I ignored the pounding in my head. I pushed past the people in the crowded street. The California heat was beating down on me hard. Like the pain in my heart, I ignored it. I don't know what's wrong with me. I just feel like I need to keep moving. Keep pushing past people. I don't even know where I'm going. I push past more people. They look at me, some yell. I ignore. I keep walking. I don't know where I'm going. I just keep moving. I'm afraid if I don't keep walking then I'll break into tears. My heart is beating so hard I can feel it hitting off my chest. I struggle to catch my breath. Pretty soon I escape the crowd. I push past into a street where it's silent. No one is down here. I lean agains't the tall brick wall next to me. I try to slow down my breathing. try to stop my heart from beating so fast that I think I'm going to die.

"Gabriella?"

I slowly turned my head to see Taylor standing a few feet away from me.

"What are you doing here Gabriella? Shouldn't you be at home? I heard about what happened." She looked at me then I seen her head fall. She looked at the ground. I felt my heart beat slow down. I felt like the sun was a few inches from me and I was burning to death. I couldn't speak but I knew I had to. I couldn't just stand there looking at Taylor.

"How did yuou hear?" I whispered.

"News like that travels fast around here." She said as she took a step closer to me. "Is she dead?"

My eyes began to fill up with tears. I looked at Taylor and I felt like my whole world had come crashing down on top of me. "I'm so sorry Taylor."

"Hey." She said walking up to me. I felt her put her arms around me. I felt her pulling me closer to her but I dind't move. I stayed standing in the same spot. I could hardly feel her arms around my shoulders. "You have nothing to be sorry about Gabriella. I should be the one who's sorry. I was a total bitch. I knew you liked Troy. I knew you loved him and I went and slept with him and ended up getting pregnant. It was never meant to happen. I swear! I didn't want to sleep with him. I don't want to have this baby. I want things to go back to normal. They way they used to be when we were best friends and we did everything together. When you weren't sick and. . . " She faded out after the last bit. My head was down, tear drops were falling from my eyes. I could feel them running down my cheeks.

"And before my mom was gone." I whispered before I could stop myself.

"Do you wanna go home?" She asked rubbing my back.

"No. It hurts too much."

"It'll be ok Gabriella. You're not alone. I'm here for you." She whispered.

"How will it be Ok Taylor? My mom is after killing herself."

She just stood there. Looking at me. I burst into tears and hid my face in my hands.

"Come on." She said pulling my hand away from my face. "Let's go to my house."

Silently I walked with her. For the whole walk to her house I didn't say a word, I just cried.

I never liked being in Taylor's house because of what her dad did to me when I was little but today he wasn't there. I felt weird sitting at her kitchen table. The last time I was here she told me she was pregant. Her stomach had gotten bigger. Not big enough to tell she was pregant, it just looked like she ate a big lunch and she was a bit bloated. I looked down at the wooden table. The kitchen was really quiet. It felt horrible.

"Do you want some coffee?" Taylor asked.

"No thanks." I whispered.

"When was the last time you ate something Gabriella?"

"I dunno, but I'm not hungry. I don't want anything."

"Ok, I'm not gonna force you." She sighed. She sat down on the chair across from me. "How did you find out?" She asked looking down at her hands.

I looked down not wanting her to look at me. "My dad rang me." More tears fell from my eyes. "They were meant to come home today. She was meant to be getting better but last night she... she..." My words caught in my mouth and I couldn't speak. I just sat there, crying. While my best friend looked over at me, with one hand on her stomach. Like she was holding her baby. Her baby that she's having with my boyfriend.

"It's ok baby." Taylor's words came out soft. I slowly looked up. My hair fell into my eyes.

The room fell silent. None of us said anything.

The door bell rang breaking the silence. Without a word Taylor stood up and walked out of the kitchen. I didn't, I just sat there, trying to gather my thoughts together. Everything was so blurred right now.

"Hey baby." I heard from the hall. Straight away I knew who it was. I felt my heart breaking in my chest again and again.

"Shhh! Be quiet. You shouldn't even be here! Gabriella is in the kitchen." I heard Taylor whisper.

"Oh shit What's she doing here? I thought you guys weren't friends anymore."

I slowly got off the chair in the kitchen trying not to make a sound. I walked over to the door leading into the hallway. Standing there, looking perfect like always was Troy. He had his arms around Taylor. He was smiling down at her.

"We're not." I said answering Troy's question. It was hard keeping the hurt from my voice but somehow I managed. I pushed back the tears and crossed my arms over my chest. Troy pulled back from Taylor and stepped back from her.

"Gab... Gabriella... Wha... What are you doing here babygirl?"

Still trying to keep the hurt from my voice I said "Don't babygirl me Troy."

"Troy, you should go." Taylor said.

"No." I said walking closer to Troy. "Let him stay Taylor." I looked at her. "Let him stay and explain to me what he's doing here. I know it's not to visit the unborn baby." I looked at Troy, he looked down at his shoes. "Go on Troy. Why are you here?"

I was sick and tired of taking crap of him. I was sick of the lies with him. The I love you, you're the only one for me crap. I was sick of him treating me like I was a baby that couldn't take care of herself.

I can't believe I was so stupid to believe that he wasn't with Taylor. How could I not see it?

"Troy was just... hummmm..." Taylor looked

I looked at Troy again. He looked away from me when our eyes met.

"Troy came over because he was...Hmmm... He... He..." Taylor was never good at thinking on the spot, normally she'd freak out and start stuttering, that's when you'd know she was lying.

I was trying my best to keep the tears inside me, but I could feel them coming over my eyes. My vision was getting blurry. I blinked the tears away but they just kept coming back.

"I don't think I should have to explain anything to you Gabriella. Taylor's having my baby, should I not be allowed come over to her house?" Troy asked finally looking me in the eye.

"This is what you wanted Troy, wasn't it? Too get Taylor and me? Too hurt me even more then I already am now. Too rip the last bit of love I had left inside... well thank you. You did it. Mom died last night and now you've killed the rest of me."

"Wh... What?" He looked at me, confusing spreding around his features.

"Her mom over dosed last night on her sleeping pills and she died... She never woke up.. Troy.." Taylor Whispered.

"Gabriella... I.. I'm so sorry.. I.. I didn't.." He stuttered as he walked over to me.

"Save it Troy." I siaid

He put his arm up. . . To hug me maybe. I pushed it away as the first of the tears began to spill over. I tried my best to choke them back but they just wouldn't stop. I pushed my way past Troy & Taylor, wanting only to leave the house, everyone in it and every horrible memory it held to me.

I just wanted to let go of everything. All the horrible things that had happened to me. My mom was gone now, everytime I thought about her my heart broke over and over again. I needed to find a way to get rid of everything. To stop hurting. To get a release.