(Author's note: Yeah, hi. So, I'm sorry if you dislike this chapter, I'm just not really up for writing today but I realize I've been too inconsistent with my writing, so, here's a chapter for you and sorry if it isn't that great.)
(Olive sleeps for what can only feel like a few minutes but it must have been longer. Her dream, though short, seemed endless.)
Olive's dream.
Dream Olive: Fletcher! Fletcher!
Dream Fletcher: Yeah?
Dream Olive: I have to tell you something.
Dream Fletcher: Okay...
Dream Olive: I love you.
(Dream Fletcher is blank and unresponsive.)
Dream Olive: Well?
Dream Fletcher: (He smooths out the back of his hair and exhales.) Well, this is awkward.
Dream Olive: I thought, since we're dating, I could tell you.
Dream Fletcher: DATING? You and me? What? No! I'm dating...
(Dream Chyna approaches Dream Olive and Dream Fletcher. She links arms with Dream Fletcher.)
Dream Chyna: Hey Fletcher. Olive.
Dream Fletcher:...Chyna. I'm dating Chyna, remember?
Dream Olive: What's this?
Dream Fletcher: I love Chyna.
Dream Chyna: That's right.
Dream Olive: Oh, do you now?
(Dream Olive watches helplessly as the two lean in to kiss, before their lips touch, Dream Olive turns around and runs. Tears stream down Dream Olive's face as she runs. She's wracked with sobs when she stops in the music room, alone.)
Dream Olive: Fletcher...Fletcher...(Dream Olive screams and rips a music poster off the wall, crumples it and throws it.) Fletcher...(Dream Olive sits down, mumbling Fletcher's name in between sobs.)
(OLIVE WAKES UP)
Olive: No. No. No. No. Fletcher. Okay, okay, relax. It was just a dream, just a dream.
(A thought popped into Olive's brain: She did leave them after Chyna linked arms with Fletcher, over spring break, she feared Fletcher may still have feelings for Chyna. No, not possible. Or was it? Olive didn't take any chances, she ran straight out of the room to find them. She had to tell Fletcher before it was too late. )
(Elsewhere...Chyna and Fletcher are discussing something.)
Fletcher: Chyna, I can't do it.
Chyna: Yes, you can. Fletcher, I know it seems scary but you can do it.
Fletcher: Have you ever told someone you loved them? Have you ever gotten over the fear that they might just stare back at you with a blank expression?
Chyna: You mean like you in Math class?
Fletcher: Not. The. Time. Chyna, not the time.
Chyna: I'm sorry, okay? But what else am I supposed to say?
Fletcher: Oh, I don't know, how about a way for me to tell Olive I love her?
Chyna: Start off by telling her things you love about her. Here, I'll be Olive...
Fletcher: Oh! Can I be Fletcher?
Chyna:...Ummm sure...Okay. (She waves a hand in front of her face and changes her expression.) Interesting factoid...
Fletcher: YOU'RE PRETTY.
Chyna: Heh?
Fletcher: I mean...You smell nice and you're hair's...Blonde. Pretty...Chyna, I'm no good at this.
Chyna: Okay, you know what we're going to do? We'll meet here again tomorrow and try again. You practice alone and I'll come back to help tomorrow.
Fletcher: Fine, thanks.
(Chyna leaves, she takes the roomevater and finds Olive outside, by the balcony, where they usually hang out in between class time.)
Chyna: Olive!
Olive: Oh, hi.
Chyna: What's up?
Olive: Just thinking. Needed some time alone to, you know, think.
Chyna: About what? (She smiles at Olive and sits down.)
Olive: Fletcher. (She coos and smiles when she says his name.)
Chyna: Of course. So, Olive Oyl, tell me, what's the happs?
Olive: The "Happs" are, I'm not from Popeye. My name is Olive Doyle, not Olive Oyl. Another thing, I need some help.
Chyna: With what?
Olive: Fletcher.
Chyna: You're breaking up with him already? Even his relationship with Kennedy lasted longer than this. Don't you beak up! I have shipped you guys for way too long! I secretly wanted you together because your feeling for each other were so obvious to everyone but you two! Besides, I'll admit, its nice not having Fletcher fawn over me for once.
Olive: Chyna, calm down. I'm not breaking up with him. I want to tell him I love him.
Chyna: Platonically or romantically? Because I've been wondering that since the day we were stuck out in the wilderness. When you were all like "I tease him because I love him."
Olive: (She gives a faint breathy, laugh.) Romantically.
Chyna: Mmmhmm, just what I thought. Anyways, let's start by having me pretend to be Fletcher and you can be...
Olive: Olive Oyl from Popeye?
Chyna: (Faceplam.) No, you can be Olive DOYLE.
Olive: Well, sure if you want to take all the fun out of it.
Chyna: Okay...I'm Fletcher. Tell me what you love about me.
Olive: Everything, really. The smallest thing, like a tiny smile or that glow in his eyes. (Olive leans on the rock ledge and looks down below as she continues.) I love that the way he talks, I love how every time he talks to me, or even looks at me, my heart skips a beat. He leaves me...breathless. He's so sweet, I remember everything, that's how I'm so good at this. The way he looks at me, even if its only a glance. I love the way he smiles and he's so colorful.
Chyna: Keep going, don't stop there!
Olive: I love his hugs and feeling his arms around me. (She looks back at Chyna.) But most of all, I love it when he kisses me. We've only kissed three times but each one made me so happy and it made me fall for him over again. (She walks back towards Chyna.)
Chyna: Wow, you really do love him. And you're good at this.
Olive: I can tell you but its different than telling Fletcher.
Chyna: I can help.