Olivia's POV
After school, I took a cab home since my mom was still at work and couldn't pick me up.
The ride was quiet. Just city noise outside the window and my thoughts doing too much talking inside my head.
By the time I got home, I headed straight into the kitchen. I made myself a pot of lasagna noodles—my comfort food—and grabbed a cold Coke from the fridge.
Then I collapsed onto the couch, remote in hand, switching on anime like my life depended on it.
That was my routine. Eat. Watch. Forget everything else.
Hours passed like that.
Then suddenly
Honk.
I paused.
The sound came from outside.
I peeked through the window and immediately stood up.
Mom's car.
I rushed outside before she could even open the door properly.
"Mom!" I called, half smiling already.
She looked up and instantly her face lit up—like someone had turned on a switch.
There was something about that smile… it felt warmer than it had been in a long time.
It's been a month since Dad died.
And today… she looked a little more like herself again.
"Hey, sweetheart," she said softly, stepping out of the car and pulling me into a quick hug.
I held her for a second longer than usual.
She smelled like work, coffee, and tiredness, but she was smiling. That mattered more.
"Long day?" I asked.
She sighed dramatically. "You have no idea. I swear my office is trying to adopt me permanently."
I laughed. "Well, I made food."
That got her attention immediately.
"You? Cooking? The house is still standing?"
"Barely," I said proudly.
She laughed and shook her head, grabbing her bag and coat while I helped her carry them inside.
Inside the house, I reheated the lasagna noodles and served her a plate.
She took one bite and froze.
"…Okay," she said slowly, looking at me. "Why is this actually good?"
I smirked. "Because I'm talented."
She pointed her fork at me. "Don't let this go to your head."
But she was smiling again, so I didn't care.
We ate together in the kitchen for a while, the house feeling less empty than usual.
Then she asked, gently, "How was school today, sweetheart?"
I shrugged. "Same as always. Still haven't made any new friends."
She looked at me for a second like she wanted to say something deeper, but she didn't push.
Instead, she just nodded. "It'll happen. Just give it time."
I hummed, not fully convinced.
Later that night, I went to my room while she stayed in the living room, typing away on her laptop like work never ended.
I was halfway between sleep and scrolling on my phone when it rang.
Ethan.
I immediately groaned and picked up.
"Heyyy…" I said, dragging the word like I had no energy left in my body.
A laugh came through the phone instantly.
"Oh wow," Ethan said. "My sleepyhead little sister. You alive or just haunting the house at this point?"
I rolled my eyes. "I just finished eating and now I'm trying to die peacefully."
"Comfortable death, nice," he teased.
I snorted. "Shut up."
He laughed again. "So, how's school? Any new victims—sorry, I mean friends?"
I smiled into my pillow. "No friends. Just… people."
"That sounds suspiciously lonely."
"I'm fine," I said quickly.
"Mhm," he hummed like he didn't believe me at all. "You sure? No dramatic teenage love story starting?"
I froze a little.
"…What?"
"Ohhh," he dragged the word out. "So there is something."
"There is NOTHING."
"Okay okay," he said, still laughing. "Relax. I'm joking."
I sighed, burying my face deeper into my pillow. "You're annoying."
"And you love me," he replied confidently.
I didn't answer.
He lowered his voice a bit. "Alright… but seriously. You're okay?"
That tone was different. Less teasing now.
I paused. "…Yeah. I think so."
A small silence.
Then he went back to joking like usual. "Good. Because I don't want to hear you crying over some school boy and writing poetry about him."
I gasped. "I would NEVER."
"Liar," he said immediately.
I laughed this time. Properly.
We talked a bit more..random stuff, him making fun of my voice, me insulting his entire existence until my eyes started closing on their own.
"Okay," I mumbled. "I'm sleeping now."
"Goodnight, sleepyhead."
"Night, annoying brother."
I ended the call with a small smile still stuck on my face.
The next day at school felt different.
slightly more alive.
I met Alisha near the lockers like we planned.
She waved a little when she saw me. "Hey."
"Hey," I replied.
We stood there for a second, both slightly awkward.
Then she held up her phone. "So… I made a group chat for the project."
I blinked. "You're efficient."
She shrugged. "I don't like chaos."
"Same," I said honestly.
That broke the tension a bit.
We started the project properly after that.
At first, it was just small talk and planning. But slowly, it turned into something more natural.
She showed me parts of the school I hadn't bothered to explore before—quiet corners, empty benches behind buildings, places students usually ignored.
"You always sit alone?" she asked at one point.
I hesitated. "…Yeah."
She nodded like she understood without judging me.
Then she surprised me.
"I don't really talk to people either," she admitted.
I looked at her. "You seem like you do."
She shook her head. "I just look like I do."
That made me laugh a little.
We ended up sitting on a bench near the back of the school, talking about random things—music, food, teachers we secretly feared.
For the first time in a while… I didn't feel like I was forcing anything.
It just… flowed.
And somewhere in the back of my mind, I realized something quietly unsettling.
I wasn't just surviving school anymore.
I was starting to exist in it.