Forbidden

Chapter Twenty-Four

The next day at school, Olivia could tell that people didn’t know whether to ask about the ring on her finger or how she was doing first. She loved that no one had any idea who the mystery man was that had given her the gorgeous ring. She saw Trevor and Elliot standing by the lockers talking amongst themselves and she realized that she had completely abandoned them.

            She walked over towards the two and offered a weary smile.

“Hey ya’ll. It’s been a while, huh?”

“Yeah, it has,” Trevor replied, giving her a firm hug. “So how are you doin’ with everything?”

            Olivia shrugged.

“I’m gettin’ through it. It’s gonna take some time but I’m actually more alright now than I have been in a long time.”

“Good,” Trevor and Elliot said simultaneously.

            There was an awkward silence that had loomed its way to their conversation.

“Look guys. I know I haven’t been around much at all since school started. I’m really sorry for it. You know I still love you both, right?”

“We know. You’ve been busy. Not to mention, you have a new . . . fiancé?” Elliot said, grabbing Olivia’s hand and raising it to the light to get a better look at the ring.

“Fiancé?” Olivia tried to laugh the word off. There were only three months left until graduation. There was no need to tell them now.

“I mean, you have a diamond ring on your ring finger,” Elliot said.

“It’s nothin’ ya’ll. Quit thinkin’ so much into it. Anyway, I’ve gotta go. Study hall. It’s a very important class,” she said sarcastically.

“A’right. Olivia!” Trevor called out to her and she turned around. “Don’t be such a stranger.”

            She gave a smile and nodded and headed towards first period.

            Mrs. Sheridan stood at the door greeting the students as they walked in. She wrapped Olivia in a hug and whispered something inaudible and Olivia smiled and thanked her, but for what, she didn’t know.

            Olivia started walking in to take her seat when Mr. Landry, the principle, came to the door.

“Miss Chandler?” he called.

“Yes?”

“Can you come with me for a moment, please?”

            She picked her back off of the floor and started walking towards him. She knew this was going to be about how he’s so sorry for her loss, if there’s anything he can do to help . . . Olivia was tired of hearing it but in an effort to be polite, she always went along with it.

            She walked alongside of Mr. Landry in silence before he finally spoke.

“I’m terribly sorry about your daddy, Olivia. He was a great man. He and I used to play football together. Did he ever tell you that?”

“He mentioned it a few times,” she smiled.

            They arrived at the office and he pushed open the first door and held it wide for Olivia.

“Thanks.”

“Sure, and right this way is my office. You’ve never been here before, is that right?”

“Nope,” she shrugged, “straight as an arrow.”

            As Olivia rounded the corner, she could see the back of a woman’s head sitting in a chair in front of Mr. Landry’s desk. Probably a school counselor, she guessed. He motioned for her to take a seat, and it wasn’t until she walked in that she caught a glimpse of the side of the woman’s face. It wasn’t a school counselor. It was Liz.

            Olivia sat down next to her mother, suddenly afraid of what was taking place.

“Hey Momma, what’s goin’ on?”

            Liz turned her head away from Olivia and stuck her nose in the air. Olivia laughed inwardly to herself.

“You’re ignorin’ me now? Okay. . . “

            Mr. Landry sat down in his chair across from the two and began sorting through a handful of papers. No one spoke for what seemed like an eternity. Olivia’s leg involuntarily began bouncing up and down in a nervous manner.

“Alright, Miss Chandler. I hate to do this so close to . . . your father’s passing but your mother here has brought something to my attention that is in need of some answering to.”

“Alright,” she replied, utterly confused.

“Mrs. Chandler, would you like to start?”

            Olivia turned her head toward her mother. Liz shook her head ‘no’ and continued staring at the wall.

“Can someone just say somethin’?” Olivia asked with an irritated smile on her face.

            Mr. Landry sighed before looking towards Olivia.

“It’s not good, honey.”