NONE OF THIS IS TRUE!!!!! SORRY THAT DIANA SEEMS KINDA MEAN OR ANYTHING, CAUSE I'M SURE SHE'S JUST THE OPPOSITE!!!!! PLEASE DON'T HURT ME!!!! THIS IS FICTION PEOPLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ~ *~*~ Enjoy the story! :^D

"Everybody needs a little love around Christmas time Somehow you gotta know you’re gonna be alright" The lyrics pounded through the speakers at me. ‘That’s what I’ve been saying for the past eight years’ I thought. I sat up & looked around. I was listening to their Christmas album, Snowed In, that they released last year. It was my favorite song on the album, probably because it was mainly about love. For no reason at all, I screamed. No one was home. My parents got divorced when I was 3. I hadn’t heard from him since. I was an only child. My mother and I moved out here, but she was away for a few weeks over Christmas. She told me I could call my grandmother, but we didn’t get along that well. My grandfather died when I was 10. I thought I’ll be with him soon. I sighed. Why’s Diana have to do this?! I thought. I know she’s a little overprotective, but my God. I picked up the phone & dialed the phone number I’d known since I was 6 & let it ring twice. “Hello, Hanson residence,” Ike said. “Hey,” I said. “Hi! Haven’t heard from ya for a while. Merry Christmas!” he said cheerfully. “Yeah, you too,” I replied. “So, are you & your mom doing the usual?” he asked. My mom & I weren’t that close. We usually just exchanged gifts & went our separate ways. “Nope. She’s gone for another week,” I answered. “Oh, bummer,” he said. “Not really. “ I replied. “So I guess you guys are havin a jolly old time over there, huh?” I asked. “Yeah. Why don’t you come over?” he asked. “No. It’d be too awkward.” I said. I laid back down on my bed & eyed the bottle sitting on my dresser. “Oh, Izzy. I know it’s hard. But you’ll get through it, I know you can,” he encouragingly said. “No Ike, you don’t understand. It’s just.... Ike it’s been eight years. You would’ve thought he would’ve figured out by now. I’m so depressed.” I said. “Izzy-” he started, but I cut him off. “Ike, you’re my best friend, so I can’t keep this from you. It’s been so hard & I’m so alone. If, if he doesn’t do anything tonight, I’m ending it,” I blankly stated. “Wha-” “Ike, I’ve got a razor blade & a bottle of pills. You know I’m not afraid. What I’m afraid of is,” I swallowed. “Is that you’ll tell him. I trust you won’t tell him. Cause you’re my best friend. If I find out you told him just to save me, I’ll do it anyway. Please Ike. Tonight is the last chance. At midnight,” I said. Suddenly my chest was burning, but I didn’t know why. “No, Isabelle. You can’t,” “Ike, you know I can & I will,” I whispered. I heard him gasp. “Good-night Ike. Please don’t call back pleading. Sweet dreams.” And with that I hung up. *****IKE***** I set the phone down & put my face in my hands. I couldn’t cry, not now. There was still a chance. But I couldn’t tell Taylor. I had to keep my promise to Izzy. But I had to at least explain things to him. *****IZZY***** I closed my eyes & thought about what I was doing. It all rushed back to me in a flood of memories....

*****Nine years previous***** *****IZZY***** I was riding my new training-wheel bike that I got for my 6th birthday down the street. Training wheels are such a pain I thought. Mom had told me there were new people moving in across the street. The house was big, I’d been in it before. I ran over a rock & my bike toppled over. “OWW!” I screamed as the gravel scraped my knee. I stood up & inspected myself. My new red dress had dirt all over it & there was a tear in the bottom of the skirt. “Are you OK?” I heard someone say from across the street. I looked up & saw a boy my age. He waved & I waved back. “My knee hurts,” I said. Just then a little boy, about 3 years old, ran across the street towards me. “ZACHARY! GET OVER HERE RIGHT NOW!” I heard another person yell. It was a boy a few years older than me. He looked at me, smiled, and ran back inside. The little boy tottled back across the street. “Who are you?” I asked the boy about my age. “I’m Jordan Taylor Hanson. Who are you?” he replied. “Isabelle Christina Gray. Did you just move in?” I asked. “Uh huh. You’re a color,” he said. “Huh?” “You’re a color. Your last name is Gray.” he said, smiling. “Uh huh. I’m special because I have the privilege of having a color for a last name,” I said. He looked at me puzzled. I was a fast learner. I was going to be in first grade & I was already reading small 50-page books. The older boy ran back outside, told Jordan something, grabbed Zachary’s hand & ran across the street. Jordan followed. “What’s your name?” I asked the oldest when they got across the street. “Isaac.” he replied. “No, what’s your full name,” I said. “Clarke Isaac Hanson,” he replied, lifting Zachary up. “But your name is Clarke. Not Isaac,” I told him. “I know. But I like Isaac better,” he said. “OK. What’s his name?” I asked, pointing to Zachary, even though I already knew his name. “He’s Zachary Walker Hanson,” Jordan said. “What’s your name?” Isaac asked me. “Isabelle Christina Gray,” I said again. “Cool name. Can I call you Izzy?” he asked. “Yeah. I like that better,” I said. “Hey, can you ride very well? We can ride bikes around the block,” Jordan asked. “Yeah,” I lied. “OK. Be back in a few,” Isaac said, running back across the street, holding Zachary’s hand.

*****Present***** *****IZZY***** I snapped back to reality. The past is over. Live in the now I told myself. I opened the bottle again & counted the pills again, knowing it would be the same number it was the last time I counted. 15 pills. How old I was now. They were extra-strength Aspirin, so I knew they’d work. I’d taken only 7 before and it made me lightheaded for 10 hours. This had to work. I looked at the clock. 11:00. I had to find something to do until midnight. When you know death is near, hardly anything is important anymore. Not even life. I got up & switched the song to ‘Everybody knows the Claus’. It always made me smile. Probably cause it was just fun. I took out my box of matches & turned off the light. I lit 9 candles, the number of years we’d known eachother. I can’t believe Diana did this. And she’s keeping at it. I wonder if she’d still have done it if she knew this was going to happen I wondered. I didn’t want to remember the past, but I had to. *****IKE***** I ran upstairs. I had to get this all settled out or else I’d lose my best friend. I walked into the room & found Taylor lying on the bed, drawing. “Who was that?” he asked. “Izzy,” I replied. “Why does she even have the nerve to call here?” he asked. “Taylor, you don’t know half the story,” I told him. “What do you mean? I know exactly what happened. You just don’t want to believe it,” he said, not even looking up. “No, you know what Mom told you. She made you think that,” I said. “Why would she lie to me?” he said, looking up. “You know how overprotective she is. She didn’t want you to know the truth,” I told him. “Oh yeah? Then you tell me what really happened,” he challenged me. “First, you tell me what she told you,” I said. I still didn’t know what she’d told him, only bits & pieces. “OK, it happened like this....” he started.