“The girls would like to talk to you about maybe living somewhere else,” Oscar explains gently.
“What the fuck!” Hunter raises his voice. Now that wasn’t at all who I thought would be blowing up, but I’m also surprised that the girls haven’t spoken to Hunter.
“Hunter,” Stacey scolds him.
“You can’t be serious. They want to move. Our parents have only just been cremated, and they are ready to forget them,” he says, lashing out at his sister who all burst into tears. Stacey quickly goes over and consoles them, while we try to keep Lockie’s attention somewhere else.
“Hunter,” Oscar’s booming voice echoes through the room. “I asked you to listen to them. It took a huge amount of courage for them to talk to me about this. Now I’m asking you to respectfully hear them out. The girls would like to talk to you about maybe considering a move back to LA.”
The room falls silent. Sienna and I look at each other over Lockie’s head.
“You want to leave?” Hunter asks his sisters.
“You have no idea, Hunter. We’re sick of being bullied and the kids making fun of us. We want a new life,” Amelia shouts at him.
“You’re getting bullied?” Stacey asks them.
“Because we’re different now,” Amelia tells her.
“What do you mean?” Stacey questions her.
“Because you’re with me,” Oscar explains.
“People are bullying you because of me?” Stacey asks, not quite believing it.
“They think we’re too good for them because we hang out with ‘celebrities,’” Jennifer adds in a mocking voice.
“You know how small this town is, Stace. Any little thing that makes you different makes you a target,” Amelia states.
“I had no idea,” Stacey exclaims.
“Mum never wanted to tell you. She thought it would make you feel bad,” Jennifer confirms.
“Of course, I feel bad. Why wouldn’t I? I’m the reason people are bullying you,” Stacey tells them.
“Tell her,” Becca urges her older sister.
“No,” Amelia says back.
“Tell me what?” Stacey looks between them.
“I swallowed some pills last year,” Amelia confesses.
Sienna and I still. Oh shit. Shit. Shit. Shit.
“What!” Stacey’s voice rises.
“It was stupid. Nothing happened. I didn’t know what to do,” Amelia says, bursting into tears.
“Oh, Amelia. I’m so sorry. So, so sorry.” Stacey cries.
“I don’t want to go back to school, Stacey. Please,” Amelia begs. “It’s going to be so much worse. Everyone is going to treat us differently.”
“I don’t think your mum would want me to pull you from school,” Stacey tells her niece as tears fall down her cheeks.
“They couldn’t afford the private school. They looked into it,” Amelia confesses.
“Why did they not ask me for the money? I’d have helped,” Stacey tells her.
