Opposite Attraction

Chapter 3

Olive's POV

As I stepped into the house I was bombarded by children and their questions. Instantaneously I was overwhelmed, I attempted to speak but no sound was coming out of my mouth. My gloved hands were clenched onto my suitcase in front of my stomach. I was grateful for the gloves as I could feel my hands heating up. I scanned around the room and my eyes abruptly stopped at a scowling face. The face belong to a guy with dark brown eyes the same color that matched his curly hair. I wasn't aware that I was staring until he deepened his scowl (which I didn't know was possible). I rapidly turned my head toward Ms. Peregrine.

"Children! I'm sure Olive would be pleased to answer all your questions but right now she would like to freshen up. Why don't you go back to what you were doing?" Ms. Peregrine exclaimed while glimpsing at my agape mouth.

The children sighed while scurrying off in different directions. 

"Except for you Enoch. Why don't you show Olive to her room?" asked Ms. Peregrine.

"I'm sure that Emma or really anybody else in the house would be delighted too."  said Enoch as he started to climb up the stairs.

"Yes, but I asked you to help." Ms Peregrine responded.

"Fine. But don't expect me to carry her bag." Enoch grunted while turning around to face Ms Peregrine. 

Ms. Peregrine gave him a stern look and he put his hands up in surrender. Which resulted in a small smile from me, that I quickly swiped away when I noticed that he was glaring at me. He then bent down to pick up my suitcase and ascended the stairs again. I had to quickly follow behind him as he took long strides. I lost my footing on the last step and tripped. Thinking that I would hit the floor I closed my eyes and let out a squeak. Instead of hitting the hardwood I landed on a firm but soft body. I didn't think I hit my head too hard but the right side of my face ached. I opened my eyes and pushed my head away from what seems like a person's chest, only to look into the scowling face of Enoch.

"Try not to be a klutz and trip again. I don't feel like cleaning up your blood. Are you going to remove your hands or should I?" grunted Enoch. 

I felt a blush crept onto my face and quickly removed my hands from his chest.

"Uh thanks." I mumbled while trying to cover my blushing face. 

Without another word he swiftly turned around, picked up the suitcase and headed in the direction of my bedroom. This time I walked a few feet behind him during which I was looking at the floor. I nearly bumped into him again when he abruptly stopped at what I assume was my room, he then continued in while I stood in the hallway. I looked around the hall and noticed that my bedroom was at the end of the hallway on the left side, facing someone else's bedroom. I turned around and scanned my room. The bedroom had a simple concept, it had one large window facing the backyard, a single bed facing the door and a medium sized dresser beside it. He settled the suitcase onto the bed and tried to leave. However, every time we tried to let each other pass we would step to side and block each others way. It was the fifth time when he let out a frustrated sigh and moved me to the right by grabbing my shoulders. I turned around to thank him but he quickly went into the room across from mine, slamming the door. I then proceeded to unpack my belongings. As I stood there hunching over my suitcase, the hairs on the back of my neck started to stand up. I could also feel a pair of eyes staring at me, I rotated around only to see a little girl. She was about five or six years old with blonde curls and wearing a pink dress. She stood in the door frame holding a small teddy bear in her hands.

"Uh hello, what's your name?" I asked while bending down to talk to her.

"I'm Claire." she said while giggling, but stopped when she saw the right side of my face. "What happened to you?" she asked. 

I raised one eyebrow and tilted my head. She started to open her mouth to say something but decided against it. So I introduced myself.

"Well Claire, I'm Olive. It's nice to meet you." I responded while holding out my hand.

She let go one hand on the teddy bear and shook my hand. While also giving me a big smile.

"Would you like to play with my dolls and me?" she asked. 

I looked at the half unpacked suitcase in my room and back at her. I tried to tell her I couldn't but decided against it when she was giving me puppy dog eyes. Instead I told her that I would play with her dolls and when I finished unpacking. She nodded and skipped out of my room. I twisted back to my bed and began to unpack again. While I was packing I noticed that I was still wearing my nightgown and that there were some parts that were severely burned. I changed into a lilac dress with a rose pattern and placed my nightgown into a side pocket of my suitcase, wondering how it was so severely burned in the first place. In a nick of time I was finished and headed in the direction of her room. That's when I realized that I didn't know which room she was in. I stepped into the hallway and fortunate for me I could hear Claire's giggle two doors down. I walked towards the sound of her giggle and stood in the doorway of what I assumed to be her bedroom. There she sat on the floor beside two fully cloaked children playing with dolls. Claire immediately jolted up from her spot and came over to me, which resulted in head turns from the other two children.

"Olive! Come sit on the ground and play with us." Claire said while grabbing my left hand and pulling me toward the other two children.

"Well uh hello, my name is Olive. What are your names?" I said with a smile. 

When the children didn't answer, Claire the proceeded to tell me that they didn't speak. I nodded and began to sit down in the semi circle. Hours flew by and before I knew it, we were called down for dinner by Ms. Peregrine. One by one we exited the room, I being the last one out. I stepped into the hallway while fumbling with my dress, when I accidentally bumped into someone.

"Sorry." I mustered out.

"It's alright." someone said. 

When I looked up there was nobody there. I turned my head to the left and right making sure I wasn't delusional. That's when I saw Enoch closing his doors.

"How did you do that?" I asked while walking closer to him.

"What are you jabbering on about?" He asked back while raising one of his eyebrows.

"I bumped into you outside of Claire's room a minute ago, then in a instant your in front of your room. How?" I demanded.

"You must have bumped into Millard not me." Enoch coldly responded while walking away from me.

"I didn't assume you were the joking type" I called back.

"First of all i'm not. Secondly, what joke?" He said turning around to face me.

"I know that I bumped into you. Why wouldn't you just admit it?" I asked with a puzzled look stepping closer to him.

"Because it wasn't me. Millard must have been naked so you didn't see him," exclaimed Enoch now angry.

"What, so you're saying that he's invisible?" I questioned him.

"Yes!" Enoch grunted " That's exactly what I'm saying."

"But that's not possible!" I said still disbelieved.

Enoch took two long strides towards me and stopped when he was a feet away, looking straight into my eyes he asked "Why do you think you're at this children's home Olive?"

Then he turned around and headed for the stairs. While I still stood in the middle of the hallway contemplating what he just asked.