Broken child | Adopted by Elizabeth Olsen

Chapter 6: Telling the truth

After I leave Lizzie's apartment, I go to the nearest café that's opened. I'm starving. I buy myself a plate of pancakes. I don't think I've ever eaten any pancakes this fast! To my surprise, I didn't feel bad after eating.

I don't exactly have a plan for my day. I'm just gonna wander around. I think I'm gonna go to a bookstore. Lizzie told me there are few bookstores near where you can buy a book, sit, relax and read there. Pretty cool, right?

I decide to buy a book about astronomy. I find a cozy place and start reading. Oh I'm gonna sit there for a long time!

Next days looked similar. I go to the café to eat breakfast, I wander around for few hours, I visit some interesting places (if I find any), I go and eat dinner. When it comes to a sleeping place, it's a hard thing. I don't really sleep anymore. It's been 48 hours since I woke up from my peaceful sleep in Lizzie's apartment. I don't know for how long I can last like this though. Yesterday, Lizzie texted me if I was okay. I was texting with her for some time. She really seems to care. Since I didn't have anything to do I asked her if she wants to get milkshakes and just hang out today. We're going to meet at 4pm in front of her apartment.

—

"Hi Tess!" Lizzie exclaims as she walks out of the building "How are you?"

"I'm okay, I guess" I answer

Even though, my head is still in the clouds, thinking about how miserable my life is, I'm pretty excited. Lizzie's my new friend and she's cool. Besides, I want to get bad thoughts out of my mind and hanging out with her seems to be a good idea. I'm less stressed and anxious when she's there.

"That's so great! Let's go get our milkshakes, shall we?" she asks grabbing my hand

McDonald's about 5km away from here, so we decided to drive there by a car. When we get there we order our milkshakes through McDrive. We get strawberry ones. The best flavor!

"Mmm, that's good" I say trying the milkshake

"Oh my god yes! So good!"

"Hey-um could I buy something to eat? I forgot to ask earlier and-"

I didn't have the chance to eat dinner, because I couldn't take my eyes off my book I bought earlier. I totally need to show it to Lizzie. It's a book about 2 men meeting in a psychiatric hospital and falling in love. I'm in the middle and I wonder what's gonna happen next. Is the main character gonna accept the fact he's in love with another man or is he gonna escape the hospital?

"Of course, sweetie. Should've told me sooner!"

We go back to buy 2 hamburgers and fries. I notice few or uh- more than few people staring at Lizzie. That's weird. She looks alright. No dirt on her clothes. No messed up hair. Maybe I'm the problem? Anyways, I don't know why are they staring.

We go back to the car and there's still some people staring at us. I wanna ask Lizzie what's going on but I don't know, maybe I shouldn't. I never told me anything about her job. She's told me about her sisters, Ashley and Mary-Kate and her best friends, Scarlett and Chris. She's also told me some funny stories from her childhood, her favorite books, even favorite food, but never her job. Maybe she's some kind of famous business woman that people recognize from the internet or something?

I wanna ask Lizzie if I can sleep at hers tonight. It's stupid, I know, but I haven't slept since the last time I was in her apartment and I'm exhausted. I'm drinking energy drinks to keep me awake.

"um Lizzie?" I ask, feeling kinda embarrassed

"Yeah?" She says taking a bite of her vegan hamburger