Sweet and Innocent (Demi Lovato)

Chapter 39

Lilly's POV

Performing with Demi's band on TV was a lot of fun. I was very nervous about messing up, but I didn't, and everyone clapped at the end. I couldn't stop smiling.

After the performance, Demi and Wilmer took Nevvy and I out for a big breakfast. Then, we went back  home and watched a movie. Everything felt so perfect; I wish it could stay this way forever.

---

A few days later, all four of us were supposed to go to court, which is where we're supposed to tell people about how mean Nevvy's adoptive parents are. My uncle had also been in a court once, but we never had to go. I'm a little scared, but I think her parents will get in trouble just like Uncle Mark did.

We all get dressed in the morning and eat breakfast before heading to the court. We get in the car and drive to the court. The building looks quite fancy and seems very strict. Inside the building, we are shown where to sit and wait for it to start.

I blank out for most of the talking. Nevvy's adoptive parents and some other person try to defend themselves. They say that they never hurt Nevvy, and that Demi and Wilmer just wanted revenge.

After that, Child Protective Services goes up and gives all the evidence about how mean her parents are. Nevvy has to go up and answer some questions; I do too. It reminds me of when I was hurt by them. I wish their questions didn't have to make me feel so bad.

Once we've all answered questions, a man says that Nevvy's parents are sentenced to time in jail. I wonder if they'll see Uncle Mark there.

The Child Protective Services talk with Demi and Wilmer after, and they decide that Nevvy can stay with us as something called a foster child until further arrangements are made. I hope she can stay with us forever.

---

Back at home, Nevvy and I play in our room for some time. I think she's sad about seeing her adoptive parents, so I try to cheer her up and let her have the best Barbie's and toys. I don't want her to be sad ever again.

Demi and Wilmer come upstairs a bit later and Demi says she wants to talk to me while Wilmer talks to Nevvy about something.

Once Wilmer and Nevvy leave the room, Demi sits down beside me.

"Lilly, do you understand what happened today?" Demi asks.

"Nevvy's parents are with Uncle Mark," I say innocently.

"Yes, but do you know what that means?" She looks me in the eyes.

"That means that Nevvy can stay with us, right?"

Demi nods hesitantly. "For now, but we don't know how long she can stay. Wilmer and I have to decide if we want to adopt her, or let someone else adopt her."

"Please, please, please, can you adopt her?" I beg. She's my sister; we should be able to live together. That's what sisters do, isn't it?

"As long as Nevvy wants to stay with us, then we will apply to adopt her."

"Will you still adopt the baby, too?" I pick up my Barbie and set her in the box.

"That's the thing, Lilly," Demi says. "The baby is gone."

"Gone where?"

"Gone to heaven."

Demi seems very sad, so I stand up and hug her. "That's okay; we can just find another baby, right?"

"I don't think we will. If we adopt Nevvy, then we have enough kids." Demi chuckles a little.

"Okay."

Wilmer and Nevvy come back into the room.

"So, Nevvy, are you going to come live here forever?" I ask her.

She shrugs her shoulders.

"We're going to apply to adopt her," Wilmer says. "So hopefully."

This makes me very excited, and I hug Nevvy, then Wilmer, then Demi again before Demi and Wilmer leave the room.

"You're safe now," I tell Nevvy.

She smiles, but doesn't say anything. I think she already knew that she would be safe here.

---

Nevvy's POV

When I saw my adoptive parents again, I was sad. They were so nice at first and I had started to really like them before they started hurting me. Maybe the fantasy that some adults were nice wasn't real. Someone had mentioned how they were very sick in their heads. I wondered if people were only mean then, or only mean once I started to be myself around them.

One person who's never hurt me is Lilly. Well, she did hurt me once, but it was on accident when we were hiding from Uncle Mark. She would never hurt me as bad as them.

So, now my adoptive parents are in jail and so is Uncle Mark. I wonder if Lilly's adoptive parents like me enough to adopt me. What if they hurt me? I wish Lilly and I could go live on our own somewhere, but I don't think that would ever happen.

I love playing with Lilly in her room. Her house is very fancy, and I've really enjoyed staying there. I just don't know how long it's going to last.

Wilmer asks if he can talk to me in a different room. I'm a little nervous about it, but he's been very nice to me lately, so I don't know how to feel. He could be nice, but he could also end up sick in his head and mean to me.

"Do you want us to adopt you, Neveah?" Wilmer asks once we're in the next room.

I shrug my shoulders. Of course I want to be with Lilly, but adults scare me.

"Lilly would be very excited. Of course, we'd set up this room for you," he says. "It's right beside Lilly's, so you wouldn't feel alone."

"Okay," I whisper. I don't know what's happening to me. In the orphanage, I got used to talking to people, but now it's almost like I can't.

"I know this must be hard for you," he says. "We'll take good care of you. Now, do you want to continue in public school, or be homeschooled like Lilly?"

"Public school," I say. I made some good friends there, and I like learning all the new things.

"It starts in a week, so we'll start buying you new stuff right away," he says.

I nod, then we go back to Lilly's room. She's very excited that I'm going to stay with her. It's weird how we almost became each other. Now, I'm the scared one, and she's the happy one. I guess I know now why she was so scared of everyone: she was used to them hurting her.

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So, I'd never written from Neveah's point of view before, so it was a bit difficult, but I hope you enjoyed it. I know some of the political things aren't totally correct, but I hope they're close enough. Thanks for reading!