"I'm not changing schools," I declare firmly before mum has a chance to even start the conversation.
"Liv, let's talk about this like adults and not jump to conclusions here," mum says, her tone one that of reprimand.
But me being the rebellious person I am refuse to hear anything else and cross my arms across my chest--a sigh mum knows all too well, that reasoning with me is futile.
"Stop being so difficult," Ryan sighs.
"Stop trying to change my life," I bite back before thinking.
"Olivia Hart! Is this the way I have thought you to talk to your elder?" Mum exclaims, her tolerance slowly wearing out.
"You thought me to stand up for myself, and that's exactly what I'm doing," I reply, my tone impassive but the thumping of my heart that I can feel against my crossed arms makes it evident that I'm anything but that.
Not waiting for anything more to be said, and avoiding the eyes of everyone present, I turn on my heels and make a beeline towards the first exit in sight.
Caught right in the middle of an ambivalent state of mine where one part of me wants to do whatever it is to ensure mum's happiness while the other part refuses to process the fact that the said happiness comes at the cost of my happiness.
'Am I being the asshole here?'
'Should I just give in?'
'At the end of this entire ordeal, will I even have any friend left?'
Doing the first thing that comes to my confuzzled mind, I delve into my pant pocket and retrieve my phone, and hit the number that's on speed dial.
"Sup, looser?" Graham's humor-embed voice reaches my ears, calming me down instantaneously, to a considerable amount.
"Bored," I reply nonchalantly, now finding myself outside the opulent mansion and in an equally extravagant garden.
"That you always are," he chuckles. "Now tell me what's really going on?" His voice drops to an octave to a more serious tone.
I sigh. "They want me to change schools," I breathe out.
"And?" He prompts.
"Leave all my friends behind, probably. I don't know Graham, changing schools is bad enough," I reply, frustrated.
"Hey calm down," he instructs, his voice not once faltering from its calm disposition.
"You know how much I hate change," I defend my reaction to the situation.
"I know you do. But I also know that no one can force you to do something you don't want to, so tell me why this time's any different?" He remarks.
I stop myself from replying, taking a moment to think, while my eyes wander around to the array of flowerbeds lining the frame of the garden, sporting an elegant statue of a falcon in the very middle of the land.
"Ryan makes mum happy, and changing school will make him happy," I reason.
"But it doesn't make you happy, does it?" He counters.
'I swear he would make a great therapist someday'
"No," I mumble into the phone.
"Then that's that," he concludes. "Talk to your mum Liv," he adds.
"Don't want to," I reply grumpily, inevitably pouting, and I can almost visualize his eyes rolling at how unreasonable I'm being.
"Yeah, too bad you've got to," he remarks, a subtle hint of humor in his tone.
"Gotta run?" I ask him when I hear shuffling in his background and the distinctive sound of Jorden whining.
"Yeah sort of," he sighs a sigh of annoyance. Before turning away from the speaker of his tone causing his voice to sound distant, and yelling "I'm coming, I'm coming, hold your horses dumbass."
"Don't worry take your time and finish properly, just stop announcing it," I hear Jorden yell back while stifling a chuckle, and instantly the double meaning in his phase evokes a giggle out of me.
"Shut it, Jorden!" Graham yells back. "Sorry Liv, gotta jet," he hurries out into the speaker before hanging up, while I'm still left smiling to myself at the mummified duo.
"Dumbass," I mumble rolling my eyes.
'I don't want to miss this' I can't help but think, scared that one by one my new life is going to overshadow my old one leaving nothing but its memories behind.
I sigh, still unsure what to do. I breathe in a deep breath of fresh air permeated by the sweet scent of the blooming flowers nearby, the mildness in it instantaneously calming me down.
"Relaxing, isn't it?" I jump at the sudden voice that cuts through the stagnant air. My eyes roam in search of its owner, but I didn't have to look too far as to my right I spot Wesley.
I shrug in response, not sure whether I even wanted to talk to him or any one of them ring now.
"So, I'm guessing she told you about you having to change schools," he says, slowly stepping closer to me.
"Guessing?" I scoff. "As if," I add with an eye roll.
"That attitude isn't going to get you very far here," he remarks nonchalantly, yet there is this eerie hint of warning in this tone.
"Good thing I don't want to be here," I bite back.
"No one's stopping you from leaving," he shrugs, an unvoiced challenge in his words.
I refrain from saying anything else knowing I've lost this battle, but admitting defeat isn't something I'll ever do.
"Just leave me alone," I tell him before getting up and making my way away from him.
I hear him sigh before his footsteps trail behind me only to find him soon walking beside me.
"Look, I didn't come here to start a fight," he admits. "Quite the opposite, actually," he adds. But I just ignore him.
"How about we come to some kind of middle ground here?" He suggests, taking a single long stride in front of me, blocking me from blatantly ignoring him.
I sigh. "I'm listening," I say, my hands crossed firmly across my chest and a single eyebrow arched, I wait for him to present his proposal.
"Hear me out first, alright?" He raises a brow and I just hesitantly nod.
"You're mad at us because we want you to change schools, am I right?" He asks and I frown.
"No, I'm just mad at my mum for it," I clarify. "I barely know you guys," I add as an afterthought under my breath.
An evident flash of hurt jets across his eyes at my words, but I don't acknowledge it.
He clears his throat. "Alright, so tell me Olivia what can I do to get you to agree to change schools?" He asks.
"Let's make this a win-win situation, what do you think?" He proposes, but I can see right through what he's trying to accomplish here.
"No, I think not," I reply rather quickly without giving his proposal a second thought.
But much to my surprise, he doesn't look dejected by my blunt rejection, rather he looks what I can only describe as intrigued.
"How about I sweeten the deal?" He offers.
"You change schools and in return, you can ask me for anything your little heart desires," he offers again before I have a chance to turn him down.
I sigh, "my friendship isn't that cheap," is the only response he gets from me before I turn on my heels and leave.
But even as I'm walking away, I can't help but shake the fact that even though I rejected his offer, the look in his eyes suggested he was anything but upset about it. Rather judging from his demeanor he looks rather content with my response.
'Strange people' I think to myself, before reentering the mansion and with a firm resolute I set off to find mum.
Author's Note:
Hey, guys hope you enjoyed this chapter!
I know this isn't some of my best work so far, but I'm trying to push past some major writer's block, so bare with me please.
Thanks for reading.
Comment &vote
~Kia