Oh Olivia!

34. I Am Tired, Okay?

A N A Y A

The longer she tried to keep Olivia's words out of her mind, the more they made sense. Three days ago, she was in denial of having any kind of feelings for that five year old kid in a eighteen year old body, but now, looking at him talk with a bunch of drama people, who were mostly girls, while pretending to seem busy with her locker, she only wished she could jump right in front of him, push those girls away and kiss him senseless.

She immediately scrunched her nose at that thought.

But being in denial for a very long time can do that to you.

Shaking her head, she concentrated on arranging her books but couldn't help but sigh when she heard Travis loud laughter echoing in the halls followed by nasty giggles.

Slamming the locker shut, she thought about her father, the reason for her overthinking stuff. The reason why she was so big on self-preservation. The reason why she forces herself to be in denial although her mind knows that's not gonna work anymore.

Then she remembered Olivia's words. She had opened up to her three days ago. The day when they all had signed their names on Sienna's tree. Well, now it belonged to all of them.

She frowned. Was she really claiming a tree as theirs? Shrugging to herself, she concluded, yes. Yes, she was.

"If you don't give yourself a chance at going after what you want, are you not letting your father win?"

Maybe. She was not sure. That whole night, Olivia's words kept ringing in her head with falshes of Travis' grinning face making an appearance now and then.

Well, her father had said that, 'Love is for fools,' just before leaving her mother crying on the floor that fateful night, and that too after her mother had confessed that she loved him as a last effort to make him stay. For twelve years she had agreed with it because she saw how her mother suffered after that. And she did not want to feel the way mama felt. She did not want to feel what she felt twelve years ago. After all, a little girl had lost her father too that day. . .

"I'm not saying that I'm sure it will not end in heartbreak. It's up to you. Is Travis worth the heartbreak?"

Was her father worth the heartbreak? No. He was a selfish bastard. He never cared nor did he bother to pretend to care. But Travis. . . He's not like her father. He's caring and affectionate and protective and he's not afraid to show it to the world. Anaya knew that Travis will never do what her father did. Then what the hell is holding her back?

"Show your father that love is not for fools. Show him that he was the only fool for leaving it all behind."

And Anaya plans on doing exactly that.

~•~

Travis was just a moment away from staggering and shattering the tray full of glasses of orange juice on the floor. And Anaya could very well sense how much he was concentrating on not doing exactly that. Slowly, as he was nearing the coffee table, his lips tugged upwards into a grin. He was clearly thinking that he will successfully reach the coffee table without spilling a drop of orange juice.

Oh boy, was he wrong!

"Here you go, your high-"

CRASH!

"-ness. . ."

Shay looked up at him with a perfectly plucked raised eyebrow. "You lose," she stated, playing with Noah's long fingers.

"And you're gonna clean this mess," Josh added with a brilliant poker face. Well, after all it was his house.

Travis pouted. God, he was adorable. Okay, Anaya, you've to stop being a creep!