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Song suggestion: You need me, I don't need you, Ed Sheeran.
Chapter Fourteen: Stay.
But she never returned. Allison Uley disappeared that night after Riley. We never heard from her again. But it wasn't a great loss. After one night of smothered sobs, Sam never mentioned her again. It was as if she never existed. We continued with our lives. During the day we'd go to school, and when we returned home, we'd take care of the house. I cooked and cleaned while Sam worked and kept the roof over our head.
It took the Tribal Elders a while to find out Mrs Uley was gone. We'd done a good job of hiding the fact she'd left. Making excuses of extra work hours or errands to run. It was Mrs Clearwater who finally realised. I'd been alone at home when Sue came knocking.
"Mrs Clearwater." I greeted her at the door, all too aware I shouldn't be alone and she'd be expecting Sam or Mrs Uley around, "What can I help you with?"
"I came to see Allison, Elders' business." She winked. It was code for monthly pay check.
"I can give it to her, if you would like?" I offered, my warming face alerting her of my lie. Dad used to say I couldn't lie for toffee.
"It's alright; I wanted to speak to her anyway about the school fair."
"Oh…I'm afraid Mrs Uley has just gone to work."
"You're home alone?" Her eyebrows rose.
"Sam's around."
"I just saw him at Miss Jackson's." As she defeated my lie, she stepped into the house, looking around suspiciously, "Why are you home alone?"
"I was just doing some homework." I fidgeted nervously, highly aware of the bills I'd been working on that were left on the countertop, "I'm thirteen, I'm safe. Sam won't be long."
"Bella, you're not being honest with me." Sue said with the practiced skill of a mother, "Why are these bills out?"
"Mrs Uley must have left them out." I replied but she turned to me, picking up my lie easily.
"What's going on, Bella?" Biting my lip, I looked away from her gaze. I couldn't tell her, Sam and I promised each other we wouldn't. But we couldn't keep it a secret either. We knew the Elders would find out eventually, we just thought we'd manage longer than this.
"I'm sorry we didn't tell you." Tears gathered in my eyes, "We didn't know what else to do, we're so sorry."
"What's wrong, Bella?" Sue pulled me into her arms and stroked my hair down, "Where's Allison?"
"Gone." I cried, "She left weeks ago."
"Weeks!" She pulled back and gaped at me, "Why didn't you tell us?"
"We didn't want to be split up and put in care…we're fine on our own." I reasoned desperately, "Sam and I have been taking care of each other, please don't split us up."
After dad died, Sam became my rock. And I became his. We took care of one another, holding the household together. If they split us up, I don't know what I would do without him. We'd become so cut off from the rest of the tribe that we were lost without each other. But what else could they do but split us up? No one had the room to take one of us, never mind two; we'd be taken by the social services. Heavy sobs wrecked my chest.
"Ssshhh…" Mrs Clearwater soothed me, "Sweetheart, it's going to be fine, I'll speak with the others, it is going to be fine. Okay?"
"Okay." Wiping my tears, I nodded sadly. After the fuss Billy made to keep me four years ago, I hoped he'd do the same. Despite the years distancing our two families, they were still the closest thing to extended family Sam and I had. But I couldn't see how he would keep us here, but he would, I prayed he would make the arrangements to keep us both, together, here.
"Good. Now don't you worry about anything, let the Elders take care of the arrangements." She smiled and pressed a warm hand to my cheek, "Come on, you and Sam are coming to dinner at mine."
"Really?" I smiled, it had been so long since we'd eaten something other than cans and packet food, and Sue was the best cook on the Reservation.
"Yes." She nodded, "Have you any homework? Or books you want to bring?"
"Romeo and Juliet." I nodded back and ran off to get it.
When I came back downstairs, Mrs Clearwater had gathered the bills into a pile and was searching the kitchen cupboards for their meagre supplies. Evidently she wasn't happy with our way of life, but I hoped she'd still help keep Sam and me together. Coughing my presence, she turned to smile at me, but I saw the sympathy in her brown eyes. She pitied the life we had made; despite the fact we were content with it. Yes, we could be better off, but it was the best we could do and we were happy, for now.
"Ready?" Sweeping the bills into her handbag, she held out her hand. At thirteen, I was a little old for holding an adult's hand, but I took it anyway. It felt warm and reassuring, like I remember my dad's doing.
"Yes." With that, we left the house.
Sue phoned Miss Jackson's to tell Sam to go straight to her house after he was done gardening. Before going to the Clearwater residence, we stopped by the store to pick up extra food and soda for dinner, so when we got back Sam was already waiting. Despite his dirty state, I ran to hug him, and he clung to me too.
I knew what was going through his head. He wondered whether we'd get to return to our old house and continue the lives we'd carved out for ourselves. Or would we be taken away from here, far away, stolen from one another. We didn't know what was going to happen next, but we knew, no matter what, we wanted to go through it together.