Silent Lies - Chapter 23: Chapter 23

"Is this Ashton a good kid?" Admira knocks me back to reality as I've been zoned out, staring at a sign in the doctor's office about how smoking affects you as if that'll help the ones already addicted to nicotine. "Divine tries to say she doesn't like him, but I know she does." I smile and nod at her, knowing Ashton is, mostly, a good kid, and knowing damn well Divine does like him.
Before Admira can say more the doctor comes in, and does the usual check up shit. Admira set up a doctor's appointment for me, making me go. Mostly to check on my hand, but once I revealed my ribs to her she also needed me to go for them. Even though I was just going to call that friend of Ashton's brother who helped me Monday night, I just went along with Admira knowing it'll make her feel better.
It's Friday now, I've stayed home from school everyday since the night I finally went with Divine. Admira wanted me to, once she saw the rest of my injuries. And home-that's what Admira and Divine's house actually feels like.
Even though I'm terrified of dad just somehow showing up, or finding me, I still feel way safer than at the house with dad. I'm not constantly waiting for a punch or kick or harsh words. Instead I sleep in peace, when I'm not thinking about dad showing up, I am actually able to wake up and not dread everything.
After the doctor is done with everything, too many boring details-routine questions, the usual check up things, checking to make sure my hand is going well, my ribs are healing well too, apparently other than my certain injuries thanks to dad, I'm mostly healthy, I'm just told I'm underweight to no surprise-Admira doesn't let the doctor leave too quickly.
"Can she get a doctor's note for school? She's missed everyday since Tuesday, she might miss next week too?" I frown, knowing I'm gonna have a hell of a lot of work to catch up on. At least my body is actually healing.
I stand and look in the mirror placed above the sink, taking a look at my face. The black eyes are healing greatly, my jaw is already yellow too now, nearly completely healed. I can walk without feeling like I'm going to collapse, also. My ribs are still the worst of all, besides my wrist obviously, needing some more time but they're healing well according to the doctor so it counts for something.
The doctor walks back in with the printed doctor's note. I thank her, knowing I've missed way too much school already this year and will be needing this excuse.
"What sounds good for lunch, love?" She asks as usual. "Wendy's?" I nod happily.
We sit in a booth together, eating our food. I got some nuggets and fries while Admira got a burger and fries. Everyday this week she's taken us out to lunch. I need to get a job. She's done so much in just these three or so days, just words won't do enough to thank her.
She's done more for me in just some days than my dads ever done for me in years.
"I'll be right back." She answers a call and I know it's for her job, she gets lots of calls this time of day. She's a real estate agent. She's been working from home mostly with me here, making quick stops at times to offices.
Without her by my side now, taking a call outside just in front of the window of the booth we've sat in, I worry. I worry about dad still, praying to god he doesn't happen to be coming to this specific Wendy's for lunch or anything. I'm so scared we're going to run into him in public, scared of all the things that might happen.
"What's the matter?" She asks as she slides back into the booth, eating some fries. I just shrug, giving her a look and she knows. "Stop worrying, love, I know it's hard but he's not going to show up here. And if he does, he'll have to get through me and I'll be sure to cause a scene." I smile at her, knowing she's serious though. I'm thankful when she changes the subject. "I need to know about this Ashton boy. Especially if he's coming over to my house today. I trust Adrian, he's a sweet kid, but I've yet to meet this Ashton."
She asks a million questions, and I answer with shakes or nods of my head to answer what I know about him so far.
Adrian, Danny, and Ashton are coming over today mostly because Divine is forcing them. I haven't got to see Danny or Ashton really at all so it'll be nice. I know that Danny more than likely knows everything that the rest of them know too, but it's okay. They're my friends, I trust them enough that I don't mind them knowing. Especially now that I'm away from him.
To think that just a month ago I barely trusted them at all.
By the time we finish eating and leave Wendy's, it's just half an hour before school gets out for everyone. We go back to the house, Admira answering some more calls as I sit in the room I've been staying in, at the small desk.
In front of me lies a journal Admira had brought me for some reason, but I think I've finally figured it out. It's her way of telling me to make it something like a diary, let my feelings out in it. When I first realized why she had given it to me, I thought it was a dumb idea, but now it's grown on me plenty.
Even with staying with Divine and Admira, feeling mostly safe and protected, at peace for once, there's still so much going on in my head. I'm happier here without the constant fears and worrying nagging at me, but I'm not just perfectly okay now. There's still a lot for me to process, to get through. Plus I'm not exactly sure I'll feel happy and free until I turn 18 in April, when dad is no longer in charge of me since I'll be a legal adult.
So I do exactly what Admira seemed to suggest with this journal-I write. I'm not sure how to start so I just write the first thing that comes to mind.
Life fucking sucks.
It's definitely a start, right?
A knock sounds on the door, making me jump and slam the journal shut. I turn to see Adrian, smiling but then frowning once he's seen how much he just scared the shit out of me.
"I'm sorry, shit," he mutters but I smile up at him, getting a smile back. "What're you writing?" I shake my head, not wanting to tell him.
With the half an hour or more I had gotten to myself, I wrote 3 full pages full of me venting. And I'm only just getting started.
"Okay." I appreciate how he never pushes me to tell him things. "Admira told me to come find you. She's in there bombarding Ashton with questions." I laugh, figuring she'd do that. "She seems to love Danny already though, of course." He rolls his eyes and I smile, walking over to him.
I don't know why, but I hug him. I always seem to be doing things around him for reasons I don't know why. My stomach flutters when he hugs back. It's just a fucking hug why am I getting these butterflies.
"H-How was your day?" He asks as I look up at him. I nod, saying it's good then point to him. "It was good. Physics has just been so boring and annoying without you. Also, me and Divine dealing with Ashton and Danny alone is getting unbearable."
I smile once again, thankfully I can do so without my face in pain, laughing. We stay still for moments too long, our faces so close together as my arms are wrapped around his waist and his around my shoulders. I pull away, motioning towards the door to go and see Ashton and Danny.
"Liv!" Danny immediately moves to hug me, his face lit up. I actually accept his hug, at ease with the touch here. "I've missed you."
"I have too." Ashton looks relieved when he's able to come over and give me a hug, getting away from Admira's million questions. "How're you feeling?" I give a thumbs up, not completely lying for once about that.
"I got all of your assignments from school and homework for you, Olivia," Divine says as she shows me the small stack of paper. Yay. "I'll help you all weekend to get it done."
"You kids hungry?" Admira chimes in, all of them but me nodding since we had just eaten not that long ago. Just that Wendy's has me feeling stuffed for the rest of the day, that being what happens when your father had starved you for years. "I'm gonna make some brownies."
We all sit around in the living room, me already looking through my millions of assignments and homework. Adrian sits next to me, as Ashton sits next to Divine of course, seeming to hesitate when he wraps an arm around her shoulders.
"I still have this assignment in my bag. Do you want it?" I nod at Adrian, thankful when he pulls out his finished and graded assignment from Physics as I barely understand a thing about it-he got a 77.
"Adrian," Ashton gives him a look, me and Divine being confused as Danny goes on and on about something that happened at school while I was gone, getting me caught up.
"Oh, yeah." Danny goes quiet now. "Me, Ashton, and Danny are going down to my dad's house for the weekend. And missing school Monday, since we're off school Tuesday for Election Day or something," he explains. "We were wondering if you guys w-wanted to come too. If Admira's okay with that, obviously."
"He lives right on the beach," Ashton adds quickly.
"That's a dumb question. Yes!" Divine answers right away.
"If Admira's okay with it..." Adrian scratches the back of his neck, seeming to worry as I continue to flick through my ton of assignments and homework.
"Mom!" Divine gets up, practically running to the kitchen.
"Do you wanna go, Liv?" Adrian asks quietly as I haven't answered. I nod right away, smiling back at him from his spot on the couch. He seems relieved to hear that.
Where does he live? I type on my phone, knowing we don't live near the beaches. We live in North Carolina, but just a little bit away from Tennessee, the beaches are long drives away. He tells me and I was right, the drive there will be long.
"Mom said we can go!" Divine says happily, Admira following right behind her.
"I did not." Divine frowns. "I trust you boys, of course. But driving that far away without an adult? I don't know..."
"Mom, we're almost 18, actually Ashton is 18. Adrian will be 18 soon. I'll be 18 soon. We'll be okay." Admira still gives a wary look, and I can't say I blame her. A group of teenagers on a road trip to a place about 5 hours away by themselves, yeah, I'd be feeling the same.
"If it helps, Adrian will be driving and he's the most responsible one of us," Ashton chimes in. "We three have gone on this trip several time by ourselves since Adrian got his license, we've been perfectly fine each time. I know you still barely know us, Mrs. Abara, but they'll be fine."
Admira winces at the Mrs but says nothing about it. "And your parents are okay with it?"
"My parents love and trust Adrian more than they love and trust me," Danny says happily, Ashton mumbling something about 'My parents could care less what I do.' and I frown.
"When will you be leaving?" Admira asks.
"We were going to leave tonight, but if you'd wanna us to wait until the morning we can do that," Adrian replies.
"Olivia, love? Do you want to go?" She asks me and I nod, knowing she's worried about me. "I'm insane for saying this... but okay. But I'll be expecting a call every hour, you got that?" she says to Divine.
"Yes! Thank you mom!" Divine squeals, hugging her so tight I'm sure Admira is suffocating.
"I'd like to talk to your father first though, maybe your mom too?" Admira says to Adrian.
"Oh, yeah of course." Adrian gets up right away, clicking away on his phone, giving Admira the phone once he seems to have his dad's number pulled up. He tells her she can find his mom's contact too, giving his trust to her completely to just have his phone. I know he's doing it so she trusts him more.
It's just us again as Admira goes to the kitchen, talking away to Adrian's parents. Divine goes to Ashton, excited to be going somewhere for the weekend and into the weekdays. I've never been on a real vacation and this sure feels like one, so I'm excited too. I just can contain it more than Divine.
"There's this new kid in school, Liv," Danny continues catching me up with things that have happened in school while I was gone, Adrian smiling with our plans now. "His name is Noah, I think. God, he's cute. He's a sophomore so we have some classes together." I nod, knowing Danny's a little younger than us, being a junior when we're all seniors.
"I don't get why you just don't go and talk to him," Divine tells him, Adrian and Ashton agreeing.
"Yeah, don't be the next Adrian," Ashton says and Danny flips him off while Adrian's entire face flushes, me and Divine confused.
"Don't be the next Adrian?" Divine questions for the both of us.
"Oh, you two don't know?" Adrian sinks into the couch, face bright red as me and Divine shake our heads.
"Adrian practically stalked you for months until he finally got the courage to talk to you," Danny tells me, completely exposing Adrian.
Wait, what?
"Stalked?" Adrian finally speaks up, voice cracking in embarrassment.
"Lover boy had quite the crush on you forever but never admitted it," Ashton says as Adrian drops his head in his hands. "I think he still does. No. He does. I know it."
"I hate you guys," Adrian mumbles as me and Divine just look at each other. She's grinning meanwhile now my face is flushed.
He has a crush, or had, on me? Of all people? Me? What the hell?
"Your parents are lovely people, Adrian." Admira walks back in, handing Adrian back his phone as he looks more relieved than ever that we can move past this conversation.
I can't though.
"You two can go, but you're eating dinner first so I know you've got some food, okay?" Me and Divine nod. "Boys, you can stay for dinner too. We're having spaghetti."
"We've gotta go to our houses to pack, thank you though." Adrian tells her as she nods, him getting up ready to go for now after what has just been revealed.
Divine hugs Ashton as if she won't be seeing him again in just a few hours, even though I wanna hug Adrian too. But we awkwardly wave bye to each other, Danny giving me a hug anyways.
Me and Divine stay sitting in the living room, knowing we should be helping Admira with dinner. "Adrian likes you!" She squeals and I groan, knowing she won't get over this ever. "You like him too, don't you?"
I shake my head right away, knowing I don't. It's been just a month since we've known each other, I know I don't like him.
Or do I...
"You totally do!" My face remains flushed, still thinking about Adrian actually having a crush on me. Crush is such a stupid word for these things though.
I don't like him. Right? I barely know him still. Even if he's seen me at my worst already, and we know the darkest things that have happened to us, that means nothing. I've never even truly had a crush so hell if I know what it's supposed to feel like.
"Admit it that you like him and I'll admit I like Ashton." I stare at her, her completely oblivious that she just admitted that she likes Ashton anyways. "Oh, fuck that's not how I was supposed to say that."
I shake my head at her, laughing, thankfully no burn in my chest or lungs as I do so anymore. I knew she liked him, but at least she's finally admitted it.
"What're you in there squealing about, Divine?" Admira calls from the kitchen as we get up to help her with dinner.
"Nothing." Divine drags the word out, but I'm thankful she doesn't tell her mom.
"You better call me every hour," Admira tells Divine as the guys wait on us in Adrian's car.
"Yes, I know and I will mom," Divine says, hugging her once more.
"Olivia, you gonna be okay?" She asks me, still worrying knowing what just happened to me earlier this week and knowing most of my mental state. I nod, actually meaning it.
Never thought I'd go from getting beat nearly to death by my dad to going to the beach in just a week. Even if it's November and the air is chilly as I wish I wore more than just a hoodie, it'll be great.
"I love you girls," Admira tells us, kissing both our cheeks and hugging us for the millionth time.
Finally when she lets us settle into the car, me and Adrian being up front together as always, Divine in the middle of Danny and Ashton, she comes to my rolled down window.
"Adrian, you've got your license? Your-" Before she finishes the millions of questions she has, he nods. "Good. Good."
"We're gonna be fine, mom," Divine tells her for what seems to be the millionth time tonight.
"Okay... okay. You all be safe." Finally, we're able to drive off, Admira watching as Adrian does so, worrying as every mom probably does.
Well, my mom probably doesn't.
It's not like I would know.