Billie and Amanda, chapter 20
Silence flooded the house as the telephone rang, sending a wave of sound flooding the rooms of the house. Amanda got up off the couch, and walked sleepily toward the telephone. Billie watched her, hypnotized by every move she made. Amanda reached the phone and picked it up, slowly.
"Hello?" her morning voice echoed through the receiver.
"Hello, honey?" a very nervous sounding woman answered. Amanda's mother. Amanda licked her dry lips.
"Yea?"
"Sorry if I woke you."
"You didn't."
"That's good then. Could you come home please? I need to erm-discuss something with you."
"Is something wrong?"
"NO!-I mean no, everything's fine, it's just that, well-it's better if I tell you in person, is all."
"Well OK then. Billie and I'll be over after we eat breakfast."
"No. This can't wait. And don't bring Billie. It'll just make things harder."
"What things?"
"I'll see you later then. Bye."
And that was it. Amanda held the phone to her ear still, as if puzzled by the long tone ringing through it. Slowly she put the phone down, puzzled.
"What's up?" Billie asked sensing the confusion. Amanda turned to him.
"Um, I don't really know. It was my mom. She said she needs to "discuss" something with me," Amanda looked down.
"Look, I gotta go, I'll be back later," Amanda said, walking out of the house.
"Wait-" Billie began.
"My mom said for you not to come, I'll tell you everything when I get back. Bye," she kissed Billie on the cheek and walked out the door, leaving Billie standing there, puzzled as hell.
*
Amanda sat in the driver's seat of her car looking out at her parent's house. There were two police cars parked in their driveway. Amanda froze. What could have happened? Her thoughts immediately went to Alex. Maybe she was lost. Maybe someone was in trouble. Or even worse killed. Amanda got out of the car and ran to the door and knocked three times. She could see her breath from the cold morning air. Finally she heard faint footsteps nearing the door, and within seconds, her mother's face was in front of her.
"Good morning," she said. She was not in a happy mood, no matter how hard she was trying to hide it. Just then, Amanda noticed how old her mother really was getting. Wrinkles had formed around her eyes, eyes that had seen the cruelness of the world. Her lips were pushed together tightly, and she swallowed once before forcing a smile.
"Come in dear," she said quietly. Amanda stepped in to see her whole family sitting on the couch. Alex was in her pajamas, tears streaming down her face. Eric, her older brother, was sitting on the couch, staring ahead, a blank expression on his face. He didn't even look up when Amanda walked in. Karen, her older sister, sat on the couch looking perfect in every aspect, except her face, it was tear stained and sad. Amanda noticed that not her whole family was seated on the couch. Her father was missing. Two policemen were standing next to them, and a middle-aged woman stood next to them. Alex jumped up and hugged Amanda, crying into her shirt.
"It's horrible! I can't believe it! I can't believe any of it! Oh my God... " she trailed off.
"Alex sit down dear," Amanda's mom said quietly.
"What's happened to dad?" Amanda uttered. Amanda's mom burst into tears.
"Let me explain." The woman had stood up and began talking. Amanda had completely ignored her.
"My name is Dorothy Heralds. I work for the Witness Protection Program. Your dad was threatened by two hitmen yesterday. Neverthless," she paused," he is OK. I'm here to-"
"What the fuck would they want with dad? He's a lawyer for fucks sake." Amanda was not beginning to believe any of this.
"Actually, your father works for the FBI," her mother cut in.
"We never told you kids, he has a top secret identity, and we didn't want anything to accidentally "slip" and put you in more danger than you already were," Amanda's mother cut in. Mrs. Heralds looked over and nodded.
"Precisely. Now, the reason I'm here is to put your family under the Witness Protection Program. The minor details have been worked out and your moving-to Mankato, Minnesota. Your name's have, of course, been changed. Your family name is now Nesser. And you are Adrienne. Adrienne Nesser."
The woman paused letting Amanda take in this information.
"You are taking the 12 o'clock flight out to Minnesota. Pack your bags, but bring only necessities."
"Billie," Amanda whispered.
"And you are not allowed to talk to anyone you know," she said once more.
"From this moment on, the Pulliver family does not exist," she finished.
In 5 minutes, Amanda's whole life had been destroyed.
"Hello?" her morning voice echoed through the receiver.
"Hello, honey?" a very nervous sounding woman answered. Amanda's mother. Amanda licked her dry lips.
"Yea?"
"Sorry if I woke you."
"You didn't."
"That's good then. Could you come home please? I need to erm-discuss something with you."
"Is something wrong?"
"NO!-I mean no, everything's fine, it's just that, well-it's better if I tell you in person, is all."
"Well OK then. Billie and I'll be over after we eat breakfast."
"No. This can't wait. And don't bring Billie. It'll just make things harder."
"What things?"
"I'll see you later then. Bye."
And that was it. Amanda held the phone to her ear still, as if puzzled by the long tone ringing through it. Slowly she put the phone down, puzzled.
"What's up?" Billie asked sensing the confusion. Amanda turned to him.
"Um, I don't really know. It was my mom. She said she needs to "discuss" something with me," Amanda looked down.
"Look, I gotta go, I'll be back later," Amanda said, walking out of the house.
"Wait-" Billie began.
"My mom said for you not to come, I'll tell you everything when I get back. Bye," she kissed Billie on the cheek and walked out the door, leaving Billie standing there, puzzled as hell.
*
Amanda sat in the driver's seat of her car looking out at her parent's house. There were two police cars parked in their driveway. Amanda froze. What could have happened? Her thoughts immediately went to Alex. Maybe she was lost. Maybe someone was in trouble. Or even worse killed. Amanda got out of the car and ran to the door and knocked three times. She could see her breath from the cold morning air. Finally she heard faint footsteps nearing the door, and within seconds, her mother's face was in front of her.
"Good morning," she said. She was not in a happy mood, no matter how hard she was trying to hide it. Just then, Amanda noticed how old her mother really was getting. Wrinkles had formed around her eyes, eyes that had seen the cruelness of the world. Her lips were pushed together tightly, and she swallowed once before forcing a smile.
"Come in dear," she said quietly. Amanda stepped in to see her whole family sitting on the couch. Alex was in her pajamas, tears streaming down her face. Eric, her older brother, was sitting on the couch, staring ahead, a blank expression on his face. He didn't even look up when Amanda walked in. Karen, her older sister, sat on the couch looking perfect in every aspect, except her face, it was tear stained and sad. Amanda noticed that not her whole family was seated on the couch. Her father was missing. Two policemen were standing next to them, and a middle-aged woman stood next to them. Alex jumped up and hugged Amanda, crying into her shirt.
"It's horrible! I can't believe it! I can't believe any of it! Oh my God... " she trailed off.
"Alex sit down dear," Amanda's mom said quietly.
"What's happened to dad?" Amanda uttered. Amanda's mom burst into tears.
"Let me explain." The woman had stood up and began talking. Amanda had completely ignored her.
"My name is Dorothy Heralds. I work for the Witness Protection Program. Your dad was threatened by two hitmen yesterday. Neverthless," she paused," he is OK. I'm here to-"
"What the fuck would they want with dad? He's a lawyer for fucks sake." Amanda was not beginning to believe any of this.
"Actually, your father works for the FBI," her mother cut in.
"We never told you kids, he has a top secret identity, and we didn't want anything to accidentally "slip" and put you in more danger than you already were," Amanda's mother cut in. Mrs. Heralds looked over and nodded.
"Precisely. Now, the reason I'm here is to put your family under the Witness Protection Program. The minor details have been worked out and your moving-to Mankato, Minnesota. Your name's have, of course, been changed. Your family name is now Nesser. And you are Adrienne. Adrienne Nesser."
The woman paused letting Amanda take in this information.
"You are taking the 12 o'clock flight out to Minnesota. Pack your bags, but bring only necessities."
"Billie," Amanda whispered.
"And you are not allowed to talk to anyone you know," she said once more.
"From this moment on, the Pulliver family does not exist," she finished.
In 5 minutes, Amanda's whole life had been destroyed.
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