21.
Elliot had held her tight for a long time and Olivia could feel the fear running through his veins. He seemed so sure that Kathy's baby wasn't his, but he was afraid nonetheless. Maybe he was afraid she wouldn't want to be with him after all, no matter the outcome of this mess. And she had to admit that all things considered, it might be easier just to walk away now. Her mother hated Elliot and if Kathy or her parents wouldn't agree to a prenatal paternity test, they were in for a very long wait. Too long. But she wasn't ready to give Elliot up. Not unless he wanted to end it with her, and it didn't look like that yet.
They'd had no choice but to part after a while but they were both sad now. And Olivia knew that her mother would have a few things to say to her as well once they were both home. She could imagine it already. All Serena's demons would surface again and it wouldn't be pretty. If she had a choice, she wouldn't go home at all. But she didn't have a choice. Where would she go?
Olivia was the first to get home. She wished she could call someone just to talk about everything, but she didn't want to be caught on the phone by her mother. And so she went to her room and hoped for the best.
…
When Elliot got home that afternoon, he immediately felt that something was off. There was an eerie silence in the house and he saw his mother duck into the kitchen when he took off his jacket to hang it on the rack by the front door. When he walked into the living room, his father was sitting there in his armchair, apparently waiting for him.
"Sit down," Joe ordered, without so much as a greeting.
Elliot walked into the living room and shrugged.
"What's up, dad?"
His mother came back into the room, carrying a tray with tea and cookies. She seemed to have come back down to earth for the moment, and was trying to alleviate some of the tension in the air by offering them all some tea. Elliot sat down on the couch opposite his father, and Bernadette sat down next to her son.
"Go on, take some," she said encouragingly.
"Mrs. Malone called me earlier."
Elliot should have known this would happen, but he hadn't been prepared. And he most certainly hadn't been prepared to hear his father's next words.
"Now you're gonna be doing the right thing by that girl. Your mother and I will help you, and so will the Malones but I don't wanna hear any nonsense about an abortion or what not. Understood?"
"Sir," Elliot started, but Joe cut him off.
"There is nothing to talk about, Elliot. You will do as you're told and that's final."
"Sir," he tried again.
His mother put a hand on his arm and he looked at his mother for support instead.
"Mom. It's not mine. That baby's not mine!"
"You're saying you didn't sleep with her? Because that's not what you told Mrs. Malone the other day!"
Joe sounded a little more challenging now and Elliot braced himself. This was not the fight he had expected to get into once the news got out. Everyone just assumed he was the father? Even his own parents?
"No sir. I did sleep with her. But I was careful. It can't be mine. We broke up almost three months ago."
"Exactly. Now don't tell me they didn't teach you about these things in Biology class, Elliot."
"I know how it works," Elliot huffed. 'll take any test they have. Any test to prove it. Kathy cheated on me dad. That's why we broke up."
"Well, the girl says you're the father so what can we do about that?"
"She …"
Elliot jumped up, several knots having formed in his stomach. He was ready to punch something but that wouldn't go over well with his father. He started pacing instead. He couldn't believe Kathy was just assuming he was the father. Or maybe she knew he wasn't. Maybe this was just another way of getting back at him; or a way of getting him back. He didn't know what the blonde wanted anymore. All he knew was that he did not want to be with her. He had to convince his father that they needed a test. He couldn't go back to Kathy now. He thought of Olivia and her sad brown eyes and he swallowed hard.
"Dad. You wouldn't want to help us out and pay for stuff if this kid isn't even mine, right?" he pleaded.
Joe squinted and looked up at his son. Then his eyes flicked to his wife, who had gasped softly.
"Of course not," Joe barked. "But if it is …"
"If it's mine, I'll take responsibility. I'll take care of it, I swear."
Elliot felt like an anvil was pressing down on his chest but he had no choice. He had to make this promise if he was going to get any tests done. He took a deep breath and added firmly,
"But I'll need proof and I'm not waiting around for six months to get it."
Joe was silent then, thinking things over. After a minute he asked Elliot,
"And you're sure she's slept with other guys."
"Yes sir. I caught her in the act."
"My poor baby," his mother whispered and despite how fragile his mother was, her support did give him strength right now.
Joe was staring straight ahead, nodding slightly. After another minute of silence, he agreed.
"Alright. I'm not paying for someone else's kid. I'll call Mrs. Malone and have them set up a test. And no cheating, Elliot! I'm driving you there myself."
...
The door slammed shut too hard and Olivia could hear the sound of bottles rattling when her mother got home. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Things were going to get ugly, she knew it. She heard her mother shuffle around the apartment, apparently putting a few groceries away. Not that Olivia expected her mother to cook. Not tonight. She knew the signs. There was a fresh stash of booze in the house.
"Olivia! Are you home?!" her mother yelled, and she called back right away, not wanting to anger the woman.
"Yes mother! I'm in my room!"
She heard more shuffling and muttering and she wasn't sure if she was supposed to hear what her mother was saying. She would have to come out of her room to make sure, or risk another tirade that she wasn't paying attention. Olivia slipped out of her room and padded to the kitchen, where her mother was putting away her bottles in all the usual places. Did she really think her daughter wouldn't find them? A huge bottle of vodka remained on the counter though, with half a glass already next to it. The other half was no doubt already on its way to Serena's bloodstream.
When Serena spotted her, she let out a huff and stared at Olivia for a moment before saying,
"Well? Didn't I tell you that boy was bad news? Now I'm even more glad I told you to stay away from him!"
Olivia knew full well that she was talking about Elliot, but feigned ignorance.
"What boy mom? What are you talking about?"
Serena scoffed.
"As if you haven't heard. The whole school knows it! That Stabler kid with the temper! He knocked up a girl!"
"Oh, that." Olivia tried to sound dismissive. "Well, that happens a lot, right? You know, kids fooling around …"
Serena was having none of it though.
"Fooling around? You call that fooling around? For all we know, he forced her. They do that, you know, if you don't put out! I should know!"
"Mom …"
Olivia knew what would be next. Serena grabbed her glass and downed the remaining vodka in one go, then poured herself another glass right away. Then she began reciting the story again that Olivia had heard so many times, accompanied by her own assessment of all men from all walks of life all around the globe.
"Men have no respect for women when it comes down to it. Life is not some fairy tale and there are no princes who come to rescue a damsel in distress. If they can't get you to give them what they want, they just take it anyway. They grab you and have their way with you, and then discard you like garbage. And before you know it, they've fathered another little demon, just like you!"
Serena pointed an accusing finger at Olivia, who stood with her back pressed against the wall of the living room, trying to stay perfectly still. Anything could set her mother off now and she was trying to think of a way to leave her mother to drink alone. She swallowed the pain of the words her mother had hurled at her. She was the devil's spawn. A demon. She shouldn't even be here. She'd heard it all before but it never stopped hurting.
Serena downed a second glass of vodka, poured herself a third and took her glass and the bottle with her to the couch. Olivia stayed where she was, her back still against the wall, relieved for now that her mother wasn't coming at her. Once Serena was seated, she dared to move and tried to scoot away to the small corridor leading to their bedrooms. But Serena caught the movement in the corner of her eye and turned her head to look at her. She wasn't drunk yet, Olivia could see it in the woman's dark eyes.
"Men are scum, Olivia. Don't ever be suckered into believing otherwise. They pretend to be nice because they want something from you. But if you play hard to get to keep their attention, they'll turn on you. Mark my words."
Olivia nodded quickly. She wasn't about to contradict her mother, but she said things like this from time to time that made Olivia wonder. And hope, against all better judgment. What if things hadn't been like she said? What if she'd known all along who her baby's father was?
"Is that what happened to you?"
The soft words had left her mouth before she realized it but she couldn't take them back now. For a moment, the silence in the room was deafening. And then Serena jumped up and screamed at her,
"You know what happened to me! I told you what happened to me!"
She stepped closer to where her daughter was standing and Olivia flinched.
"Why do you have to keep bringing that up anyway! It's not like I could forget, with you walking around here every day!"
"You're the one who keeps bringing it up, mom."
Olivia didn't know where she'd gotten the strength to speak up, but her mother wasn't completely drunk yet so maybe she'd hear her for once, and actually listen.
"Don't you talk back at me, young lady!"
"Well, you do! But just because one man hurt you, that doesn't mean they're all bad!"
Serena huffed and took another gulp of her vodka. She didn't even wince, being used to the strong liquor.
"They all just want one thing, Olivia. Even the ones that look like fine family men. You don't know what goes on behind closed curtains."
"Neither do you! You never even bothered to try again."
It was one of Olivia's biggest frustrations. They could have been happy if she'd had a stepfather. A real family.
"Try what again?!" Serena screeched. "I never even got to try once! That monster ruined me forever! And what do I have to show for it? You! And I'll be damned if history repeats itself."
Olivia wanted to think that her mother loved her, and that's why she was so concerned. She wanted to believe it badly but it was so hard when she kept stressing that she was a demon child. Unwanted. Ultimately unloved.
"Why do you even care what happens to me," she asked, frustration getting the better of her. "If I'm a demon like you say …"
She was cut off by a hard slap across the face. She hadn't even seen her mother coming.
"Shut up! Just shut up!" Serena screamed. The alcohol must be kicking in. But she wasn't answering the question. She never did.
"Why do you care!" Olivia insisted, breathing through the stinging pain on her cheek, but Serena didn't answer her question.
She turned away from her to take another sip of her drink. Her mother didn't care about anything except her next glass of booze. Why should she listen to her at all? Olivia muttered something under her breath and suddenly Serena whipped around again and hurled her empty glass at her daughter.
"Shut up!" she screeched, beside herself.
The glass shattered when it hit the wall, and a shard nicked Olivia's cheek. She cried out and covered her cheek with her hand, and made a beeline for the bathroom. She had just found her escape for the night but it was an incredibly painful one. Blood was already seeping between her finger as she tried to close and lock the bathroom door with one hand. Her mother hadn't followed her and she hoped the woman would just pass out soon. She looked in the mirror and removed her right hand. She gasped. There was so much blood. How was she going to hide the gash on her cheek in school tomorrow?
...
To be continued ...