Follow the Light : The Abandoned Child

Chapter 13

It had been a week since she spent the night at Jay's house. She was avoiding her friends as much as possible. The little girl hadn't come back, but the shadow man was watching her, every night. She continued to pretend she was sleeping; she didn't know what it wanted. She was keeping all her friends at a distance; she didn't need anyone getting hurt because of her. She sat on a bench watching everyone have fun at the festival of fire, missing the days when she could have fun with her friends. Jay had texted her many times to make sure she was alright, and she had eaten lunch with him a few times to keep him from worrying. 

Will had been texting her every night to keep in touch, and she would answer him back every morning when she knew he was busy. This way he didn't have a chance to video chat. Curtis had come by the store to see her a few times; he even stayed with her like Jay and Will normally would. She and Andy had gone on a few dates; she was starting to like him a lot. However, she knew they could never be close because of her secret. Jennifer and Faye hadn't seen the new cut; she had started wearing three quarter length shirts to yoga to hide it. Faye had asked her why, but she just told them that she needed the tank tops for the daytime. Jennifer had given her a weird look, but neither one of them had asked any more questions. Faye had closed the store tonight to observe the holiday, which meant that Olive was going to be watching the fireworks all alone.

It was getting late, and Olive knew that everyone had started to gather with their loved ones to watch the firework show. Olive was on the rooftop, sitting on a blanket, staring at the stars. It was beautiful. She had planned for Will to watch the fireworks with her, but he was forced to leave. She had asked Andy to watch them with her, but his father was forcing him to have dinner with a client. Jay, Curtis, Faye, and Jennifer were with their dates. Olive was all alone. "I wish my friends were here with me now," she said out loud. She heard a moan come from the street below; then, she received a text. Come let me up. It was from Jay. Olive leaned over the edge of the building to see him standing there with Kinidy. She walked down the rusty old fire escape to let down the ladder. 

"What are you doing here?" "I figured this would be the best place to watch the fireworks, and I couldn't leave you alone." The two of them walked up past her. She began to pull the ladder up, but Curtis and Madeline emerged from beside the building. "Don't pull that up just yet." Olive let the ladder back down. "Faye and Jennifer are coming too," Curtis announced as he and Madeline walked past her. Olive waited for them to walk up. She had pulled the ladder completely up and was turning around when she heard a voice call up to her. "Don't forget about me!" She turned around to see Andy. She let the ladder down one more time. Then, they walked up together. "I guess everyone had the same idea that I did," Olive said to herself. Just before the fireworks started, Will video called her. "Am I to late? Have they already started?" "Nope; they are just about to start." She laid her phone down so that he could see the show, just as it began. She was laying against Andy with his arms wrapped around her. She was in complete bliss. If she could freeze this moment right here, she would.

When the fireworks were over, she picked up her phone. "I am glad I got to watch them with you, even if I wasn't there completely. I gotta go; I wasn't supposed to be on my phone. I will see you soon; later," he said as she hung up the phone. Jay was the first to leave. "I have got to get going. I will catch you later," he said ushering Kinidy down the stairs. "I am going to go too. I will see you girls Monday morning," Faye said walking to the stairs with Cotey. "You better get going too. You are going to be in so much trouble," Jennifer said to Andy. "I was hoping you could come with me and talk to my dad for me. He likes you so much better," Andy begged. Olive didn't know that Andy and Jennifer knew each other. 

"Do you care to run to my parent's house," Jennifer asked Chris? He shook his head no and kissed her. "I will meet you down on the street," Jennifer said leaving the roof. "How do you know Jennifer," Olive asked Andy? "My dad owns a chain of banks, and her parents are his biggest investors. She and I used to sneak out from business meetings all the time together. It doesn't bother you does it?" Olive shook her head. "No, I like Jennifer." He gave her a passionate kiss, goodbye, rubbing up her side with one hand and holding onto the back of her neck with the other. His kisses made all her problems melt away. "I will call you tomorrow," he said as he left the rooftop. Olive cleaned up the roof, pulled up the ladder, and put her blanket in her apartment.