Authors Note: Still don't own any of the GMW characters. Chapters are really varying in length, sorry about that. Warnings for drinking, abuse, and self harm. I normally wouldn't post these two chapters so close together but I'm really liking where this is going so you can expect at least one more chapter this weekend, if not two. Thanks for sticking with this!
Three weeks had passed since that awful night. Three weeks of Olivia ignoring everyone and everything. She got up, went to school, and came home where she listened to her mom and Kevin fighting. Every. Single. Night.
Her mom drank more, Kevin stayed away more, Olivia cut more, and everyone fought more. When Kevin was around, it was constant fighting. Accusations on both sides and Olivia was caught in the crossfire. She wanted to defend Kevin but that earned her some alone time with her mom when he was gone but when she didn't defend Kevin, she could feel his hurt. He was staying for her but she didn't know for how much longer.
Olivia laid in bed, nursing a small bottle of vodka she had found in her mom's secret stash. She knew it was stupid to drink but it made everything hurt less. Between the cutting and the alcohol, she finally felt content with things.
Her phone beeped, causing her to jump a little. It had been silent for almost two weeks. Riley and Maya both reached out that first week but caught on quickly that she was officially done with them. She glanced at it and saw it was just a message for a VIP concert list she had joined a long time ago.
Olivia deleted it and rolled off her bed. It was going on 12am and it didn't sound like her mom and Kevin were going to be done with their spat anytime soon. She wrapped her blanket around her and after thinking about it, she grabbed the vodka as well and headed out to her balcony. She hadn't been out there much since she had gotten her concussion/sprained wrist but she needed the air tonight.
Stepping outside she took in a deep breath. The air was crisp and cool. It was nearing the end of fall and she knew it wouldn't be too much longer until the snow moved in.
"It's beautiful, isn't it?"
Olivia glanced over as she took a swig and saw sitting on his patio chair, just like he had been that one night they had talked. That seemed so long ago and she realized it sort of had been. So much had happened between then and now.
"It's killing Riley you won't talk to her, Maya too even though she won't admit it," he said as he looked over at her.
A shrug was all he got in response but it was a response nonetheless so he kept talking, "I don't know what happened to you Olivia but I do know that this isn't you. Drinking at midnight on a school night, showing up hungover at school, the lack of engaging. What happened?"
Silence filled the air except for the occasional sip of the bottle, "I'm not going to give up, I hope you know that."
Olivia finally turned and looked at him and he saw the pain written over her face. She opened her mouth but the sound of breaking glass had her shutting it and crawling back through the window she had just come from.
Olivia rolled out of bed and reached for the bottle she had dropped last night. She took the last swallow and threw the bottle in the trash. There was no need to hide it, her mom never came into her room.
Digging around in the closet, Olivia pulled out a rumpled sweater with patches on the elbows and slid into a pair of skinny jeans that hung off her already small frame. The drinking made her lose her appetite so eating wasn't a concern for her anymore. Plus, it gave her mom one less thing to ridicule her for.
Glancing at herself in the mirror, Olivia saw how gaunt she looked. Her dark hair made her look paler and the latest round of bruising showed even more starkly on her skin. She set to work covering up as much as she could before her alarm beeped letting her know that she had to leave for school.
Olivia cautiously opened up her bedroom door and poked her head out, realizing that something seemed different. The house was quiet, it was unnatural. She walked slowly down the hall and saw her mom and Kevin facing each other from opposite sides of the table. Neither one was saying anything, just staring. Olivia had a sinking feeling in her stomach as she watched them. Not knowing what to do, she hesitantly walked over to the fridge and poked around looking for something to settle her stomach. She grabbed a bottle of water and closed the door before leaning against it, "What's going on?"
Kevin looked over at her then back at Erin, "Nothing, Olivia. You'll have to walk to school today, your mom and I need to talk."
"All you've been doing is talking, well fighting but is there really a difference anymore?"
"Go to school, Olivia," her mom spat.
"You'll be here when I get back?" Olivia looked pointedly at Kevin as her mom took a huge drink from the bottle next to her and scoffed.
"You're going to be late," he said softly.
"You're going to be here when I get back, right? Tell me you'll be here."
"Liv…"
"Say you'll be here. It's not that hard, Kevin. Tell me you're going to be right here when I get back."
Erin let out a sharp laugh, "Get over yourself, Olivia. He won't stay for you if he doesn't want to stay. Now get going."
Olivia cast one last pleading look at Kevin before going back down the hallway, "I forgot something then I'll leave."
Erin flicked her hand and went back to staring at Kevin. Olivia watched for a moment before going into the bathroom and digging under the cupboard for the bottle of vodka she had seen her mom shove under there last night. She poured out her water and filled it with that then stuck the bottle back where she found it, after diluting it partially with water just in case.
Olivia slid her sunglasses down over her face as she walked towards the school. She hadn't walked in so long and so it didn't occur to her that Riley and Maya would be walking the same path. It wasn't until both girls were on either side of her that she realized that they were even there.
"Olivia? I'm...I was out of line the last time we talked and I shouldn't have said what I said," Maya blurted. Olivia noted that there was no actual apology in there but she didn't really care.
"Beygoynas," Olivia waved her hand and Riley smiled, taking it as an improvement.
"So we're all good now?" She asked excitedly, "Because we really missed you and it has been torture not talking."
Olivia pushed her sunglasses up her face, her red rimmed eyes not going unnoticed by Riley and Maya, "We're good but I need to get going. I have to stop at the library really quick so I'll see you later," she quickly walked off, leaving the other two girls in the dust.
"Maya? I don't think we're really good…" Riley trailed off as they watched Olivia speed walk towards the school.
Maya slipped her arm around Riley and pulled her close, "It's a start, Riles. It's a start."
