You Can't Live Like This... (The Rules of Survival Fanfiction)

After

Okay, so, Emmy, your mother ended up stalking me for a while. It was definitely weird, when she'd follow me to school, leave for work, only to come back and follow me home when I walked. Or even worse; she'd follow Murdoch's truck home and just watch our house. My paranoia had gone through the roof as this happened, however I knew one of these days Matthew was coming, and I'd have to talk to him about her stalking.

So, as I sat in my bed with the flu, I grumbled at myself for being sick today, mainly because I wouldn't be able to see Matthew. Come to think of it, I don't believe I really knew when Matthew was coming by, the only think I did know that day was that Murdoch kept coming in frequently to check my temperature. "Lynnette," He said, "you've been missing a lot of school recently... I'm a bit worried about you mentally. You do know not being in a healthy mental state can cause you to get sick easier, right?"
"I'm fine, Murdoch," I mumble nasally. "It's just a cold."
He sighed. "If you say so..." he stood up. "I suggest you stay out in the living room. I'm gonna be heading to work soon. I'll ask Julie if she can watch you while I'm gone."
"I'll be fine," I sat up, immediately getting woozy. "Orrr not," I laid back down on the bed.
"I'll ask Julie."
"Whatever." I heard the door close as he left the house. Knowing he full well would go ask Julie, I wobbled my way over to the couch in the living room, laying down. Well, more like flopping down. I groan and cough again for the fifth time, and I hear a knock on the door. Julie. "The door's—" my sentence is interrupted by a cough, "—open."

The rest of the day was pretty boring. Though Julie didn't bother me as much as Murdoch did, she still kept doing what he had. Soon I didn't have a fever anymore. "Back to normal," she giggled to me. I pretend to find it funny even though I don't. I look at the clock on the wall. 4:00pm. Damn, I thought, looks like he's not showing up today.
"What do you keep looking at the clock for?" Julie asks. "Expecting something? Someone?" She gasps. "Is it that boy~?"
"What?!" I screech. "W-what're you talking about?!"
"Oh, your father—"
"Brother."
"Right, I keep forgetting that," she continued, "he's been talking to me about a certain boy who's been particularly close to you."
There was silence. Emmy, I'll tell you this right now, I didn't trust Julie at all. I couldn't really trust her the way Murdoch did, because it always seemed like she thought everything was a movie. It's why she's where she is today. I looked down, not telling her anything.
"Sooooo, who's this boy? Is he in your grade? Is he cute?"
"Julie," I grumble.
"Okay, okay, I'll stop." She sighs happily. "I'm just glad you've found someone to talk to besides Murdoch. Even if you and this mystery man don't become a thing," she poked my cheek lightly, "it's still comforting knowing you're not alone."
I actually laughed. "Less of a man than you think, Julie." We both cracked up about that, and then she sighed. "I'm gonna go grab my laptop. There's a few things I need to work on, I'll be right back."
"Okay," I nod, laying back down.

A few weeks later, I managed to stop being depressed and actually left for school. I left a note on the couch for Murdoch, telling him I was finally leaving the house for school. When I got there, I saw Matthew. I smiled and waved. He didn't. I sigh and approach him. "Did something happen?"
"Yeah. You haven't been here."
"I'm sorry, okay?" I look down. "I was going through something..."
Matthew looked down too. "... sorry."
"It's okay," I sigh. "How is everything? Is Callie still acing her science homework?" There was a pause. "... is Emmy still annoying your mom?" Another pause. Then,
"She nearly crashed the car and killed us."
"What?!" My eyes widened, and I looked at Matthew. "No way. You're joshin' me."
"I'm not." He looked up, serious. "We went to Six flags, had to go through some really terrible rides, and then on the way back she tried to kill us by driving on the other side of the road. All because I needed to tell her I loved her."
"When did this happen??"
"Before school started back up..."
"And you didn't tell me? Why?"
"I don't need you worrying about me," he glared, "I can take care of myself."
"Matt, you nearly died a couple months ago! What else has been going on?" The bell rang. Matthew shook his head. "Never mind..." he left for class.
"Matt!" I call after him. I shake my head. "This is getting out of hand." I go to class like normal. I sit down, and already the teacher hated me.
"Ms. McIlvane. Glad to see you could make it today. Mind explaining why you've been absent?" She tapped her foot.
"..."
"You'll have to write a report on why you've been out," she turned back to the board. I couldn't stop thinking about you guys. Had you really almost been killed? By your own mother? The entire class I didn't pay attention, only thought of ways to help you guys out of your situation. The bell woke me up from my planning. I get up and leave quickly. I found Matthew again during our free period. "Please tell me what's going on." I begged. Finally, he cracked. He told me what had been happening since Murdoch broke up with Nikki. How crazy she's been. The stalking, the near-death experience, everything. He even told me about the talk he had with his father. "And?"
"He's still the same coward who left us when Nikki told him to," Matthew snarled. "I thought he'd try to keep talking to me... but I turned around and he was gone. I hate him."
I sighed. "I'm sure he cares... he's just in a tight spot."
"But we're his kids."
"Let's face it, Matt," I grab his hand, "Emmy's the one who needs to leave. More than anyone. And he can't take her."
"We can't just sit around and wait for Nikki to actually kill us!"
"She won't," I said. "You're her kids. Besides, the only way she could kill you and get away with it is leave the country. Besides..." I cringed. "She's still having fun torturing you by messing with Murdoch and I. That's her idea of 'fun,' right?"
The school day dragged on, but finally it was time to go home. I actually left the building rather quickly, walking home at the same speed I had left the school. I saw Nikki's car again. This time, I saw a man in the car with her. I blinked and tried not to look over at them. Then the car sped off. I ran back to my house. I came inside and closed the door.
"Good to see you're up for going to school, Lynn," Murdoch said with a smile. I sigh. "Yeah... crazy day." I drop my backpack and take off my shoes. "Whatcha doin?"
"Some work I had to bring home. You got any homework?"
"Nope—"
"That's a lie," he looked up and chuckled. "Your teacher called me. She's emailing you the work you've missed."
"Ugh!" I groan. "It's computer science, why do I need to have homework on an extra curricular?"
"I don't know, but you still need to do it. Along with all your other work."
"My throat clogged just hearing that," I say, sitting down next to him. I looked at my feet. He noticed my silence.
"Something happen?"
I told him everything. Nikki nearly killing Matthew, Callie and Emmy in a barely-escaped car accident, Emmy's defiance against Nikki, Matthew's talk with Ben, everything. He listened. Then he sighed. "Lynny—"
"I don't want any of them hurt. We have to do something!"
"There's nothing we can do, kiddo," he said. "We have no relation to them. We don't have control over what happens to them." At this point, we'd been talking so long it got dark. Murdoch got up. "I'm gonna make dinner. You want anything?"
"Yeah, a way to help those kids." I said sourly. Then I wiped my face of tears that had suddenly appeared on my face. "I'm gonna go sit outside for a second.." I get up and sit on the stairs of our shared porch. That's when I saw him. The guy who would later attack Murdoch, and give me a beating too.