Glee: To the Next Level (the second book in the Glee series)

Chapter 55: Anger

"So..." murmured Cory as he, Julie and their dad sat together for dinner. "Dad, are we going to tell her or..?"

Their father sighed, putting down his fork. "Honey," he said to Julie. "We are going to hold a funeral service for Isabella this Friday and—"

"No," Julie said, composed. "No way in hell."

"Julie, it's the least—" Cory began.

"Don't say it!" she cut him off angrily. "You know what she should've done? She should've stuck around. She should've been here for us. Here. We needed our mother and she just left for no good reason." She stood up, leaving her untouched food behind, and ran up to her room, where she slammed the door. She was ready to pull out her book again, but once it was in her hands she instead tossed it across the room. 

She grabbed her backpack and pulled out her AP US History notes, ready to start going over them. When she opened her notebook, a slip of paper fell out. She picked it up and unfolded it, only to find that it was a note from Ryder.

Just because you're beautiful when you do, I'm going to need you to keep smiling. 

She rolled her eyes, placing the note aside and pulling out her phone, with which she called Ryder. When he answered, "Hey!" excitedly she grinned.

"You want to come over?" she asked. "I'm super bored?"

"Oh, man," he said with disappointment, "I wish I could but this English essay is kicking my butt. Seriously, I just made it for the last one and now another one. It's insane."

"I could help you," she offered.

"And be more bored?" he responded. "No, I wouldn't do that to you with everything going on right now. Besides, you have your own work to do, right?"

"You aren't going to tell me I should be taking a break?" she asked, rubbing her temples as a headache began to develop.

"Why would I recommend that?" he said. "You should be doing the things you love."

"I know, right?" she said, smiling. "Finally someone who gets it! I should be doing my regular things and Cory should be at school! And you won't believe what my dad and Cory want to do. It's—"

She stopped talking when Cory walked inside. "Can we talk?" he said.

"Don't you knock?" she snapped at him. To Ryder she said, "Hey, I guess I'll tell you more at school tomorrow."

"Yeah, no problem," he responded. "Just remember you're great and I love everything about you."

She smiled before saying, "Goodnight." Once she had ended the call, her smile faded as she looked up at her brother, who was closing the door.

"There's something we think you should know," he said, sitting down beside her. "About Isabella. And why she left."

"I don't want to hear it," Julie immediately responded, shaking her head.

"You have to," Cory sighed. "The truth is she didn't leave."

"What?" Julie said, confused. "But Dad said..."

"I know what he said," he replied. "She left us. But she didn't. Dad had her sent away."

"What?" Julie mumbled once again, not understanding anything. "Why would he..?"

"Because she was sick," their dad said from the doorway. "She was terrible sick and I feared she'd one day hurt you two."

"You mean she was bipolar?" Julie said coldly. "That was her illness so you had her shipped away? What? Were you going to do the same to me some day when things got out of hand?" She stood up and walked into her closet angrily.