At first glance, it would seem to most that Olivia Hart had a pretty good life

At first glance, it would seem to most that Olivia Hart had a pretty good life. She was pretty, with her shoulder length brown hair with natural red highlights, brown eyes, and delicate features; she was the spitting image of her mother. She was popular, Olivia was that girl you saw at school that was so naturally outgoing that everyone was just drawn to her. Sure there had been rough patches in her life here and there, but it was good compared to most. However, that is not the way the 17 year old felt. It seemed to her that she had been hit with one thing after another, and she barely had time to breathe in between. This last though, had been the worst. Everyday she still woke up wondering how she could survive.

Olivia made her way down the steps of her school, waving bye to a few friends as she passed. She mentally crossed off another day in the countdown to graduation that she was keeping in her mind. In just 27 more days of school, she would be free. Olivia, or Liv as she was known to most, had spent the last year imagining what she would do once she was finally done. Go to college, or just start working right away. Maybe she could just get a good summer job and spend some time traveling with friends. Not likely. First of all, her friends had their plans in place, and for most it included college. Secondly, her father would never allow it, even though she would be 18 by then.

Liv had almost made it to her car when she heard her name being called out. She turned to see Parker Matthews coming towards her, “Hey Parker,” she replied.

“Hey Liv. Got any big plans for the weekend?”

“Not really, I’ll probably just be catching up on some of this homework, maybe hanging out with some friends, nothing special.”

“Oh,” Parked replied. Liv could hear the disappointment in his voice, “So you aren’t going to prom then?”

Liv groaned to herself, she had forgotten that he had even asked her to go, “I’m sorry Parker, I was going to, but-uh I have some family coming into town really last minute and I’m supposed to be hanging out with them.”

Parker looked at Liv with hurt written all over his expression, “I thought you had nothing special going on this weekend?”

Liv stopped for a minute, then realized that she had been caught in her own lie, “It just slipped my mind, like I said it was last minute.”

Parker started to walk away, but then stopped and turned back to Liv, “You know Liv, if you didn’t want to go with me, you could’ve just told me.”

“I did want to go with you,” Liv said under her breath, it’s not my fault my dad wouldn’t let me. Oh well, she thought to herself, relationships are nothing but trouble anyway.

…

He watched as she drove away, she was perfect he decided. She would be even better than the other one. Soon, he decided, soon she would be his.

…

Liv had been surprised to see her dad’s car in the driveway so early in the afternoon. Normally, Mitchell Hart would work until 7 or 8 before he finally made it home. It was his way of “dealing with things,” he had once said.

“Dad?” She called as she made her way through the house. She didn’t particularly want to see him, but she figured she should at least let him know that she was home.

“In here Liv!” She heard her dad’s voice answer.

Liv walked into the kitchen to see her dad and his partner, Detective Joe Bennett, sitting at the kitchen table with files spread out all over the place. “What’s going on in here?” She asked as she got a cold soda from the fridge.

“We were just working on a case that needed a little more privacy than the station could provide.” Mitch answered, as he quickly covered up a couple of the files.

Liv shot him a look, “And they don’t provide offices for you?”

“Liv.” Mitch shot her a look back which clearly told her to stop.

“Okay, whatever. I’m going to do my homework.”

Liv knew what they were really working on, but she didn’t care. If they wanted to keep searching then fine, but she was done. She had to be done.

…

With the exception of a quick dinner, Liv made sure to avoid her dad. It wasn’t that they didn’t get along, it was just on this particular evening, when her dad’s overprotective-ness came out that she didn’t want to see him. In reality, they were close. It had been a tough year for both of them, it had brought them closer, but in another way it had driven a wedge in their relationship. As a police officer, Liv’s dad had always been overprotective, but lately it had just been annoying. Some rules she could live with, but not letting her to go to her own senior prom? That was too much. Liv had begged and pleaded, but nothing had worked, so she decided to take matters into her own hands.

She waited until she knew her dad had gone to bed for the night, gathered up a few necessities, and headed out. Olivia never even realized that she was still being followed.

...

Olivia had barely entered the crowded room when she felt someone grab her arm. Startled, she shouted, "Dad!" as she realized who it had been.

"Olivia Gwen Hart! Just what do you think you are doing?"

"Nothing! I just needed to get out for a little while. I that thought just maybe I could have some fun with my friends for once!"

"And you had to sneak out of the house to do this?"

Their conversation continued to increase in volume, causing everyone in the room to turn and stare. However, this did not stop Liv from speaking her mind, "Yes!" She shot back, "Because you never let me do anything! Look around Dad, there are parents and chaperones, no drinking, no drugs."

"How do you know that it's so safe! Do you know the kinds of things that can happen here!"

"It's just after prom! You wouldn't let me go to the dance so I figured I would at least come to this." Liv turned to walk out of the room, but turned back, "And of course I know of the kinds of things that can happen here. I always get filled in on all the horrible things that maybe could happen to me. But guess what Dad, they never do! You don't see that though, you suffocate me to the point that I don't even have a life."

"Olivia just stop!"

"No Dad, I'm sick of stopping," Liv sighed and quieted her voice, "You have your ways of dealing with mom's death, but you won't let me have any way to express myself, or find myself. I struggle just to get through everyday, and I..." Liv choked back and sobbed, "And dad, I want to be called Liv now. Could you please just respect that?"

Liv turned and ran out the door before her father could say anything else. She got to her car and started fumbling with her keys to hurry and get her door unlocked. She had finally gotten the key in the lock when she felt a hand grab her from behind. This time though, it wasn't like her father's grasp, it was stronger and instead of her arm she was being held around her neck. She felt something being placed over her mouth and within seconds everything went black.