Katie

"Mom, seriously? It was just a bad grade, I didn't kill someone." I sighed.

"No Katie, I don't care about the 2/55, I care about the fact that you wrote on top of your maths exam 'I'll do algebra, I'll do trig, and I'll even do statistics but graphing is where I draw the line!' " She said annoyed.

"Okay let's be real for a second, I should be a comedian." I said hardly holding back my laughter.

Piss on my face and steal my food but that line was funny.

"A comedian who can't fill in their maths exam without being the funny one." She said with one eyebrow raised.

"But I am the funny one!" I said with a small grin.

"That's not the point!" Mom yelled frustrated.

"The point is if math would have a face I would punch it." I whispered.

"Katie, be serious for a second." Mom said with a small smile.

"I'm bloody serious!" I yelled out.

"Where did the British accent come from?" She said curious.

We looked at each other for a few moments.

"Levi." We both said and started laughing.

"Think about it, if I haven't met Isabella things would be so different now." I said all of a sudden.

"That girl has more impact on people than she realizes." Mom sighed. "I can't believe she's fighting for her life." She whispered as she looked down.

"Me neither." I whispered back.

"Let's forget about all these problems for one night. How does a movie night with pizza sound?" Mom suggested with a small smile.

"Sounds wonderful." I smile to her.

"I'll just take a bath because your mother smells." She laugh.

"Alright mom, I'll order the pizza's and prepare the living room. Go enjoy your bath." I smiled softly before walking to the living room.

As I heard the water run, I looked at the menu and decided what I wanted to eat.

"Mom! What pizza do you want?" I yelled from downstairs.

"What?"

"WHAT PIZZA DO YOU WANT?" I yelled louder.

"PIZZA MOZZARELLA PESTO!" She yelled back with the same energy what made me smile.

How does she always pick the same pizzas as me?

"Hello, welcome by Pizza Therapy, how can I help you?"

"Yes, hello! Could I get two pizzas mozzarella pesto? You can take a while to prepare them."

"Alrighty, how does in one hour sound?"

"Perfect! We'll pick it up." I said.

"Alright! Thank you and we'll see you in one hour."

We both hung up and I started to go through movies.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Crystal

Now the real question is, lavender or honey?

I used honey last time, but it smelled so good.

Honey it is.

These last days have been stressful and so exhausting we both needed a break. I know that Katie is exhausting herself constantly being there for others and I know she tries to ignores the fact that her best friend might never come back.

Honestly, we all do.

Even thinking about it makes my eyes tear up. Isabella has been a loved person by many, even if she doesn't know it yet.

I'm sure everything will work out with her family once she wakes up, but if she doesn't, I don't know what to expect.

Will they break? Will they shut everyone out?

Suddenly I looked up as I heard the backdoor close quietly. Why would Katie leave the house?

I'm sure it's nothing, she's old enough and she'll never turn down pizza.

Katie and I also made a promise to each other. If Isabella doesn't survive this, we're going to search for her mother and step father and make them pay. I don't understand how a mother could do that to her child. I can't even begin to think how Isabella must have felt all these years. So unwanted and unloved. Like she didn't matter.

I also don't understand how she turned out to be this amazing person when she went through all of that. Her humor, her smile, her kindness, her trust, like nothing of that happened. Like she wasn't-

If she survives, I'm sure she'll join us in the journey of making them pay. She deserves justice. Not only from the law but also from herself.

I took my phone and played some soft relaxing music. Nothing is perfect until there's music with it.

I looked out of the window and thought I would see Katie in the garden as I heard the backdoor close a few minutes ago but I didn't see her. Weird.

Where is she then?

Wait, what's that weird smell?

Is that-

That's the smell of smoke.

As the thought hits me, I think the smoke alarm would go any minute but nothing happens. I turned around and looked horrified to the door.

Flames.

There's a fire right outside the bathroom door.

I'm trapped.

Why didn't the alarm go off?

Hold a damn minute.

Backdoor closing

Smoke alarm not going off

Fire

Holy shit it's a set up.

I grabbed my phone and called the first person I could think of.

Please pick up please pick up.

"KATIE? KATIE, WHERE ARE YOU?" I yelled as the person was taking his damn time to pick up.

No reaction. Shit shit shit, where the fuck is she?

"KATIE? KATIE?" I yelled louder now.

"Crystal! You need to get out of your house! Someone broke in and started a fire!" Romolo yelled on the other side.

"Well no shit sherlock! I'm trapped in the bathroom and Katie isn't responding. She's downstairs." I said in a panicked voice.

"I need you to stay calm, everyone is on their way. Where is your bathroom?" He asked.

"Upstairs first door to the right." I said as I took a deep breath. Please be okay.

"Merda, that means the fire is also on the stairs. Is there any way for you to get out?" He asked a little more fast than last time.

"No, I can't open the window and the fire is starting to burn down the door." I said in a shaky voice as I could see the door losing his battle.

"Alright stay calm Crystal, we're almost there. We'll get you out of there alive, you'll be fine." He said.

"Promise me something, Romolo."

"Anything." He said in a soft voice.

"Safe my daughter first. I need to know she's alive."

"I'll safe you both." He said and a small smile made its way to my face.

"Thank you." I whispered.

The door was now fully gone. I looked behind me and saw multiple cars arrive.

They're here.

As I looked longer, I could see everyone was here. And when I mean everyone, I mean everyone.

Hold up.

No, no, no, no.

"Romolo! Romolo!" I yelled. I looked at my phone and saw we were still on call.

"Romolo, it's a trap! There's almost no one with Isabella! It's a trap!" I yelled but no one heard.

No, no, no, no.

The fire was getting closer and closer and I coughed more and as the room filled with smoke.

This doesn't look good at all.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Katie

Okay, let's try not to panic.

I'm surrounded by flames and mom is not responding to my yells.

She's upstairs and I could see from here that the stairs are all up in flames.

Fuck this is bad, this is really bad.

My phone lays upstairs in my room.

R.I.P. Mobile Moan.

Whatever, I'll leave it behind and get a new one. Dammit, are there even more things that could go wrong right now?

Hold the fuck up.

"Max?"

"Max!"

Shit.

"MAX! MAX BOY!" I yelled. Okay keep calm, where was he last time.

He went into the garden, then he laid down on-

Shit he's in the living room.

But there's also a second phone in the living room. I could get the phone, call for help, call mom and get her and then the hell out of here.

Okay, I can do this.

Let's carefully move to there and try to yell for mom in the mean time. Maybe she'll hear me when I'm closer to the stairs.

Wait, I almost forgot the candies.

No way in hell I'm leaving those behind.

Okay, maybe I learned something in training about fires?

Stay low, smoke goes up. Cover your nose and close the doors.

Damn Katie, you genius. Never been this grateful for listening to someone.

I got on my knees and started to move to the living room, the bag of candies in my hoodie. I slowly touch the door handle, it's not cold anymore but it's okay. It does mean there's fire on the other side.

Okay, I got this.

I opened the door at a safe distance, the flames weren't that big yet. I could get over this.

I took a rope that was in my hood and did it around the door. I opened the door a little more and pulled myself up from behind it.

I slowly lower one foot so I could see where to punch. Once I know where to punch I started to punch a whole in the door.

Thank mother dear for not picking strong doors.

After a few times there was a whole in the door and I looked at my fist.

Meh, been worse.

I put my foot in the hole. That way I could easy jump over the fire that was now growing.

Okay hurry the fuck up Katie. We don't have time for your amazing thoughts.

On three.

One

Two

Fuck three. I jumped as far and high as I could and landed with a yelp.

Shit, that didn't sound like a good landing.

Pain shot up in my left foot and I cursed. Not a good timing, fuck. Alright suck it up and keep going.

I pulled the little rope I did around the door handle and smashed the door close. The second I let it fall, fire started to creep it's way up.

Time for me to fucking go.

I limped to the living door that was pretty easy to reach. Thank god there wasn't any fire there yet. I limped until I remembered I had to stay low and cover my nose.

Way to go Katie.

Okay, no one saw that.

I touched the handle. Cold.

That's good.

I opened the door and Max was pacing in the middle of the room. He looked up and came running to me.

"That's a good boy. That's a very good boy. Max, phone." I said and he ran back.

"MOM! MOM, PLEASE ANSWER ME!" I yelled.

Still no response. Please, be okay.

Okay, time to focus. I stepped into the living room and checked if there were any signs of fire coming through.

Nothing yet. Good. I closed the door, hoping it would hold the fire a little more than without.

Max ran back and I petted his head.

I took the phone and dialed the first person I could think of in.

Please pick up. Please pick up. Please pick up.

"Who's this?" I rolled my eyes as I smiled softly.

"Yeez, not even an hello? I bet the devil can do better." I joked.

"Darling, I am the devil." Romolo chuckled. "Katie, love are you okay? Are you hurt? Are you safe?" He asked.

"For now I'm safe with Max in the living room. My foot hurt from jumping down the door." I said in one breath.

"How-"

"Long story." I sighed.

"I'm almost there, hang on kiddo. We're not losing any more people." He said determined.

"Could you please stay on the line." I whispered.

"Of course, I'm putting you on speaker, okay?"

"Who's there with you?" I said with a raised eyebrow.

"Lorenzo, Emilio, grandma and a few experts." He said.

"Okay."

"Katie, dear I'm so happy you're okay." Grandma said as soon I was on speaker.

"hang on kid, we're getting you three out there. Isabella would kill me if something happened while she was away." Emilio chuckled.

"Stay strong, Katie. You got this." Lorenzo said.

Wow, first time in a while he didn't speak bullshit. It seems like his sister fighting for her life is actually making him think clearer.

About damn time.

As I was calling with them and still yelling for my mom, I didn't see fire breaking through the door. Max kept barking but I got used to him barking over the years I didn't paid any mind to it.

Suddenly I felt my arm get hot. I jumped when I felt pain and saw the fire closed on us and we were trapped.

Shit. No, no, no, no! I was so close.

"God dammit!" I said desperate trying to dodge the fire.

I took steps back, Max right next to me doing the same. I took another step back when I suddenly stepped on one of Max' toys and fell.

I screamed as pain was the only thing I felt in my left foot. Again.

Max immediately tried to help me but I was already freaking out.

"Katie? Katie?" I heard Romolo yell concerned. I looked around and saw that the phone was in front of me, literally touching the fire.

Fuck, it's so close.

I reached for the phone and put it next to me on speaker so I could focus on the fire and my foot.

"I'm here." I said in a shaky breath.

"What the hell happened?" Emilio asked.

"I was backing up and I fell. I can't move my left foot. I think my ankle is broken." I said as reality hit my and tears started to form in my eyes. I couldn't move and there was fire corning me and Max twelve inch in front of us.

How could I be this stupid to not notice the fire sooner.

"Max, go, get out of here buddy." I said as I took my goodbye. "I love you, boy. Isabella will take care of you. I'm so sorry." I pressed a finally kiss on his head as he started to whine.

"Go! Safe yourself bud." I said with tears in my eyes.

"Katie, we're almost there, just hold on." Lorenzo said but I paid no mind to him.

"GO!" I yelled and he licked my face before dodging the fire as he jumped on the table, then on the bookshelf, knocking some books into the fire in the progress what made the fire grow. Then he over the fire and looked back at me.

He barked and tried finding a way out. Once I couldn't see him anymore, he was all on his own. Please, be safe.

"Romolo?" I said as more tears made there way to my face as the fire got closer and closer.

"I don't want to die." I said as I started to cough. "I don't want to die." I said, looking right into the fire., more tears rolling over my cheek.

"You're not, Katie you're not going to die. Do you hear me? We're here, Katie. We're standing in front of the fire." He said.

"I don't want to die Romolo, but please safe my mom first." I said as I cried harder. Life really was cruel.

"I'm getting you both out of there, Katie. Max just ran out the house what means there's a way." He said. "You'll be fine, you both will be fine." He said as he hung up.

"I don't want to die." I whispered. I heard the front door open as I cried, the fire almost touching my painful foot now.

I don't want to die.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A beeping sound made me open my eyes. I closed them back as the light was blinding. Where the hell was I?

I tried to open my eyes again and keep them open. My third try was the final one as I took in my surroundings.

Hospital room.

What the hell happened?

I gently touched my head, thinking what happened after I was picking out a movie.

Fire, mom gone, jumping from door, pain, Max, phone, fire, black.

I shot up, thinking about my mom. Please be fucking okay.

I pulled out every fucking string that was in my and got off of my bed. I saw that my foot was in the plaster. So I was right, it was indeed broken.

I put my hand in the pocket of my hoody and relief washed over me. The candies are okay.

I looked and saw that there was a huge bandage around my left arm and hand. Huh, what would that be?

I ignored it for now and limped out of my room. When I stepped out everyone was looking surprised and shocked.

"Katie, you're awake!" Angelina said through tears. "Thank god." Emilio breathed out.

"You shouldn't be out here so soon, Katie. Are you feeling okay?" Romolo asked and I nodded.

"You look pale, go rest love." Grandma said.

"She's right, kiddo. Get some rest, you've been through enough." Grandpa said.

"Where's my mother?" I asked to no one.

"I made a promise to her." Romolo started. I looked at him and gave him all my attention.

"Before you called, your mother called. We were already on our way and she tried to yell for you but because of the fire, the doors being closed and your big house you both couldn't hear each other. She made me promise that I would safe you first. So that's what I did."

"Where is mother." I said, more scared than before.

"They're operating her. We don't know much, only she got too much smoke in her lungs and legs and stomach are all in third degree burns." I gasped and leaned back, searching comfort in the wall behind me.

Everyone rushed to me, trying to sooth me and help me when Angelina suddenly yelled.

"Get back! You're making her claustrophobic." Everyone took a step backwards and she stood next to me.

Out of the blue she hugged me. "You'll be fine darling, we got you." She whispered.

Is it okay if I find this weird? Because I really do.

I still hugged her back. I needed comfort.

My mom and my best friend are both in critical conditions and I don't know when I'm going to break.

Angelina kept whispering sweet thing in my ear but I didn't listen. I was in my own world.

"Katie!" A voice yelled.

I recognize that awful voice from everywhere.

I stepped out the hug and everyone looked weird at the man who stood in front of everyone.

"Dad." I said cold.

Lots of people were shocked that the man was related to me. Honestly he didn't look like me at all. I was a perfect copy of my mother and thank heavens for that.

"Sweety, I'm so-"

"Don't you dare to call me that." I scolded.

"Come on sweety, can't we just forget the past?" He laughed.

"Can't we just forget each other?" I said in the same fake tone. His smile drops as he looked in my eyes. I gave him one of my best fake smiles.

Suck that father.

"Didn't you miss me?" He tried.

"I did. But you can miss a person and still be glad they're no longer in your life." I shrugged.

"You don't mean that." He said rolling his eyes.

"I actually do, father dearest." I said, my eyes narrowing and the urge to raise my middle finger was rising.

"You don't, ever since I've been here you've done nothing but smiling." He pointed out like he was the smartest man on the planet. What. An. idiot.

"Every heard of fake smiling? Besides, a smiling face doesn't mean a happy heart." I said and he sighed.

"I heard about the fire and your mother and I wanted to help out. I also thought it would fit to have some bonding again." He said.

"You know what also fits? Therapy. Clearly you're delusional thinking I would even think of bonding with a man like you." I spit out.

"A man like me? I'm you're father young lady! Do not disrespect me." He said as he took a huge step forwards. Everyone took that as a threat so when he did that they all took a step closer to me, challenging my father to do something.

"You're blood might be in my veins but you lost that title long ago." I rolled my eyes.

"Oh get over it!"

"You left us! Dammit you left me when I needed you. You knew how much you meant to me! And if you even cared a little bit you would at least told me why you left." My voice broke at the end and I closed my eyes.

Get it together, don't be weak.

"You left mom for another woman, you left me for another kid. You knew mom was expecting and you knew it would be a hard pregnancy yet you still left without saying anything and taking every pinny with you." I yelled, tears forming in my eyes. "You knew I was suffering from anxiety as a young kid, yet you still left!"

"Anxiety doesn't exist. It's just made up by a bunch of little kids being dramatic." He shrugged it off.

"God I wish it was! It's so much more than that and the fact that so much parents think like you do is making it harder." I said. "If you really loved me, you would search up what anxiety really is and than you wouldn't even dare to talk this bullshit." I spit out, holding back tears from falling.

Emilio placed his hand on my shoulder, saying he was right behind me.

How dare he saying that anxiety was made up.

"Keep those filthy Castillo hand off of my daughter." Dad yelled.

"These filthy Castillo hands will punch you if you don't shut up." Emilio gritted.

"These filthy Castillos have been more family these last weeks than you ever were. Than you'll ever be. Disrespect them again and see what's going to happen." I said with so much venom, I was even scared.

These idiots sadly became my family without any of us noticing. But I like that.

Knowing that there are people -not related by blood- ready to catch you when you fall. People that are there for you.

They may have messed up bad in the passed, but they know they did and they're trying to change. And they did change, as much hate as they got from me for their mistakes, they did change for the better.

"Pff don't make me laugh. They'll never treat you as I did." He huffed.

"And thank the fucking gods for that. Remember what you said? 'you're not a person anymore Katie, you're a problem' Have you any idea what you've put me through? What I've done to myself what I'm still doing to myself because of these words?" I screamed.

"Katie-" He tried but I didn't let him.

"I was seven for god's sake and these memories are burned in my mind. I'll never forgive you for those words. Never."

"I know it was wrong, I know that now but please, let's just start over. Once you're mom is fine we'll move away from these people and start all over again as a happy family."

"Yeah, no thanks." I breathed out.

"Come on Katie, what about the good memories we had? We can make that again!"

"Memories? No. Flashbacks? Yeah, I get them sometimes. But I hate getting flashback from things I want to forget. Like the time I was laying in bed and checking my phone all night, just hoping that some day your name would pop up. A text, a call, anything!

I would have been happy with anything. Anything at all." I whispered.

"You know, somewhere along the line you changed, you let people affect you and tell you that you're no good." He scoffed.

"Those weren't just people dad, that was you." I yelled as I pulled my hair in frustration. " God when is it going to get through your skull that I don't want you anymore, I don't need you anymore. You've only cause me pain and I want the pain to be gone." I said in a shaky voice.

"I can't get any more pain right now and you're only bringing destruction with you. Whether you want it or not, it's what you do." I whispered. " And it will never change." I looked him dead in the eyes and no one said a thing.

"When I called a few years back, you didn't want to speak to me-"

Gee, I wonder why.

"-I heard you say you were fine when I asked your mom." He shrugged like he did something good. For heavens sake.

"Seriously?! Fine doesn't mean fine dammit. The scale goes great, good, okay, not okay, I hate you, fine, so yeah I've never been this fine before. Please just go dad, go back to your other family." I sighed.

"They left." He said sadly.

"Of course they did. Let me guess, you're also broke." I said coldly as I wrapped my arms around each other.

"Not fully." He said with some more drama effects.

"So you think that mom being in the hospital is the perfect opportunity to crawl back, play happy family for a while and when you're bored you're going to leave again, with all the money? Do you think I'm stupid?" I yelled angry.

I can't believe I was actually starting to believe that he came back for us.

Stupid stupid stupid.

"I had a lot of reason to give up on you back then. But I chose to fight for you, we both did. and you had so many reason to fight for, to stay, so give me one damn good reason why you left and never looked behind? Even better, give me one reason why we should take you back." I yelled and he didn't say anything.

Thought so.

"You're right. I should have never come to here. I don't know what I was thinking. I could do way more better than you." He narrowed his eyes at me.

For fuck sake, I'm not doing this right now.

"There's something wrong with you Katsy, and even after all those years you didn't fix it. Pff pathetic."

Wow. Okay.

I know I'm just a loser, I know I'm pathetic and I know there's something wrong with me. But I don't know how to fix it, don't know how to change it and I'm tired of people pointing it out. Trust me, I know something is wrong with me, but I accepted that a long time ago.

People need to start accepting that I'm not a barbie doll, that I'm not fucking perfect.

"First of all, the name is Katie you dick." Grandma said.

"Second of all, I don't like my family being treated like shit, so unless you want to die in the most painful way, I suggest you get the fuck out." Luigi spitted as Gregory -daddy dearest- gulped and visually paled.

He nodded and runs for the hills but before he could do that, Romolo grabbed him and lifted him up so they were now eye to eye and Gregory's feet hanging in the air.

"As for the cherry on top, I'm going to say this one time. Pull something like that on my niece's best friend again and I gave her your dick for her collection. Then I'll start with the real torture."

Ooohhhh I like that one.

Romolo finished it off with one of the hardest punches I've ever seen and Gregory ran like he never did before.

We were all staring at the door Gregory just disappeared out, some of us with hate, some with disgust and anger but me with a smile.

Man I love these reunions.

No just kidding, I'm smiling because they care.

They care so much about me that they protected me from my biggest demon.

I didn't see a nurse coming my way but looked her way once Angelina greeted her.

"Hello, Katie right?" I nodded. "We have news about your mom." She smiled.

"The surgery went well and she'll wake up soon. Everything will work out just fine." She smiled and I never felt any type of relief like this.

Holy shit.

Mom's going to be fine.

Out of nowhere Calix runned like a madman right into Luigi's back.

He fell with an oof on the floor and everyone looked confused at him, even the nurse.

He got up and dusted of some imaginary dust from his pants. He took a deep breath and looked us all in the eye.

"It's Isabella." He said.

Immediately everyone was on alert. I was glad the set up didn't work out.

Yes the fire was a trap, people tried to break into this floor probably to hurt Isabella.

They never made it that far, luckily Luigi and his sons were here and got it all under control.

"What about her, is she okay? Please say she's okay." Matteo said desperately.

"She's awake."









Now I do feel bad.

But I also feel tired as fuck so goodnight y'all I hope you liked it. It was more of a filler chapter but still with some important deets for later ;)

ISABELLA IS AWAKE

Now I can sleep peacefully without readers threatening to kill me is I kill off Isabella.

I mean, did you really think I would do that?

Anyway big shout out to katie, helped me a lot with the emotional scene. Love you darling <3

LOTS OF LOVE TO EVERYONE WAITING PATIENTLY FOR UPDATES AND READING THEM. IT MEANS SO MUCH TO ME ILYSM

who's your fav character? I'm actually quit curious to know. :)

With that, I'm saying goodby, see you in next chapter beautiful human xx



P.S. I FOUND OUT KATIE HAAS THE MOST ADORABLE BIG BABY BROWN EYES UP CLOSE.

Just wanted you to know :))