Silent Lies - Chapter 14: Chapter 14

When we walk back out to my car after returning our skates and all, I walk over to Olivia. She's putting her hair up, probably hot after skating as the rest of us have taken off our hoodies and stuff long ago. I wonder why she doesn't just take her hoodie off too.
"Shall we go to the diner again?" I ask her and she nods, smiling. Though the smile seems forced. I wonder if she actually is okay after how we fell.
I'm pretty sure my ass is bruised.
"Olivia," Divine gasps, sounding so worried when she says her name, making me wonder what's going on. "What happened to your neck?"
Then I see it, the purple marks around her neck. It looks like she applied plenty of makeup where her hair, when it's down, wouldn't hide it. But now that her hair is in this high ponytail, you can see what hadn't been covered-or the makeup just faded.
Olivia's eyes look anywhere but any of us, Danny and Ashton both looking just as worried as me and Divine. She quickly pulls down her hair, hiding it all again. She shakes her head, her way of saying nothing.
I've started to learn what certain nods and shakes of her head mean along with her hand gestures.
"Olivia something happened," I speak up quickly, my voice shaking. Divine looks at me and I see her watery eyes, I wonder if we're thinking the same thing.
We definitely are.
Olivia still gives no sort of response, probably wishing we'd move on from seeing these bruises around her neck-it looks like she had been choked.
Everything's adding up in my head.
The black eye, her walking as if she's in pain some days, this bruise around her neck. It's just a few things but these things don't just happen. You may be able to get a black eye on accident, possibly, but bruises around your neck like you'd been chocked? That's not an accident.
I would know.
I also know what it's like being confronted about the bruises, what it's like to stand around feeling vulnerable like this. I know how it all feels and it's not great. I can't just move on from the conclusions I'm getting about her, but I know how it is, I know how desperately she's wishing someone would change the subject or anything.
"Let's go get breakfast." Divine looks confused on why I'd change the subject completely, how I could just move on from something like that. Danny and Ashton nod, understanding slowly, Ashton most of all.
We all get in the car, Olivia sits up front with me again and everyone else in the back again. It's quiet as I drive to the diner, too quiet. Olivia looks out the window the whole time, but I keep seeing her bringing hand up to her cheek.
She's crying.
I don't know how to say or do anything to try and reassure her it's all okay without bringing everyone's attention back to her once again. I just try to drive quicker to the diner and hopefully the mood lightens up instead of this tension filling the car.
It's still quiet even as we all get out of the car. I hold open the door for everyone, Olivia being the last and I try to get her attention.
"Hey, Liv. You-" I can't finish whatever I was going to say, I was just letting the words flow having no idea what to say, because she walks in not paying attention.
We all sit in a booth, I make sure I end up with Olivia. Divine sits across from Olivia, next to Ashton who's in the middle and Danny on the outside. She distracts herself, acting like she's reading a menu when I know that's not it at all.
"Liv, they have the best pancakes here, have you tried them?" I'm thankful when Danny tries to lighten the mood, but it doesn't work when she just gives a simple nod.
Ashton's looking at me and I can tell he knows. We all know. Me, Danny, and Ashton at least. Well, Danny who knows, he's constantly oblivious but I know he's worrying with what we all saw.
Has Divine put the clues together? I'm sure she has, she is her best friend and she looks so sadly and worried at her. Everything we're all thinking has to be it. It all adds up.
And again, I would know the signs.
The waitress comes over to our table, and everyone tells her their order as I ask Olivia, "What do you want to eat?" She shakes her head. "The same as last time?" I ask anyway and she shakes her head again, still looking at the menu with a blank face. "You've gotta eat something." Another shake of her head.
I nod but still order us both blueberry pancakes, and water. She looks at me finally, questioning me on why I ordered for her it seems. I don't give any type of response.
"So, what should we do after this?" Ashton asks, finally breaking the silence between us all.
"We could go see the new Halloween. Since you know, those two went without us." Danny rolls his eyes, trying to joke around which slightly works when I roll my eyes back. Olivia sets the menu down finally as Ashton checks his phone to see what times Halloween is playing in theaters today.
"They're not playing it until after school today," Ashton says. "It won't work, mom and dad come home tonight so I've gotta be home to pretend I didn't skip you know?"
Danny groans. "Well now what? This city's so fucking boring."
We all agree, except Olivia who's just staring off into nothing, completely zoned out. It's completely quiet between us all again until the waitress sets down our food and drinks in front of us all-finally bringing Olivia back to reality.
"Guess we can just hang out at the mall." Ashton finally says. The only other place that people really just hang out at, shopping all day and all that. It's so boring here.
I nod, digging into the pancakes as the others dig into their own food. Olivia looks at me the second I look at her too, and I can tell by her look she's saying thank you. I nod, just saying, "Eat up."
She seems to avoid Divine's gaze the whole time, and I start to realize Divine does think the same as the rest of us, or at least me. We've gotta do something.
We eat in silence, not what I had anticipated especially when Danny's with us. Olivia barely eats though, still having two full pancakes. We all split the bill, well I pay for mine and Olivia's. She tries to say thank you a million times for it but I brush it off. It was just a couple dollars.
After another silent and tension filled car ride we make it to the mall that's still practically empty this early-nearly 11am. Me and Ashton walk behind the rest, and I know why he's with me.
"So...she's like...you think she's being abused?" Ashton struggles to find the right words, not knowing how to just talk about something like this.
"I don't wanna think that but everything adds up to that." I haven't even known her that long but after everything my mom's ex did, it's too easy for me to miss now.
"How do we go about this? She clearly like doesn't want to say anything about it." I don't know what to do. I know how hard it all is to say anything.
"I don't know...we've just gotta figure something out before it's too late."
He nods before turning it to me. "You okay? I know after-"
"It's not me you need to be worrying about." I walk ahead to catch up with everyone else before he brings anything else up.
We walk into the mall and it is mostly empty except for some parents with their younger kids, and elderly people. It's nice not being here when it's packed.
I now notice Olivia walking like she had been the first day we skipped, like she was in pain. After that fall when we were skating, I wouldn't be surprised. Especially with what I'm figuring out now.
We all walk to Spencer's, Ashton wanting a new tray. We're the only one in the store, the two employees looking annoyed and wondering what we're even doing in this store this early.
"What's that for?" Divine asks and Olivia gives her a look. "What? What is it?" Olivia laughs and shakes her head, I'm happy seeing her just laugh after how quiet she's gone since the skating rink.
"It's for weed," Danny says and I smack his shoulder with how loud he said it. "What? It is." Divine's eyes widen realizing, she just nods.
"Have you ever smoked?" Ashton asks her as he finally picks one out. She shakes her head and he smiles. I hear him mutter something that none of us can make out but it makes Divine blush and walk away.
Flirting now?
I go to Olivia, trying to talk until Ashton goes to the back and I wonder why. Olivia's eyes widen, I just shake my head, when he holds a bright pink dildo up.
Divine walks back over at the wrong time, her jaw practically dropping wondering what the hell he's doing with a dildo.
"Need one, Danny?" He asks and I just shake my head at them two, used to shit like this.
"Yeah, I do actually." I hold back my laugh, smiling when I hear both Olivia and Divine busting out laughing.
Ashton stands there looking pale, saying "I did not need to know that."
The employees are probably annoyed with us now, so I take the random patterned tray from Ashton along with his money to pay for it and leave.
We just walk around the mall-it doesn't have many good stores. The malls gone quite boring lately. I walk behind with Olivia and see as we walk past a small bookstore her face practically lights up.
"You wanna go and look around?" I ask as I motion towards the bookstore. She seems to hesitate for a second before nodding. We just leave the group, not letting them know but they don't seem to notice us leaving-too caught up in their own conversations.
I watch as she walks down isles looking at the millions of different books. I wonder what she likes to read-and I notice how it mostly seems like romance she's picking up along with what seems like fantasy, based off of the covers and titles at least I assume that's what it is.
I smile as I watch her read the back of a book, really interested in this one. But the smile disappears when her hair falls from her shoulders, all going down her back and revealing some of the marks around her neck.
I take a few steps closer to her, resting my hand against her lower back making her jump and I curse at myself in my head. I don't move though, acting like I'm reading the back of the book also. "Do you wanna buy it?"
She seems to forget how to breathe and I grin, but that goes away quickly again when I see more and more of the marks around her neck. She checks the price and shakes her head, putting the book back on the shelf making me frown more.
"I'll buy it." She shakes her head but I grab a copy of the book anyways. Mom and dad will probably be surprised to see a transition on my card from a bookstore when I'm not really much of a reader. I wonder what Olivia would suggest to read. "What's your favorite book?"
She looks at me weirdly, trying to grab the book out of my hand but I don't let her. She sighs dramatically, and I ask again about her favorite book to take her focus off the book I'm holding to buy for her. She walks through a couple isles as I follow her until she pauses and smiles once she sees her, what I assume, favorite book then shows me.
I take it from her and read the back, interested from just the blue colored cover with a dandelion. I read the back, and from what I can tell it's a depressing trauma filled love story. Definitely interesting-and her favorite book. She seems surprised when I hold it with the other book, walking us over to the checkout.
She now remembers that I took the book she seemed so interested in but it's too late for her to do anything about it when the lady at the cash register is already scanning it and then the other book.
She glares at me, I can't tell if it's in a joking way or what, when I pay and take the bag then we walk out of the store. I feel my phone vibrate in my pocket, taking it out and seeing it's Ashton just now wondering where we went. He tells me they're all at the food court so that's where I lead me and Olivia.
When we get to the food court we find the all in a booth near the back, talking away. Olivia sits next to Divine and I hand her the bag making her glare towards me come back-Divine smiles seeing it's book and starts to say something but Ashton drags me away, leaving Danny with them.
We walk towards one of the restaurant things, and once we're far enough away for them to hear us talking Ashton says, "Me, Divine, and Danny talked about Olivia."
I can tell what it's about by his tone. "What was said, from Divine?"
We stand around, acting like we're deciding on what to eat. Even though we just had breakfast not that long ago. "She didn't say much, said none of it is her business to tell but she's also worried about her best friend. But she just knows something's going on, even Danny knows and he's the most oblivious person ever."
Anyone could tell Olivia was going through something from just being around her for a little bit of time. Especially us after everything with mom's ex. Ashton orders a coke from McDonald's, so we don't look dumb for coming over here for nothing.
"We've gotta help her before it's too late." I nod at Ashton, knowing he's right once again.
Ashton slides into the side of the booth with Danny, I sit next to Olivia who's by Divine. Danny pulls out a bag from some store they must've stopped at while we were at the bookstore, pulling out a pack of bracelets. Five exactly.
"I got us friendship bracelets." I shake my head but smile, watching as he struggles to actually get the bracelets out.
"Are we five?" Ashton asks making Danny glare at him, Divine and Olivia seem to love the idea.
"Yes. Yes we are, for your information." Danny let's Divine and Olivia choose one on their own, hands me one, takes one for himself, then gives Ashton the ugliest one on purpose.
"Wow, thanks," Ashton says, faking his enthusiasm. Divine and Olivia laugh, enjoying their usual acts of being immature as always.
It's quiet, well between me, Olivia, and Divine-Danny and Ashton bicker as usual. Divine gestures towards the bag from the bookstore and asks, "What books did you get?"
I pull them out, now paying attention to the book Olivia had seemed super interested in. It looks, and sounds, like a romcom. Divine grins seeing the seemingly depressing, trauma filled love story.
"That's a good one." I have the urge to start reading the book right here, right now, but know I wouldn't be able to pay attention with the two idiots bickering across the table.
Divine tells me all about it, the book, adding in whatever Olivia tries to say for her-and now I can tell I'll definitely love the book even as someone who hardly reads.
We talk awhile more, once the two idiots finally stop bickering, but not about anything too important. We walk around the mall a bit more, checking out a few stores but not finding anything good to buy. By time we walk out of the 5th store we checked out, school is already about to be over.