"God, Olive don't you know anything about acrylic painting!" Fletcher sighed in exasperation snatching the paintbrush from Olive's hand.
"Sheesh, I'm sorry I'm not an amazing artis like you are," She said putting air quotes around the words 'amazing artist 'and slumping onto the couch.
Fletcher rolled his eyes and turned back to his canvas, putting a lot of thought into each brush stroke.
"Hey guys," Chyna said casually strolling into A.N.T. headquarters.
Both of her friends didn't say a word being that Olive located a historic book about Mexico City and Fletcher was bent on his work.
"Nevermind then," Chyna raised her eyebrows and unlocked the case to her flute.
These last 30 minutes of the school day were each A.N.T. member's own time where they could practice their talent without distractions. That is until the bell rang dismissing them.
"Be here early tomorrow, our Science project is only due in 2 days and we're not even started," Fletcher said to the two girls.
"I can make it," Chyna turned to Olive, "what about you?"
Olive thought to herself, "I'll try okay,"
"I'm home!" Olive announced to my parents before walking through the front door and into the living room.
"Hey dad I-" She stopped short. There was glass everywhere and amidst all of it was her father sitting in the middle, criss-crossed. She instantly recognized the vase. Her parents had been on the brink of a divorce. As a last apology her dad had given her wife a vase of her favorite flowers, white petunias. Her mom had left for days at a time, even weeks, but eventually she would come back. Seeing the mess now, Olive knew that her mom wasn't going to come back.
Her dad had barely looked at her before she dropped her bag and burst back out the front door. She ran all the way to the park, a good 3 blocks from where she lived, and found a quiet place under a big oak She placed her head in her lap, sobbing. Yet, after a while, she heard someone say her name.
"O-Olive?"
She looked up to see Fletcher, a confused look on his face; a notepad and pencil in his hands.
She didn't say anything to him she just looked in the opposite direction, her eyes still puffy from crying.
"Olive are you—"
"It's over!" She screamed her face tear stained, "she's never going to come back!" Olive went back to her crying but now, it was even worse. She was close to choking. Fletcher went by her and put a consoling arm over her shoulder. He sat there quietly stroking her hair until Olive stopped sobbing.
"It's going to be okay," Fletcher said calmly before gingerly wiping a tear from her cheek.
Through her tears, Olive felt a smile slowly forming on her face.