Songs for this Chapter:
Barking at the Moon- Jenny Lewis
"I have got so much to give, I swear I do
I may not have nine lives, but this one feels brand new
Yes I've lived a good one
I have tried to be true"
**Ophelia**
"Ophelia, what will we do for dinner? You work tonight and you know he won't feed us. Livvy hasn't eaten in two days." Julian whispers to me. My heart sinks.
He's right. I couldn't afford to miss the shift, but they needed to eat. I send a quick text to my boss. She partially knew our situation. She'd understand.
With a grunt, I settle my backpack on my back.
"Come on then, let's go pick up some Spaghetti-Os." I take Lex's hand as Jules takes Livvy's , and Jace trails behind us.
The walk is brief, we make good time on our walk to the gas station on the corner. The owner allows me to keep a tab, any time I fall short we make an exchange for a few hours of work to pay it off. Not legal, but it works for us.
"Wait here, I'll only be a second." I say, only releasing Livvy when she takes Jace's hand. The only thing on my mind is getting the kids food. I grab a few cans of Spaghetti-O's, a box of oatmeal, and some ravioli.
Ray is quick to ring me up, watching the kids outside while he does so. Julian and Jace would never let anything happen to them, but I'm appreciative of the extra eyes.
"Twelve ninety-eight," Ray jars me from my thoughts. I hand over the cash, and he hands me my bag. "Have you thought that maybe they'd be better in foster care?" He asks gently. I shake my head quickly.
"Absolutely not." I say. "They'd split them up. And I'm not about to let that happen." A man enters the store behind me, wearing a bulky jacket. Odd. It's too warm for a jacket. Ray notices it too.
"Hey man-" he doesn't get to finish his sentence before the man sprints to the back of the station, hitting his chest. There's a bright flash, and I'm knocked backwards, slammed against the counter before hitting the floor. Coughing, I struggle to focus.
My ears ring, my chest hurts, my leg hurts, my head hurts. My eyes are blurry. As my head fog clears, my eyes zero in on the four terrified kids knocked to the ground outside.
"JULES! Get them out of here!"
*****
"Jules?!" I'm choking down tears as they move, and I'm slammed into, my breath knocked out of me.
Julian.
"Ophelia." He cries, actually cries, into my shoulder as he hugs me so tightly I can feel my back pop. I can't move, can't breathe, can't think, as my senses are filled with Julian.
"You're alive." I whisper. "I knew you were close, I knew you survived." The group makes no move to separate us, and behind me, Bellamy has dismounted from Tequila.
The dull ache in my heart is replaced, filled by relief. They're alive.
"You know her Julian?" One of the men asks him. Jules nods, his chin digging into my head. Even though I was older, he still stood an even 6'2 to my measly 5'3.
"She's my sister, the one I asked every patrol about." Julian responds. The man doesn't let up.
"And you can vouch for her?"
Julian releases me and turns to the group, squaring his shoulders. "I can, and the group she is with too." He says it loud enough for everyone to hear. Bellamy puts a hand on my shoulder.
YOU ARE READING
500 Miles
Teen Fiction*Title and Cover to be Changed!* Ophelia Scarlatti has had a difficult life. In and out of foster care from ages three to eight, dealing with her parent's addictions, and handling the loss of her grandmother, she and her brother take guardianship o...
