“Look Jake, I can’t be your little relationship fixer.” Olive hisses marching away from Jake. He scampers after eyes pleading. “She treats you like crap and you run to me for all the right things to say to appease the beast! I won’t take it anymore.”

Olive finally stopped short and Jake ran into her. She glared at him but couldn’t hold it. Just a look into those begging brown eyes melted her heart. He saw it and jumped at the chance for her help.

“Please Olive, this is the last time. I swear. I know Valerie means well, she’s just a bit.. .testy.” He got down on his knees, hands clasped together.She glares at the golden chain Valerie had given Jake that’s glinting up at her from around his neck. Her soft eyes froze over and she looked just as angry as she was moments before.

“The last time, huh? You said that last time and the time before that. I’m not your lap dog. I’m supposed to be your friend.” She looks away. Jake stood up and looked at Olive seriously.

“Olive…” He tried.

“No Jake. If you won’t open your eyes and see the kind of hole you’ve dug yourself into with that dog then fine. But I won’t help you along your path to Hell.” There is a moment where you could see how her words stung but it was fleeting.

His voice is low and threatening as he responds, “You say you suppose we’re friends. But friends are supposed to be supportive.” He turns to storm away.

“That’s where you’re wrong! Friends are supposed to be supportive of what’s in the other’s best interest!” Olive screams after. The second he turns the corner a tear rolls down her cheek.

Olive pulls out her cell phone and presses speed dial 1. A second passes before Olive blubbers words into the phone. Not a minute is spent on the call and it isn’t long before a car pulls up to the curb where Olive is standing.

Piper, Olive’s best friend, jumps out of the car and is immediately at Olive’s side. She throws her arms around Piper’s neck muttering. Anyone else wouldn’t have understood a word that was spewing out of Olive’s mouth but Piper is already on top of it with soothing words in Olive’s ear and a hand petting her hair.

“Calm down, sweet pea. Yes, he can be an idiot…but can’t you see what’s going on? He’s a clingy type…the second Valerie showed interest, he was stuck like a barnacle.”

“Can’t he see how bad he is for her!?” She trails off as she pulls back from her embrace with Piper. Her voice drops. “Can’t he see…me? I mean since he’s gotten together with Valerie, all we’ve been doing is fighting…”

Piper laughs a little. “You talk about him like he’s so blind. But let’s look at you for a second. You’re still utterly blind at the fact that he’s totally in love with you.”

Olive scoffs. “Sure. I think you’re just deluded.”

“Look…he’s just the type. You’re feelings aren’t as obvious as you think and since you’ve tired so hard to hide them, he thought you weren’t at all interested. So he latched onto someone who is…”

Olive thinks, mulling Piper’s words over. Then she groans, dropping her head onto Piper’s shoulder. “Now I know what it means to be your own worst enemy. Protecting myself by hiding my feelings only drove him away.”

“Maybe you didn’t drive him as far away as you thought…” Piper pokes Olive on the shoulder and points behind her. Olive looks up only to see Jake, panting with tear tracks down his cheeks and the golden chain missing from around his neck. Piper nudges Olive toward him and not a word is spoken as the Olive and Jake pull each other into a warm hug.