The Spark

Persuasion

It was the beginning of May and teachers were cramming up final dates, people chatted about the SAT next year and seniors cried about their colleges. Adam had avoided me all month and I couldn't blame him. We were officially not friends. It stung but I spent most of the time getting high with Kat, Jack and Nirva as well as talking to my dad. We started a regular thing. Once a week or so. I told him about school and he told me about work. It still felt like a dream talking to him.

One night I was talking to him on the phone. I spread out on my Hello Kitty sheets and sunk my head into my pillow.

"So, school is almost over. Right?" William asked.

I shrugged "Yeah I guess just two more months. Not so bad. Junior year will be a real struggle won't it?"

"One thing at a time." He laughed "Do you have plans this summer?"

"Um, wander around the city and stay indoors." I said tentatively.

"Well, You know, Olive. You could fly down to LA and come stay with me."

My body went numb.

"Really?"

"Of course. I would really love to see you."

"I want to."

"So it's settled..."

I stopped him "It's as easy as that. Listen my mother dosen't even know we talk. I'm not supposed to. She is going to lose it." I explained.

"Shh, I't fine," He said calmly "Tell her I called. I'm sure we could work something out."

"Really?"

"Of course. Just tell her to call. Nothing more, nothing less."

I got up from my bed and sat on the window. The May breeze rushed in my face and city lights twinkled. Everything felt like it was coming together for once.

"Hopefully I'll see you soon."

"Yeah, me too Dad. Bye."

"I love you Olive."

I took a breath, a big one. Filling up my lungs. "I love you too."

He hung up. That was the first time I heard him say that. It felt strange though. I never met him, touched him, talked to him face to face but he said he loved me.

I left my room and walked over to my mother who was washing dishes. Her brown hair in a loose bun. She spun around.

"Hey Olly, what's going on?"

I handed her my phone. She took it and stared back at me with a furrowed brow.

"Call William." I said and walked away into my room.

---

They must of talked for hours. There was a lot of yelling. Screaming. Crying. Laughing. Silence. I tried to listen in at one point but it as too confusing. I ended up listening to music and checking all my online profiles. Adam had been offline for over a month now. I wanted to give up but I knew I couldn't I stalked all his pictures and ogled about the boy who could never be mine. So close yet so far. 

If I wasn't going with William. I didn't know what to do. Would Adam and I work at the garden as interns again? Would I waste a summer smoking with my burnout friends? Would I go looking for summer love? Like summer love was that easy. I couldn't even get the only boy I had a chance with. 

Only once another boy had a crush on me. His name was Tom and we were in the same seventh grade class. He was kind of dorky and didn't dress well but he wrote me love letters. Everyday. He would come to school ten minutes early, sneak into the class room and shove them into my locker. Just for me. They were anonymous but it was easy to figure out who it was. I matched his perfect script with his notes the first day I got it. I used to make fun of them with Adam but secretly I felt very flattered. I kept all of them.

One of them went like this.

Dear Olive,

You are the girl from the sun. You are beautiful as the sun in winter and I wish more people recognized it. You speak soft and elegant with a voice as beautiful as the ocean. I know you are destined for greatness but Manhattan has trapped you on the this island. One day you will fly away. Fly away from the buses and the trains and fly to a place, where the sun shines in the morning and moon glows at night. And the houses are painted bright and the trees are as lush and green with envy. And hopefully I will follow.

Love, Anonymous.

One day me and Tom hung out . We went to the parking lot of the 7 11 and talked for hours. I thanked him for the letters and gave him a kiss on the cheek. He didn't say anything after that. In fact he stopped writing. He just avoided me and I felt awful. Tom grew up and went to a school for the gifted and won a bunch of awards for robotics. He got himself a nerdy girlfriend and says hi when I see him somewhere.

My door swung open and mother was grinning. She threw my phone at me and screamed.

"Guess what baby! You're going to Hollywood!" She tackle hugged me.

I couldn't believe it. Me. I was going to Hollywood. 

"Really?" I asked.

"Yes! Yes! Yes!" She shrieked "We got it all planned out. You're are leaving the night of your last day of school. Then I rent out the apartment to some tourists the whole summer and go to Maine to vist the family. You come back back a week before school starts and bam!"

I looked at her wide eyed. "I can't believe it."

"I know! I need to go put the house on that rent website right now. Will you help me take photographs? You're father is quite the persuader. Well I mean he is an actor." She babbled for a long time and left the room.

I stood up and stared at the ceiling. This is it. Everything I dreamed of. I couldn't believe it. I just stood still soaking it up. 

I was going to Hollywood.

---

A/N: Hi! This is the milestone in the story. Can't believe the seven other parts won't even be that important but I'd rather take everything slow and stuff. The picture over there is Adam! Next chapeter i will show you Olive. Finally. VOTE, COMMENT, FOLLOW <3