haunted , jeremiah fisher ²

fourteen

amelia woke up to a voice coming from the room down the hall. she tried to get up but it was of no use when she realized who's strong arms were wrapped tightly around her waist, and it definitely was not bella's.

"jere." she shook the boy gently. "jere, get up." she slapped him gently.

"wake up!" amelia heard the voice of laurel coming from belly's room. "jeremiah, i think my moms here." she pulled out of his grasp. jeremiah stirred a bit, rubbing his eyes a bit.

"ami, your moms here." bella yawned out, going to stand by the doorframe to see what all the noise was about.

"you asked me to come. no, actually, you left me a message begging me to come. and then you didn't answer when i called you back. i kept trying you all night." laurels angry tone boomed through the hallway from belly's room.

jeremiah got up from the sleeping bag him and amelia shared last night and stretched his arms out. "why is your mom here?" he said groggily.

"no clue." amelia stood beside bella at the doorframe and listened to the conversation being had between belly and laurel.

"you've been lying to me for days." the older woman gritted. "well, jeremiah and conrad, they-they needed our help, and we didn't know how to tell you." belly defended.

"we?"

"hi, m- laurel." amelia stammered, stepping out into the hallways. laurel turned around to face amelia angrily. "i wanted to tell you, i really did, but-"

"there is no excuse. none." laurel cut amelia off. "i really hope last night was worth it, because i am so done with you two." she seethed.

"mom, we didn't come here to party. it just happened. we-we came here... we can here for susannah." amelia rubbed her eyes sleepily. "stop it! i can't stand to hear you guys use her as an excuse one more time." laurel fired.

"you can't stand us period!" belly shot back. "ever since her funeral, you have been so angry with me. and you have hardly given mel the time of day."

"don't do that." laurel shook her head. "don't you dare make it seem like i don't love amelia as my own. and what do you want me to say? that you embarrassed me? that you made that day all about you when it was supposed to be about susannah?" she yelled.

"yes! yes! i know you hate me for it, okay? but you will never hate me as much as i hate myself." belly cried out. "oh, come on!" laurel scoffed. "we are not doing this here. let's go."

"we aren't going anywhere." amelia shook her head. laurel turned around, grabbing both amelia and belly by their wrist.

"no! no!" amelia snatched her arm out of her grasp. "the only mistake i made was thinking that you could help." belly pointed at her mom.

"susannah would never forgive you for abandoning her boys. she would never even believe-" amelia was cut off by a sharp slap across her face from laurel.

belly gasped in shock as her mothers hand connected with amelia's cheek. amelia squeezed her fist together and shut her eyes to calm herself.

"mel..." laurel said softly. amelia shook her head, walking out of the room. she could see conrad, jeremiah, and bella watching with sad eyes as she walked down the hall and down the stairs.

amelia bit her lip in anger and went out the back door toward the beach. it definitely wasn't her first time being slapped by someone she considered her parent, but it definitely hurt the most. mentally, not physically.

she sat down in the sand staring out at the ocean. laurel was the one person she never would have thought would even lay a finger on her. now she has. she wasn't even the one raising her voice at laurel, yet she was the one who got slapped.