The girl next door

Chapter 35

Riley-
"Oh hey girls. We need to talk." My dad says noticing us from behind the boxes. He takes one off the counter and puts it on the floor and motions us to come with him. We sit at the table and he explains everything. "Laura is moving out. We agreed that it would be best to end our relationship." He says. I'm ecstatic but I can't show it. This is probably a really hard time for my dad. "Actually we're all moving." He adds. Then my heart drops. "I'm going to the rehab center the police station recommended. I'm gonna try to get clean of alcohol. So that means you guys won't have a legal guardian here." "Who's gonna be our legal guardian?" I ask terrified for an answer. "Emily's an adult. So she can be yours for a short amount of time, but she's going to college soon. So you'll go live with your mom back home Riley." My eyes widen and as my dad tries to calm me down I start bawling. "I'm not going to live with her and her man who're you can't make me!" "Riley this is what has to happen." I shake my head and wipe away tears. Emily gets up from the table and tries to settle me down. "Riley just-..." I move her hands away and walk out of the house.

"Riley?" Deborah asks as she opens the door and sees me. "What's wrong honey?" "Um can I see James?" I ask with a shaky voice. She nods and moves so I can come in. I run up the stairs and into James's room. "Riles what happened?" Hanes says as I knock on his slightly creaked open door. He gets up from his bed and wraps his arms around me as I cry into his chest and try to explain everything. "They're making me go live with her." I manage to say through my shaky breath. "Riley there has to be another way, a relative here?" James comes up with. I shake my head in response. "Come on." He says as he walks me to the bed. We lay in bed together, him stroking his hand up and down my back to comfort me. My crying has silenced, and I fall asleep from his touch.

I wake up with his arms around me, my favorite way to wake up. That's when I hear my dad's voice downstairs. Then it gets closer. And soon he's pounding in James's door. "Where's my daughter!" He yells. James shoots up and opens the door. "Riley you're coming home right now." My dad says pulling me out of the bed. "What dad no! Can I have a say in this at all!" I scream at him. He loosens his grip a little and I manage to pull away and go behind James. "Riley you should go home." James tells me. I'm kind of speechless. "I'll call you later tonight ok?" He says holding my cheek. I look at him and my dad, and give in. I walk near my dad and out the door frame and my dad puts his arm on my shoulder. I flinch and push it away. I'm going with him but I'm not happy about this. I want to make that abundantly clear to him.

I sit in my room the rest of the day. "Hey can I come in?" Emily's voice says from the other side of my door. "Sure." I say. She opens the door and sits in the bed with me. "I'm sorry. If there was a way for me to be your legal guardian until you finish high school I would, but we couldn't afford to keep this house. Even if we both work, it's not possible Ri." She tells me. And I know. But it's really hard to accept. "Dad needs to do this. He doesn't like what he's become. We should be supporting him." "Supporting him? He's ruining my life Em." I tell her. "Moving me away from my boyfriend, all my friends, and back to my least favorite person ever in a shitty town with a shitty boyfriend. I just cant support that I can't." "I know it'll be hard. But you have to Riley. It's Your only choice. You have to make the best out of this. Our dad's gonna get better." She says before getting off the bed and going back to her room. Her words make sense. But I don't know if I'm strong enough to make the best out of this.

James-
"Honey what was that thing about with Riley? When I answered the door she looked miserable." My mom asks me while I'm helping her clean up after dinner. "Uhh Riley's dad is going to rehab. So she has to go live with her mom." I tell her. "Well what about his girlfriend?" "She's moving out. And Emily going to college soon." "Well there has to be another way. She's not fond of her mother." "Yeah I know." "Will she only need a place for senior year?" She asks looking up from the dishes she's cleaning. "Yeah until she goes to college." I tell her. "Why?" "Um nothing I gotta think over some stuff. Can you finish cleaning up?" I nod and she kisses my cheek goodnight, and heads upstairs to put my sisters asleep.