Wow, really sorry about the late update. I had actually meant to post a long time ago, but I wasn't liking how it turned out and tried to do some major editing. Just a warning this is one of my saddest chapters thus far. Sorry I don't mean to make it like that, but its necessary. Also there is a little more language in this one. Thanks to everyone who has been keeping up.

I don't own anything Mario.

Chapter 7- The Betrayal

Daisy woke up hoping that today was going to be better than yesterday. However, something told her it was going to be worse. Maybe it was just the anticipation of having to talk to Luigi about Danielle that made her so distressed. She crawled out of bed and walked down to the kitchen to make a bowl of cereal.

That's when she noticed her father. He was sprawled out across the dining room table, an empty bottle of whiskey next to him, and a piece of paper crumbled in his hand. Daisy was horrified having never seen her father like this.

"Dad? Daddy!" Daisy cried desperately trying to shake him awake.

After a few more tries, he finally gave a soft groan and turned towards Daisy with bloodshot eyes.

"Daisy?" He asked weakly.

"Dad, what's wrong? What happened?" Daisy demanded worriedly.

"Your mother, gone." He muttered his eyes filling with tears again.

Daisy felt her heart freeze. "What about Mom? Did she get into an accident? Is she hurt? Oh my God! She's not…not…"

Daisy couldn't bring herself to finish her sentence. She didn't even want to consider the possibility that her mom could be dead. Luckily, her father shook his head dispelling these scenarios.

"No Daisy. She's gone." He repeated tears staining his cheeks.

Daisy could feel her own eyes well up at seeing her father like this, but she managed to keep it hidden.

"Gone where?" Daisy asked weakly.

Her father merely handed her the wrinkled paper in his hands. Daisy quickly realized that it was a letter from her mother. She read over it again and again, each time comprehending less and less.

Dear Henry,

I never wanted to do this to you, but it's beyond my control. I have to leave and I don't think I'm coming back this time. Take care of Daisy. She's going to need you now more than ever. I'm sorry, but this is goodbye. You'll always be in my heart.

Love Cynthia

"What is this?" Daisy shrieked, grief starting to climb its way up. "Mom wouldn't…Mom couldn't…but we need her."

Daisy was having more and more trouble spitting up the words as bitter sobs tried to fight their way into her throat. Her dad wrapped her up in a hug.

"I don't know why she did this Daisy." He tried to soothe.

However, Daisy could hear the bitter betrayal in his own words. She suddenly felt out of breath. She needed to get away. This couldn't be reality. She broke away from her father.

"I-I have to go to school." She told him weakly.

At first he looked hurt, but then he nodded his head understanding. "I'll be here when you get home." He told her.

Daisy barely heard him before she started running back upstairs. She quickly changed clothes and grabbed her bag. Without another glance at her father she ran for her car wondering if she was going to wake up from this nightmare anytime soon.

She started thinking back on what her mom had been saying the night before. Daisy had known then that something was wrong, but she had been too oblivious to put it together. She couldn't help but wonder why though? What was so terrible about her mom's life that she had to leave? She always seemed to look at Dad lovingly, so what changed?

Daisy was jerked from her thoughts when the passenger side door opened. She realized that she was already at Luigi's house and he was getting in like he normally did. However, today was anything but normal. She put the car in reverse without giving her usual greeting. Luigi hardly seemed to notice as he seemed to be in another world.

They were halfway to school when Daisy remembered that she had a bone to pick with Luigi.

"So Luigi" She started. "I got an interesting text last night."

Luigi whipped his head around to give her his attention.

"About what?" He asked nervously.

"Something about you and Danielle at your house. Care to elaborate?" She asked dangerously.

Luigi instantly groaned and started mumbling in Italian. This made Daisy crack a small smile. She had come to learn the hard way that when Luigi was speaking Italian, he was actually cursing. The first time he did it in front of her, she had assumed that it was something else and repeated it in front of his parents. It was after his mother's horrified look and his father boxing Luigi on the ears that she learned different.

"Look Daisy, it's not what you think! She came on to me and I tried to push her away and then my dad caught me…" Luigi was speaking a hundred miles an hour until Daisy finally interrupted.

"Whoa! Whoa! Slow down! So Danielle was the one who started this?"

Luigi took a deep breath and then finally faced her with his big puppy-dog eyes. "I'm so sorry Daisy. I didn't want you to find out this way. But yes. She said she was just offering me a ride home. And then she started flirting with me. And then I was running to the door only to get caught by her. And…are you mad?"

Mad didn't even begin to describe how Daisy felt, but it wasn't aimed at Luigi. For once, his presence could do nothing to soothe her boiling blood. Instead of answering him, she whipped into the parking lot and threw her car in park directly behind Danielle. The girl was leaning against her car talking to Beth and some of the other girls. However, she looked up at Daisy first in surprise, and then in fear as the angry girl stalked toward her.

"You have some nerve!" Daisy yelled getting right in Danielle's face.

The other girl backed away quickly, too frightened to utter a single syllable.

"Calm down Daisy, what's the problem?" Beth asked getting between the two girls.

"She was trying to get Luigi to cheat on me!" Daisy shrieked attracting the attention of everyone in the lot.

"Daisy I would never do that, he tried coming on to me and-"

Daisy interrupted her before she could continue to lie. "Don't even try it! I heard the story from Luigi and I totally would believe him over a lying slut any day!"

Everyone gasped. Luigi tried to step forward and place a comforting hand on Daisy's shoulder, but she shook it off. She didn't want to calm down, and she did not want to let this bitch off the hook for trying to ruin the one thing going right in Daisy's life.

Beth narrowed her eyes at Daisy. "Fine, if you want to play it that way then maybe you should get all your facts straight. Like for starters, this wasn't Danielle's idea. It was mine."

Daisy felt like she had been shocked. "W-What? Why? Why you?"

Beth rolled her eyes. "Because you were right. About everything. I wanted Most Athletic and Danielle wanted Most Likely to Succeed. However, you weren't satisfied with being Cutest Couple like we originally planned to get you out of the category. So I thought if you two broke up right before playoffs, your game would be off making me look like the all-star."

Daisy felt numb with anger. She couldn't ever remember hating anyone as much as she hated Beth right then. Beth tried to ruin everything for her, and for what? A freaking yearbook picture? She was humiliated, livid, and depressed because of what she had to deal with early this morning. That's why, even though she would be suspended and kicked off the team, she didn't hesitate to punch Beth right in the face. She got a small satisfaction from watching the girl scream as blood ran from her now broken nose.

"Daisy." Luigi stated in shock, unsure of what else to say.

She gave him a small apologetic look before she got back in her car. Before she could rethink her decision and talk herself out of it, she drove off. It was dumb of her to think that today would be any better after the crappy beginning. She didn't go home right away. Instead she just drove as fast as she could as far as she could. Finally, she had to pull over as her tears overpowered her vision. She curled up in a ball in the driver's seat and wept. She didn't even notice the rain begin to fall as she unleashed all of the hurt and betrayal that had befallen her. She just wished today would disappear. That she still had her mom, still had basketball, and still had a normal life.

Poor Daisy! :( Like I said pretty sad, but it'll all make sense here pretty soon. On a more exciting note, I've already started the next chapter and should have it up by the end of the week...hopefully. Thanks for reading and please review!