Gone for Grief

~Chapter 8~

     Seclusion pinned her to a board of alienation, the front page article featuring her reticent attitude towards the people of her so called home, now a jail...she would even retreat from the embrace of her own brother,she was now an introvert nothing else... Her brother who held her in her stress and timorous actions, she had to stray from all that she held passions for. Her mere touch could alter the anticipated path their life traveled upon, it could cause their final rest, or hopefully in her Aunt's case a slight tamper. She contemplated the ideal product of her remoteness, she concluded the result of ensured safety for her loved ones. They deserved a benevolent life that excluded her along with her pessimistic views and emotions. Olivia could begin a new enjoyable life for her relatives, a life that she had been too ignorant to give her parents, she wouldn't misjudge this time.

     She eventually came back to her home and exhaled as she slowly knocked on the door reeling back from the slight sound of her knuckle on the wood of the door. Olivia regretted her dire decision and reminisced pulling back to allow Matthew to reveal an empty doorway. Her thought process proved to be too slow because to her surprise Matthew opened the door immediately and pulled her into a tight embrace. " Get away from me" Olivia shrieked sprinting up the stairs, Matthew trailed behind her inches away, confusion and remorse wiped across his face.

     "Olivia, come here!" Matthew insisted.

     " I can't, I've already ruined too much!" Olivia spat back, regretting her words as soon as they escaped the mouth that resembled a dam afraid to let go of her emotions.

     Matthew sighed as he replied, " It's not your fault, and Aunt Charlotte is fine, she just had a high fever." Unable to come to an agreement, Olivia fought against his words.

     " I don't care, it was still my fault that it happened in the first place, now go away before I can ruin your life too!"

     Matthew exhaled and turned away, " You got it sis" He said trying to imply a sense of support into his words. He walked down the stairs and supported Charlotte as she laid across the couch calling for Matthew to to bring her various objects and food. Over a span of a week, Olivia grew further from the compassion of her brother. She didn't regret her actions but segregation caused her to enhance her negative personality, creating a pessimistic side of her that began to creep from the depths of her heart. She arose everyday to a gloomy sky that shadowed her causing her to become shamed with brutal stress. " Olivia? Are you ready for school? You need to go back to school, you can't just keep skipping" Matthew said hesitantly waiting outside of her door. Olivia scrambled around attempting to get back in her bed to mock the posture of a sleeping person but was caught early when her brother burst into her room and caught her fully dressed in her uniform.

     "You are ready! Come on!" Matthew burst as he grasped Olivia's arm and pulled her slowly while Olivia struggled violently from her room.

     "You are going to school! Stop fighting against me!" Matthew shrieked angrily as he pulled her out the door and stood her upright, Olivia soon resorted to a monotone walk that portrayed an absolute zero amount of her emotions. Her stomach flipped as they approached the school and entered the gates, Olivia pulling ahead to stray from her brother. As they silently stepped into the aroma of the classroom, Olivia exhaled when she didn't recieve a glance from Mrs. Thompson. As the class began in it's regular routine, Mrs. Thompson questioned

     " Whom may I ask missed every day of school last week, which is a withdrawal that causes certain detention?" A mischievous glare settled in Mrs. Thompson's gaze. " Come on, don't be shy, raise your hand..." Olivia hesitantly raise her hand and noticed a large set of eyes focused on her clammy hand waving above her head. It was like everyone she had known was now impersonating a robot that strived for only malevolent accomplishments in life, she was just another coconut on a palm tree that was about to drop, and she would fall hard.