Silent Lies - Chapter 45: Chapter 45

"What's wrong?" I ask Olivia, worrying right away when there's a frown on her face while she's on her phone.
"Classes for next semester were posted finally." I narrow my eyes at her, sitting next to her on my bed.
"What? Do you have gym first block?" She laughs, shaking her head.
"No. I already have my credit for gym, thank god. But I don't have art at all next semester. My last semester of high school." I frown, knowing how much she loves art because of Mrs. Scarlet. She was a really nice teacher when I had her sophomore year.
"It'll be okay. You can still see her after school or something." I kiss her cheek, pulling her close to me.
"I have a free period this semester though," she says so happily and I already have ideas on what she'll use it for. Reading, not studying like it's suggested.
I pull my phone out to check my new schedule for next semester, grinning as a free period pops up next. My whole schedule is just French, biology, free period after lunch, and math. I'm thankful as I see Olivia's schedule-finances, Spanish, free period also after lunch, and chemistry. At least we have one class period together. Plus, our schedules are pretty easy, as we've got all our credits by now when it's the last semester of high school.
"Thank god we have that free period together at least!" Although I wish we had every class together. I watch a text from Divine popping up, looking away for their privacy, but wondering when a smile takes over her face. "Me and Divine have finances and chemistry together! We've not had any classes together since like freshmen year."
I smile, happy for them, just as everyone texts our group chat, sharing schedules and everything. We're texting as if we're not all about to be hanging out together in an hour, if that.
I watch with a smile as Olivia calls Divine, talking about the new schedules and how they'll go. She's been so much more relaxed since she got her retake of her SAT done, even if she keeps not believing she did good, and since her dad was finally put into prison. Finally, though 6 years too late.
That day last week-Thursday-at the courthouse, was great because of him finally being put into prison. It was stressful, I could tell with how Olivia acted, at first, but everything ended the way it should've and even better.
"Okay, I'll see you in a bit." I smile just as Olivia smiles at me, coming over to sit back down next to me again.
"We've got to get going in a minute." We're all going to hang out at the boring mall, where we should've just gone right after school but didn't for some reason.
"I know." But she leans in to kiss me anyways, stopping me from getting my shoes. It's okay, though.
"Liv, baby." We kiss a lot, but never have kissed like this. Especially when she moves to straddle my lap, causing her to, what I assume, is accidentally grind her hips on mine when she gasps and practically tosses herself off of me, looking more flushed than ever just like me.
"I-I'm sorry," she rushes out breathlessly, avoiding my eyes as I recover from things going further than they ever have with us.
"It's okay." I laugh, my fingers finding their own way to her chin to make her look at me finally, her cheeks red. I feel her smile when I pull her into one last kiss. "We really do need to get going, though."
"We do," she agrees, suddenly interested in finding her own shoes and hoodie-my hoodie, but it looks way fucking better on her.
"Be safe, you two," mom says before she lets me or Olivia leave, kissing my head.
"When are we not, mom?" She rolls her eyes at me before we say I love you. I take Olivia's hand on our way out to the car, opening the door for her and enjoying the smile that takes over her face.
The drive to the mall is quiet, comfortable, as we just listen to the music on the radio. She smiles when I open her door again, taking my hand anyways. "You don't have to do this every time, you know that, right?"
"I do have to open your door every time, actually." She shakes her head at me, following as I lead the way into the mall on our search for our friends.
"Hey bitches," Danny scares the shit out of both me and Olivia as he squishes himself between us, his arms over our shoulders.
"Seriously?" I groan, pushing him away. His arm stays around Olivia, though, taking her away from me.
"Here goes Danny, stealing people's girlfriends," Ashton says, making his way over to us with his arm around Divine. I find Noah trailing behind us, a smile on his face also.
"You've got that right." Danny steers Olivia in the opposite direction from me, actually stealing her, making me scoff as she looks back with a smile, waving goodbye. Ashton laughs until Danny also makes Divine follow them, leaving us with Noah.
"Seriously?" Noah shrugs at Ashton. "We should follow too, right?"
"No." I get an idea, since Olivia won't be with us to see. "I can buy Olivia's Christmas presents while they're gone."
"What're you buying her?" Ashton asks between Noah's aw's.
"Books." That one is definite. "And... I want to buy a promise ring, but I don't know if it's too early..."
"It can't be-"
"Are you saying you love my sister?" Noah cuts Ashton off.
"I-" I've not admitted that to anyone but myself, and dad kind of at the restaurant a couple weeks ago, yet. "I-Yeah, I do." My face flushes with those words. I stop, confused when Ashton and Noah both stop in their tracks.
"I fucking knew it. I mean, obviously. But you only just now admit it to me?" Ashton scoffs at me, actually offended.
"That's cute but also disgusting." Noah walks ahead of us, not needing to hear me talk about his sister like this apparently. That is exactly what those two have become, siblings.
"It's not like you've admitted that you love Divine to me yet, so we're even." Ashton scoffs again at me. "What? You don't love her?"
"I-You can't ask that." He looks away, suddenly interested in the Build a Bear store, his sign to me that he's flushed this time.
"You love her." He glares at me, catching up with Noah. He sure does love her.
Noah and Ashton walk into the same bookstore that me and Olivia went to one of the first times we'd hung out all together with me, all of us still wondering where the girls and Danny went. They follow me through the isles, even helping me choose some books for Olivia-five altogether.
"What about this one?" Ashton holds out 50 Shades of Grey and he's lucky we're near employees or I'd take it from him and hit him with it.
"Ew," is all Noah says, walking away from us.
"Don't read it?" I walk away from Ashton when he goes to start reading out a certain scene from the book, pretending I don't know him.
After I buy the five books, we leave the bookstore and look for a jewelry shop that could possibly hold the ring I want for Olivia. I've thought this through thoroughly, even when thinking it may be too early.
"You should get these for each other," Ashton says, pointing into a display case. I walk over and see which rings he's pointing at, thinking he's being serious-but he's pointing at the he's my king and she's my queen rings. I cringe.
"Fuck no."
"Why do they even actually have those here?" I agree with Noah. "Shouldn't those be in like, a toy vending machine thing? Whatever they're called."
"Need help finding anything?" I nod at one of the jewelers right as my eyes land on the only opal ring I've seen, hoping I've got enough for it. I've heard Olivia mention that it's her favorite gemstone.
"Fancy," Ashton drags the word out but I catch him staring at a necklace.
"That's her favorite," Noah points out, noticing that I know already. "Good job on paying attention." He pats my shoulder, as though it's not bare minimum to pay attention to my girlfriend.
I'm grateful when I've got just enough money for it, so I didn't have to come back another time when they might not have the ring anymore. I smile when putting the ring in the blue box it was given in into my pocket, more worried about Olivia seeing it than the books which I run out to my car to put in the trunk-she'll know exactly what it is with the bag with the bookstores name written across it.
"What did you buy?" I ask Ashton as I walk back into the mall, finding him and Noah by the jewelry store again.
"I got Divine a necklace." The same one I'd seen him staring at-a silver chain with a butterfly charm that has purple pendants all over. "She loves her butterflies."
"Where the fuck are they?" We all three ask in unison when we can't find the girls or Danny-but, of course, we find them walking out of a candy store. "Fucking finally, we've looked everywhere for you guys."
Olivia smiles happily while eating some twizzlers, coming to my side and hugging me. I notice her hiding a bag from me, not caring to show her other one. "What did you get?"
"Just some shirts." She shrugs, not showing me her other bag. "You didn't get anything?"
"Nope," I lie. "Not yet, at least."
"I'm hungry," Danny says, as he's eating starbursts anyways. "Let's get pizza." Noah agrees that it's a good idea, going to Danny's side as Divine goes to Ashton's who hides the necklace from her.
Danny orders two pizzas for the six of us, one pepperoni and the other pepperoni with bacon, coming back to sit across from Noah who's besides Olivia at the end of the booth. We eat and talk freely, forgetting everything else in our lives-such as the fact that really, we should be studying for exams right now that are this Thursday and Friday, it's Tuesday now.
We're all stressed-me, Olivia, Divine, and Ashton at least when these are the last major grades colleges will see. Danny still has another year and Noah has two-but at least winter break starts right after this, our district is letting us out earlier than usual this year. And the party this weekend that'll hopefully be decent.
"Oh!" Danny says happily, pulling something out of one of his bags. Another friendship bracelet set like the one from the first time, except this one has six. It works with Noah being here now.
"Seriously-"
"We are five, shut up Ashton," Danny cuts him off. "Don't act like you're not wearing the old one still right now and haven't taken it off since."
"That's not the point." Ashton notices the bracelet on his wrist as though he's never seen it until now.
"Lady's, choose." Like last time, Danny lets Divine and Olivia pick theirs, Noah too, and even me this time, but saves the ugliest one for Ashton.
"Thanks!" Ashton says, faking his enthusiasm.
"You're welcome!" Danny says, except with genuine enthusiasm.
We finish the pizzas, deciding to walk around the mall some more when it closes soon. None of us find anything else to buy, just looking at the stuff we would buy if we could but it's too expensive. We all end up going our separate ways after saying goodbye, knowing we'll see each other right back at school in the morning. Noah goes with me and I drop him off, Olivia going in to grab her things after asking her mom if she could spend the night with me.
I leave the books in the trunk, reminding myself to get them at a time when Olivia's not with me, taking Olivia's hand as we walk up to the front door and I take my keys out. I walk to the kitchen with Olivia trailing right behind me, but stop when I hear voices and laughter, more than just moms.
"Mom, who's-" I almost throw up when I walk in, finding my parents making out on the fucking kitchen island. "Are you fucking serious?" I push Olivia out of the kitchen with me.
"Adrian," mom calls, sounding genuinely sorry. "Oh god, I am so sorry."
"Calm down, Daina. It's a normal thing," dad says as they both walk into the living room where me and Olivia are now, smoothing out the wrinkles in his clothes.
"Yes, a normal thing that can be done in private!" I scold them both.
"Sorry," dad shrugs, smoothing his disheveled hair back.
"You weren't supposed to find out like that," mom says and I only now realize my divorced parents were making out. I knew something was going on.
"Hi, Olivia," dad smiles at her and she does back, not nearly as traumatized as I now am.
"How was I supposed to find out then?" I ask the both of them.
"We were going to have dinner with you one night, in a few weeks, to see where this was going..." Mom's face is flushed with shame that her son walked in on that meanwhile dad doesn't care at all, a grin plastered on his face.
"At least it's over now and he knows," dad shrugs, wrapping an arm around mom's waist. "We don't have to stress about dinner anymore."
"How long?" Olivia stands awkwardly beside me, not knowing what to say or do.
"A couple months... it's just gotten harder to hide," mom says with all honesty.
"Apparently," I mumble, needing bleach for my eyes.
"You could've walked in later than you did and find something worse-"
"Please don't finish that sentence, dad," I groan.
"Guess we can have dinner tonight!" Mom tries to change the subject completely, for now. "Olivia, obviously, you are welcome to stay!" Mom seems to forget the plan of Olivia staying the night like I told her, thrown off after her and dad have been caught.
"We ate at the mall," I say, although I wouldn't have an appetite after seeing that anyways. "Unless you're hungry?" I ask Olivia, but she shakes her head.
"What's there to say anyways?" Dad starts. "Adrian, son, me and your mother are back together. There you go."
"Sean," mom glares at him. "Adrian... this may be confusing, but-"
"Oh, no, it's not confusing. I'm happy, actually. I just don't want to ever walk in on you guys again, please? That's all. Next time, stay in the privacy of your bedrooms and lock the doors."
"Got it," dad says.
"Are you moving back in?" I ask dad. "Or are we moving?"
"We're not there yet." I nod at mom. "And we won't move in the middle of the school year if we were to."
"Okay, got it." I take Olivia's hand, taking us up to my bedroom, leaving mom and dad alone for a minute.
"I'm going to make cookies if you guys want any," mom calls and I give her a thumbs up, needing to push away the trauma of seeing my parents making out. I'm not sure I'll ever get rid of that image. It could've just been a simple kiss and I'd be fine, but nope.
"Are you okay?" Olivia asks me. I shove the ring into my underwear drawer where Olivia won't see it when she has her back turned to take her shoes off.
"I'm fine. Just traumatized." She laughs, leaning up to kiss my cheek. "I'm glad they're back together if that makes them happy, but they need to learn privacy. They had the nerve to try and talk to us about being safe when they were making out like horny teenagers in the kitchen, knowing I'd be coming home."
"Well..." Olivia sighs. "Like your dad said... it could've been worse."
"Don't remind me." I take her hand, leading us back downstairs, but not before asking my parents, "Are you decent?"
"Yes," they both say.
I walk into the kitchen and sit down at the table with Olivia, watching mom place cups in front of us for milk we'll have with the cookies. Mom makes awkward conversation. "Did you guys have fun at the mall?"
"Yeah," me and Olivia say at the same time.
"Buy anything good?" Dad asks.
"No," I lie even though they'll see the transactions on my card later. "Danny got us new friendship bracelets though. Again."
"Oh, Danny." Mom grins. "That boy is so sweet."
"Sure."
"What's going on with him and that Noah boy?" Dad asks. Even my parents can tell something's happening between them.
"Neither of them have said anything," Olivia replies with a smile. "But it's becoming obvious something's going on between them."
"Yes it is."
"You two going to study later for your exams?" Mom never pressured me with my grades, but that doesn't mean she never just lets me get away with lower grades. She makes sure I'm always trying at least, and when she notices I'm not at times, in comes the consequences. I'm thankful she's never been too strict. Same with dad.
"Yeah, we will, mom," I assure her.
"How did your SAT go, Olivia?" Mom asks next.
"I think it could've been better but, yeah..." she shrugs, and mom makes even more conversation about school and our friends and what we did at the mall, sometimes talking about her and dad.
When the timer rings for the cookies, mom gets up right away, and we let the cookies cool for a few minutes before we all grab a few each. Just as mom's about to ask another question when Olivia's sitting down, Olivia knocks over her cup of milk by accident.
"Oh, no," mom says, getting up right away to grab a rag.
"I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean to do t-that." Olivia takes the rag from mom, cleaning up the milk. "I'm sorry," she repeats.
"It's okay, Olivia. It happens," dad assures her.
"But... I'm sorry." I kneel down by Olivia, taking another rag to help her.
"It's okay, Olivia," mom assures her next. I see tears fill Olivia's eyes as her hands tremble with the rag in them.
"Baby, it's okay. It's just some spilled milk." I notice her breathing going uneven. "Liv, it's okay."
"But..." She can't finish her sentence when she struggles to breathe. Oh no...
"Hey, it's okay." Mom catches on, dad too, kneeling in front of her as Olivia's tears fall. "Let me clean it up. Everything will be okay."
"I-I'm sorry," she says once again before standing with my help, rushing out of the kitchen.
"Liv, baby, it's okay." She doesn't make it past the steps like she was trying to, her trembling body and the fact that she's gasping for air stopping her. "It's okay. Come here."
Feeling her tremble in my arms as we sit on the bottom step breaks my heart, wishing she wouldn't feel scared over spilled milk-I know it's because of her dad. Thankfully, my parents stay in the kitchen. I help Olivia through her panic attack, helping her breathe, assuring her that it's okay, that accidents happen.
"I'm not used to this..." she whispers, wiping her tears.
"Not used to what?"
"Your parents. My dad... he'd beat me when I even got a drop of liquid on the ground." She laughs nervously and I tense, wanting to kill her dad even when he's in prison hours away. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that."
"It's okay." It's better than when she'd say nothing at all.
"I just... I guess the spilled milk triggered me." She shrugs.
"I understand." I truly do. "But, please know that you are safe here. You could spill the milk on purpose and still, nothing bad will ever happen to you. Not ever again."
"I know." She leans into my touch more, her body no longer trembling. "I don't start therapy until after the new year, so hopefully I can do good on my own until then."
"I know you can." I encourage her, kissing her head before she stands and takes my hand in hers, happy again.
"I know I can too." I enjoy her confidence, following behind her back to the kitchen.
"I got you a new glass of milk." Mom smiles at Olivia, not mentioning her panic attack or anything as dad doesn't either.
"Thank you."
"So, we four can go on double dates now?" Dad starts a new conversation with a grin.
"No," I say as Olivia laughs, nodding at dad though.
"Sounds like fun," mom says. Great, now dates with my parents are going to become a thing as if I'm not already traumatized enough.