Today I skipped school.

Eva was mad but who honestly cares?

I spent the morning going through my cold case—Amerie grace. The photo of her was haunting my mind. The files I requested would take a while before I would be able to see them so I searched. I created a small timeline of the events of that night. There was one thing I couldn't understand. She told no one where she was going. Why? This girl was the girl who needed someone to go to the bathroom with her at school. She always needed a friend. So why would she leave alone?

I needed to forget about her for a few hours before I got completely stuck down a rabbit hole of a girl with complicated attachment issues. So I found Jameson who seemed very excited about a new discovery.

"You gave her the keys"

"Yes, I'd like to see how she does."

I sigh Jameson Hawthorne was like a new species of human, "You need help if you're just doing this to piss off Grayson."

"How dare you Annabelle, I am not just doing this to piss off Grayson, I have many other reasons."

I watched Avery, Libby, Alisa, and Oren approach the front door. Alisa looked furious. But not as mad as expected.

Jameson spoke into the intercom, "You'll figure it out."

I saw their faces moved and Alisa replied, "Cut the games, Jameson This isn't nearly as cute as you all think it is."

I took the intercom from Jameson, "Unfortunately Alisa that will not stop Jameson or make him open up the door. Plus, I'm sure Avery can solve it."

"Annabelle I swear if you don-"

Jameson cut her off, "I have faith in you, M.G."

And with that, we cut off the intercom and started the timer.

------------------------------------------------------------------

"Wow she beat us all,"

"Nope" I say "I'm 5 seconds faster." Jameson gave me a look before turning the intercom on again to reply to Libby's question.

"Sometimes, things that appear very different on the surface are actually exactly the same at their core."

"Same goes for people," I couldn't help but add that. That is my whole character. breaking through people's outer shells to show that they really just have a bad family. But honestly, who doesn't have parental problems.

Me and Jameson found our way to the circular library where Grayson was waiting for a "Talk."

I never cared too much for fighting, but a Hawthorne fight was a totally different thing. All four boys have black belts and have done many different forms of fighting. Yet they always seem to look like puppies wrestling on the floor when they fight one another.  After watching so many of Gray and Jameson fights you can start to see a pattern. Me and Xander mapped it out once. As they start to get more in the rhythm of their fight we hear Nash running up the stairs. Jameson jumps over Grayson and nearly lands on top of me as he tries to lean casually against the staircase. I'd say Grayson did the same but much more graceful. By the time Nash swings the doors open we all have our books out and both brothers are pretending to read.

"So," Nash said beside Avery, eyeing the three of us, "Whose ass do I need to kick first?"

Grayson looked up at them and lowered the book he was pretending to read, "Must we always resort to fisticuffs?"

"Looks like I have a volunteer for the first ass-kicking," Nash said, then shot a measuring look at Jameson, who was leaning against the staircase beside me, "Do I have a second? Possibly at third?" Nash and Avery turn to look at me.

"Did you know 40.1% of woman in Texas experience domestic violence or other abuse, assault also covers 96% of all family violence cases," I say, looking up from my book.

Nash eyes me and Avery just looks a little horrified.

"Okay smarty-pants I guess you're out to make me look bad today," Nash says as he gives me one of his, "what the hell did my brother do!" look. "What were these too fighting about today?"

"Oh just who gets to axe murder Avery first," It helped that I had a "Missing teens" book in my hand.  Avery looked at me like I was crazy and probably a murderer and Nash just wasn't going for my bait. Very disappointing. 

"Jameson."

He smirked. "Couldn't stay away, could you, big brother?"

"And leave Avery here with you knuckleheads?" At that moment when he said that Avery realised she wasn't invisible and that we could all see her.  Well Jameson and Grayson did only noticed her when Nash mentioned it.

"I wouldn't worry too much about Ms. Grambs," Grayson said, silver eyes sharp. Clearly still with no trust in his heart "She's clearly capable of taking care of herself."

"Oh yes Grayson because she is a soulless, gold-digging con artist, and you see right through her mind games," I say sarcastically. He glares at me. Grayson cannot be even a little welcoming to his new landlord.  

"Don't pay any attention to Gray," Jameson told Avery, "None of us do."

"Jamie," Nash was stern. "Zip it."

Jameson ignored him. "Grayson is in training for the Insufferable Olympics, and we really think he can go all the way if he can just jam that stick a little farther up his—"

"Enough," Nash cut him off.

At that moment Xander bounded through the door, looking happy as ever, "What did I miss?"

Today Xander was the only one of us who didn't skip school. No wonder why he is everyone's favourite.

"You haven't missed anything at all," Grayson told him. "And Ms. Grambs was just leaving." He eyed Avery trying to make her feel unwelcome. "I'm sure you want to get settled."

"Oh my gosh, dude stop being so moody, you're worse than Ethan!" Grayson Hawthorne certainly did not like being compared to my devilish 16 year brother, who is like a rich kid on steroids.

"Wait a second." Xander frowned, while he realised what had just happened, "Were you guys brawling in here without me?" Clearly I was not the only one who was good at picking up details. "This is what I get for being the one who doesn't skip school," he said mournfully.

At the mention of school, Nash looked from Xander to Jameson and me. "No uniform on either of you," he noted. "Playing hooky? Two ass-kickings it is for both of you."

At the very mention of fighting Xander jumps up and ties to tackle his older brother. Nash flips him and pins him to the floor holding him their with his foot. 

"Do billionaires really have to go to school?" Okay now I was just mentioning it to see the pissed of look on Grayson's face. It was very much worth it. 

Nash however knew if I kept going it would cause a big argument, "Yes Annabelle everyone has to go to school, even psycho 18 year olds." And that is what shut me up. I am not crazy. At least I don't think I am. I gave Nash a smile, but a creepy one so he knew I thought of it as a joke. No one needed to know how much those words hurt. 

Xander, who was still pinned to the ground by Nash, was trying to squirm out of his grip.

"I should go," Avery said. She really felt like she didn't belong here. I mean who wouldn't, we aren't exactly a welcoming crowd.

"You shouldn't be here at all," Grayson replied tersely. Grayson Hawthorne definitely had the most problems out of our group. 

"Stuff a sock in it, Gray," Nash said. "What's done is done, and you know as well as I do that if the old man did it, there's no undoing it." Nash swivelled his head toward Jameson and glared. "As for you: Self-destructive tendencies aren't nearly as adorable as you think they are." he then tilted his head to me, "And Annabelle stop acting like a psycho killer and trying to scare Avery."

"Who said I wasn't a psycho killer? Plus, at least I am trying to be welcoming, that seems very hard for certain individuals.'' I swivelled my head to stare into Grayson's cold eyes. Tormenting people is a great coping mechanism. Even if Nash didn't understand.

"Avery solved the keys," Jameson said casually. "Faster than any of us."

"Ah, ah, ah." Jameson was not going to cut me short.

"Almost faster than all of us,"

The room was then silent for a while. I saw the reaction of everyone. Xander was curious, Nash didn't care and Grayson was mad. 

"You gave her the keys?" Grayson broke the quiet of the room with his question. I payed attention to the way he spoke. When he said "her," I could feel the rage inside him. 

I looked over to Avery, she was holding the keys in her hand. She now knew that Jameson was not really supposed to give these to her.

"We were legally obligated to hand over—"

"A key." Grayson interrupted Jameson and started stalking slowly toward him, snapping the book in his hand closed. "We were legally obligated to give her a key, Jameson, not the keys."

Maybe I should have tried a little harder to stop Jameson from pissing Gray off a little more.

"I was curious how she'd do." Jameson arched his eyebrow. "Do you want to hear her time?"

"No," Nash boomed. Nash thinks he is holding us all together. I mean he's trying but we may be too broken to fix.

"Can I get up now?" Xander interjected, Nash still had him pinned beneath him.

"Nope," Nash replied.

"I told you she was special," Jameson murmured as Grayson continued closing in on him.

"And I told you to stay away from her." Grayson stopped, just out of Jameson's reach.

I stepped closer to both of them to try to get one to back of, "how about we all have a nice conversation. You both need to work on your communication skills."

"So I see that you two are talking again!" Xander commented jollily. "Excellent."

"Nope not a good thing Xan," I start, "both of them have too many invaluable opinions." like clockwork they turn and glare at me. I really should stop getting involved in their fights.

Jameson turned around to face Avery, "Welcome to Hawthorne House, Mystery Girl."

"Stop calling me Mystery Girl. My name is Avery,"

"I'd also be willing to call you Heiress," Jameson offered to Avery. He stepped forward a step to be right next to Grayson, "What do you think, Gray? Got a nickname preference for our new landlord?"

Jamie was really trying to win the most points for pissing off Grayson today.

"I'm trying to protect you," Grayson said lowly.

"I think we both know," Jameson replied, "that the only person you've ever protected is yourself."

Grayson went still. His face showed all his grief and pain from the last year and I knew Jameson really fucked up this time. It was like those few words broke him and left all the pieces out for others to stare at.

"Xander." Nash stood, pulling his brother to his feet. "Why don't you show Avery to her wing?"

This was Nash's way of saying that he needed to fix up this mess that Jameson and possibly me caused.

"Come on." Xander bumped his shoulder lightly against Avery. "We'll stop for cookies on the way."

"No cookies." Grayson's voice was strangled, I saw how he felt like the air had been caught out of his throat. There was so many emotions on his face it was hard to read. I couldn't help but profile him.

You loved her. Or thought you did. You blame yourself. You shouldn't of taken her that night to the cliffs but you did. You weren't supposed to make mistakes. You were supposed to be the perfect one. 

"Fine," Xander replied cheerily. "You drive a hard bargain, Grayson Hawthorne. No cookies." Xander winked at Avery. "We'll stop for scones." 

"Hey I think you guys might need some help," I start to walk over to them but Nash pulls the back of my shirt.

"Nope kid, you're helping me clean up this mess." I wanted to argue with him but I couldn't. this was my fault to. 

"Fuck."

A/n 

I don't know about this chapter. It is okay though. 

Hope you liked it.