Demi knows there's something going on with her sister Bella and she's dying to find out what's wrong
Demi POV
I was just about to leave my apartment to go and stay at my moms for a few days.
I missed my two little sisters. Bella is now 14 and Maddie is 12, they are so cute. They are literally each other's best friends, but are completely the opposite of each other. Bella won't even really use the internet or anything, she hides away from all social media. Part of me is glad about that, she doesn't get involved with the negative side of things. She is quite a quiet person really but is constantly in trouble at school, and Maddie's grades are always so much higher even though she's younger, I can't put my finger on why she behaves like that though.
Before I leave, I decide to give my mom a quick call to let her know I'm on my way. After about three rings she picks up.
Demi: hey momma
Diana: hey baby girl
Demi: you seem stressed, are you ok? I'm just about to leave
Diana: can you do me a favour, can you pick bella up from school on your way please. I've had another call from her principle. She's been fighting again, he's sending her home with work
Demi: sure no problem, I'm on my way
Diana: thanks baby, I'll see you soon
Demi: Bye momma
I left straight away and jumped in my car to go pick bella up. Durning these next few days I'm determined to get to the bottom of what's going on.
When I arrived at her school she was sat in a chair in reception, looking down and swinging her legs back and forth. Fear crossed her face when she looked up and realised I was walking towards her.
"Come on then you, let's get you home" I said, giving her a weak smile when i reached her.
She stood up and loosely took my hand I had held out to her and I went to sign her out.
"Do we have to go home?" She said, looking up at me with puppy dog eyes
"I'm afraid so baby girl, but if you explain to me what happened I might be able to calm mom down before she kills you" I said as I climbed back in the car.
"It doesn't matter" she mumbled and rested her head on the window.
"It does matter bella, you can't keep fighting like this"
"It wasn't my fault" she argued back
"Then tell me who's it was, tell me what happened" I begged
"Just leave it Demi"
"Fine, but you know you're gonna have to answer to mom right?"
"Whatever" she shrugged
The rest of the ride home was spent in silence, apart from the radio playing quietly. When I pulled up outside, bella grabbed her bag and took a very deep breath before walking up to the house. She knew what my mom was gonna be like. As we got inside she made a b-line for the stairs, she was close but not close enough.
"BELLA, DONT EVEN THINK ABOUT IT. KITCHEN NOW" my mom screamed
She slowly made her way to my mom and I followed behind her, placing my phone and keys down on the counter.
"Look at me bella" my mom said, a little calmer
Bella lifted her head to reach my moms eyes
"What happened this time bells?" She asked
Bella just shrugged
"Oh come on bella, you are gonna have to tell me what all these fights are about at some point. We can't keep going on like this" she sighed
"I told Demi, it wasn't my fault"
"Who's was it bell?"
"I can't say, just leave it please"
"This isn't over bella, have the school given you any work?"
She nodded
"Ok, well you can work in here, I want to keep an eye on you. Are you in any pain from the fight?" My mom questioned her
"A little, I'm ok though" she admitted
"Alight, get on with your work then"
Bella sat down at the kitchen table and took out her books and work sheets, I motioned for my mom to come into the living room.
"I don't know what to do with her" she sighed and rested her head in her hands.
"Mom, I think there's something else going on. I mean she wouldn't fight for no reason. Look what she's like at home and when we go out, she's a timid little mouse she isn't the type of person to go round starting fights" I explained
"I know but she won't talk to me dem"
"I'm here for the next few days. I'll try"
"Demi, I need you to get her to agree to go to the doctors. Her grades are so low, I think there might be an actual problem. She won't show me any work she does at home and when I ask her to read something out to me she freaks out and makes any excuse up not to"
My mom began to cry, I shuffled along the sofa to comfort her.
"So you think she might have learning difficulties or something?" I asked
She silently nodded.
"Well why haven't the school done anything about it?"
She just shrugged
"Ok, well whatever happens we'll help her. She'll be fine mom I'll go check on her now"
I walked into the kitchen and when bella saw me she slammed her book shut and turned the worksheet over. I took the chair next to her and watched as her breathing hitched and she tensed up.
"How's it going?" I queried
"Fine"
"What subject you working on?"
"History"
"Ooooo that's boring, can I see what you have to do?" I asked
"Why? You just said it was boring"
"I'm just taking an interest in my little sister, don't get all defensive baby girl" i replied as I took her hand in mine. I used my other hand to try and turn the worksheet over but she slapped it away.
"No, don't!"
"Why not baby girl?"
"You'll laugh, you'll tell everyone?" She panicked and stood up
"Tell everyone what bella? Come on tell me. You can't keep going on like this"
"I can't Demi"
Her voice cracked and I knew she was gonna cry soon
"Bella it's me, you know you can tell me anything"
"Everyone laughs, everyone calls me stupid. They're right, I'm thick I can't do anything. even the teachers have given up on me. In every single lesson there's always one person who makes a comment about how stupid I am and how I don't have a brain and how I'm a huge disappointment to my family. I don't want to fight. I hate fighting Demi but they bully me, they taunt me and wind me up. As soon as someone hits me I have to defend myself somehow." She cried.
She had finally cracked. She was in tears and her whole body was shaking. Without another word I picked up the worksheet and scanned my eyes over her answers. It was difficult to read her writing and even quite simple words were spelt wrong. Her answers didn't even make sense when I read the questions. I don't think she understood what she had to do. My heart broke for her. She's gone 14 years without any educational support.
I looked up and saw her staring at me, fear written all over her face.
"Please don't hate me" she cried before she ran. She ran straight through the house and out the front door.
"MOM, I'm gonna get her. Don't worry." I said as i saw my mom standing in the doorway. She must have been listening. I grabbed my phone and made my way outside.
After driving around for only about ten minutes I saw my little bella as I was driving passed the park. I pulled up and made my way towards the bench, where once again she was sat swinging her legs. I sat myself down next to her and put my hand on her knee.
"Sorry for running out on you" she whimpered
"I don't need an apology baby, I don't blame you" i admitted.
"You gonna give me a cuddle then, I came home because I missed you and Maddie and I've not had a hug yet"'I said, faking being hurt.
She smiled weakly and climbed onto my lap, resting her head on my shoulder. I breathed in the scent of my baby sister. I've missed holding her in my arms. She may be older than Maddie but she's half the height. She's the shortest teenager ever.
"Why didn't you tell me or mom baby girl?" I whispered softly as I rubbed my hand up and down her back.
"I'm embarrassed about it" she cried into my neck
"Shhhh bella it's ok, we're gonna get you some help ok" I soothed
"Nothing will work. I can't read or write properly Demi"
"Baby, i promise we will get this sorted. Mom and dad have been so worried, we'll all help you"
"Can I ask you something?" I asked bella
"Hmmm what?"
"Is this why you don't go on twitter or anything?"
"Yeah, I can't really read all the comments and i don't want to write anything wrong and have even more people laugh"
"Oh sweetheart. I'm so glad that you've told me this. I won't give up until you're happy and getting the help you deserve ok"
"So you'll help me. You're not embarrassed by me?" She asked with a quivering lip
"Of course I'm going to help you, and i would never be embarrassed over something like this. I love you just as much as before, possibly a little more if that's even possible."
She smiled and tucked her head into my neck.
"Come on baby girl, let's go home and talk to mom. She needs to know you're ok"
"Will you stay with me?"
"Of course sweetheart. I'll be with you the whole time" I reassured.
When we got home my mom rushed over to bella and pulled her into a hug.
"I'm sorry bella, I'm so so sorry. I should have known. I'm sorry baby girl" my mum cried to bella.
I led them both over to the sofa and sat down, pulling bella down with me to sit her in between my legs. She leant back on me and let herself relax into my body as I wrapped my arms around her little waist.
"I take it you heard me in the kitchen before" bella stated
"I did baby. I wasn't spying on you I just needed to know what was wrong" my mom replied
"Mommy it's ok. I'm glad that you know. I'm tired of hiding it"
"I'm so proud of you bella. I know now that you were really trying and all the fights weren't your fault. I'm sorry for shouting at you about your grades, mommy and daddy are gonna get you some help alright, and I'm gonna sort things out in school" my mom informed her.
"Thank you mom, I promise you I will try harder"
"I know you will sweetie, everything will be ok I promise"
I just sat back, feeling myself getting a little emotional as I played with Bella's hair and often kissed her head. I felt bell move and she crawled off me and along the sofa to my mom. I decided to give them a minute so I went back into the kitchen. I sat down and looked through Bella's work again. About ten minutes later bella walked in and once again came to sit on my lap.
"How you feeling baby girl?" I said, squeezing her into me
"I actually feel better now that I don't have to hide it." She admitted
"I'm so proud of you bells"
"Demi?" She asked
"Yeah sweetheart?"
"Will you help me finish the worksheet?" She said nervously
"It would be my pleasure baby girl. Come on, we'll do it together" I said, smiling down at her.
She jumped into the chair next to me, and looked apprehensively down at the work, taking fast short breaths as she tried to read.
"Hey hey hey, bella it's alright, don't panic I'm gonna help you." I soothed
"It's just all muddled up" she frustratedly said
"Shhh I know it is, why don't I read you the question, you can verbally tell me the answer and then I'll help you to spell it all out. How's that sound?"
"Ok, just don't laugh at me"
"Never bella, never"
I began reading to her and she followed the words as I spoke, when I finished each question she gave me the answer straight away.
"Bella, you do realise that you're getting these right" I grinned at her
"I know them when I know what the question is. I just can't read the question or write the answer. Out loud I know it." She tried to explain
"I'm really impressed bella"
"You're just saying that"
"I'm serious. You just need help with reading and writing. We can get that sorted baby girl"
When we finished the homework Maddie came home. She was excited to see me and we all snuggled down to watch a movie on the sofa. I was in the middle of both my girls but bella was the one with her head on my lap, cuddling into me. I think she's a little worn out and needs the attention today.
The girls went upstairs to get settled for bed after the movie had ended, I sat downstairs for a while before I got an idea. I quickly went into my dad's office where the books were all set out nicely on a shelf. I chose one I thought bella might like and i took it upstairs. I knocked on Bella's door and she told me to come in.
"Hey baby girl"
"Hey dems"
"Can I come cuddle?" I asked her
"Sure"
I climbed into bed with her and put one arm around her back so she could lay her head on my chest. She did this all the time when she was little.
"I thought we could read this" I said to her as I showed her the book
"No way Demi. I can't read a simple question, never mind a book"
"That's why I'm gonna help you. I'll read a bit and you can follow the words as I read. Then you can try a bit. It doesn't matter if you get it wrong or it takes you a long time that's why we're doing this, so that you can improve"
"Ok I'll try"
"That's my girl"
I started to read the story and at the same time keep an eye on bella, her eyes were glued to the words on the page. I smiled to myself as I continued to read.
A few pages in I decided to let bella have a go. She frowned at the words as she tried to read them, you could see how hard she was concentrating.
"Good girl bella. Keep going" i encouraged.
Eventually she reached the end of the page and I squeezed her into the biggest hug ever.
"Oh bella I'm so proud of you"
"I'm not fixed Demi" she argued
"No but you just read a whole page to me, you should be proud of yourself baby girl"
She blushed and buried her head into me.
"I think we should get some sleep now" i suggested.
She nodded and yawned at the same time, rolling over so her back was against me. I rolled onto my side so I could spoon her and smell her scent.
"I'm glad you're home Demi" she said
"Me too baby. I love you so much, now get some sleep"
"I love you too demdem"
I smiled to myself at her calling me demdem before I closed my eyes and let myself drift of to sleep
A/n
Hope you enjoyed it.
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