Keeping Love

Chapter 10

We spent a bit more time leisurely walking around time before catching a bus back home.

"Is Joanne going to be ok if we go back to hers?" I asked.

"Yeah." Olivia nodded, "she could probably do with the company."

Olivia turned out to be correct. As soon as we walked through the front door Joanne seemed to be waiting for us.

"There you are!" She said manically, "I've been going crazy here all day!"

"You literally said you wanted to stay home by yourself! And you could have just gone out!" I didn't understand that girl sometimes.

Olivia shot me a look that told me to be nice.

"Yes well. Where were you?" She asked us as we all went into the front room.

"We went into town. Did some shopping." Olivia replied.

"I don't see any bags." Joanne's eyes narrowed at us.

Olivia held out her necklace, "Joe got me this." She smiled. I smiled too.

Joanne looked closely at it, "pretty." She said.

"I need to do something." Joanne said practically jumping in her seat, "I feel so restless. What can we do?"

I looked at Olivia worried, this was over the top behaviour even for Joanne.

"What kind of thing do you want to do?" Olivia asked.

"Something to get some energy out!" She said getting to her feet and bouncing around, "I feel like I have too much energy."

"Do you feel ok?" I asked her.

"No! I have too much energy."

"Besides that." I rolled my eyes, "you're acting strange."

She looked at me hurt, "I just want to do something with my cousin and my friend."

"Ok. Ok. We can do something." I said, she almost looked like she was going to cry, "what do you want to do?"

She sat down deflated, "I don't know."

"Right. We'll think of something." I looked at Olivia and shot her a worried look. She looked worried too. At least she knew what was going on.

"Let's have some tea while we decide." I said, "Olivia will you help me with that?" I just wanted to talk to her away from Joanne.

"You have to tell me what's going on." I said once we turned the kettle on, "I'm really worried now. She's not acting normal. I think there's something really wrong with her."

"I can't." Olivia looked upset, "you saw how she got what she thought I had told you earlier on."

"Does Carol know at least." I would feel better if Carol knew.

Olivia shook her head, "only me."

"But why? If there's something wrong I can help. Carol can help."

"Look Joe it's not my place." Olivia said as she poured out three cups of tea. 

I carried through two cups of tea handing one to Joanne.

"Joanne I know somethings going on." I said sitting down, "Olivia won't tell me what but I'm really worried about you. Will you please tell me?" I asked her.

Olivia sat next to me and nodded at Joanne. She seemed to want Joanne to tell me.

Joanne looked at her tea. "I can't." She said. She looked like she was going to cry.