Theo

My muddy feet trudge along the hard concrete, as they receive looks of concern from people walking by. It's almost as if they have never seen a dirty shoe before.

My thoughts manage to be quite condensed at this point. Before I left, I felt an extreme wave of irritation towards Eliza for the whole 'pizza's here' thing. At that moment, I saw something in her that I was desperate to pursue. And it wouldn't die. It wouldn't leave me alone. I looked into her eyes, and I felt like that same thing was pursuing me. So, I thought that was my opportunity, to show her how I feel about her. To show her that I want something with her. I don't know what, but anything. But, the way she was so quick to announce the arrival of the pizza man, as if I hadn't heard the doorbell too, made it painfully clear to me that the thing I wanted to pursue was my own happiness; my own strength; my own contentment. I saw my happiness and strength in her, but now I realise that it's not enough. There's something missing. There's something holding us back. Apart from her overbearing, impudent mother, of course.

My thoughts take me all the way to the front door of the house, where I take my usual routinely deep breath, when I know there's a high chance I'm about to encounter Rosanne. I fish the key from my pocket, and twist the door in the lock. My stomach gets the memo as it begins to twist as well. I open the door and my eyes instantly fall on the three bodies in the kitchen ahead of me. Olivia is sitting down, her eyes wandering around as if she doesn't quite know what to do with them. Mother and daughter, on the other side stand closely together, their eyes fixated ahead of them in the direction of the door, in the direction of me. Like they are waiting for me.

I made no plan to utter any word to them before I walked in, and I am ready to stick with that. But, as I take a few steps forward, I notice Rosanne taking a few steps forward too. I stop, bewildered as to what exactly is going on. Does she know about what happened last night? That said, there's nothing exactly to know. Nothing happened. Eliza couldn't and wouldn't be silly enough to let it slip to her mother that the boy she practically forced into her home almost locked lips with her last night.

She continues taking steps forward, her arms that were formerly folded slowly starting to unfold themselves. This is the moment when my eyes become aware of an object she is dangling from her hand, in my face. She is close enough now to let me know what the hell this is all about.

"Recognise this?" She asks, waving the now visible bracelet in my face. My eyes almost become blinded by the way the crystals of the bracelet are overshadowing the light in the room.

"Am I supposed to?"

"Don't play smart with me, boy. I know it was you."

"You know what was me?"

"It was you. That took this, in fact, stole this from me, and then placed it in the room you've been given to lay your sorry ass in."

My mind flusters as I begin to ponder on what she could be talking about, but all I am filled with is confusion and questions.

"I have no idea what you are talking about," I reply simply.

"Don't you dare lie to me!" She moves the bracelet closer to my eyes, as if the light eroding from it is suddenly going to bring out a confession from me.

"I'm... Not lying. What the hell is going on?" I finally ask, my curiosity piercing deep into my skin.

She turns around to Eliza, the bracelet still a centimetre away from my eye.

"Would you like to tell him, Eliza?"

"Mom-"

"Tell him," she demands. Eliza doesn't budge.

"She um... She lost that bracelet... And she found it... In your room."

"Uh... Temporary room," Rosanne corrects her.

I spend a few seconds processing Eliza's words into my head before words can actually form out of my mouth. "What?" I end up saying.

"There's no point denying it now. You've been caught. Pack your... Dirt and go," she says, as she finally removes the object from the front of my face, and walks back towards the kitchen.

I am left standing in the living room, my heart rising and falling with every beat. Eliza stands opposite to me, and I can swear I notice a glint of empathy in her eye. But she says nothing. She does nothing.

I refrain from arguing back, or pleading with anyone who will listen to let me stay. The energy has been sucked out of me from my annoyance of being accused of something I didn't do - one of my biggest pet peeves. I slowly plod against the carpet, my defeat pulling my pace back.

As I near closer to the kitchen, I hear a faint sound coming from Eliza's mouth.

"Mom, please."

"Be quiet, Eliza."

"He has nowhere else to go."

"Then maybe he should have thought about that before he decided to steal my possessions."

I reach the kitchen, where I make it a point to avoid eye contact with every single one of them, even Olivia, who still remains seated by the kitchen counter, a look of discomfort plastered on her face.

"But how do you even know it was him? Maybe you got it wrong-"

"Are you kidding me right now? Who else could it possibly be, Eliza? It wasn't you. I know Olivia definitely didn't do it, so who-"

My feet almost reach the stairs, before I hear a voice different to Rosanne's that pulls me back.

"It was me."

I take a few steps forward to come into view of the lips that just spouted those words, mild shock crossing my system to see the eyes of mother and daughter pierced on Olivia.

"What?" Eliza probes, confusion and determination littered in her voice.

"It was me. I'm the one that took the bracelet," Olivia expands, this time with me actually being able to see the words come out of her mouth.

"Why would you do that, Olivia?" Rosanne asks.

"I'm sorry I... Theo was rude to me last night, and I just wanted to get him back."

"By trying to get him kicked out?" Eliza's voice rises, causing me to feel flattered, despite the timing of it. "You do realise he would have been kicked out right? With nowhere else to go?"

"I wasn't thinking of that at the time. I was just thinking that he would get caught, and when I told you I was going to the kitchen before we slept last night, Eliza, I saw that as an opportunity. I thought a few words would be said to him and-"

"A few words? Olivia, it's an expensive bracelet and you know that. You were there when I bought it. Why would you do that to any of us?"

"I-" She begins, but doesn't make an effort to continue.

"Olivia, I think it's best you leave," Rosanne speaks, after standing for minutes in silence.

"I'm sorry," Olivia reiterates one more time as she stands up. She looks up at me before she turns towards the direction of the front door, her eyes speaking something to me that I am unaware of.

The door shuts behind her, as I look into Eliza's face and depict anger and hurt written all over it. I don't know what movement I should make. Olivia may have admitted to it, but that doesn't take away Rosanne's burning desire to get rid of me.

"Mom. He's staying," Eliza speaks up, as if she can read my mind. Her eyes spill on mine for a second, before she quickly looks away and towards her mother.

"Fine," she says, a tone of defeat in her voice. I don't think it's defeat at her daughter telling her I'm staying, but more so that her apparent judgement didn't quite travel to the best friend of her daughter.

I remain silent, and pick up my previously slow pace to run up the stairs and remove myself from the deathly presence of yet another person that despises me.

Eliza

Anger skips through my entire body at the revelation just made. How can somebody so close to you have an unseen evil streak in their bones? I knew she had negative feelings towards him, and his behavior towards her didn't make it any better, but it was absolutely beyond me that she would stoop so low just to 'get him back.'

"That girl is not welcome back in this house," my mom blandly states, as she takes her laptop in her hands. "I'm going to actually pack for the gym now. Unless I happen to discover any more lost items."

I look away from her, no words coming to the tip of my tongue. She detects my silence and also heads for the stairs, leaving me to address to myself the event that just unfolded. An event that lead to me losing my best friend.

***

The sound of the rain clicking against the window resonates a peaceful feeling within me, after the morning I just experienced. The peace causes my thoughts to be all the more louder, however. Almost as if somebody is trying to argue against my depiction, my phone begins to ring, from next to the mouse. My eyes flicker over to it, in which the name Olivia evokes a new sense of irritation in me.

I contemplate on whether to answer the phone - what could she possibly want to say that would make what she did any better? I know the answer to the question, but still feel a tinge of loyalty to the girl I've been friends with my whole life.

"What do you want, Olivia?"

"That's not a very nice way to greet an old friend." I blink heavily as I wonder whether she thinks I will appreciate her attempt at a joke.

"Well, maybe you should learn not to steal from your old friends' parents."

There is a pause on the line, before she finally speaks.

"I don't know whether I should be more offended by your monotonous voice and tone to me right now or the fact that you actually believe I would do something like that."

"Olivia, you told me that you did it."

"Well... Maybe I didn't."

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"Eliza, you're my best friend. If I was to steal from anyone, it wouldn't be your mother, who has been nothing but kind to me every time I see her."

Another pause ensues. I didn't think I could get any more confused than I already was, but I seem to be proven ultimately wrong.

"What are you trying to say?"

"What are you trying to say? Do you actually think I would do that?"

"I don't know, Olivia. It's kind of hard to be impartial when you literally admitted to it."

"Yeah, to save your sorry ass boyfriend."

"What? You said you were trying to get him back."

"Eliza. Your mom found a bracelet that belongs to her in the room Theo's staying in. Obviously she would automatically think it's him, and I know how much you want him to stay; not just because you like him, but because you feel bad that he's been sleeping on the streets."

"Olivia-"

"Your mom was literally on the verge of kicking him out, and I saw your face. It was painted with despair and desperation, and I saw the opportunity, and I took it." My mind takes in her repetition of what provoked her to do it earlier on, but this time used in an aspect to save Theo.

"So you didn't take the bracelet?"

"I would never do that. Not even if I wanted to get Theo in trouble, or whatever. I just wanted to help you, even though he's the biggest jerk. But you see something in him; and you're my best friend."

My eyes fight the urge to blink, as their transfixion on the computer screen causes the words on it to become blurred. After a few seconds, a blink finally manages to escape, and I simultaneously find myself thrown back into the present.

"Eliza?" Olivia's voice calls.

"I don't even know what to say."

"Well, thank you would be a good start. A big one at that, judging by the fact that I'm the one that ended up getting kicked out, and your mom probably hates me now."

"I'm going to have to find a way to get round to her about you. She loved you but obviously she was really hurt and confused. But, Liv..."

"Yeah."

"That means Theo did it..."

"I'm sorry, Lize. I know you feel something for him but, he honestly can't be trusted."

My eyes now begin to sting at its sudden loss of movement, and I get the anxious urge to completely annihilate him with my words.

"Olivia, I'll call you back later okay? I just have to find out why he did it. I have to."

"Find out so you can find some empathy in your heart for him, or find out so that the voice in your head telling you right now that he's not a good guy will be confirmed?"

"I wish I could answer that. I just need to find out."

"Alright well, be careful."

"I will. I'll call you later."

"Okay, bye."

I stand up, and inadvertently find myself smoothing the creases on my white tank top, and beige culottes. I can't imagine he is in the best of moods right now, but for once, I don't fear the attitude I can foresee he will present me with. He doesn't have the right.

"Was it not enough me practically begging my mom to let you stay here?" I shout, as I fling the door open to see him laying on the bed, throwing up a tub of hair gel into the air, and catching it.