HOME IS WHERE THE HEART IS…
"Phi we're here."
I looked at over at Monica, my rehab sponsor. I will say I've had many sponsors, but she is one of the few that gives an actual fuck. Monie, as I called her, is one of those goodie too shoos that help people to just want to help people. Weird… Yeah I know. It's actually quite hard to find people like that is this dark and lonely world. She one of those natural beauties, yeah know, she has these bright green eyes that just bounced off my chocolate one as she stares at me. She's actually pretty much the closes thing I've ever had to a mother, I guess. She's been with me through the ugly and the nasty. I met Monie at AA once. It was one of those cliché moments you know, new girl doesn't want to go to class and thinks it's a waste of time and old timer steps in and changes new girl's point of view. The End. Turns out Monie's wasn't the saint everyone made her out to be. Apparently, it took her waking up in the empty church with a heroin needle to realize she needed to get her life together. After that AA meeting we've been together ever since.
"Oh Good," I rolled my eyes as I looked out the window. Everything is green, green and wet.
She laughed as she ruffed my dark, curly hair, "Hey it was either this or some dump down in Seattle."
"I should have taken the dump," I said as I read the Indian Reservation sign, "Welcome to La Push".
"I forgot how much of a crap hole this place was.
Monica laughed, "Come on give it a shot they sound like really nice people. Just give them a chance."
"Yeah okay. They're supposed to sound nice, they're family," I stated as I watched the trees pass by.
I'm on my way now to my brother's, Sam Uley's house. Apparently, the only time someone wants to be a part of your family is when you're the last of it. To let you know how we fit into the same gene pool we're twins. Same dead-beat dad and same phyco mother. Okay that was wrong of me. We had a good mom, she kept a roof over our heads and drugs in our bodies. No, I'm not joking, after my dead-beat dad decided he was done playing house and left my mom she turned into one of those stereotypical druggie Indians and well the apple didn't fall far from the tree. Sam well, he swears he's never done drugs, but I'm not dumb. If you see him, you could defiantly tell he's on steroids or some shit. When we turned 18 our mom OD and Sam ran away. He left everything, his home, his girlfriend, and obviously me. I saw him two weeks later at mom's funeral. He was a foot taller and looked like he was 30. Now tell me what you think happened…yeah me to. Anyway, we had a falling out after that. He ran back to the Reservation and me I went and did bigger and better things AKA I found a drug dealer, fell in love and fucked myself.
"This house is so cute," Monica squealed.
As I stepped out of the car I looked up and saw a small cabin house and smirked, "I must admit it is pretty cute. Not something I'd ever picture Sam living in."
"It was Emily's pick."
I looked over and saw him as he opened the door, it was Sam.
"Yeah, who's Emily?"
Sam walked down the stairs and took the bags from Monie, "My fiancé and I expected you to be nice."
I faked gasped, "Who me, be nice? It's like you don't even know me."
His smirked washed from his face, "I mean it Ophelia one wrong word and you're out."
I rolled my eyes and walked past him, "Oh shut up Sam."
He growled, "I mean it Ophelia!" as he grabbed my arm.
I looked at him like he at three heads, "Umm… Did you just growl at me?!"
"Damn it Ophelia!" Sam shouted, as he dropped my bags at me.
"Sam! Pick those back up. You must me Ophelia. Sam's told me so much about you."
I looked over and saw a woman standing next to Monie. She was average looking medium built with long black hair, cute, some would call her but, on her face, ran a giant scar, actually it was three, three giant scars.
"And you must me Emily." I smirked as I threw my bags at Sam.
She laughed, "Why yes I am. Would you like to come inside and stop fighting with your brother? I made cookies."
Monica laughed, "Ohhh we love cookies don't we Phi!"
"Only the peanut butter ones Monie," I reminded her.
"Well the group likes chocolate chip, I'll have to make peanut butter next time," Emily smiled.
"Works for me!" Monie squealed.
"What group? Y'all have your little own AA here?" I asked
Sam came in and put my bags next to the sofa and walked over to Emily.
"No, no AA meeting here," Emily stated she handed me a plate, "Sam is one of the youth leaders here Reservation we have young men that come here and do community service with Sam."
"Community service? You need that Phi!" Monie screamed, "See this place is perfect for you!"
"Yeah, yeah, yeah…" I stated as I ate the cookie.
"So, Ophelia, what do you need" Sam asked.
"Ummm…." I looked up and twiddled my thumbs, "A little of this and a little of that."
Monica huffed, "She needs 150 hours of community service, show the judge that she's living in a stable home, pass all random drug testing and needs to show up for AA twice a week for the next 2 weeks."
Sam narrowed his eyes, "Really Ophelia…"
"It's Phi and yes Sam really," I said sarcastically, "Why do you think I'm here."
Sam smirked, "Well then you better get settled in and get some sleep."
"For what?" I asked as I grabbed another cookie.
Sam smirked as he took the cookie from my hands, "Hey!" I shouted.
"Community service starts tomorrow. I believe the boys are repainting the Black house am I right Em?"
Emily turned around and looked at the calendar, "Yep Billy needs his house repainted and the porch ramp fixed."
Sam smiled, "Sounds good to me. Ophelia, say good bye to Monica, you start tomorrow morning at 6am."
My eyes shot opened, "6am?! Monie you can't leave me here!"
"Ughhh… I should have picked Seattle!"
Monica looked over at S am and Emily, "Can you give us a minute."
They both looked at each other and walked out of the kitchen.
"Monie you can't leave me here. I don't think I can do this, not with Sam at least."
I wasn't over reacting this time I really don't think I'll be able to this. I mean me and Sam are already fighting and it hasn't even been an hour.
Monica came over and gave me a hug as I rested my head on her shoulder, "Shh… It's okay."
She patted my back, "I know it's going to be different then just going and living in the city, but…" She picked my head up and pushed my hair back, "You can do this I know you can."
"But what if I can't," I whispered, "What if I fuck up again? This is it this is my last chance."
Monica took my head and looked straight into my eyes, "Exactly, THIS," She stressed, "This right here is your LAST chance Ophelia. You fuck this up and you might as well walk up to Judge Mason and tell him to give you the works, cause that's what's going to happen."
I looked at her as I whipped the tears from my eyes, "I know but this is Sam we're talking about. He doesn't care, he doesn't care what happens to me."
Monica shook her head and laughed, "God Ophelia, stop being a drama queen! Do you think if Sam didn't give a shit, he wouldn't have taken you in! You're being a brat. Suck it up butter cup, time to put your big girl pants on and GET IT together."
I looked up at her and laughed as I wiped the endless number of tears coming from my face, "You're right Monie, I'm sorry. I'm just being a brat," I wined.
She smiled and handed me another one of Emily's cookies, "Here brat eat a cookie. You're not you when you're hungry."
I stuck my tongue out at her, "Whatever, your lucky I wanted one."
As I eat my third cookie, I looked around the house. It was cute, defiantly something different from what our house looked like growing up. There were pictures of Sam and Emily on the walls and cook books on the counters and kitchen tools everywhere. She was a cooker I guessed. That's nice, I thought, maybe she could teach me something because lord knows I don't know shit about cooking. I looked around and saw a picture of Sam and five other boys. All looked about high school ages, too old to be called his kids.
"Hey Sam!"
Sam walked back in the kitchen with Emily behind him, "What."
"Who are they?" I pointed at the picture.
"Oh that's the boys," Emily spoke up proudly, "That's Jarred and Paul in the back and Jacob, Embry and Quil in the front."
Monica smiled, "They look like a fine group of boys. You and Sam have done an amazing job helping the community."
"Thank you," Emily smiled as she held onto Sam.
Monie looked at the clock, 7:45 it read, "Well everyone I better be off. It's about a 3-hour drive back to Seattle."
She came over and gave me a hug, "I'll be back to check in on you next week, okay."
I nodded my head, "Sounds good, can you bring me some more of my things please."
"Sure thing kid."
She looked over at Sam and Emily, "Thank you again for doing this, it means a lot."
Sam nodded, "Thank you for bringing her home."
Home that's right this was home now. I had a home again.
