Begin Again 2: RESET || Nate Maloley

{ fifteen }

O L I V I A

"Care to tell me how you know about the engagement," I asked my speechless Mother. "Because I sure as shit didn't tell you. I didn't tell Andrea, Matt, or the damn Doctor. So tell me, mother. Enlighten me as to how you magically know this information."

She shook her head subtly and refused to look me in the eye.

"First of all," she finally spoke. "You will watch your tone and your language with m--"

"I don't care!" I shouted. "I'm in my 20's and I can say what I damn well please! How...did you know? Huh? Did you see him?"

"I carried you for nine months-"

"Oh grow up!" I fumed. "You are keeping me from the man I love because you don't approve? I wonder how you're any different than the people out there in the world that feel its their job to dictate who can love who!"

"That's nonsense. You are my daughter and I've clearly seen how bad he is for you, Olivia Delaney. He's got you thinking about quitting college, he slept in your bedroom when you two visited even though I was clear that he was to sleep in your sister's room. Then he takes you on a cross-country joyride and you nearly get killed because of his poor choices in life and poor choices of friends. I don't care if you're 40, you are my child! You can do better! You deserve...so much more! I love you enough to try and protect you from that path you so-badly want to travel down. Now here you are sitting in that damn bed and being ungrateful!"

"Are you-"

"I'm not done," she shouted. "I did see him, yes. He tried to storm into the hospital the other day. I don't know how he figured out you were here, but he did. Security handled him no matter how much he fought."

"He fought to see me?" Tears quickly filled my eyes as I looked at my mother with disbelief. "Why can't you see how much he--"

"Anyway, Olivia. Your new apartment is being set up as we speak. I will pay the rent every month if and only if you return to school. No monkey business." She straightened out her blazer and fixed her hair a bit. She was done with this conversation, but I wasn't.

"Where...is Nate," I asked through clenched teeth.

She shrugged nonchalantly. "Probably out running the streets again and not doing anything productive."

. . .

N A T E

A milky white cloud of smoke escaped my mouth and straight up into the air. Swazz was on the way from the airport to meet us. Kev and Big Mike were shooting pool. I wish I would've hung out with Big Mike more growing up, but his mother didn't like me much. Nowadays she's cool, she's learned more about me and isn't too harsh anymore. I remember coming over here to Big Mike's basement after school and just shootin' the breeze: music, good smoke, video games, & sports. Then I'd always have to be out before she got home. 

Because maybe, just maybe, if I hung out more with Mike & Kev instead of Foosh, Kalin & Myles, I wouldn't be in this situation. I would've still met Liv. Mike was the one who told me to make a profile on that dating website. So Andrea still would hit me up, the double date still would've happened, Andrea and I still wouldn't work out, and life would take its course with Liv like it should. Only this time, there wouldn't be any trouble. And who knows...maybe Foosh wouldn't die by my hand.

The whole Foosh thing...I kept pushing it to the back of my mind even though I knew I shouldn't. I don't like showing signs of trauma to anyone. I'm a strong individual and people view me as such; so I have to keep it that way.