Simple Complications

By Nidhi Bhardwaj

"Do you remember who your childhood friends were? 

Probably. Probably not. 

Well, Olivia does. 

They were a close-knit group of four. Then they were a group of three. Then two. And finally, the group no longer existed... 

Olivia, Ryan, Kaylee and Hunter were the closest of friends till the end of middl

• Language: English
• Publisher: Ukiyoto Publishing
• Release date: Nov 9, 2023
• ISBN: 9789361725746

Book preview

Nothing French or Fried

Liv, you are going to the party and that is final! Paige told me in her bossy tone. Her light brown eyes were full of seriousness.

I swear, she is definitely Hitler reborn!

But I have homework! I pouted.

I didn’t really have any homework since I already completed it during my free period but she didn’t need to know that.

I am a secret agent and I could never reveal my secret to her. So, I have to lie to her.

It’s for national security!

Lying to my only female friend was hard and soul-wrenching but it was a necessary evil. I had to do it… I just had to.

She wanted me to go to a party with her since it was our last year of high school and I had never been to a high school party.

But…

I had a mission from the head of the organisation I worked for!

I just had to watch that last episode of my favourite show for the 200th time!

It was a life and death kinda mission.

And no one other than me was qualified enough to complete this mission.

And you also have the weekend. Paige gave me a flat look. Complete your homework later! She waved it off as she continued eating her salad.

How can she eat so many veggies?!

She was a model-like high schooler with blonde hair and light-brown eyes filled with excitement. I was sure she could’ve had a million friends if she didn’t hang out with a simple brunette with sea-blue eyes like myself.

But she was loyal to me…

What are my girls talking about? Dan asked as he sat down next to me with a big grin on his face.

Goof!

Dan, a.k.a. Daniel, was a lean yet not so lean, appropriately muscled athletic guy with amazing dark hair, beautiful brown eyes and rich chocolate coloured skin.

And unlike Paige, he did have numerous friends even if he hung out with me. But it probably had something to do with how amazingly likeable he was. Not that Paige wasn’t likeable.

It’s just that Paige had a habit of not taking anyone’s crap. If she was offended, she would be Satan incarnate.

While Danny boy was the cute guy who you couldn’t help but always agree with even if he was telling you that a dinosaur came through a time machine and ate his homework.

And he did use that excuse in class. Multiple times!

So Dan was a big goof.

But he was the best!

She’s making me go to a party. I told Dan with a sad pout on my face.

Amy’s party? Dan asked Paige and she nodded her head. No way! I’m going too! Dan exclaimed before high-fiving with Paige.

Pink Penguins!

Now the both of them will bug me until I say yes to going to that stupid party!

You have to come now, Liv! Paige told me.

I don’t wanna go! I whined.

Please, baby girl! Dan gave me his best puppy-dog impression.

Baby girl?!

I am a grown up 17 year old!

And I know that Dan and Paige are both already 18 and so are most of the people in my grade but it isn’t my fault that I skipped one of the lower grades because I was a super-human with a super intelligent brain!

I don’t want to go. I grumbled as I looked down at my tray of food.

Did they even fry these fries or just sprinkle a little oil on them?

I picked up a fry and inspected it.

Don’t tell me that there’s something in these fries that you need to study to improve human life and you just have to do it tonight. Paige told me.

Damn it!

She just knows how to read me before I can even read myself!

Totally not fair!

Besides, that fry will give you nothing except probably food-poisoning. Dan remarked. I nodded in agreement as I looked at the fry again.

There’s nothing French or fried about these French fries. I stated as I placed the fry back down in the tray.

If you are not eating those, can I? Dan asked me, pointing to my fries.

By all means! I said as I slid the tray in front of him.

But aren’t you supposed to stay healthy for the game on Saturday? Why are you eating those fries? Do you wanna get sick? Paige frowned at Dan who was practically inhaling the un-fried fries.

I have an amazing digestive system. You get that when you have twin little brothers who put unimaginably weird stuff in your food when you’re not looking. Dan informed us.

Poor guy…

If anyone even thinks about messing with my food, they won’t have hands by the end of the day…

Food is no funny business! It’s serious!

Jerk band alert! Paige spoke in a low voice, looking at someone behind me.

I turned around to find Ryan Anderson, the star quarterback, walking into the cafeteria with his friends.

Holly hashbrown!

Did the temperature in the room just increase like a hundred degrees or is it just me?

Now, you might be wondering, I thought that this girl had super intelligence and all. Why is she swooning over a jock?

That’s because Ryan was not just another popular guy with everything he wanted.

Well, to be fair, he did have everything he ever wanted…

But that’s not the point!

Ryan was different.

Ryan was popular. But he was kind and not at all arrogant. He was the guy who went to every party in the town but he also had straight A’s.

And I knew all this not because I heard it from someone. It was because I was his best friend once. And I still am his next door neighbour.

Ryan had the typical dark-brown wavy, styled hair with enchanting baby-blue eyes. He was a dream guy!

But he also had a personality to go with all his Greek-god looks.

He was kind and friendly.

He was a real angel!

Ryan’s eyes met mine and he gave me a smile and a wave before turning back to his friends.

Perks of being the ex-bestie…

I always got a smile from him whenever he saw me but he never talked to me. And that is saying something when we were next-door neighbours!

But that’s how it has been since the start of high school.

I’m not even sure why we stopped being friends… I just knew that we weren’t friends anymore…

You should go. I told Dan when I saw him fidgeting.

Yeah, we understand. Paige smiled at him.

Dan smiled at us before getting up and leaving to go sit with Ryan and his friends.

Dan was a part of their group since he was on the team. And Dan was our friend too.

He never left us to go hang out with them but since tomorrow was game night, he was supposed to be with the team.

And we understood.

Totally.

I was just going to make his younger brothers put something in his food again and we were gonna be cool again.

Now that’s fair.

I know that you like Ryan. Paige said, bringing my attention back to her. I personally don’t like him but I know you do. She shrugged.

W-what? I stuttered. Pssst! You don’t know what you’re talking about, girl! I tried to laugh it off but it sounded nervous.

Judging by how Paige smirked at me, I knew she caught onto my nervousness.

Okay, fine! I sighed. But I don’t just like him. I love him. I confessed.

Aww! She cooed, pinching my cheeks. I pouted as she pulled back.

But he’ll never even talk to me for unknown reasons. I sighed.

Girl, that’s- Paige started but was interrupted by someone.

Girl? Call her baby. That’ll suit her more. The voice said. This statement was followed by some fake laughs.

I sighed as I turned in my seat to look at the four, dressed to impress but violating the school-dress code kinda girls smirking at us.

Kaylee. I said in a tired tone.

Unfortunately, not all my friends from middle school abandoned me. Kaylee Hart, the queen-mean of the school, the gorgeous model-like girl with fiery ginger-red hair and amber eyes, still talked to me.

But now it was just to throw insults at me…

What do you want now, Hart? Paige snapped.

Just to remind you that dearest Olivia is not a girl. She’s a toddler at best. Kaylee said in a matter-of-fact tone.

Female toddlers are still girls. I pointed out. Kaylee’s jaw clenched as she glared at me.

You know what I mean, loser! Kaylee hissed. Just go and cry for mommy! She huffed before she turned and went her way with her three friends following her.

I don’t even know what her problem is or why she tries so hard to be the clique queen bi… Paige trailed off when I glared at her.

I don’t like swearing!

Even if it’s for my stabbing ex-bestie…

Let’s just forget her. I sighed.

Oh no! We can’t. Paige told me as she looked at something behind me.

I turned around to see her talking to Ryan.

I mean, there was nothing wrong in her talking to him. Especially since they sat with the same group as Kaylee was the head-cheerleader.

But it looked like she was flirting with him…

And he was smiling at her!

It was probably his kind smile but it still hurt…

I wanted to crush Kaylee under a bulldozer before punching Ryan in the face for not pushing her away!

You have to get your guy before the queen bee takes him away. Paige told me.

Or I can just murder Kaylee… After all, I did know where she lived…

How can I ever ask Ryan out? I asked as I turned to Paige again.

Just confess your feelings and sweep him off his feet! Paige grinned at me.

But how? I questioned. It’s not like I can just talk to him at school! He’s always surrounded by his friends or girls. I argued.

I know! Paige sat up straighter. You can go to that party tonight. I can make you look amazingly pretty and then you can just get him alone somewhere and confess! She clapped her hands in excitement.

That’s a genius plan, Paige! I said sarcastically.

Do you have any better plans? Paige gave me a flat look. I rolled my eyes as I sighed.

I looked back to where Ryan was sitting and our eyes met again. He smiled at me before turning back to Kaylee who was still talking to him.

Kaylee and Ryan were both my best friends. And now, Ryan never speaks even a single word to me and Kaylee only speaks to me when she wants to insult me. Yet the two of them never stopped being friends.

And that hurt more than anything…

It was like, Kaylee suddenly hated me and Ryan was forbidden to talk to me.

We were supposed to be an inseparable bunch. And now we are nothing…

Well, if Ryan and Kaylee are something then I don’t know but I’m certainly not a friend to them…

But this was my last year here before we all went our separate ways. And I’ll be damned if I didn’t even try to get Ryan to be my boyfriend.

You know what? Pretty me up, Paige. It’s time I get my guy. I told Paige in a determined voice.

I’ll be Ryan’s girlfriend by tomorrow!

School’s ‘Bad Boy’

You look amazing, Liv! Just go! You can do it! Paige encouraged me as we stood in a corner.

The whole house was packed with people everywhere. Even in the pool at the back of the house.

To be perfectly honest, this was more of a nightmare-ish hell for a claustrophobic person than a party…

If I knew that high school parties were basically just loud music with drunk teens everywhere, I would have stayed at home with a big bowl of popcorn while watching some random movie.

I could’ve drooled over guys who would never know that I exist!

Wait… That’s kinda sad…

But those guys are also too old for a high schooler like me…

That’s not sad… Or is it?

It is, you dumbo!

Why don’t we all have that one person in the world made for us in a way that he or she can never be with anyone other than us?

Like mates in all those werewolf stories?

Life would be so much better if those stories were true…

Wait… What if they are true and I just don’t know it?!

What if the werewolves are just not telling us mere mortals about their existence?!

What if I have a super hot werewolf guy waiting to find me?!

Ha! As if…

I’m not that lucky…

Now that is super sad…

Liv! Focus!

I’m not here to think about my werewolf mate! I’m here to get Ryan!

But what if Ryan’s my werewolf mate?

You’ve grown up with that guy, Liv! If he was a werewolf, you would’ve known about that!

Now, focus!

I can do this. I said to myself when I saw Ryan standing a few feet away from me with one of his friends, laughing at something.

Yes, you can do it! Paige smiled encouragingly.

I can totally do this! I said, nodding my head.

He’s right there. You just have to go to him and tell him everything. Paige told me.

He’s right there. I just have to go to him and tell him everything. I stated.

You should go now. Paige nudged me.

I should go now. I nodded my head in agreement.

Olivia, seriously, go! Paige sighed.

Olivia, seriously go! I said to myself.

Paper planes fly but Olivia doesn’t. Paige said.

Paper planes fly but- I was speaking but Paige cut me off.

Liv! Snap out of it! She shook me by my shoulders, bringing me to the present. Stop parroting my words and go get your man! She instructed.

I nodded as I started walking to Ryan.

But before I could reach him, someone walked past me, almost knocking me over as their shoulder hit mine.

Ouch! I exclaimed, gripping my shoulder. Watch where you’re going! I called after the guy who just continued to walk away after hitting me.

He turned around at my words and stared at me from head to toe with a creepy smile on his face.

Look who has a back-bone. I chuckled as he walked back to me.

Uh… Technically all humans have a back-bone. I stated. I don’t think you ever attended your biology class, did you? I sassed.

I mean, the guy was tall and he could easily overpower little ol’ me but I had my sass so I couldn’t just let it pass.

Oooooo! It rhymes!

Colour me impressed, baby. He said as he wrapped his arms around my waist.

"And colour me creeped out by you." I told him as I tried to push him away but he just smirked down at me.

Aww! Baby girl has a tongue on her. He chuckled, holding me in his arms, close to his muscular body.

All humans have tongues! Please, go study human anatomy, man! I sighed exasperatedly.

Where the hell is Paige?

Even Danny-boy would do! But where the hell were they?!

I’m gonna show you my anatomy… The guy said creepily as he started to drag me somewhere while I struggled against his hold.

Seriously, is everyone here blind?! Can’t they see this creepy idiot practically kidnapping me?!

Leave her! I heard a hard, angry voice saying behind me which made the guy stop.

Wait… I know that voice…

Oh… My… Goodness!

Hey! Man! What’s up? The creepy guy, who was still holding me, replied.

Let her go. The hard voice said. I won’t repeat myself. He added.

Holly mac n cheese!

I-I’ll let her g-go. The creepy guy stuttered as he released his grip on me. The fear in his eyes as he practically ran away told me that I would have nightmares for years if turned around now.

Oopsie Daisy…

You okay? The same deep voice asked, sounding much closer to me than before.

I think he calmed down…

I’m perfect! I replied loudly over the music, not bothering to face him.

Olivia, look at me! The voice commanded.

I clenched my jaw as I turned around to face him.

Oh! So you do know who I am? I asked him, looking up into his green eyes.

If I wasn’t super angry at the moment, I would have taken my time to appreciate the deep green eyes and the almost black hair of the guy standing in front of me.

Wait… What the hell am I even thinking?!

Olivia, I just- He started speaking but he cut me off.

Don’t call me that you… You monster! I fumbled over my words as I tried to contain my anger. You lost the right to call me that a few years ago when you started acting like you don’t even know me! I told him.

If I wasn’t so angry, I would have actually swooned over how my name rolled off of his tongue.

Gross! Where did that thought even come from?!

Eww!

"That’s your name, Olivia. What else would I call you?" He pointed out.

Well, when he puts it that way…

You do have a point. I don’t know what I was thinking… Well, to be fair, I hardly ever know what I think about… I thought out loud. But you still didn’t have to come and save me like some kind of knight-in-shining-armour! I snapped at him.

Yeah, you had everything under control. He rolled his eyes.

I did have it all under control. I lied.

"You were just about to knock his teeth out, weren’t