As Olivia Clark, I was in absolute shock.

I knew that Alessia had a crush on Dylan, something I had no idea about when we were in school. But now I learn that she had acted on her crush. She had kissed him.

I sat back, watching as the kiss continued. Despite everyone's constant nagging at us about our apparent crushes, it seems that they were all wrong.

And then, Dylan pulled back. It wasn't to embarrass her; he didn't do it in a rude way. He pulled away slowly, eyes shut as he took deep breaths.

"Alessia," he whispered.

"I'm sorry," she whispered back, swallowing up anything he would've said.

"I'm going to call Olivia, see if she wants to come round and revise for her biology test on Wednesday, and I think that you..." he couldn't say it out loud. And Alessia and I knew why. Dylan was too nice. He had helped Alessia last night and today and he didn't want to be rude about anything.

"I'll go," Alessia said, swallowing the lump in her throat, picking up her bag and stuffing her clothes from the night before inside. She took one last look at Dylan as she sniffed. Then, she slipped on her shoes and left.

She ran down the stairs and out of the door, finding her bus pass in her pocket as she checked the time.

I was too shocked to resume my role in Alessia's body after that. I was still there, regretfully, but I let her make her way home on her own.

She felt regretful and a little embarrassed despite Dylan's efforts to remain respectful to her feelings. But, overall, she was happy. She had kissed the boy she liked and, although she then lost him to the girl he liked, she was still victorious.

School—it was a ridiculous few years of my life.

When Alessia got home, her dad still wasn't there and she wasn't surprised. I thought perhaps that he had a job that required him to work afar most of the time—and party with prostitutes on Friday nights, of course.

She ran up to her room, where she shut her door, leaning against it. And then she grinned, before throwing her body into some sort of happy dance.

This was the first time she had felt joy and success in a very, very long time. Though, I hope she knew that her cure to her long-term depression and lack of friends was harder than she thought to procure.

Alessia passed the rest of her Saturday by sketching Dylan in her sketchbook—which I had never seen in her room before—and she used a picture on his Instagram to do so. When it got late, she ordered a Chinese, becoming even happier when she heard the doorbell ring. Well, at least we can both agree that food is emotionally enlightening.

As Alessia turned up the volume on her speakers, eating her noodles and smudging lines on Dylan's jaw, I felt betrayed. Alessia and I didn't really know each other, and so if I had known that Dylan kissed her when we were in school, I wouldn't have minded. In fact, I probably would've pushed him to take her on a few dates, maybe ask her to prom.

But tomorrow morning, I would've spent four days in her body. I just thought that maybe...

I don't know. We're not friends. She doesn't even know me. But I know her. I know every inch of her mind and body. I know that she has a mole on her upper hip, and no one else would've seen that. I know that there's a picture of her mum that she picks up every morning and kisses. No one else would've known that.

I know that Alessia owes me nothing.
But we're now bonded in the strangest of ways, and I feel like she crossed an invisible line.

When it was time for Alessia to go to sleep, she fell asleep with her phone in her hand, her pencil in the other and her sketchbook laid out in front of her. And when she woke up, the sketch of Dylan was still there and, even though she was starving, she couldn't wait to continue drawing him. She waited ten minutes for her phone to recharge before she got straight to work again.

I was done helping Alessia. If what happened at Matt's party wasn't enough to convince me, Alessia definitely dug herself a hole when she kissed Dylan.

I won't dig her out.
She can stay buried until, and if, I want to come out to play again.

When Alessia knew that the coast was clear, she ran down the stairs and grabbed herself a quick breakfast, before sprinting back up the stairs again, locking herself in her room. She ate her late breakfast whilst watching Snapchat stories, and paused when she saw that, on Dylan's story, there was a video of me and Dylan. I was still very much asleep, cuddled up into Dylan's side and there was a film playing. Alessia would've been more annoyed if it hadn't been for Johnny's voice in the background. She was happy knowing that he wasn't spending time with just me alone.

What Alessia didn't know is that Dylan has been my best friend for eight years now. That's eight years of moments alone.

She can shove it.

When it seemed that Alessia was going to spend all day drawing Dylan, I shoved her out of the way, taking control again. I threw her rubbish in the bin, grabbing her sketchbook, deciding that she would have to watch as I burnt it. But, of course, there's only so much you can do as a visitor in someone else's body. I let out a frustrated yell, shoving her book under her bed before retrieving her homework from her bag.

I worked on her homework for two hours before I slammed all her books closed, packing her bag and zipping it up angrily. I stomped around in her room, getting her uniform ready and blitzing around her room so that it was actually tidy. When the rubbish bag was full, I tied it up and changed it, ready to take both Alessia's dirty clothes and her rubbish downstairs for a wash.

I let Alessia in for just a second, for her to let me know that her dad will be back in two hours, giving me enough time to put her clothes on a wash. I marched downstairs angrily, throwing her rubbish out the front; ready for collection. Her washing machine was in the corner, and I crept around the piles of rubbish and whatever the hell was stained onto the tiles, emptying the basket into the machine and starting a wash.

Since Alessia was too scared to leave her clothes, fearing that her dad would come back early and punish her for washing them here, I stayed downstairs. Her dad can go to hell. When they were washed, I threw them in the tumble dryer, increasing Alessia's fear.

I checked the kitchen clock—Alessia thought he'd be home soon. And if he was–

I jumped when tumble dryer beeped, opening the door quickly and throwing the clothes into the basket. I double-checked the tumble dryer and the washing machine for lost items and also did the same around the floor before I ran out of the kitchen, into the lounge and up the stairs. When I got to the top, I heard the front door open.

Slowly, and whilst holding my breath, I tip-toed over to Alessia's room, walking in and placing the basket on the floor. I turned around to shut the door—that's when I saw a singular sock lying on the stairs.

I swore internally, feeling Alessia's heart thump in her chest.

Okay.

I opened the door once more and listened out for Alessia's dad. I heard a click and, after waiting for a few moments on the landing, I smelt smoke. He was smoking. Inside the house.

I heard him grunt, and the sound of many things smashing and clanking around before I heard the stove being lit. I remembered where the stove was, and if he was standing by it, his back would be to the stairs.

As I crept closer to the steps, I had to consider if they would creak. As I remembered, they would. The sock was close enough that I could reach it, yet Alessia's dad would see me if I took too long.

I took a breath, and placed my head in the corner of the bannister, seeing her dad exactly where I thought he would be. With that, I quickly got down onto my stomach, reached out as quick as I could, latched onto the sock with only my index and my middle fingers before yanking it away.

I slowly rose and used the same speed to get back into Alessia's room. I closed the door as quietly as I could before I locked it.

After throwing the sock in the laundry basket, I finally took a breath.

Alessia Trent, you don't even deserve my help; do anything like what you did to me today with Dylan again and I'll never help you ever again. I'll just sit here and watch your miserable life play out.

Don't cross me.

_________________________________

oh hell

HELL IS HERE

OLIVIA CLARK IS ANGRY LADIES AND GENTS

yo this chapter is also late but quite long so 🤷🏼‍♀️

I actually liked this one lmao

Anywayyyy

-have a fun Friday and I'll definitely see u tomorrow

FABULOUS SONGS

Songs that played when I was writing this chapter (in order):
Embrace - Chase & Status (twice–I like it, okay?)
TALK ME DOWN - Troye Sivan
like that - Bea Miller
The Last Time - Taylor Swift
Ocean - Lauren Aquilina
Bridges - Broods
Waiting Game - Banks
Truth Is a Beautiful Thing - London Grammar

END OF FABULOUS SONGS

Date written:
06/09/18

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Next update: tomorrow bc imma hoe
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CHAPTER NINETEEN SPOILER:

The vicious cycle of Alessia Trent's life never seems to end.

And Olivia is spiralling in it.

🕊