Between the Lines✔ [COMPLETED]

[39] Sweet Crap

Malory

January is over and mom is, thankfully, heading off to another international job before Valentine's Day greets her –God forbid that good-for-nothing snake, Ace, finds her where she goes. She'll be in Georgia, tending to a couple animals, and I'll be here, doing what I do best; laying low. 

"Time is going so fast," Olivia tells me, "Can you believe finals are almost here? Our final ever school exams?"

I scoff. "You make it sound as though we're not coming back for Year Six, Olive."

"Officially, we'd be five-year graduates, that's what I mean," she tells me.

"I know, I know," I say, rolling my eyes.

"I wonder where that mischievous mistake is today?"

Though, really, I don't believe Kyle is a mistake. I'm just a bitch who won't admit that out loud. 

"I wonder where the gorgeous geek is," Olivia says. 

I turn to her, my brow raising, "Well excuse me, Miss Holy, when did you pick up on nick names?"

"I'm learning," she says. 

I stare at my best friend for a few moments before bursting out into laughter. "It's still strange to me... how your mother changed her attitude towards you so suddenly."

Olivia pauses, and I'm forced to halt to look back at her. She thinks for a moment, and then turns to me with a strangely puzzled expression. "Yesterday... do you know what she told me?"

"What did she say?" I ask, amused.

"She said, 'Olivia, there's breakfast on the stove, oh! And Jessica called to ask you to fill in for her for the solo song this afternoon because she has business to take care of, but honestly, you don't have to do it for her. That was her responsibility.' Then she went back to making more pancakes while I yawned and struggled to blink. I didn't even process what she'd said until you brought her up."

"That is..." I pause, "Strange... indeed..."

"She's being... extremely strange. Is this how normal parents act?" she asks me, distressed.

"Listen," I say, staring at her pointedly, "Have you met my mom? She's in the house for a month and gone for like five at a time. You're asking the wrong person about what normal parents are like."

"True," she says, frowning. "How long is your mom going to be gone this time?"

"She told me it's a month, but I know better," I say, shrugging.

"Right," Olive says. "Right."

___

"Guys please you have to help me," Ron says, squeezing my hand and shaking me vigorously. "Please, please, please, please, pleeeeeaaassse!"

"Ron," I say, controlling my peace, "Let go of me or I'll kick you."

"You should listen to her, man, believe me... I've been abused by her a lot," Kyle says.

Ron doesn't let go. He continues to beg. "Malory, Kyle, Valentine's Day is in two days. Please help me to do this, it would mean so much to her, you know that!"

"Gosh," I say, grimacing at him. His pouty expression and puppy eyes are ridiculous, but they draw me to pity him and I end up feeling like I actually want to help. "You're lucky you're being a gentleman to do something like that," I say.