Thanks for all your comments...

just to clear up a few things...she's really not grounded for four weeks, but she is grounded for two and under restriction..or a set of stricter rules for 2 more.

I wasn't dreading talking to her…it felt so strange.

After we had eaten I got ready for bed and went and crawled into bed. Olivia walked in a few minutes later and sat down on the bed beside me.

She said," I know you are frustrated about why I can't understand how you still need to talk to your mom and I don't, but I'm going to try my best to understand you. But I need you to do something for me."

I was afraid of what she would ask. I slowly said," What is it?"

She said," I need you to not break punishment, ever again. And don't leave the house without telling Heather or I where you are going. It's not that I don't trust you, id on't trust other people, okay?"

I said," Now that, I can do. Olivia if I ask a question do you promise not to get mad at me?"

She said," Depends on what you're going to ask."

I asked," Even though I'm grounded for two weeks and under restriction for two more… can I still go to the cemetery if someone goes with me?"

She said," Once you're ungrounded and under restriction, yes, you can go, but not until then."

I said," I thought you were trying to understand why I needed her? How can you do that and keep me from her for two weeks?"

She said," You did something wrong to earn your punishment so don't blame this on me. You are the one who snuck out of the house, you did this to yourself."

I turned away from her and buried my face in the pillow.

She said," Sarah turn over and look at me."

I didn't move I just said," Go away and leave me alone!"

She said," I'm not going anywhere, look at me!"

I got out of bed and ran out of the room, but I didn't stop. I kept running out of the apartment, then out of the building. Olivia was right behind me. I didn't make it a block before she caught me.

I fought to get away from her, but she pinned my arms to my body and picked me up. She turned me around and pinned my arms between my body and hers and cradled me like a little baby, but tightly so I couldn't move and carried me back to the house.

She sat me down in my room and pulled the door shut behind her.

She said as she was leaving," We'll talk more in the morning when you've calmed down."

I sat there on my bed in tears.

Slowly the apartment when dark and I hard Olivia go to sleep.

I quietly crept out of my bedroom. I started towards the front door, but Olivia was asleep on the floor in front of it.

So I quietly crept to her room and out the window.

I went down the fire escape and down to the street where I start my mile and a half walk to the cemetery where my mom was buried.

Olivia's POV

I thought she would make it longer than a few hours before she broke the rules. She thought I was asleep, but I wasn't. I'm so disappointed in her. I wish she would respect me like she did when her mother was alive. I've been trying to be like her mom…oh no…I've been trying to be like her mom. It's no wonder she hates me, I've been trying to take her moms place instead of helping her remember her mom and just being Olivia like I had been her whole life. I guess she's had a big enough head start now. I better go talk to her.

I knelled down on the ground in front of the tomb stone. I didn't hear Olivia walk up behind me after a few minutes.

I whispered," She grounded me…I know I shouldn't have snuck out…but she isn't the same person she used to be, she's trying to be you…I know you aren't here anymore, but I still need you, and I need Olivia to be who she used to be…kinda a mother, but more of a best friend. I could always tell her things, even the stuff I couldn't tell you. I can't talk to her anymore. She never listens anymore."

Olivia knelled down beside me and said," I'm listening, and I hear what you're saying. I've been so busy trying to be the mom, but you have a mom, a wonderful mom, and right now you just need a friend who will hold you when you cry."

I broke and said," And come home when you say you will."

The look on her face made me think she finally understood why it bothered me so much when she was late.

She said," What do you think about when I'm not home when I sat I will be?"

A tear rolled down my face as I answered," My mom."

She pulled my face up to look at hers and said," You're afraid something has happened to me like what happened to your mom."

I shook my head and said," She was just going to get the cake Olivia, I just wanted a store bought cake, and she said she'd be gone an hour, but she never came back."

Olivia pulled me into her arms and held me tight.

She said," I'm so sorry. I wish you had told me sooner. Let's go home and get some sleep and we'll both play hooky tomorrow and talk okay. We can set some rules for both of us to follow."

I shook my head yes and we walked back to the apartment together.

I woke up the next morning to the smell of pancakes. Olivia was sitting at the table drinking coffee reading the paper.

I sat down beside her.

She leaned over and kissed my forehead and said," Good morning."

I forked a pancake and answered back," Good morning."

We ate then cleaned the table off and sat down with paper and pen to right out the rules.

I said," First rule, if you are going to be home later than you thought call and let the other person know."

Olivia wrote it down then said as she wrote," No leaving the house without telling an adult."

….

We went on for about an hour until we had all the rules written out. Then Olivia said," Okay. For your sake and mine, we are going to make a punishment chart."

I asked," A what?"

She said," A punishment chart that lists consequences to certain actions."

At the end we had come up with two lists and posted them on the refrigerator.

Rules:

1. if you're going to be late call someone and tell them

2. no leaving the house without telling an adult

3. must be home by 10, 9 on school nights

4. whatever Heather says goes

5. respect each other

6. no fighting

Punishment chart:

1. sneaking out 1 week grounded, 1 week restriction

2. lying no TV 2 days

3. yelling $1 fine in money jar

4. locking door to get away from adult no door for a week

5. any other will be decided according of offense and punishment will be equal to offense.

All in all I thought they were pretty fair. I was hoping this would make life easier, on both of us.