She plugged her ears with the headphones blasting music into her body shutting the world out. She watched as her mother shuffled around the kitchen quickly flipping pancakes and frying bacon, preparing their first family breakfast in what seemed like forever. She lived for moments like this, she loved it when everyone got together and just slowed down there lives to take a few moments to be together. Ever since all the drama with Emma, it seemed like she was just in the background like no one really paid any attention to her. But that was going to change whether they liked it or not.

"Morning" Tori greeted running her hands through her wet hair draping the used towel over her left shoulder as she propelled herself onto the counter swinging her legs beneath her "What's for breakfast?"

"I'll tell you once you get down from the counter" Aria grinned bringing the plate full of pancakes towards the table before turning to grab the bacon, Tori rolled her eyes as she slid off the counter shaking her damp head as she descended into the empty seat beside Ella who continued to focus only on her cell phone her headphones firmly placed in her ears "Ella, put your phone away its time to eat

She let out a heavy sigh as she ripped the headphones from her ears tucking them safely inside her pocket before reaching for the food, Aria giving her a deathly stare "What?"

"Emma's not here yet"

"When is she ever here for breakfast? She's probably on the phone with Noah" She groaned crossing her arms over her chest as she sat back "I'm sorry, I didn't mean it like that"

"I know you didn't Ella, but you have to understand how she's feeling right now" Aria tried to explain taking a seat across from Tori staring at the girl intently "Will you please take that sticker off of your nose? Does anyone actually believe that you have a piercing?"

Tori laughed as she took the dazzled sticker off of her nose "I just wanted to see how it looked, I actually pulled it off didn't I?"

The brunette glanced at her aunt as she gave her a disapproving look "I don't peg you as the type to have a nose piercing, you don't really have the bad girl image"

"Thanks"

"Any time, darling" She turned her head to the sound of footsteps growing closer to the kitchen watching as Ezra entered quietly whispering into the phone a look of utter shock consuming his face "You're kidding me? I can't do that, no she can't do that either! You can't make…go to hell!" He whined slamming the phone down onto the table as he took his seat next to his wife who stared up at him waiting for an explanation "It nothing, just work stuff"

"Is everything okay?"

"It's fine, I promise" He leaned down towards Aria placing a delicate kiss on her lips running his fingers through her soft hair his mind drifting back to the first time he laid eyes on her, remembering every reason he loved her "I love you so much" He whispered once there lips parted

"Je te aime" She replied giving him a quick grin as she took in his confused face "Its French for I love you, Tori taught me" She glanced toward her niece who sat with a smile on her face as she gulped down her glass of orange juice her eyes darting towards the stairs

"Is Emma coming down?"

"I'm not sure if she's awake yet, when I passed her room the lights were out" Ezra explained filling his empty coffee mug with the warm drink adding sugar to it before taking a sip

"Ella can you go check on her?" Aria asked catching Ella as she rolled her eyes angrily "Please? You know she talks to you more than she talks to us"

"Whatever" Ella whined jumping to her feet moving quickly to the stairs storming upstairs resting her knuckles on Emma's door pausing for a moment before knocking. She wanted to help her sister, that's all she wanted. When her parents called her to tell her about what happened, they gave her a choice she could either stay at her school or come home, there was no thinking she knew she needed to come home. Ever since she had gotten home she tried her best to be there for Emma she did everything, she went to the trial she watched as they forced Emma to retell the events of the night of her attack, she was there when they called her a liar, a slut, a dumb teen who brought this upon herself, she was there through it all. It was getting exhausting, she didn't know how much more she had left in her, she didn't know how much more she could do, she always tried to talk to Emma, she tried to bond with her, she did they were getting better, they were getting close again, but she knew deep in her heart it would never be the same. "Emma?" She questioned knocking lightly on the door bringing her hand to the doorknob swinging the door opened as she slowly stepped inside "Em? Are you eating breakfast?"

"Get out" She warned pulling the covers over her head hiding herself underneath her pillow "I don't want to get up today"

"Really? You do realize your gonna have to get up for school right?" She stepped further into the room taking a seat at Emma's desk her eyes scanning the cluttered room "Emma!" She shouted turning to face the bed "Are you even listening to me?"

"No"

"Why do you have to act like this? Do you think this is gonna help you or something? Do you think shutting us out is gonna make you feel better? Your being a bitch, okay!" She yelled getting back to her feet pushing the chair away from her causing it to crash into the wall sending numerous objects from the bookshelves crashing towards the ground "I'm trying to help you! I'm doing the best I can, do you think I want to see you suffering like this? Do you think I want to see you struggling to forget what that bastard did to you? But if you want to shut me out, I don't give a fuck!" Ella waited a minute hoping and praying that Emma would give any sign that she was affected by her sister's words "Go ahead, throw yourself a pity party like I said I don't care anymore"

"Ella?" Aria questioned hearing her daughter descend the steps moving towards the front door "What was all that yelling about?"

"Nothing, just Emma being a fucking coward" She shot back storming outside of the house slamming the door forcefully behind her marching down the street her arms crossed over her chest her mind full of nothing but pure fury. She didn't want to yell at Emma, she didn't want to be mad at Emma, but it seemed like nothing she did was good enough, it seemed like everything she said made her angry or upset. All she wanted was for Emma to be happy, to move on from what happened last year to get on with her life. "Damn you Emma" She groaned to herself as she continued to walk alone heading towards school although it wouldn't start for another two hours.

"Did you say something?"

"Oh sorry, I was just talking to myself" She explained turning to greet the owner of the voice "Hey" She smiled recognizing the face from the first day of school

"Hi" He replied reciprocating her smile "Your Emma right?" He asked his eyes scanning her body quickly

"No" Ella answered sadly sick and tired of Emma coming before her "I'm Ella, her younger sister" She outstretched her hand feeling as he gripped it in his own bringing it to his lips

"Pleasure to meet you Ella, I'm Tate"

His eyes were kind, the light brown color reflecting her image in them, his smile crooked but yet seemingly perfect, his sandy colored hair styled in the all too popular Bieber flip, she stared at him intently committing his looks to memory, noticing his toned arms his athletic body a smile crossing her face as she caught him watching her.

"So are you gonna say something or just keep checking me out?" He joked interrupting her thoughts "I mean I'm not against it, but if your gonna check me out I could flex or something"

"No, you look just fine" She admitted moving her eyes back towards his getting lost in them for a moment losing all sense of time, losing all sense of reality "I'll see you at school?" She stuttered looking away from his chocolate orbs afraid of losing herself in them again

"I could walk you if you want" He suggested desperate to spend as much time with her as he could "If it's okay with you"

"Sure" Ella grinned finally feeling as if someone truly cared, finally happy that someone was giving her the slightest amount of attention something both of her parents had failed to do ever since she returned home

He threw the shirt over his body covering his chest placing his signature leather jacket on his shoulders before grabbing his messenger bag strapping it over his arm quickly heading towards his bedroom door. He wiped his tired eyes as he shuffled to the kitchen the overwhelming stench of burnt food filling the room.

"Mom!" He screamed running to the stove where the bacon sat fire raising from the pan "Mom!"

"What's wrong?" She asked joining her son in the kitchen pulling her hair into a tight bun "Damn" She cursed seeing Noah splash water onto the steamy pan "I'm so sorry, I wasn't paying attention"

"Obviously! Where the hell were you?" He asked angrily crying out in pain as he felt his hand graze the hot pan, a burn beginning to raise on his hand "Was Jess making you watch Jamie again? Doesn't she know that you're not always gonna be there?"

"That's not the reason" Ali explained desperate to hide her new anger towards her son after hearing his recent words "I was with.."

"Oh" He groaned "You were with her again? Did she stay here? You know how dad feels about that, if he finds out he's gonna try and get custody of us again"

"Please, we were talking last night and it got late and we just feel asleep" She turned her head to look over her shoulder as she spoke making sure no one was coming "Just try and treat her nicely, the last three times you've seen her, you've basically ignored her completely"

"How nice can I be to someone who broke up my parents? Can I ask you something? Is she the reason you broke up the first time? Is she the reason I had to miss out on 14 years with my mom and twin sister?"

"No" Ali reassured him placing a comforting hand on his shoulder "But our divorce isn't because of her, not entirely at least. You have to understand if I felt something for someone else and stayed with your father it wouldn't be fair to him, I know this isn't easy for you and I'm so so sorry about this but I need to be happy and now I am"

He took a deep breath knowing that he couldn't ask her to stay with someone who didn't make her happy, although secretly wishing that they could be a family again "I get it mom, you didn't need to get all emotional on me, if Emily makes you happy you should be with her"

"Morning" Jess greeted happily joining the two in the kitchen Jamie gurgling in her arms "Did you burn something?" She asked sniffing the smoky air noticing the faint smell of burning food "Mom, why would you let Noah cook?"

"I didn't, I might have gotten distracted and let the food burn" She confessed as yet another person joined the group "Hey" She grinned leaning against the kitchen counter as she felt the taller girl press her lips into her own "Morning"

"Morning to you to" She replied sliding her hand into the blondes grasp "Oh, good morning" She said awkwardly suddenly becoming aware of the others in the room

"Don't let us interrupt, I'm going off to school anyway please continue" Jess giggled walking over to her mom "Thanks again for watching her, I promise I'll find a daycare in a few days"

"No rush, I love spending time with Jamie" She confessed her voice high pitched as she spoke to her granddaughter "I'm her favorite grandma, right? I'm much better than Grandma Spencer aren't I?"

"Mom it isn't a contest!" Jess laughed grabbing her bag off of the kitchen table "I'll see you in a few hours sweetheart" She said giving Jamie a gentle kiss on her forehead before turning to Noah "Am I driving you?"

"Yeah I'll be out in a few minutes" He answered watching as she strutted outside "Morning Emily, it's nice seeing you" He gave her a quick smile before disappearing outside meeting his sister in her car laying his head on the cool window reflecting on his conflicting thoughts. On the one hand he loved seeing his mom happy, he loved how happy Emily made her, but on the other hand everything that his mom had his dad didn't, he lost everything when they split up, he lost his wife, his kids. He didn't have anything now that he didn't have his family.

"What are you thinking about?" Jess asked curiously seeing her brother's intense stare

"Nothing, just our issues"

"Like our family issues? Or Emma issues?" Jess questioned seeking further clarification

"Emma issues? I don't have Emma issues!" He insisted denying the accusation as he turned to face his sister as she pulled into the school parking lot taking one on the last available spots

"Noah you can't seriously think everything between you two is okay, every time you kiss her she freaks out, every time you hold her hand she gets scared"

"But you know why she does that, she went through hell when Ty attacked her I don't expect her to just be over it already" He swung opened the passenger door as he climbed out moving back towards his sister hoping to finish their conversation "One day she's gonna put all of this behind her, I'm just waiting for that day to come"

"Keep waiting Noah, it may take a long time for her to feel safe again"

"I know" He admitted sadly hating that Jess was right, hating that he knew he would have to wait months maybe even years until Emma was her old self. It seemed like everyone in this god damn town had issues, it felt like everyone here was going through some shit that was beyond their control, he just couldn't wait until this year ended and he could get the hell out of Rosewood. He needed to escape all the drama that followed him, he needed to forget about all the problems from high school and leave it all behind. It was surprising, he had only lived in Rosewood for a year and a few months and yet it still seemed to long, it seemed to hard, he needed to get out while he still could, he didn't want to end up like his mom who seemed trapped in Rosewood unable to leave the city for a mere two minutes. "Jess"

"Yeah?" She answered pausing in front of the steps of the school

"Do you think she's gonna be okay? I worry about her"

"Don't worry Noah, everything is gonna work out just fine, I promise you. Just trust that Emma is strong enough to move past this"

He watched as his sister disappeared inside the school as the first bell rang throughout the school ground signaling all students to find there first period class, he stayed there for a moment thinking back on everything that had happened over the last few months, Emma's attack, Jamie coming home, his parents' divorce it was a lot and yet here he was dealing with it, he could do it, he could bare all of these struggles he was strong enough. Or at least he would like to think he was.