Where He Stands

Chapter Five: The Stupid Problem

“So, when would you tell us that you are friends with Oliver Hoffman?” Dianna asked with a sly smile on her face.

It was the next day and I was eating breakfast with Dianna and Thalia before I go to school. Martha was still asleep and Alice was already typing away since three in the morning. I was trying to ignore the questioning looks the girls gave me when I came home yesterday afternoon. Oliver dropped me off and I was pretty sure the girls saw him. But I didn’t care to explain because that would only force me to lie and I don’t want to lie to the people I’m living with. It’s just wrong.

But Dianna decided to ask me.

And so I have no choice to but to tell her the lie I’ve been telling my curious schoolmates yesterday. “Oliver and I were friends since we were children. But I have to move and we haven’t seen each other ever since. Until now,” I replied, not looking at her.

They immediately bought it. Thalia gave out a girlish giggle. “Oh my God! That’s just great! That means I could see their faces all the time again!” she chuckled. Then she turned to me. “When he and Dianna were going out, him and his friends would always come over to pick her up to go to their parties. It was so fun. I could stare at their handsome features up close.”

I smiled tightly. “They’re not going to come over here, Thalia. I think it would be weird if he and Dianna talk. I mean, they were together in the past.”

“So?” Dianna said, shrugging. “I went out with a lot of guys in the past. I still talk to them now.”

That caught my attention. “Really? It wouldn’t be awkward or something? Because I’ve been ignoring my exes since I find it’s really weird.”

“Well, you should be a matured person,” Dianna said superiorly. “Matured people talk to their ex all the time. It’s just normal.”

Thalia snorted as she continued eating her cereal. “Yeah, but if they broke up with you, then don’t talk to them. It’s freaking weird and that guy would always be the one who got away.”

Dianna nodded and stood up, humming Katy Perry’s The One Who Got Away as she walked up the stairs. I finished my breakfast, placed it on the sink and then went to my room to brush my teeth. I combed my hair one last time, applied some eyeliner, grabbed my stuff and waited downstairs for the guys.

But thirty minutes passed and I was still sitting on the couch. I looked out of the window. Nope, no convertibles. I sighed and checked the time on my phone. It was already eight AM. Thirty more minutes and I’m late.

Never have I been late in my classes. I’m seriously going to kill those three if they’re going to mess up my attendance records.

“Waiting for someone?” Martha asked as she walked down the stairs. She had really messy hair, but it quite looked good on her. She was smiling. “Aren’t you supposed to be in school?”

“Yes and yes. Somebody should pick me up already but they’re not yet here!” I complained. “And I don’t have any car.”

“Oh, you could use mine,” she offered and checked the food on the table. “Just make sure you won’t destroy it or something, okay?”

I was about to ask her for the keys of the car when I heard a beep from outside. I looked out and saw Oliver’s familiar convertible. I smiled at Martha. “Thanks, but no thanks. Oliver’s here.”

“Ooh, Oliver,” she said, smirking and took a bite of a hotdog. “Well, good luck with Oliver.”

I ignored the way how she emphasized the name of Oliver. I grabbed a bag and my gun suddenly went loose on the gun strap on my thigh. I froze and looked at Martha, making sure she didn’t see any of that. She looked back at me with a confused look on her face. “What?”