Best lovers

Home is where the heart is...right?

After school, Oliver drops me off at my place, as usual. I wave him off with a casual "See ya," but it's more for show—if I had it my way, I'd probably be heading back with him. As soon as his car disappears down the street, I take a deep breath and head inside, bracing myself.

The house is eerily quiet, like always, with the faint smell of my mom's perfume lingering in the air. She's probably still at work, and Dad won't be home for another couple of hours, which means I've got a brief window of peace.

I head upstairs, dump my bag on the floor of my room, and flop down on the bed, letting out a long sigh. The silence here is different from the peace at Oliver's place. His house is loud, full of laughter and chaos, where nobody cares if you make a mess or talk too loud. Here, though, it feels like every sound is just another excuse for criticism, a reminder that I don't quite fit into this family like I'm supposed to.

I stay there, half-asleep, until I hear the front door open and Mom's heels clicking on the floor downstairs.

"Sam?" Her voice carries up the stairs, tight and clipped.

"Yeah," I call back, keeping my voice as neutral as possible. I don't know if she's in a good mood or not yet, and I'd rather not push any buttons. I sit up as she comes to the door of my room, leaning against the frame with her arms crossed, assessing the room like it's some kind of inspection.

"How was school?" she asks, and it feels like she's testing me, like there's a right answer I should know by now.

"Fine," I say, shrugging.

Her eyes narrow a little, like that wasn't the answer she wanted. "Just fine? I'd hope you're making better use of your time than just fine. Your grades need improvement, you know."

I resist the urge to roll my eyes. I know she means well, in her own way, but sometimes it's like she doesn't even see me, just this version of me that I'm supposed to be. "I know, Mom. I'm working on it."

She sighs, her gaze sweeping over the clutter on my desk—a couple of books, a half-empty soda can, some old homework assignments I haven't thrown away yet. She gives me a small frown, then smooths her hair back, like that'll keep the judgment from slipping out. "I just want what's best for you, Sam. If you don't take your studies seriously, you won't get anywhere. Look at Oliver—he's doing well, isn't he?"

I feel my shoulders tense up at the comparison. It's like she has this perfect image of Oliver in her head, someone who's effortlessly successful, polite, the kind of kid she probably wishes I was. And yeah, Oliver is great, but it's not like he's some flawless role model. He's just... Oliver.

"Yeah, Mom. I know," I say quietly, trying to keep my voice even.

She gives a little nod, like my answer satisfies her for now, then turns to head downstairs. I exhale slowly, waiting until I'm sure she's out of earshot before getting up and kicking the soda can over out of pure frustration.

About an hour later, Dad gets home. I hear him talking to Mom in the kitchen, their voices low but tense, like always. They never seem to agree on anything, and even when they're not outright arguing, there's this weird tension in the air, this constant feeling that at any moment, someone's going to snap.

I stay upstairs, hoping to avoid them for as long as possible, but eventually, Mom calls me down for dinner. I trudge down the stairs, keeping my head down as I slip into my usual seat at the table. The three of us eat in silence, the only sounds coming from the clinking of silverware against plates.

Halfway through dinner, Dad glances over at me, his expression thoughtful but a little stern. "So, Sam, any plans for the future?"

I look up, caught off guard. "Uh... I mean, not really, no."

He frowns, putting his fork down. "You're a junior now. You should start thinking about college. You can't just coast through high school and expect everything to work out. Life doesn't work that way."

"I know," I mutter, trying to make my voice sound polite, respectful, all the things I'm supposed to be. "I'm just... I'm figuring it out."

He shakes his head, sighing. "You spend all your time at that friend's house of yours. You need to take responsibility for your own future, not just waste time with Oliver."

I bite my tongue, resisting the urge to snap back. It's not like Oliver's some bad influence. If anything, he's the one who keeps me sane.

"Oliver's not the problem," I say, my voice tighter than I meant it to be.

Mom chimes in, her tone sharper than before. "We're not saying he's a problem, Sam. But maybe if you spent more time focusing on your own goals instead of goofing off, you'd have a better idea of where you're headed."

I grit my teeth, looking down at my plate. This is why I hate being here. It's like nothing I do is ever enough; I'm always just falling short, disappointing them in some way.

The rest of dinner passes in tense silence, and as soon as I'm done, I mutter a quick "Thanks" and escape upstairs. I grab my phone and text Oliver, asking if I can come over tomorrow.

Within seconds, he replies with a thumbs-up emoji and a simple "Always."

I smile at the screen, feeling a small bit of the tension in my chest ease. It's weird how just knowing I can go there makes things feel a little better.

That night, I lie in bed, staring up at the ceiling, thinking about how different things are at Oliver's. I don't feel like I have to pretend there; I can just be myself. No judgment, no pressure. At his place, his family treats me like one of their own, like I actually belong. It's loud and chaotic and messy, but it's also warm and welcoming in a way that my own house isn't.

Sometimes, I wonder if my parents will ever see me the way Oliver's family does. If they'll ever stop seeing me as some project they need to fix and just... accept me. But right now, that feels like a distant dream, a "maybe someday" that I don't quite believe in.

For now, all I know is that tomorrow, I'll be back at Oliver's house, surrounded by noise and laughter and that easy sense of belonging I've come to rely on. And honestly, that's enough for me.

A/N: Well hello everyone- another chapter this one's not so motivating ik...
this is (as i've already mentiones) my first story EVER so i would really appreciate some comments hihi...
(I've had these chapters in my drafts for quite some while if anyone is wondering why im uploading so quickly...no im not just amazing and smart - i simply had these hidden in my back pocket hehe)
I hope your day is amazing

xoxo