Back Home To The Hills
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Chapter 11
Mary was exhausted, maybe Joey was right she was getting run down, she had under three hours sleep the night before. So when Tami picked her up she was almost asleep on her feet.
"Girl is that woman trying to kill you?" asked Tami, as Mary bundled herself into the pumpkin.
"Just wake me up when we get there," mumbled Mary, as her head hit headrest.
Tami nodded knowing it was unseen and pulled off of the kerb heading to their high school. When they got there Tami thought about leaving Mary until five minutes before home room but was unsure. However when her (Mary's) phone rang it woke her up.
"Hello," she sleepily.
"Have you just got up?" asked Joey.
Tami furrowed her brow a male voice, a male familiar voice.
"No I'm in the car park," answered Mary, hoping Joey hadn't seen her.
"And you've just woke up in Tami car. Look across from you," answered Joey.
Mary looked up to see Joey sat in his convertible in the space opposite them.
"Mary why is Joey Parker looking at us?" asked Tami.
"You need sleep," said Joey.
"I will be fine," said Mary, as she hung up.
"You'll be fine? Mary, who are you talking to?" Tami asked, snatching Mary's phone out of her sleepy hands, scrolling through the contacts. Mary cursed internally that Joey's number had the name 'Joey' as its word title. She could call him what she wanted, but still. Tami would work it out pretty quickly. She tried to snatch it back, but Tami fended her off easily.
"Tami . . ." Mary whined. "Tami, give it back . . ."
"Not till you tell me who you were talking to," Tami said, not looking up from the small screen.
"Ugh," Mary said in exasperation. "Just give it to me when you're done looking through all my contacts."
"Whose Joey?"
"My boyfriend. Tam we're going to be late," said Mary.
She was interrupted by a squeal. Oh, I am SO dead, Mary thought. "YOU HAVE A BOYFRIEND!?"
"Yeah . . ." Mary said quietly, slumping down in her chair.
"Why didn't you tell me? This is amazing." "You have a BOYFRIEND!"
"Say it louder, why don't you?" Mary muttered.
"But this is amazing! Mary, does he know about how Dominique treats you?"
"Mostly," Mary muttered. "Now come on. School." As Tami began to open her door, Mary grabbed her arm. "Don't tell anyone. Anyone. Promise, okay?"
"Alright," Tami said, sounding curious. "But you have to tell me everything."
"I'm too tired to deal with this right now . . ." Mary muttered. Tami leaned over and hugged her.
The bell rang.
"Crap Tami we're late," shouted Mary, before she jumped out of the pumpkin.
They started to run towards the school but as they crosses the car park in front of Joey's car, Mary's arm was snagged by the man himself.
"Mary," he whispered.
She turned her head. "I'm late."
"I know I don't think you should go in at all," answered Joey. "You need sleep. So you should come home and sleep."
"I can't go home," she said.
"I don't mean that home," he answered.
"Oh my god," whispered a voice behind them.
"Crap!" cursed Mary, whirling round. "Tami."
"He's the boyfriend?" asked Tami.
"Please, please do not a say a word to anyone please," said Mary.
"It would make your life more bearable," answered Tami.
"Dominique already knows Joey was a childhood friend and she rains hell on me. If she found out this I'd never be allowed out of the house and then I'd be in trouble for not leaving the house even though she's said I can't," answered Mary.
"Plus the paps would make Mary's life hell as well. I don't want her privacy torn about because of me."
"If I can handle Dominique I can handle some cameras," answered Mary, as she turned to him.
"Mary, trust me on this please and don't get me start on the fans," answered Joey.
She nodded and he turned to Joey.
"Can you tell Dustin I've taken Mary home?" asked Joey. "He'll have to get a ride home somewhere else."
"I can give him a ride if you don't want anyone knowing where you live?" asked Tami.
"Nah he doesn't live with me but yeah his house is like my second home so maybe that shouldn't go public," said Joey. "Thank Tami."
"I don't want to go home," said Mary. "I've come to school much more tired than this before and managed fine."
"Until you fell off your skateboard and it almost hit the principal," said Tami.
"Home now," said Joey.
"I hate you," she muttered.
"No you don't," he answered.
"Tami," said Mary.
"Yeah,"
"You're late," answered Mary.
"Crap," with that Tami took off into school. Thankful she was just in the student room. She stopped by admin on the way to sign Mary out as sick.
"I still don't need to go home. If Dominique finds out I skipped school to…"
"Sleep?" asked Joey.
"Whatever. I'll be grounded for the next century," said Mary.
"Isn't she out today?" asked Joey. "We could get some more of your stuff."
"Yeah I'm not taking that chance," answered Mary.
"Fine then we will go home. We can watch some movies, TV whatever and you can have a nap," answered Joey.
He watched her from across the room, with his guitar, as she curled and snuggled into the depths of his covers and bed. She looked so peaceful and so relaxed. There was a fine chance she wouldn't sleep that night.
Bang on three when school finished Mary's phone went off. Waking her up and she almost picked up in a sleepy tone.
"Mary I'm going out for the night. But don't think that gets you out of your chores. There's a list in the kitchen. The girls are at that girl's," said Dominique, before she hung up.
"Call Tami. I'll call Dustin we'll do your chores and we're getting you out of there," said Joey.
"Natalia and the twins could come in at any minute," said Mary.
"We'll park down the street and Tami, Dustin and I will be in your room," said Joey.
"Joey Dominique is my guardian," answered Mary. "She can legally just make me move back in."
"She treats you like a slave. There's no way anyone would let you go back and live with her," answered Joey.
"Yes there is," answered Mary. "I'm just a teenager running away from her chores."
"She makes you do all the chores, cook and it keeps you up well into the early hours sometimes and then again in the morning," answered Joey. "She takes away your phone, laptop etc. The ball remember that she made you clean her room and threaten to take you out of school. That is something that would be frowned on. Hell she made she climb up on the roof once to fix the bloody aerial"
"It's my word against hers and the twins," answered Mary. "Besides she can get a good lawyer."
"We can get a better one. Its child labour," said Joey. "You're her assistant, maid and she's meant to be looking after you and you're not getting a dime of her."
"Joey please just leave it," Mary.
"No," answered Joey. "We're getting you out and we're getting you out tonight. Dominique has money to get people to clean and cook."
"Fine," muttered Mary, knowing she wouldn't win the argument.
"You make it sound like you don't want to live with me," said Joey.
"Of course I do," said Mary.
"Good then lets go," answered Joey.
Of course when they got to the Blatt's Dustin and Tami were already there and after finding boxes the trio set to work packing up Mary's belongings while she cleaned the main house.
"There's less than I thought there'd be," muttered Tami.
"Yeah um some of it's already at mine," answered Joey. "We've moved valuable things over in a couple of small shifts."
"So that's why her laptop is no longer here," said Tami.
"Yep and that dress from the ball. Her jewellery, guitar and photos," answered Joey.
"This should get burned," said Tami.
Joey looked up to see Mary's maid outfit.
"Yes, yes it should," he said. "I've never felt so angry than in that moment when she walked into the dinning room wearing that."
"Knock, knock," came a voice. "Snacks?"
The trio turned to see Mary balancing a tray of biscuits and juice.
"You finished?" asked Joey.
Mary shook her head.
"Take a break and refuel," said Joey, as he helped her with the tray.
"I've almost finished. I have like half and hours work left to do," said Mary. "Aside from the fact I have to get groceries."
"Elegates?" asked Joey. "Or Bartonies?"
"No Bartonies. Elegates is my place," answered Mary. "Do you know he was actually like my mother's best friend growing up and then she left to dance and came back with me."
"So he's like a horary Uncle?" asked Joey.
"I guess," answered Mary. "I will be about half an hour."
"Want some help?" asked Joey.
"No. Trying to tire myself out," answered Mary.
She turned towards the door. A car sounded in the driveway and she froze – waiting to hear the voices – Dominique.
"Go round the back," whispered Joey.
Mary waited till she heard the front door slam and then sprinted around the house to the back door, making it back to where she was cleaning spilt seconds before Dominique entered.
"Good you're doing what you're told," she muttered, before stalking off.
With Dominique in the house Mary made her half an hour go to fifteen minutes and soon she was back in her room.
"I'm free," she shouted.
"We've almost finished," said Tami.
"Well I don't think-" started Mary, before a car pulled up in the driveway. "That we can get anything out with Dominique in the house and now the twins are back."
"So why don't we just go once there in the house," said Joey.
"We could pack my van up to your door after dark," said Tami.
"That could work," said Mary.
"You need more sleep," said Joey.
"Joey it goes dark at like eight," answered Mary. "I won't unpack tonight I'll go to bed once we've unloaded everything. I have the whole week to unpack its Winter Break next week remember."
They hung around in Mary's room talking for hours – with Mary running of at seven to make Dominique and the twins dinner. But soon darkness fell and Tami's van was backed up to Mary's door and the boxes, bags and fabric bins where loaded in.
"You got everything?" asked Joey.
Mary glanced around the room. She was pretty sure she had everything. Everything of value – to her – was already at Joey's. Now all her clothes, books, school things, music, bedding, lamps, tables, shoes, the changing screen behind her bed and the curtains at her door. Everything was in Tami's van you name it, it was in there. Mary had practically bought everything for the room herself – except the bed, mattress, drawers and wardrobe. So the room was stripped bare.
It took roughly three hours to unload everything into Joey's house – he lived on his own an independent popstar. Everything was put in the spare room and Mary and Joey knew they would have a long week sorting it all out.
"Joey," she whispered. "I can't sleep."
"I was afraid of that should have woken you sooner then three pm," he whispered.
"Sing to me?" she asked.
"Anytime," he answered, before starting a soft, slow version of a song Mary presumed was new.
Those words were the last ones she heard before she drifted to sleep in her arms, finally free.
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Gabriella Somerfield and musicalgirl4474.