Silent Lies - Chapter 10: Chapter 10

As me and Olivia walk towards the edge I can't help but notice something seeming off about her now. I try to glance at her a couple times, not trying to seem like a creep, noticing just a frown on her now. It's so difficult to read her, to tell what she's thinking.
But I can tell she always looks scared, worried, and sad. Even if she's smiling-there's still that look on her face. Yet I still can't ever what it is.
We sit down on the edge of the cliff overlooking the city, it's nice up here. We don't sit too close so we don't fall or anything though. It's quiet, too quiet now.
I notice her pulling out her phone, typing away something. She hands her phone to me, letting me read what it was she typed. I've been here a lot too when I've needed to get away.
I thought I was the only one who knew about this small spot, the way to it and all. I still don't even know how I found it, I just walked and walked while pissed off so I didn't really pay attention to anything. "How did you find it? I thought I was the only one who knew about it." I laugh slightly, tension seems to fill the air.
I just needed away one day and somehow ended up here. I laugh again, saying "Same."
It's quiet again and I don't know if I should ask this question, but for some reason I do anyway. "Why did you need away?"
She doesn't make any moves to her phone for a while and I try to think of another conversation to fill the silence, getting a hint she'd rather not talk about it. But she starts typing then hands me her phone again.
My sister committed suicide, that night I just couldn't be home. I swallow the lump in my throat as I hand her phone back. Her frown is more than that now, she looks so sad and now I hate myself for even asking and making her bring up a topic like that.
I wanna hug her, but I think it's best not to. I don't know if she'd like that after all the times I've even just gotten a little too close she's flinched and tensed. I'm horrible at this stuff. I go to think of something to say until she quickly types something again and lets me read.
Why did you need away too? I contemplate telling her or not. She told me, opened up to me some so I feel I need to but I know I don't need to also. But I feel comfortable enough to tell her a little bit of the story.
"Me and my step dad, or well he was my step dad him and my mom just didn't last, thankfully cause damn I hated him." I tell myself to get back to the point of what I wanted to tell her. "Me and him got into a fight, a lot happened. It happened a lot, me and him fighting, so I was always leaving home to get away." There's way more to the story than that, though.
Why did you and him fight a lot? She asks and there's too many reasons to list. "He was just an asshole."
She nods and doesn't ask anything else about it. We both seem to catch onto the fact that neither of us really wanna talk about the reasons we ended up here.
I look towards her the same second she looks towards me, we both quickly look away like we've been caught. But I still notice the black eye she now has. I worry about it but I don't wanna keep asking and prying about it.
I think about all the black eyes I used to get, worrying even more. I really hope she's not going through that.
I feel the need to pry and force her to tell me how she got it but I know how wrong that is. I just don't want her to be in a home like that, I can't bare knowing she could possibly be in a situation like that.
I don't ask about it though, not yet at least. I notice how she continuously plays with the sleeves of her hoodie, one that's big on her. I also notice her wearing her hair differently-she always wears it down despite how long it is, nearly past her thighs, now it's in a kinda messed up ponytail. She still looks pretty though.
She always does.
Being at this cliff clearly doesn't have any good memories for us, making the tension worse. I thought even though my reason for finding this place wasn't good, maybe being here with Olivia would be nice, but it's not. I need to get us both out of here.
"Let's go somewhere else, shall we?" She nods right away, agreeing. We both stand and walk back to my car.
I walk behind Olivia, noticing how her arms wrap around her body as she walks. She walks like she's in pain or something. I've noticed her walking like this a couple times before and never thought too much about it but now that I've noticed her black eye...
Shit.
I walk quicker in front of her, getting to opening the door. I like seeing the smile she gives me when I do so.
When I get in the car we sit in silence for a moment, not knowing where to go now. The skating rink was an option but after noticing how she walks and her black eye I don't know about it. If everything I'm thinking is true, a skating rink would only make her pain worse.
I need to ask about it but I know how it feels when people continue to ask about it over and over. But it's better to ask and ask until you get answers. I just don't want to make her uncomfortable or anything.
I think about the few things to do in our small city and remember the movie theatre. There's a lot of horror movies playing in theaters right now, considering it is about to be Halloween.
"Which movie would you wanna see? Halloween or Hereditary or A Quiet Place-or do you not wanna see any horror?" I realize I should ask if she even wants to see a movie.
But before I can ask she's holds up one finger. "Halloween?" She nods and I smile-I love the Halloween movies even after the millions of them they've made.
I drive to the movie theatre now, the drive completely silent this time as I forgot to turn on music. But it's a nice and comfortable silence.
I'd talk, start conversations between me and Olivia but she'd have to keep typing or writing which is fine-but I'm driving and it's not necessarily safe to keep look at her phone or notebook to read something.
I wonder why she doesn't talk, or if something happened as in a health condition or something so now she can't. I remember Lexi being a complete asshole saying, she can talk she just doesn't she's an attention seeker. I don't know if she actually can talk but just doesn't but if so, I wonder why. I know there's selective mutism, but I don't know if that's what Olivia is. I feel like that's too personal of a question to ask.
But I can't resist because I have a hard time controlling my mouth. "Are you like, selectively mute or did something happen to where you can't talk-" She nods. "You're selectively mute?" Another nod and I don't ask anything else, seeing the way she shifts uncomfortably.
You really need to learn to keep your mouth shut.
I wonder why she's selectively mute though. I don't know much about it, just that people who are selectively mute can talk but don't and there are plenty of reasons that could be why they don't. Trust issues, anxiety, paranoia, trauma, being scared, and so so much more.
I pull into a parking spot once we finally get to the movie theater, turning off the car but she's already getting her seatbelt off. I hurry up, getting to door before she can open. She smiles and rolls her eyes-I'm loving the more interactions I'm getting from her. At first she'd ignore me, now she's smiling and rolling her eyes.
I'd call that progress.
The rest of the parking lot is empty except a few other cars, it's now only 11am. I look on my phone seeing we've made it just in time for the next premiere of Halloween, then I see Olivia typing something.
I don't have- I don't even finish reading before I shake my head. "It was my idea, I'm paying."
She shakes her head and looks down at her feet as we walk into the building, it's empty inside besides the few employees at stands. I walk over to buy the tickets, pulling out my money.
Olivia follows me over to the concessions stands as I start asking what she wants. "I'll get popcorn for us to both share, do you want candy or anything else they have?" She shakes her head. "What about a drink, what would you want?" I list options and she nods at Pepsi, I get the same as her.
Then we walk to the actual theatre, choosing seats at the very top back. The best seats always. It's quiet except for the commercials playing on the big screen. Me and Olivia sit in the very middle of the back row, us being the only ones in the whole theater. And we end up being the only ones even when the movie begins.
Throughout the movie I begin to notice Olivia dozing off more and more. "Are you tired?" I laugh a little when asking, her nodding her head lazily. I don't bother her anymore about being tired, she falls asleep in what looks to be the most uncomfortable position though.
I debate on waking her up because her back and neck will for sure be hurting but I know I hate it so much when people wake me up so I don't. She'll miss the best parts of the movie but I'll tell her all about it.
When the movie is over I clean up our stuff, the popcorn bucket and our cups. Olivia is still asleep until she stirs because I drop my phone, thankfully not cracking it or anything.
She rubs her eyes with her fist, waking up completely. "Finally awake, sleepyhead?" I joke and she flips me off, still rubbing her eyes making me laugh.
She stands and goes off balance for a second, almost dropping to the floor before my arm wraps around her waist. But she flinched away, practically pushing me away.
"Are you okay?" I ask, seeing her holding onto one of the chair arms. She nods, but I don't believe it. "You sure, you-" She nods again before I can finish the sentence.
I nod, letting it go as I grab everything and start the walk down the stairs. Olivia follows behind me as I share the details of the rest of the movie with her, after she apologized for falling asleep.
We make it to my car and it's now nearly 2pm, nearing the time we usually get out of school. I'd ask if she'd wanna go anywhere else today, but I remember Divine telling me her dads strict and she had to call-well I called-school so he didn't find out.
"Do you wanna go home or-" She nods again before I can finish the sentence. I start the car, starting to drive to her house thankful for remembering where she lives.
I can't help but think about her supposedly having a strict dad too, though.
Pulling in front of her house I see no car in the driveway like last time, her dad or parents or whoever must not be home yet at least. She takes off her seatbelt as I turn to her, her grabbing her phone now typing something.
Thank you for today. I smile, thanking her too cause today was nice. "If you ever wanna skip again, I'm easily here to do so with you." She smiles and nods, I hope she'll wanna skip again soon.
She opens her door and waves, I do too. I watch as she walks up to the porch, opening the door and waving once more before shutting it. I finally drive off after, going to Ashton's house as always after school.
Pulling into Ashton's driveway there's no other cars. His parents must be out of town, again, and him and Danny must not be back from school yet.
I make myself at home as always, stealing a bag of chips and going to Ashton's room. I hear the front door open the second I plop down on his bed.
"Adrian!" Danny yells and I hear the two idiots coming upstairs.
"So, you skipped with Olivia today?" He has a smirk playing on his lips and I roll my eyes.
"Yes, and?"
"Her friend, Divine, is nice. Well, when she's not practically threatening us." Danny agrees with Ashton, and I laugh knowing already how protective Divine is of Olivia.
"I think he's thinking she's more than nice though," Danny says while pointing to Ashton and I grin.
"Oh, no you fucker don't even put it that way I barely even know this girl." Ashton tries to argue.
"And? Adrian barely knows Olivia and he's practically in love with her!" Danny just has to bring me into it.
"Okay, in love?" I should've just went home.
"I mean, you kinda-" I cut Ashton off.
"Both of you shut the fuck up." They, surprisingly, listen and I tell them everything-better than hearing about some boring shit that happened at school.