Jaden Hossler's Little Sister

Chapter 30-It's Just Four Years

Isabella's POV
It's been a month since my breakup with Quinton. He and Cynthia are back and better than ever. Meanwhile, my mental health is declining! So much fun. So to occupy my time, I went back to cutting. But this time, I'm not asking for help. I have a feeling that I can come out of this on my own now. But now, it's time for me to go to school. I put on light blue jeans and a light grey t shirt. Just something really basic. And I head to school.

At School...
So I'm in Math right now. And the teacher is handing out our tests that we took yesterday. And I got a B. That's weird. I usually get an A. Oh well, maybe it was a hard test. I'll do better next time.

When school is finished, I take out my phone to see a missed call from Jaden. So I return the call.

Start of call
Me: Hey Jaden. You called?
Jaden: Hey Bella. Yeah. I was just calling to let you know that the boys and I are gonna be in Texas for like a week.
Me: And you left without telling me first? Wow. Thanks.
Jaden: You have school. So Chase is gonna pick you up, drop you off at Sway so you can pack clothes for a week, and then you'll be staying at the Hype House for a week.
Me: Okay. Bye. Have a good week.
End of the call

As soon as the call is finished, Chase shows up. I get in his car. And sure enough, he drops me off at Sway. I pack some things that I need for the week. And then, I go back to Chase's car and we go to the Hype House.

When we arrive, I go to the guest room and start making myself at home. And then I go to the TikTok bathroom where everyone else is.
Some people are making TikToks. Some people are scrolling through TikTok. Some people are talking.

I find a dance that I wanna do, practice it like 10 times. And then I start filming it. I get it right on the 3rd take. And then I make a TikTok with the girls. And then the guys make a TikTok. And then all of us film one together. At the same time. It's pretty fun.

That Night
⚠️TRIGGER WARNING⚠️
We're all hanging out in the living room. Talking, listening to music, and just doing whatever us teens and young adults do. And then out of nowhere, I feel the urge to cut. But it thankfully goes away. And then it comes back. So I head upstairs to the bathroom. But just as I'm about to make a cut, Chase walks in.

Chase's POV
All of us are hanging out in the living room. Everyone is in a good mood. But as I'm observing Bella, her facial expression changes for a second. Then it goes back to normal. And then she just gets up and goes upstairs. That's a little strange. I hope we didn't say anything. Maybe I should go check on her. And that's exactly what I do. I go to check on her. And when I find her, I'm shocked. She's holding a blade to her wrist. About to make a cut. But as soon as she sees me, she drops the blade. And then she just sinks into me and starts crying. I hug her back. Still shaken by what she was about to do.

And then we go to my room. We both sit down on my bed. At first we're both silent. And then Bella says, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to." I say, "Bella. You don't have to apologize. But if you don't mind me asking. Why would you do this?" "I...I...I," she falters. And then she takes a deep breath and says, "I started after Jaden moved." "Why?" I ask. "I missed him. I needed him there for me. I'm not that close with my sisters Haley and Sophie. And Jaden gets what I go through," she says. "Ohhh," I say. By the end of her conversation, she shows me the cuts that she started making again. And then she starts crying. I bring her in for a hug and I start crying. But then I remind myself that I have to be her support right now. So I tell her, "Izzy. You are surrounded by people who love you SO much. The world needs you. Jaden needs you. I need you. I'm here if you need anyone to talk to." And then I hug her tighter.
⚠️END OF TRIGGER WARNING ⚠️

End of the Week
So over the week Chase and I have really bonded. I like him now. Like like. I think I'm gonna tell him. "Hey Bella!" Addison calls up. "The boys are outside!" "Just a second!" I call down. I rush to Chase's room. Tripping over my feet in the process. When I walk into his room, he says, "Yes?" I say, "Chase. I have something to tell you." "What is it?" he asks sitting up getting a little worried. "I like you," I say. "Bella..." he says. "I don't...I mean I like you but...the age...difference." "Oh come on Chase," I complain. "You're born in 2002 and I'm born in 2006. It's just 4 years. And age is just a number!" "It is just 4 years," Chase says smiling. And then he helps me with my bags. After he puts them in the car, we go in for a kiss. And then I get in the car. The boys give me death stares. "It's just 4 years," I say shrugging.