Just Like You

“Oli! Oh, Ollie, ollie oxen free!” I stalk across the parking lot, empty spaces from where buses have already left leaving me open and exposed. I look down at the water gun I filled with beer and then look back up. Lee said Oli went this direction, but I haven't seen him.

With a little sigh, I stop walking and lean against a bus, not knowing what else to do. The stupid boy doesn't know how to answer his phone, so there really is not much I can do.

“Goddamnit!” An accented voice shouts into the quiet evening air. I crane my neck around the corner to see Oli walking my direction, his phone clenched in his hand. I push off the bus and hold the water gun up, but when Oli looks up from the ground, his eyes are filled with pure hatred. I stumble, the gun falling from my hands.

He blinks, surprised to see me obviously. His expression instantly softens and he picks up the gun. He tries to hand it back to me, but he stops when he sees my frightened expression. He lowers the water gun and can't meet my eyes.

“Quinn, there's something I have to tell you, before it's too late,” his words echo in the silence. I stand there, completely confused, wondering where my fun, adorable, happy Oli went. He looks up and stares at me, complete heartbreak in his eyes. “I shouldn't have waited to tell you, I shouldn't have been an arse. This is so important, but I never thought you'd come to be so much to me.”

“...Oli, you're scaring me. What's wrong?” I take a step towards him, my hand reaching for his. But he stops me from coming closer. His hand grabs mine and holds on in a death grip.

“You know you're the only one for me, right Quinn?”

“I – I didn't know before, but it makes me really happy that you'd say that.” I give him a little smile, hoping to pull him out of this mood, but he's still looking at me with seriousness and impending doom. “Because, Oli... I should say something too. It's really important, and it's completely true.”

“Quinn, wait –“ Oli's eyes move to behind me, but I tug his hand so he's only looking at me.

“I love you, Oli.” I smile at him, my hand turning in his to grip it back, my heart racing and hoping beyond all hope that he won't hurt me.

“So that's what happens on Warped Tour, huh? Little whore hussies fall in love with guys with girlfriends.” Another accented, but female voice says from behind me. I start to turn when a gorgeous girl steps over to Oli and wraps her arm around him.

I'm about to laugh and call her out in her lie when Oli drops my hand. He can't meet my eyes as the girl tells me to get away from her boyfriend. He won't even look at me. He's looking at the girl, a smile on his face.

“Quinn, this is Amanda Hendrick.” He looks at me then and it's like I don't even recognize him. I can't help but stare when this Amanda grabs Oli and kisses him. She sucks him into her and he gladly falls in.

Shocked and shaking, I walk away, confused and heartbroken. I stumble, my ankle turning over as I fall to my knees. The tears start to roll as I curse the ground for being in the way, the shoe for being so flimsy, the world for being created. I sob as I curl into myself, protecting my heart from anything more. I stop breathing, my desperate attempts at breaths filling the air. I loose track of time, of space as I think of him.

It can't be. It can't be. Oli would never do something like this. He loves me. But it's obvious that he doesn't. I practically threw myself at him when I was trying to get revenge, and then I was surprised when he kissed me. I've been playing the innocent when everything that happened is my fault. I tricked Oli into being jealous so he would make me officially his girlfriend. I've been a goddamn tease and I made him like me.

“Get up.” I look up at Nichols, my vision blurry as I still try to gasp down breath. “Get up.” He grabs my hand and forces me to my feet. He looks at me before roughly pulling me into a hug.

“He's the biggest idiot I know. Don't waste your thoughts on him.” Nichols starts pulling me down the rows until he stops at his bus. He tugs me inside, completely overpowering my attempts to stop him. Inside, he pushes me into the bunk area and pulls out my suitcase before going to guard the front from anyone coming in.

The back door opens behind me and I turn to look over at Oli. He looks at me for a second before looking down again.

“Can I explain?”

“Fuck you.” I shove the last of my stuff in the bag and get out of there. Nichols catches me and puts his arm around me, supporting me as the last of my strength leaves my legs. I look at my friend, my heart trembling.

“Don't let him see me like this,” I whisper and Nichols nods. He briskly walks out of there, his momentum propelling me along next to him. When he stops outside of my bus, he opens my door and puts the suitcase inside. He starts to leave when I grab the hem of his shirt.

“I... I'm not a whore, am I?” His eyes widen and he sneers, looking back in the direction we came from.

“Fucking Amanda. Fuck fuck fuck. I hate her,” his mumbles reach my ears and I wait. Nichols sighs as he runs a hand through his hair, his eyes darting to look at me.

“Amanda has this weird hold over Oli. He's tried to end it with her, but he can't. Every time he tries, she pulls some shit like she's pregnant, broke, alone, suicidal. And as soon as he promises to stay with her, she mysteriously gets better. She's such a good goddamn actor that no one can tell if she's lying or if it's real.” Nichols looks at me again, and sighs. I can see my depressed face reflected in his and I can sense his pity.

“But Oli really does like you. You didn't do anything wrong. You've been exactly what he's needed this summer. It's been hard for him, dealing with that drama queen and he wanted to take a break. And then he met you and I haven't seen him happier in a long time. He's been acting like his old self around you and I'm really going to miss it. I'm going to miss you.”

“And there's no way he can get away from her, is there?” My hopeless question is answered with a sad nod. “She... she models for Drop Dead, right? There's like, a contract or something?” Nichols nods as I get more depressed. “She can make his life miserable if he really did end it.” I punch the bus to try to stop the tears.

Nichols leaves soon after that, seeing that talking about all this is driving me close to the edge. I somehow make it up into the bus and collapse into my old bunk. I can tell that Ace, Tommy, and Jon are looking at me. I can tell that Kayla and Emily are sitting in the corner, smug in their right assumptions about Oli.

Mark nudges my shoulder and hands me a water bottle. I sit up, leaning against the wall and crack it open. “So the show went well and nothing was damaged from the water gun thing.”

I look at Mark and see him looking at me from the corner of his eye, flickering with sympathy. I nod and crack a small, forced smile.

“That's good, I don't think I have the money to fix anything if we broke it.” He laughs a little as Tommy and Jon come over, joining in on the conversation. I smile at my friends, glad for their unspoken support. Ace comes over slowly and pulls me into a hug. I lean my head against his shoulder, enjoying the soft hug.

“I'm glad you're back,” he whispers into my ear. I smile a little and give him a peck on the cheek.

“I'm not, but it could be worse.”