"I see through those silent lies of yours, Liv."
𝐎𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐚 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐫, the girl who's known to be mute in school. No one knows why though, and she doesn't want anyone to know either. Only her best friend and this certain boy want to know why. S...
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When we walk back out to my car after returning our skates and all, I walk over to Olivia. She's putting her hair up, probably hot after skating as the rest of us have taken off our hoodies and stuff long ago. I wonder why she doesn't just take her hoodie off too.
"Shall we go to the diner again?" I ask her and she nods, smiling. Though the smile seems forced. I wonder if she actually is okay after how we fell.
I'm pretty sure my ass is bruised.
"Olivia," Divine gasps, sounding so worried when she says her name, making me wonder what's going on. "What happened to your neck?"
Then I see it, the purple marks around her neck. It looks like she applied plenty of makeup where her hair, when it's down, wouldn't hide it. But now that her hair is in this high ponytail, you can see what hadn't been covered-or the makeup just faded.
Olivia's eyes look anywhere but any of us, Danny and Ashton both looking just as worried as me and Divine. She quickly pulls down her hair, hiding it all again. She shakes her head, her way of saying nothing.
I've started to learn what certain nods and shakes of her head mean along with her hand gestures.
"Olivia something happened," I speak up quickly, my voice shaking. Divine looks at me and I see her watery eyes, I wonder if we're thinking the same thing.
We definitely are.
Olivia still gives no sort of response, probably wishing we'd move on from seeing these bruises around her neck-it looks like she had been choked.
Everything's adding up in my head.
The black eye, her walking as if she's in pain some days, this bruise around her neck. It's just a few things but these things don't just happen. You may be able to get a black eye on accident, possibly, but bruises around your neck like you'd been chocked? That's not an accident.
I would know.
I also know what it's like being confronted about the bruises, what it's like to stand around feeling vulnerable like this. I know how it all feels and it's not great. I can't just move on from the conclusions I'm getting about her, but I know how it is, I know how desperately she's wishing someone would change the subject or anything.
"Let's go get breakfast." Divine looks confused on why I'd change the subject completely, how I could just move on from something like that. Danny and Ashton nod, understanding slowly, Ashton most of all.
We all get in the car, Olivia sits up front with me again and everyone else in the back again. It's quiet as I drive to the diner, too quiet. Olivia looks out the window the whole time, but I keep seeing her bringing hand up to her cheek.
She's crying.
I don't know how to say or do anything to try and reassure her it's all okay without bringing everyone's attention back to her once again. I just try to drive quicker to the diner and hopefully the mood lightens up instead of this tension filling the car.
