Be strong and have Faith

“That’s Saint Jude, he’s the patron saint of the lost.” He could still hear her sweet voice in his ears, he hears it every time he finds himself fiddling around with the gold necklace she gave him for Christmas. The first time someone thought about him, the first time anyone showed any care about him.

Olly is once again sitting on the fire escape, the same spot he was sitting on that day in December when Faith and him exchanged gifts. The only area of the Academy not covered by the cameras, a blind spot he discovered by studying the angles of the cameras and watching the security footage from the warden’s booth.

Their place, as they called it.

So many things have changed since then, so many things have happened. Especially in the past few weeks. Faith found a new boyfriend, who just happens to be Tiffany’s ex. Olly, obviously, didn’t take this well and turned his back on her, the once inseparable duo fell apart. Their friendship falling apart provoked a wide range of reactions among the other students and Academy viewers. From those accusing Olly to care only about himself, to others who applauded him for breaking free from Faith’s influence.

Everyone had their opinion, everyone felt entitled to judge and say what was best for him, for them. Everyone thought they had him all figured out.

If only they knew the truth.

Faith slipped into the space beside him, her spot. Dressed in black jeans and a baby blue tee, she placed a hand on her friends shoulder and smiled.

“You beat me here.” Her tone was playful and impressed, when she had text him earlier asking to meet, she figured she would be hanging out a little waiting for him.

In front of the world, he had turned his back on her. Not once, but twice, he had used her soft spot to capitalise on her. And most people, heralded this action. Cementing them as hypocrites in Faith’s mind. She had done a few things that others could call bad, but the good guys are supposed to always be good.

That’s truly what made her hate people like Trinity and Tiffany so much, they were fake and the world were blind to it.

She slipped into her spot beside Olly as she spoke, a smile pulling at her lips, her eyes seeking out his with a sigh. “I missed you.”

“I missed you too, Princess.” He replied with that rare smile he only reserved for her. Despite him being used to act and hide his true feelings and intentions, keeping up this charade, pretending that this friendship between them had been sacrificed on the altar of her “relationship” with Coen was the hardest act he ever had to keep. “How did the weekend with your boyfriend go?”

He stressed that word, boyfriend, letting out a soft giggle after asking the question. Faith immediately pulled a face, sticking out her tongue and pretending to gag. Gently elbowing him with a small laugh of her own.

“Ugh, he’s so… average. We went to some crappy fast food place and I swear, the menu was bigger than the collective IQ of the staff.” She made another face with a lift of her eyebrows. “The only thing that made it bearable was knowing I’d get to see you.”

She paused and then rested her head to his shoulder, this was the only place that they were free to be themselves right now. She knew of course that everything Olly had said and done was play acting. She also knew it was as hard for him as it was for her. “And he kisses like a freshman on his first ever date. I’ve only kissed one other person and even I know he’s bad at it!”

She looked up to Olly from his shoulder and dropped her hand down, interlacing her fingers with his and squeezing his hand before picking up a teasing tone to her voice. “Has Karen been helping you to feel all better?”

He laughed while she chronicled her weekend with Coen. Maybe it was because he knew the truth, but he still struggled to imagine how people could really believe that a girl like Faith, so beautiful, smart and confident was really going to waste her time with a lame skater boy. She was way out of Coen’s league, if he wasn’t part of her plan to mess with Tiffany, she would have never even looked in his direction.

In fairness, Olly believed Faith was out of everyone’s league, himself included. And that was what made their friendship and these moments they shared so special to him.

“I didn’t even see her, actually. She went shopping with Faizah, I think. Tiffany and Trinity went somewhere together, Tiana was with her agent, that Lincoln guy.. I just stayed here, I had the whole Academy for myself. Not bad, not bad at all.”

A smile formed on his lips as he felt their hands entwining.

“Bet you can’t wait to kick that loser in the curb..”

She lifted her head a little to look into his face, a smile tugging at the edge of her lips. A soft squeeze to his hand again with a small nod. “I honestly can’t, seeing her totally lose herself has been exactly what I wanted. But pretending that I want to even be in the same room as him? It’s exhausting.”

She glanced down at their hands and then back to his face. “But, being able to steal these moments with you makes all of that bearable. And soon we’ll have graduated and school rules won’t apply anymore.”

“I’m counting down the days, really. I have to admit, manipulating the other students, making them believe what we want them to believe.. It’s been fun. But these four walls are starting to get too tight.” Olly’s gaze was staring at the horizon, way over the Academy gate. With the most inaudible sigh, he then added. “And I hate pretending to be mad at you.”

He tilted his head toward her, slightly squeezing her hand. It was a totally different Olly here on these stairs, sitting with Faith. The arrogant teenager who never revealed his true emotions, hiding them behind that cocky smile and a brash attitude was showing a much softer side.

“Well, maybe I can make the wait a little bit easier?” She used her free hand to bring his face back to hers, kissing him on the lips before pulling back. A brief, soft kiss that melted into a coy smile on her lips.

Olly reciprocated the smile, remaining only inches away from Faith’s face, the tip of their noses brushing against each other. “Yeah, I think that could help..” This time he was the one leaning in, pressing his lips against hers ever so slightly. She leaned into the kiss, her free hand resting on the back of his neck as they shared a quiet moment in each other's embrace. When she finally pulled back, the small smile had spread from ear to ear.

“I’ve been waiting forever to do that.”

“It’s your fault, you’re the one who has a boyfriend…” He quickly replied with a light chuckle, gently caressing her face with the back of his hand. She laughed as she leaned her cheek to his touch and then dramatically threw a hand over her mouth. “You’re right!”

The smile could be heard from behind her hand as she spoke. “Poor Coen! Oh no, however will I get over being party to such a treacherous betrayal?!” Dropping her hand she let out an airy laugh, leaning in close to Olly once again and whispering to him, even though there was no way for anyone else to hear.

“I’m really, really glad I came here. Because it led me to meeting you. And mind games, all that other stuff aside, having these moments here with you have been some of the best I’ve ever had.”

He nodded, obviously he was feeling the same. “I agree. I have to admit, I misjudged you at first. I thought you were just some spoiled little girl, maybe gullible even... But I soon realized that you were something else, something different.” He paused, his eyes remaining glued on her. “I realized we’re cut from the same cloth. You’re hands down the best thing that happened to me since joining the Academy.”

There was another pause in his speech, longer and unnatural almost as if he lost his train of thoughts. “Actually, scratch that. The best thing that happened in my life.” Those words brought her to his lips once again, another tender kiss as her hand squeezed his. When she sat back she let her head rest to his shoulder once more.

“Let’s just stay here for a little while, this is exactly where I want to be. Just you and I, no cameras, no people putting their ten cents in. Just us and the view. It’s perfect.”

As she did, he leaned his head against hers, looping his arm around her shoulder. “I couldn’t think of a better way to spend my time.” No need to pretend, no reason to hide his feelings. Here, with her, he could be his true self. And he was quite sure she felt the same way.

This was their place, after all. Here, in this little corner away from the prying eyes of the cameras and their fellow students, they could just be themselves.

With his left hand, he reached for the St. Jude medal and hid it inside his shirt. Turning toward Faith, he gave her a light kiss on her head. Despite growing up in an orphanage ran by sisters, he’s never been big on the religious stuff. That phrase the nuns used to tell him to the point of exhaustion never sounded true to him. Granted, there was a slight yet substantial difference from what they originally meant, and the thought made him chuckle.

“You won’t find true happiness until you open your heart and let Faith in, Olly.”