Sweet and Innocent (Demi Lovato)

Chapter 18

The next day, Demi didn't make me go to school as promised. Instead, she made me meet someone new who will be teaching me school stuff at home. I think it will be a lot better because the people at the school were mean.

After lunch, Demi says that she has somewhere for us to go today. Wilmer is at work, but Demi explained to me that she will be staying home with me for a while. Once he gets back, she said, we'll be going to visit her family. She tells me that she has a mom, dad, and two sisters.

"Are they nice?" I ask her.

"Yes, and they'll love you," she replies.

Wilmer comes home just before supper and we drive to Demi's parents house. Apparently that makes them my grandparents and aunts. Before today, I had never even know that those things existed.

We pull up to the house and Demi grabs my hand as we exit the car. The front door of the house opens before we even get there.

"Hi! And you must be Lillian," a short woman answers.

"That's my mom," Demi explains.

"Hi," I murmur.

A few other people come to the door. Demi introduces her dad and sisters to me. Her dad seems scary, but I don't want to disappoint Demi, so I say 'hi' to everyone.

When we sit down at the table for supper, Demi sits on one side of me with Wilmer beside her. Demi's mom sits beside me which is okay; she's very nice. Everybody else gathers around the table and, surprisingly, I'm not scared. I eat as much as I can and stay at the table observing Demi's family as they talk.

"How old are you, Lilly?" Demi's mom asks.

"Nine," I reply with as much confidence as I can muster.

---

After supper, Demi and Wilmer tell everyone that we should get going and we go back to their house.

"How did you like everyone?" Wilmer asks.

"They were nice," I reply. I've been finding it a lot easier to talk to other people, but they still sometimes scare me. 

I get ready for bed completely by myself, then Demi and Wilmer come to say goodnight and tuck me in. It seems unnecessary, but I'm starting to like it. I wonder if Nevvy gets tucked in at night.

"You thought you were free, but I will find you." As sinister tone fills his voice and I look up to see my uncle standing in front of me.

"Help!" I yell.

"Lilly!"

I jerk up in the bed and look at Demi who is sitting on the edge, her hand resting on my arm. I yank my arm back.

"What happened?"

I'm still too shocked to respond, so I just lay back down. Salty tears drip down my cheeks into my mouth as I gasp for air. I scream as Uncle Mark appears where Demi had been sitting.

"Don't hurt me!" I yell.