Olivier has not attended school for two terms now. She refuses to attend and this has continued to add to the already existing complicated relationship with her family. Olivier cannot stand to be there and cannot stand to be at home so she found comfort in a place, in a person that accepts her. The young man who met Olivier at the gates and walked her home.
He has been there every day since. His name is James.
“He seems a charming boy Olivier, a keeper. He was a good man to put up the shelves, whilst I have a back and he even put up those pictures for your Mother”, Olivier ’s Step Dad repeatedly said. A very Jolly opinion he has of James. The only choice that Olivier made, that her parents seem to approve of is this relationship with James. This took the lime-light off the fact that Olivier was never going to go to school again and her family were facing a fine for her poor attendance. As well as her being a chav, an embarrassment to her family, don't forget, but what did Olivier think? The home improvements by James were week 1. In week 2 he bought Olivier a phone, in week 3 he had reassured Olivier that she doesn’t need school and that he will provide for her, by week 4 he had confessed to Olivier that he would like a family with her and bought her a ring.
James was to turn 18 in less than a month, Olivier is still 15. He was tall Caucasian, green eyes and fare haired. He drove a car funded by his parents, had friends older than himself whom he drank regularly with and would often invite Olivier . He attended college studying a specialised subject, the only place in the country teaching that subject. James was living up to his parents approval. One evening, one of his older friends offered Olivier a drink. Olivier was included for the first time, she didn’t say no...
Olivier could no longer feel her legs under her waist. The world was spinning. The cold winter rain and wind were stinging her lips and ears, red raw. Nothing looked familiar, It was dark and the street lights were like lasers of light firing all directions. She could hear laughter behind her, delirious, she felt the laughter was danger. She ran, tripped, ran and clambered home.
Olivier woke the next morning in her bed unaware of how she got there. She went downstairs and found her Step Dad smoking a cigarette. He looked stressed angry at Olivier . “Are you ok? Do you remember coming through the door last night? You were bleeding and drunk. What else did you do?” Olivier couldn’t remember anything, only bits and pieces. Olivier visited the bathroom and found she was in pain, she saw the cut on her forehead. She found her phone and received a text from James, “Where did you go last night? We were just messing. Don’t be so sensitive, you’ll get it when you’re older” before Olivier could respond to James there was knock at the door...
