Learning To Love (Taylor's Version)

Sneaky & Suspicious

(River's Version):

Four days later

"Can I walk in by myself, please?" I beg.

"Alright, I'll miss you," Taylor says, hugging me,

After saying goodbye, I walk in and I see the van drive farther and farther away. I quickly ran back to the little shed I found in the woods a couple days ago. They probably won't contact Taylor and they won't find me, so I'll be fine.

After a couple hours, I started getting really hungry, so I fished my pockets and found 7 dollars and 46 cents. I really have to find a place to work again. I walk over to a nearby supermarket and buy myself 2 packets of chips and end up with 27 cents.

Just as I was walking back, I saw a familiar van, and Joe walked out the same store with a gas can. I tried to run back, but he saw me. Fuck.

"Hey! River!" he said, smiling at me.

"Hey Joe.."

"What are you doing here? Where are Beth and Josh?"

"Oh umm they told me to get myself a snack, they're parked a couple blocks away,"

"Let me say hi to them,"

"No! I- i mean not now, we're busy,"

I think Taylor saw me cause she walked over to say hi. She waved at me and once she got closer, she wrapped me in a hug.

"Taylor, Beth and Josh are close by, let's say hi," he says, and I shake my head, no.

"Why not?" Taylor asks.

"Cause we're umm busy,"

"River. Tell me the truth now!"

"Idid'tgoinsidethere.."

"You what?"

"I uh didn't go into that building.."

"River!"

"Why not?" Joe interjects.

"Cause they said some mean shit to me," I tell them, truthfully.

"Why didn't you tell us?" Joe asks.

"You both already deal with enough so.." I kind of trail off.

"You'd be the first priority, come on, let's go back," Taylor adds.

"No! I'll be fine," I say.

Taylor just drags me into the car as I beg them not to go back. And gladly, she asks the driver to drive back home and not to CPS.

"Thank you.." I say, softly.

Taylor and Joe look at me and back at their phones.

"I'll cancel it," Taylor whispers to Joe.

"Cancel what?" I ask Taylor, taking her by surprise.

"Here, listen to some songs," she says, handing me headphones.

"Taylor!"

She plugs them into my ears and puts on a random playlist. I can hear her talk to Joe, I just can't make out what they're saying. Joe made a bunch of phone calls and I feel terrible I just probably ruined their plans.

(Taylor's Version):

We had plans to go for a vacation, but there's no more tickets for River, and she was refusing to go to CPS so we canceled them and decided to hang out with her. I was annoyed with her cause I feel like she's taking my help for granted. Of course I'd love to help her, but not if she's going to be disrespectful to me like that. I might call CPS to see what to do next in a week or so.

"Where's all your things?" I ask her.

"In a place near that shop,"

"We'll have to go get them, it's gonna rain soon. Tell me where it is, I'll go get them,"

"It's quite far in the woods,"

"Fine, come on," I sigh.

We both go back to the car and I start driving back to that area. After I park, we both get down and she starts walking behind the building. I follow her for a good 10 minutes through the woods before reaching a shed-like building. I decided to ask her about it later and to just get home first.

I help her carry her bags back into the car and drive back. Me and Joe get the bags inside the house after I parked in the garage. After we all sat down, I started to ask her questions.

"River, I have some questions for you," I tell her.

"I can't avoid them, can I?" she asks, and I shake my head.

"One, when and how did you find that shed?"

"A couple days ago when I decided I didn't wanna stay with Beth and Josh,"

"Elaborate,"

"The day we went to the park, you and Joe went to get ice cream for us, I knew the nearest one was about 15 minutes away,"

"And you stayed in the park,"

"No..."

"You went into the woods?!"

"Well I stumbled on it a couple months before all this, and I remembered and went back to make sure it was alright for me to stay in,"

"Two, you do know that someday soon we'll have to hand you over to the CPS, when do you plan on cooperating?"

She just shrugs before opening a bag of chips. I look over at Joe and he mouths to me "We'll talk about that later."

"Joe," I say, motioning him to come with me into another room.

River just looks at us and goes back to eating her chips, so we both walk into another room.

"Joe, what do you think about adopting River?"

"Taylor... we can't handle that,"

"That's what you said when I got a third cat!"

"Taylor! A cat is much different,"

"Joe, she needs us,"

"Taylor, did you forget that you're a singer and I'm an actor, who's going to stay with her?"

"I'll take her to the studio and tour, and she'll be in school,"

"Taylor, there's so much paperwork and other things we have to do, we won't have time,"

"Joe, I'll make time, please, she needs us,"

"She won't even like the idea,"

"I'll convince her, I just need some time,"

"Then we can talk about this after you're 100% sure you can convince her,"

"FIne, Joe,"

I walk out of there, I know he's right but I don't wanna believe it. I've been thinking about adopting her and helping her but I doubt she'd agree to it. How do I win her over?