Kayla's POV

When Mum and Dad decided to end their marriage, it hit me harder than I could have imagined. The absence of the twins could have dragged my mental health into a deeper pit, but thankfully, they were there. The thing was, while they were by my side, they couldn’t truly grasp the whirlwind of emotions I was grappling with. They hadn’t lived through that kind of heartache.

I wanted to be the support that Fiona needed, especially when she surprised me with an embrace, tears streaming down her cheeks. I instinctively stiffened; it’s strange to comfort someone when you’re still figuring out your own feelings.

“Are you feeling better?” I asked for what felt like the fourth time.

“Yeah. Thanks again,” she replied, her voice a hoarse whisper.

“It’s tough; I remember the fights Mum and Dad used to have before they divorced. I spent countless nights crying myself to sleep, convinced it was all my fault. But it wasn’t, and it isn’t your fault either,” I said, hoping to offer some solace.

“There are times when it’s just so hard to believe that,” she admitted.

“I know it can feel overwhelming. Just remember, it’s not your fault. I can’t tell you not to let it bother you because I know that’s nearly impossible, but you can always try to remind yourself," I replied gently.

“Thanks, Kayla,” she said, and I could see some of the heaviness lift from her shoulders.

“Let’s order dinner—what do you feel like? There’s nothing to eat in the house,” I suggested, eager to shift the focus towards something a bit lighter.

“Oh, okay! I’d love a small pepperoni pizza,” she chirped, a hint of enthusiasm returning to her voice.

“Perfect! Pepperoni it is!” I said, placing the order with a grin, trying to rekindle the mood.

We settled into an easy silence as we awaited our food, and to break the stillness, I flicked on the TV.

Soon enough, the doorbell rang—our food had arrived.

“Thanks!” I said, handing a £20 tip to the delivery man, trying to keep things positive.

I set the pizza on the table, opened the box, and invited her to dig in.

We munched on our pizza in quiet companionship, the hum of the TV filling the gaps in our conversation.

After we finished eating, I realized it was time to see if she wanted to stay the night or head home.

“Do you want to stay over for a bit?” I asked, curious to keep her company.

“No, thanks. But really, I appreciate everything,” she replied.

The sun had dipped below the horizon, leaving the sky a deep blue tinged with dusk.

“Alright, then. I’ll drive you home,” I said, wanting to make sure she got back safely.

“Thanks, Kayla,” she replied, and I could see the relief in her eyes.

“No problem. Let’s go get you home,” I said as we hopped into the car.

As we pulled up to her house, we waved goodbye, watching each other disappear into the night. I didn't leave until I saw her safely inside.

Walking into my own quiet house, a familiar pang hit my chest. I wished things were different—like the twins' lively family life—or envied Lila’s relationship with Paul. I longed for something similar, something comforting.

“Yeah, Lila, I’m on my way!” I said into the phone, locking the door behind me.

I realized I was running late for school; I had overslept after a long night.

I jumped into my car and sped towards campus, making a sharp turn into the parking lot. To my relief, I spotted Lila and Luca waiting at the entrance.

“Hey, guys!” I called as I approached them.

“Hey, Kayla! You almost made us late,” Lila teased with a gentle smirk.

“I overslept—a late night, you know,” I admitted.

“It happens. Let’s get to class; it’s about to start,” Luca interjected, leading the way.

In Math class, I settled into my seat next to Lila, who was diligently focused on her quiz. The clock’s ticking began to distract me; each tick felt like it echoed in my mind as I hurried through the equations.

After solving my last question, I looked up to find I was one of the last ones left in the room. Just my luck.

On my way to submit my paper, Fiona stood up to do the same. We ended up leaving the classroom together.

“That was brutal! I think I bombed it,” Fiona lamented, her stressed expression matching mine.

“You probably did better than you think. Don’t stress,” I reassured her.

“How did yours go?” she asked, her brows raised in curiosity.

“Math’s not usually my strength, but I feel like I managed okay,” I said, trying to keep my optimism alive.

“I’m sure you’ll get a good grade,” she replied, offering a hopeful smile.

“Fingers crossed,” I said, returning her grin as we joined up with Lila and Luca.

“What was it like for you guys?” Lila inquired as they approached.

“Mine was a disaster, I think,” Fiona admitted dejectedly.

“I think mine was okay,” I replied, gauging their reactions.

“It went well for us,” they chimed in.

“The results come out in three days,” I mentioned, a small wave of anxiety creeping in.

“Are you nervous?” Fiona probed, her eyes fixed on me.

“Kind of,” I confessed, my heart racing at the thought.

Just then, Ashley and Jake strolled over.

“Hey, everyone!” Ashley greeted brightly.

“Hi, Ash!” I replied, feeling the day’s stress lift slightly.

“That quiz was ridiculously hard! How’d you all do?” she continued.

“I think I totally bummed it,” Fiona sighed, her head hanging.

“Same here; it was a mess,” Ashley added.

“How about you, Jake?” Lila asked.

“It was fair enough,” he shrugged, a nonchalant smile on his face.

Suddenly, the bell rang.

“Let’s get to class, everyone!” Luca announced, and we all started moving.

As we weaved through the crowded hallway, I noticed Fiona lagging behind, gripping a locker for support.

“Are you okay?” I asked, concerned.

“Yeah! Just a bit tired,” she replied, forcing a smile.

“Hey, are you guys coming?” Jake called from further down the hallway.

“Can you keep going? I’ll catch up,” I said to Fiona, who nodded.

As we started walking again, I heard a loud thud next to me. My heart dropped as I turned to find Fiona had collapsed. Luca wasted no time, rushing over and scooping her up to carry her to the nurse’s office, and I hurriedly followed.

Inside the nurse’s office, he laid her gently on the bed. The nurse quickly assessed her condition and administered a shot.

“She’ll be fine,” the nurse assured us and some of the tension in my shoulders relaxed.

Lila and the rest of our group waited outside, and I quickly dialled Fiona’s mum to explain the situation and let her know what had happened.

"Her mum's on her way," I told the nurse, trying to keep my voice steady.

The nurse smiled reassuringly. "No problem at all. You guys can head to class now; I'll handle it from here."

"Will she be okay?" I pressed, anxiety creeping into my tone.

"She will," she insisted, her expression calm. "Really, you can go to class."

With a heavy heart, we turned and left, my mind racing with worries about Fiona. By lunchtime, I could no longer concentrate on anything else, so I decided to seek out the nurse.

"Hey, I brought a friend in earlier," I said as I stepped into the nurse's office.

"Fiona? Oh, her mum already picked her up," the nurse responded, her tone light.

"How was she doing before she left?" I asked, my concern deepening.

The nurse's demeanour shifted slightly. "She was doing better," she replied, looking away for a moment.

"Okay, thanks," I said, a knot forming in my stomach. I promised myself I would visit Fiona on my way home.

Later, I found the twins in the bustling cafeteria, and I couldn't wait to update them.

"Did you find her?" Luca asked, his face lighting up with genuine interest.

"No, her mum already took her," I said, trying to keep the worry out of my voice.

"She seemed fine earlier. What happened?" Lila chimed in, her brows furrowed.

"I don't know, but I'm really worried. I plan on visiting her after school—wanna come with?" I proposed, hoping they'd say yes.

"Absolutely! She's our friend too," they replied enthusiastically.

"Alright, it’s settled then," Luca declared, determination flashing in his eyes.

Before we knew it, the final bell rang, and we quickly made our way to the parking lot, anticipation mixed with unease. As we drove toward Fiona's house, my phone began to ring urgently. I glanced at the screen and saw it was Mum. My heart raced; I didn’t want to answer, but the ringing persisted, and I finally picked up.

"Hello, is this Kayla?" a serious voice on the other end asked.

"Yes, it is. Where's my mum?" I managed to ask; fear crept in, tightening its grip on my chest.

"This is the emergency unit. Your mum fainted at work," she said, the words crashing over me like a wave.

The phone slipped from my hand, and panic surged through me. I swerved the car away from our original route, desperation driving me to get to my mum’s side.