Wheel of Fate

57.

Olivia and Robin were getting ready to go, but before going to Pennhurst Asylum, Olivia wanted to talk to Max.

"Hey." Max slightly flinched with the voice of her sister; she covered what she was writing.

Olivia looked at her suspiciously "are you okay, and don't lie this time, please."

Max's hands were flat on the desk covering a few letters she was writing. "I'm dying, so" she raised her eyebrows, "I've never been happier," she said sarcastically, giving her sister a fake smile.

"I meant what I said last night, Maxie; I'll find a way to help you. You will be okay." Max scoffed and rolled her eyes "you know you always ask if I'm okay, and you get upset when I'm not honest, but you are the same way, Olivia," Max said, getting up from the chair.

"You more than anyone should know how I feel." She brought one hand to her chest. "You've been miserable since you broke up with Steve." She pointed at the young boy, who quickly looked away. "You may pretend that everything is fine, but it's far from it. So don't come here and tell me how everything will be okay when you don't even know that." Max raised her voice after every word before breathing heavily.

Everything that Max was saying was true. Olivia didn't want to get mad or yell at Max, even though everyone was looking at them.

They tried to pretend that they weren't actually listening, but they weren't doing such a good job in hiding it.

Max was scared and felt alone; Olivia could relate to her to an extent. Olivia tried to understand her sister.

She felt scared and alone, maybe not the same way that Max felt, but Olivia was terrified of what could happen to her sister, and she felt alone after her break up with Steve.

With so much responsibility on her shoulders, she felt as if she had to do everything on her own. What they were dealing with at such a young age it's too much.

She knew that if she was told she was going to die soon, she would react almost the same as Max.

Olivia looked down at her shoes for a few seconds finding the right words to say.

There was no need to pretend anymore, "It's true, I feel like shit most of the time, and I guess I'm just pretending that life is not crumbling around me, but I can't lock myself in my room forever. I'm trying, Max. I'm trying so fucking hard, I really am."

Olivia felt like weight was lifted off her shoulders after telling Max how she was feeling.

After hearing her sister, Max calmed down a bit.

It felt different when her sister talked to her when she told her how she felt. Max looked at Olivia with more sympathy.

Max opened her mouth to say something, but Olivia didn't let Max start her sentence and hugged her tightly, whispering, "I love you Maxie."

Both girls rarely shared any kind of affection toward each other. They knew that they cared for each other more recently than before, that's for sure.

The people that they were back in California are completely different to the two girls that are living in Hawkins. Olivia from California wouldn't even recognize her current self. They broke the hug, "I won't take long," Olivia told Max. With a small smile Max nodded.

Olivia took a few steps to where Robin was leaning on a wall pretending to clean it.

Olivia rolled her eyes; she knew that Robin had been listening to the conversation she was having with Max, "Are you ready," Olivia asked Robin, ignoring how all eyes were on her. "Uh yeah, yep, I'm ready," Robin responded, moving from the wall.

Both girls got in the car. During the ride Robin would glance at Olivia from time to time.

Olivia could tell that Robin was dying to talk about what just happened. She was surprised by how much Robin was controlling herself, but when she looked at her quickly. Robin looked like she was about to explode.

She knew she couldn't stay quiet any longer. "Spill it." Robin inhaled deeply "okay, what's going on with you and Steve."

That was not what Olivia was expecting for her to ask her. "What? What do you mean," Olivia asked, furrowing her eyebrows in confusion.

"Olivia, come on, I know what I saw," Robin exclaimed dramatically.

"Back when we found Eddie the way you two were so close and just now, literally not even fifteen minutes ago, you two were all over each other holding hands and kissing," Robin explained, moving her hands in front of her pending that they were kissing.

"What?! First of all, I kissed his cheek, and second of all, h-he was in danger. I'm sorry for caring about my friend."

"Oh, your friend, is that what you're calling him now," Robin said with one eyebrow raised, looking at Olivia.

"Is he not my friend?"

"Olivia, you didn't even let me talk about Steve for the first two weeks after your break up, and now you're telling me he is your friend."

Olivia opened her mouth to respond, but no words came out.

She was trying to gather her thoughts, and she said, "I was hurt, Robin. It was painful to talk about him, but now it's been a few months." She shrugged, focusing on the road ahead.

The first month or so after the break-up was the hardest; she would quietly cry at night, trying not to wake up Max and Billy. She hated herself for crying herself to sleep. She was the one that did that to herself.

"It's a bit awkward at times, but I don't know. I think I can consider him a friend. Or it's that wrong," Olivia said, not taking her eyes out of the road.

Robin raised her hands "no, not at all. Honestly it would be better for me if you two hang out again; that way, the three of us can go out like before."

Olivia did miss hanging out with Robin and Steve. Those few times that the three of them would spend the day together. That was the only time when she felt like a normal teen.

"You could consider him more than a friend, though, no pressure of course, but it would be cool that way we could go on a double date you and Steve, me and obviously Vickie uhh and maybe even Max and Lucas," Robin said excitedly.

Dating Steve, again had crossed her mind a few times, but she still thought that going their separate ways was the best option, right, or did she make a mistake she can't fix.

Robin looked at her friend intriguingly and wondered what was on in her brain.

After a few seconds Olivia shook her head, "The damage is done. I don't think Steve would want me back. Besides, isn't he dating that girl he took to the game," Olivia said casually, trying to not sound jealous.

"My sweet sweet Olivia dingus doesn't have eyes for anyone that is not you," she pointed at Olivia. "You tell him that you want to give your relationship another chance, and without a second thought, he would say yes. I bet he would even propose on the spot," Robin said remembering that time she saw Steve with a small cute ring. She had asked him about the ring, but he got nervous and said it was nothing.

With the last sentence, Olivia got nervous and quickly looked at Robin moving the steering wheel a little bit to the side.

She got a better hold of the wheel and said "you're joking, right."

Would it be so bad if she wasn't?

Robin chuckled awkwardly, "I'm going a little bit ahead. I think it might be too soon to propose, but I'm not him, Olivia. I couldn't tell you for sure."

Olivia held the steering wheel tighter and took a deep breath.

Why are feelings so complicated?

She already has a lot on her mind to add this to the list.