Accidents [01]

Olivia Walden cursed and muttered under her breath, the irritating bleep of the alarm clock waking her from a fitful sleep.
She finally managed to drag herself from the bed - wondering why they're always comfier in the mornings when you have to get up.
Running a hand through her shockingly short, bright red hair and yawning, Olivia stumbled down the stairs. She wasn't the kind of person who got ready as soon as they got up. No, it took her a while to become human in the mornings.
Unfortunatley Olivia had become all too accustomed to a particular routine. A routine that she had forgotten, was to be interrupted today. The routine of getting up, getting a drink and lying on the sofa, watching awful American TV all day.
"Not today Liv. You're going to school, remember?" Her step-father, Alan, delighted in telling her this. In his grating American accent.
"Oh, for fuck's sake" She mumbled bitterly. "Let me just get a drink then"
Alan watched her with a frown as she pulled out a glass and the carton of orange juice. Pouring slowly, he opened his mouth to speak once more.
"Aren't you excited?"
"Not particularly"
"You could meet a boy!" He laughed.
"That was a knee-slapper right there, Alan" Olivia couldn't help but grin, her sarcasm enhanced - if anything - by her English accent.
"The boys wanted to go see your Mom after school today, are you going to come?"
She had just shut the fridge door, but proceeded to stare at it as if it was something of interest.
"No. Not today. I don't think I can"
"You haven't been in a while.."
"It's hard"
"It's hard for all of us"
"She was my mum, Alan. She was all I had. I can't go there, just to be faced with all that's left of her - which is basically a big rock. A big rock with an inscription. I don't need to be reminded of the date of her death, either. I just can't do it"
"She was the boy's mother too. And my wife for 15 years. You were only 2 when I met you. I'm practically your father" That was true, even if Olivia had never called him 'Dad'. "But if you don't want to go, I can't make you. I'll take you to school in half an hour. Be ready"
"I will" Olivia's reply fell on deaf ears - Alan had already left the room.
One month ago, Olivia's mother had been killed in a car accident, caused by a drunk driver. A drunk driver who walked away from that wreck alive.
Just one month before that, they had moved to America to live with Alan and her teenage, twin half brothers.
So now Olivia had absolutley no real family left. Apart from her father, wherever the fuck he was.
As she walked back to her bedroom, she wondered whether or not she should go visit her mother's grave. By the time she was in the room, Olivia had decided it would not be a good idea.
Olivia was also not the kind of person that planned her outfits in advance. She just wore whatever appealed to her most that day, or whatever felt the most comfortable, or both.
Deciding on a loose fitting, dark blue pair of drainpipes and old adidas t-shirt, Olivia stood looking out of the window for a moment at the weather. She didn't particularly care if it was cold, but it looked sunny enough.
Grabbing a handful of necklaces and bracelets from her odd jewellery stand, one that was just like a hand, except more shrivelled and warped, Olivia placed them around her neck and wrist.
It seemed as if she was on auto-pilot, her old routine was coming back as if she'd never strayed from it.
Sat in front of her mirror she placed a thin line of eyeliner all the way around her eye, then smudged it lightly with her finger.
Her hair, surprisingly, was the only thing that actually didn't require much time at all. It was very short, and came to about an inch under her ear. It stood up at any and every angle, the only flat bit was her fringe, which was swept up and over, and didn't look like much of a fringe at all. Olivia pretty much left it how it was when she woken up.
It had been bright red for a few months, but would probably only stay that colour for a few more weeks. Some people cut their hair when they're bored of it, Olivia just dyes it.
"Liv? Please come see Mom with us today" Out of the corner of her eye, she could see her younger brother's reflection in the mirror.
"I don't want to" Olivia stood up, grabbing her practically empty school bag and walked towards him.
"Why not?" Seth sounded young, innocent and helpless. His voice was quite soft, a hint of an American accent peeking through the English.
His eyebrows were very slightly furrowed, his mouth open just a little bit, turning down at the sides.
"It's hard" She repeated the same thing she had said to Alan earlier.
"She was our Mom too.."
"I know she was"
"So why are you acting like it's so much harder for you than it is for anybody else?"
"Fine. I'll go" Olivia scowled, pushing past him.
"We're going to take more flowers" Jason walked out of the bathroom, smiling.
"Why?"
"Because the one's on her grave aren't nice anymore" He said simply.
"Okay. Lillies?"
"As always" Seth grinned as he bounced down the stairs on his heels.
The twins were practically polar opposites. Jason was quiet and thoughtful. Seth was loud and hyperactive, but they still managed to be best friends.
"You three ready?" Alan asked, twirling his keys on his index finger.
"Yeah" They replied in unrehearsed unison.
Seth laughed an over exaggerated "Ha-Ha" laugh as they got into the car, making sure they did up their seatbelts. Olivia still felt, somtimes, like clinging to the side. Cars now made her feel quite unsafe.
As Alan pulled up on the other side of the street to her school, Olivia's stomach twisted uncomfortabley. A feeling she rarely got, and wasn't exactly familiar with.
"Have fun!" Alan laughed.
"Always the joker, ey Alan?" Olivia raised her eyebrow as she got out of the car and said goodbye to Seth and Jason.
She could feel people staring at her as she walked up to the building, but she pretended not to care.
Olivia felt like she was going to have a good day. Surely that was a good sign.