It's funny how we see people how we want to. Before Marley died the people of Brinley only saw her as the girl who would give your kid a cigarette at a football game, or the person your mother warned you would turn out like if you didn't go to church and do your homework. But after she died, they all spoke of her like she was some angel. It made me angry that they only spoke ill of such an amazing person, until she died. After that she was suddenly the town's sweetheart.

They saw her how they wanted in whatever way pleased them. We all do that to some extent. Negatively or positively. I believe I have been doing that with my sister. I had only seen her how I wanted to. I ignored the bad qualities and embraced the good ones, almost desperate for her to be who I thought she was. But pretending someone is something they're not isn't a good thing.

It was the Friday before we were leaving for Brinley. Me, Tyler and Logan were taking the 10 hour drive there tomorrow morning and staying until after the Memorial Sunday afternoon. Logan was coming because he said he needed to get away from college for a while and this was the perfect excuse. I knew he really just wanted to be there for me, but I chose to go along with his sweet and slightly silly excuse. I hadn't talked to Emma since our conflict earlier in the week. Not that she cared. She made a point avoiding me since then. I chose to view it as guilt, but that may be too hopeful. Likely, she just didn't like my silence and sad glances. I wished she knew what she did. I wish she cared.

Walking through the school hallway, I was more than relieved that it was an art period. It had quickly become my favorite class, if for no other reason, because Mr.Fitz was very entertaining.

"Izzy, I am not your father." He said in a deep accented voice. I walked farther into the room to see him wearing a Darth Vader helmet with a red light saber in his hand.

"Morning Mr.Fitz." I laughed lightly taking my seat beside Gavin.

"Hey Fitz, you get that at party city?" One boy, Leo who was an amazing artist and very kind, yelled to our teacher. Mr.Fitz looked at him.

"I find your lack of faith disturbing." He was hard to understand through the plastic grates of the mask. "I got it from my mother's basement." We all erupted into laughter, me with the image of Mr.Fitz digging through boxes looking for his halloween costume from when he was eight.

"Welcome to the Dark Side clones. Today you will be giving me your best Star Wars themed drawing. It can be anything you like as long as its..." He cupped his ear waiting for our response.

"School appropriate." We repeated with a few groans from some annoyed students.

"What? No. Since when do I care about 'school appropriate'." Fitz scoffed mockingly. "I was going to say, as long as it's cool." Some sighs of relief could be heard around the room.

It didn't take long for a focused silence to settle over the crowd, me very much included. I lost all awareness of the world around me, my focus solely of the scratch of the pencil against paper. I lost myself to thought so often, it was nice to lose myself to passion and focus. I didn't notice when Gavin began looking over my shoulder, or when Reid and Naomi joined him. I didn't feel the eyes watching me, until I heard Mr.Fitz speak.

"Izzy that's amazing." He said with wide eyes. "I mean like really amazing." I blushed a deep red.

"Thanks." I mumbled. They watched me for a little longer, much to my embarrassment then dispersed to resume their own projects. When the bell rang, I stood up to leave but stopped when I heard Mr.Fitz calling my name.

"Izzy, I just wanted to say that so far, I have been incredibly impressed with your art. You have some serious talent girl." I blushed and looked down at my sneaker clad feet. "And I think you talent would be very useful in the art club." He finished, pulling out a piece of paper. It was a flyer that read ART CLUB:TUESDAYS. It talked about how they decorate the school and compete in school wide and state wide competitions.

"Oh." Was all I said as I looked over the colorful flyer.

"I want you to think about this. We would love to have you work with us."

I nodded mumbling a 'will do' and left the classroom, my mind racing with thoughts and worries. I would love to be in an art club, I would love to display my work. But I was worried that would attract more attention than I wanted or deserved. There is always a part of me that wishes to stay a shadow.

Today art was before lunch so after we were done, I had to trapse down to the cafeteria. Luckily, I had Reid, Naomi, and Gavin with me this time. I cringed when I heard my name being called.

"Hey! Izzy, why don't you sit with us?" Emma asked as we passed her table. I gave her an incredulous look. "Come on, I want you next to me." She smiled and patted the seat beside her.

"Emma, don't invite her to eat with us, you know what they eat down south." One boy said. "Road kill." The table, including my sister, burst into laughter.

"That's funny Max." She chuckled hitting his arm. I frowned watching them. It made me sick and angry for her to have so little loyalty.

"C'mon Iz. Come sit with us." Gavin glared at the table of people laughing and gently tugged my arm. My chest was tight. A lump sat in my throat. I was so angry and hurt.

I had seen Emma how I wanted, but maybe it was time to see her how she was.

THE WORLD THAT WAS MINE

People we love hurt us. It isn't dramamtc it's just factual. Lots of times, it isn't intentional. They never mean to hurt us. But they do. They hurt us and we are expected to smile and say it's okay. And I am usually one to forgive. I think it is necessary for our health as humans to forgive and move on. Humans are social beings, we need to be around people and if we never forgave any one, we would be alone.

But sometimes it can be more damaging for our health to keep someone around. Especially someone who doesn't even recognize their own actions.

Walking out of last period, I was almost desperate to make it to the car uninterrupted. But I cursed internally when I heard my name being called in the parking lot. Everyone needed to stop calling my name. They needed to leave me alone. Why won't anyone leave me alone? It was so much harder to be a ghost when no one would allow you too.

"Izzy!" He yelled. I ignored him and walked away. I didn't need to see his malicious brown eyes. I didn't need to be forced into hurtful memories. Brayden jogged and caught up to me, placing a hand on either of my shoulders. I pushed past him quickly, not once looking at his face. I couldn't. I could not be expected to forgive him after he lied like he did. Yet I was. I was expected as a ghost and as a human to forgive and move on.

I could feel the hurt radiating off him as he stepped in front of me once again. "So you're just going to throw nine years of friendship down the drain?" He asked. He seemed mad this time. He was mad, but so was I.

"I didn't throw anything away. You did that all on your own." I spat trying to push past him once more. The lump in my throat from earlier was still there and only rose as I looked at him. But I wouldn't cry. I wouldn't allow myself to look weak in front of him.

"Why won't you talk to me?"

I didn't think before I spoke. I couldn't fight the spew of words. I was boiling over. Six months of anger and frustration built up until a crack in the dam let it all out and there was nothing I could do to stop it.

"Because every time I see you, I see your brother smirking over her casket. Every time you speak I hear the lies you told me. The lies that could have saved her life!" I yelled. Everyone was watching us but I couldn't care less. Tears stung my eye lids but I blinked hard to keep them at bay. "You knew he was going to kill her and you did nothing! You knew and you sat there and let it happen!"

"I didn't lie." He said slowly.

Lies. All he did was lie. "Bull shit." My chest heaved with anger and sadness. How much could one person take? How much could I physically take before I broke? My heart and my soul were so broken. My mom, Marley, Brayden, Emma. They were broken pieces of my heart, fragments that I held onto and let cut me over and over again. "Your brother told you everything, why the hell wouldn't he tell you he was going kill her?"

"I didn't know, I swear." I could barely see him through the tears that gathered in my eyes. I shook my head and tried to walk away but he grabbed my wrist.

"When I sat in front of Marley's grave and held your hand, letting you cry until there were no more tears, did that mean nothing?" I looked back at him.

"It meant everything."

He sighed, an obvious exhaustion in his demeanor. I noticed now how tired he seemed. But we are all tired. So fucking tired. "Then why did you push me away, treat me like an enemy?"

I crossed my arms over my chest, fighting the tears that ran down my face. "You lied. And in lying, you hurt me in so many ways." He stepped forward so we were almost touching.

"I didn't lie." I shook my head. We had been best friends. Me him and Marley. But he was another person I loved that hurt me. I loved him, I knew that but loving someone doesn't meant they are good for you. Loving someone doesn't excuse their actions. 

"I want to believe you. I honestly do Brayden. But I don't."

"Fine. Believe what you want." Brayden said. He looked at me with those big sad brown eyes. He was hurting and I wish I could stop it. Because I loved him like a brother, and love is something that can not be helped. No matter how deep the desperation. "But, please can you give me a chance to earn back your trust. Prove that I still care about you."

I didn't look at him in the eyes. I couldn't. "Say it."

"What?"

"Say it Brayden. Say you lied. Say you could have saved her." He paused, his own brown eyes glimmering with unshed tears.

"I didn't lie."

"Leave me alone. Don't look at me, don't talk to me, don't acknowledge I exist and I'll do the same."

"Izzy! Just let me prove that I'm trustworthy!" He pleaded. His devilish brown eyes slightly less sinister for the moment. "I know about the memorial, let me come and I'll remind you of what we were. Why we were friends."

I didn't say anything. I didn't need to. I just walked away. Because in this world, not everything requires a response. Somethings will just fall into place. The world has a way of putting people where they are supposed to be, even when it's a bad thing.

If Brayden Calder was supposed to be there on Sunday, he would be. If not, so be it. It will only be one more broken heart, and I knew I could take those.

Because you can't break what's already broken.

A/N-NOW YOU KNOW WHAT HAPPENED TO MARLEY!

I re-edited and let me know if this makes more sense. I will go further into detail in coming chapters but for now does everyone understand what happened?

What do you think? I doubt anyone saw that coming :) What do you think about Brayden and his role in it all? Do you think he's lying? Or did he really not know what his brother was going to do? What do you think of his going to Brinley with Izzy? Do you think they can be friends again?

I swear the Izzy/Emma confrontation is next chapter and it will be good.

Spicy, if you will >:))