𝓐𝓾𝓭𝓻𝓮𝔂 𝓕𝓻𝓮𝓮𝓶𝓪𝓷 | 𝓑𝓲𝓵𝓵𝔂 𝓑𝓪𝓽𝓼𝓸𝓷

ix.

chapter nine

AUDREY FREEMAN

We waited until Rosa and Victor weren't coming upstairs. We go out of Darla's room and brought the girl so we could talk to her. 

"Okay, listen to me. Darla, you can not tell anybody about this, alright?" Freddy asked. "But it's Billy," Darla mumbled. "He's a hero."

"Yeah, but if a supervillain finds out that he's a hero, that endangers us," Freddy told to her. "Okay? Hero's loved one is like the perfect bad guy target."

"Is she even good at keeping secrets?" Billy asked. "Moderate." Darla answered as Freddy replied "No."

"Oh god," Billy muttered and I just sigh and give Billy a reassuring look.

"Okay, listen, D, You can not tell a single soul about this, alright? Please," Freddy almost begged her. "Why? What if it's people we trust?" Darla asked.

I bent down and give Darla a hug, she quickly hugged me back. "Cause... cause good sisters don't tell secrets," I said, running out of ideas how to convince Darla not to tell Billy's secret to anyone.

"I'm a good sister," Darla eagerly said. I sweetly smiled at her and she let out a childish giggle. 

I stood back as Freddy said, "You know what would make you an even better sister?" We all looked at Freddy.

"Is if you could fix the doorknob for us, okay?" Freddy said and he handed the broken doorknob to Darla, she quickly reached it and received a broken doorknob. Poor girl.

I glared at Freddy, "I can do it," I said. "Give that to me, D," She handed to me the broken doorknob.

"Aren't you tired, Auds?" Freddy asked and I shook my head 'no' and sigh.

"But I'm a good sister," Darla said. I smiled at her, "You are already a good sister because you keep Billy's secret, D, now go to sleep now," I said as I kissed her forehead. "Goodnight." Then she goes inside her room.

"If you insist, Night, Auds," Freddy said as he pinched my cheeks before walking away. "Freds!"

I turned to Billy, "Hey, you should rest, Billy," I said to him.

"If you want, I can do it since I'm the one who broke it." He said while he's rubbing the back of his head.

I just shook my head and smiles, "No it's fine, really. Besides, I'm really good at this," I said as I flex my muscles and we chuckled.

"Um, I, um... it's just... I-I really want to get to know you... um, better," He shyly asked as I just let out a small giggle.

"Alright, um, c-could you wait until I fix this?, i-i mean it's really late and--" I was gonna say something but Billy cuts me off.

"Yeah, I can wait, if you want help, i-i helped you too." He insisted.

"Hmmm, it's fine, Billy."

_________

As I finished fixing Darla's doorknob, I turned to Billy and he's staring at me.

"Billy?" I said and he slightly flinched. 

"So, what do you want to know about me?" I said as we walked in our room, hearing Freddy's slight snoring. 

We looked at each other and let out a small chuckle as we sat on Billy's bed.

"I heard Rosa and Victor talking about---"

I cut him off, "About I runaway?" 

He nodded and I let out a sigh, "Well, it's the third day of staying here and I was thinking 'how could this be our new family? our family is just our... aunt.' My aunt was the one who raised us, according to her my mom died while giving birth to Freddy and me, while our father, they didn't know who it was. she also said that my mother is really secretive about her personal life. My aunt... we were in afront of a police station, she said..." I trailed off as tears began to fill my eyes, Billy quickly rubs my back, comforting me. 

I continued, "she said, we'll just for her there, and we wait in hours, came to us and approach us if we're lost, I refused, I said that we're waiting for our aunt to came back but... but the police shooke his head and said that she will never come back, he gave us food and drinks and take us inside of the station... he takes us to his car and stop by this house... he said that the couple living here is taking some foster child, Rosa... she... she welcomed us warmly and Victor too, Mary she was young back then and she's really sweet... then we stay here in three days and when everyone is sleeping, I snuck out... I went to find my aunt... after a week I find her... in- in a rehabilitation center... they said, she was... a drugged addict... after that, I was lost, so lost... I was scared to go back here... I'm afraid that they'll never accept me anymore... and I met a priest, he lends me some clothes, food, and drink. he's teaching to some children that time and... they're talking about family..." I trailed off.

Tears rolling down to my cheeks as I spoke up again, "I still remember what the priest said... he said 'Family can be not related to us, not all family is by blood. And it's up to you whether you treat them as a family or not, it's your choice' and then he started to tell his story, he runs away to a foster home to find his father and his father abandoned him and didn't really care about him, he was afraid to go back to his foster house, and when came back, they welcomed him warmly, and I realized that I will go back and when I came back Rosa, Victor, Mary, and Freddy welcomed me wholeheartedly and... that's it... this is my home now." I finished the story and wrapped my arms around him.

I pulled away and asked him, "So, what yours?" 

He told me his story of how he got lost and about finding his mother and failing again and again.

I really feel like starting this, we'll get closer and closer.