Oliver sat at the dinner table, surrounded by his dad and his siblings. They were having a feast of roast chicken, mashed potatoes, and salad, prepared by their maid, Maria. The food was delicious, but Oliver was not in the mood to eat. He was too busy thinking about his school day, and how much he hated it.134Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAjpZ3F6PBD
He had been bullied by some older kids, who called him names and if it weren't for one of the bullies' classmates protecting him, would have stolen his lunch. He also faced an issue in class - a group project.
Oliver Wylde hated group projects more than anything in the world. He specifically said to himself that he would have rather have had his lunch stolen by bullies. He pleaded for a solo project, but was not allowed to... as usual.
He wished he could tell his dad or his siblings, but he didn't know how. He didn't want to bother them, or disappoint them, or make them worry. He wanted to be strong, and brave, and independent, like they were. He wanted to fit in, and belong, and be happy, like they were.
But he wasn't
"Bro, are you okay? You're not eating much," Ashlyn said, noticing his lack of appetite.
Oliver looked up, and forced a smile. "I'm fine... I'm just not very hungry," he lied.
"Are you sure? You look pale. Do you have a fever?" Ashlyn asked, concerned.
Oliver shook his head. "No, no, I'm fine. Really."
Ashlyn frowned, but didn't press further. She knew Oliver was a private person, and she respected that. She also knew he was going through a lot, and she wanted to help him. She decided to change the topic, and cheer him up.
"So, Oliver, do you have any friends in school? We're new here, so we have no idea?" she asked, casually, and nudged Draco, knocking him out of his chicken-induced trance.
Oliver felt a pang in his chest, as he remembered his awful school day. He wished he could tell her the truth, but he didn't want to ruin the mood. He decided to lie again, and hope for the best.
"Yeah, it's great. I've met some nice people. They're really cool," he said, vaguely.
"Really? That's awesome. What are their names? What do they like to do?" Draco asked, partly to prevent his sister from punching him the next time.
Oliver panicked, as he realized he had no names or details to give. He had barely spoken to anyone at school, let alone made friends. He tried to think of something, anything, to say.
"Um... well, there's... uh... Jake. He's... uh... into sports. And... uh... Lisa. She's... uh... into music. And... uh... Sam. He's... uh... into comics. Yeah, they're... uh... really cool," he stammered, making up names and hobbies on the spot.
Ashton raised an eyebrow, sensing something was off with him.
"Wow, they sound awesome. Do you hang out with them a lot? What do you do together?" he asked, innocently, before his daughter could call him out for lying.
Oliver felt a sweat drop on his forehead, as he realized he had dug himself deeper into a hole. He wished he could stop lying, but he didn't know how. He decided to lie some more, and hope for the best.
"Uh... yeah, we hang out a lot. We... uh... play games, and... uh... watch movies, and... uh... talk about stuff. Yeah, we... uh... have a lot of fun," he said, nervously.
Ashlyn smirked, knowing he was lying. She didn't believe him for a second, but she didn't want to embarrass him.
Meanwhile, Draco decided to tease him, and see how he would react.
"That sounds amazing. Do you have a crush on anyone?" he asked, cheekily.
Oliver felt a blush on his cheeks, as he realized he had been caught. He looked at the smug looks on each one's faces. He wished he could tell them the truth, but he didn't want to admit he was lying. He decided to lie one last time, and hope for the best.
"Uh... no, no, I don't have a crush on anyone. They're just friends. Yeah, just friends," he said, quickly.
Ashlyn laughed, knowing he was lying. She didn't care if he had a crush or not, but she wanted to make him smile. She decided to drop it, and let him be.
"Okay, okay, I believe you. They're just friends. But if you ever need any advice, or help, or anything, you know you can always talk to me, right?" she said, sincerely.
"Sisters don't understand a thing!" Draco scoffed "This is why you have me - a brother."
"Hey - Amira is great... when she wants to be."
- Draco rolled his eyes and placed his fork on the plate. "One of my sisters,” he said, “is always flaunting her newfound MUN vocabulary, and likes one of the nerdiest guys in her grade. The other broke my phone, effectively ruining my first day at school. So trust me, you don’t want to talk to either of them.”
"Noted. You're still mad about your phone, aren't you?"
"Duh, of course I am! How could she! I don't care if I shared a womb with her for nine months, I am not letting this slide."
"Son, it was a mistake, and I can get you another. Till then, nothing's wrong with your old phone." Ashton said, and cut a piece of chicken using his knife.
Oliver looked at all of them, and felt a warmth in his heart. He knew they were all trying to help him, and he appreciated that. He decided to tell them the truth later, and thank them.
"All phones aside, thanks for your support guys. I didn't have such a great day today, but I'm feeling better already."
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