Letters to Isabella

thirty three.

Isabella's POV

"Are you sure this wasn't a bad idea?" I nervously asked Dean for what felt like the fifth time in a row since my dad had dropped us both off at school.

Dean, as usual, turned his head and smiled wearily at me, throwing his arm around my shoulder and pulling me close to his chest as we headed towards our homeroom. "Izzy, I told you before, I'm fine." He explained, stretching his arms outwards. "Life goes on. The world isn't going to stop turning just so I can pity myself."

I pouted my lips like a child and folded my arms across my chest. "Well it should."

He chuckled and shook his head, guiding me into the large building in front of us where our homeroom was located. "You're sweet Izzy." He murmured, closing the door to the building behind us. "But you're also very unrealistic."

I rolled my eyes. "I'm empathetic."

Dean smirked and held open the door to our homeroom for me. "That's the same thing."

We headed inside and grabbed a chair each near the front of the class, waiting patiently for our tutor to arrive. Dean pulled out his cellphone and began to type rather quickly to someone. I frowned and glanced at him. "Have you heard anything from any of your family members?" I asked innocently. I truly was curious to find out if any of them had bothered to contact him.

Dean nodded slightly and tucked his cellphone back into his pocket. "Kind of." He began, stroking the edge of his chin; he was thinking about something. "My grandmother... well, I think she's my grandmother — she contacted me during the early hours of this morning."

I frowned again. "Oh. What did she say?"

Dean shrugged and kept his head low. "She's offered for me to go and live with her for a little while... you know, until my father is better."

"Dean, that's great!" I exclaimed, beaming widely at him. "You should definitely take her up on that offer."

He laughed nervously to himself and began to shake his head back and forth. "I can't Izzy."

"Huh?" I murmured. "Why not?"

There was absolutely no reason why Dean shouldn't take his 'grandmother' up on her offer. He'd get to live nearby, attend the same school, keep in contact with everyone he loves and continue to play on the field as the school's quarterback. What more could he want?

"She lives out of state, Izzy." He explained, making my heart drop into the pit of my stomach. "I wouldn't be able to attend this school anymore, it would be too far away for me to go back and forth each day."

I bit my lip in a desperate attempt to hold my tears back. Although he said he didn't want to go that didn't mean he one hundred percent wouldn't. Adults were stronger than children; everyone knows that. If his grandmother contacts any lawyers or child services to gain custody of Dean whilst his father is mentally bettering himself he wouldn't have a choice but to obey.

"Don't go." I whispered, avoiding his gaze. I was supposed to be his best friend; although I had a crush on him I couldn't let him know that — I couldn't make myself vulnerable. "You're my best friend, I'd be lost without you here by my side."

Dean chuckled and pulled me close to his chest, wrapping his arms gently around my body. I felt so safe wrapped up in his embrace, he felt like a safety blanket and until now I hadn't realised how much I cared about him. "Izzy, I'm not going anywhere, I promise."

I held my pinky finger out and eagerly latched it onto his. "Apple pie swear?"

Apple pie had been something that Dean and I had fought over the first day we'd met. There was one slice left in the cafeteria and desperately we both grabbed a hold of it, nearly dropping both of our trays of food. In the end, we both tore a piece apart and ate it together at our own little table during detention for causing disruption during the lunch hour. That was where we came up with the 'apple pie swear' it was stupid, but it meant something to us and that was enough for me.