Chapter 5

*Clara Moore*

I was left standing, watching as Grayson left the diner and my gaze immediately moved to Dawn's. "What just happened?"

Dawn, with a light sparkle in her eyes, grinned. "That my friend is what you call getting a date." Arms crossed, Dawn leaned her hip against the counter, shrugging. My lips moved around silent words. "I don't even know if I want-"

"Clara?" My words died as Mr. Olsen appeared out of the kitchen door, brows raised in silent question.

"Uh, yeah." I hadn't told Dawn what I found yet and I didn't think Mr. Olsen thought that I knew. I didn't know what this meant. For me. For Mr. Olsen. I sighed, giving Dawn a tight lipped smile and trudged into the kitchen. My shoulders were heavy, drooping slightly with the invisible weight that held them down. The space that usually felt like home now made me feel strange, empty. Probably because I knew I was going to lose it.

A few boxes were scattered along the kitchen counters. Some already taped closed and some only half packed. My eyes welled with tears and a painful lump started to form in my throat as I realized how dire Mr. Olsen's situation was. I never noticed how in debt he was. Never recognized that we were so close to losing the place we both basically lived for.

"I saw the eviction notice." My watery eyes gazed into his as my arms folded around my own body, hugging myself. I needed some protection from the mess that my life had become. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"There was nothing I could've done, Lara and I didn't want to upset you," Mr. Olsen said, frowning. He reached out his hands and tugged me closer. His scent engulfed me and for a moment, I felt safe. Tears tracked silently down my face as I clutched Mr. Olsen. "What are we going to do?" My voice was barely above a whisper and I didn't think he heard when my question went unanswered and forgotten. Just like how people would forget the diner ever existed and how they would forget that I too, only existed. What was I going to do?

When my cheeks were finally dry from the salty tears I released Mr. Olsen from our needed hug. I had a feeling that we both needed an anchor for a moment from someone other than ourselves. And it was necessary. The hug, I mean. I wiped my cheeks and loosed a breath. My lips formed into a forced smile as I gazed at him. "It's going to be okay, Lara."

And with a slight nod of my head, I slipped out of the kitchen.

Dawn was still waiting for me at the desk by the time I came out of the kitchen and her once bright eyes and beautiful smile changed instantly when she saw the look on my face, probably seeing my swollen eyes. The back of my eyes stung as I took in the worrying tilt of her lips and the softening of her gaze and I shrugged. She had no idea how deep in trouble I actually was and the fact that I had her never ending support made me feel even more guilty. She didn't need my problems interfering with her happy, normal, living life. She was always smiling and by me telling her the truth about my life, about me, she would hate me.

"Let's go. We can talk about it at your house."

***

The drive to Dawn's house was surprisingly comforting. My eyes stopped stinging with tears that kept fighting to resurface and my lips didn't quiver as I spoke anymore. We mostly sat in silence for the entire drive but Dawn kept her hand in mine, squeezing it every other moment to let me know that she was here for me and I appreciated it. I appreciated her as my best friend.

Dawn slowly drove into the driveway of her house. I think it was mostly for my benefit because she knew that I had a bad history of trusting people and she wanted me to take my time. To feel that I wasn't rushed to talk about anything even though I knew how anxious she was to know what the problem was. Exhaling a deep breath, I got out of the car and waited for Dawn at the front door. As far as I knew her parents weren't home for the weekend but it still felt wrong to barge into her house without permission. She exited her car and without a single word, she unlocked the door and we walked towards her bedroom where I spilled everything weighing on my chest regarding the situation that Mr. Olsen was going to lose his diner.

The rest of the night was basically uneventful. After my outburst Dawn had decided that we had to watch movies. According to her, movies were the cure to every dilemma imaginable and if you had a bad day, a film was the way to go. Her opinion definitely varied from mine, but I humored her anyway and picked a bunch of horror films. It was our favorite. Waiting in the living room while Dawn went to get snacks, my mind wondered back to Grayson and the diner.

He was beyond gorgeous but that didn't mean that I wanted to go on a date with him. I knew Dawn and I had a deal about taking a boy to the hot air balloon ride but I didn't think that I would end up with a guy like Grayson. Meaning a guy that I was highly attracted to. This deal was supposed to be easy. I would've gotten a boy that I wouldn't have thought twice about and the balloon ride would've been a breeze. No complications and definitely no attractions. But that idea certainly stayed as it was, an idea when Dawn decided I had to take him as my date. Most girls would probably kill to be in the position that I was. How could I not have everything I ever wanted when a hot guy like Grayson was going on a date with me. Why was I complaining? I could try to have fun, to live in the moment for a little while where I didn't have to worry about a future I wasn't going to have. I could learn to live in the present and enjoy the little time I had left on this world. I could try to learn to live with no regrets but the question was... Who was going to teach me?

"Earth to Clara," Dawn's voice pulled me from my thoughts and I smiled as she sat down next to me. "Where did you go?"

I shrugged, "Nowhere. I'm right here."