Chapter 30 …
This was the full story.
Even after 7 oâclock, when I hadnât shown up, Erik opened Instagram and sent me a message.
But I hadnât checked it at all, nor had I answered the phone.
Meanwhile, Erik happened to come across Oliviaâs story on Instagram.
It was a photo she had posted about two hours agoâus laughing foolishly, saying the bus had gone on strike.
âSo I tried calling you, but you didnât pick up,â Erik said to Olivia.
âI called several times, and when you didnât answer, I thought something must have gone wrong.â
It turned out the two of them had grown somewhat close over the past year through club activities.
In the end, we had to confess everything that had happened over the day in chronological order: the bus striking while we were on the way to meet Salviusâ lawyer, encountering robbers and having our shoes stolen, and then walking barefoot to school.
âWhy are you two always so reckless?â
Erikâs anger flared up halfway through our story.
âOlivia, didnât it even cross your mind to call me to come get you?â
Apparently, Olivia knew that Erik had a low-speed emergency vehicle at his disposal. (*In Sweden, people over 15 can legally drive low-speed vehicles without a license.)
But before sunset, she hadnât thought the situation was dangerous enough to inconvenience him, nor had she thought their friendship was close enough to justify it. She also didnât want to publicize her personal troubles any further.
Olivia continued crying, but she confessed everything honestly.
Erik sighed.
âSeriously⊠so you skipped club? Because of tuition?â
This was something I hadnât known, but Olivia nodded with a sniffle.
âYes. I used the money I got from selling stocks to pay tuition, but the dorm fees were too expensiveâŠâ
Erik shook his head.
âSalvius, I think I understand now that I havenât really been your friend until now.â
âThatâs not it⊠I justââ
Erik seemed frustrated that Olivia had kept all of this a secret from him.
Still, he started the car.
âThis car exists for times like this. Otherwise, where would you use a sedan that tops out at 30 km/h?â
It was my first time in a low-speed vehicle. It looked like a normal luxury sedan but was incredibly slow.
At the same time, it was so warm that I sat in the backseat, struggling to hold back the tears that had started to fall.
Olivia, exhausted, fell asleep in no time.
Erik occasionally caught my gaze in the rearview mirror.
His green eyes gleamed in the dark, a mix of surprise, anger, relief, and sighs all at once.
Was he mad at me like he had been with Olivia?
If that were the case, it would have been easier to deal with.
Erik remained angry-faced but said nothing more.
âI didnât realize you two were close enough to hang out on weekends.â
Even though she seemed asleep, Olivia spoke suddenly.
The school building was already in sight, and once the tension eased, her playful side returned.
I quickly explained.
âWeâre⊠not that close. Iâve just been struggling with math these past few days, and it wasnât the kind of thing I could ask you for help with.â
âAh.â
Olivia replied, but her expression clearly showed she hadnât understood at all.
Because the next moment, she whispered into my ear:
âBibi, even though it feels like Iâve come back from the dead, I have to askâLiam, or Erik?â
It was a ridiculous question.
I shook my head and whispered:
âWhat nonsense are you talking about? Erik saw your story and came to get us!â
âDonât joke, Bibi. If you werenât in that photo, Erik Branel would never have come to get me. I know him better than you do.â
Then she asked again:
âSo, youâre Liam?â
âNo, thatâs not itâŠ!â
I struggled with Olivia, and when I accidentally caught Erikâs eye in the rearview mirror, I stopped.
Then I began the apology I had wanted to give him earlier.
âSorry for being late and not contacting you. My phone died because the battery ran out. And now itâs lost, anyway.â
In truth, I had completely forgotten the appointment in the chaos after the bus strike, but thatâs all I said.
Erik accepted my apology, shook his head once more, and asked:
âDid anyone get hurt? How far did you walk barefoot?â
âI donât know⊠maybe 10 minutes? Or 20 minutesâŠâ
âI stepped on a stone and now my sock has a hole. Otherwise, Iâm fine.â
Olivia cut in, adding teasingly:
âSeems like youâre more curious about me than him, Erik.â
Erik shot her a disdainful glance, then fell silent.
Nice work, Olivia Salviusâtreating your lifesaver like that.
As he smirked at Olivia, we arrived at Lagerlöf.
âThanks, Erik! Iâll take it from here!â
Olivia dashed out as soon as the car stopped.
I stared blankly at the door she slammed behind her, then remembered my own duty instead of standing there like a friend who had even sacrificed etiquette for the robbers.
âThank you so much today, Erik.â
My throat felt rough, even though it was something I had to say.
âIf it werenât for you, we might still be crying out there in the street.â
Erik, still glancing at me through the rearview mirror, replied dryly:
âSeems like Olivia Salvius was the only one crying.â
âI was crying too⊠on the inside.â
A hundred times, even.
I said this honestly, then spoke the words I really needed to say:
âBecause of what happened with that photo⊠I donât blame you anymore.â
The photo that had dominated the bulletin board in the first week.
Erik had been repeatedly kind to me because of the debt he owed me over that incident.
âYouâve truly repaid me. In fact, itâs been a long time since you did. SoâŠâ
I believed sincerely that this was the only way to explain the kindness he was showing.
But Erik looked at me as if to say, âWhat are you talking about?â
âPhoto? What photo?â
âŠHe didnât know which photo I meant? The one that had plunged me into such a mess?
Then what was all this over-the-top kindness for?
For a moment, Erik seemed to realize something and exclaimed:
âOh, the bulletin board photoâŠâ
Then, curiously, he asked again:
âBut why are you suddenly talking about that photo?â
Now I was at a loss for words.
If he had completely forgotten that photo, I couldnât understand why he had been doing all this for me.
âAh, well, I meanâŠâ
But before I could explain, Oliviaâwho had just opened the dorm doorâstarted returning with a flustered look.
What was even more unexpected was who accompanied her.
Seeing the two of them approaching, Erik sighed and opened the car door.
At the same time, I could hear Olivia earnestly explaining to Christina:
âSee! I wondered why Erik even had a low-speed vehicle, but I never expected it would actually help us.â
I sighed too, stepping out of the car.
âGood grief, Bibi.â
Christina, who had just approached, frowned at my bare feet.
âYou said you ran into robbers? Are you okay?â
I felt a sharp headache between Oliviaâs pleading eyes, Erikâs blank stare, and Christinaâs fake concern.
âThey even took my headband, but⊠whatever.â
Still, I forced myself to answer Christina casually:
âIt wasnât expensive anyway, so itâs fine. Iâm just glad Erik was able to help us.â
No sooner had I finished speaking than Christina turned to Erik:
âGood deed, Erik!â
Erik shrugged at her without even acknowledging her.