IT WAS CURRENTLY 11:53, and I was pacing back and forth in the living room. I was out of my dress, and I was in sweatpants and a shirt.

The group was sitting on the couch waiting for me to speak. They too were in their pjs. We left the dance around ten thirty. Ross, Lisa, and Michael were sitting on the couch too.

"Campbell, you look like your going to faint. Are you okay?" Anna asked me.

"I'm fine. I just need to tell all of you something I need to get off of my chest," I said, standing still.

I took a deep breath,"My mother left me when I was seven. I never knew why until I was eleven. It turns out she had a miscarriage, and she fell into deep depression. I, of course, didn't realize because I was young.

After she left, my father got fired from his job, but I didn't know that. In order to live, my father started to sell drugs and he used them too. For years until one night when we were coming back from my volleyball game."

"Campbell, you don't have to go on if you don't want to," Ross said, but I shook my head.

"We stopped at the store because I wanted some candy. When we were walking to our car, a guy came up to us with a gun in his hand. My father owed him money. A lot of money. He was going to shoot my father until he saw me. Then he...aimed the gun at me.

Before he could shoot me, my father tackled him. They fought, and the cops were on their way because the cashier in the store saw everything. But it was too late. My father killed the man. It might have been self defense, but he was still sent to jail for dealing drugs. That's where he is now. Still in jail."

I stopped talking, letting the information get through everybody's head. They all had surprised look on their faces, and I couldn't blame them. My past is messed up.

"Is that how you ended up in foster care?" Nichole asked.

I nodded,"The cops took me back to the station. That's when I met Rachel. She helped and comforted me. A few weeks after my father went to prison, she placed me in a foster home. But that only lasted for almost two years because the couple got a divorce. Then I was moved from Florida to California to my last foster home."

"Malcom," Brent said, remembering the name I said earlier.

I nodded,"Malcom Fawn. He was nice at first. But a month after I was put in his care, he came home drunk. That was the first time he hit me."

"He hit you?" Gaberial asked with anger laced in his voice.

"Yes. He apologized afterwards when he was sober, but it happened again. And again. He stopped apologizing, and he told me that if told Rachel about it, he would kill me. I was in his care for almost three years, but I was moved here."

I saw the boys' clenching their fists.

"So how you messed up your shoulder was a lie?" Micheal asked, referring to the first night I was here.

"That was a totally lie. The real reason my shoulder is messed up is because Malcom found out that I worked at a cafe and the library in order to earn some money to get some food and some clothes. I also played volleyball, but majority of the time I couldn't go because of him.

When he found me sneaking back in the house, he beat me with a baseball bat. The neighbors heard me scream, and they called the cops. Malcom went to jail, and I went to the hospital where I stayed for a month. I had three broken ribs, a messed shoulder, and a lot of bruises.

After I was released, I was put here. At first, I was scared because I thought it would be like it was with Malcom. But then I discovered that it's nothing like it. You guys have taught me what's like to have a family. A life."

They all smiled at the last sentence, and I felt tears blurry my vision.

I cleared my throat,"His court date is in February, which I have to attend. But tonight, Rachel called me and told me that he was bailed out of jail. He can't leave the state of California, but that doesn't matter."

"Is he looking for you? Because he isn't going to lay a hand on you. Not as long as we are alive," Nick said. I never seen Nick so serious.

"I don't know if he's looking for me. Probably, but there is no way he can find me since that information is with Rachel," I said, truthfully.

"Like Nick said, he isn't going to lay a hand on you as long as we live," Brent said, holding my hand.

"You guys don't hate me?" I asked, confused.

"Why would we hate you?" Madison asked.

"You are not the reason your mother left or the reason why your father went to prison. That was their choice not yours," Elliot said, standing up from the couch.

"We could never hate you, Campbell," Gavin said.

A few tears escaped my eyes, and Elliot walked over to me, with his crutches, and he hugged me. Then the rest of the boys hugged me, and the girls joined afterwards.

"We will be by your side as long as you need us," Hailey said, and the girls nodded.

"Thank you guys," I said.

"Now since it's extremely late, and it's freezing cold outside, everybody can stay over tonight," Lisa said, getting up.

"Yay!" We all cheered.

"But no sneaking out," Ross said, and we all nodded.

Then Hailey and I went upstairs to get blanket and pillows for everybody, and Madison was putting in a movie. The boys were getting the snacks for everybody, and Nichole was making sure Nick doesn't steal any of the snacks until we all get down there.

Hailey and I carefully walked down stairs with a ton of blankets and pillows in our hands. We dropped the stuff on the couch, and we started to make everybody a place to sit. When we were done, the boys walked in with a furious Nichole behind them.

"Nicklaus Henry Cade! If you don't take the cookie out of your mouth, I'm going to go grab a hammer," she exclaimed, throwing herself on the couch.

"I only had four cookies!" He claimed.

Before Nichole could say anything, Madison said,"We are watching IT."

My eyes widen,"Oh no, we are not. Clowns and horror movies do not go together. Not today, not ever."

"Don't worry, I'll protect you from the clowns, babe," Brent said, slinging an arm over my shoulders.

I heard a few aw's but I ignored them.

"Fine."

"Yay. Now everybody get comfortable," Anna said as everybody was sitting down.

I sat down at the end of the couch on the left side, and Brent sat beside me of course. Then Gavin and Madison, Hailey and Gaberial were in the middle, and Elliot and Anna sat on the side of the couch.

The movie started to play, and Brent and I shared a bag of popcorn. I screamed when the clown's eyes appear in the sewer thing. Brent chuckled, and I threw some popcorn at him.

Halfway through the movie, I started to get sleepy. I laid my head on Brent's shoulders, and outs hands were enlaced  together.

Before I fell asleep, I heard Brent say,"Night, princess."

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Holy crap! 10k! I'm literally crying! You guys are amazing and I love you all.

I'm going to try to update daily and make the chapters longer. But if not daily then I will update every two days.

Thank you all!

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                       •Kensli•