Chapter 17 #2
After I chew and swallow, I shrug. “Yeah, I guess it would be cool if they didn’t set the bar so ridiculously high for me. A doctor and a lawyer? Not exactly easy acts to follow for the third kid.”
Oliver frowns. “Yeah, that kind of sucks. Do they have kids?”
“Yep. Brother has two, sister has three.”
“Well, that’s nice! Doesn’t that mean you have cute little nieces and nephews?”
I sigh. “You’d think so, but I actually don’t see them often. Usually, once or twice a year for holidays. We’re all spread out, too—brother and his family in Texas, sister and her family in Florida.”
“That’s a bummer.”
“Eh, I guess.” I take another bite and take my time chewing.
Oliver props his arms behind him and leans back, puzzled by my responses. “Have you ever been close to any of your family?”
“No, not really.”
“Why not?”
I take a deep breath and force a smile. “I was a very unexpected surprise to my thirty-eight-year-old mother and my forty-two-year-old father. My brother Brian was nineteen when I was born, and my sister Stephanie was fifteen.”
Oliver’s eyes widen, finally understanding. “Oh. Oh, yeah, that explains a lot, then.”
“Yeah.”
“Damn.”
“Mom used to call me their little miracle baby,” I muse. “And I’m sure Stephanie loved being my mom’s little helper those first couple of years. But both of my siblings were out of the house by the time I was three or four, so I don’t remember them around much.”
“Wow.”
“It also meant I became an ‘aunt’ at age six.”
Oliver makes a face. “That’s got to be weird.”
With a nod, I finish off my sandwich, wipe my hands, and throw the wrapper in the bag. “But, enough about my freakish family dynamic. What about yours?”
Oliver glances at his phone. “I guess we have a little more time, so why not?”
“It’s only fair.”
“There’s not much to tell. I was actually born in Raleigh, North Carolina, and spent the first half of my life there.
My parents divorced when I was nine. Two years later, my dad and I moved to Specter, where he married my stepmom, Ashley.
She already had two girls from a previous marriage, so I went from being an only child to being an older brother to two stepsisters at twelve. ”
I grin. “Aww, what are your stepsisters like?”
Oliver’s face lights up. “They’re adorable. Bella is fifteen, and Charli is about to turn thirteen in October.”
“Wait, Bella and Charli?” I echo.
He rolls his eyes. “Yes, they’re named after Twilight characters. My stepmom is a weirdo.”
I snort. “That’s amazing.”
“It’s cringe.”
“Maybe a little, but those are objectively cute names, so it balances out.”
“I hope so.”
My curiosity was piqued by something Oliver mentioned early on, but I don’t want to pry if it’s a sensitive topic. At the same time, though, this is Oliver. He’s not easily rattled or offended. Maybe he wouldn’t mind.
“Get on with it, then,” Oliver says.
I frown. “What do you mean?”
“You look like you want to say something, but you’re second-guessing yourself.”
I gawk at him. “How could you possibly know that?”
He shrugs. “I don’t know, that’s just the vibe I’m getting from your face right now. So am I right?”
What the actual fuck? “I mean, yeah, I guess.”
“So, just say it!”
Reluctantly, I continue. “You said you and your dad moved after the divorce. In most divorce settlements, mothers tend to get custody of the kids. Can I ask why your dad got custody of you instead of your mom?”
Oliver presses his lips together thoughtfully. “Yeah, that’s a fair question. The short answer is, I don’t really know.”
My heart drops to my stomach. “What do you mean?”
He shrugs. “My mom kind of just…left after the divorce was settled. I don’t think she even tried to get custody, but I don’t know because my dad never talks about it.”
Holy shit. “Oliver, that’s…that’s awful. I’m so sorry.”
Oliver waves a dismissive hand. “Oh, I’m fine. It was a long time ago. My dad did a stellar job on his own, and Ashley’s great, too. To be honest, I don’t think much about my biological mom. She clearly doesn’t think about me either, so it’s cool.”
My chest aches for him. How could a mother abandon her nine-year-old? I mean, I’m not a parent and have no plans to become one, but that’s just heartbreaking.
“Anyway,” Oliver continues, clearly uncomfortable with my silence. “Moving to Specter was probably one of the best things that happened to me, not only because of Ashley and the girls, but also because I met Theo, Harrison, and Elise. We’ve all been friends ever since.”
I smile. “That’s awesome. Now, who is Elise? I don’t remember you mentioning that name before.”
Oliver exhales a light chuckle. “She’s something else, man. She’s still in Specter, commuting to a local technical college. She and Harrison were a couple for several years, but even after they broke up, they stayed friends. Thank God, too, because picking sides would have sucked.”
“And where does your other nonbinary friend fit into all of this?”
“Oh, Wren came with Caleb, Theo’s boyfriend,” Oliver says. “Our little friend group doubled when Theo and Caleb got together junior year.”
“Wait, you had an eight-person friend group?” I exclaim. “I can’t even imagine. All the same grade?”
Oliver tosses me a bemused expression. “Yeah?”
“I spent all four years of high school with only two friends, Celeste and Max. And Max has always been a grade behind us,” I explain. “Max would pick up other friend groups from time to time, but they were more acquaintances than friends. Or fuck buddies.”
Oliver snorts. “Nice.”
I take a moment to reposition myself and stretch my legs. “So,” I press. “You told me the other day that you’re asexual.”
Oliver’s eyes narrow slightly. “I told you I was pretty sure that’s what I am, yes.”
“So, have you dated anyone before?”
He gives me a knowing smirk. “I have.”
Oh, fascinating. “And I take it those didn’t go anywhere?”
“Pretty much.”
I worry I might be asking too many questions, but I trust Oliver will tell me if I cross a line. Until then, I can’t contain my curiosity. “Did you date girls or guys? Or—” I gasp. “Or did you date Wren?”
Oliver lets out a dry laugh. “Wren and I did not date, but I dated one girl and one guy, years apart.”
I lean in closer, dying to know everything. “So, what happened?”
Oliver takes a deep breath, ready to indulge, but is interrupted by the loudest microphone feedback I’ve ever heard in my life.
“Good evening, students,” a bubbly, feminine voice blasts through the speakers, followed by more ear-piercing feedback.
The crowd on the lawn groans, and I have to clap my hands over my ears.
“Welcome to Movie Night On The Green, presented by the EU Film Society! We apologize for the delay this evening. We’ve had a few technical difficulties, but I’ve been told we are now ready to get started!
Just a few quick announcements before we begin… ”
As the disembodied voice drones on, I uncover my ears and glance back at Oliver, only to find that he’s taking the opportunity to take our trash to a garbage can a few yards away.
Well, shit. I have half a mind to ask Oliver if we can leave and come back so he can finish his story. I couldn’t care less about this movie.
When he returns, Oliver sits beside me, extending his lanky legs and easing into the pillows. “Oooh, this is nice,” he remarks.
“And now, without further ado, please enjoy Wes Anderson’s The Phoenician Scheme.”