MY UNUSUAL ROMANCE
Chapter 6
Eileen talked about Sean for hours now, forcing Olivia to listen to her rumbling. It hasn't been an hour since they resolved their affair, but Eileen already has something to discuss that eased the tension between the two friends.
The teachers have already dismissed their classes. Some students have already gone straight home, while others chose to stay inside the campus. Eileen and Olivia belong to the former. They always walk home together. Even when they just had a conflict, they still walk together to school. The only problem is that the entire time, they keep ignoring each other, refusing to acknowledge each other's presence. Now that they've resolved their conflict, it spared them a time of awkwardness.
When they're alone, Eileen just keeps talking about random things on the street. Whereas, Olivia still has her indifferent face, never knowing what her mood truly is. Only her talkative friend knew what she's feeling.
"...And then, their lips almost touched!! But, that girl- Ugh…! It's kind of a let down! She just doesn't want them to be together!" Eileen complains about the recent drama she just watched. "Seriously, that girl really makes my blood boil! Hmph, she keeps ruining my ship!"
"Mhm." Olivia tries her best to entertain her complaints.
The cold wind rustles and bustles, accompanied with falling red and orange leaves that shows Autumn is officially here. The sudden cool breeze of Fall permeated Eileen's body. She stopped talking and shivered for a moment, regretting that she didn't choose a thicker jacket and instead wore a lighter one.
"Woo… it's too cold..!" She rubbed her hands and arms, trying to warm herself.
All of a sudden, Olivia took off her jacket and smoothly draped it around her shoulders. This immediate gesture made Eileen's body unexpectedly turned hot, despite the coldness she just felt a moment ago. It's as if Olivia's jacket contained magic that can eliminate the frosty atmosphere.
"Thanks…" She said, more like a murmur.
"It's getting cold. Do you want to come over at my place for a bit?" It seems that even the frosty air can't even compare to the coldness perceived in Olivia's voice. However, the flame in Eileen's body didn't seem to evaporate. In fact, the temperature rises even more when her indifferent friend, who somehow manages to captivate Eileen, invites her to her house.
"S-sure…! Why not?"
—
They went inside the house and removed their shoes. The interior of this modern home is sleek, refined, and minimalist. Every place of the furniture is perfect and pleasing to the eye. Eileen can even feel her elegant friend's presence inside, it's as if Olivia and this place merges into one.
It's been a long time since she last visited Olivia's home. In the past, she would always accompany the smart girl to study inside her room. However, Eileen ended up distracting Olivia, annoyingly keeps asking her to play.
It has been years since she came to visit. She noticed that some of the furnitures were gone, some were new, and some were relocated. Even so, the atmosphere from then is still the same as now.
"Liv, when will your mother come home?" Eileen said as she sat down on the sofa with familiarity. She shamelessly acts like a prominent young lady of the house, making the owner look like she's a maid instead.
Olivia poured a mango juice onto the cup and gave it to Eileen. "She'll be back soon."
The young lady grabbed the cup and drank it. After drinking, she asked while wiping her mouth. "Do you still have those delicious cookies from before?"
The "maid" didn't respond. Instead, she went inside the kitchen to grab some cookies and place them on the plate. She came back and served the cookies to Eileen. When she was about to eat a cookie, the front door suddenly opened and revealed an old yet elegant woman.
"Olivia, you home?" A voice that seems the same as Olivia's but with a more matured tone pervades the area. When the woman entered, she saw two girls sitting on the sofa, eating cookies and drinking Mango juice. Her eyes landed on the silver haired girl with pony pigtails. "Ah, Eileen. You came to visit after all these years?" The woman removed her shoes and settled down beside the two young girls. Anyone can tell that this elegant woman is Olivia's mother.
"It hasn't been that long since my last visit, auntie…" She awkwardly smiles, subconsciously straightening her back.
"Well, it certainly has been for me. How are you and your parents?" The woman slowly picked up a cookie.
"We're still the same… Father is still working as a psychiatrist, while mother is waiting for a new construction project."
"Hmm. I see."
"Mom, Eileen, I'll go take a bath first." Olivia stood up from her seat and went to the bathroom.
When Olivia left the living room, the mother moved closer to Eileen and said with tenderness "My dear… How is Olivia doing in school? Is she being a good kid there? Did somebody, boys in particular, approach her with malicious intents? Is she having a good time with the students?"
"Olivia is still the same as ever, auntie. She always gets perfect scores in tests and quizzes. She also participates in classes well. Don't worry, she's being a good girl."
"Ah, phew… Thank you, Eileen. I was getting worried since she rarely talks to me… Especially with people…" The mother sighed dejectedly.
"Believe me, auntie… It's one of my concerns as well…" Eileen recalls all her plans in the past that failed Olivia to socialise with other people.
"Dear, I know I keep repeating the same request, but please help Olivia to mingle with the other students. Of course, my daughter is very smart when it comes to picking the right people, so whatever happens… Please stay with her as long as you can. As a mother, I'm just worried for her." the mother said with distress.
"You can count on me, Auntie!" She said enthusiastically.
Olivia's mom hugged her tightly like she also was a child of her own. After a moment, they pull away from the hug.
"Thank you, Eileen… Ah, I'll prepare for our dinner first. You can wait inside Olivia's room for a while."
"Alright!" she said and went inside the room.
Eileen sat on the bed with a sigh. It's kind of hard for her to help Olivia socialise with other people if that said person doesn't even want to. Plus, she almost ruined Olivia's friendship with Eleanor just because of some unexplained emotions she felt whenever she saw them together.
She heard a click and the door opened. The person who entered the room was engulfed with the freshness and sweet fragrance of soap and shampoo. Clearly, the person who just took a bath is none other than Olivia. Her hair is tied up in a crooked hair bun, while her fair skin is still dripping with water. The towel wrapped her body around tightly, clearly showing her curves and figure.
At that moment, Eileen's body didn't seem normal at all.