The Best Years: Year One, Part Two

Chapter T H I R T Y - N I N E

- Oliver's POV -

Jade's presence pushed me into analyzing how I felt about Layla. In order to keep dodging her attempts at hitting on me, I was held up in my room. I never started with the intention of thinking of Layla but somehow my thoughts always circled back.

I was in the middle of grading my papers when I gave up aggressively throwing my pen down on my desk. She was distracting me and not even here.

8:12 PM

It was too early for the people who don't sleep. Too many hours stood between me and tomorrow's lecture.

I went to the kitchen grabbing a bag of chips walking past Jade who was laying on the bouncy with her legs thrown over the back. She was twisted up like a snake but seem more comfortable tangled up. I wanted to take a mental picture equating her posture to a snake in case of more moments of weakness.

I heard her from the kitchen, "Whatchya doing?"

I had a mouth full of chips grabbing water out of the fridge not able to respond yet when she added, "If everyone knows I'm here why am I still secret?"

I finally had a vacant mouth rolling my rolls, "You're not secret. My friends just hate you. And you're friends don't work for your sobriety."

"You don't have to be an asshole."

I laughed, that wasn't my mission, "No, being an asshole would be asking what happened to our baby Jade."

She sat up poking her head above the couch giving me some evil stare but it was a valid question. I had been wondering and she was avoiding. It was all in all a relief, we're too young to be parents, but I wanted to be involved. Jade was the one for keeping it.

I was still laughing at her attempt to intimidate me, "Did my Dad have something to do with it?"

She knew my Dad probably better than anyone one of my friends, including Elizabeth. He had caught us in his study having sex on his desk, getting high in the kitchen, messing up banquets - she was always with me in my moments of destruction when I lived in their house.

I'm less destructive sober and living away from my toxic Dad. He always made it clear I was my Mom's miracle not his, making what I exactly was to him unclear. I use to try to always please him but around 13 I gave up hope and my attitude towards him changed completely. I started doing the opposite, making him mad, for fun instead of pleasing him.

She looked tortured when she answered, "He offered and shit. Just let it go, Oliver. We weren't gonna have a kid either way."

I didn't want a kid at 18, despite what all the psychological aspects say about kids who are adopted or abuse drugs or don't feel love. I was trying to keep my anger at bay at the thought of my Dad offering to kill my baby because of how much he hated I existed in his life.

I had to change topics, "If you've had sex before the real date, does that mean I have to be some gentleman and wait?"

She laughed, this was far from the last topics but this too was on my mind. I wanted to take Layla on a proper date but I always wanted to have sex with her. I needed to know from another girl if that wasn't an option.

"I need more backstory."

I knew she'd hustle me for details, "Layla and I have had sex before. But I'm taking her on a real date this weekend. Sex? No sex? What happens on a date?"

She walked over, grabbing water and pushing herself on my kitchen counter, her legs dangling. She stole a chip before replying, "She's the virgin? Damn, that was out of order Ollie. It's supposed to be date than sex."