Between the Lines✔ [COMPLETED]

[29] Friends like These

Malory

We burst through the front doors and out into the car park. 

"What the hell just happened?" Olivia asks, with an expression of stark terror. "Why did all of you run all the way here to –why did Dale have a gun –h...how did you all get here so fast –who's that guy that Kyle came running in with, I-"

"Olivia," I say, slowly, she hugs herself, "Calm... down. We'll explain everything. Dale was a bad guy. You didn't get my message in time, and for God's sake could you not have at least answered your phone just once?" 

"I turned it off," she says, frowning, her shoulders falling lazily, "I figured it was a date... and I didn't want to... I didn't want to..." She doesn't finish her sentence. She huffs out a shaky breath. "He had a gun." Her eyes well up with tears. "And he was trying to... it was going so fast... but I... didn't want... I didn't know how to..."

"It's okay," I say, softly. "I know, Olive. I get it. You... just wanted to try." I rub her back and bring her close to me to hug her. "But this isn't the way to do it."

A tear falls from her eye and runs down her cheek –she doesn't speak –she stares at the car in front of us.

The doors behind us burst open. Ron appears. 

"Olivia," he says, clutching his stomach. He almost topples unto the bonnet of the car in front of him. "Are you okay?"

"I..." she says, her voice breaking, she swallows, "I don't know. I'm trying really hard to understand what's going on right now."

"Where's Kyle and Hayden?" I ask.

"They're..." Ron says, gathering some strength to stand properly, "They're still inside with Dale."

"Why did he have a gun?" Olivia asks him. "I... feel violated."

"You were violated," Ron says, "What the hell is wrong with you, Olivia? Are you insane? Of all the things you could have chosen to do on a Saturday night while your parents are gone, this is what you chose to do? Do you know how fucking sick and worried I was?"

Olivia flinches ever so often at his words. "I... I didn't reali-"

"-To make things worse, I wasn't going to pick up the fucking phone when Kyle called because I wasn't even talking to him," he says, turning to me. "What would have happened if I didn't? Huh?" He turns to Olivia again. "Are you happy with what's happened? Are you satisfied with living now?"

Olivia sucks in a breath and holds it. She stares at him angrily. "I didn't know, Ron! It's not like I've had that many opportunities to figure these things out! How was I supposed to know?"

"Olivia," he says, frustrated, he rubs his forehead, "It's a basic human concept –you do not go out with a stranger after meeting him just a few times in a cafe and talking to him and wholly assuming that he's a good guy! And look where he brought you! To Playdium! Dark and cold Playdium! Where there's a club just upstairs! Are you insane?"

Olivia reaches into her pocket to pull out her phone. "I'm calling the police."

"What?" I ask, suddenly, "No, you can't..."

She looks at me pointedly. "Malory, there's a guy in there with a gun and he's probably fighting Kyle and that other guy."

"Hayden," I say.

"Whatever!" she says, dialling the number.

"No," I say, pulling at the phone, "Olivia listen to me, you can't call the police, Kyle and Hayden will get into trouble even though they helped to save you."