A/N: WARNING: THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS MENTIONS OF RAPE. There's no actual rape, it just mentions it. You have been warned...
When Olivia finally had enough energy to open her eyes again, it was one in the afternoon. She'd slept for nearly six hours. She sat up and stretched, grimacing when she reached her arms above her head. She was in desperate need of a shower. Not to mention her legs were killing her from standing up so long.
She scooted off the bed, standing on her tiptoes to stretch her legs and feet, and went to find the rest of her friends. She supposed she owed them an explanation.
She found them sitting on the steps outside the theatre, munching on whatever they had brought (or bought) to eat for lunch.
Aaron looked up at her and smiled, his mouth too full of ham and cheese sandwich to say anything. He patted the space next to him.
She sat down, suddenly realizing how hungry she was. She hadn't eaten anything in a long while. She reached into her purse to grab the animal crackers that were always there, only to find them absent. She had eaten them the night before at around 3 am and completely forgotten about it.
"Hey, Livvy," Caleb said, noticing her for the first time. "How'd you sleep?"
"Good. I needed it."
Her stomach let out a loud growl.
"Gee, Livvy, are you hungry or something?" Ben asked with a grin.
She rolled her eyes at him. "Haha. I haven't eaten since like 3 am. I had to eat my emergency animal crackers."
"Oh! Just a second…" Garfield started rummaging around in the knapsack he always brought with him to rehearsal. A moment later, he pulled out a package of animal crackers, the same kind Olivia always brought with her.
Her mouth fell open. "You have animal crackers?" she asked, astounded.
He shrugged. "I bought a big box of them after you told us that they were the only thing you can eat when you get nervous. I gave some to everyone. That way, you'd always have some if you needed them."
Olivia was speechless. Nobody had ever cared about her enough to do something like that. She stood from her spot next to Aaron and hugged Garfield.
"Thank you. That is seriously the sweetest thing anyone has ever done for me."
He hugged her back. "No problem, Livvy."
She took the animal crackers from him, smiling widely.
"You've gotta be starving if you haven't eaten since 3 am. You want some of my fries?" Jefferson offered.
"I've got some carrots," Forrest piped up.
Soon, everyone was sharing food with everybody, like a massive potluck. There were french fries, celery sticks, Oreos, corn chips, and all sorts of other things.
Olivia happily munched on her animal crackers, pausing now and then to sample a few of the other shared dishes. She couldn't remember the last time she felt wanted, needed even. She loved the feeling of being surrounded by people who truly, deeply cared for her.
She saw Garfield nudge Aaron's shoulder and whisper something in his ear, causing Aaron's cheeks to tint the slightest shade of pink.
"You okay there, Aaron?" she asked teasingly.
"Y-yeah," he stuttered.
She looked unconvinced but nodded nonetheless. "Okay, then."
"Hey, um… can I ask you something?" he blurted out.
She turned around completely so she was facing him, giving him her full attention. "Shoot."
"Do you wanna go get coffee or something later?" he asked, trying to get the words out before he lost his nerve.
She was taken aback. "Are you asking me out? Like, on a date?"
"Only if you want it to be a date!" he said hurriedly. "We can just go as friends or something instead or whatever-"
"Do you want it to be a date?" she asked, interrupting him.
He was silent for a moment, before slowly nodding.
She smiled. "Then it's a date."
He smiled back.
The rest of the Barricade Boys started cheering, bringing them out of the little world they had been in a few seconds before.
Caleb clapped Aaron on the back. "It's about time, man!"
"I'll say," Jefferson added.
"I don't have work today, so come and find me when rehearsals are over and we'll talk," she said.
He nodded, currently unable to wipe the stupid grin off his face. "Sounds good."
ooOOoo
All day long, Olivia looked forward to the end of rehearsals, which is something she didn't normally do. She lived for the theatre. If she could move into the theatre and never leave, she would.
About 10 minutes before rehearsals ended, her phone buzzed. She pulled it out of her pocket and grimaced.
Karen never showed. Get yourself down here in the next twenty minutes or you're fired. Be prepared, she was supposed to work a double shift.
When Aaron came to find Olivia a few minutes later, he found her leaning against the wall, banging her head on it repeatedly. He placed his hand between the wall and her head so that her head was hitting his hand and not the wall. It didn't do anything to impede her actions.
"Olivia?" he asked. "You okay?"
She unlocked her phone and placed it in his hand. He glanced down, reading the text, and immediately understood her actions.
"Seriously? Again? This boss of yours needs to hire more workers."
"I. Don't. Wanna. Go. To. Work," she said between head bangs.
"You need to find another job. If this keeps going on, you're gonna get worked to death," Aaron counseled.
She stopped banging her head and looked at him pointedly. "At the moment, I don't have the time or the energy to look for another one. It took me a full week to find this job. It's a five-minute walk from my apartment and they provided a uniform. I'm kinda stuck with this for now."
"Guess we'll have to reschedule the whole coffee thing, huh?"
"I'm so sorry," she apologized.
"Don't be. It's not your fault," he said.
"I gotta go. I have to find some way to get there in fifteen minutes or less. Luckily I'm already in my uniform." She sniffed her shirt and grimaced. "Never in my life have I needed a shower more than I do right now."
"When will this shift end?" he asked.
"It's a double shift. I won't get off until about 2 am," she replied.
"You have to walk home by yourself at 2 am? That's a potentially dangerous combination," he said incredulously.
She shrugged. "I don't have much of a choice."
"Well, conserve your phone battery. I'll keep my phone volume up high so you can text me if you need me."
She smiled ruefully. "Thanks, Aaron."
"No problem."
ooOOoo
That night, after the dinner rush, Olivia was once again left alone with her manager. He slunk over to her, putting an arm around her and rubbing his hand up and down her side.
"Hey, gorgeous," he said. "How's about you and me close up early and blow this popsicle stand?"
Olivia was screaming internally, trying as hard as possible to keep her cool. "How do you close an all-night diner early?" she asked, trying to change the subject.
"You and I both know that nobody ever comes in after eleven," he replied. "Look around. There's no one even here. Come on. I'll take you back to my place so we can have some fun."
"No thanks," she responded, clenching her fists so hard her knuckles were white. "I don't think my boyfriend would like that very much."
"Your boyfriend doesn't have to know, now does he?" he whispered in her ear. "It will be our little secret."
"I said no thanks," she said, much more forceful this time.
He scowled. "If you want to keep your job, you'll come with me, you stuck-up little stick-figure."
"You think that's gonna convince me?" she asked incredulously. "I can just quit this job and find another one."
His scowl turned into a glare. "I don't think so. If you quit, I'll tell all my colleagues about what a horrible worker you are. You won't be able to get a job anywhere within a 5-mile radius."
Olivia gulped; he had her trapped, pinned right where he wanted her.
"Now, if you have no more objections," he started, "I'm going to go and get the building keys."
The minute he disappeared through the back door, Olivia whipped her phone out a shot a very fast, very vague text to Aaron.
my sHift is Ending earLy. hoPing to get hoMe before Eleven
When Jason came back, he saw Olivia pocket her phone. "Who are you texting?" he asked, suspicious.
She pulled out her phone to show him. "Just a friend. I was letting him know my shift was ending early."
He read the text, his scowl fading. He seemed to find it legitimate, handing her phone back.
"Okay, then. I don't live far. Let's get going. And if you make any noise whatsoever, you will be very, very sorry."
ooOOoo
Aaron was out with the Barricade Boys when he received the text. Seeing as it was a Friday night, they had all decided to go out and have some fun. When they learned that Aaron was no longer going out with Olivia that night, they invited him to come along. They were currently at a small, hole-in-the-wall pizza place not far from where she worked.
He read the message, puzzled. Why had she sent him such a vague text?
Garfield, having absolutely no respect for Aaron's privacy, leaned over and read Olivia's text. His eyes widened.
"Dude, look at the capital letters," he said, slightly panicked.
When Aaron went back and read only the capital letters, he found what Olivia was really trying to say:
my sHift is Ending earLy. hoPing to get hoMe before Eleven
HELP ME
"Guys!" Garfield called out. "Something's wrong! It's Olivia!"
The chatter throughout the eatery immediately ceased. "What's wrong?" James asked, concerned.
"She sent me a coded message asking for help. Based on what she said, she's just leaving the diner. It's down the street. Come on, let's catch her before she gets too far!" Aaron said, hopping up out of his seat. He slapped ten dollars down on the table and ran toward the door.
The others followed suit, leaving money for their pizza and running after Aaron.
ooOOoo
Now that they had left the restaurant, Olivia's panic had increased tenfold. Jason had a vice-like grip on her arm, making sure she wouldn't be running off. She started wondering how many people he'd done this to.
She covertly reached into her pocket and switched her phone on, glancing down slightly to find the voice recorder app. She pressed play.
"How many other girls have you done this to?" she asked, trying to stay calm.
He smiled wickedly. "Oh, I've got plenty of experience, sweetheart. Just you wait."
"Do you do this with all the girls that work in the diner?"
"Not all of them. Only the pretty ones," he answered.
She was absolutely disgusted. Of all the jobs she could have chosen, she had to pick the one where the manager was a serial rapist. Well done, Olivia.
"Why are you doing this?" she asked.
"Can't a guy have a little fun on a Friday night?" he replied nonchalantly.
Now she was just mad. "You think rape is fun?"
Before he could answer, there was a loud clanging noise from the alley they were passing by. Jason peered inside suspiciously.
"NOW!" Someone shouted.
A horde of boys grabbed Jason and dragged him into the alleyway, safely separating him from Olivia. She fell backward onto the sidewalk, looking up to see the concerned faces of Ben and James.
Ben gave her his hand, pulling her to her feet. "Are you okay, Livvy?" he asked.
She nodded, the reality of the situation starting to sink in. Another loud noise emanated from the alleyway, causing her to jump and move closer to the pair.
"James!" Forrest's voice was heard coming from the alley. "Call the police to come and get this guy!"
"On it!" he answered, pulling out his phone and dialing the number.
Aaron came out of the alleyway a minute or so later, a cut on his cheek. He let out the breath he was holding when he saw Olivia, making his way toward her. She went to him, hugging him around his middle. He put his arms around her and sighed.
"You got my message, then?" she asked, not moving from her position.
"Yeah. What happened exactly?"
"Can we not?" she asked. "Not here at least."
He nodded.
"What happened to your cheek?"
"The guy in there had a knife," he explained. "Who knows what he had planned for you."
"If you guys want to leave," Ben interrupted, "you can go. The police are on their way. We can take it from here."
"You sure?" Aaron asked.
Ben nodded. "Yeah. We'll text you when the police get here."
Aaron reluctantly released Olivia, grabbing hold of her hand protectively. She stayed close to him, reveling in the safe feeling his presence brought.
"My apartment is this way," she said, leading him in the opposite direction. "It's not far, like seven minutes at the most."
Neither of them spoke the entire way there. Olivia was too terrified that someone else could be out here in the dark, watching them, getting ready to strike. And Aaron was too worried about her to think about anything else.
When the reached her apartment block, Olivia led Aaron up three flights of stairs to her unit, pulling the keys out of her pocket. She unlocked the door with shaky hands, gesturing for him to come inside.
"Come on in. Pardon the mess, I haven't been home in like 36 hours."
He entered her home, glancing back to check that she had locked the door. Her apartment was small but cozy, decorated in the same eclectic style as Olivia's personality. There wasn't an inch of free space on the wall; every available surface was covered in theatre posters, framed photos, and artwork. The room, though already small, was filled with furniture, making it seem even smaller. There were bright colors splashed throughout the living space.
Olivia noticed him looking around. "It's not much, but it's home."
"I like it," he said approvingly.
She grabbed his hand and led him to the kitchen/dining area, sitting him down on a chair and wetting a washcloth in the sink.
"Let's take a look at this cut of yours…" she mumbled to herself, running the washcloth over his cheek.
Aaron studied her as she worked. Her brow was furrowed in concentration. He could see the underlying fear of what had transpired that night still visible in her crystal clear blue eyes.
"There," she said. She rummaged through one of the kitchen drawers and pulled out a small first aid kit. She pulled a few band-aids out and took them out of their wrappers, sticking them in place on his cheek.
"All done," she said, stepping back to check her work. He could see the exhaustion in her eyes, clear as day.
"You need to sleep," he told her. "You've been running on fumes since this morning. Don't deny it."
She was quiet. "I'm kind of afraid to be alone in my apartment," she said softly.
He understood immediately what she was saying. "Your couch looks very comfortable," he commented casually.
She smiled, understanding the meaning behind his words. "It is, according to my brother. He's slept here a few times. He left some of his clothes here as well. I think he's around the same size as you. I'll be right back."
She left the kitchen. Aaron got up and walked into the living area, glancing at several of the photographs on the wall. The photos predominantly featured Olivia with two young men, one of which looked quite a bit like her and another who was a bit taller. Others featured an older woman with kind eyes. Her brothers and mother, he assumed. In several of the photos, the taller young man was wearing a soldier's uniform.
The artwork, though far from professional, was very well done. Scattered amongst the more professional pieces were children's drawings and scribbles.
Olivia came back holding a pair of sweatpants and a grey t-shirt.
"Here," she said, handing them to him. "These should fit you. The bathroom is through there," she said, pointing toward a door down the hall. "On second thought, let me go in there first and make sure I didn't leave a bunch of dirty clothes and stuff in there…"
She poked her head into the bathroom, sighing in relief when she found it moderately clean. "Kay, you're good. Go ahead and change. I'm gonna go see about untangling this rat's nest formerly known as my hair."
Aaron chuckled. Her hair was pretty disastrous at the moment. He changed as quickly as possible, knowing Olivia was in desperate need of a shower. The shirt fit him just fine. The pants, however…
"Hey, Olivia?" he called out.
"Yeah?" she answered.
"These pants are a tad too big."
"Second drawer on the left," she replied.
Confused, Aaron opened the designated drawer to find a horde of disorganized hair supplies.
"Are you decent?" she asked, her voice much closer now.
"Yeah."
She opened the door and started rummaging through the indicated drawer, eventually pulling out a hair elastic.
"Use this to cinch the sweats," she said, quickly demonstrating what to do on her own slightly baggy work shirt.
"Ah," he said, understanding. He took the elastic from her hand and walked out of the bathroom.
"I'll fix these out here. Go ahead and take a shower."
Without another word, she shut and locked the bathroom door and started the water in the shower.
ooOOoo
When Olivia emerged from the bathroom twenty minutes later, she was wearing a pair of Spongebob Squarepants pajama bottoms and a sweatshirt she'd gotten from her single year of drama camp. In her hands was a spare blanket and pillow. Her wet hair was done up in a messy bun to keep it out of her face, something Aaron hadn't seen before. Her hair was almost always down. But the biggest surprise was the thick-rimmed purple glasses on her face.
"You wear glasses?" he asked.
"Only when I'm too tired to put in my contacts," she replied.
"You should wear your glasses more often. They're cute."
She smiled. "Thank you."
She sat down on the couch next to Aaron, handing him the blanket and pillow. "These are for you. There are a few other blankets in the bathroom closet if you get cold."
"Thanks." He set them down next to him and then turned so he was completely facing Olivia.
"What exactly happened tonight, 'Livia?" he asked softly.
The smile immediately left her face. She hung her head, her glasses sliding to the end of her nose. She pushed them back up into place. She played with her fingers in her lap, trying to decide where to begin.
"That man you guys caught in the alley is my manager," she started. "The one who keeps having me come in late."
"That guy was your manager?" he said incredulously.
"Yeah," she said, continuing. "He normally only works during the day. But since I started working there he worked every single shift I did. And almost every shift I've done since working here has been a night shift when most of the other workers didn't show up. I didn't realize why he kept putting me on these shifts until tonight."
"He was targeting you," Aaron said in realization.
She nodded. "Yeah. He would… um…"
"What?" he asked, gently pushing for more information.
"He would wait for the other workers to go on break, and then we'd be alone, and he'd… he'd harass me…" she answered, her voice breaking on the last word.
"How long has this been going on, Olivia?" he queried, trying his hardest to keep his anger at this man in check.
"Since I started," she replied quietly.
"This has been going on since you started working there? Why didn't you say anything?"
"I did. I told the regional manager. He didn't believe me. He told me to stop making up stories and get back to work. I didn't think anyone else would believe me if I told," she answered, a tear making its way down her cheek. She wiped it off, sniffing.
Aaron scooted a bit closer on the couch, putting his arm around her. She laid her head on his shoulder. "I believe you," he said. "And the others would have believed you too."
She didn't respond. She was trying too hard to keep her emotions in check.
"Did he ever hurt you at all?" he asked.
She shook her head. "No. He would say a lot of inappropriate things and he would touch me and rub my side and stuff, but he never physically harmed me."
"What happened tonight, though?"
"He wanted me to go back to his place with him. He wouldn't take no for an answer. He told me if I refused, he'd tell all of his colleagues in a five-mile radius what a terrible worker I was and not to hire me. He grabbed my arm pretty hard." She showed him the bruises starting to appear on her wrist. "I actually recorded our conversation after that. He was telling me about all the other girls he's done this to. He told me not to tell anyone either, but I risked sending you that text anyway. He read it afterward and wasn't able to detect the hidden message. I'm just glad you found it. I don't want to think about what would have happened otherwise…."
Aaron, seeing how much this conversation topic was hurting her, decided to change the subject.
"Is this your brother?" he asked, pointing to one of the pictures of the soldier on her wall.
She smiled a little. "Yeah. That's Mickey. He's my big brother. He's four years older than me. I call him Mouse."
"Cause of Mickey Mouse?"
"That, and the fact that he's terrified of mice. He found one in our basement when we were kids. I didn't know it was possible for someone to scream that high. He's in Afghanistan right now. He's always wanted to be in the military, ever since he was a kid. He sends me emails and letters and stuff whenever he can."
"And that's your mom?"
"Yup. Edith Warner. She raised me and my brothers all on her own for the most part. She's the strongest person I know."
"What about your Dad?"
She was silent for a bit. "My dad was in the military as well. He was never really home growing up, but when he was we would have so much fun. He would always tell me to keep singing, to never give up on my dream of being in the theatre. I would send him videos of me singing to keep him optimistic. He went MIA when I was fourteen. Got lost during a bombing raid. Nobody's seen him since."
"I'm sorry," Aaron said.
She just smiled ruefully. "I'm so terrified that my brother will end up just like my dad. Every day, I wake up hoping and praying not to get a phone call from my mother saying that my brother was killed in action or went MIA or something like that. I haven't seen him in about three years."
He pointed to the other young man. "This is your other brother then? What's his name?"
"That's Alex. He's my twin, actually. We're identical. He's older by about 9 minutes."
"You have a twin brother?"
"Yeah. He comes to visit on occasion. The shirt and sweatpants you're wearing belong to him. He's in college studying to be a mechanical engineer. He and my Mom both live in DC, so their visits are few and far between. I grew up in DC, actually."
She yawned loudly.
"I have a lot more questions to ask you but I think they're gonna have to wait until morning," Aaron said. "You look exhausted."
"I feel exhausted," she replied. "In the last 36 hours, I've only gotten six hours of sleep."
"Then go to bed. We can talk more tomorrow."
