1.1 | daunting medleys

sixty-two | infinite wisdom

Tabitha had a giddy grin across her lips, and as she drove into her house, the gates closing behind her, her grin didn't die. She opened her car door, picking up her things and she noticed the pack of cupcakes sitting on the back seat. The letters T, H, B and A were left, gleaming dully in the light that shone from the moon. She took the cupcakes and walked in, her dad and Talia were watching the news, and as she saw the news on the TV, she froze. It was reporting the news of the arrival of the Governor of Massachusetts, and anyone with half a brain would be able to tell that it was Oliver's father. Governor Jackson avoided paparazzi, and was avoiding the questions that were thrown at him. His bodyguards flanked his lanky figure, and the way his shoulders sagged made it hard to assume that he was a governor.

His wife apparently and their two children were by his side, eyes as downcast as his. Tabitha shifted awkwardly on her feet, looking away from the TV.

Her father and Talia were looking at her, and she almost didn't want to look them back in the eyes. She lifted the pack, and smiled awkwardly. "Anyone want cupcakes?" Her dad chuckled, and Talia made space between them. She sat down, and avoided seeing the face of the man she'd seen fifteen minutes ago.

"So, are we going to address the elephant in the TV or?" Talia started, and Tabitha let out a small giggle.

Her dad interjected, switching the channels. "He looks a lot like your Oliver, and i've never heard you mention his parentage. Is he...?" Her cheeks flamed at the mention of her Oliver. She turned away from Talia's teasing grin, and focused on the cupcakes.

"That's his dad. He wasn't around for most of his life..." Tabitha said, and he nodded as she stopped talking. She didn't feel right delving into what he'd been through without his permission. Talia was silent, until she tried taking a cupcake from the pack, and hummed silently when she bit into them. Tabitha didn't blame her sister, they were that good. She offered one to her dad and he shook his head, he wasn't the biggest fan of sweets.

"I need to get to bed girls, I'm not as young as I used to be." He kissed her forehead, and bent to kiss Talia's before climbing up the stairs, a sluggish loneliness in his gait.

Talia looked just as concerned as Tabitha did. "Are you okay, dad?"

He smiled, and waved his hand as if to disperse her worries. "I will be. Don't stay up too late, okay?" They nodded, and watched him. Talia settled back in her seat, and Tabitha took a bite of her cupcake, just to avoid the oncoming conversation.

"So, are these from your Oliver?" Talia asked, dragging out the first word.

Tabitha groaned quietly. "Stop calling him my Oliver." Her cheeks flamed, and the cold draft did nothing to cool her down. Her fingers dug into her thigh to stop her smile, because she knew it would be giddy and lovesick the way she thought it'd be whenever she thought of her boyfriend. Talia caught it as soon as it came out. She squealed and held onto Tabitha's arms, eyes light as she bounced on her knees.

"Did something happen tonight?"

Tabitha shifted her eyes from her inquisitive sister, and turned to the TV. "He asked me to be his girlfriend." She said, and even though she'd said yes, something about the situation made it easy to fall into the deceit that it wasn't real, but it was. Oliver was her boyfriend. Talia squealed again, and hugged her tightly.

"About fucking time." Tabitha snorted, pulling her hair into a high ponytail. Talia continued. "I mean, everyone with eyes could see that you and Oliver are so in love with each other that it's sickening being with both of you and if even I could see it, then you both had it bad for each other."

Talia settled, and laid on Tabitha's shoulder. "I want to apologise. I'm sorry for springing it on you that Toby and I are dating. I mean, when you told me that he liked me, I kinda didn't believe it because he's an idiot. I also liked him too because I'm an idiot, and we weren't talking as much as I'd like to. I also didn't want to say anything because you would call me an idiot for not knowing, and I'm sorry." She simpered, and Tabitha giggled quietly.

"It's okay. I'm also sorry for not communicating as much as I'm supposed to. I'm working on it." She said, her voice not leaving a whisper. "Besides, you two are so adorable together. He looks head over heels for you."

Even in the dark, Tabitha knew Talia was blushing, her sister shoved her and ran up to her room as Tabitha's cheeky laughter followed her. Tabitha stood up, and turned off the TV, she pushed the cupcakes in the fridge and walked up to her room, the silence deafening. She sat on her bed, and sent Oliver a quick text that she'd gotten home.

He replied immediately: 'can i call? my sperm donor isn't here.' Tabitha called him, and his voice floated through her speaker as he picked up immediately.

"Hi." Her heart skipped a beat, and she bit her lip to hide a grin, not that he'd see it, or that he would care.

Tabitha went to shut the windows, as a cold draft blew across her fingers. "Hi Ollie. Is everything okay?"

There was shuffling and his muffled voice filtered through. "I'm about to go to bed. My sperm donor decided he was going to continue trying to get me to forgive him tomorrow." She frowned, and was about to say something. "But I'll be fine. So wipe that cute frown off your face." He chuckled, and Tabitha shifted in her seat.

"I wasn't frowning." She argued, and he let out a disbelieving snort. "Ollie." She called out, and he hummed as a response. "Your sperm donor is here with his wife and his children. I saw it on the news."

There was shuffling, and silence for a while before he answered. "I know. He asked me to go see them tomorrow. I told him no, that's when he left. Do you think I was too harsh?"

She shimmied out of her gown, and turned to her phone, picking at her nails. "I don't think my opinion matters, Ollie. I didn't go through what you went through. I wasn't there when he..."

"Abandoned me?" He said bluntly.

Tabitha sighed. "Yes. Any suggestion I make will be coming from a place of ignorance. Do whatever feels better right with you. If you want to forgive him then do, if you don't, then don't."

"What did I ever do without you?"

She giggled. "Suffered with my infinite wisdom." She said as she laid in bed, sleepy yet a lazy grin on her face as Oliver spoke about literally anything and everything, she knew that she was irrevocably in love with Oliver Saunders and she was way too deep to consider loving someone else. Not that she could. He'd charm her back, and God, she didn't mind.

*************

Walking into school the day of the concert was weird. There was a buzz, and everyone seemed to be chattering excitedly. She walked to her locker and pushed her books in, taking only the ones she needed for her morning classes.

Tabitha scanned the halls for Oliver, as she'd called him and he said he was in school already. Ariana and Axel were talking by her locker and her eyes widened considerably when Ariana kissed Axel shortly on his cheek. His face reddened when he looked up and saw Tabitha.

"Dimples." He greeted, and walked away, not before turning on his heel to kiss Tabitha on her cheeks.

"Hi Axel." She said, and he waved at her with his hands behind his head. Tabitha bit her lip to avoid the oncoming smile. She knew that as her and Ollie spent more time together, she'd inadvertently pushed them together.

"Not a word, Tabby." Ariana said, her lips pressed in a shaky grin. She linked their hands together as they walked to their first class that day. Tabitha made the motion of zipping her mouth shut, earning a side look from her friend. "So, you look happier than usual. I'm guessing it has to do with a certain boy, whose name starts with an O and ends with a liver." Tabitha groaned, almost reluctant to talk. She looked away from Ariana, and to her boyfriend who was talking to Axel. He finally looked up at her and gave her one of his special flirty smiles, and her heart thudded against her ribcage and she waved at him, almost nervous as to what to do.

Ariana looked between them, and her eyes widened. "Are you two dating?" She asked in a hush.

*********

this is a shitty cliffhanger. sorry. i am regretting this author's note already so yeah. anyway, this book is ending soon,and i wrote letters? that aiden wrote to tabitha, and im publishing them soon. that's all. bye. happy easter.

25th July, three months later. ha.