CHAPTER 2:

It was now Tuesday of the following week, and Elle was still staying at Amanda's. They had, had minimal conversation and Elle had kept her act up and done her best to try and convince Amanda that nothing was wrong, but Amanda was smarter than that.

Elle put her running shoes on and was about to head out before Amanda stopped her in her tracks.

"Hey Sweetie, where are you going?" Amanda asked her, looking up from the newspaper that she was reading at the kitchen table.

"Oh, I'm just going for a quick run," Elle said as she tried to leave.

"Hold it," Amanda said as she stood up.

"What's up?" Elle said, nervously playing with her keys.

"It's Tuesday, don't you have class?" Amanda said, eyeing her baby sister.

"Um, yes, yes I do," Elle said. She knew Amanda wasn't stupid. She couldn't lie.

"Okay, so why are you here, going for a run, and not in school?" Amanda said, crossing her arms.

"Um," Elle stumbled. She couldn't think fast enough. She couldn't think of an excuse. "I decided I'm not going back to school." At least she was honest.

"Okay, why aren't you going back to school?" Amanda said, rubbing her temples in slight annoyance.

"It's just not for me." Elle said quickly. "Are we done here?"

"Excuse me?" Amanda said, in an irritated voice.

"What?" Elle said, getting a bit of an attitude back. She was just as feisty as her sister. "I'm a grown up. That's my choice. Isn't that good enough?"

"Well, no, it's not good enough," Amanda said sharply. "Considering the fact that I'm busting my ass to pay for college for you, you owe me a little more than, 'it's just not for me'."

"Amanda, listen, I don't want to talk about it, okay? I'm not going. That's it." Elle shouted at her.

"Do NOT raise your voice at me in MY home," Amanda shouted right back.

"Look, Amanda, don't pretend that you care about me, okay? You haven't even called me in a month. I will pay you back for school. Are we finished?"

"What the hell is that supposed to mean, Elle?" Amanda said angrily. "The phone works both ways, sister, I haven't heard from you either!"

"Okay, well then we've established that I don't care about you either!" Elle shouted.

"Elle, where is this coming from? Why are you getting so defensive? I just asked you a freakin' question!"

"Amanda, if you don't want me to stay here, then just say the word and I'll leave!" Elle shouted again.

"Elle, why would I tell you that you can't stay here?" Amanda tried to soften her tone a little bit because she could tell that something was wrong.

"Look, can I just go?" Elle snarled at Amanda.

"Not until you tell me what's really going on here." Amanda was firm.

"I can't tell you that." Elle said quietly, as a tear fell from her eye.

"Honey, if you're in some kind of trouble, I can't help you if you don't tell me what's going on," Amanda said, softly.

"Why do you just assume that I'm in trouble? Why do you assume that I'M the one who did something wrong?" Elle was back to shouting.

"Honey, please just take a breath and tell me what's going on. I didn't assume-"

"You think that just because Mom and Kim did horrible things that I'm horrible too?" Elle was spinning out.

"I never said-"

"Screw you, Amanda, screw you!" Elle screamed as she ran out of the apartment, slamming the door behind her.

Jessie started crying with all of the commotion and Amanda, stunned by her sister's actions and words, went to comfort her daughter.

"Shh...it's okay, sweet girl, it's okay," Amanda said, as she picked up Jessie.

Amanda knew something was very wrong and for some reason, her sister didn't want to tell her the truth. She had to call in the big guns. She had to call Olivia.