PUBLISHING PAPERBACK (after writing the final draft, I wrote this 2 years ago.)
"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 anyo...
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I was trying to catch up with school and then maybe go to college after a gap year probably, I write for mom as we've been catching up more. I'm so fucking happy to hear that I won't be moving schools or anything when I go to live with mom now.
"That is so good, I'm proud-" Moms cut off by a knock on the door.
"Hey, Liv." It's Adrian. He walks over to me, looking at mom suspiciously, leaning down to kiss my head. He's probably looking for Admira too who has gone to get coffee. "Who's this?"
"Is this your boyfriend?" Mom asks me first with a huge smile on her face. I had mentioned having a boyfriend a couple times.
"Yeah," Adrian says as I nod happily. "I'm Adrian, who are you?"
"I'm Olivia's mom." Adrian looks back and forth between me and mom skeptically, for some reason. I smile at him and wince but trying to assure him it's fine.
"Oh, okay. Well... nice to meet you, Mrs?" He doesn't at all know what to say, sitting beside me on the bed.
"It's Ford but you don't need to call me Mrs anything, it's too formal. Call me Lauren." She holds out her hand and Adrian shakes it, nodding, just as Divine and Ashton walk in.
"Hi, Liv!" Divine says, eyes widening when she sees mom. She takes a few seconds, trying to figure out if it's really her I'm sure. "And... Lauren. Oh."
Mom smiles brightly, standing to pull Divine into a hug as Divine lets it happen, still shocked. Mom pulls away and smiles while looking between me and Divine. "Gosh, you've both grown up so much."
"Yeah, that's kind of what happens when you leave for years at a time," Divine says bluntly and Ashton chokes on his water, Adrian holding something back. I hit Divine's leg the best I can from in the bed, causing her to mutter a 'Sorry.'
After a horrible minute of awkward silence mom starts a conversation, a sad look on her face after what Divine said. "So, who are you?" She asks Ashton happily.
"I'm Ashton." He shrugs and Divine sits next to him. He whispers something in her ear and she nods, looking at mom.
"He's our friend," Divine motions to me and Adrian too, not hesitating to answer her questions. "And my boyfriend." I smile, wondering when they finally started dating.
"Where's Danny and Noah?" Adrian asks Divine and Ashton, moms face wonders at Noah's name but quickly changes. There could be like a thousand different people named Noah here.
"Danny's mom needed him home and Noah's dad wanted something, I don't know." Ashton shrugs again, wrapping an arm around Divine.
A few minutes later Sienna walks in, motioning for mom to follow her again and I see Admira in the hall also. Mom smiles at me before walking out, leaving me with Adrian, Divine, and Ashton.
"Your mom's just... back?" Divine asks the second she's out of the room and I nod.
"What's going on with that?" Adrian asks, looking to where mom is with Sienna and Admira.
