REAL LIFE

olivia couldn't help but turn her head every time someone entered the venue. she didn't invite a whole lot of people; only cory, josh, kayla, lizzie, the triplets, jordan, a few other people from her year in college, and some influencers and actors and singers who were invited by cory and the triplets. okay yeah, it was quite a lot of people. almost everyone except the triplets were there, spread out into little groups within the small ballroom.

after her fifth time glancing at the entrance, jordan appeared next to her.

"i just talked to matt, he said he's on his way. so don't worry, liv." he put his arm around her. olivia let out a breath of relief.

"oh, okay! that's good." she got up, ready to greet the new people who just walked in. she found cory and josh who were talking to josh's friend, noah schnapp.

"yo, olivia!" josh waved her over. she and jordan joined the three.

"hi cory, josh. and i'm gonna take a wild guess and say that you're noah schnapp from stranger things." olivia greeted. noah laughed, sticking his hand out to shake.

"it's great to meet you olivia!" noah smiled. "happy birthday."

"thanks!" olivia beamed. before she could say anything else, cory tapped her shoulder and pointed to the door, where nick and matt walked in. no chris. olivia's smile faltered, but she faked one as she went to greet her best friends.

"hi nick! hi matt! i'm so glad you could make it." she said, giving each boy a hug. nick looked around in awe.

"happy birthday! liv, i didn't know you knew so many people. like i see conan gray here and OH MY GOD IS THAT NOAH SCHNAPP?" nick ran towards noah, leaving olivia and matt laughing at the boy.

"i take it cory was in charge of the invites?" matt asks looking around. olivia nods. she takes in a breath.

"so, he's not coming, is he?" olivia asked matt. he gave her a sympathetic smile.

"i'm sorry, liv. nick and i really tried to convince him to come and we thought he was, but he had some last minute plans come up with mom and he couldn't say no." he said. olivia sighed.

"oh." she said. she didn't know why she was so upset about chris not being there. it's not like she had totally forgiven him. matt noticed her change in mood.

"hey, you have a right to be upset." he put a hand on her shoulder. "he said he'd be here but he didn't come. doesn't matter if you're not on speaking terms , he's still your best friend, liv. you know that more than anyone. you still need him." he said. olivia furrowed her eyebrows as matt gave her a knowing look.

"you know about the nightmares?" olivia asked. matt shrugged.

"i mean, yeah. remember, you used to sleep over all the time. i kinda put the pieces together and i also overheard you and chris a few weeks ago on facetime. i just never said anything because you trust chris with that and i didn't want you to think that he told me anything. chris doesn't even know that i know." he assured her. olivia let out a sigh of relief.

"thanks for not saying anything to anyone." she said. matt smiled.

"of course. now, it's your birthday, livvie. let's go have fun." matt took her hand and led her through the crowd of people, looking for his girlfriend.

"cory!" matt let go of olivia's arm and ran to give his girlfriend a hug and a kiss on the forehead.

"hey matty! i was wondering where you guys were, but nick told me you were talking about the c word."

"cory you don't have to call him the c word in front of me." olivia laughed. "chris is fine. and he just had something come up last minute it's no big deal." she faked a smile. cory frowned at olivia's act. she was so having a word with chris later.

"olivia!" conan gray approached the three. "kayla told me to tell you that it's cake time so you should head towards the table."

"oh okay!" olivia motioned her friends to follow her as she followed conan to the table right in front of the dance floor.

"alright everyone!" the dj roared into the microphone. whoever decided to hire nathan doe as the dj really needed to reconsider. the kid did nothing but play mid-tier music and yell into the mic just because he could. 

"today we are celebrating the nineteenth birthday of a very special lady. everyone sing happy birthday to olivia wallace-perkins!" he pointed to olivia, who turned a bright red as she looked down in embarrassment.

"fuck yeah!" nick exclaimed. "everyone sing with me! happy birthday to you..." everyone gathered around the table where olivia stood, singing along with nick.

"happy birthday dear olivia! happy birthday to you!" they all sang.

"make a wish liv." jordan put a hand on her shoulder. olivia looked at the burning candles and closed her eyes. she blew out the candles. within seconds, a familiar song started playing, making olivia's heart skip a beat. everyone started pairing off into couple's for the dance.

i figured it out.

she scanned the crowd, hoping that for some reason, he would be here. maybe this song was a sign that he came? she looked around, full of hope.

i figured it out from black and white.

someone tapped her shoulder. olivia whipped around only to be met with jordan lowell. 

seconds and hours.

"friendly dance?" jordan asked, holding his hand out. olivia gave him what had to be her fifteenth fake smile that night.

maybe they had to take some time.

the girl nodded, taking jordan's hand. he led her to the dance floor. 

"i'm sorry he didn't come." jordan said. "i saw you standing there and i felt bad that you had no one to dance with. i hope it was okay."

you and i. we don't wanna be like them.

"it's okay. thank you." olivia said, going up to kiss his cheek. as the two danced, she was trying so hard to keep her mind off of the boy she wished was here.

we can make it til the end.

but nothing worked.

nothing can come between you and i.

no matter what she did, her mind couldn't shake him off.

not even the gods above could separate the two of us.

she hated this feeling. she should be happy right now, dancing with jordan, who cared for her and was a grear friend to her.

no nothing could come between you and i

she hated how she wished she was dancing with christopher sturniolo instead. she hated how at this moment, she realized that she was in love with him.

but she also realized in this moment that he may not be the one.

oh , you and i.

maha speaks :)

i promise i'll make it up to all of you.