Through The Dark

45 - Emmalyn

45 - Emmalyn

I turned on a computer at the library. Olivia was buying us some chocolate bars. We had only been away a couple of days, but we had got behind on school work and studying. Her classmate Scott was there. They were working together on a project for a class -Mr. Jerkins', I think.

I only had to study, for I had turned in all my papers and projects in early, so today I would study and help Olivia and Scott with the final details of their project.

'What are your plans for the vacations?' Scott asked me, adjusting his glasses as he waited for his laptop to turn on. I did not have one (money was tight in my family, even more so now that Dad was gone).

'Well, I have a summer job. I will get Olivia one and just hang out the rest of the time, I think.'

'Cool.'

'You got a summer job?' It seemed like it was only right to ask him something in return, I thought it was the polite thing to do and Scott was not half bad. He liked to study, like me, so he was my kind of people.

'No, I just play videogames,' he said with a shrug.

'Well, if you are free we'll give you a call when we hang out. Olivia has your number, right?'

'Yeah. That would be great!' he said excitedly. 'Well, if I'm free,' he added, trying to look cool.

I muffled a laugh and opened a notebook. 'What are you guys missing from the project?' I asked.

'Just some final details,' he replied. 'We haven't cited correctly all the sites we used for information. You know what we have to name or acknowledge for?'

'Yeah, time of creation of the page, time you visited it, the author of the page and the name of the page.'

'Only that?' he asked as he typed away on his laptop.

'Yup,' I confirmed, looking over his shoulder to confirm he was typing down the data right.

'Cool, thanks.'

'Hey,' Olivia said, calling my attention. She threw a candy bar at Scott and a chocolate bar my way. Scott, obviously, missed it and it fell to the floor. He laughed nervously and picked it up, adjusting his glasses again. He was the clumsy kind, and I knew that if we started to hang out I would tease him about it nonstop. Sam would too, that was why I liked him. I blushed at the thought of him and returned my attention to Olivia.

'Emmalyn just told me some tips,' Scott commented to Olivia.

'Great!' Olivia cheered, picking up her notebook where she had a list of things left to do on their project –suggested by me, of course.

'And she told me I could hang out with you guys during the summer, when you guys aren't working,' he blabbered, as if waiting for Olivia to turn the idea down. I wondered if people at school were normally rude like that to him. After the things I had witnessed, it would not surprise me.

'Yeah, I forgot to tell you about that,' I said, and Olivia turned to me. 'Remember I once said I would get you another job. We can work nearby and go to lunch together,' I excitedly told her. 'It's gonna be such an awesome summer!'

Scott ignored us and dove into work.

Olivia stiffened up and her eyes grew darker. 'I have to talk to you,' she muttered, standing up again, without a glance to Scott.

I frowned, sensing something was wrong. 'What's going on, Olivia?' I inquired as she dragged me away from Scott.

There was a somber look surrounding her and it made me anxious.

'Emmalyn...there-there is a reason why I went to my grandma in Jacksonville.'

'It was because you needed a family member to be there for you, right?' I questioned. I was caught by surprise when I heard my voice trembling. I sensed that was not the right reason and I was afraid for the truth. I was not sure I could handle it.

'No,' she mumbled, looking away. It was then that I noticed she was blinking away tears.

'Olivia, what's going on?' I urged, now starting to feel scared.

'Emma...I'm leaving.'

'What do you mean? Leave where?' I crossed my arms over my chest, as if to protect myself from the blow that was surely coming my way.

'I'm moving to Jacksonville.' The air grew thick around us. 'My grandma had told me that I could move there at any time if things got bad with mom.' Olivia paused and took a deep breath in. 'Things did get bad, I would say,' she chuckled sadly. 'I talked with her and she convinced me to move there. I cannot stay here. I doubt my mother will come back soon and I cannot just crash at your place for a year.'

'Olivia...' There was a sob pressing against my throat. 'When?' I asked with the little self-control I had left.

'The weekend after school is over.'

A throaty sound came out of my trembling lips. I turned away from Olivia, holding my arms tighter around my body. 'Why didn't you tell me before?' I queried feeling upset to have been lied to.

'I wanted to enjoy the last weeks as much as possible, without the vibe becoming gloomy,' she explained.

'Without the vibe becoming gloomy?' I echoed in disbelief, growing more aggravated by the second. 'You have got to be kidding me! So what we went through means nothing to you?' I hissed.

'It means everything to me!' she countered. 'That is why I did not want to say anything! It hurts to leave you but I cannot stay here, Emma!' She was wiping tears away now, and it pained me to make this harder for her.

Life for Olivia was complicated as it was, she did not need me to make it worse for her. 'I'm sorry,' I sighed. 'I'm just in shock. I had so many plans for us: movie marathons, jobs nearby, double dates, lunches together, going for ice cream with Ben. Well, you know me,' I scoffed lightly, trying to disguise my pain, 'I'm nothing without my plans.'

I pursed my lips to keep sobs from coming. I did not want to cry in the library in front of strangers. I wanted to appear strong, even if I felt like hell was breaking loose.

'I'm sorry, Emma.'

'No!' I yelped. 'Don't apologize. It's your life that is crumbling down. I cannot make you feel guilty.' I walked up to her. 'I just don't know how to do this without you,' I whispered as I hugged her.

I felt her arms wrap around me and the tears finally escaped my eyes, not caring if people saw. 'I don't know how to do it without you, either,' Olivia mumbled into my ear. 'Remember that you are the one who saved me,' she added with a hiccup.

'I think it is fair to say we saved each other, Olive.'

Olivia started shaking. I hugged her tighter, not wanting to ever let go.