Annie's POV

I've been in the hospital now for four days.

But before I say exactly why, let me rewind back to the day I got my head shaved and we were heading to the ER.

Mom had quickly pulled in and grabbed a wheelchair from the trunk (we take it with us in case I can't walk) and Brennan carried me out of the car into it.

Once I got checked in, they took lots of tests and a few x-rays of my leg before giving me a diagnosis.

Unfortunately, my diagnosis was that the tumor in my left leg was growing.

They said I may need surgery for it, but they're going to give me more chemo to see how it reacts first.

As I was being wheeled into my new room, Brennan and Mom were right behind me and looking nervous.

"I'll be okay." I said weakly to them.

Brennan smiled weakly and held my hand. "I know you will." Then, I fell asleep from some painkillers I had.

•••

"Annie?" I was being gently shaken awake by Hayley.

"Hayley, I didn't know you were here." I said as I gave her a hug.

She smiled. "Yeah, Mom got me out early from school so I could see you."

"Thanks. So what's up?" I asked as I slowly sat up in my bed.

"Um, Dad called a few minutes ago." Hayley said quietly.

"Oh." Ever since the divorce, I started to despise my father a bit. We used to be so close, especially after Caleb passed we got closer.

But after he divorced Mom, I didn't understand at first. And since he went through with it and it was his idea, I got angry with him. I still remember the fight.

It was a rainy Sunday afternoon. I was sitting at my desk doing some editing of one of makeup tutorials for my channel when Dad knocked on the door.

I turned around and smiled at him before taking off my headphones. "Hey."

"Hey, can we talk for a few minutes?" Dad asked as he closed the door.

"Okay." I replied as we both sat on my bed. "What's up?"

Dad sighed before looking me right in the eyes, and I could tell they were full of sadness. "Annie, your mother and I are getting a divorce."

At first, I thought it was some cruel joke, probably every eleven year old at a time like that would.

"W-what? Are you serious?" I asked in shock.

He nodded slowly.

That's when I felt my eyes start to water, and my bottom lip quivered.

"Annie, please don't cry." Dad placed his thumb under my eye and was about to wipe away my tear before I moved away.

"Annie, please, let me explain—"

"Are you trying to make everything harder for me?" I asked.

"I would never—"

"Then why do you want a divorce?! What's been going on?!" I screamed.

"Annie, quiet down, I haven't told Hayley yet—" Dad said in a low voice.

"NO! I WILL NOT QUIET DOWN!"

"Annie, please—"

"Daddy? Annie? What's going on?" Hayley asked as she opened the door.

"Hayley, I'll tell you in a minute. Now can you please close the door and let me talk to Annie—"

"She deserves to know now!" I yelled while glaring at my father. "Hayley, Daddy wants a divorce from Mommy."

"W-what?" Hayley said.

"Julianna Grace LeBlanc." Dad said in an angry tone. "I told you I'd tell her after you."

"Why?! Shouldn't we both find out at the same time?!"

"Annie, quiet down—"

"Daddy, why do you w-want a divorce?" Hayley asked sadly.

Dad sighed and went over to Hayley. He bent down and put his hands on her shoulder.

"Mommy and I have been fighting lately. Our marriage hasn't been doing so great. So, we—"

"You." I corrected.

"—we decided on a divorce." Dad finished, ignoring me.

Hayley began to cry and she ran out of the room.

"Hayley, wait, please!" Dad shouted. Then, he turned around and gave me a sympathetic look.

"GET OUT! I don't want to see you!" I screamed before slamming the door in his face.

"Hello? Earth to Annie?" I woke up out of my daydream to see Hayley waving in my face.

"Sorry, just thinking about stuff." I muttered.

Hayley nodded and held my hand. "I know."

After Caleb's death and the divorce, Hayley and I got closer than ever. We only had each other now, that's why.

Hayley gave me a weak smile before handing me my phone. "Just call him. He's worried about you. We haven't seen him in a while."

After I was first diagnosed with cancer, I stayed in the hospital for a while, missing Dad's weekend. Plus, he texted Mom while I was in the hospital that he was going out of town that day to visit his girlfriend in Texas.

Yeah, I guess you can say Dad moved on pretty quickly. After they had gotten divorced, Dad stayed in Texas for a while looking for places to live, because he thought Mom wouldn't give him custody of us. But when he found out she did, he just moved into a small home that was about a half hour drive from our house.

While he was in Texas, he met a girl that was in her early thirties named Skylar. Let's just say they got along pretty well, and they started dating a couple weeks later.

He told us about Skylar the day after they started dating. I'll admit, I was pretty upset, and Mom seemed a bit jealous at first.

Who could blame her? She didn't want a divorce because she still loved him.

So, Dad has been going to Texas about once a month to visit Skylar, and he said this was the last time he was doing this because Skylar was moving in with him.

She moved in completely a few days ago, and none of us have met her yet. She's supposed to visit me this weekend (it's Friday today) with Dad, and I'm really nervous.

I took my phone from Hayley's hand and dialed Dad.

"Annie! How are you?" He said after a couple of rings.

"Okay, I guess. Just getting some chemo. The tumor in my leg is growing." I explained.

"I'm sorry to hear that. Skylar and I are going to visit you tomorrow, and I can't wait for you to meet her." Dad said.

"Me either." I replied sarcastically.

Dad sighed. "Look, Annie, I know that this past year hasn't been so great for any of us, but you have to understand that Skylar makes me happy now."

"And Mom didn't?" I asked.

He sighed again. "I really don't want to argue right now. But I'll see you tomorrow, okay? I love you, feel better."

"Bye." I said before hanging up.

"Come on, Annie, you can't be mad at him forever." Hayley said.

"Oh yeah? Watch me."

•••

I heard a knock on my door the next morning while I was eating breakfast.

"It's open!" Mom said.

Dad slowly opened the door, followed by Hayley and a tall skinny brunette girl with amber eyes.

"Hi Annie." Dad said while giving me a hug. After he pulled away, he nodded at my mother. "Hello, Katie."

"Billy." She nodded back before Hayley gave her a hug, then me. "Is this Skylar?"

"Yes." Dad replied with a smile as he wrapped his arm around her waist. Yuck! Makes me sick.

Mom shook Skylar's hand. "I've got to get breakfast. I'll let everyone catch up."

"Annie, this is Skylar. Skylar, this is my oldest daughter, Annie." Dad said.

"It's nice to meet you, Annie! I've heard so much about you." Skylar said in a Texas accent before shaking my hand and giving me a small, friendly hug. "You're so beautiful."

I scoffed. "I'm bald." I said, pointing to my head. I only wear my wig when I got out, cause sometimes it itches.

"So? You're still gorgeous." Skylar said.

"Thank you." I said.

There was an awkward silence for a couple minutes before I heard my phone buzz. I picked it up to see a text from Brennan.

B: be there in a few moments, in the elevator ;)

A: okay :)

"Who was that, Annie?" Dad asked.

"Probably just Brennan." Hayley said with a shrug.

"Brennan? Who's that?" Skylar asked.

"Annie's guy friend." Dad said.

"Ooh, a boyfriend?" Skylar cooed.

"Ew!" Brennan and I said in unison. I looked over to see him standing in the doorway, then we both started laughing.

"How are you?" Brennan asked while hugging me.

"I'm okay." I said as he looked around the room and eyed Skylar.

"Who's she?"

"That's Skylar, my dad's girlfriend." I muttered.

"Pleased to meet Annie's boyfriend." Skylar said as she shook Brennan's hand. I rolled my eyes.

"Sorry, ma'am, but we're not dating. We're just best friends." Brennan said awkwardly.

"I know this story. Boy meets girl, they become friends, then start to date. That's how it always works." Skylar said.

"Not with us." I said. "We're different."

"Star-crossed lovers." Skylar said.

Brennan and I shook our heads.

"We'll give you guys a few minutes alone. Come on, girls, let's go get some food." Dad said before lifting Hayley in one arm, holding Skylar's hand in the other.

After they left, Brennan said, "You really don't like her, do you?"

"Duh! She's annoying! She keeps calling us boyfriend and girlfriend when we're not." I said annoyed.

"That's not all that's bothering you, is it?" Brennan asked quietly.

I shook my head.

Brennan held my hand and tilted my face upwards so he could look into my eyes. "You can tell me anything, Jules."

I sighed. "She took away my father from my mother. What if he had met her before he even decided to divorce Mom, and that's why he went through with it?"

"Don't think like that." Brennan said before hugging me.

As we hugged and I silently cried, I realized how strong of a connection Brennan and I had.

Maybe Skylar was right; maybe Brennan and I were star-crossed lovers.

If we ever did date, It'd be destined to fail; I'm a self destruct button, and he's a regular, happy human being.

How would that ever work out?

•••

A/N: I swear every story I write has to have romance ugh I need to cut it out!
But what do you guys think of Skylar? Do you like her?
Do you agree with Annie? Should she still be so angry about the divorce?
What do you think about Brennan and Annie? Should brannie happen?
Thanks for reading! If you liked this chapter please vote, comment, and share because I love your feedback!
Thanks guys, until next time ;)