher said after a moment. "I have to get to school at some point today. I'm already in a hot water for not going home last night, my parents will kill me if I skip the whole day."

I could tell he was uncomfortable by asking, his hand slipping behind his head to awkwardly scratch his ear. I glanced at Chase, who looked the same as Asher, I could tell he was silently agreeing, but I also knew he wouldn't object to staying here all day if I asked him to. I had the feeling Chase was just that kind of person, the person who would sacrifice his own wants for his friend's needs.

Finally, I glanced at Bella, who would be the one to ultimately convince me if we were going to school. If she didn't want to, I'd simply drop the boys off and we'd come back here. Or... maybe, we wouldn't? How much space did they want us to have?

"My parents said I need to go too, Indie. I can take your car and drive us if you want to stay home," Bella told me.

I weighed the options, knowing that while I didn't want to be at school, it was probably better than the alternative. Which was being here, all alone.

"No, it's fine," I told them. "I'll go."

Bella and I got ready quickly, Bella did the same thing as she did yesterday. She coordinated my outfit, made my face look pretty, and tamed my messy hair. We drove to Chase's house first, letting the boys change their clothes while Bella and I waited silently in the car. I knew we were doing the same thing, bracing ourselves for the change we so desperately did not want.

People looked at us the same way as they did yesterday when we walked through the school doors. Though, if anything it was worse. There was curiosity in their stares this time, no doubt formed from the meltdown Bella had in the halls, the rumors that inevitably followed.

But, I think there was another reason for the curiosity, and I think it had a lot to do with the two boys who had glued themselves to our sides. Chase and Asher walked behind us, though just barely. I could practically feel Chase's body behind my own. I knew why people were curious, but I hated it anyway. Chase and Asher weren't the kind of boys we were usually around but didn't they understand? They were better.

Chase and I didn't speak much through our photography class. Chase was busy with the project, and I felt guilty that we were so far behind. I felt even guiltier though, because I was struggling to find any interest in it, which meant Chase was left to do the brunt of the work. He didn't seem to mind, the way he glanced at me every couple of minutes. He had the same smile on his face every time, the soft one. Yet, his eyes... there was something else in them, and I wasn't quite sure what it was.

"Listen, Indie," Chase stopped me as we were about to enter our English class. I turned towards him, glancing at his hand that was laid on my shoulder. His touch reminded me of when he traced drawings on my skin this morning, and I felt a flutter of something in my stomach.

"I just want you to know that I want to be here for you," Chase continued, drawing my eyes back to his face. He looked sincere, and I had no reason to question his words. "If you want me to. Whatever you need, okay? I'm here."

"Okay," I said simply, almost whispering. I didn't have any other words, because I was too focused on the way my heart swelled.

"I mean it," Chase told me, the hand that was still laid on my skin tightened its grip, in a reassuring way.

"Thank you," I told him, meaning every word. I knew the short conversation was over, but that didn't stop me from staring back at him. I was immersed in the way his eyes were shining, they were usually a dark shade of brown, almost indistinguishable from his pupils. Right now, however, they were reflecting the bright light above us, turning them a few shades lighter. Like hot chocolate that pales when milk is added, or the way the dark bark on the dampened trees lightens when the sun finally peaks through the clouds.

Chase didn't seem bothered by my staring, he was watching me look at him. His brows furrowed, as he stared right back at me, his smile was gone, his lips pulled into a line instead. He opened his mouth, about to speak, when the bell ringing broke our moment for good.

Both of us turned instantly, without another word, as we walked to our respective seats. Chase went to the front row, beside Asher, and I found my seat at the back. I had almost forgotten my seat was next to Brock, who I could almost say had been erased from my mind completely in the last month. I say almost because he was the only one of my 'friends' who texted me almost every day since the news about Isla broke.

"Indie," Brock said instantly, as I slid into my chair. He looked as he always did when he noticed my presence, hopeful. "You're here."

"I'm here," I confirmed, though my voice didn't match his own enthusiasm.

Brock didn't have time to say much else, as the teacher began speaking almost immediately. I could hear his words, though I didn't focus on them. My mind was too busy, replaying the moment between Chase and me that just happened. I couldn't deny it any longer, could I? There was something there. There was something between us. Didn't he feel it too? Maybe he did. Maybe he felt the butterflies too. Maybe he felt the same way I had felt this morning, less alone when we were together.

Maybe I could tell him how I felt, how he made me feel, that he was helping me. Maybe I could do that, maybe it would be a good thing. Maybe he could help me the way he said he wanted to. I toyed with that idea all class, weighing the pros and cons in my head.

Though, by the time the bell rang, I was in the same place as I started. A big, fat maybe.

"Wait," Brock told me, as I was about to rise from my chair. "I haven't had a chance to talk to you Indie. I don't blame you for not answering my texts. I can't imagine what you're going through."

I stared at Brock, waiting for him to get to the point.

"But, I just wanted to tell you, that I'm here for you. As a friend," Brock rushed out, "I know before... everything happened, you know, I was hoping for more. But, I wanted to tell you that it's not important anymore. I'm more than happy to be a friend to you, Indie, especially if you need one."

I listened to his words, not expecting them at all. Though I was shocked by them, it was a nice shock. "Thanks, Brock."

"I mean it, Indie. I know we've never really been friends, but I'm a good one, I promise," Brock continued, but I was distracted by Chase's now empty chair. I shook my head, knowing that I might miss him before he left to go home.

"I have to go," I muttered to Brock, swiftly walking away. I exited the classroom, walking towards my own locker because I had no idea where Chase's was.

I scanned the hallway for him as I walked, thankful that people weren't talking to me the way they would have been before this all happened. That's another thing about grief, it keeps people away like it's a dark cloud above you, threatening to pour down with rain at all times, threatening everyone who's close to it to be dampened by the storm.

I was about to lose hope in finding Chase in the sea of students, but my stomach lurched with nervousness as I caught sight of his signature checkered flannel. Though, that feeling was replaced quickly with a disappointment that pooled inside of me instead.

Disappointment, because Chase was leaning against the wall, a pretty brunette right next to him. They were talking, the brunette was wearing a brilliant smile that was only punctuated by the way she was flipping her hair every other minute.

But, what stung the most, was that Chase was wearing his own smile as he spoke to her. It was wide across his face, his eyes lit up with amusement, and the way he looked at her was nothing like the way he looked at me.

It was the opposite.