"We need to talk," I stop walking at the sound of my father's voice. He sits at the island counter with a frown set into his face. "There's no easy way for me to ask this so I might as well just get it out in the open now. What's going on with you at school?"

I look around when his eyes meet mine. Hesitantly I enter the kitchen and pull up a seat across from him, the tension already weaving its way around my throat. I don't know how to tell him or what he's referring to for that matter.

"What do you mean?"

He extends a letter to me and drops it in front of me. "A letter of concern about your behavior. The fight you intercepted, your locker being vandalized, an outbreak in the counselor's office and a meeting with the principal in the first two weeks of school. Not to mention the two days you've had off already."

I fold the corners of the paper over while I read it. The principal wrote this letter as a warning for my father that I seek help. It's almost unbelievable that this has happened. I'm not as bad as I used to be and nobody realizes that.

The last full blown panic attack I had happened almost seven months ago. Since then I've only been a bit anxious over a few things but I've had control over it. I'm not as unstable as this letter sounds and I can see why he's acting so solemn over it.

He doesn't want to lose me like he did with mom.

"Would you believe me if I said I was fine?" I ask, he inhales and I continue. "The fight was a catalyst for everything that's happened. I got in the way when I shouldn't have and it's caused unwanted drama."

"You're not being bullied are you?" I shake my head although it's technically a lie. "Because if you are I want to know so I can help you deal with it. I know Blair and Taylor are protective of you but I know how you are with that sort of thing. You like being independent."

I give a soft smile as he fiddles with his car keys in his hands. "I don't like dragging the people I care about into my problems but it's been dealt with. The drama I mean, everything should be normal on Monday."

"I hope so," he chuckles and scratches the back of his neck. "I love you. I don't want anything to happen to you so you can't blame me for worrying about what's going on. Are you sure there's nothing that I need to know about?"

I shake my head. "Nope. I'm not dying. I haven't been suspended. I haven't had a panic attack in seven months..."

"Seven months is a long time," he breathes and I nod, liking the smile etching into his lips. "I'm proud of you. I'm glad that you're getting through this."

"So am I," My phone buzzes in my short pockets, pulling it out I swipe reject on Nate's contact. "Are you going to work?"

Dad nods and stands to his feet. "Yeah. An old client of mine got arrested for shoplifting after two previous offences. I should be home by dinner, I'll bring home Chinese."

"Sounds good."

He moves around the counter, pressing a kiss to my head before forcing himself out the back door. I move to the window, watching as he gets in his car to leave. He's visibly tired and I know that would be his works doing. There isn't an hour he doesn't go without work - apart from sleeping - where he's constantly thinking about it.

My phone buzzes again and I huff, moving back to the counter. I hover my finger over the decline but at the last minute swipe across to accept. When I do the last thing I expected was to hear Rhys voice.

"Have you seen Nate?" I furrow my eyebrows.

"No, why would you think I would know?"

There's silence for a few seconds before he continues. "Because he told me that you would know where he's going."

"How would I know-" I stop talking and exhale slowly. "Did you get into a fight with him?"

"Do you know where he is?"

"Maybe I do," I roll my eyes and lean on the counter. "Did you get into a fight?"

"Yes we did and over you nonetheless so thank you for that," he snaps and I close my eyes. "Before you ask it was over him getting too attached to you and he turned it back on me because of what I told you about our family."

I open my eyes with pursed lips. "You do realize that I won't tell anyone about that. I may have brought it up but it's obviously something you keep close to yourself and I know how much it sucks to have that exposed."

"I know," he mumbles and I swallow. "Do you know where he is?"

I chuckle. "He's at the mall and I can tell you why if you promise not to get mad at him."

"That depends on what he said."

"Rhys."

"Fine."

"He planned some set up to see if he could tell what your preference is relationship wise," I explain. He curses under his breath which brings a grin to my lips. "I was going to help him but after the dispute on Thursday I backed out which is why I know where he is."

"I can't believe he told you that," he groans and I laugh lightly. "It's not funny! He just doesn't listen to me when I say that it's not as simple as finding the first girl my eyes fall on."

"So you are straight." I fake surprise only to get silence in return.

"Did you seriously think I was gay?"

I feel my cheeks flush and I snort. "No. Your brother thought you were bisexual and got me thinking you were as well. He's quite persuasive."

"Oh that's just great," I push off the counter and move to the fridge to get a drink. "Trust him to. . . he's seriously got some issues now that I think about it."

I grab a doctor pepper and kick the door shut with my foot. "He's curious, that's all. At least he was going to go through the process of trialing you."

"You do realize that he was most likely going to use you as bait," I stop and furrow my eyebrows. "I bet you didn't think that through."

"But that wouldn't work. . ."

"You don't know that," My mouth gets dry by his implication. "I need to go get my idiot brother now. If you hear screaming you'll know it's me killing him, goodnight Kira."

"Eh. Night Rhys."

I hang up and throw back some of my drink to wet my mouth. Maybe I'm over thinking it but Rhys said it would work if he was to use me as bait. Does that mean he finds me attractive or am I over analyzing? I'm ninety percent sure it's the latter.

Don't get me wrong, I know I'm not hideous but I don't see myself as drop dead gorgeous. More in the middle divide that gets unnoticed which is probably for the best. I couldn't handle a boyfriend considering the mess of my life at the moment, although it's fixing itself out right now.

I don't need unnecessary drama.

Just as I flop down onto the lounge my phone buzzes in my hand at the same time the door knocks. I grumble under my breath placing my drink down on the table and heading to the door while unlocking my phone.

"I know you're home Kira!" Blair calls out as I touch the door handle with a frown. "I have pizza and Taylor has her USB of movies. We're having a girls night."

Opening the door I see Blair carrying three boxes of pizza, a plastic bag in her hand with a backpack on her shoulder. Taylor saved the effort of getting changed and came dressed in her fluffy cookie monster pajamas.

"What's this for?" I mumbled, stepping aside to allow them in from the cold weather outside.

"Because these last two weeks have affected you in some way. I think now that everything is calming down we need to show solidarity." Taylor explains, kicking off her converse and adjusting her bed socks on her feet.

"Think of this as a sort of bonding experience for us all. More to forget about everything that's happened," Blair adds and makes her way into the lounge room. "It's pizza and movie therapy which works to mend the broken bonds of friendship. Now who's up for watching the wonderful Theo James act all badass?"

A smile tugs on my lips walking in and turning on the TV as Taylor muses,  "I'm fine with watching Divergent as long as there's no comments from you about what you would do to be alone with Four."

"Just because you can't admire the fine specimens that I do doesn't mean you should hate on me for it," Blair dumps our food supply down on the table before heading to the door frame. "I didn't stop you from doing the same about Cara in Pan."

"Why don't you go get changed?" I intervene as Taylor turns into a flustered mess. Blair cackles before leaving and I turn to see Taylor awkwardly picking at her nails. "She's just teasing you know."

Taylor gives a soft smile. "Yeah I know she is but I still haven't told my parents yet. I plan to soon anyways, she almost threw me under the bus the other day around them."

"Do you think they'll be okay with it?" I ask, opening a pizza box and taking a slice of meat lovers. "I mean. They haven't blandly talked about it negatively."

She shakes her head and plugs in the terabyte with her mass collection of movies. "No but my mothers grandparents are catholic. They're the ones I'm worried about thinking I need God or need to be sterilized."

"They won't think that," I deadpanned, pushing back the lounge with my knees in order to pull out the mattress. Taylor pulls the cushions off, leaning them against the wall. "You're their granddaughter, their family, surely they can accept and love you even if your preference is different."

She shrugs and runs her hand through her hair. The stress is clear on her face and I give a soft smile although it won't help. For a while now she's known that she's more attracted to females, purely because the two guys she's dated lead to a brick wall emotionally while an experimentation at a party gave her way more than either of the guys she dated combined.

She just hasn't told her parents yet or anyone but us. It's also the main reason why I stepped in front of Nate, I would hate for that to be Taylor and I would have done it for her. She's not ready for everyone to know out of fear of what her parents would say or do, like she said her grandparents are catholic and basically dictate her parents lives.

"Let's not think about it," I cut off her worrying mind by pulling out the bed with a smile. "We can try to think of something to do to Blair when she falls asleep first."

Taylor smiles and chuckles. "I think I've got an idea."