So C'mon, Steal Me.

Trekking the empty halls in her new flats Olivia made her way out of the gym with her volleyball gear in hand. Seeing as she was honored with the title of captain of the team at the end of last season, she was responsible for the tryouts that had taken place earlier. It was quarter to 4 and Olivia thanked her co-worker Jamie eternally for covering her shift which would have started in fifteen minutes had Jamie not taken it.

Still wearing Jack’s sweater with her hair now tied back in a lazy bun, her outfit was no longer pristine, but tainted with little creases and wrinkles. Olivia dragged her gym bag across the floor wondering how some girls always looked flawless when she herself could barely go one day looking all neat and orderly. Her sports bag continued to scratch along the freshly cleaned hallway until she spun the combination of her locker and sat herself on the ground in front of it. Staring at the cluttered space, Olivia swapped her sports bag for her messenger bag, sifting through it looking for empty space to put her clothes in so she wouldn’t have to carry an extra bag home later. Unfortunately, there was none, leaving Olivia with the extra weight of her sports bag to tire her out on her way home.

The emptiness of the halls left a unsettling, yet tranquil quiet throughout the hall. Olivia’s hazel eyes decorated with a coat of black mascara batted blankly at the almost empty locker. Now that tryouts were over and her shift was covered Olivia felt like she could breathe, as if she had a moment to herself. Absorbing the quiet atmosphere, Olivia mind trailed off to where it always does when she’s alone; Jack. She couldn’t help but recall her interaction with him in the cafeteria earlier, the abnormal way he looked at her. He never looked at her like that before and needless to say, she didn’t like the feeling. Olivia remembered his eyes were hollow, and his stare was blank- she couldn’t read them and it wasn’t often she couldn’t. Her mind endlessly buzzed with worry as she sat perched in front of her locker.

Time passed quickly as she lost concentration on the real world, it wasn’t until she heard a door slam that she started to snap out of her train of thought. Immediately she was brought back to reality once she heard the voices of what sounded like boys getting out of some sort of practice. Hearing fractions of their conversations as they split off, Olivia hurried herself realizing she had probably lost quite a bit of time lost in her own little world.

Voices got louder as Olivia picked herself up off the floor grabbing her belongings. Slumping the heavy messenger bag on first, she kicked her sports bag out of the way to close her locker before heading down the hallway to walk home. Olivia checked her sidekick for the time, hoping it’d be passed 4:30pm so band practice would be over and she could coax one of the guys to give her a ride. At a leisurely pace Olivia walked towards the exit dialing an all too familiar number.

“You’re a fucking asshole!” She heard.

“...Jack?” Olivia laughed. “You’re playing halo again aren’t you?”

“Yup, hold on.” He paused momentarily, Olivia hearing his conversation. “Alex shut up! Its Zooey. No tell her yourself. No. Hahah, no, she doesn’t love you, she tells me everyday how much she hates your guts... Zoo, you hate Alex right?”

“Haha, sure.” Olivia smiled going along with the joke.

“See she hates you now shut up, you’re wasting my minutes. Sorry Zoo, what’s up?”

“Well, I was wondering if you wanted to pick up your favourite person in the world at school since she doesn’t have a ride and has to bring her volleyball stuff home.”

“Will this favourite person of mine stay for dinner before going home and help me cook so I don’t burn down the house?” Jack’s voice chimed back without missing a beat.

“She says she’s tired but its a deal.”

“Tell her I love her, and I’ll be there in twenty minutes.”

“Done and --.”

“Liv?” A voice cut into the conversation. The voice not coming through the phone but from physically behind Olivia.

“Zooey, you still there?” Jack responded after hearing Olivia cut off a moment ago.

“Yeah sorry.” She told him as she turned to stare at the one calling her name. “Umm, Jack I have to go, see you soon okay?”

Jack brushed off her strange behaviour as the two hung up, leaving Olivia in the hall waiting for him with the person who called her name.

“Hey Liv.” Alden forced a smile as he caught up with her.

“Hi.” She responded curtly, unsure of how to act.

“Here, let me help you with that.” Alden offered, grabbing her bags before she could respond.

Bathed in awkwardness, the two walked slowly towards the front doors, both waiting for the other to start the conversation first. Olivia refused to give in since she didn’t have much to say to Alden in the first place. Alden on the other hand seemed like he had quite a bit to say, but instead stood quietly for a moment noting something different about Olivia.

“You, umm. You look different today-- I mean not in a bad way. I mean, you look really pretty today Liv.” He fumbled in thought.

Olivia thanked him as she self-consciously looked down at her appearance again. It was weird to hear those words, especially from Alden. So far the compliments she’d been getting that day was that she looked hot and various forms of that sort of notation, she had yet to hear the words pretty. Her face began to heat up allowing a flush to dance onto her cheeks.

“So, umm, you just finished the volleyball tryouts right?” Alden started again.

“Yup, the first round. We’re continuing tomorrow. And I see you’re still on the baseball team?” She questioned noting he was still wearing his clothes from practice.

“Yeah, I’m co-captain this year.”

“Oh, congrats!” She smiled.

“Thanks.” He smiled back before pausing, as if thinking of how he wanted to word what he was about to say next. Alden always had this habit where if there was something he was nervous about or was important to say, he’d beat around the bush first like he just had as he carefully tried to articulate what he wanted to express. Should he not follow this routine, he’d just end up blurting it out which was exactly what he did.

“So ummm Liv, I know this might be pushing it considering you’re actually talking to me, but could I give you a ride home?”

Olivia, blindsided by the question stammered in response after being caught off guard by his approach. Alden was being so forward, but then again he was probably waiting to ask her that from the beginning.

“S-sorry Alden, but I’ve already got a ride.”

“Oh.” Alden said trying to hide his disappointment before continuing. “Jack?”

Olivia paused for a minute. She hated telling Alden when Jack was involved. Regardless of their current status, she still felt bad whenever Jack was mentioned around Alden because she knew how much it hurt him.

“Yeah,” She said chewing her lip. “He should be here soon.”

Alden knew from day one that when it came to Olivia, it was alway Jack. Jack was always first. Alden hated the fact that his girlfriend’s best friend was a boy, one who seemed to care for her far beyond the border of friendship. Or so, that was how Alden saw it. No matter how many times Olivia tried to reassure him that the two were just very close friends, and for quite some time, Alden knew there was more to their friendship. No matter what he did, Alden felt like he just couldn’t compete.

“Oh. Maybe another time then.” Alden responded half-heartedly.

“Umm, yeah. Maybe.”

The two shifted uncomfortably as they were stood just inside the main entrance, beside the doors.

“Its uncanny you know,” Disheartened, Alden laughed earning a disheveled look from Olivia. “You wouldn’t expect someone like me to be jealous of someone like Jack.”

“What do you mean someone like Jack?” Olivia defended, expecting Alden to use rude connotations as he normally did towards Jack.

“I didn’t mean it that way.” Alden sighed knowing he had offended Olivia. “I just meant in the sense that our social scripts. He’s kind of an outcast. Like, isn’t the jock supposed to be Mr. Popular or whatever. The one who gets the girl while the outcast doesn’t stand a chance? Not to sound like a complete asshole but why am I jealous of him? I have it pretty damn good. I get better grades than him, I’m the on the lacrosse team and co-captain of the Baseball team. I’m not in detention at least once every week and generally I don’t have to try with girls. Jack’s in a band, past his humour he doesn’t have much and if this were about anything else I wouldn’t be jealous of him one bit. But, I am.”

“Why?”

“He has you.”

“Alden...” Olivia frowned. Why, why did she have to ask? Olivia thought beginning to feel nauseous from the guilt rocking in her stomach. She always suspected Alden was a little sensitive towards her and Jack’s friendship but she always assumed it was because Jack was a boy, not because Alden was jealous. It all began to make sense now, the hostility and animosity Alden held towards Jack it was all fueled by jealousy. Olivia remained frozen in place and even though her phone buzzed in her pocket, she couldn’t move all she could think about was Alden. Olivia never blamed Alden for cheating when they broke up, to her she saw it as an excuse out of the relationship thinking he cheated because he truly didn’t want to be part of it either, but now Olivia was having doubts. The only reason the two would fight was because of Jack, Alden attacking him and Olivia defending him. Olivia began to chew the inside of her mouth still searching for words only for Alden to find some first.

“I’m sorry Liv, that was really stupid. I shouldn’t have said anything.” Alden said, continuing to beat himself up.

Olivia’s heart was screaming, as the nauseous feeling of guilt consumed her. She couldn’t do anything except shake her head letting the words no, don’t say sorry quietly roll off her tongue.

“You should go.” Alden paused, his lips pulled tightly forcing a smile. He politely began to hand back Olivia’s bags he was carrying before he continued.

“Your ride’s here.” He finished. Olivia turning to see the ’98 Honda Civic parked just outside the doors Alden was pointing at.

Olivia nodded, thanking him quietly for carrying her bags for her before turning to leave. Before exiting the doors she paused and turned back to Alden who yet to move an inch. “I umm, I have tryouts again tomorrow. Its supposed to rain, and I really don’t want to walk home.”

“I’ll see you tomorrow then.”

“Bye Alden.” Olivia smiled lightly unsure if what she just did was a such good idea. After a couple months of ignoring and completing shutting Alden out, she was suddenly letting him back in. It was a dangerous concept but Olivia felt like she owed Alden that much.

Olivia composed herself as best she could before climbing into Jack’s car. Pushing all thoughts out of her mind she faked a smile when greeting Jack. He bought her act and sped off homebound. Besides the blaring sound of Jimmy Eat World pumping through the speakers the two were quiet. Olivia starred out the window catching Alden walking to his car in the side mirror and felt that same sense of worry, guilt and nausea all over again. Pulling up to a stop sign Jack made note of the silence and the state of his best friend. “Zoo, are you okay? You look kinda sick.”

“Its nothing, I’m probably just tired.” She lied.

“Long day?”

“Definitely.”