About That Night

LXXXIX. always and forever

Olivia

I was on the edge of my seat, ready to stand up and leave the classroom once the bell would ring. My eyes were trained on the clock above the long whiteboard in front of the class while my teacher was giving us homework. I grasped the words that came out of her mouth. She was telling us to read a certain chapter in the textbook and to answer the activity at the end of the chapter. This was my elective which was Creative Writing. Storm chose Foreign Language, focusing on French and Italian.

My phone vibrated in my pocket just in time the bell had already rung and that ended another day in school. As I made my way out of the classroom, I fished my phone out of my pocket and opened my Messages. Storm had let me know that he was already waiting in his car at the car park. I texted him back that I’d be there soon.

Blowing out a breath, I put my phone back in my pocket and decided to go to the restrooms first. The guys and the girls had their own stuff to do so Storm and I decided to just go home. Mara had a shift at the store she worked at. Andi and Dylan had to look after her grandfather. Theo and Ryan had to go home too.

In the restroom, I walked into one of the cubicles and eased my bladder. But the moment I flushed the toilet and walked out to wash my hands at the sink, I was faced with three familiar women.

The memory crept into my mind when I was also in the same situation. The only difference was that this was not the same restroom as I was with these girls about almost three months ago. But the same fear and trauma crawled into my skin, making me take a step back until my back hit the door I just came out from.

Why is this so quiet?

I couldn’t help but study the look on their faces. The usual thing they would have done if they come face to face with me was glare at me with those judgmental eyes accompanied by a quirk of their brow and disgusted expression by the corner of their lip. To my surprise, none of those things happened. My eyes traveled down to their hands. About three months ago, they would usually cross their arms on their big, round boobies but to my surprise again, they were just standing there with their hands on their sides, unmoving.

What’s going on here?

I was utterly confused. What did they want?

“We’re not here for trouble if that’s what you think.” Deborah started.

“That’s not what I think.” I honestly told them.

“Good.” She sighed, almost in relief.

There was a moment of silence. Bree and Margaux didn’t meet my eyes when I looked at them. I confirmed again, they were not looking for trouble. For something else, they followed me. And I was dying to know that.

“Why are you here?” I asked. My voice didn’t even shake. It was calm. Not a trace of fear. Although my heart was beating fast, that that I was scared, but in anticipation, I boldly stood in front of them and waited.

Among them, Deborah was the only one who could look at me straight in the eyes. They held nothing but seriousness. Her face was calm, not a trace of authority and power. She didn’t look at me like how she used to scan her eyes from my head down to my toe. Focused, she was.

“I never got the chance to say this to you and I know I owe you this.” She let out a puff of breath like she had been holding it.

I kept silent, waiting. I didn’t want to interrupt her. Although I was starting to get an idea of what she was meaning to say to me, I just kept quiet and urged her to continue with a nod from me.

“I’m sorry. I’m truly sorry.” There, she finally said it, and all I could see in her eyes was one thing I had been dying to witness from her… sincerity.

For some reason, I suddenly felt emotional. Deborah Watson had no idea how I badly wished to hear an apology from her. Not just mere words of apology but a sincere one. My eyes started to tear up and I couldn’t care less if they would see me crying silently in front of them. Crying was not a weakness. And I was not crying because I was sad. Those were tears of joy. The feeling was like that of when a wish had just been granted. That was what I felt like a prayer had just been answered.

“I know it sounds unbelievable coming from me but–”

“It’s not.” I interrupted.

“What?”

“It’s not unbelievable at all.” My mouth twitched up a little bit. “What? Anyone can change.” I smiled.

She looked at me, seemed astounded, and let out an awkward laugh. “Sorry. I… uh… I wasn’t expecting that.”

“I wasn’t expecting this too.”

I was not sure why I said that. Maybe, because it was the truth. What made her become like this?

She looked at me for a few seconds. “Anyway.” She cleared her throat. “As I’ve said, you must be probably be thinking what worm has crawled into my brain or something wrecked it up.”

I pursed my lips, trying not to smile when she laughed. It was just that she sounded truthful. Maybe, something had really changed. I urged her to continue. Storm was probably getting worried as he kept waiting for me but I wanted to hear more from Deborah.

“You’ve stolen the spotlight from me that day you step foot in this institution. I got mad and jealous when people noticed you. I was used to being the Queen bee, the famous, the sexiest, and the beautiful.”

“You’re all that,” I argued.

She just smiled sadly and sighed. “Thank you but you are more than that when you arrived and the eyes were all on you. I got even angrier when I found out you were Jackson Storm’s childhood best friend. That guy and me were like the most popular and you replaced my spot when you came. I’m sorry for being a bully to you, for hurting you in many ways I never imagined I could do. I just want to let you know that I’m not that kind of woman. I’m raised better than that. I don’t know why I’m just different here. I love all the attention and I hate it when someone steals it. I’m working on it, though. I’ve learned a lot when I got suspended. We all…” She gestured to her sidekicks before she continued. “Decided to change for the better. To start that, we thought we should apologize to you first.” She let out a deep breath while never taking her eyes off me.

I tore my eyes away from Deborah and looked at Bree and Margaux. They knew I wanted. I wanted them to speak and Bree was the first one to do that.

“I’m sorry, Olivia.”

That was enough. It was all I need so I smiled and looked at Margaux.

“I’m sorry too, Olivia.”

Just like that, my heart was calm and light. It was like I finally got a sense of security from these people. I could finally wander around without having the fear of getting bullied and hurt in any way. I was not grateful not because they apologized to me but because they decided to change for the better. If they did not decide that with sincerity, an apology to me would be useless. It would not make any sense.

“Apology accepted.” I smiled as I tried to hide my tears. They had no idea how thankful I was.

“Thank you, Thompson.” Deborah suddenly pulled me in for a hug.

I would be lying if I would say that didn’t catch me off guard. I was shocked but I found myself wrapping my arms around her back. I smiled and my eyes landed on the two other girls. They were as emotional as I was while they watched us. When we pulled apart, I hugged the other girls. It was when I finally stepped back and stood in front of them that there was a long moment of silence and then we burst out laughing.

Insane.

Yes, it was. But it was the good kind of craziness. I didn’t want to live in this world having enemies. It just felt too good to be friends with the people who saw you as an enemy.

“So…” I trailed off. “Everything’s good?” I had to make sure.

“Better.” Deborah smiled. I didn’t miss her teary eyes.

“Great.” I sighed in relief. “I guess I should go now.”

They nodded and chorused, “See you around?”

“See you around.” I nodded while keeping a smile on my face.

With that, I walked past them and waved as I exited the restroom. I walked happily into the hallway. The sun was already setting when I stepped outside. I exited the gates and crossed the streets. From afar, I already saw the only guy who could make my heart beat twice faster. He was leaning against the hood of his car, patiently waiting for me. My face lit up the moment he opened his arms and I jumped right into them when I came close to him.

He feels like home.

He lifted me up as I clung to his neck. His sweet musky scent was home for me.

“Sorry to keep you waiting,” I whispered.

“What took you so long?” He asked as he put me down.

I only giggled and walked to open the passenger seat. Shaking his head, he opened the driver’s side and hopped in when I did too.

“You seem happy.” He commented.

“I am.” The smile just wouldn’t leave my face.

“Why?” He frowned in curiosity.

“They apologized to me.” I wanted him to know.

“Who?” He got even more curious.

“Deborah, Bree and Margaux.”

Storm went silent. I expected that reaction. I knew he would be shocked.

“No way.”

“They did.” I chuckled.

“I’ll talk to them tomorrow.” He suddenly said and started the car.

“Why?” I was the one to frown this time.

“I want to make sure they mean it and that they’re not planning anything bad.”

“They seem sincere, though.”

We maneuvered out of the parking lot and not so long after, we were on the road to our way home.

“Still. Just let me handle it.” He argued.

I sighed in defeat. “Okay.”

He must have sensed that I had gone worried all of a sudden because he drove with one hand and clasped my hand with his free hand. I looked down at it. He looked at me, smiled, and squeezed my hand.

“Storm!”

When he faced ahead, it was too late when we realized we were on the road when we heard screeching wheels and loud car horns.

“Olivia Marie!”

That was the last thing I’d heard before everything went black. And the last thought that stayed in my mind before it happened was that no matter what would happen, I loved him.

Always and forever.