Him

Chapter Four

I hear my mom yelling from downstairs, she sounds urgent. I run downstairs, clad in my joggers but no shirt. I reach the living room and see my mom looking down at the floor. I don't even understand who, but something bad happened.
"M..mom?" I say, scared for an answer.

"Oliver, I'm so sorry."

"Mom, what happened?" I ask, my words shaking.

"Hope." my mom says, standing up suddenly and walking away briskly.

I freeze where I'm standing. Hope. Hope? What could've happened to Hope? Could my mom be apologizing for the fact we broke up? No, that can't be it. I never even told her we broke up. I walk slowly back to my room and pick up my phone up from where I left it the night before. I have seven missed calls from Hope's mother. I quickly call her back.

"Oli..Oliver? Thank god you finally picked up." her mom says, her voice trembling.

"What happened?" I ask her, feeling my chest tighten.

"Hope got into a really bad accident last night. And-"

"Oh my god, please tell me she's okay. I know me and her aren't on best terms but she's my best friend before she's my ex. Oh god Miss please tell me she's okay."

"Oliver." her mom says, I can almost hear the desperation in her voice.

"...yes?"

"Hope is dead." The phone clicks dead and I fall to the floor. No no no no no. She can't be. This. This is all my fault. Why didn't I ? I sit on my floor and just cry. I feel numb. This is all because of Xavier. If he hadn't shown up. If I hadn't fallen into his lap. There just had to be something that could've changed.

+*+*+*+*+

Before I know , the weekend is over. Its Monday, and I roll out of bed and throw on some random clothes. I check my hair in the mirror and I look dead. My eyes are swollen and red from my crying. I've barely slept.
I walk to the front door without even talking and thats when I find it. It's whatever Hope had thrown on the floor whenever I wouldn't sleep with her. I pick it up off the floor and examine it, I instantly recognize it.

It's my promise ring to her..I gave it to her before I even understood what I was..before I was ever confused..I should've talked to her about my feelings before all of this..
I shove the ring in my pocket and head to school.

+*+*+*+*+

"Alright class. It's partner project time. Pick a partner and finish this by the end of class." Miss Pelgris's voice cuts through the silence of class. I forgot I was even here. I really don't know why I came. The one reason I came to school isn't ever coming back. I just don't get it.

"Oliver..?" a voice breaks me out of my thoughts and I look up to see Xavier.

"Yeah?" I say back, hearing the emptiness in my voice.

"I'm gonna work with you whether you like it or not,because I have to ask you something." Xavier tells me sternly.

"Okay." I deadpan, pulling my notebook out of bag and starting on the work.

"Are you okay? I heard about Hope, and I know y'all were close just from the way you acted in the halls. Even though I only saw y'all together for a day, cause that was the day I got here."

"Yeah. I'm fine." I answer him, feeling extremely guilty about lying to this masterpiece of a human.

"Well, clearly you're not fine, and I know right now isn't the best time to talk about this. Meet me for coffee tomorrow night?" Xavier tells me, resting his hand on my shoulder and looking at me lovingly.

"I..well..I guess.."