"Coffee? ...Father?" The blonde rose from her make-shift bed and headed towards the kitchen. When she entered the room, she was face to face with Olivia's backside. The brunette had the newspaper spread across the kitchen island. She was leaning over it, straining to read the top of the page. She rested her weight on one leg and with her back to the blonde, had no notice she wasn't alone.
"Good morning," the blonde worded slowly. Overlooking the lean girl in her bright kitchen. Olivia turned almost expectantly to face her.
"You're a quiet little thing," she commented with a smile. The two smiled shyly at each other when the coffee pot began to bubble and announce it's presence. "Oh uh, I hope you don't mind," Olivia motioned towards the loud pot.
"Not at all," Alex said looking at the paper then to Olivia's face, "you drink coffee?"
"Yeah I make it for my mother when she..." She cleared her throat and looked back to the paper. "When did you say your parents are coming home?"
"I think they're coming home sometime this morning," Alex said looking up in thought. Olivia's eyes left the page.
"I can't stay here. I don't want people to know where I am. Who knows what kind of trouble I am in. Besides, I want to handle this mess with as little people getting involved as possible," Olivia said, a slight panic coursed through her. She could handle Alex and she could handle this house, for the most part, but parents. Rich parents? No way. She felt out of place here. She suddenly felt uncomfortable and needed to get out.
"Alex, I've got to go but... I'm not sure where." Olivia's brow furrowed as she starred hard at the floor. Alex rocked back on her heels. The kitchen grew silent for a moment before a thought crossed the blonde's mind.
"Can I go with you?" The question was more of a statement on Alex's part. Had Olivia wanted to object, she could tell by the blonde's tone, there was no room for it.
"Where will we go? What about your parents?" Olivia wondered out loud.
"I have a place in mind. I'll come home later anyway. They won't even notice," Alex stated, standing erect. Olivia gently closed the newspaper, folding it neatly on the counter. "Alright, let's go."
Alex smiled, happy to be helping the brunette that rescued her, even though part of her knew there was something more. Olivia was interesting, exotic and foreign to her. Studying her had fast become Alex's new hobby. She just couldn't stay away.
"It's going to be so hot today," Olivia said clutching her coffee cup, trying not to spill as she climbed a hill, one handed. Alex had led them forty minutes into the woods. It was only ten o'clock and the two were already dehydrated. The air was thick with heat and the humidity was rising.
"Summer came up fast this year," Alex huffed, beads of sweat congregating at her brow.
"Not fast enough," Olivia commented, stopping. "How am I going to find my way back?" She looked around before making a face, "My stomach hurts. I'm dumping this coffee." Olivia poured the luke warm liquid off the side of the trail.
"We'll make marks," Alex reassured. "It's just over this hill," Alex said, climbing up in front of Olivia. The brunette was face to face with the blonde's back side. She found herself smiling but internally she scolded herself. She wiped the smile away, literally, by putting her hand over her mouth, almost giggling.
"Here we are," Alex exclaimed and Olivia came up beside her.
"Okay then," she said, looking at the shack in front of her. "Home sweet home."
The small, dull brown wooden house was covered in bright green vines. The roof sunk in the middle and most or all of the windows were smashed in. Olivia thought that there could've been a time where you could find this house in a children's story book.
"I know it doesn't look like anything but-" Alex began but Olivia stopped her.
"No, it's beautiful." She walked past Alex and carefully climbed the two steps to the porch. She looked back at Alex before opening the door and the blonde nodded, making her way over the grown in shrubs and prickers. Olivia pulled open the screen door that barely held on to the hinges. Alex followed close behind her as the brunette pushed the wooden door open.
The house had old hard wood floors, faded and worn by the rain that had blown in through the broken windows. Vines had snaked their way in through cracks in the walls, spaces under the doors and dandelions were growing in between the tiles in the bathroom... from what the girls could see.
Olivia dropped her back pack on the floor and walked slowly through the small house. She noted the fireplace and old beer cans from parties, years ago, never going to disintagrate in the ashes. There were candles on a nearby shelf, nearly hidden by cobwebs and greens. The upstairs was a livable attic space. There was an old mattress that appeared to be occupied many years ago as well. Things had grown up over it as well but Olivia loved the little sanctuary.
"Good find Alex," Olivia smiled to the blonde who smiled back, proud she could impress her new friend.
"I wish you could stay here with me tonight," Olivia said, inspecting the attic window. She tested to see if it would pop open.
"Really?" Alex said, almost too surprised.
"Yeah, why not? You're good company Alex. I think you're really cool," Olivia said, turning to face the slightly shorter girl.
"Ha," Alex laughed looking away, "I'm boring as hell. You're the one bouncing all over the place, helping people and getting shit for it."
"Wow," Olivia raised an eyebrow and smirked at the girl as she walked over to her. She placed a careful hand on the blondes shoulder. "Those are some words. I think you're pretty interesting Alex." Olivia looked down at the girl, hoping they'd meet eyes. "I mean, you've got talents that... gee, I don't know. You could really go places. You're smart. You're beautiful," she saw Alex flush a hint of pink. "And you got some pipes on you. When Elliot and I went to that concert, I almost peed my pants."
Alex laughed and Olivia smiled, feeling good she could rise the girl's spirit. "You couldn't have peed your pants. I would know because I almost took you out in the bathroom."
"Good argument. Nothing gets by you, huh?" Olivia teased and Alex realized that Olivia's hand was still on her shoulder. She glanced at it accidentally and Olivia worried she was being intrusive and pulled it away. "Sorry," she said; her tone changing fast.
"No it's okay. I'm not really a touchy feely kind of person. Probably because of my parents. I mean, maybe I should be. All people should be.." Alex stumbled over her words. The truth was, she liked when Olivia touched her. All she could think about was Olivia mindlessly combing her hair with her fingers on the couch. She figured it had probably meant nothing to Olivia and that it was just the brunettes nature but it wasn't Olivia's nature at all. Olivia had just found herself performing these gestures without even thinking.
"I'm not really... I mean, I am but it's only with you," Olivia confessed, in all efforts to sound nonchalant.
"Oh."
"Does that bother you, I mean, I could-" Now it was Olivia who was stumbling.
"No. I could use the human contact. Not like I see my family very often," Alex's words turned away from the awkwardness they had conducted and into anger as her mind wandered to her absent parents.
"I'm sure they're great," Olivia said with a half smile. "They're just busy people. They work hard to give you nice things. Maybe to give you what they never had?"
"They're selfish," Alex scolded. "If they wanted to be parents they should've been."
Olivia could see tears welling in Alex's eyes. She realized that this girl must have been at her breaking point for some time now and Olivia must've been the first person to take the time to talk to her about it. Alex crossed her arms over her chest and looked at the floor to hide her face. She wasn't one that enjoyed showing her weakness but Olivia seemed to be getting to see a lot of them these days.
The brunette reached out and pulled the girl close to her. "I'm sorry they let you down," she said softly against the strawberry scented hair on Alex's head. Alex remained silent and motionless. She was trying so hard not to be upset, knowing what Olivia had to face everyday. But thoughts like that only led her to be more upset. She was upset that sure a nice person had to live with such abuse. She was upset that she was alone everyday and that nothing interesting had happened in her life until Olivia showed up. She was upset that she felt something strong for this girl and didn't know if the brunette felt it too.
Alex let her arms unfold and hugged Olivia back. It felt nice, every time she found herself like this. Their body heat melting them together and still no one moved away. Alex reveled in the feel of Olivia's calm breaths, pushing her chest up and down slowly. She pulled back slightly and looked into the brown eyes, inches away from her.
Olivia was unsure of what was going through Alex's head but it made sense when seconds later, Alex leaned in and softly pressed her lips to Olivia's.
