Forbidden

Chapter Twelve

Olivia drove in silence listening to Kenley talk about her weekend and how her momma had agreed to go to rehab and do counseling. Olivia was proud of Amy and happy for Kenley’s future with a non-alcoholic mother but ignoring her gnawing and ever growing uneasiness about facing Mr. Cereno was easier said than done.

                When Olivia picked up her phone and saw that Mr. Cereno had cancelled their morning mentoring meeting, she felt rejected, dismal and confused about how the situation had unfolded and then seemingly folded back up again like a crab in its shell. She knew he had qualms about the two of them talking and hanging out outside of school but this had been a little harsh. Instead of recalibrating the situation, he decided to run from it. Had it completely escaped his mind that she was in his class and he’d have to face her at some point or another?

                Olivia wanted nothing more than to pretend like this past weekend never happened at all and get back on track with having an in-school student teacher relationship. Maybe she could try to brush it off and act like it wasn’t affecting her as much as it was. She was always good at that; pretending she was a-okay when inside she felt broken.

“Olivia?” Kenley hit her in the shoulder.

“Ow! What!” she shouted at her.

“You’re not listening! I asked what you did all weekend!”

Tell her the truth. No, don’t. Act like it never happened.

“I . . . I sat around a lot,” she said with a shrug.

“Exciting,” Kenley laughed.

                As Olivia got closer to the double doorway, she felt her anxiety grow into an unsettling monster and she wiped her sweaty palms on the back of her jeans. She looked in the parking lot for Mr. Cereno’s car and that turned up nothing. She skimmed the countless faces walking unenthusiastically around her and that turned up nothing as well. She took a deep breath, waiting for her anxiety to dissipate. She rounded the corner and hesitated as she stared up at the stairs that led to his room. She shook her head instead and turned left into the study hall room.

                Olivia sat in her seat, trying and failing to study for her upcoming Chemistry exam. She tapped her pencil against her forehead and leaned backwards. She picked her journal out of her messenger bag and was just about to start writing when she heard a knock at the door. She tried swallowing the lump that had suddenly formed in her throat and she felt like a dog hearing a car door slam shut after a long day alone. Was it him?

                Mrs. Sheridan, the study hall teacher, walked to the door and opened it before eyeing Olivia.

“Miss Chandler? You have a delivery,” she said with a grin.

A delivery? Well, he wouldn’t be in a wrapped box, I guess.

                She made her way to the door where she saw a short woman with long mousy brown hair tied into a ponytail. She was wearing a pink t-shirt that had Peacock’s Florist spelled out across the front of it in black letters and she was holding the most gorgeous array of wildflowers Olivia had ever seen. She took the arrangement from the woman and thanked her as she made her way back to her seat.

Who the hell . . .?

                She found a note nestled in the midst of the flowers and she grabbed it and opened the envelope.

This is why I had to cancel. They don’t open until eight. I’m sorry for everything I said. Don’t make any plans this afternoon.

                It wasn’t signed, but it didn’t need to be. She could feel her eyes light up and felt her heart beat rise into her throat. The smile that was across her face couldn’t be hidden. Her anxiety had disappeared and the sullen feeling she had felt before was gone. All she could feel now was eagerness. She looked at the clock and seen that she had twenty minutes remaining before next period started.