Mandy

Chapter 46

This is a song for the broken girl
The one pushed aside by the cold, cold world
You are
Hear me when I say
You're not the worthless they made you feel
There is a Love they can never steal away
And you don't have to stay the broken girl
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

   Mandy watched Jason's expression change from being his normal cheerful self to one that wasn't cheerful at all.

   She followed his gaze and watched as the two ladies entered the inn, shopping bags on their hands.

   The younger one spotted Jason, and frowned at him. "Would you stop following me!" She almost yelled.

   Mandy looked at Jason, who's expression didn't change at the words.

   The lady continued to look at Jason for a minute before turning to Sarah. "Could you make him stay in another hotel please? I'll cover any difference in price." She said.

   Sarah turned to Mandy, who wasn't sure what to do. "Go get Caleb and stay with the kids." She whispered to Sarah.

   Sarah nodded and ran up the stairs, leaving Jason and Mandy with the ladies.

   Mandy ignored them and focused on her task of setting up the inn's website.

   Caleb came down the stairs a minute later, clearly confused. "What's going on?" He asked.

   The younger lady turned to him. "I demand that that man," She said, pointing at Jason, "Stay at another hotel."

   Caleb frowned. "I'm sorry Miss, but we can't do that." He told her.

   Mandy swore the lady was about to explode. "He is stalking me! I should have gotten that restraining order after all!" She yelled.

   Jason flinched at her words, and Caleb looked shocked.

   "He works here." Mandy said calmly. "And he has for a couple months now. I guarantee that he has not been stalking you."

   The lady paused her conquest as she heard Mandy. Her face grew pale and she looked as if she was going to faint. "You are Amanda. I would recognize your voice anywhere." She whispered.

Mandy didn't say anything, just sat there and stared at her.

The older lady was watching Mandy carefully, and she nodded. "I knew I would find my Amanda."

This time is was Mandy who visibly flinched. "I'm not 'your' anyone." She said.

"I thought your name was Mandy." Jason put in.

Mandy nodded. "It is." She replied.

The younger lady smirked. "You can't lie anymore. Your name is Amanda, sister."

Mandy took a deep breath, willing herself not to react. "No, Jezette, my name is Mandy. Maybe that isn't the name I was born with, but that is my legal name." She replied.

Jezette just shook her head.

"You can't blame her for not knowing that. If you would have bothered to keep in touch, Jezette would have known." The older lady said.

Mandy stared at her. "I left. I ran because I was dying there, and I wanted life. I was living a nightmare. You expected me to keep in touch?"

Jezette nodded to Caleb. "You were kidnapped. I remember you talking to a boy late at night a lot. Mom always said that you should never trust someone you met online."

Mandy was done with being nice. She was done with trying to stay calm. She was done with these people. "I trusted him because there wasn't anyone else. I ran away. I left because I couldn't stand living in the stupid house, feeling all my emotions drain away. I left because I had problems that y'all didn't care about. Caleb is my brother, and he loves me. I'm his sister, and I love him. We take care of each other because that's what family is supposed to do. Now I want you to leave my inn, and don't come back. I don't want to see either of you, or anyone else ever again." She yelled, then took a deep breath before calmly walking up the staircase, away from all of them.