Love is an exhausting cycle of almosts and bittersweet reunions for our star-crossed couple. The high school sweethearts part ways after a disastrous prom night only to reconnect a few years later in college. Their connection always seems on the ver...
The next morning, you woke up to a text message. You took a deep breath, exhaling the nerves from preparing for whatever Olivia had to say. Josh left, promising to go home and talk to her about you. To your surprise, it was a message from Josh instead. He had chickened out of telling her last night, and you couldn't even be mad because you were just as scared of telling her. He had offered to pick you up at least. Friends do that kind of thing, right? Olivia couldn't possibly be mad if you and Josh were friends.
If Olivia suspected anything, she wasn't letting on. She smiled as she scooted over to let you in the truck: "Girl, what do you mean your car wouldn't start. It's always something with that thing."
Josh laughed: "At least she has a car of her own, little freeloader."
Olivia pushed her brother playfully: "Mommy and Daddy bought this for you, so don't toot your own horn. At least she bought her own car."
Olivia leaned against you, laughing while reaching out for a fist bump. You awkwardly reached up to comply, hopeful that Josh wasn't offended by you not sticking up for him. Not that it was your place. You knew enough about siblings to know you don't jump between them when they're bantering. And just like that, it'd blown over, and the two siblings were cranking up the radio to sing along and perform makeshift choreography to a song on the radio together.
Olivia unbuckled and leaned forward, close to the rearview mirror, as you approached the school to apply a second coat of lip gloss. Josh took the opportunity to breach the distance of the middle seat and run his hand along your shoulder. You looked up through your lashes at him with a soft smile.
Olivia: "What tf?"
She slammed back against the seat, just barely missing Josh's arm as he pulled it back quickly.
You stuttered out: "Um– Olivia– It's not–"
Olivia shrilled: "What tf is he doing?!"
Josh: "Who me?"
Just then, you followed Olivia's murderous glare out past the windshield to see Nick climbing out of a familiar black jeep. Only problem? Neither Madison nor Nick drove a black Jeep.
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
Josh: "Is that Nick with Dixie?"
You: "Did he and Madison break up, or is he–"
Olivia: "That cheater!!!"
Josh pulled into a parking space in the school lot as Olivia tried to push past you. You tried to stop her before she did anything stupid: "Hey. Hey. Don't you think if something is going on, we should talk to Madison directly before making a scene that could embarrass her behind her back?"
Olivia quickly filed out behind you and stopped. She turned towards you as she spoke: "No, you're right. Doing anything behind someone's back is really crappy. You wouldn't know anything about that, right?"
You: "Wait, what? What do you mean?"
You were frozen in place when Josh circled around the back of the truck to catch up with where the two of you stood at the passenger side in an uncomfortable standoff. You didn't know what to say. You knew if Josh was serious about having feelings for you, that she would find out eventually, but part of you was dreading that conversation. She had eventually forgiven Madison for hooking up with him, right?
When Josh reached your side, he slipped his hand in yours and quickly defended: "Look, this is all on me, okay?"
Olivia's eyes seemed to bulge out of their sockets: "Oh My God! I was half-joking. Tell me this is a prank!"
She turned to you and snapped: "So you are screwing my brother behind my back? What tf!?!"
You: "N- No- I–"
Josh: "Olivia! Stop! No! Nothing happened between us, okay? I like her, but she stopped anything from happening until she knew you were okay with it."
Olivia stood, frozen in place as he continued: "I just–I really like her, Olivia, so I need you to be okay with it."
Olivia groaned as she reached up for her backpack and then paused before relenting: "Would it even make a difference if I said no?"
Neither of you even heard her. Olivia turned back to see her brother tucking her best friend's hair behind her ear as he took her bag off her shoulder. She groaned with an eyeroll and exhaled: "Ugh. Nick's gone. We have to get to Madison before he does."
You and Josh followed Olivia as she stomped into the hallway, still fuming.
Madison: "Hey. What's with the attitude so early in the morning, girl?"
Olivia took a step closer to being in Nick's face, who quickly dropped his girlfriend, Madison's, hand. When she moved, the group's jaws fell to the floor at the sight of Josh holding your backpack with one hand and your hand with the other.
