Chapter 8:

Bethany was on her way to her dad's house to tell him Laura was gone. She still couldn;t believe it. Just yesterday her mom died. Bethany wiped a tear from her eye and rang the doorbell. Annie answered. "Oh great." Lucy thought, "Not the evil step mother from hell." But Annie didn't say anything she just turned her shoulder and walked away. bethany rolled her eyes and walked in. She couldn't see anybody but she heard the tv on so she walked into the living room. Lucy, Sam, David, Simon, and Ruthie were all sitting around watching tv. "Is . . . dad around?" Bethany asked. Everyone looked at her and stared. "What?" she asked annoyed.

Lucy got up and walked over to her. She stood right in front of Bethany, "I can't believe you. How could you be so selfish." She looked like she was about to cry but pulled herself together for one last sentence, "How could purposely break apart a family?" Lucy stormed out of the room and Ruthie and Simon followed.

Bethany was completley confused. She walked over to Sam and Davind. Kneeling in front of them she asked, "Do you know what's going on?"

"Yes." Sam said.

"We do." David added.

Bethany looked from one to the other, "Well, will you tell me?"

"You lied." David told her.

Sam said, "You said your mom was sick and daddy was your daddy."

"He is. Why would i lie about something like that?"

"We don't know."

"That's what Ruthie and Simon said."

Bethany stood up. She said thank you to the twins then went in search of Simon and Ruthie. First she checked Ruthie's room. They weren't there. Then she checked Simon's room. They weren't there either. She checked the whole house and couldn't find them so she went up to the apartment above the garage. She didn't find them but she did see Kevin. "Do you know where Simon and Ruthie are?"

Kevin looked up from the magazine he was reading, "No, sorry." Bethany turned to leave but Kevin stopped her, "Is what they said really true? Are you just using this whole family?"

"No!" Bethany cried, "I wouldn't do something like that." She walked up the last two stairs and sat down in a chair across from Kevin, "Do you believe them?"

Kevin shrugged, "No. You just told me it was a lie."

"Thank you!" Bethany said, "I don't know why they would say that. I mean, I'm not a jerk. I don't randomly pick a family to destroy. But my mom wanted me to live with my father. So now I have to. That's why I'm here." She looked down at her lap, "My mom died yesterday."

"I'm sorry." Kevin said, "My dad died when I was younger. How are you doing?"

Bethany shrugged now, "Okay, I guess. But it really sucks." Kevin nodded, "I guess I should go try to find them. Straigten things out."

"Want me to come?" Kevin asked,

"If you want. I don't know if it'll make a difference." The two left the apartment and they headed back to the house. They found Lucy, SImon, and Ruthie sitting in the backyard talking. Lucy looked like she was crying, "Listen you guys. What you said, about me lieing, it's not true! I don't know who told you that or if you were mean enough to just come up with it on your own but it's not true. Your dad really is my dad, too. I never wanted to come here in the first place . . ."

Ruthie spoke up, "Then why are you here now? Why don't you just leave us alone? We all know your a fake."

"I'm here because I had to tell Eric . . . dad something. But you know what. It doesn't matter anymore. I'll go back home and never bother you again. I don't want people to know my 'family' is a bunch a jerks who don't care about anyone but themselves!" Bethany yelled at them. She saw Eric come out of the house, look at her, and she left. She didn't want to have anything to do with them. Her mom was gone, she would just live on her own. She didn't need anyone to take care of her.

Kevin called her name but Bethany didn't turn. She couldn't let them see her cry. She was always the type to keep her emotions inside. Only her mom knew how she felt because they were so close. Kevin caught up with her and started talking, "Bethany, it's okay. Just explain everything to them. I'm sure they'll understand."

"Yeah right. One of them had to have come up with that story. They don't know anyone I know. No one, if that were true, could have told them."

"Ruthie." Kevin said.

"What, you think it was Ruthie?"

Kevin nodded, "She's always playing tricks. Never like this, but I don't think anyone else would have said something like that. Besides, Ruthie's the one that told me."

"Fine. So it was Ruthie." Bethany stopped walking, "That doesn't change the fact that it was said. They all still think I'm fake trying to screw up their family! How am I supposed to make them believe me, a girl they've known for, what, a week? No way would they believe me. They'd trust precious little Ruthie . . ."

Kevin interrupted her, "The Camden's all know how Ruthie is. How many times she's lied about things. All you have to do is tell Eric the truth and I know he'll believe you. I think he believes you now."

"Then why won't he say it? Why is he making it seem like he believes them?"

"He hasn't actually said anything about it. When he found out, which happened today, he didn't say anything. He just got up and went into his den. Just try talking to him. That's all I'm asking."

Bethany thought it over. On the one hand, if she talked to Eric and he believed her she'd be carrying out her mothers last wishes. She'd also be living with people who hated her. On the other hand, if she didn't talk to him and simply didn't move in she wouldn't have to live with Annie, Lucy, Ruthie, Simon and the others but she'd have to get a job, pay the bills, and still have time to study. Or she'd drop out of school. Soon she'd made up her mind.