Limit to Your Love

Chapter Five: And Unpleasantness Ensues

                                                                    CHAPTER FIVE

                                                          And Unpleasantness Ensues

                                                          HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT

     Olivia Kelly tromped over to the journalism room and kicked the door open grumpily.

     'Why hello, pretty lady, would you care to join me in creating glorious news on this lovely day?' implored a voice she recognized to be the flirtatious Editor-in-Chief of the school newspaper, Scott… Something. Now that she thought about it, what was his last name? Nobody seemed to know.Everyone just called him Scott-The-Editor. They even printed that on the paper.

     'Lovely my ass,' Liv spat out, crumbling into her uncomfortable rolling chair behind her assigned desk.

     'Indeed, your ass is lovely,' grinned Scott-The-Editor. That was the problem with him. He liked flirting with her way too much and he made his feelings for her pretty darn obvious. She glared daggers at him.

     'You're not shy about this at all are ya, Scott?' she said while rolling her eyes.

     He simply grinned again and shuffled through a pile of papers, skimming through the text. 'I'm impressed, Liv. Your column has been getting excellent readership lately. I've gotten tons of feedback this week, seems like your articles are getting fans overnight!' he exclaimed approvingly. 'Do you think it might have something to do with the 'Soda-Sharpie Incident'?

     'The Soda-Sharpie Incident.' Sweet heavens, it even had it's own name now.

     'I was just thinking, if we nicknamed it Sodagate in the papers, would it catch on?' he mused. Liv smacked her face with her palm.

     'Oh no. Non. Nein. Nein, nein, nein, nein, nein! You will not do that to me,' she warned.

     'But your readership records are through the roof - '

     'And don't get me wrong, I am totally ecstatic about that -'

     'Enough to make you go out with me?' he asked hopefully. She gave him a tired look and shook her head. He made huge, pathetic puppy-dog eyes and blinked melancholically in an attempt to soften her resolve. 'One date?' he whimpered.

     Liv sighed. She knew she had barely sat down but apparently, it was time to leave already. 'Bye Scott!' she called out over her shoulder as she hastened away from the room. So much for shelter and solitude. Being inside there was just as bad as talking to those plastic dolls in designer clothing.

     'You'll see the light someday, my darling Olivia!' he crooned. She shuddered.

     'Sorry, Scott, but over my dead body,' she thought. Not that she didn't like him, but he was just Scott-The-Editor, not Scott-The-Potential-Boyfriend. It just didn't feel right. The door swung shut and she scurried away aimlessly, staring at her shoes again but feeling slightly relieved.

     For about two seconds.

     'Ouch, my nose!' she cried out, after accidentally walking into something rock solid and smashing her face into it hard. She staggered backwards and her arms flailed around wildly, trying to regain her balance.

     'Careful, Princess,' laughed Enn, grabbing hold of her arms and steadying her before she fell over. 'Are you alright?' Liv peered at his face from between her fingers. The look on his face told her that he was half-concerned but it was pretty obvious that the other half of him was trying very hard not to burst out laughing.