The Escape Artist - RIVER CARTWRIGHT

Chapter 5

It had only taken a few days of lifts to and from school for Clover to fully assert herself as River's passenger Princess. Though Ella begged her not to, she'd clamber over seats, rifle through his CDs and play with the aircon settings. The strangest thing to Ella though, was that he didn't seem to mind at all. It was a stark reminder of just how much interference she'd been running for years between Clover and Eddie - always trying to keep Clover quiet and well behaved so she didn't incur her father's wrath. Clover had, on the surface, coped incredibly well with the recent events but the cracks were beginning to show.

"Clo, River's outside can we please get a move on?"

"I don't want to wear this top, I want the one without buttons."

"This is the only one I have for now, I'll get one without buttons as soon as I can."

"It's not fair. You made me leave all my things behind."

"I know I did. I'm sorry."

"I want my pink headband."

"I'll add it to the list," Ella sighed. "Now please, let's go."

Clover barged past Ella and bounded out of the front door, straight into the passenger seat. Ella could see River talking to Clover who stared straight ahead with her arms crossed and a frown firmly in place. She slid into the backseat behind Clover. "Morning."

"Hey, you both OK?"

"Fine," they mumbled in unison. He caught Ella's eye in the rearview mirror and she shrugged. Clover reached out to turn the radio station over and then slumped back in the seat without another word.

Outside the school, River raised his hand in greeting to Coe who nodded. He leaned against the low wall surrounding the school. Ella got out first and held Clover's door open. "C'mon Clo, let's move."

"I don't want to go," she kept her arms crossed. Ella sighed.

"Please, babe? River and I have got to get to work and -"

"Can't I come too?"

"Not today. Look, JK is already waiting for you."

"Muuuum," Clover whined miserably.

"Clo, enough. I need to get you into school."

"Why? You think he's gonna come and kidnap me?" She whinged and suddenly appeared eighteen to Ella, not eight. She took a deep breath and turned away from the car, rubbing her temples. She felt a sting as the tender skin around her cut was pulled and pushed, and drew her hand away to find she'd opened the cut again.

"Y'know what, Clo? I have no idea. I just want to get you inside with Coe where I know you're safe and then I want to go and find another plaster for my head, ok? Let's go now, please." She stressed.

Inside the car, Clover reached to the backseat and into Ella's bag to pull out a tissue. As she got out of the car, she pushed it into Ella's hand and marched towards the main school doors without saying goodbye. Coe followed closely behind.

"She hates me," Ella said with her head in her hands once she got back into the car.

"No she doesn't."

"She does. I've taken her away from her dogs, her favourite toys, her house. She's eight, this might as well be the end of the world to her. She's got Coe sitting in her classroom making her the school weirdo, we can't go anywhere, or do anything. All I've done is swap one prison for another."

She turned to face him and he took the tissue from her hand and held it up against the cut with a small amount of pressure.

"You know that's not true. Hold this," he waited for her hand to hold the tissue against her forehead and let go so he could continue driving.