Take Me as I Am

“You said no?” Summer asked in disbelief after Olivia had recapped her meeting with Dale. “Why would you say no? You love that job, and Sokolov is not involved anymore.”

“Summer, I’ve caused more problems for this team than I have helped them out. Have you seen the news lately? No one can figure out why Sokolov was fired. The only thing they know is that he was fired because of me,” Olivia explained.

“No,” Summer told her. “Sokolov was fired because he was a jackass who didn’t deserve to be the coach. He thought he could control everyone, including Dale.”

“That’s what Dale told me,” Olivia admitted.

“Then don’t you think we’re right?” Summer asked. “Come on, Liv, just take the job back. They want you back, and you want to be back. It’s only logical that you go back!”

“I’ll think about it,” Olivia said. “But, in the meantime, can we talk about something else?”

“Sure, let’s just watch some tv,” Summer suggested.

Summer grabbed the remote and turned the television on. Naturally, it was on one of the sports channels, and when Summer saw Sokolov’s face flash across the screen, she was about to change channels. However, before she could hit the button, Olivia’s face appeared next to Sokolov.

“Oh my god!” Olivia cried. “Turn it up.”

Summer obliged, and they listened to a blonde reporter begin speaking.

“Sports Twenty-Four/Seven has just uncovered the truth behind Alex Sokolov’s firing as the head coach of the Chicago Blackhawks. We had an interview with Jim Jenkins, an assistant executive manager with the team who has revealed the real reason behind the firing.

The screen showed a young man in a brown suit sitting across from another blonde reporter.

“So, Jim, you say that the whole truth has not been revealed,” the blonde began.

“No, in fact, most of the truth has not been uncovered,” Jim said with a smirk.

“Would you care to elaborate on that statement?”

“Of course,” Jim said flirtatiously to the woman sitting across from him. “First of all, one major point that everyone has failed to say is the fact that Olivia Martin is in fact Alex Sokolov’s biological daughter. Apparently, he abandoned her and her mother before she was born. However Olivia wanted to get back at him, and she decided the perfect way to do this is to get hired by the Chicago Blackhawks.”

“That’s not true!” Olivia cried. “That’s a lie! I did not take that job to get back at Sokolov!”

“I know,” Summer told her, turning her attention back to the television.

After it was all over, Olivia sat there, silent. “Liv, are you okay?” Summer asked her, worried how her friend was after her past had just been made public to everyone.

Olivia didn’t answer, and Summer got more worried. “Liv, please just answer me. I need to know that you’re okay,” Summer pleaded.

Olivia simply nodded her head, trying to let Summer know that she’d be fine, and Summer grabbed her cell phone off the table and scrolled down until she reached Jonathan’s number. After the third ring, he finally picked up. “Hello?” he asked.

“Oh, thank God! You’re done with your practice, right?” Summer asked.

“Yeah,” Jonathan told her. “We just got finished. Why?”

“You need to come to the apartment right away,” Summer told him.

“Is everything okay? Is Olivia okay?” he asked, worried.

“No,” Summer replied.

“No to what?” Jonathan questioned. “No, everything’s not okay or no, Olivia’s not okay?”

“No to both,” Summer said quietly.

“What happened?” Jonathan asked, rushing to put on his shoes.

“Just come here, and I’ll explain everything to you, but just to let you know, it’s about Sokolov,” Summer warned him.

“Of course it is,” Jonathan replied. “It always is. I’ll be there as soon as I can.”

“Bye,” Summer said hanging up the phone, walking back to where Olivia sat, motionless. Summer noticed a single tear trickle down her cheek.

“Liv, I am so sorry, but Jon’s on his way,” Summer said, hoping that that would make Olivia feel at least a little better, but she didn’t so much as even smile.

Twenty minutes later, Jonathan came rushing through the door with Patrick not far behind him. “What’s wrong?” he asked as he ran over to the couch where Olivia still sat, tears running down her face. “Olivia, what happened?”

Olivia just shook her head, not wanting to talk about it, and Jonathan looked up at Summer. “Sports Twenty-four Seven just ran a piece on Liv’s background,” she answered for her.

“What do you mean about her background?” Patrick asked.

“They found out that Sokolov is her biological dad, and they ran with it. I’m worried about what else they might say,” Summer said honestly.

“Have they said anything else?” Jonathan asked her.

“Not that I know of. We turned it off as soon as they announced that,” she said. “I’ll go check, though,” she told him as she grabbed Patrick’s hand and pulled her back to her room to watch the television. Just in case they had gotten more information, she didn’t want Olivia to hear it.

“Olivia, please talk to me,” Jonathan pleaded bending down so he was at her level. He hated seeing his girlfriend as upset as she was. "I know you’re hurt right now, but please say something.”

“How did they find out?” she cried. “I didn’t tell anyone. And it was some executive that told them, too. I just don’t understand how he found out!”

“I don’t know,” he told her.

He didn’t know what else to say, and there was a moment of silence before they heard Summer scream at the top of her lungs, “What the hell is wrong with them? This is war!”