The rest of our week at George's house was terribly boring. We could do nothing but stay in the house because we had officially been put out there as the two missing teens. There were many close calls where George had to scare away people who swore they saw us here at his house. The police had been driving through a lot to ask questions, but they had never actually searched for us in the house.
Eventually, when the time for us to go arrived, Rob and I pleaded to stay longer. Of course, the worse possible thing that could happen was that George would say no after all.
"Now I told you kids I'd only let you stay a week. I didn't promise anything more." George said. Then he looked at our disappointed faces, and smiled a bit. "Ah, but because Rob is one of the only family members I can still stand, I'll let you stay."
Relief washed over me. We wouldn't have to worry about having a place to hide, but of course, things don't always work out in people's favor. The cops ended up coming by to actually search the house. Apparently, someone actually had the balls to tell that George was harboring us, and because of his background, he ended up in more trouble.
So the three of us sat smushed together in the back of a cop car. I was pissed. This had all been for nothing, and I thought we were actually going to get further away than this. We didn't have phones, nor did we have any of our belongings that we managed to bring with us.
The interrogations and the lecture that we received from the police were enough to make me want to blow my brains out. It was a series of the same questions and things, over and over again:
"Do you realize the damage you have caused to your mother and father's vehicle? Imagine how much money they'll have to pay to get another one."
"Do you realize you could have seriously been injured during the accident?"
"You have been staying with an ex convict for a whole week. Do you realize who this man is?"
"He might be your family Mr. Miller, but that's no excuse."
"Imagine how both your families must feel?"
"How far did you think you'd actually get?"
The last question stung a bit, because I actually expected to get pretty far. When things actually were working out, I was surprised and shocked at how easy it was to get out of the state and into another just like that. Rob was mostly angry and hostile towards the police, and I had to calm him down before he got himself into more trouble.
Our parents were apparently on their way to get us, and I knew mine would not be happy at all. After a while, the cops actually stopped talking to us, but they still monitored us as we waited for our families.
"What do you think your dad's going to say about George?" I whispered to Rob after a while. The cops were too busy talking to each other to notice.
"He's going to be fucking pissed, and it's going to open up a whole new argument. God, this is why I was hoping it wouldn't end up like this. My father is just going to use this as an attack on him."
"Look, chill. We need to worry about us more than George anyways."
"The poor man can't afford to go back to jail because of us." Rob sighed. "Where did they take him anyways?"
"Somewhere for questioning I guess." I shrugged. "We have to tell them about our stuff."
"There's no way they're going to let us go back to George's house for that." Rob snorted.
"You realize they can get it for us, right?"
Rob rolled his eyes and sighed. "Alright, whatever babe. Just get it over with."
I looked at the cops who were all having a conversation still. "Uh, police officer, sir?"
They all turned to face me.
"Um, could you guys go back to George's house? We really need our belongings from there."
One cop nodded. "Yes ma'am. We'll see to it that, that is done."
I nodded and turned to look at Rob, who clearly wasn't doing so well. "We've got this, okay?" I said.
After a while, our families arrived. I expected my parents to scream their heads off, or react some way, but they were so calm it made me afraid as to why they were. However, Rob's mother came in, tears rolling down her cheeks at the sight of her son. She ran to him and gave him a hug. His father began yelling right after that.
I walked over to my mother and father. "So I guess I'm in a world of trouble, huh?"
"Trouble doesn't began to describe-" my mother started.
But she stopped speaking when we began to hear what Rob's father was saying. "You've been staying with that goddamn drug head bastard. You'd ought to be ashamed of yourself Rob! You are my son, you can not under any circumstances, associate yourself with anyone like that. I'll tell these police the same things I told you. George is nothing but a trouble maker."
"But he's not!" Rob spat back. "He helped us! He was nothing but kind to us!"
"Exactly, he helped you. God, are you even listening to yourself right now Rob? He's a grown man helping two teenage kids hide from the police. You call that being a responsible adult?"
"It doesn't matter. You're using this against him. You two used to be best friends!"
"I think we need to go and let Rob and his parents have their conversation in peace." my father said to me, pushing me towards the door.
"No." I said.
My parents looked at me in shock. "No?" my mother scoffed. "I don't think you need to start back talking either of us again anytime soon Heather."
"Rob is my boyfriend, and I'm not leaving him here alone." I said, and I walked towards him.
They were still going back and fourth, but the conversation was now about how Rob could even think George and his father had been friends at any point and time.
"He told us." I answered for him, when Mr. Miller didn't believe his son's response.
"He told you a lie." Mr. Miller said, but he seemed uncomfortable with saying those words.
I snorted. "So you didn't plant drugs on George, permanently ruining his life?"
"He ruined his life on his own, okay?"
"Sure, he made mistakes, but so did you." Rob said. "You two made them together."
You might be wondering why we were more worried about George than ourselves in that moment, but even I couldn't tell you that, and I don't think Rob could either. We just knew right from wrong, and anybody from the outside looking in would probably have reacted like Mr. Miller, but after staying with George in that short time period, we learned a great deal about him.
"Where is he?" Mr. Miller asked one of the police officers.
"We took him in for questioning."
"Can I see him when you're finished?"
"I'm sorry sir. I doubt you'll be able to anytime soon. He's not getting out of this as easily as the kids are."
"Why do you want to see him? So you can try to fight him over this?" I asked.
"No, there are some things we need to discuss." Mr. Miller said.
I never got to know what those things were that day, because my mother finally decided to snatch me away from the situation. I got into even more trouble for being by Rob's side, but I didn't care. His father made good points about George not being a responsible adult in the situation that was at hand, but he was making those points out of his generally convinced hatred for him, and not out of common sense. There was a big difference, not to mention that he threatened to bring George's past up to the police. A past, that he helped create.
The police gave me my belongings and when I finally returned home, I wasn't allowed to leave the house for the next two months according to my parents. I would also have to help around the house, and the babysitting job I had would even be off limits as of right now. I was disappointed, because that was the only thing that actually made me happy in that town.
That night, there was a soft knock on my window, and I looked out to see Rob. My parents were sound asleep, and I was excited to see him. I wondered what his parents had said and how they punished him. I opened the window, and helped him inside.
He kissed me passionately, and I had to catch my breath afterwards. "Woah, clearly you're happy to see me."
Rob nodded, then pulled me into his arms, holding me. He seemed depressed, and he wasn't saying much at all.
"What happened after I left?" I asked him, pulling away to look into his eyes.
"A lot." was his only response. He sounded choked up, but there was no way Rob Miller, the badass of Cleveland, was choked up.
Or was he?
"Like what?" I pressed.
He took a deep breath. "First off, they said I couldn't see you for the next few months that I'm grounded. I told them that we're together, and they just said it wasn't their problem. Well, my father did at least. My mother doesn't agree with it so much, but she just goes with what my father does."
I could feel my heart breaking.
Months?
Not seeing Rob for months. I couldn't do that. "That doesn't mean I won't still sneak over here though. I just can't get caught." Rob said, noticing how upset I was getting. I nodded.
"What happened to George?"
Rob was quiet.
"Rob?"
"He's back in jail."
I couldn't believe it, but then again I could. After all, there was no way he could get off that easy. Especially with half a lifetimes worth of history like that.
"And your father? He never did try to see him again?" I asked.
"They wouldn't let him, but he seemed pretty upset when I called him out. I think he finally realized that what he's been doing all these years was wrong, but now, it's too late to make it right." Rob said.
"Well I guess that's a lesson learned." I said. "It sucks that they're still on bad terms with each other until they actually talk things through."
"Well, I'm glad we're not baby girl."
I smiled and kissed Rob softly. We had been through hell, but for once, when I really thought about it, I guess it wasn't all for nothing. We had learned so much on the way about people and ourselves.
We learned what we were actually capable of doing, and what was a good idea and what wasn't. We learned that it was best to make the most out of the current living situation that we were in, instead of running from it. We had to wait things out, and not try to rush them. It would be a better idea to have waited until we were finished with high school to go out and make our own lives. We didn't have all the tools we needed to survive in the real world just yet.
Sure, I thought I was prepared because I was mature, and I knew how to handle some situations, but once I got out there, I made stupid decisions. Rob learned never to switch up on anyone you are close with over something small and meaningless. Eventually, it will come back to haunt you, and you will need to convince yourself everyday that it's not your fault, when really, it is. Even if it's only a small thing, it can blow up into something much bigger, and affect that person severely.
Ohio isn't forever, but for now, it was temporary.
A/N: Well, what do you think?...:D