CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
olive's route home is almost always busy. on any normal day she would not be able to sit down. when the two stepped onto the train carriage there was only one free seat. calum sits down ,pulling olive onto his lap. she let's out a silent laugh, giving him an eskimo kiss before reaching in her pocket and taking out her phone to play their playlist.
this time, the first song that came on shuffle was sweater weather by the neighbourhood.
"all i am is a man, i want the world in my hands" calum whispers to olive, "hate the beach but i stand in california with my toes in the sand" olive smiles, taking in his voice. "use the sleeved of my sweater , let's have an adventure, head in the clouds but my gravity's centred"
calum reaches up to touch olives neck " touch my neck, and i'll touch yours" olive follows along "you in those little high waisted shorts ,oh."
they stop singing when a little girl taps on olives shoulder. "yes?" olive asks with a smile. the little girl giggles, leaning over her mother's lap. "your boyfriend is like a handsome prince." olive laughs, nodding.
"i agree. he's my handsome prince." the little girl was about to reply when her mother stands up, apologising to olive and telling her that it's time to go. the little girl nods, "im lola".
"nice to meet you lola, im olive" they playfully shake hands before the little girl was dragged off the train by her mum.
"aw olive, you're so cute with kids!" calum said while pinching her cheeks.
olive nods, blushing "yeah , i used go have a little sister." calum made note of the used to have, meaning not anymore. "i mean, shes not my sister now - they blocked me out." when olive talks about her parents, she is usually very calm, shows no emotion. she doesn't care for them. but when she is talking about her little sister, its obvious that she still cares for her even now.
"how long ago was it that you actually spoke to your family?" he asks. olive thought about it. when was it? she finally came to the conclusion that it was around three years ago, "it was during the christmas holidays, when i was only 16. we had gotten into an argument about something silly, eventually it had ended in me being picked up by social services and taken to a half way house. of course by then, i had already passed the age of having any foster family prospects - not that i had wanted one - so i just waited a year until i got my first job."
calum took it all in, listening to every word, registering her fingers tugging at his jacket as she spoke. "so, you haven't seen them since that day?" he asks, wondering what olive had ever done to deserve this life. he finally realised how alone she must have felt and why she wants to take her own life.
"not once. i don't miss them though," surprising calum, "i miss family. the home cooked meals, the security. the look you give your siblings when you are keeping a secret from your parents! i used to have that, and then it was all taken away from me by the profile." she admits.
calum understands, he couldn't ever imagine being abandoned by his family over something that he had no control over. "well," he says "i promise you that the next time i go home, you can come with me. join my family, i don't mind sharing, baby. family means someone i love, and that's you."
"oh calum," she says, leaning in to kiss him "how did i ever get so lucky?"
-unedited
