The Lies He Spoke

TWO

OLIVIA

"Elijah, I can't go to school like this."

Through the closed door between them, she heard him heave a muffled sigh. "There's no this or that," he reassured her. "This is how everyone's going to be going to school."

Olivia stood in front of the mirror hanging on her door and pulled on her maroon blazer. It made her look even shorter than usual and puffed out in all the wrong places. The white shirt inside was too loose and did nothing to help give a bit of shape to the outfit. To top it all off, the plaid knee length skirt matched neither the blazer nor the shirt. 

She stepped away from the mirror and closed her eyes so she wouldn't have to see anything. "I look ridiculous," she declared. 

Elijah's patience was unwavering that morning, possibly because it was her first day of school and he didn't want to stress her out even more. Instead of telling her to hurry up, he asked, "Why don't you come out and show me?"

Olivia smoothed down her hideous blazer and equally hideous shirt and doubly hideous skirt and opened her bedroom door to where Elijah was waiting for her in the hallway.

"Okay," she said. "Tell me the truth. It's awful, isn't it?"

He looked her up and down. "It's not so bad," he said generously.

"Elijah!" Olivia protested. "I can see you laughing!"

Elijah cracked a smile. "I promise it's not so bad. You'll be fine."

"I don't understand why uniforms have to be ugly. Why don't they ever make nice ones? It itches. And I'm melting already. I'm going to have sweat stains in this white shirt."

"Here, take off the blazer, you'll be less hot." Elijah pulled her sleeves out and slung it over his own shoulder. "You can put it back on if someone tells you to. Where's your backpack?"

"Elijah," Olivia groaned. "Please don't make me go."

"It's just for a little while until the witness protection program makes your new birth certificate. Then you can go join the public schools here."

"Why can't I just homeschool like I did the rest of last year?"

"You've been home way too long. I think you need to get out and see actual people. Besides, the witness program is paying for this. You might as well go."

She picked up her backpack with a huff. "How long does it even take to make a stupid fake birth certificate?"

"Olivia," Elijah said in a listen-to-me tone. Olivia immediately quit her sulking and straightened up because if it got to the point where he was using that voice, this was serious. 

"I know you don't think you'll like this school, but don't write it off already. Now please, hurry up. I'm going to be late for work."

By the time Elijah pulled up to the private Catholic high school, Olivia was sweating profusely and absolutely pissed. She snatched her backpack from Elijah and made to get out, but Elijah held her back by the arm.

"Olivia," he said. "You really shouldn't call Logan late at night. He doesn't sleep very well. Okay?"

Olivia's lip curled in anger and disbelief and betrayal. "He told on me?"

"He was just worried-"

Olivia got out of the car and slammed the door shut, not bothering to even glance back after her.

*****

It was the first day back after summer break, and students were milling around, joking and talking and catching up with each other after the holidays.