Author's Note: All I have to say: Writer's block sucks, and high school musicals take over lives. Two amazing songs (In The Sun by Michael Stipe feat. Coldplay and Stay Where You Are by Ambulance Ltd.) saved the story. Simple as that. I'm sorry this one took so long. I hope you're not disappointed and now hate me. =[ Please read and review. You know I love you =]

Love,

Mel

19. Gone

I stood for a second and watched her body shake from holding back the inevitable sobs. I couldn't think of a proper remark to her absurd statement. I wasn't naïve, I knew who she was talking about. My father had left. Even though they weren't honest or open about it, they were having problems. Despite the fact they avoided the truth, they weren't good at hiding it. They could alter the scenario as much as they wanted, but not the situation, and unlike my sisters, I wasn't blind to the situation. But this was something I never saw coming.

My father, even with his false affection and obsessive work ethic, was indeed a family man. He said it enough and proved it enough to make it true. He went to rehab for us. He fixed his problem for us. We were the reason he worked so hard. Therefore, there was no cause to him to throw it all away unless something pretty darn bad happened.

I was suddenly overtaken by anger. It was her. She did something to make him leave. Her excessive shopping, her overly fake, cordial personality, her selfishness. She drove him away. She drove my father away.

I took a deep breath. I would not get mad at my mother. I needed to get the dirt from her before I could blow up. I had to make her tell the truth, and that was going to take every last ounce of energy I contained from this long day.

I sat next to her shaking figure on the step, and she put her head on my shoulder. I had to keep from rolling my eyes. Of course she didn't want to tell me what happened.

"Mom, who left?" I had to warm her up before I could lunge for the kill.

She took in a shaky breath. "Your daddy, sweetheart. He left us." She hiccupped.

That took a stab at my heart; making tears immediately sting in my eyes. She was trying to butter me up by using words like "daddy" and "sweetheart". I had to keep my nerve. I knew that wasn't true. He wouldn't leave us. I was done playing nice as soon as it started. I went straight for the kill. "Why?"

She took her head off my shoulder then and looked down at her knees. She shook her head. "Honey, don't worry about it. It had nothing to do with you."

No crap, Sherlock. "Mom, I have the right to know."

She looked at me with her wide, tear-rimmed brown eyes. "You're too young to understand."

Oh, now she was playing that game with me? I just couldn't let her win. I had to know why this was happening. Dad wouldn't just leave me. He just wouldn't. "What happened, Mom." My voice was firm.

She began to sob again into her hands, and I put a hand on her shoulder, feeling a pang of guilt. But I couldn't give this up. I needed to hear from her why she left. I could easily get this information from Ronan or Alice, but I needed to know from her. I needed to know from the woman who had caused this madness. The one who made my life empty in the first place. It was hardly my father's fault I was that way until Ronan came and made me full. My mother was the center of this madness. She only cared about her self and money. I was just a prop in her act.

Finally, she attempted to even her breathing. "Ava, I did something really bad. And so did he." Her voice seeped with vulnerability, and I was surprised. She was telling the truth. But that didn't suppress the anger boiling inside of me suddenly.

"What did you do?" My voice was a low monotone, trying to contain my anger.

She took another shaky breath, and closed her eyes. "I was getting beaten by those damn bidders for the house, and I was desperate. Your father stopped coming home, and I had to have a project to focus on. I was going crazy. So, on one of my visits to Forks, I proposed a deal with the realtor so I could get the house with my latest bid. He willingly accepted after some persuading, for he was lonely, too…"

That was enough for me. Tears seared in my eyes. I jumped off of the step and faced her, infuriated. "YOU CHEATED ON DAD!?"

Her face was immediately desperate. "Ava, I was lonely! And your father…"

The sudden adrenaline rush caused me to pound my fist on the banister, shaking the entire staircase in the process. "Okay, Mom. If you were so lonely, why didn't you just maybe think of at least pretending I wasn't invisible!? Maybe we could've done things together or just freaking talked once and a while! Instead of you screwing some guy for a freaking house! Do you know how utterly stupid that is? How selfish you are? Dad was only working that hard for us, and that's how you repay him!?" My voice shrilled an octave higher than normal.

I was steaming with anger, venting what I'd kept bottled up inside of me for far too long, and she was staring at me with an appalled expression. "Ava, listen to me…"

"No, Mom," I yelled at her. "I don't want to hear what you have to say. I'm glad Dad left you. He may not be perfect and a little too hard working, but at least he isn't as spineless and fake as you."

She started to cry and plead illegibly as I ran up the stairs, surprised the degree of my anger was so intense I could say something so hurtful to her, and the tears began to rush down my cheeks as the wave of guilt engulfed me. By the time I slammed the door to my room and locked it, I collapsed to the floor, full-out bawling.

I didn't look up as I suddenly felt cold arms set me onto my bed awkwardly and then heard foot steps softly move towards my CD player and turn on the soothing compositions Edward wrote. I didn't look up at him. I didn't want him to have to see me like this again, not after how much hurt it caused him last time. I took in a ragged breath, refraining from revealing my most likely flushed face.

"Ronan," I choked. "You don't have to see me like this again." I sniffled, trying to stifle the erupting sobs, but only causing myself to let out another loud sob.

"He's hunting. Edward heard your thoughts before he left to meet him and I came over to make sure you were okay." I looked into the carefree, butterscotch eyes wearily.

"Emmett?" I asked through sobs.

"Little Avs." He bowed his head, smirking.

"Dammit." My voice was hard and angry; the hatred toward my mother was showing through my choice of words. I'd usually be happy to see one of the Cullens, especially Emmett. But I couldn't make myself feel gratitude at the moment. He came in at the utmost horrible time. "God, I'm sorry. I'm a complete mess…"

He helped me wipe the tears off my cheeks as I frantically tried to wipe them myself. "Don't sweat it, Avs. This situation is out of control. You'll be fine in a few days…"

I shot him a look then, and he knew I caught him. "Alice saw this, didn't she?"

"Uh… well…" He put his hand through his dark, curly hair and nodded. "Yeah. She sort of saw this coming."

I shook my head, the anger at my mother showing in my voice once again. "Okay, then why is it that no one informed me about it?"

Emmett's usually bright expression turned a shade darker when I snapped at him. I couldn't help myself, however. The anger raging through my veins was unfamiliar and searing. She cheated on my dad for a house

He chuckled. "That's kind of why, Avs. Though you may be small, you have quite a temper, and considering what Jasper said about your emotions is a little frightening…" He took a deep breath.

"What he says is your emotions are almost as intense as a newborn vampire's, so we've been refraining from telling you about anymore visions especially after your freak out the other night. Carlisle says it's not good for your stress level to be that high, I guess it's really bad for your health. We only did this 'cause we love you, Avs." He chuckled again. "Rose even got off her high-horse and is dying to meet you after she finally listened to Ronan tell your life story. She's fascinated and says you guys have a lot in common. She knows how it feels to be betrayed… you know?"

I laughed at this. A hard, sarcastic laugh, one that dug deep into my well-being. "And you think I don't? It's like a routine thing for me. First the person is there, loving and caring for me, and then the next, poof. Gone. Never to be found again. I just… I can't…" The sobs began erupting in my throat again.

"Aw… Avs…" He accepted me into his strong arms easily. "You don't have to worry about us. We're never going to leave you. No matter what, Avs. We love you."

I leaned into him cried freely into his rock-like shoulder until we heard a door swing shut downstairs and more voices and different sobs fill the echoing house. Both of us froze.

He squeezed me once more before pulling away. "I'll tell Ronan not to stop by tonight… if that's what you want." I nodded, trying to stifle the inevitable anger. I didn't want Ronan seeing me this way; so malignant and out of control. I didn't think he could handle it. No one should have to deal with this.

And with that, he strode over to my window and opened it swiftly. If I wasn't so infuriated, I would have thanked him, but the malevolent thoughts kept raging through my mind, and I was afraid something outrageous would come out of my mouth if I opened it.

He looked over at me once more and saluted me with two fingers. "Be strong, Little Avs." He smirked before jumping out, a small thud indicating his landing.

The second he was gone, I got off my bed and turned up Edward's compositions louder to drown out the random voices and sobbing before sitting cross-legged and erect. I made myself breath.

In… one, two, three, four…

Peace. Love. Sane Ava.

Out… five, six, seven, eight…

Hate. Mom. Anger at the despicable world.

I wasn't feeling any better when I heard a knock at the door not more than a fraction of a second later. Anger engulfed me once again as I slowly opened my eyes. Now she had the audacity to try to talk to me about this? To try to make me forgive her disloyalty? The hurt she caused me since I was born? Not even Jen tried to talk to me after she and my Joseph broke my heart; she had common sense. She knew I would never forgive her. So how could my lying, egotistical mother think I would forgive her at a time like this? If she contained any intelligence behind her thick skull, she would walk away.

I didn't bother answering the urgent knock, even with a typical "Go away!". I sat in silence aside from the blasting compositions when I heard a small voice attempt to yell over the blasting music, "Ava, its Allison and Alicia! Open up!"

My head snapped over to my door in surprise. Allison and Alicia? Knowing their tactics, they were going to take their mommy's side when she most likely lied about what was wrong. Even though we all knew the obvious reason for this insanity, which was material love as always, it would boost my mother off this low she was finally taking for once in her life, but also make her think she did no wrong. Anger again boiled in my blood at the thought. I pursed my lips together as hard as possible. I would not answer the door; I would not answer the door…

"Ava." I heard another voice, thick with tears. "Please?"

I finally threw myself off my bed and toward my door. I couldn't take the insanity anymore.

"What do you want?" I sneered at their tear-ridden faces when I swung the door open. I didn't care if it made them upset. I just needed to be away from the lies and the selfishness of this unit we called a family. A big, fat treachery is what it truly was.

Alicia shot me a look of horror through her big, brown eyes, while Allison flinched away, another sob escaping her already raspy throat. I don't think they'd ever witnessed me like this.

Once she collected herself, Allison spoke up, "Can we come in?" Her voice was raspy and quiet, and the heavy make-up around her eyes identical to Alicia's was smeared, giving her a raccoon look. Seems like they were finally taking their one and only downfall in life as well. The edge of my mouth actually curved upward at the devilish realization while they waited for my answer, dubious.

I shook my head, chuckling at how naive they truly were. "Really? Are you really going to ask me that? After hating me and making my life a living hell half of the time, you think I'm going to let you in here? This is gold. Pure gold." Every word I uttered seeped with sarcasm. They were finally getting what they deserved. The perfect, sheltered world my parents had created for them and they easily fell into stride with was crumbling beneath their feet, and I didn't feel one ounce of remorse for them.

Alicia and Allison looked at each other with open mouths and shook their heads, but it wasn't one of their usual egotistical, snobby thought exchanges.

"Ava," Alicia choked on my name. "We're so sorry we pulled that crap with you for so long." She nearly whispered the last words. She looked over at Allison, biting her glossed bottom lip.

Allison looked up at me again, whispering to me as well. "But we need each other right now."

It wasn't a mask or trick. Their expressions were sincerely hurt. Like I just kicked two, abnormally identical puppies with my caustic words. And with that, my heart suddenly swelled. The last time I saw them look this way felt like eons ago. When my father was packing his bags for a different reason. When he was admitting himself to three months of rehab.

For the first time, their eyes had been pried open to reality. But as soon as my mother began drowning them in more material love after the controversial incident, they had been shoved into their old ways once more. And looking into their sincerely hurt and betrayed eyes, I finally realized it. Their narcissist attitudes were not their faults. My mother had caused them to turn this way. My mother was the center of all of the insanity.

I nodded too quickly, the angry adrenaline still rushing through my veins. "I guess your right." My voice was strained and abnormal. I was going to lose it.

They made their way past me into my room hesitantly, taking in the strange surroundings. It was the first time they'd ever stepped foot in the room.

They turned to me then, and Alicia took in a shaky breath. "We heard everything. Your argument, I mean."

I looked at them, confused. "You did?"

Alicia nodded, and bit her lip. "So, he's really gone?"

The anger boiled in my veins once again at my selfish mother. "Yes, Alicia. He's really gone. And personally, I don't blame him." My voice was rising again.

I had the feeling I was being too blunt with them. But if they were ever going to understand the situation, especially with their thick, privileged skulls, I had to just give it to them straight. Allison pushed her hand through her dark, glossy hair. "And mom…"

"Is an adulterous, selfish whore? Yes, you also heard that correctly." The anger seethed restlessly. I couldn't control anything anymore. I just had to get out of here. I had to leave this house…

Allison shook her head, her eyes turning from raw to as hard as rock. Her voice was shaking, "I can't believe her. I just cannot believe she would do that to daddy…" Her tiny hands clutched into fists as she burned a hole in the hardwood floor with her eyes that were now flaring with anger.

I was going to make a run for it. I needed air. The anger was so intense it was churning my stomach, making me dizzy and asphyxiated. I needed to get out…

Alicia came between us then, grabbing our hands with her also small ones before I could run out the door. I looked down at my hand, realizing it was also clutched in a tight fist as well, and eased up on the pressure, wincing when I realized my nails had dug deep into my flesh. I looked at Alicia then, who was staring into my eyes intensely.

"Look, I know this is bad. Bad isn't even good enough of a word for this craziness. But we need to stay strong. I know we've had our differences, but, seriously, we need each other. We need to get through this together. Obviously, mom isn't on our sides. I mean, she's so afraid of us right now, when we came through the door, she ran away before she would have to face us. We need to stick together through this one, no matter what happens, okay?"

I saw Allison, who nodded vigorously in agreement. "Your right, Leesh. We're sisters, damn it!"

Through all the anger and hatred raging through my veins, I smiled. They were finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel again. Their faces almost looked older in a way, like they were finally going to leave their childish, sheltered ways behind. Stop acting like wealthy heiresses and instead mature adults. They were going to handle this, while I sat here, falling apart. Their older sister; the only sane superior to them; and I was falling apart. Just like my mother, who ran out on them the second they came through the door. I couldn't be like my mother. I was going to be strong for them. For us.

I pulled them into a hug, and when they got over the astonishment of my unexpected gesture, they forcefully hugged me back. Tears squeezed out of my eyes. We were finally brought together, and for once, I felt like we were a family.

"We will get through this." I told them. "I promise you I will be here, through thick or thin, through better or worse…"

"Okay." Alicia chuckled through her tears as she pulled away. "It sounds like your reciting wedding vows now."

Allison and I managed a laugh at this through our tears as well at this. I was smiling gallantly, yet solemnly at my sisters when I suddenly heard the sound of the front door whipping open violently echo through the house.