This is the country

Chapter 20

            The next day Adeline and Damien were sitting in the living room waiting for Clint.
            "What do you two want to do today?" Clint asked the both of them.
            "I thought I was supposed to go with you to the auction?" Adeline said.
            "It was all bullshit, a lie so she wouldn't bother you." Clint said.
            "Dads a good liar." Damien said, "Sometimes I can't tell the difference on whether or not he's telling the truth."
            "But shouldn't we go anyway just incase she follows us? What if she goes to make sure that you weren't lying?" Adeline asked.
            "Well that's not really going to matter, she will try to hurt you either way. But while we are still alive, we are not going to let that happen." Clint said, "I've had enough with her, she's going to either die or go to jail one way or another."
            "Dads right, I'll have some other people come to keep you safe as well." Damien said.
            "You don't need to do that, I'm sure you guys are enough. She's just one girl, right?" Adeline asked. Both Clint and Damien stayed silent.
             "Right?" Adeline repeated.
             "She may only be one girl, but shes done years worth of fighting classes. Karate, knife fighting, sword fighting, and a couple other ones. Plus her parents are military veterans, they taught her additional things." Clint said, "She's hell bent on making Damien hers, I've seen the look in her eyes, her old self as been gone for a long time."
            "Old self?" Adeline asked.
            "She used to be the most happy kid in town, then her asshat parents came home from war and she hasn't been the same since. It was like she lost all hope and emotions, until she met Damien." Clint said.
           "What are her parents like?" Adeline asked.
           "A bunch of asshats that's what they are. That poor little girl was almost beaten to death a couple times by them. I should've kept her with me before they turned her into that monster." Clint said.
           "You knew her when she was younger?" Damien asked.
           "Yeah, we live in a small town, I knew everyone's parents at every school you went to." Clint said, "I used to think Stacy was a good kid."
           "Oh yeah right, I remember when Mrs Kessler ask you to go with her to the school dance to "help" set up the gym." Damien said with a laugher.
           "Yeah, I remember her and I  had a fun time that night" Clint joked.
           "Ah! Ew dad! Is that why she wouldn't even look at me for a week at school." Damien said in disgust.
          "Yep and you thought it was your face that made her look away from you." Clint laughed.
           "So you're the one that lowered my self esteem!" Damien said.
           "The both of you are getting off topic! We need to find a way to get her in jail!" Dylan said.
           "Maybe I could talk to her and record the whole thing. Then we can send it to the police." Adeline said.
            "No!" Clint, Damien and Dylan yelled.
            "No fuckin way am I letting you get even remotely close to her." Damien said as he brought Adeline into a warm hug, "It's dangerous"
            "Yeah it's risky, but it may be the only way." Adeline said as she pulled away from him, "If you want her gone that badly then I'm your only chance."
"How about we give it a couple weeks? We can make a one big plan when she least expects it. I mean, this is the first day we've seen her since high school." Zoey said as she walked into the room, "By the way, I heard everything."
"Adeline could get hurt during those couple weeks. We need to act soon." Damien said, "I'm calling other friends to help us."
"But they could be working for her." Zoey said, "You know how good she is at lying."
"I can see through her lies and everyone in town knows I'm good at reading people." Clint said.
"But some of them know you're good at lying too." Zoey said.
"Shut up the both of you! I'm calling people." Damien said as he got up and brought the phone to his ear. Adeline sat on the couch and curled up in a ball while Zoey and Clint argued. Dylan sat down next to Adeline.
"I know we are not close friends-"
"We are friends." Adeline interrupted.
"As I said, we are not very close friends, but I am your friend. I know this is difficult to understand and comprehend. Yes, you are in danger and we want to protect you, I know you haven't been asked yet, but...how do you feel?" Dylan asked.
"I'm scared that one of you guys could get hurt trying to protect me." Adeline said.
"I know you are, but I meant how's the pregnancy? How are you doing through all of that?" Dylan asked.
"Its almost the end of the first month. Even though not much has happened, I get really hungry for the weirdest foods. Like milk and pickles put together." Adeline said.
"I thought you were a "vegan"? Aren't you not supposed to eat dairy products or eat real meat?" Dylan asked with a chuckle.
"I know and it's weird. I don't even like pickles. I think they are too sour." Adeline said as she scrunched her face as if she had something sour in her mouth.
"How about anything else?" Dylan asked.
"My chest is tender, I puke sometimes, I'm tired, I have mood swings, I pee a lot and I feel bloated." Adeline said.
"Your chest is tender as in your...?" Dylan tried to ask as he pointed at her chest.
"Yes, my boobs" Adeline said as she rolled her eyes.
"That sounds hard to go through." Dylan said, "I can't imagine what it's like. It I was a pregnant woman, I would be on the floor."
"They have simulations of the pain during child birth if you want to try some time." Adeline jokes.
"Hell no! Although, I respect the hell out of women, they go through these major things like periods and pregnancies. All the major things guys could ever get is AIDs or some other STD." Dylan said with a laugh.
Adeline chuckled and asked, "How come you wanted to know about this?"
"Well, I never got to see Zoey during her pregnancy. Hell, I didn't even know she was. I just wanted to know that it could've been like for her. Ya know? I also asked because I was concerned for you because you're my friend and all, also stress isn't good either and they should not be arguing right now." Dylan said.
"That's sweet of you, but it's a little different for everyone. You should ask Zoey how she felt about it and yeah, I'm highly stressed." Adeline said.
"Also I did read about how stress can cause premature births or other problems. So what helps your stress go down?" Dylan asked.
"Damien hugs I guess..." Adeline said as she saw Damien, Clint and Zoey getting into a very heated argument that reminded her of how her parents screamed at her. Tears ran down her face so she put a blanket around her.
"What's wrong?" Dylan asked.
"This reminds me of how my parents hit and screamed at me when I told them I was pregnant." Adeline said, "I don't want to leave the room because Stacy could get me, but I don't want to be here while they are arguing."
"Hold on, I'll get them to stop" Dylan said as he stood up.
"We can't do that! We could risk lives including Adeline!" Damien shouted.
"Shut the hell up! All of you! Adeline is sitting there on the couch crying because you guys reminded her of what her parents did to her. She's scared much more than you guys are. She's going through a pregnancy, did you forget that?! Stress is bad for her. Damien, if you want your baby and Adeline to be healthy then stop arguing." Dylan said, "Plus, my baby is sleeping in the other room!"
Damien, Zoey and Clint turned to Adeline and saw her crying while in a ball. They all went up to her and wrapped her into this one big warm hug.
"We are so sorry." Zoey said.
"It's fine" Adeline said.
"No it's not, all you have to do is tell us that your not okay and we will try to make things better there's no reason to lie." Damien said, "And I'm sorry for making you feel this way, I just worry about you."
"Thank you guys" Adeline said, "Now can you guys let go, I can't breathe."

[End of chapter 20]