The morning bell rang, signaling the start of another school day. Olivia walked through the hallways, her mind still spinning from the discovery of the pregnancy test. The more she thought about it, the more questions swirled in her head. Phoenix had been pregnant. Why had she kept it from her? And why had no one told Olivia?
As Olivia passed by her friends, Harper and Savannah, they both waved at her, but she could tell they were hesitant to approach. They knew something was wrong, but Olivia wasn't in the mood for small talk. She wasn't in the mood for anything other than answers.
She walked faster, ignoring them. I need to talk to Tessa.
---
By the time Olivia reached Tessa's usual spot in the cafeteria, she was already seated, eyes scanning the room. When Tessa caught sight of Olivia, her expression hardened just for a second before she masked it with a friendly smile. But Olivia could see through the act. Something was off.
"Hey, Tessa," Olivia said, her voice steady but her heart pounding in her chest.
Tessa looked up, feigning surprise. "Oh, hey Liv. What's up?"
"I need to talk to you," Olivia said bluntly, not wasting any time. "About Phoenix."
Tessa's face immediately shifted—her smile faded, and her eyes flickered nervously, as if she were looking for an escape. But she quickly recovered, giving Olivia a tight-lipped smile.
"Can it wait? I'm kind of busy." Tessa motioned to the group of friends around her, though Olivia could see the unease in her posture.
"No, it can't," Olivia insisted, her tone more forceful now. She wasn't going to let this go. "We need to talk. Alone."
Tessa hesitated, her eyes darting around the cafeteria before she gave a small nod. "Fine. Follow me."
---
Olivia followed Tessa down the hallway toward a quieter part of the school, her heart racing with anticipation. This conversation was long overdue, and she wasn't leaving until she got the truth.
They stopped in front of a secluded alcove near the back exit. Tessa turned to face Olivia, her arms crossed defensively.
"What is it you want to talk about?" she asked, her voice cool and guarded.
Olivia swallowed hard. She couldn't hold back anymore. "You knew Phoenix was pregnant, didn't you?"
Tessa's eyes widened briefly before narrowing. Her lips tightened, and for a moment, Olivia could see the cracks in her perfect facade.
"I… I don't know what you're talking about," Tessa said quickly, though the hesitation in her voice gave her away.
Olivia's gaze sharpened. "I found the pregnancy test in Phoenix's room. It was positive, Tessa. She was pregnant. So why didn't you tell me? Why didn't anyone tell me?"
Tessa's eyes flickered again, but this time, she didn't try to hide it. She looked away for a second, clearly struggling with how to respond. "Liv," she began, her voice suddenly softer. "You don't understand. It wasn't my place to tell you. Phoenix—she didn't want you to know. She didn't want anyone to know."
Olivia's heart sank. "But why? Why wouldn't she tell me? I was her sister. Her best friend."
Tessa took a deep breath, stepping closer to Olivia. "Because she was scared. You have no idea what she was going through, Liv. No idea what she was hiding from everyone."
"Then tell me," Olivia demanded. "I deserve to know. I need to know."
Tessa paused, her eyes searching Olivia's face for something. It was almost as if she was weighing whether or not to tell the truth. Finally, she lowered her voice.
"I'm not the one who should be telling you this," Tessa said slowly. "But I'll say this: Lex was the father. Phoenix trusted me with that. She didn't trust anyone else."
Olivia froze. Lex. The one person she never would have suspected in all of this. It made sense now—how everything had been so messy between Tessa, Phoenix, and Lex. But there was more to the story, and Olivia knew it.
"Why didn't she tell me?" Olivia whispered, feeling the weight of the words on her chest.
Tessa looked around again, as if ensuring no one was listening. She lowered her voice. "Because Phoenix was in way over her head. And she was afraid of what would happen if anyone found out. Lex was the father, but that wasn't all. There were other things, things that were too dangerous for anyone to know. I don't know the full story, Liv, but trust me when I say Phoenix didn't want you involved in it."
Olivia's mind raced. Dangerous? What was Phoenix involved in?
Before she could ask more, Tessa stepped back, her face hardening once more. "That's all I'm saying, Liv. I can't say anything else."
Olivia opened her mouth to say something, but before she could, the bell rang, signaling the end of lunch. Tessa turned away, the conversation clearly over.
---
Olivia stood there for a moment, her thoughts swirling. Lex. Phoenix. Tessa. There's so much more to this story.
But as she began to make her way back to class, her phone buzzed. A message from Peter.
Hey, you okay? You've been distant today. If you need someone to talk to, I'm here.
Olivia's chest tightened. She didn't have answers yet—no real answers. But she could feel Peter's concern, even through a text. She couldn't tell him everything, not yet. Not until she knew more.
---
Later that day, Olivia found herself standing in front of Mrs. Haven's desk in the library. Mrs. Haven looked up as Olivia approached, clearly surprised.
"Olivia? What's on your mind?" she asked, smiling kindly.
"I need to talk to you. It's about Phoenix," Olivia said, her voice low. "You were close to her, weren't you?"
Mrs. Haven's smile faded slightly, replaced by a more serious expression. "I was. But if this is about the pregnancy, Liv… I don't know much more than you do. Phoenix confided in me, but she made me promise not to tell anyone."
Olivia leaned forward, her heart pounding. "Please, Mrs. Haven. I just need to know what she was going through. What was she really hiding?"
Mrs. Haven hesitated, looking down at the desk. She sighed. "Phoenix was scared. She didn't trust anyone, not even you. But she did tell me one thing. The father… it was Lex."
The words hit Olivia like a punch to the gut. Lex.
---