Olivia pulled her father\u2019s car into my parent\u2019s driveway. It was dark, but the snow had finally stopped falling.<\/p>\n
\u201cAre you going to be able to make it back downtown on your own?\u201d I asked.<\/p>\n
Olivia nodded. \u201cOf course. Besides if I get lost this car has a built in GPS.\u201d She placed her hand on the dashboard. \u201cI have absolutely no idea how to use it\u2026 but its there.\u201d She smiled.<\/p>\n
I laughed. \u201cWell, that\u2019s not exactly reassuring.\u201d<\/p>\n
I glanced toward the house. The curtains were all closed, but the lights were all on.<\/p>\n
\u201cI would invite you in, but I\u2019m pretty sure my parents would never let you leave.\u201d<\/p>\n
Olivia laughed softly. \u201cThat\u2019s not very promising. I don\u2019t know if I want to come over for dinner tomorrow night. Your parents might chain me up in the basement by the sounds of it.\u201d She laughed softly.<\/p>\n
\u201cI kind of hope so. My room is in the basement.\u201d I smirked.<\/p>\n
Olivia laughed. \u201cI thought you shared a room with your brothers.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWell, I did. Up until I started at PCA. I guess my parents decided that I was a bad influence on my brothers, so they cleaned out the storage room in the basement and gave it a new paint job.\u201d<\/p>\n
Olivia frowned, \u201cI don\u2019t think you\u2019re a bad influence at all. I think everyone makes mistakes and you\u2019ve made yours and you\u2019re learning from it.\u201d She shrugged lightly. \u201cI think if anything that makes you a role model. You\u2019ve turned a negative into a positive and have completely turned your life around.\u201d<\/p>\n
I sighed, resting my head against the seat. \u201cWhat would I do without you, Liv? You always know the right things to say to make any situation turn from shitty to decent.\u201d<\/p>\n
Olivia laughed softly. \u201cHow poetic.\u201d She teased.<\/p>\n
I shrugged. \u201cI try.\u201d I sighed. \u201cIt\u2019s getting late. You probably want to get home before it gets any later. You don\u2019t want your dad to freak out that his car isn\u2019t back yet.\u201d<\/p>\n
Olivia shrugged lightly. \u201cI\u2019 m sure he won\u2019t notice. He is usually pretty late when he comes back. Although I would absolutely love to get these boots off and get into a nice hot bath.\u201d She sighed softly. \u201cMy toes are frozen.\u201d<\/p>\n
I frowned. \u201cReally? You don\u2019t have anything warmer?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNot anything that looks this good.\u201d She smiled lightly.<\/p>\n
\u201cOh, right.\u201d I mused.<\/p>\n
\u201cAre we still on for Christmas shopping tomorrow?\u201d Olivia asked.<\/p>\n
\u201cYeah, if you don\u2019t mind. I\u2019ve got a few gifts left to get.\u201d<\/p>\n
Olivia nodded. \u201cAnd then dinner here, right?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYeah, if we make it that far. You might meet my parents and after five minutes we might both be running for the hills.\u201d I teased.<\/p>\n
Olivia laughed softly. \u201cI highly doubt that.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWell, these are my parents and my family, and I\u2019ve been sitting in your car for fifteen minutes longer than I need to just because I don\u2019t want to go in.\u201d I shrugged.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey can\u2019t be that bad.\u201d She insisted. \u201cBesides, don\u2019t you have a curfew?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYeah, in five minutes.\u201d I mused. \u201cI guess I should go in before my dad calls the cops on me and has my ass thrown in jail.\u201d I mused.<\/p>\n
Olivia frowned. \u201cHe\u2019d really do that?\u201d<\/p>\n
I nodded. \u201cYeah, it\u2019s one of those tough love things. They tell me they love me and they support me no matter what, and they\u2019ll stand behind me whenever I need it. But the second I mess up they\u2019re the first ones ratting me out.\u201d I sighed.<\/p>\n
Olivia frowned. \u201cI don\u2019t get that.\u201d She replied.<\/p>\n
\u201cMe either.\u201d I sighed. I watched the digital clock turn over. I had three minutes to get into the house. \u201cI guess I should go.\u201d I sighed. \u201cWhat time are we meeting?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI can pick you up around nine or so. If that\u2019s okay.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s perfect. Are you sure you want to drive all the way out here? Why don\u2019t I take a bus into town?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s okay. I don\u2019t mind the drive.\u201d She shrugged lightly. \u201cBesides, my dad is paying for the gas. It\u2019s the least he could do.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cRight.\u201d I mused. \u201cI really need to go.\u201d I leaned across the front seat and kissed her gently.<\/p>\n
Olivia smiled happily.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ll see you in the morning, okay?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOkay.\u201d She smiled. \u201cGood night.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNight, Liv.\u201d I smiled, climbing out of her car. I trod up the stairs and into the house, my feet crunching on the freshly fallen snow.<\/p>\n
I let myself into the house and found my dad sitting in the living room. \u201cHi, son.\u201d He said. It seemed as though he didn\u2019t even notice that I was just barely making it home in time for my curfew.<\/p>\n
\u201cHey,\u201d I replied, removing my coat and hanging it in the closet.<\/p>\n
\u201cHow was your date with Olivia?\u201d He asked.<\/p>\n
I shrugged. I didn\u2019t want to go into too much detail. \u201cYeah, it was great. Dinner and a movie\u2026 nothing spectacular.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHow was work?\u201d Dad asked.<\/p>\n
\u201cAlright. Charlie paid me in cash again, and he\u2019s offered to call if he can get any more shifts for me to pick up.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWell that\u2019s good. What are your plans for tomorrow?\u201d Dad asked.<\/p>\n
\u201cUh\u2026 Olivia and I are going Christmas shopping. I have to get her something, although I have no idea what yet. And then we\u2019re coming back here for dinner. Why?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWell, I was planning on taking your brother\u2019s to the new indoor paintball arena that opened up in Jenks. I thought you might want to come along\u2026\u201d He offered.<\/p>\n
I shrugged. \u201cSorry, maybe another time. I don\u2019t have a lot of time left for Christmas shopping. And besides, I really would like to spend time with Olivia. I mean, she came all this way\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cRight, of course. I just thought that if you didn\u2019t have plans…\u201d Dad offered.<\/p>\n
I knew what this meant. Dad was only asking me to go along to make my mom happy. She would have insisted that my dad include me even though I was sure neither he nor my two brothers wanted to be seen in public with them.<\/p>\n
\u201cWell, we can always do something another day if you want.\u201d He offered.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ll see.\u201d I mused.<\/p>\n
I mustered up a fake yawn. \u201cWell, I think I\u2019ll get to bed. I have an early day. Olivia is picking me up at nine tomorrow morning.\u201d I mused.<\/p>\n
\u201cAlright, sleep well.\u201d Dad said.<\/p>\n
I moved through the house and opened the door to the basement. I carefully descended the steep stairs and opened my bedroom door.<\/p>\n
I dropped my backpack full of work clothes on my bedroom floor and sat down on the edge of my bed. I ran my hands through my hair and sighed heavily.<\/p>\n
It was starting to get to me; it was harder and harder to pretend not to care. But I wasn\u2019t sure how much longer I could stand being an outsider in my own family. It was getting harder and harder to stay away from temptation. I didn\u2019t want to drink or do drugs or even smoke, but at times like this all I wanted was something to take the edge off. Even just for a few minutes. I didn\u2019t know what to do during times like this.<\/p>\n
I yanked off my t-shirt and jeans, climbing into bed in my boxers. This room was cool, especially at night. I clicked off the lamp next to my bed and dropped back against the pillows with a heavy sigh. I hoped I could fall asleep quickly, just to get my mind off the overwhelming urge to relapse.<\/p>\n
I wondered if my parents had any alcohol. I knew they kept everything locked upstairs in the dining room. It had double locks on it now, because with one lock, it was all too easy for me to pick the lock and steal the contents of the liquor cabinet with only one lock on it.<\/p>\n
I sighed, squeezing my eyes tightly, hoping I could bring on the peaceful rest of sleep sooner.<\/p>\n