Chapter 9

When Chelsi woke up, it was due to the frantic pounding at the front door. She ignored it for a moment, rolling over and assuming that her family would get it, but after a few more seconds of the incessant knocking, Chelsi stood up, straightened her clothes, and walked down the hallway to the front door. She pulled the blackout curtains away from the window slightly, and while Chelsi didn't see the visitor's face immediately, the hair was unforgettable. "Raquel!" Chelsi exclaimed, pulling the door open quickly and gaped at her friend's appearance.

While there were no changes in the girl's appearance that would alert Chelsi to a life or death situation, Raquel was extremely pale, and her arms were marked up and down with bruises. "What happened?" Chelsi exclaimed worriedly, but Raquel didn't answer. Instead, her tear-filled eyes twitched nervously.

"Can I come in?" the redhead muttered softly, and Chelsi nodded, stepping away from the door. Raquel walked past her with her school bag on her shoulder, and Chelsi locked the door tightly, gently guiding Raquel to the living room, where she had been sleeping moments earlier. "What happened, Raquel?" Chelsi asked gently, seating the other teenager on the couch and taking her bag into the hallway. Raquel's eyes were filled with tears, and Chelsi never turned her back to her as she dropped the bag next to hers and walked back to the couch. Raquel sniffed and wiped her eyes roughly, and Chelsi sighed. "Come on, Ra," Chelsi pleaded, using the nickname that was so rarely used. "I can't help you if you don't tell me." Raquel's eyes overflowed with tears, and Chelsi patted her knee comfortingly.

"M-my parents," the redhead cried, putting her face in her hands, and Chelsi's eyebrows furrowed worriedly. The Harrison's were exactly like my parents; what possibly could have happened? Chelsi thought, concerned for her best friend. "Take your time," Chelsi murmured quietly to Raquel, moving to sit beside her on the couch and rubbing her back.

"They...they've lost it. The love that was so important to them," Raquel explained tearfully, and Chelsi exhaled sharply.

"I'm sure they didn't lose it completely," Chelsi assured Raquel, biting the corner of her mouth. She didn't even believe what she was saying. How could she? It seemed like the entire world was losing the love that had remained so delicately in some families; the love that was so fragile that it appeared one wrong move would kill it completely. Apparently, that move had been set in motion. "No, you're right," Raquel muttered in frustration. "They didn't lose it for Ella. They lost it for me and for each other, but not Ella."

"That's good, at least," Chelsi said, trying to stay optimistic. "Maybe if they have a small amount, it will grow again."

"I don't want to go back, though!" Raquel protested. "See these? They're from my dad," she continued, gesturing to the bruises that colored her pale skin.

"Okay, okay," Chelsi agreed willingly, horrified at the thought of Raquel being abused. "You don't have to go back unless you don't want to." The brunette hugged Raquel, and slowly, Raquel hugged back.

"Thank you, Chelsi," the redhead murmured softly, and Chelsi smiled.

"That's okay, there's nothing for you to be thankful for. Did you bring anything with you?" she asked curiously, wondering about the contents of her school bag.

"I brought my sheet and a bit of food, along with a few changes of clothes," Raquel answered softly. "I know it's not much if you're going to take me in..."

"It's enough," Chelsi told her, silencing the other girl's apologies. Raquel smiled weakly, and Chelsi grabbed her hand comfortingly. "Come on, let's go tell my mom and get you situated." Raquel followed Chelsi out to the backyard, where Leah was taking down the week's laundry and folding it into the dry washing bins. "Mom," Chelsi called, pulling Raquel behind her.

"Yes? Oh, hello, Raquel," Leah sighed with a small smile. Raquel waved slightly, and glancing at her mother, Chelsi told Raquel to go back to the living room. Nodding, Raquel disappeared back into the Davis' home, and Leah looked questioningly at Chelsi. "Her dad abused her, and they suddenly only love Ella, not her, not each other," Chelsi explained quickly. "She needs a place to stay."

"I see," Leah murmured, pondering what her eldest daughter. "I suppose we have the space and the rations."

"So, that's a yes? I promise she'll help out, Mom," Chelsi pleaded.

"Yes, it's a yes," Leah laughed softly, shooing Chelsi back inside after the taller brunette had hugged her. Chelsi obediently walked back inside to the family room, where Raquel was sitting on the very corner of the sagging couch. "It's okay. Let's go get you situated," Chelsi told Raquel, and the redhead smiled.

Chelsi picked Raquel's bag up off of the floor in the hallway and showed Raquel the door to the basement. Together, the two fifteen year olds descended the stairs, and Chelsi pushed the door to her room open. Thoughtfully stroking her chin as she looked at her room, Chelsi set Raquel's bag on her bed. "You'll have to sleep on Mia's mattress," Chelsi stated after a moment.

"Are you sure?" Raquel asked worriedly. "You don't have to let me do that. I mean, Mia hasn't even been gone for a week..."

"No, Ra. You're gonna sleep on her mattress. I think it'll be good for everyone," Chelsi said, her tone daring Raquel to argue with her. The redhead shrugged, smiling slightly at Chelsi.

"Thanks, Chels. Do you need help getting it?" Raquel asked, and Chelsi thought for a moment before shaking her head.

"Nah, I can get it pretty easily. She has a thinner mattress than I do, though, so sorry," Chelsi apologized before leaving the room. Walking into Mia's room, she picked up the dusty pillow and beat it against the wall, watching as the yellow light illuminated the moving motes of dust. Chelsi carried the pillow into her own room, dropping it inside the door and peeking at Raquel, who was emptying her school bag. Chelsi walked back to Ace's room and picked up the foot end of the mattress, and careful not to remove the fitted sheet, she dragged the mattress out of the door and into her room as well. Raquel smiled at Chelsi as she entered, and the redhead scooped all of her belongings out of Chelsi's way. Considering that there was really no place in Chelsi's small room to give them each their own space, the brunette pulled the mattress to the edge of her own mattress, figuring that they would make it work. Raquel laughed, and Chelsi grinned, helping the redhead to spread out the sheet that she had brought with her. They shook it out and laid it over the mattress, tucking it under the corners of the bed. The two girls scooped up Raquel's clothing as well, and together, they found places to put everything, despite the small size of Chelsi's closet. After they finished storing Raquel's clothes in her closet, Chelsi and Raquel went upstairs, each with both hands full of food. Despite the fact that Raquel had said "a bit" of food, there was a surprising amount, and Chelsi suspected that the fiery redhead took a small amount of her parents' food as well. After all that Raquel had been through, Chelsi didn't blame her.

They carefully placed the food in their sections, breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and then, they went into the living room, laying on the floor. "So, did you bring your actual school stuff?" Chelsi asked, rolling onto her back and staring up at the ceiling.

"Yeah, I did. I stuffed everything else around it," Raquel laughed and ran her fingers through her thick red hair.

"Oh, good job," Chelsi replied, stretching her back out. "Do you want to go do some work?"

"Yeah, let's. If I'm going to stay here, I want to help as much as I can," Raquel answered, pushing herself up off of the floor.

"Alright, let's go see what my mom needs," Chelsi replied, standing up as well and arching her back to stretch.

Chelsi glanced at the clock as the two girls walked outside, surprised to see that only an hour had passed since she had come inside for lunch. Raquel and Chelsi walked outside to the back porch, where Leah was busying herself with scrubbing a bed sheet. With the tiny wash bin, she could only wash one at a time. "Hey, Mom," Chelsi whispered. "Can we do anything?"

"One of you could gather the rest of the bed sheets and fitted sheets, and the other could put away those clothes," Leah suggested, gesturing to the other washing bin, which was filled with the dried, folded clothes.

"Why don't you gather the sheets, since I know where the clothes go?" Chelsi offered, turning to the redhead who was standing quietly beside her.

"Alright," Raquel agreed simply, and she waited for Chelsi to pick up the bin of clothes before walking back inside. The pair walked down the stairs to the basement slowly, and Chelsi separated from the redhead, going into her room first and sorting the clothes on her mattress.

When Chelsi was done putting the clothes away, she frowned at the remaining pile of garments. They were all Mia's. Pondering what she should do with them, the brunette scooped the clothes back into the wash bin; then, walking into Ace's room with the metal tub in hand, she opened all of Mia's drawers and piled all of the small clothes in. After Chelsi had pushed all of the clothes into the washing bin, she carried the metal basket up the stairs, holding the washing basin against her side with one hand and clinging to the rotted hand rail with the other. Chelsi carried the clothing out to the back porch and set the washing bin down in front of her mother. "What are we going to do with all of this?" Chelsi asked as Leah stared down at the basin. "It's all of Mia's clothes," the brunette clarified.

"I'm... I'm sure we can find some use for it," Leah sighed quietly, her eyes looking downcast and upset. "Why don't you put the entire bin in my room, in the corner by the door?" Leah suggested, and Chelsi nodded. The fifteen year old knew that the extra cloth would be useful, even though it was difficult to get rid of some of Mia's physical memory. Chelsi glanced at the growing pile of bedsheets as she walked back indoors, going back downstairs to the somewhat gloomy basement.

After placing Mia's clothes in the corner behind the door of her parents' bedroom, Chelsi walked back upstairs, and she glanced at the clock. The clock now read one oh five, meaning only half an hour had passed since she and Raquel had started to work again. Chelsi couldn't decide whether time passed faster or slower on their weekly work day; she supposed it was dependent on how much work she was doing. Raquel and Leah were both outside as well, and Chelsi placed the washing bin beside them. "Could you help wash please, Chelsi?" Leah asked, and despite the fact that she was groaning internally, Chelsi picked up the washing basin and walked towards the water pump.

When the three women walked inside, the clock read two fifty, and Chelsi sighed tiredly. "I think we've done enough until the sheets are dry," Leah told the girls as she wiped the sheen of sweat off of her forehead with the back of her hand. "You can both relax." Chelsi sighed softly in relief, and she beckoned for Raquel to follow her. The two girls walked down the stairs to the basement, and the brunette stepped into the bathroom, leaving the door open and splashing her face with water from the washing basin. She sighed as the cool-ish water removed some of the sweat from her forehead, and Chelsi wiped her face with the worn-out towel beside the sink. She smiled at Raquel and stepped out of the way so the redhead could repeat her actions. Raquel rinsed her face off quickly, and the pair walked back up the stairs, laying on the floor of the living room.

They talked quietly about various things, including the unknown location of Chelsi's father and brother, and after an hour, Leah's voice sounded from the kitchen, "Girls, it's time to go get the bedsheets!" The pair stood up slowly and stretched, walking towards the backyard slowly, and they immediately started to shake out the bedsheets and fold them. Leah was not yet inside, and by the time she walked out the door, Chelsi and Raquel had completed most of the folding. "Well, alright, then," Leah commented in surprise. "I suppose I'll start making dinner."

"Please," Chelsi replied, grinning as her stomach grumbled.

A/N: Hey ya'll! If you like supernatural RPs, I made my own, please check it out: myforums/xRandomGirlx/855279/