call me demi // miss lovato

seven;

Olivia's POV

"Okay I think I get it." I smile to Demi after I finish the equation she got me to do, similar to the one on the board in class.

After a quick glance she shakes her head and takes a pen from next to me. "No, see you put the negative sign on the wrong number," she crosses out the error and corrects it.

My shoulders slump and I let out an agitated sigh, "That's the fourth one I've gotten wrong, this is hopeless." I lean my head on the table for a second before gathering myself again and sitting up.

I can do this.

It's just math, Olivia. You're really gonna let numbers ruin your night?

I roll my eyes at that thought, there is definitely a lot more on my mind than stupid numbers.

"Okay, I'll try another one." I look towards Demi who hasn't taken her eyes off me the entire time. I'm not complaining.

She breaks the eye contact to look through a textbook for another equation before finding one and sitting the book closer to me.

"This ones a little tricky but just take your time, you're in no rush." She says this while sending me a comfortable look, causing my stress levels go down a little. She's right. I'm not in a rush, I'm gonna take my time.

After writing down the equation and jotting down a quick sketch of how to work it out, I take my time in working this little fucker out. After a few minutes, I write a long answer down on the space below and hope to God that it's right.

Demi scans over the numbers before looking at me with a pained expression, "Here you wrote two," she points to one of the million numbers and frowns, "It's three."

My shoulders drop once again and I lean back into my chair.

This is hopeless. Everything is just so fucking hopeless. First my parents, then Blake, and now I can't even answer a goddam question correctly.

"Olivia, it's okay. It's just a question, a hard one as well." Demi breaks me out of my train of thought making me realise I have a steady flow of tears running down my face.

Quickly wiping them away, I bring my knees into my chest and lean my head back onto the chair. "I'm sorry," I barely get out while forcing a laugh, "This is dumb," I gesture to my outburst.

"No, don't be sorry. It isn't dumb." She looks down at me and the position I'm in and frowns again. "How about we put all this away and call it a night?" She says as she starts to close all the books up and put pens away.

"Good idea." I respond quickly, helping her with her things and wiping away the tears that keep falling. I have no clue why I can't stop myself from crying.

Before I can get a grip on my emotions I start to sob, trying to distract myself by gathering the stationary in front of me.

"Olivia?" I hear Demi quietly say from next to me, I can see her out of the corner of my eye put the textbook back on the table and turn to me.

"I'm fine." I say reassuringly, barely even reassuring myself. I can't do this in front of her, I can't just have a breakdown in her house it would be so awkward for her.

I continue to try and pack up the work I did, or didn't do, even though there isn't anything else to pack up, I fidget with the pens and paper to try and distract myself.

"Olivia." Demi's tone is serious this time, causing me to stop in my actions and take a deep breath. "Sit down, calm down." Her tone is back to its usual softness and I do what she says.

Taking a seat, I sink into the wooden chair and stare blankly in front of me into her kitchen. Hot tears still making their way down my face.

"This isn't about the math is it?"

I shake my head and let out a sob.

"You can talk to me, you know?"

She places a comforting hand on my knee, causing me to look at her.

Oh god. She's beautiful.

"I may be your teacher at school, but here I'm a friend." The corner of her mouth lifts up to form a pitiful smile. Except it wasn't really pitiful, more concerned.

"Thank you." I manage to choke out, my throat hoarse from trying not to cry. "I just feel really strange, you know." I gesture vaguely, "Everything feels off without my parents, especially my mom."

I can't believe I'm actually opening up to her, it took me a while to tell Charlie a lot about my life and how I'm feeling sometimes. Even then, I barely tell her the details.

Demi nods her head and waits for me to continue.

I don't know what else to say.

She realised that I'm stuck and takes a deep breath herself before speaking.

"I know how you feel. Exactly how you must be feeling. I never got along too well with my parents either." She crosses her legs in the chair, "You aren't alone. I won't let you go through this alone."

My heart flutters at those last few words. The thought of doing this with her makes me happy. Doing anything with her makes me happy.

I smile at her, "I really appreciate that, thank you Demi."

"Anytime, I'm here for you."

We sit in a comfortable silence for a few seconds before I look at the clock next to her fridge. 11:03pm.

Demi follows my gaze to the clock and groans to herself, "I should probably go to bed, you don't have to go tomorrow but I probably should." Getting up, she tucks in her chair. "I'll show you to your room."

Following her up the stairs and into a spare room, I plop my bag down next to the bed and turn back around to her. "Thank you again, for letting me stay here and, we'll, everything else you've done for me."

Demi's cheeks turn a little red and she sends a small smile my way. "It's really nothing."

"It's definitely something."

It's definitely something.

We stay in yet another comfortable silence before I reach for my bag again.

"Well I'll leave you to it." Demi says before moving to the doorway. "I hope you sleep well, goodnight Liv."

"Goodnight Demi."

We exchange a kind smile before she shuts the door behind her.

'Liv', I think about the name, my nickname, as I collapse back onto the bed behind me. Barely anyone calls me that.

Before I let my head go crazy again, I quickly change into the spare clothes I bought and get under the covers.

Things may be crazy at the moment. But I feel at peace.

———-

first update in a whileeeeeee haha i hope everyone's doing okay! happy new year!