The Hopeful, The Hardheaded and the Homework

Chapter Twelve: Almosts and Awkwardness: Olive

Olive's heart was beating so hard and loud in her chest that she was sure that the whole room must be able to hear it. If it hadn't been beating hard enough before at the awful movie she had been roped in to watch, it certainly was now the moment she felt Enoch's cool hand on her shoulder.

Olive hated horror movies. She hated being made to leap out of her skin at every scream and the sight of so much blood and violence made her sick to her stomach. How anyone could stand them, let alone enjoy it, she would never understand. During the movie, when she wasn't glued to the screen in a terror that wouldn't let her look away, she would sneak the occasion glance at the dark-haired boy to her left. Enoch watched impassively, cool and collected in comparison to her grimaces of disgust.
She had always liked his jawline and cheekbones that sometimes stood out in a flash of flickering brightness from the screen against the paleness of his face.

It must have been an automatic response, to turn and try and curl into whoever was beside her because for the life of her she could not remember consciously curling into Enoch. Then suddenly, as much of a surprise to her as Olive was sure it had been to him, she felt his long fingers wrap around her shoulder and an unexpectedly gently arm rest behind her.

What on earth had possessed Enoch she had no idea but for a long moment they just stared at each other, green eyes into blue, and Olive was convinced that at any moment he would realise what he was doing, be appalled with himself and irritated with her, and close again into that barely decipherable armour he wore. Why on earth had she done that?

But then he nodded and the look in his eyes was so very like the day he'd told her she was worth fighting for that Olive believed that he was okay with her. His arm felt right around her and, though it was only a movie was terrified of, she felt safer with him now than ever before.
When she looked back at the screen, it wasn't ghosts and hauntings that Olive was thinking about anymore, okay...maybe it was, but that certainly wasn't all. It was how Enoch's uncommon and unexpected openness with her, made the whole thing much more bearable in fact, dare she think, she would quite happily watch another one now.

It lasted a whole ten minutes, in which Olive jumped more than once and in response Enoch squeezed her arm. Now that could well have been a 'stop it and stay still' as much as a 'calm down, it's fake', but she would take what she could get.

Then it happened. Olive's entire world caved in and crumbled around her when someone, namely Hugh Apiston, decided to whistle.

"Enoch and O-live, sittin' in a tree-" He sung loudly in a carefree, teasing tone that did not compliment the nature of the night, "K-I-S-S-I-N-G."

Enoch moved as quickly as if he'd been burned, drawing his arm completely away from her as she straightened herself back up on the couch and blushed furiously from head to toe.

No one was watching the movie anymore. All eyes were on them and Emma, to Olive's right was grinning from ear to ear. "I told you..." She said, none too quietly while Jacob stared over their heads at Enoch as if he'd just grown a second head.

"I-h-it's scary!" Her voice came out a high-pitched squeak in her embarrassment and she could practically feel Enoch fuming as he leaned away from her now and over the arm of the couch.

"How cute are you tw-"

"'ow old are you s'posed to be, Hugh? Seven?" Enoch seethed and as Olive stole a glance at him, she wasn't at all surprised to see his cheeks every bit as red as hers. It didn't look quite right on his normally pale face.

"What?! I thought you were coming out of denia-"

"Shut up!"

"I didn't think I'd ever see Enoch blush like that..." Millard joined in and waggled his eyebrows at Olive.
She groaned and hid her face in her hands. Of course. Of course, this was going to happen. She could already see it.