Mistakes?!
1274 Words
At lunch, Olivia sat out on the front lawn of the school, waiting for Charlotte to join her. She had her Latin book out and was trying to conjugate a few verbs. She did take Latin, only during third period. Luckily, she’d remembered that right before she went into the classroom. Two shadows fell across her book. “Hey Olivia, look who I ran into on the way out here,” Charlotte said. She looked up and found that the second shadow belonged to Ben. She could see it in Charlottes eyes. If she couldn’t pry the details out of her, she would get the details from the source. She dropped to the ground beside her and started rummaging in her book bag for her lunch, leaving Olivia still staring up at Ben. “Hey,” he said. “Hey,” she said back, but her ‘hey’ didn’t sound casual and friendly like his. Hers sounded like, ‘Hey, don’t do that!’ ”Is it all right if I sit with you?” he asked. “You didn’t ask yesterday,” she said and winced. Jeez, now she sounded tetchy. “I mean it’s okay. You can sit with us if you want. Please.” She almost winced again. From tetchy to needy in less than five seconds, that had to be a new world record. “Thanks.” He sat down across from them.
“So what’s up?” Charlotte demanded before taking a voracious bite out of her peanut butter and banana sandwich. Still nervous about Ben’s presence, Olivia was startled by the question. “Nothing,” she stuttered. She ducked her head and occupied herself with her lunch.
For ten minutes, they all ate silently. Charlotte was busy doing her best tennis fan impression with her eyes bouncing back and forth between Olivia and Ben. Olivia made a face at her when her eyes jumped back to her for the fifth time. Charlotte laughed and almost choked on her sandwich. Ben pounded her back and asked her if she were all right. Olivia made no move to help. When Charlotte recovered, she said, “Okay, I’ll start. How do you like Snyder High so far, Ben?”
“It’s all right. This school’s about the same as my old school.” “So why’d you move here?” Charlotte was in full interview mode. “My dad’s work. He got promoted, but the promotion came with an address change.”
“Must’ve sucked to have to get up and move.”
“It seemed like that at the time, but I’m starting to see the up side.” Olivia saw the glance he gave her when he said that. He couldn’t seriously mean her, could he? She couldn’t keep looking at him because of the blush that crept on to her cheeks.
“So, do you have any bothers or sisters?”
He nodded. “Yeah, an older brother.”
“How much older?” Double dates were already playing through charlottes mind.
“A year, but I wish it were ten, then maybe he’d be living somewhere else.” Charlottes eyes fell, dreams of double dates shattered. “Yeah, well. As they say, you can’t choose your family. Take me for example. Do you really think that I’d have chosen a legal eagle with a surgically implanted stick up his but for a father? If I’d had a choice, Jerry Garcia would have been first, second would’ve been Johnny Depp.”
“I thought you wanted to marry Johnny Depp,” Olivia said.
“I do, but he could adopt me for the meantime, and then when I’m done with college, he could confess his undying love for me.”
Olivia grimaced. “Too woody Allen.”
“Is he that director?” Ben asked, sounding unsure.
“Yep, he divorced his wife and married his stepdaughter. It was really creepy.”
“That’s because it was woody Allen! I mean, the man looks like a total pedophile!”
“But the public would judge you and Johnny Depp differently?” Ben asked in a slightly confused tone.
Charlotte gave him a shocked look, amazed that he wasn’t on her wavelength. “Totally, have you seen Johnny Depp?”
“Yeah, I have,” he said as if that hurt her argument more than helped it.
“Well there you go, he’s too gorgeous to grow old.”
“Char, I’ve got some bad news for you,” Olivia said.
She held up her hand to ward off whatever she was about to say. “Don’t. You won’t convince me.”
“Char, you know it’s true!”
She shook her head and put her hands over her ears.
Olivia leaned over and pulled one of her hands down to shout into her ear, HE’S OLD! He’s older than your dad!”
“No, he’s not.”
“He is.”
Ben joined in, “I know it’s tough to accept, but the eyeliner and coloured glasses can’t hide it anymore.”
“Shut up, you don’t know anything.”
Charlottes distress was too funny. Olivia had to wipe her eyes because she was laughing so hard.
As she looked around, she saw something heading their way that could bring her to tears as well, but for the opposite reasons.
Charlotte had looked over her shoulder to see what had caught her attention.
“Oh no, cheerleader incoming. Everyone prepare for imminent pompom impact.”
“What?” Ben asked, turning around too.
“There you are Benny, I’ve been looking everywhere for you,” Zoe said coming to stand over the trio. She bestowed a flashbulb ready smile upon him.
“What’s up, Zoe?” He asked, but he didn’t return the smile.
“I just wanted to personally invite you to the welcome back dance. I was on the decorating committee. It will be great. I know you’re new, but you are very welcome to come,” she told him excluding Charlotte and Olivia.
“Fine,” he looked down and took a bite of his lunch.
“Is that a yes?”
“No,” he said around the food in his mouth.
“So what is it?” She asked. She tilted her head to the side like an inquisitive dog trying to understand some strange sound.
“Fine, you’ve invited me. Thanks, but I can’t make it.” He said.
“Oh come on, your brother said he’s coming. You two can ride together.”
“I’m glad that he’s going” he muttered.
“Maybe we can talk about this later.” She turned away to leave.
Ben sent a dark glare to her back as she turned around.
“Liv are you sure that your grandmother doesn’t do voodoo?” Charlotte asked.
“Yeah, but I got some books.” She replied whilst watching Zoe walk away.
Charlotte rubbed her hands together. “I feel a study party coming on.”
“Uhhh voodoo?”
Olivia jumped. She’d forgotten that Ben were there. He didn’t know about her gran or her for that matter. Her eyes slid to him. “Uh, my grand a fortune teller so I’m sort of into all that new age stuff, it’s like a family thing.
He looked like he was taking it in.
“Are you freaked out?”
“What? No it just explains some things.” He took a bite of his sandwich.
She could just imagine what it explained. Who knew what he’d heard about her from around the school, especially Zoe.”
- Writer
