She waited, just so Nick would think she took the call. The phone buzzed again. It wasn’t Simon this time.
“Hello?” she asked.
“Ms. Hayes?”
“Yes, this is she.”
“I’m calling from Shepton Rentals. We got your message about your rental, and we’d like to send a cab out to you. It’s yours to use until we can repair your vehicle.”
The operator went on to explain the details. Olivia half-listened, but most of her thoughts remained on Nick. It felt odd, to want to stay next to a boy whose birthday she hadn’t known until about ten minutes before.
17
June 18, 2008
He forced himself not to think about it. Nick knew if he thought about who Simon was, he would want to listen to their conversation. It was wrong and childish, but he couldn’t help the urge.
The door to the office opened. Nick turned his gaze to the weather channel, wondering how much time they had left until the storm passed. The sky remained dark, and the rain hadn’t stopped pouring down like a waterfall.
Olivia made her way around the coffee table, taking her spot back on the couch. He wanted to ask how her call had gone, but he didn’t.
“It was just my friend Simon, “ she said, folding her legs up under her. “Then I got a call from the rental company. They’re sending a cab once the storm passes, I gave them your address. I hope you don’t mind.”
How did she even know the address? He still had a hard time remembering it. Olivia seemed to read his thoughts.
“My mom made me give it to her when she called. That’s how I know it,” she added.
Nick nodded. That would make sense. “Oh. Well that’s good, you have a ride back to where you need to go.”
She looked down at the plate of empty sandwiches. “Yep. You don’t have to chauffeur me around or feed me anymore.” Her voice was light.
“Do you want more? I can make some…”
Olivia waved a hand in the air. “No,” she laughed. “I’m fine, full and fine. I do have a question. What are we going to do for the rest of the time? The weather channel can only be so entertaining.”
Nick had thought the same thing. He was also now just processing that she had called the boy with a heart next to his name, a friend. It wasn’t a direct answer, but it was hope.
“We can talk,” that sounded lame, he knew it did. But it was the first thing that popped in his mind. He had questions for Olivia, simple ones. Like how her life had been going? Or what her favorite color was, or maybe what kind of things she did to pass the time?
“We’re going to have to find a lot to talk about. Can I start?”
He nodded, now suddenly nervous as to what she might ask him.
“How did you get so tall? I remember you were like four feet when we met,” she teased.
Nick remembered those days. His mom had always told him he’d grow, but he hadn’t believed her.
“I think I was meant to be short. But my mom pulled some favor on the other side so I could grow ten inches.” That was the story he always told Mimi. Whenever something good happened, it was because their mom had made some sort of a deal with an angel, or with some other ghost.
Olivia’s smile slimmed. “Your mom’s the little girl in all the photos, right? She looks like a replica of Mimi.”
Nick nodded. He hadn’t brought his mom up with anyone outside of the family in the last four years, not even Rita. And Mimi didn’t like to spend too much time talking about her either.
“My Grandpa Felix says Mimi looks more like his first wife, our Grandma Fiorela.”
He had never met his biological grandmother. She had died when his mom had been young. Grandma Joan was the person he’d grown up knowing as his grandparent. He hadn’t known the true story until he was older.
“So you’re Peruvian, or at least half-Peruvian,” Olivia noted, changing the subject.
“Peruvian on my mom’s side, Mexican on my dad’s side. But my dad was born in the States just like Mimi and me. What about you?”
She laughed at the question, and outstretched a hand in front of her face, as if she were presenting an object. “Take a guess?”
“You were born here,” he said, “but you have some sort of multi mix of European ancestry.”
Her smile grew. “Safe guess,” she paused. “I think someone on my dad’s side came over from England, and so did someone on my mom’s side. I just like to say I’m American though, born in Boston if you want to be specific.”
“Ah. That makes it easier,” he said. There was brief silence. The weather channel played out the same warnings in the background.
“Mimi’s your only sister?” Olivia asked. It seemed like they were playing the get to know each other game.
“Yeah. What about you? Any siblings?”
Her expression changed. She seemed to fall back within herself. “Um. Sort of. My dad has a kid, but I don’t consider her my sister.”
The words left her mouth as if she were pulling each one out, painfully and slowly. Nick wondered what he could do to undo the effect of his question.
“Want to play a game?” The way he asked it, made it sound like the start of the trailer for a scary movie.
Olivia’s expression lightened again. “And what game would that be?”
To be honest, he had thought of a game. “The balance challenge.” Saying it out loud, took away the scary impact of the first question.
She raised her eyebrows. “Explain.”
And so he did. He knew the game by heart. He’d spent countless afternoons playing it with Mimi. It helped tire her out when they were younger so he could put her in bed before their dad got home from work. Nick stood up and demonstrated how one was supposed to stand for the challenge. It was a game that required teamwork. The point was to stand in random poses from a stack of cards, and not break them for as long as possible. You could use the other person to keep your balance, but if they fell because of helping you, then you had to do a dare.
“Sounds complicated,” Olivia said. “But it also sounds like I might have a chance of winning.”
Nick was thankful she wasn’t giving him the look Rita had given, when he’d explained it to her. He found a stack of challenge cars in the linen closet. The first pose looked like tree pose from yoga. Neither one of them lost that round, or the first three; the same could not be said for the fourth one.
Olivia began to lose her hold on the position. She had one arm and one leg out in the air at the same time. Her body began to wobble.
“I’m going to lose, “she said through a bit of laughter.
Nick didn’t want to openly suggest she use him for balance. But it might cause her to misinterpret his intentions.
“Team work,” a third voice said. Mimi stood in the kitchen, leaning her neck over the counter. “You’re allowed to use my brother.”
Olivia and Nick both turned, fighting to keep their balance. He wondered how long his sister had been standing there. He wouldn’t have noticed. His attention kept diverting itself to the girl in front of him.
Olivia jumped twice and reached out for his shoulder. Her hand landed with a thud, against the fabric of his shirt. Her fingers wrapped around his shoulder blade, gently and with grace.
“I did it,” she said, giving one last jump.
Mimi gave a fake clap from behind the counter. “I leave you two alone and this is what you spend your time doing.” She disappeared behind the kitchen again.
Nick felt his cheeks flushing. Out of nowhere thunder crackled, making him jump out of his Olivia filled daze. His jump caused her to lose the grip she had had on him. The two of them ended up falling to the floor. To make matters worse, he landed on his back and dragged her down with him, making Olivia land just a few inches from his face.
Her eyes looked grayer this close up, round and beautiful. Nick could feel her hand on his chest, and he wondered if she could hear his heartbeat. She stared into his eyes, with a calming expression.
Her mouth moved toward his, and for a moment he closed his eyes. His heart raced, every pore on his body came alive.
“Oh. I was kidding. But I’ll leave,” Mimi called from the kitchen.
Nick opened his eyes, but Olivia had already pulled back. He sat himself up, clearing his throat multiple times, in the absence of words.
“By all means continue,” Mimi said again. “I’ll be in my room.”
Olivia stood up first. She held a hand out to Nick. He took it wondering how to go about continuing the conversation. What if she hadn’t intended to kiss him? It would seem like he’d been expecting it.
“How about a board game instead?” she suggested. Her voice tensed as she spoke.
“Board game. Yeah. I’ll check.” Nick wondered if he would ever be able to form sentences longer than three words.
He stood and pulled out the first game he came across. His breathing was uneven, and he took small steps to the living room.
They played Monopoly for the rest of the night. Olivia did end up losing, by a lot. She overinvested in properties before having to sell them off, one by one.
“I got greedy,” she said as she returned one of her railroads to the bank.
The atmosphere in the home cleared, as did the storm outside. The rain stopped hitting the roof, and the thunder became sparse. The five-hour gap soon filled out.
Olivia’s phone beeped. She stood up. “The taxi’s here.”
The words hit Nick like cold water. She was about to walk out of his life again.
“I’ll help you get your suitcase,” he said, standing as well.
“No. You’ve done so much already. I can take it from here.” Olivia ran into the guest room and brought her bag out. She took the clothes that Mimi had left out on the counter and stuffed them back inside.
Nick watched in silence. It was like a countdown had gone off in his head.
“I’ll walk you to the door,” he managed. He followed Olivia outside. He couldn’t find the courage to ask her for some way to contact her.
Mimi came running toward them, a slip of paper in hand. She shoved Nick to one side.
“That’s my brother’s phone number, in case you need anything else. Feel free to call him,” she said, slightly out of breath.
Nick froze. What was she doing?
Olivia hesitated but she took the paper, slipping it into the pocket of her shorts.
“Thanks. I should be fine for the rest of the trip though. It was nice seeing you again, Mimi.”
Mimi nodded the comment off, and ran back to her room. He hadn’t seen her run like that in years. She claimed kids ran, but not teenagers, they strode.
“Thanks for everything Nick,” Olivia said. “Maybe we’ll see each other again.”
“Maybe,” he said. His eyes were on the half-slip of paper that was squished in her pocket.
Olivia leaned over and gave him a half hug. The cab outside had the trunk opened. The driver helped her get everything inside. And then she was gone.
Nick walked back into the house. He sat back on the loveseat. What had Mimi done? Now that Olivia had his number, when the time came, and she never talked to him again, he’d have to feel the open rejection.
A phone buzzed under him. He read the screen. It was an unknown number.
Thanks again it read.
18
September 20, 2008
It was like setting off a spark.
Olivia would have never thought one text message could have that ability. Nick’s reply opened the way for a slow conversation, a game of back and forth. They’d spent a month texting, and somehow she had asked for his email. Then she got a profile on Facebook and convinced him to do the same. She sent him pictures from Glensford, and he sent her a daily picture from his trip to Mexico. That’s how the last three months had slipped by, emails and texts, a line of friendship firmly drawn.
Olivia had never mentioned where she was going to college, not until the past week. That had been when they’d finally found out they were both going to be attending Glensford College.
Just finished moving in
She sent the text right as Kate, her roommate, swung the door open. They’d met only a few days before, neither one of them had known what to expect.
“The line at the dining hall is insane. There are freshmen everywhere.” Kate jumped into the bottom bunk. The wooden frame rattled, making Olivia’s laptop shake.
She could hear her roommate but no longer see her.
“We’re freshmen you know,” Olivia said.
Kate popped her head out from under the bunk; her sleekly cut auburn hair moved with her.
“I know that, but it’s not really a choice. We are the well-behaved kind. Not the shoving and pushing and catcalling kind.”
Olivia sat up. She shut her laptop; the Internet in Smith Hall wasn’t working. “We can drive out to a fast food place if you want.”
Kate shook her head. She stood up and began to rummage through the setup that was meant to pass as a closet. It was one of two nooks in the wall, an iron rod hung on top, and a curtain served as a door.
“I’m meeting some girls at the dining hall in a few minutes. The bigger the group, the easier it is to skip in line. Do you want to come?”
Olivia shook her head. She had a feeling there would be a lot of time to get to know her roommate through the semester.
“I kind of made plans with someone. You go ahead. We can grab breakfast tomorrow.”
Her roommate slipped on a sweater. “Okay. Suit yourself. I’ll have to meet your boyfriend eventually.”
She felt her cheeks flush. “He’s not my boyfriend.”
Kate grinned as she made her way to the door. “Not yet.”
Olivia’s phone buzzed as the door shut.
What floor of Smith Hall did you say you were on?
Third. Room 305
Her heart leapt a little. She jumped off the top bunk, smashing her toes on the green carpet. The pain subsided quickly. She strode to the mirror and realized she hadn’t even thrown makeup on. It was the first time she was seeing Nick in three months and… she stopped. When had she even worn makeup around him? He’d seen her during her braces and lanky limb phase.
Olivia stepped away from the mirror. Simon had texted her that morning. He’d finished moving in too, and he wanted to meet for dinner. She hadn’t texted him back yet. They weren’t officially anything, but they’d kissed already. He’d taken her to watch a student play in Glensford a few weeks before, and then romantically kissed her at intermission, in front of a room full of strangers. They hadn’t talked much after that. He didn’t know about Nick. Nick didn’t know much about Simon.
A knock came from the door. Olivia took a breath. She swung it open to reveal, a tanner version of Nick than she was used to. He had on a t-shirt with the school’s robin mascot and as always his usual pair of jeans. His black hair was overgrown, covering the top half of his ears.
“Hey,” she said.
He smiled, his cheek contorted into creases. “Hey.”
“How weird is this?” she managed.
Nick paused, and pulled out something from behind his back. “I got you something, from Mexico.”
Olivia squinted. It was a pin in the shape of the sun calendar. “Airport gift?” she asked. Words had a way of escaping her sometimes.
“Yeah. They lost one of my suitcases. It had your real gift in it.”
“Oh,” she took the pin. “I like it. I’ll have to do more research on it though, so I can understand it’s true value.”
Nick smiled. “Can I come in?”
She nodded, stepping to one side. “My roommate’s out. You’ll probably meet her later on, when we come back.”
He walked about the room, all twelve feet of it. “It’s cozy. And you have your own bathroom. We have to share one on our floor.”
“Gross.”
“It’s the traditional college experience.”
Olivia slipped on her flats. “So
, where do you want to go eat?”
Nick shrugged, in a way that didn’t indicate total indifference. “I was thinking we could go to the dining hall.”
She bit her lip. The thought of making her way past another place packed tight with freshmen and their parents made her want to run. Her mom had helped her move in a few things the day before, but her dad hadn’t called.
“Let’s just walk around and get to know the campus, maybe we can find a vending machine.”
He nodded, already opening the door, “After you.”
They made it out to the congestion that rattled the hallway. Two guys walked past Olivia, balancing a mini fridge that didn’t look mini enough for the dorm standards. The edge of the appliance hit her in the hip.
“Ow,” she muttered. Her key was jammed into the deepest part of her pocket. She turned to Nick. “Sorry. My key’s just really stuck in here.”
He wasn’t standing where he had been before. She turned, realizing he had taken the spot where the refrigerator guys had passed through. He seemed to be using his body as a block between her and everyone else.
Olivia turned, finally locating her key, and locked the door. She pushed down on the doorknob to double check. Then turned back and tapped her human shield on the shoulder.
“We can go now.”
Nick jumped back around; his long arms went back to his sides. “Oh. Okay.”
She smiled, leaning in toward him. “Thanks for acting like my silent body guard. Dorm halls can be dangerous.”
His cheeks became pink at her words; no tan could hide the color. They walked toward the back stairs. The elevator wasn’t even an option.
Olivia stretched her arms out at the top of the steps. It felt good to finally leave her cellblock-sized dorm. The air was fresh and they sky was a peaceful shade of blue. She yawned a few times, taking in the scenery. From the inside, Smith Hall was colorless and suffocating, from the outside, the brick exterior added on to its presence of a penitentiary.
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