CHAPTER NINE:

"i feel terrible"

(she was wearing a black pair of shorts, a brown oversized sweater, a black pair of shorts, tights and doc martin platforms)

esme was crouching on the basement floor, "you wanna play?" she asked, "come out. i won't hurt you." she said with the red ball in her hand, "who are you talking to?" ben asked creeping up on esme. "no one." she said turning around, "come upstairs. there's something we need to discuss." he said a little concerned for his niece. "a discussion? oh, shit." she said with a chuckle.

"i just got off the phone with mrs. levinson. you girls haven't been to school in two weeks." ben said looking at the two harmon girls who were sitting infront of him. "what is going on?" he asked, esme looked over at violet as she spoke up. "i don't like it. it's boring, and they bully us." violet stated picking at the arm of the lounge chair.

"what does that mean?" ben questioned, esme rolled her eyes, "that is so you. some kids say they're bullied their parents just pull them right out. you ask me to define bullying." violet spoke up, esme was thinking the exact same thing. "have you told your mom about this?" ben asked, violet chuckled, "how is it that a big fancy shrink hasn't noticed that his wife has totally lost her shit?" violet asked with anger.

"violet, look at me." ben demanded. "look at me." he stated more firmly. "what's going on with her?" ben asked looking at his daughter esme didn't even know why she was included in these conversations anymore. "well, when she's not in bed or worrying about absolutely everything, she's eating raw brains. maybe she thinks the twins are stealing hers 'cause that's kind of how it seems." violet said. "well, it sounds like, um, your mom is depressed, and you're feeling very alone and isolated." ben stated.

esme stood up, "i'm going to go this seems like a personal conversation." she said before walking away. ben couldn't careless.

🪞

esme and violet were sleeping in her bed, because violet didn't want to be alone. when vivien came in her room. "violet. esme. girls, wake up. we're leaving this house tonight." she said waking the girls up.

esme looked at her confused considering she said esme was supposed to stay with ben. "we're going to aunt jo's." she said with a dufflebag of violets clothes, while dragging our esmes clothes. "what?" violet asked a little frightened. "we're not spending another night here. now!" she demanded.

after packing up the clothes the three women ran out of the house. esme looked back to see tate as they put their duffle-bags in the trunk tate jumped over the railing of the porch. he had tears in his eyes. esme looked at him for a little before getting in the backseat. tate walked away with tears in his eyes.

"we don't have to be prisoners to this house anymore." vivien stated. "excuse me, ma'am. i'm hurt." the women from the intruding said suddenly appearing beside esme with the man. "oh, my god!" esme screamed grabbing onto the door handle. "and needing some help." the women continued. vivien screamed out of fear. "i know you, bitches." the man spoke up. "go, vi. go!" vivien shouted as violet ran behind esme. "go!" she shouted again as the three got through the door.

🪞

esme was lying in bed her hand in tates, "did it hurt?" he asked looking up at her. "the first time usually it does." tate stated looking up at her, the two looked at each other with love in their eyes. "no." she responded softly. "it was intense." she simply said. "for me too." tate agreed.

"you really are here," she started and reach over rubbing her thumb against his chin. "aren't you?" she finished.

"of course. i'll always be here." tate spoke up, "if that's what you want." tate stated softly. "they'll always be here too, won't they? the— whatever. others." esme asked. "they won't hurt us, ess."

"those freaks who tried to kill me, vi and viv— they're dead, aren't they? we saw them outside last night. vivs totally freaked out. she thinks they're back to finish what they started. i mean, she called the police, and my uncle rushed over." esme ranted, unsure of what the hell is going on.

"they're just trying to scare you. that's all they can do now." tate explained, esme looked down at their hands, "i wish i could tell her that." she stated looking back at tate.

"you can't. you can't. you can't." he repeated sitting up. "esme, if you tell anyone what we know, they'll say you're crazy. they'll want to lock you up. they'll try to take you away from here." he said before pausing. "we'd never see each other again."

"esme. can you come downstairs. you too violet." ben called out to the girls. "coming." both girls called back at the same time.

"i have to go downstairs." esme said before standing up and throwing on a pair of brown bell bottoms, a sweater with a sun on it, and a pair of doc martins. her and violet walked downstairs together. "what's going on?" violet asked as the two turned the corner.

"um, honey, would you please just tell your dad about last night?" vivien asked violet, "go on, honey. it's okay." ben spoke up this time. "i saw mom really upset." violet stated, esme looked at violet a little confused. she must've had the same conversation that she had with tate but with harry. "just tell him what you saw. what you told the police." vivien said trying to prove ben wrong.

"i told them what i thought you wanted me to tell them. i didn't see anything." violet said shaking her head while looking between her parents. "violet." vivien said looking at her daughter in disbelief. "i'm sorry, mom. i don't know what you saw. you were so upset, so i was upset. i still am." violet responded.

"you seen it though right, esme?" vivien asked, hope in her eyes for esme to say yes. "no, i'm sorry viv, i wish i did. but no i didn't." esme said with sympathy. ben exhaled, "okay, girls, you can go." he said dismissing the girls.

both of them looked back at vivien before walking off.

🪞

there were sirens wailing outside, cops and ambulances outside of the harmon house. esme and violet stood in a archway as they watched the ambulance help ben with the bullet hole.

"you need to be seen by a doctor." a women said, "no, i was a through-and-through. i'm fine." ben replied drily. "what happened?" luke asked. "i'm fine. as you can see, i'm in good hands." ben stated simply. "i want to talk to mrs. harmon."

"well, you can't. she's very upset. i gave her a valium to help her sleep." ben said, esme looked over at violet she had wide eyes. "i'm with heirloom security. i got an emergency alert that—" he then got cut off by ben, "you want an update, luke? vivien thought there was someone in the house. when i went up to help her, she accidentally shot me. that's the whole goddamn story." ben said getting riled up.

"the whole story?" luke questioned suspicious of ben, violet grabbed esmes hand dragging her away with her.

"did tate talk to you too?" violet asked nervously, "about?" esme asked folding her arms over her chest as the two cousins walked into the kitchen. "i don't know maybe, lying about what we saw?" violet said sarcastically. "yeah, and i'm guessing harry did too?" esme asked with a sigh.

"yeah. i don't know how to feel, i feel bad because i made my mom feel insane, but i love harry and i don't want to just get up and leave." violet explained sitting down next to esme. "i only lied because i didn't want to get locked away like a crazy person, although i do have deep feelings for tate. it was more about people looking at me as if i'm insane." esme explained.

esme and violet heard screaming coming from upstairs. "we should go check on your mom." esme said concerned. as they walked through the archway to the stairs two of the policemen spoke up. "take us to the room please, we're ready." they said, violet looked at them confused. "for what?" she asked, "she needs help." and with those words violet knew immediately.

the two girls made their way upstairs thew two policemen behind them, as they stepped through the doorway vivien looked over "they're ready for her." violet said crossing her arms over her waist. the two girls looked over at the doorway signaling for the policemen to come in.

vivien looked from the girls to ben with wide eyes, then to the policemen. "what's going on?" she asked scared. "i had to do it, vivien." ben said sadly walking up to her. esme grabbed violets hand squeezing it, in a cousinly way. "you're unstable—" ben said getting cut off by vivien, "no." she begged, "and you need to be evaluated." ben continued, "these men are gonna take you to a hospital. i'm so sorry." he said in a quiet voice.

vivien whimpered looking down her hands flew over her eyes. "but it's the best alternative. i didn't want to do it. you shot me, sweetheart. it's gotten dangerous." ben stated, esme looked over at violet who looked extremely guilty, she sighed sadly at her cousins pain. "but i wasn't shooting at you. i was shooting the— rapist in the rubber suit." she tried to reason.

one of the cops pulled out handcuffs, "that's not necessary." ben stated, "ben, could you get my coat for me, please?" vivien asked before looking at her daughter and niece-in-law. violet had slight tears in her eyes, esme felt extremely guilty, she learned to really like vivien, and she felt terrible. ben walked up to vivien and slipped her coat on, "thank you." she said quietly before walking up to her purse.

"you won't be needing that, ma'am." the policeman said sternly. she set her purse back down. "i'm.. so sorry, vivien." luke said laying his hand on her shoulder. "it's okay. at least i'll be out of this house." she said.

as she walked past violet and esme she had this blank expression. violet tightened her grip on esmes hand before letting go. the two followed behind as they escorted vivien. "this is all my fault." violet spoke up, "no, honey. it's not. you did the best thing you could do. you told the truth." ben said walking up to violet placing a kiss on her forehead. he lightly tapped esmes shoulder. "you too." he walked out of the door closing it behind him.

"i'll give you some alone time. i'll be in the kitchen when you're ready to talk." esme said quietly. as she got in the kitchen she stood looking out the window watching vivien get put in a car. "hey." tate said quietly walking up to her, "it's okay, i'm here." he said pulling her in lightly, she laid her head on his shoulder, he laid his head on her head. "i feel terrible.." she said quietly. "i know."

OUTFITS:

first outfit:

second outfit: