Chapter Nine: Two Confessions
I bounced out of bed, realizing that once again I hadn't woke up in time to make it to breakfast. I was going to have to hustle if I wanted to be ready by the time Oliver was done eating.
After my shower I opened up my trunk to survey my clothing choices. I definitely was not going to let Alicia pick them out again. I pulled on my comfiest pair of jeans and a hooded sweatshire and quickly swept my hair up into a ponytail. It wasn't like I had to impress Oliver, he had seen me like this thousands of times.
I checked my clock and headed down the stairs toward the common room. Sadly, I ran into Alicia as she was headed up.
"Where do you think you're going?" she asked.
"To see Oliver, we're hanging out this afternoon." I replied.
She hit her forehead. "Kate, you can't go see him dressed like that. You're his girlfriend." She gave me a sly smile. "Or at least that's what I assume from our trickery yesterday."
I glared at her, "Alicia, Oliver likes me for me. Not howq I look. So calm down, I'm going to be late."
I pushed past her and continued down the steps.
"You're hopeless Kate." she hollered after me.
"Look who actually HAS a boyfriend!" I wanted to yell back, but bit my tongue. I was not going to fight with my best friend, no matter how insane she was.
"Lookin' good, Bell." Oliver called, when I reached the bottom of the stairs.
"Same to you." I replied. And it was the true. The preppie American Eagle attire I always used to teasde him mercilessly about was suddenly a turn on.
"Glad you finally approve." He said, striking a pose and grinning.
I rolled my eyes. "So where are we headed?"
"That's for me to know and you to find out." he grabbed hold of my hand. "Let's go." he said, leading me gently out of the common room and through the portrait hole.
"So what did you do this summer. You were pretty quiet on the train. Was it really that bad not seeing me for three months?" Oliver asked, playfully.
I had never told anyone at school about my home life but I suddenly found myself spilling it out to Oliver, "My parents hate the fact that I'm a witch. Despise it. They'd put me up for adoption if they could except it would look horrible to their business partners. They'd look cruel and insensitive. My parents are married to success and money, not each other. They never wanted a family, just something to make them look like they cared about something other than their jobs. Every summer I go home to be ignored, neglected and abused." I glanced at Oliver's shocked face. I wanted to stop, I didn't want his pity but it was like a dam had broken inside me. I COULDN'T stop.
"Not physically, just emotionally. They won't look at me. My own parents won't look at me. So when I got back to school my second year I just wanted to feel like someone loved me. Ridiculous, but how I felt. That's why I went out with Flint."
I finally stopped talking, letting Oliver soak everything in. I immediately regretted telling him, trying to figure out where the sudden need to pour my soul out had come from.
"Sorry Oliver," I apologized, " you asked an innocent question and I totally spilled my guts. Talk about too much information."
Oliver looked stunned and just continued to walk, staring straight ahead. We continued for a few minutes enveloped in an awkward silence.
"Oliver, say something." I demanded, throwing down his hand and refusing to walk any farther. "Say something... ANYTHING!"
He turned around, still dazed. "Why didn't you say anything before?" His voice sounded slightly wounded. "I would have done something. You could have spent the summer at my house. In never knew, Kate." I just," he paused, "Wish I could have DONE something."
"Oliver, there's nothing you could have done. It's my problem, I'll deal with it. But thanks for caring. It just feels good to know someone does." I took a step forward so I was even to where he was standing.
He engulfed me in a huge bear hug. "Katie, I love you." he whispered in my ear.
"Oliver," I squeaked, "I can't breathe." Which was true, he was squeezing the air out of me. Plus, it was a good distraction. He LOVED me? OLIVER loved ME? HIS mind was pure crap.
He released his death grip, smiling. "Sorry, I'm a little overzealous at times.
I laughed, "A little? Um, Oliver we call it Quidditch. I think it's more like you're a little over obsessive."
"I'm not that bad. Just because I want to bring Gryffindor the cop and just because I have the best blood team in school does NOT mean I'm obsessed. There are other things in my life." he grinned pointedly at me.
"Oliver, honestly, what' the last thing you think about before you fall asleep: me or Quidditch?" I asked, already knowing the answer.
He grinned, sheepishly. "You've got me there. But... I have to think of the team's best interests. You know how it is, they all depend on me." He was pleading his case and would have been failing miserably... If I had cared.
"It's no big deal." I reassured him, "I'm thinking about other things before I fall asleep too."
"Like what?" He asked suspiciously.
"Heath ledger, classes, Alicia and the twins, ice cream..." I reeled off a list for him.
"Ice cream!" he asked, indignantly. " I ce cream comes before me"
" Have you ever had Ben and Jerry's Cookie Dough Ice Cream?" he shook his head. "Then don't complain.
He grumbled under his breath bu ti chose to ignore it.
We had not reached the entrance out of school by the Great Hall and were headed out side. I still had no idea what was going on. Suddenly, I recognized the path we were headed down.
"Oliver," I demanded. "Are we going to the Quidditch pitch?"
He shrugged, "Maybe." The breeze was playing with our hair and the air was a bit chilling. "Cold?" he asked.
" A bit," I replied. He released my had and I instantly missed the feeling of his hand in mine.
" Well, hurry a bit then." He called, beginning to jog.
I rolled my eyes, but started too. "Oliver, if this is a new idea to whip your team into shape you're going to have a HARD time convincing Fred to date you."
He laughed, "You're too smart for me, Bell. I was hoping no one would realize my true intentions."
I caught up to him and soon fell in step with his long stride. There was no doubt about it, we were headed towards the pitch. I picked up the pace and he caught it easily. He edged it up a bit but I fell into it without a problem. Soon we were in a race heading straight for the supply shed.
I reached it first and pulled out my broom. "Catch this!" I hollered, taking off.
I bounced out of bed, realizing that once again I hadn't woke up in time to make it to breakfast. I was going to have to hustle if I wanted to be ready by the time Oliver was done eating.
After my shower I opened up my trunk to survey my clothing choices. I definitely was not going to let Alicia pick them out again. I pulled on my comfiest pair of jeans and a hooded sweatshire and quickly swept my hair up into a ponytail. It wasn't like I had to impress Oliver, he had seen me like this thousands of times.
I checked my clock and headed down the stairs toward the common room. Sadly, I ran into Alicia as she was headed up.
"Where do you think you're going?" she asked.
"To see Oliver, we're hanging out this afternoon." I replied.
She hit her forehead. "Kate, you can't go see him dressed like that. You're his girlfriend." She gave me a sly smile. "Or at least that's what I assume from our trickery yesterday."
I glared at her, "Alicia, Oliver likes me for me. Not howq I look. So calm down, I'm going to be late."
I pushed past her and continued down the steps.
"You're hopeless Kate." she hollered after me.
"Look who actually HAS a boyfriend!" I wanted to yell back, but bit my tongue. I was not going to fight with my best friend, no matter how insane she was.
"Lookin' good, Bell." Oliver called, when I reached the bottom of the stairs.
"Same to you." I replied. And it was the true. The preppie American Eagle attire I always used to teasde him mercilessly about was suddenly a turn on.
"Glad you finally approve." He said, striking a pose and grinning.
I rolled my eyes. "So where are we headed?"
"That's for me to know and you to find out." he grabbed hold of my hand. "Let's go." he said, leading me gently out of the common room and through the portrait hole.
"So what did you do this summer. You were pretty quiet on the train. Was it really that bad not seeing me for three months?" Oliver asked, playfully.
I had never told anyone at school about my home life but I suddenly found myself spilling it out to Oliver, "My parents hate the fact that I'm a witch. Despise it. They'd put me up for adoption if they could except it would look horrible to their business partners. They'd look cruel and insensitive. My parents are married to success and money, not each other. They never wanted a family, just something to make them look like they cared about something other than their jobs. Every summer I go home to be ignored, neglected and abused." I glanced at Oliver's shocked face. I wanted to stop, I didn't want his pity but it was like a dam had broken inside me. I COULDN'T stop.
"Not physically, just emotionally. They won't look at me. My own parents won't look at me. So when I got back to school my second year I just wanted to feel like someone loved me. Ridiculous, but how I felt. That's why I went out with Flint."
I finally stopped talking, letting Oliver soak everything in. I immediately regretted telling him, trying to figure out where the sudden need to pour my soul out had come from.
"Sorry Oliver," I apologized, " you asked an innocent question and I totally spilled my guts. Talk about too much information."
Oliver looked stunned and just continued to walk, staring straight ahead. We continued for a few minutes enveloped in an awkward silence.
"Oliver, say something." I demanded, throwing down his hand and refusing to walk any farther. "Say something... ANYTHING!"
He turned around, still dazed. "Why didn't you say anything before?" His voice sounded slightly wounded. "I would have done something. You could have spent the summer at my house. In never knew, Kate." I just," he paused, "Wish I could have DONE something."
"Oliver, there's nothing you could have done. It's my problem, I'll deal with it. But thanks for caring. It just feels good to know someone does." I took a step forward so I was even to where he was standing.
He engulfed me in a huge bear hug. "Katie, I love you." he whispered in my ear.
"Oliver," I squeaked, "I can't breathe." Which was true, he was squeezing the air out of me. Plus, it was a good distraction. He LOVED me? OLIVER loved ME? HIS mind was pure crap.
He released his death grip, smiling. "Sorry, I'm a little overzealous at times.
I laughed, "A little? Um, Oliver we call it Quidditch. I think it's more like you're a little over obsessive."
"I'm not that bad. Just because I want to bring Gryffindor the cop and just because I have the best blood team in school does NOT mean I'm obsessed. There are other things in my life." he grinned pointedly at me.
"Oliver, honestly, what' the last thing you think about before you fall asleep: me or Quidditch?" I asked, already knowing the answer.
He grinned, sheepishly. "You've got me there. But... I have to think of the team's best interests. You know how it is, they all depend on me." He was pleading his case and would have been failing miserably... If I had cared.
"It's no big deal." I reassured him, "I'm thinking about other things before I fall asleep too."
"Like what?" He asked suspiciously.
"Heath ledger, classes, Alicia and the twins, ice cream..." I reeled off a list for him.
"Ice cream!" he asked, indignantly. " I ce cream comes before me"
" Have you ever had Ben and Jerry's Cookie Dough Ice Cream?" he shook his head. "Then don't complain.
He grumbled under his breath bu ti chose to ignore it.
We had not reached the entrance out of school by the Great Hall and were headed out side. I still had no idea what was going on. Suddenly, I recognized the path we were headed down.
"Oliver," I demanded. "Are we going to the Quidditch pitch?"
He shrugged, "Maybe." The breeze was playing with our hair and the air was a bit chilling. "Cold?" he asked.
" A bit," I replied. He released my had and I instantly missed the feeling of his hand in mine.
" Well, hurry a bit then." He called, beginning to jog.
I rolled my eyes, but started too. "Oliver, if this is a new idea to whip your team into shape you're going to have a HARD time convincing Fred to date you."
He laughed, "You're too smart for me, Bell. I was hoping no one would realize my true intentions."
I caught up to him and soon fell in step with his long stride. There was no doubt about it, we were headed towards the pitch. I picked up the pace and he caught it easily. He edged it up a bit but I fell into it without a problem. Soon we were in a race heading straight for the supply shed.
I reached it first and pulled out my broom. "Catch this!" I hollered, taking off.
