FicWad

Emily waited for what seemed like forever for Sarah to get back home. She sat out on the front porch of the house and listened to her iPod as she watched for any sign of Sarah arriving. While she was deeply immersed in a song and watching the road, Emily didn’t hear or see Greg come out the front and sit beside her. When she saw him she nearly jumped up in the air in shock.
Normally Emily would have chatted for ages with Greg, as she enjoyed their conversations, but right now she realised that she had to get Greg back inside, just in case Sarah and Pete decided to park out the front of the house. Even though she had told Sarah to get Pete to park around the corner, Emily just had a bad feeling that Sarah would forget. So she turned her iPod off and turned around to face Greg ready to make an excuse for why he should go back inside.
“It’s a nice day isn’t it Emily,” Greg said before Emily had a chance to conjure up a decent excuse.
“Ah, yeah it is,” Emily said racking her brains for anything that would make him go inside. Suddenly she thought of the lamp on the table between Sarah’s bed and hers. It had been playing up lately and Greg being a light technician could fix it for them. “Greg, do you reckon you could take a look at the lamp in mine and Sarah’s room, it’s been playing up lately?”
“Sure,” Greg said. He stood up to go inside and Emily was about to breathe a sigh of relief when Pete’s car appeared and pulled up in front of the house. Emily could do nothing but watch as Sarah got out of the car and Greg saw her kiss Pete goodbye. Greg’s face suddenly turned into a disappointed look and he crossed his arms as Sarah walked up to them.
“Hey dad, Emily,” Sarah said trying to look innocent but failing miserably.
Emily sighed and got up to go inside and leave Greg to lecture Sarah, but he grabbed her arm. She looked around at him with a confused expression.
“You’re staying here Emily,” he said in a raised voice, “You covered for her and that’s just as bad. How can I trust you girls?”
Emily couldn’t believe that he was telling her off, but she knew why, she had lied about Sarah and now how could Greg trust her? She didn’t want to lose his trust at all.
“I’m sorry,” Emily said glancing at Sarah who shrugged her shoulders, “I thought I was doing the right thing.”
“It was my fault,” Sarah piped up.
Greg turned to look at his daughter, “It’s not the fact that you stayed at his house, I know you’re old enough for that…but it’s the fact that you didn’t tell me you were staying, and you got Emily to cover for you.”
Sarah looked a little upset, “I promise I’ll tell you next time,” she said feebly.
“Your mom would kill me if I didn’t punish you for this so…look…I’m grounding you for two nights.”
“Dad!” Sarah gasped, “You can’t.”
“I can, I’m your father and you’re still living under my roof.”
Emily felt a little guilty, in a way it wasn’t fair that Sarah should just be punished, she had covered for her and she probably deserved some form of punishment, she was after all living with the Clayton’s…and was practically part of their family.
“I should get punished too,” Emily said to Greg, “I lied to you and I’m part of the family now…practically.”
Greg nodded, “I think that’s a good idea Emily, so that means no going out with boyfriends for the next two days okay?”
Sarah didn’t bother arguing back this time and Emily followed her inside as they both accepted their fate.

Later on in the day Patrick rang Emily as promised and she had to break the bad news to him that they couldn’t catch up for a few days.
“Well I’ll miss you,” Patrick said after finding out about the grounding.
“I’ll miss you too,” Emily said, “But I have to do this, for Greg and Liz to trust me again, they’re good people and I don’t want to disobey them.”
“I understand. Do you miss your real family though?” Patrick asked.
“Sometimes, but I love it over here…I wouldn’t have met you otherwise.”
“True!” Patrick laughed, “One day I’m going to get over to Australia with you okay?”
“Sure, that sounds great.”
Suddenly Sarah came rushing in the room with an annoyed look on her face.
“Uh oh,” Emily said to Patrick, “Looks like I’m going to have to go, Sarah just walked in looking angry.”
Emily and Patrick said their goodbyes and then Emily hung up and braced herself for whatever Sarah was going to say…very loudly.
“Get this!” Sarah exclaimed coming over and sitting next to Emily on the bed, “Mom said I’m going too fast with Pete and that she wants me to think about it. Think about it! I’m old enough to be in this kind of relationship.”
“Well,” Emily said quietly, “I guess she has a point.”
Sarah just about exploded, “A stupid point! Anyway I rang Pete and he asked me to come over tonight so I am. I think we’re too old for grounding but I can’t change my parents’ mind so this is the only way out.”
Sarah then got up, grabbed her bag and went over to the window.
“Seeya tomorrow Em,” Sarah said now opening the window.
Emily sighed, she couldn’t believe how stubborn Sarah was being, but she couldn’t stop her from going to Pete’s. Instead she yelled out as Sarah climbed out of the window, “Go! But I’m not covering for you again, I’m not losing your parents’ trust now.“