Forever In Your Shadows

Chapter 8

*A few weeks later*

Scarlett's POV

"You're what." I asked.

"A director called me. What was I supposed to do?" Mom frowned. "I took the part. You know we're hurting to make ends meet for you kids." She sighed. "I probably shouldn't even be telling you this."

"Great. Just great." I complained.

"What?" She turned to look at me.

"Nothing. I hope you enjoy your part." I spat. She furrowed her eyebrows and gave me the 'don't cock an attitude' look. I rolled my eyes and wandered into my room.

"Scarlett can you help me with something?" I looked up and saw Amelie standing there with her backpack.

"Sure." I shrugged.

"Um... there's this party I was invited to and I know mom and dad will say no... can you sneak me out?" She asked.

"Excuse me?" I gave her a look. Both of our parents would know. There's only one exit and entry here. And not many places I hide in the building...

"I need to... Or I'll be the laughing stock..." She frowned. I thought about it... I would get in trouble for helping her, but at the same time I didn't want her to be made fun of... "Please Scarlett..." She pouted.

"Fine. I'll tell mom I'm going to a rehearsal. And you'll come with me. If we don't time it perfect, it'll crumble to pieces." I started. "But I swear if you don't listen to me at all during the process you're going down quick and mom is going to have your head mounted on the wall." I pointed.

"I know. That's why only you know so far.." She said while walking out of my room. I sighed and felt tiny paws near my arm. I looked over and saw Simba trying to get on my bed. I helped him up and played with him on my bed. I was going to be in deep shit if the plan didn't work...

~~~

"Mom, I have an afterschool rehearsal that might run late on Friday.. Can I catch a ride with Dani?" I asked at the dinner table.

"What time?" She asked.

"It'll start probably around seven. End around eleven." I shrugged. "We're still trying to make the chandelier." I explained. "Dani is offering a ride to school too." I added.

"Have I met Dani?" She asked with an eyebrow raised.

"Yeah. But she introduced herself as Daniella." I said quietly. "She goes by Dani because it's shorter." I shrugged.

"Oh! Then of course." She smiled. I nodded and looked at Amelie. Now it was her time to shine. She nodded and looked at mom.

"Can I go with her?" She asked.

"What?" Dad asked while looking at Mom. Both of them looked at each other like they had seen a ghost... "You want to go to a theatre rehearsal?" He asked.

"Yeah... Can I go with her?" She asked.

"Of course!" Mom smiled. "If it's alright with Scarlett."

"Fine by me." I shrugged. When we finished dinner Amelie decided to hang out in my room so we could go over our plan. I wasn't kidding when I said that I had a rehearsal. While the auditions were going on, the rest of us were dedicated to creating multiple chandeliers.

"Mom seemed happy that I wanted to go with you." Amelie said while doing her homework.

"Well the fact that you had the slightest bit of interest in theatre just made her day. So you better not get caught. You're lucky Dani is cool with this." I said quietly.

"I know, I know." She frowned. "Do you think mom and dad care about me?" She asked.

"They do." I said while flipping through my book.

"They just yell at me all the time." She frowned.

"Because you do stupid stuff." I shrugged. "I got my fair share of lectures too." I added.

"Did you?" She asked.

"Of course. I got yelled at loads of times for trying to pull fish out of my tank." I shrugged. "But mom and dad really do care about you. They're afraid of what you're becoming." I frowned.

"I haven't changed at all." She spat.

"You used to be a cute little kid. Then you started to realize that life wasn't all rainbows and butterflies when grandpa died. Then you changed." I explained. "Then when abuela was in the hospital you flipped out and started hating mom and dad. Even though she's fine." I added.

"How do you know? You don't know what I'm going through. Just stop. Alright? You're the golden child 'cause mom loves you more. She's disowned me and that's that." She said while walking out of my room. I was worried about her. She hasn't been the same since grandpa's passing. It wasn't my first death, but it hit her hard...

We sat in the church looking at grandpa's open casket. Dad was hugging mom while she violently cried. I understood why. I was getting flashbacks from Steven's funeral too. He was more a dad to me than my real dad was. But I wasn't going to let him know that. Amelie was close to grandpa just like I was to Steven. She didn't quite understand, so she sat with grandma to keep her going.

"What's going on?" She frowned.

"Grandpa is with God now." Grandma whispered. The tears still falling from her face. I held mom's hand and stared at the casket. I didn't know what to do. I looked back at Amelie who was crying as well. I watched her push everyone away and run out of the viewing area. Mom looked at her and shook her head. I watched her walk out to find her and knew they were going to have a problem.

"Poor Amelie.." Dad sighed. "How are you two pulling up?" He asked. Alejandro shrugged and looked back at his feet.

"It's going to be okay." I said quietly. He nodded and grandma looked at me. "I know it will be. Grandpa wouldn't want us to stop our lives. He would want us to keep going and make him proud." I said with a small smile. Grandma smiled at me and gave me a hug.

"I see so much of him in you." She cried. "You have his mind child. And his spirits. Never let them go." She kissed my head and hugged me tighter.

"Dad, is it bad that I don't feel a lot... I mean I feel sad but at the same time I feel like it's okay..." Sebastian frowned.

"It's alright buddy." Dad said to my half brother.

"But I wasn't really his grandkid..." he said quietly.

"We accepted you and loved you just as much. He talked about you just like you were his blood grandchild." Grandma smiled. "I'm very glad you came. He loved you very much." She said while hugging him.

"Thanks." Sebastian smiled. It amazed me how much love came from one person. I looked behind me and saw mom hugging Amelie. Both were a sobbing mess but I knew it was going to be okay. Mom was going to be okay.

I didn't know about Amelie though.... I hope she doesn't take it too hard...