Again, this chapter was written by my amazing co-writer, Elbereth Amandil, thank you sis and love ya! You're such an awesome writer! (And fun to talk to, LOL.)

Disclaimer: Elbereth Amandil does not own All Time Low or any other name brand she uses in this story

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Anna POV

Later that night Alex returned home with Rian to get some new clothes and sort some stuff out, while Jack, Zack and I stayed at Zack's.

"I'm hungry!" whined Jack, giving me the puppy dog eyes.

"Don't give in Anna!" encouraged Zack.

I looked away from Jack and continued reading my Kerrang! magazine. I heard someone move to sit on the sofa next to me, and all of a sudden Jack stuck his head in front of my magazine and stared at me, with puppy dog eyes, inches from my face.

"JACK!" yelled Zack, laughing a little.

Jack stuck his bottom lip out in to a pout and I caved.

"Fine," I said, giving in. As Jack moved his head away, I quickly closed the magazine, rolled it into a tube, and used it to hit him in the back of the head.

"That's what you get for being so lazy," I joked sticking my tongue out at him.

"Whoo, go Anna!" cheered Zack, high-fiving me.

"Hppff. It's "that's what you get when you let your heart win"," said Jack, quoting Paramore.

I just rolled my eyes.

"Anyway, I want spaghetti bolognese!" yelled Jack, at me.

"Okay, okay!"

~x~

The pasta sauce was heating up and I was waiting for the spaghetti to boil and cook. I had my iPod plugged into the dock so I could listen to music as well. Paramore was currently blaring from the speakers.

I was sitting on the island waiting for dinner to cook, so I picked up the magazine from earlier and finished reading it.

"The truth is hiding in your eyes, and it's hanging on your tongue, just boiling in my blood. But you think that I can't see, what kind of man that you are, if you're a man at all. Well I will figure this one out, on my own. I'm screaming I love you so. But my thoughts you can't decode," I sung subconsciously to myself, as Zack came in to the kitchen.

"Hey Anna, can I talk to you for a sec?" he asked.

"Sure," I answered, putting down the magazine. I wondered where Jack was.

"Jack's upstairs on the phone with his mom so we're okay," smiled Zack, reading my thoughts.

I nodded. "So, what's up? And don't say the sky!" I said, trying to sidetrack him.

Zack laughed, " am I really that predictable?"

"Yes you are, so what's wrong?" I knew what was coming and I knew I had to get it over with.

"Nothing. Actually I was wondering if your okay? You seem to be taking this..them..quite well," said Zack, motioning with his hands.

"I've been better, but I've got you guys and Alex now," I answered carefully, trying to avoid the subject as much as possible, but inside I was crying out.

I had these moments when I would have an urge to break down and cry over them, but I forced myself to stay strong. I didn't want to cry right now. Not with the guys around. I would be ready to talk one day with Alex, but that day wasn't soon.

"Anna, I'm not stupid. I can see this..this...shield you've put on to try and fool us. The others might not see it, but I do. Actually, I think Alex and Rian can see through it though. Jack's totally oblivious though," pondered Zack. I smiled a little. Trust Zack to make me smile.

"I don't know what your talking about Zack, I'm fine. Really I am," I unconvincingly said to him.

"No, your not. I can see the times when you want to cry and try so hard to not to. I can see you miss them. I can see you beating yourself up about it. Talk to me please. I'm your cousin. Anna please...let me in," pleaded Zack, holding my hand.

I felt a tear slip past my guard and fall down my cheek. That started it. All the pent up frustration and sadness that I had held off for the past few months was flooding out in tears. I felt them cascade down my face. Soon I couldn't see and Zack had pulled me into a hug.

For a few minutes I just sobbed in to his shirt letting the salt stain it. As my tears started to stop I pulled away.

"Anna please talk to me, it'll make you feel better. I hate seeing you cry like this," he soothed me, as he sat back down on his seat next to mine on the island.

I gave up right then. I knew this moment was inevitable and right now I couldn't care less if I was crying.

"I miss them so much. Everyday I wake up and expect to see them but they're not there. Every night I dream the same nightmare of the day they died. Why did this happen to me? What did I ever do?

I can't do it Zack. Every time I realize I've lost them it feels like someone's ripped my heart out of my chest. I want them back," I sobbed pathetically.

"It's okay, just let it all out. Anna I know we can't substitute for your parents but we're here for you. You've always been like a sister to me. We'll always be here. Don't be afraid to talk to me. I'm always here for you. I promise," comforted Zack.

Wiping my eyes I nodded. "Thank you."

"It's okay, now is the pasta pot supposed to be smoking like that?" asked Zack, as I turned around and ran to the stove.

"Shit, that nearly burnt," I swore, as I turned down the heat and finished making dinner.

~x~

"Hmmm this is so good. Thanks Anna!" yelled Jack.

"Jack you don't need to yell, she's sitting opposite you," said Zack.

"Do I smell food?" said a voice from the hallway.

"Yeah like tomatoes and...and meatballs?" said another voice.

Rian and Alex walked in to the kitchen where we were eating on the kitchen island.

"Spaghetti bolognese, I was right!" called Rian, taking a seat and helping himself to some.

"Hey babe," said Alex as he kissed me on the cheek and went to get food as well. Sitting down next to me he asked us all ,"what should we do tonight?"

"Let's watch a movie," said Rian, through a mouthful of food.

"Home Alone!" screamed Jack, who already had spaghetti sauce all around his mouth.

"NO!" Rian, Zack and Alex shouted.

"You've seen that movie so many times, you know all the words," laughed Zack.

"Anna what do you think?" Alex asked me.

"Stepbrothers," I said, it was my favorite film.

"No, that film sucks," whined Jack, who had gone cranky because we weren't going to watch Home Alone.

Alex gave him a watch-it look, and I smiled. He was so protective, it was cute.

"What about a horror movie?" asked Rian, with an evil glint in his eye.

"Yeah, how about The Grudge?" suggested Alex.

"Awesome!" called Zack and Jack.

"I'm down for that," said Rian, the evil glint still in his eye.

"Anna, The Grudge okay?" questioned Alex.

I had never seen it before and it sounded kinda freaky already. Something the guys didn't know about me was that I wasn't really a fan of horror films. They always give me nightmares.

I remembered the last time I watched a horror film; Paranormal Activity. My friends and I couldn't sleep for days after and couldn't be on our own or we'd freak out.

Nodding, I knew this wouldn't end well for me.

I wasn't really hungry and didn't eat that much of my dinner. I hoped the guys didn't notice. Unfortunately, Jack did.

"Anna, aren't you hungry? You've hardly eaten any of your dinner," noted Jack, eyeing the spaghetti.

"No and here, I know you want it," I said pushing my plate towards him.

Jack shut up and started scoffing the food down. Rian and Alex shook their heads whilst Zack gave me a funny look and said to me, "Anna, I need to talk to you later."

Nodding, I dreaded talking to Zack later, knowing what it was about.

~x~

Jack, Rian and Alex decided they would stay for the night, so the boys and I were dressed in jogging bottoms and hoodies on the sofas ready to watch the horror movie.

Alex and I were laying on one sofa together with a blanket covering us, Jack sat on the recliner with a blanket, and Rian and Zack sat on the other sofa.

"You okay?" Alex asked me as he held me and stroked my arms.

"Yeah, why?" I whispered back.

"You just seemed a bit down after dinner," he stated. Shrugging my shoulders in return, he gave up with the questions and nuzzled his head in to my neck.

Truth was, I was rather "down" after dinner as Alex had put it. Zack had kept his word and spoke to me.

~x~

*After Dinner*

"I cooked, so you guys have to clean up," I declared, after Jack had finished eating my dinner for me.

"Yeah and I'm letting you eat and stay here, so I don't have to clean up either!" boasted Zack, playfully.

Mumbling "whatever", "screw you" and "damn it" under their breaths, Alex, Rian and Jack cleared away the dishes and started the washing up.

Zack got up and motioned for me to follow him into the hallway. In the hallway we heard Jack yell to us, "Zack, you should really invest in a dishwasher!"

"Stop being a lazy shit!" called Zack, chuckling.

"Fuck you!" Jack yelled back to Zack.

"Anyway, Anna I need to know. Your not still bulimic are you?" he asked, concern written all over his face.