Chapter Eleven: Just friends, or something more

Olivia stares back at Hazel, her frown slowly turning into a glowing smile. "You love me?" Hazel wipes the tears from Olivia's cheeks. "Yes, and I always will, you are an amazing friend, the best friend anyone could ever have." The words stung, Olivia loved Hazel as more than a friend; and her saying they were just friends hurt. All Olivia wanted in life was to be with Hazel, for Hazel to love her just as much as She loved her. "Ya, friend." Olivia softly said, almost mumbling, a crushed look in her eyes. Hazel reaches out her hand and gently lifts Olivia's chin up and stares deeply into her eyes. "Don't listen to everyone else, you are such an amazing person, no one in this world is better than you, if anyone says you don't care then they are the problem, not you. The dumb weirdo isn't you, it is everyone who told you, you are wrong, you are wired, you don't care. They will always be the problem, because you can't be the problem. You are so freaking awesome!" "thanks hazel" Olivia says, though she is still crushed she tries to sound normal. Olivia smiles, hiding her pain, and hugs hazel. "You're the best friend anyone could ask for ''she says, at least i have her, even just as a friend. Olivia thinks. 

Olivia lays next to Hazel, happy to be so close to her, when there is a knock on the door. Olivia jumps and her mother yells through the door "Olivia, open the door this instant!"she looks at hazel "it's fine, you're the only one who can see me" hazel whispers. Olivia scrambles to the door, opening it. "Took you long enough!" her mom whispers to her "someone is here to talk to you" her mom steps aside, there is a tall man in a uniform standing behind her "oh-uuuh-come in?" she says, he walks into Olivia's room and sits on her chair. Olivia sits back on her bed, hazel beside her. "We got word you skipped 4 days for school, not even returning home" he says Olivia gets a lump in her throat, what do i do? She panics, when she feels hazels arms wrap around her waist "just say something, anything, as long as it sounds believable" she whispers in Olivia's ear "well, you see, i went into the forest to clear my head and got lost, it is way confusing, everything looks the same, and i have a terrible sense of direction. I tried to find my way out as soon as possible, but it took a little longer than I thought" Olivia says, not lying, but also not telling the whole truth. "The forest huh?" The man says "ya, it looked really pretty so i thought it would be a good place to give myself a little break, i was gonna make it short, just five minutes and i would go back to the bus stop. I in no way wanted to miss school but I kinda lost track of where I was." She laughs awkwardly. "Sorry" she finished guiltily. "That's alright, we will forgive you" the man says, sounding a little robotic. He gets up and leaves, "that was freaky" hazel says "ya" Olivia agrees, hazel puts her head on Olivia shoulder, with her arms still around her waist. After a minute she suddenly pulls her back onto the bed, "hey! Let me go! This is so uncomfortable!" Olivia complains "nope! You're stuck right here!" Hazel says with a playful smile.

 Olivia struggles a bit before managing to flip onto her stomach. She looks into Hazel's eyes, smiling. Wrapping her arms around Hazel's neck she blushes. i love you hazel, she thinks, don't ever change. You are the most incredible person i have ever met "Olivia!!" The yell echoes through the house. Olivia scrambles off hazel as her mother violently opens the door. "Yes mom?" she says sweetly "what did the guy in the uniform want?" she asks "oh he just wanted to know where I've been." Olivia says uncensored, there is a moment of silence as her mother stares at her, "well?" she says in an accusatory tone "where were you?!" Hazel watches as Olivia shuts down, answering with short 'yes' or 'no', staring down at the ground. "You're so stupid sometimes!" her mother yells. her voice was still sweet, as if she were cooing at a child, yet she was yelling in anger. Hazel watches the scene unfold, feeling helpless, useless, and slowly she fills with anger. Until she can't take it anymore. She grabs Olivia's hand and pulls on her arm, but Olivia fights back, staying as still as possible. "Come on Olivia! I can't stay here and watch her pick on you, and I'm not leaving you alone with this excuse of a mother." Hazel whispers to Olivia, who shakes her head slightly. "Well, then I'll drag you away. I never said it was your choice, cause it's not." Hazel continues pulling on her trying her hardest to get Olivia away from the angry woman, but her efforts prove useless. I can't let my mom catch on to anything, she can't know about hazel. I have to keep hazel safe. Olivia thinks hazel is my top priority. 

When Olivia's mom finally leaves Hazel shoves her on the bed, pinning her down. "What was that all about?!" he says angrily "hazel get off!!" Olivia complains "not until you tell me why you wouldn't just leave with me!" Hazel looks straight in her eyes "I didn't want my mom to catch on to anything." Olivia says begrudgingly "if she knew about you i'd probably never get to see you again,"she paused looking away"and you might get put in danger" Olivia avoids eye contact. Sometimes families have to split up to keep everyone safe. Jake's words ring through Hazel's head and she begins to spiral into terrible memories of her past life. All the terrible things come rushing back. Hazel tried so hard to just forget everything, she wanted to push everything down, but she just couldn't help it. She begins to lose her balance, she feels someone steady her, and sit her down.

"Hazel?" Olivia calls out, sitting hazel down on the bed. After a minute there is no response "hazel?!" she says again, getting worried. Still nothing "hazel?!?" she begins to panic a bit, calm down Olivia, don't do something stupid just find a way to help. She gives herself a mini pep talk and continues to call Hazel's name. When she earns no response she puts her hand on Hazel's cheek, "hazel, you got to look at me." She gently lifts her face so she can look in her eyes. Hazel's eyes are filled with tears, Olivia gently wipes them away, speaking comforting words. She pulls hazel into a hug, hoping it would pull her out of whatever was going on.

Hazel felt Olivia's warm embrace, finally able to pull away from the haunted memories. "Olivia?" she whispers "hmm" Olivia hums a response "if something crazy happened would you leave me?" she asks "no, i don't think i could" Olivia responds "I don't feel i will ever leave you, i don't think i could live without you" I cant live without you.