"Porter! Hey Porter!" Olivia yelled across the compound. Porter wasn't surrounded by his fan club today so Olivia thought it was the best time to talk with him. "Hey." he said awkwardly as Olivia approached closer. "Hi.... do you have time to talk?" she whispered into his ear.
Porter gave the area a quick glance and nodded. He grabbed her hand and took her to the garden located at the side of the Academy. The garden was empty, the wind was blowing harshly and the outdoor cafe was closed.
Olivia was pretty sure that whatever listening device that was planted on her wouldn't be able to record anything because of the bad weather.
"Thank you for trying to save me." she sincerely told him "I don't know what Eli told you but...." Porter stopped her from talking by placing a gentle hand over her mouth. Porter gave her a bitter sweet smile "You don't need to tell me anything just... look I know I tease you and Eli a lot... I love pissing you off..."
The bell rang, time was up and they had to make their way to class. Olivia gave him a melancholy look "I guess time is up... I just wanted to give my thanks, you...!!!" Porter sealed her lips in a flash, he pulled her body in tight and licked her bottom lip before he pulled himself away.
Porter gave her a pitiful smile before turning away and walked back towards the school. Olivia's knees gave in and she collapsed onto the snow covered ground. She placed her hand over her mouth and tried to wipe the sensation that lingered on her lips off. She refused to get back up until her lips were raw.
....
A month passed since that day and Porter never made an effort to meet Olivia alone again. Olivia tried her best to act like nothing happened but it bugged her that he kissed her without trying to explain himself in any way, shape or form.
The school was busting as Valentine's day was approach. The Academy always did a Valentine's day ball and this year was no exception. It was self study and the third years didn't want to study they were busy happily talking about their gowns and dates, Autumn sat in silence as she dazed off in the distance.
"You ok?" Olivia asked as she watched Blair tie Autumn fluffy chocolate hair back into a ponytail. "No." she answered in a miserable tone. Both girls looked at her confused "Hey, you know you can talk to us..." Olivia started but bit her words back when she looked into her pitiful eyes.
'Right' she thought to herself 'you can't.' the girls became silent again as the listened to everyone else talk happily about their plans for 14th, while they sat in their seats staring at their blank career path forms.
Olivia pulled out her phone and decided to try her luck. Agni was out of the country till tomorrow and Olivia needed to talk to her friends. "Hello daddy! I was just wondering if I can go get pampered with the girls today after school?" she asked cheerfully. Blair and Autumn's eyes shot up towards her face, they held their breath as they waited for her to end her call.
"Thank you daddy! Yes I will call them now... ok see you tonight." she ended the call with a huge grin. "Are you ladies free to go to the Little Garden with my family tonight?" she asked in a teasing tone. Both girls paused at the word 'family' but shrugged it off and nodded their heads in excitement.
"Good! Now I got to call my sisters and we can head our way over there right after school."
....
Avery and the twins had never gone to the Little Garden before and were amazed by the interior. Olivia had already called and warned Eli that her family and friends were going to be there and reserved a hot spring for the girls while Avery was to hangout with himself.
Avery spotted Eli and quickly caught him in his one arm "Male bonding" he muttered as he dragged Eli off with him. The girls laughed as they seen Eli's pitiful face as he was being pulled along by Avery. Once the girls were changed, made themselves comfortable in the hot spring they all looked at Laila.
She nodded "I already had Loreley swear that what ever is said here will not be repeated." she said sternly as she looked in to their gazes. "But just to be on the safe side talk about some stupid stuff and if that 'thing' makes me report anything to her I can just tell her the menial things." Loreley chimed in.
Blair looked at Olivia with complete uncertainty "Olivia... I read your letter over and over again... I still can't believe it, I don't want to believe it. Autumn and I know your dad there is no way he could abandon you like that... there's no way he couldn't have known what was going on." she said reluctantly.
Autumn glared at her friend "I believe that witch did something to make him become ignorant. I don't think your dad could abandon you by choice." she said with disgust dripping from every pore of her body.
Laila glared at Autumn and Blair with a dejected look "Whatever she wrote you is all true. Father left us to that woman so he could practically live at the office." Both Autumn and Blair's jaws dropped.
Olivia thought she needed to explain more "I found out recently that my dad hasn't been getting his phone calls or messages from anyone on his cellphone... but the weird thing is I have spoken to my dad a couple of times and so has Robin on his cell. He didn't even notice until I told him to pick up all my calls." Olivia gulped and showed the worry on her face.
"He got a new phone because it was compromised... someone has been pretending to be him when we've called..." she whispered, horrified that her theory was in fact reality. Blair's eyes narrowed as she looked at the twins "Listening devices, compromised phones and spies! What the f*ck is wrong with your mother!" Blair spat at the twins.
Loreley watched Laila bite the tip of her thumb as she internally fought with herself. Loreley sighed "That demon has been in love with Avery since way back..." Laila instantly stopped what she was doing and looked at her sister with extreme shock.
"It's ok Laila, Olivia should know something about the enemy." Loreley said with clear eyes, whatever she was going to reveal she was doing be her own accord and she felt no regret. "You didn't know did you that they were once engaged to one another." Olivia's face paled at her words and Loreley took her silence as a no.
"Our grandparents arranged it when they were in middle school, Avery never met her but she secretly stalked him. Always obsessing over every little thing he did, the stories she would tell us when she got drunk were horrifying to say in the least. She hated your mother for stealing Avery from her and now she hates you for being born, that 'thing' is determined in her goals. Now that she has him I don't know what she has planned now... the only thing I know is that she wants more power to keep Avery from ever escaping her clutches and if she has too she will kill you." Loreley savagely said.
Olivia took a gamble. she looked up into the Loreley's eyes "I want her out of our lives... I want her to set everyone I love free... can you tell me how to set you free? Can I remove your weakness, make you stronger or become your support?" she said with much anticipation.
Laila paled while Loreley gave Olivia a menacingly look. "Murder... if you can shower yourself in blood and not fall into despair then and only then can you ever remove 'my' weakness." Loreley stood up, held her head up high and looked down on them with wild eyes "If you can't then find a way to bring down that monster, bring her down in a way that she has no escape, no place to run or hide, no place were even her sanity is safe and then we will all be safe." with that she left the hot spring while Laila trailed behind her.
Autumn turned to her friends and with a small smile and bright eyes she tried to lighten the mood. "I'm glad we can talk freely again."
....
The rest of the night the girls tried to make things less awkward with each other and talked about what they were going to wear at the dance and first choices of colleges or universities. Avery and Eli joined them in the waiting room after their bonding time.
Avery was very interested in what everyone's dreams were and openly asked them to tell him. Autumn laughed as she seen through Avery's round about question to try and find out what Olivia wanted to do in life. Avery knew Autumn had seen through him and secretly placed a shushing finger on his lips as his eyes glinted with mischief.
"I want to major in chemistry and help my brother's company out." said Blair.
"I want to be a mystery writer and take over my mom's tea shop and tea ceremony school." Autumn brightly said. "Will that be too much to handle?" Avery asked in awe. Autumn just gave him a courtly gaze. "Of course not, especially if I steal Blair to come up with new tea flavors I will be more than fine." Blair started to laugh "For you I can work a side job."
"I plan to keep running my business and expanding my services. I want to introduce healing and heated pools." Eli said. He looked coldly at Avery and enunciated every word "I have no plans to take over the family's business." Avery shrugged at Olivia innocently when she looked at him.
Olivia looked at her dad with a big smile "I want to be an astronautical engineer... who knows I might find 'them' out there one day." Avery started to tear up and looked at the twins to change the subject. Laila and Loreley looked awkward as the held each other's hands for support.
"I want to be an ECE teacher!" Laila blurted out as her face blushed red. Avery gave her a big smile "You would make an amazing child educator.... what about you Loreley?" Loreley struggled to say what she wanted and instead let her emotions take over. "It doesn't matter what are dreams are! Mother will marry us off for personal benefit so does it really matter!"
Avery quickly grabbed Loreley into his embrace. "No you won't... I will never let that happen to you, so honey please tell me your dream and lets work together to make it come true." he affectionately murmured as he kissed the top of her head.
Loreley scrunched her face against his arm, she didn't want her tears to fall but they wouldn't listen "Dad.... I want to be a fashion designer! Please let me be fashion designer... please!" she shouted. Avery gently stroked her hair "I promise." he whispered as he squeezed her tighter "I promise..."