A Brand New Day

Chapter 31

Meadow's pov
We all gather in the living room. Mom and I snuggle on the couch, while dad sits next to her holding her hand and River sits in the rocking chair in the corner. While Cassandra takes a seat in the big arm chair. "So, River you said this started in august." River glares at her. "But this really started for you and Meadow years ago. So, this lack of trust has always been there it's really not new. It's just now gotten loud. So when did this start for you two?"
Mom and dad have never heard half of the things that River and I have been through. I stare at River and she stares at me. "It—"
"Meadow, be quiet." River snaps.
"No, it all started."
"Stop." River growls.
"Why?" I snap as my eyes begin to burn.
"Because they don't need to know everything."
"Yes they do."
"Stop, both of you. Breathe." Cassandra says softly. "We don't have to go into details right now, but I want a time line of when it started, I'm just talking about when you two really became close."
"I was three. She was 7 or 8."
"Okay."
"At Meredith's house." I say cautiously as I watch River.
"Tell me about Meredith."
I shiver, mom squeezes me tight, "it's okay." She whispers.
"Um, she was nice at first."
"Really nice." River whispers, "we got there a week apart. Me first then Meadow."
"She was really fun, like singing, dancing, playing with us, cooking. She was great for about a month. She said she was going to adopt us." I explain.
"So she sounds good, so what happened?"
"Um... wait can I add a rule?" I stop as River glares a me. Cassandra nods, "she can't run away from the conversation."
"Why are you being so specific?" Cassandra nods.
"We've tried this before, to talk about the beginning when Meredith changed and she runs away every time." I explain.
"Okay, we'll I'm going to make the rule less specific and say that no one can run away. You can however, take a break, reset yourself and comeback. Here's the thing: this is not going to be fun or easy. The only way to get through this is by having the hard and deep conversations. So no one can run away." Cassandra explains.
"Okay, so..." I stop and close my eyes so I can't see rivers face. "There was one night, it was a Sunday. River, came back from her family. She was upset. But there was a man with her. So she walks in with this guy, and Meredith and him start hanging out. Well they started drinking, and taking these pills, and smoking stuff. The whole time I'm playing with toys and River won't play with me. Then it got dark. River just kept watching him. He stood up when Meredith feel asleep and stated walking toward me. I was just sitting there playing with Barbie's."
"Stop." River says quietly.
I keep talking, "so he sits down next to me and he starts talking to me. And I remember thinking this guy is awesome. So we start playing, then all of a sudden I'm in his lap."
"Meadow, please, shut up!" River snaps.
"Breathe," Cassandra says, "meadow keep going."
I close my eyes tight and keep going as mom combs her fingers through my hair, " so, I'm playing with him and his hand goes to my lap. So I freeze. That's when River came and yanked me away from him." I take a deep breath. "She takes me to the bathroom and the guy is screaming at her, 'River girl she wants to play our games too!' And I remember saying, 'River let's go play with him.' So I'm looking at her and she's crying and she says, 'you never ever play with him.' I remember being confused and looking at her and I said, 'please!" And she grabbed my arms and shook me. And got really close to my face, 'no! Never play with him. Listen to me. I'm going to go back out there and play, you are going to hide' I just stared at her pissed."
"Meadow! Shut up!" River screams.
"Meadow, keep going. This memory is almost over, Nick go to River. Remember, you can't leave River, you're doing really well." Cassandra says. I feel mom cling to me. "Meadow, tell me the rest."
I nod, "so I'm looking at River and she's scared and I'm so confused. The door knob starts to wiggle and she talks fast in a whisper she says, 'when he opens the door, run, hide, don't leave cuz you're too little. But go to the basement, the cupboard, do not come out until you hear me and only me tell you to.' She starts to shake as the door starts to shake. 'Tell me what you're going to do.' She says squeezing my arms. 'Go hide in the cupboard in the basement until you and only you tell me to come out.' And just then door burst open and the guy was smiling like a clown and I got cold. 'Go now!' She screamed at me while he grabbed her. So I ran. I hid. I could hear her screaming 'I'm sorry.' And she was crying." I sob as I continue, " I could hear her crying and screaming but at the same time, Meredith was laughing as I could her River being thrown around and things breaking. Then, the next thing I remember is waking up with a blanket and a pillow with River in the cupboard. She was bruised." I say panting. I wipe my face as I open my eyes. I look over at River and she's silently hysterical. Suddenly, mom stands up, "Demi." Cassandra says. "Demi. Sit down."
"I've got to go." Mom says blankly.
"No." I say.
"Demi, you can't. It's a rule, it's meadows rule."
"Um..." mom looks around as dad practically restrains River, "Um... I need."
"If I can't leave..." River pants while bawling, "you can't either."
"Demi, sit down." Dad says softly.
"Okay everyone, look at me." Cassandra says clapping her hands. We all look at her stunned, "here's what's going to happen, everyone needs a five minute reset." We keep staring at her, "Nick, is it safe for them all to go to their rooms for five minutes alone?" He nods, "okay, everyone go to your room, and reset. I'm setting a timer. If it is okay with you Nick, I will come get everyone from there or room when it goes off. But I'm going to spend the majority of the five minutes with Demi."
"That's fine. Um... thank you. Meadow and River let's go to your rooms." Dad says. I take his hand as he Carrie's River to her room. I go into my and sit on the bed. As I listen to mom and Cassandra close the door to moms room. Immediately, I hear mom begin to sob loudly.