Only if you know (Book 1)

Chapter 17

Olivia's life had been unexpectedly smooth for the past month. After Jenna’s disastrous attempt to expose Drake, the entire school learned the truth about him and, fortunately, accepted it. In fact, Olivia was now able to pull Drake's leg openly. Surely, girls were pretty disappointed to learn that he is off limits and happily committed to his fiancé. 

      Yes, Jiggy had said yes. And yes, there was a wedding on the horizon. 

      Sia was still struggling to wrap her head around it, but Olivia couldn't blame her, as initially it was difficult for her as well to accept. But in the end, everyone was happy except one.

      All except for Stella.

      Jason had been gone for four years, and Stella still couldn’t accept it. How could she? Even after all these years, she loved him. He was the one, and she knew it. Even now, after all these years, her heart refused to move on. She knew Jason would’ve wanted her happy, but how could she be? God had taken him away before their story had even started.

      Stella was usually calm and collected. She could control her emotions well, but Jenna struck a nerve that afternoon, slicing open wounds she had tried to mend.

      Stella had been staring at a photo of her and Jason pinned inside her locker, trying to breathe through the ache, when Jenna appeared and forced reality onto her in the cruelest way possible.

      Stella broke, and she ran.

      She realised that she was all alone. Jason had been her best friend. A true friend who had noticed her in the crowd. He always made her feel special. She was unable to ever accept the fact that he was gone. He was still with her somewhere in her heart. Close to her.

Meanwhile, Olivia, Caleb, and Mason were waiting for Sia in the parking lot. Sia had been held back by her math professor after a streak of low test scores. Olivia was just about to call her when Zack came sprinting across the lot, breathless and wild-eyed.

      “Zack? Are you okay?” Olivia asked, instantly worried.

      “Olivia! You need to come. Now.” He was panting hard. “Stella’s crying. She locked herself in the bathroom. She’s not coming out.” 

      Olivia didn’t hesitate. “Let’s go.”

      She, along with Zack, took off down the hallway, completely forgetting Caleb and Mason behind her.

      They reached the girls’ restroom. It was empty except for the muffled sobs echoing through one of the stalls. Olivia pushed the door open and motioned for Zack to come in, as there was no one else around.

      “Stella, it’s us,” Olivia called out gently. “Please open the door.”

      “Go away,” Stella sniffed.

      “Please, Stella,” Zack pleaded. “Come out. Talk to us. Don’t shut us out.”

      “Stella…” Olivia’s voice softened, warm and steady. “Come on. Tell us what’s wrong. You are not going to share anything with us?” Olivia spoke softly.      

      There was a click, and the stall door flew open. Stella stepped out and immediately collapsed into Olivia’s arms.

      “It’s hard, Livy,” she sobbed. “It’s so much harder than I thought. Why did he leave? Why?”

      Olivia squeezed her tightly, blinking rapidly to keep her own tears from falling. “I know, Stella. I ask myself the same thing every day.”

      Zack wrapped his arms around both of them, trying to soothe her. “We know it’s hard. None of us has come to terms with it. We just… we miss him too.”

      “I was doing okay,” Stella whispered brokenly. “I was handling it in my own way. But Jenna had to come and—”

      Olivia stiffened. “What did that bitch do?”

      Stella choked out the words. “She told me he’s dead. I know he is, but hearing it out loud—” She burst into tears again.

      “He is not,” Olivia said fiercely. “And I refuse to accept it. One day, he’ll walk back through those doors and tell us it was all a joke. And then we’ll punch him for making us suffer.” She couldn't truly believe Jason had left her. Left them all.

      Zach let out a watery laugh. “Yes. And we’ll show him we can survive without him, so he feels the same pain we did.”

      He tightened the embrace, pulling both girls closer.

      Jason had been the glue among the three of them, the rare kind of friend who made the whole world feel lighter.

      And losing him had shattered them all.

Back in the parking lot, Sia and Mason stood waiting. Both were hurt that Olivia had run off abandoning them, Sia especially, who had been excited to spend time with her best friend. Even Caleb was disappointed by Livy’s decision to ditch them. Those four had planned to watch a movie, but now only three of them were present.

      “Maybe something happened,” Mason said gently. “When Zack ran up, Olivia looked worried. He was out of breath. Something must be wrong.”

      Caleb crossed his arms. He wasn’t angry, but he was unsettled. “There’s something about Olivia. She hides things. She’s calm one moment, guarded the next. It’s like she’s two different people.”

      Sia sighed. “Caleb, she wasn’t always like this. Olivia used to be an extrovert, so full of life. She loved being around people.”

      “So what changed?” he asked quietly.

      Mason shook his head. “That’s not our story to tell. It’s… taboo for her. Sensitive.”

      “But everyone except me seems to know what happened,” Caleb said, frustrated. “And I don’t think it’s just her parents.”

      “Give her time,” Mason advised. “She’ll tell you if she’s ready. But don’t pry. She shuts down when we ask about the past. We already lost her once, and we don’t want to lose her again.”

      Caleb exhaled slowly. He understood, but something still gnawed at him.

      Why had Zack, out of everyone, run to Olivia? He had his own set of friends. Stella had hers. Yet when she broke, he came to her.

      What bound those three together?

      He’d never seen Olivia speak to them beyond casual greetings.

      Caleb was observant by nature. He could read people easily. But Olivia… she made him question everything he thought he understood.

      Damn this mystery. He wasn’t going to get any sleep until he figured her out.