The Unhidden

Chapter 13

I wake up and today is the day I see Wilkins. I'm scared but I go downstairs to the kitchen mama is cooking brunch.
"What are you making mama?" She looks at me.
"Liena hand me the milk." I do "I'm making my macaroni and cheese. It's for our guest."
"Oh can I taste?"
"You're like Juli, she did the same thing."
I start to wonder what mom was like "Juli was the best daughter anyone could ask for. She loved helping me and papa when we were sick, I always have told her to become a doctor. Juli loved caring for the sick, she met Greg in elementary school and I knew they both were meant for each other, they both had a kind soul. They hung out at each others house all the time. Those two were inseparable, in middle school it was the same. Greg's parents both went on vacation and didn't bring him so he stayed with us. They had fun, both of them invited friends to my house and had a party.
"Juli kissed Greg and it went from there. When your mom was 16 and dad was 17 they had Lauren. Lauren was the most beautiful baby, not a single error. Your parents didn't know what to do, but they raised a beautiful girl. Then lauren met Justin at 16 and been with him since. Your parents had you and you were an amazingly beautiful girl, then Lauren brought you around Justin. That was the worst mistake ever, I went off on Justin and Lauren because I saw him hit you when you were three months old, Lauren claimed she didn't see it."
"What smells good" Grampa walks in with grams.
"I'm making my macaroni and cheese for lunch."
"Where is papa?"
"By the door with Wilkins, he's checking him."
Seconds later I see Wilkins walk in the kitchen, I run over to hug him.
"I missed you."
"Me too, girl. I know you saw me asking for you on that bus!"
"I did I was scared."
"Caroliena me signing you out of school and running could've gotten me in serious trouble."
"I'm sorry for that. I didn't mean to do that. I don't want you to get fired or in trouble."
"I know. Why didn't you talk to me?"
"I was scared that you wouldn't let me leave."
"Do you want to talk now, we can take a drive?"
I have tears in my eyes "yes, please?"
"Of course." I leave my grandparents' house and get in the car.
We start driving and Chad talks "Carr tell me what's going on."
"The day I left well I was talking to Chris at lunch. Well he was talking mostly, saying how his parents are unfair and they fight all the time. I got upset and went off. I had so many things in my head. Running seemed like the best idea.
"I miss my parents and people don't understand what its like to lose both at 6."
"I don't know what it's like but I do understand. You aren't alone in this."
"I know but...do I have to come back."
"Since there is an investigation going on about your disappearance yes you do. I don't know if I can give you another day. Since everyone besides Mikey doesn't know you're at your grandparents' house. Also Lauren is your sole guardian, she has to know where you are at all times."
"What if I stay here in Ohio?"
"Mr and Mrs Qureshi and Marquel have to all get custody of you Carr."
"This sucks. I don't want to go back to Laurens."
The car stops at a light and Chad looks at me "Carr I know. I talked to Lauren and she acts like she doesn't seem to care that you're missing around him. I've seen the bruises on her. I talked to her away from Justin, I have asked her is it him that abuses her and she keeps denying it. Lauren is being abused by him. Lauren cares about you a lot but she doesn't know how to speak up against him. I talked to her alone and when I mentioned you she broke. Lauren loves you so much, but she has been dealing with this since she met Justin."
"I didn't know."
"How were you, but the thing that got me is, one Lauren's pregnant and two she doesn't want him to go to jail." "She's protecting him, why?"
"She said that she doesn't want the baby to be raised without him."
"But she has to protect the baby."
"I told her and she said that he won't hurt the baby."
"He said that he won't hurt me and look."
"I know."
Chad drives us back to my grandparents' house "do I have to come back today?"
"Unfortunately yes."
"Ok I'll pack and come back down" I leave to the house "hey I'm back!"
"Mama walks in from her room "you have to go back don't you?"
"Yes, I have to help Lauren."
"Why?"
"She's pregnant and gets abused."
When I say this all of them looks at me "what!?"
"Yes I was shocked too. That's why I have to go back. Whether Lauren likes it or not I have to help her."
"Ok Liena but please be careful. Call us whenever."
"I will" I start to tear up. Grams looks at me and wipes my tears away.
"Liena don't cry, we'll see each other again soon, sooner than you think."
"I love you you all."
"We love you too Liena" gramps brings my bags down. I leave out the door to the waiting car. Wilkins drives off with no other word. When we pass the state border into West Virginia Wilkins finally says something "Carr do you know you can come back to your grandparents' house during breaks right?"
"I didn't know that."
"But you have to tell Lauren and everyone else. You can hide this from them, they will find out and I don't know if or rather how they will take it. You have to its only right."
"I know Chad but how am I going to explain that the grandparents we have are not dead but they never were dead in the first place. That's a real conversation starter."
"You have to start somewhere" he looks at me "how long have they been saying that they were dead?"
"Years, I'm the only one they told besides Mikey. They didn't want anyone else to know."
"Did they do that after your parents died?"
"Yes. I talked to them all the time. Mom and dad knew they we're going to disappear, they told them too. Right after mom and dad died my grandparents' went to the funeral but no one saw them. That was the only time they showed up in public around here."
"What did everyone else think?"
"After a few months of not being in touch like they normally did when mom and dad were here everyone thought that something happened. After a few years they thought they were dead, since they never been heard from again. Mikey known all along they were ok he kept in touch. Mikey, his family and I were the only ones that knew they were alive."