After School

1.24 Olivia

September 14, 1946: After homeroom

As usual, Olivia sat at her desk, in the center middle of the classroom. As usual, her squad surrounded her, with Jessica on her left, Linda in front of Jessica, Carol in front of Olivia, Nancy to the right of Olivia, Sharon in front of Nancy, Barbara behind Nancy, and Josh behind Olivia. As usual, her squad members wore pink shirts and pink skirts, except Jessica and Barbara.

It looked usual. It felt usual to the others. But to Olivia, it was not. Everything was different.

She stared solemnly at her fumbling hands that rested on her wooden desk. She didn't look up and kiss Josh when he sat behind her. Olivia could tell from the way he sighed when plopping down in his seat that he desperately wanted to sit somewhere else, but there were no seats available. She didn't greet Jessica with a hug when she sat down in the seat beside her. Olivia could tell from the look she gave Barbara that she would rather sit next to her. She didn't walk through the classroom doors with her squad. She didn't meet up with them in the washroom before school to gossip and curl their hair.

As Mr. Stevenson went on and on about the school announcements, Olivia bit the inside of her cheeks, to stop from wailing out loud. Her classmates surrounding her were a blur, and all she could see was the fuzzy lines of her wooden desk. Brick by brick, her walls came tumbling down. She was hollow and her life crumbled in her fingertips.

Olivia dropped her head, resting it on the table and trying not to cry as she shielded her face with her arms. For the first time in her life, she sat alone and utterly terrified in the darkness. Even though daylight shone through the windows, the darkness consumed her frail form. Her maid wasn't there to soothe her fears, nor was Jessica or Josh to tell her stories. It was just her, alone in a strange place with strange people.

The school bell rang, signalling the end of homeroom. Olivia groggily lifted her head up and slowly slung her backpack over her shoulders. She stood up and watched as Josh rushed towards his football teammates. "Ronald!" he called out and Olivia rolled her eyes, knowing that Josh only wanted to taunt him.

Olivia was about to rush out too, until Jessica skidded past her desk, ignoring her and heading straight for Barbara. Yuta was at her side, and the three of them began talking and laughing as if they had been friends for years. She noticed a little bit of distance between Jessica and Yuta but paid it no heed because seeing them together hurt more.

She pulled back her chair and walked around her desk, but staggered backwards when she felt Jimmy accidentally slam into her shoulders. "I'm telling ya, Carter. The chess club is a million times more proactive and successful than the swim team! Oh, sorry Olivia," Jimmy said, glancing at her for only a second before turning back to Carter.

Carter's arms were crossed and a bandage was still wrapped around his neck, but thankfully that hideous neckbrace was off because Olivia was starting to feel bad for him. "I don't care about your stupid chess club! Nerd! Nerd! Nerd!" he furiously yelled, clearly angry about the fact that he was stuck talking to Jimmy. She didn't even care to wonder why Carter and Yuta haven't been talking these days, because her own worries consumed her mind.

Olivia sighed and took timid steps forward. She was at a point where she would gladly talk to Jimmy if that meant he would listen, and it made her depressed just thinking about it. As Olivia began her slow trudge out of the empty classroom, she noticed her teacher wiping the blackboard clean. She looked up at him and her eyes brightened. Maybe he will listen... Olivia hoped. Mr. Stevenson was the most caring teacher in the entire school. He would help her if she gathered the courage to ask.

Olivia approached her homeroom teacher and swallowed the lump in her throat before speaking. "Pardon me, Mr. Stevenson," she mumbled, nervously tapping her feet. Staring at Mr. Stevenson didn't make her heart flutter anymore as it did with Josh, but those two looked so much alike that it comforted her in the same way she wished Josh would have.