You’re the Only Exception

By: Gaby

Olivia Reynolds puckered her plump lips in the mirror once before slinging
her fake designer bag over one shoulder and leaving her small home. She rolled her
eyes at the sound of her mom kissing another guy. She was so desperate, Liv
thought with a shrug. Not my problem.

Liv smiled at the familiar red pick-up that was waiting in front of her house.
She hopped in the passenger seat and grinned seductively at her boy toy.

“Hey babe.” Ty Roy’s low voice was his most attractive feature aside from his
perfectly toned body. Liv put her mouth Ty’s and darted her tongue down his throat.
He took her signal as a welcoming and dove his hands underneath her shirt.

Liv slid her lips off his and shook her head. “Ah-ah-ah. Later,” She growled.
She crossed her muscled legs and patted down her too-short denim skirt as she
prepared for the party that one of Ty’s friends was throwing.

“You look hot.” Ty mentioned, chuckling. Liv ran her hand through her thick
mahogany hair nodded. I know. Liv knew she was more beautiful than seventy-five
percent of the girls in Charlotte, North Carolina. Not to mention that she had the
voice of an angel.

They pulled up to a small trailer park and walked around back to find dozens
of teens and middle-aged men and women drunk. Liv pulled Ty to the make shift
bar and ordered them both beers.

“Aren’t you a bit young to be drinkin’?” The man behind the table slurred. A
cigarette poked out of his beard surrounded lips.

“That’s not a problem is it?” Liv asked, leaning forward, and enhancing her
cleavage. Yeah, she was only seventeen, but there was nothing a little sexuality
couldn’t fix.

The man’s eyes were fixated on her breasts as he furiously shook his head
and placed two beers on the table. Liv smiled, her pearly white teeth shining
compared to the blood red lipstick that surrounded them. She flipped her hair and
turned away, leaning against Ty.
 “Damn, you’ve got every guy in town hooked.” Ty said, placing his hands on
her waist, and pulling their pelvises together. “I guess I’m lucky that you chose me.”
Ty grinned and began kissing up her neck. Liv laughed and twisted open her bottle,
pulling it to her lips.

Before she knew it, she and Ty were backed into a small closet, practically
attacking each other with their mouths. He ripped off her thin tank top and kissed
across collarbone. Liv giggled drunkenly and then stopped short. Damn it, was her
last thought as she faded into unconsciousness in Ty’s arms.

She awoke in the cab of Ty’s truck with no shirt on.

“Ty?” Liv asked groggily.

“What?” He snapped.

“What’s your problem?” Liv asked, annoyed by his sudden attitude change.

“Would it kill you not to drink so much at parties? I’m tired of you always
passing out.”

“Oh please, it’s not like you don’t take advantage of me while I’m drunk.”

“I don’t have to. You’re just as easy when you’re sober!” Ty shouted.

Liv shrunk in her seat. Easy? Liv wasn’t easy. She was always the one playing
hard to get. “So I’m easy? I’m just one of those girls you hook up with?”

“It’s not like you don’t think of me the same way.” He said coldly.

“Screw you, Ty. We’re done and--” The alcohol got to her head once again,
and she flopped against the seat.

This time, she awoke in her own bed to hear her mother grumbling to her
newest boyfriend, Enrique. Liv pulled herself out of bed noticing that she was still
wearing her green top and mini-skirt from earlier. She quickly put on her favorite
monkey PJs and padded out into the kitchen.

“Hey.” Her mom said, stiffly. Liv sat down across from her mom and next to
Enrique. She sternly crossed her arms and pretended to let her hazel eyes wander
the room.
 “What is the matter with you, Olivia?” Raven Reynolds practically shouted.
“Are you out of your Goddamn mind? There are plenty of creepy men out on the
streets at this time of night and with you dressed so provocatively who knows what
could’ve happened! Thank God for Ty.” Enrique rubbed Raven’s back and nodded at
Liv. Liv rolled her eyes in a screw you manner towards Enrique and turned her
attention back to her mom.

“Well I’m obviously fine.” Liv said simply.

“You told me that you and Ty were going on a date. You’ve lost my trust
Olivia Dawn.” Liv shivered at the sound of her full name. She knew that her mom
meant business when she mentioned her by the middle name that Liv hated so
much.

Liv did feel bad, but she didn’t know what to say so she just sat there.

“You’re leaving.” Raven finally said.

“What?” Liv almost yelled.

“Your uncle and I have talked and we think it’s a good idea that you go to
stay with him, your aunt, and your cousins for the summer.”

“Mom, that’s not fair! I have a life.” Liv whined, feeling the urge to cry in the
back of her throat.

“Tough, sweetheart. But you did this to yourself. You’re leaving tomorrow
afternoon. Pack.”

Liv’s breathing quickened and she darted up out of her seat and back into her
tiny room. She threw herself onto the bed and cried out of anger. Why did she have
to go to Uncle John and his picture perfect family? She felt like a terrible person
when she was around them because they were all too nice. Okay, she was the same
age their twin daughter and son, but their huge house and flawlessness was just
overwhelming considering that Liv and her single mother lived in a trailer.

But, Liv never pitied herself or her life. She just dealt with it. So, unwillingly,
she began packing into the suitcase her grandma had given her. Just to be
obnoxious, she plugged in her iPod and blasted her show tunes. Yes, show tunes. No
matter how bad Liv felt, singing was like her medicine.

Liv mindlessly sang along and peeped at the time. Why was she doing this at
two in the morning? She threw herself on the twin bed with her pink zebra sheets
and continued singing. She couldn’t help but wonder what Aunt Judy would judge
her about tomorrow. No matter how much Liv tried to be perfect for them, Judy
always had something bad to say. Maybe Liv would be wearing to much make up.
Or maybe her nails aren’t filed and manicured like theirs.
 Liv eventually fell asleep dreading the following morning. She awoke to the
soft song of a blue jay and smiled at the lovely bird. Liv had soft side for animals
too, but no one knew. Very few people even knew about her passion for singing.

She swung her legs over the side of her bed and used her remote to turn the
stereo. The quite tune of “Vanilla Twilight” began playing and Liv hummed along as
she pulled on a flowing white skirt and blue blouse. She rolled her eyes in the mirror
at the look of her most conservative outfit. Carefully, she styled her hair so that the
top half was pulled back. She spun around, the skirt and her almost waist length
hair following behind her.

She stuffed the rest of her non-revealing clothes in the suitcase and lugged it
out into the living room.

“You look beautiful sweetie.” Raven smiled at her and patted the cushion
beside her. Liv rolled her eyes and walked straight back into her room. She flopped
back on her bed and restarted the music. She all of a sudden missed Ty. A lot. It
would make her seem desperate if she called him, though. Plus she was about to
leave, so what was the point of reconciliation?

Liv couldn’t say that she was excited for her flight across the country to Los
Angeles. She wasn’t really excited about seeing her cousins either. Ava and Cole
were too good. Ava was the perfect child. She was tall, thin, blonde haired, blue
eyed, and she did everything her mother said. Now Liv could admit she was kind of
excited about seeing Cole, he was a really cool except that he was a tattle-tale,
even at age of seventeen.

“Olivia!” Raven called from the living room. Liv groaned and stood up, sliding
on her white flats. She walked into the hallway and grabbed the handle of her
suitcase and slung her small carry-on over her shoulder. She accepted a hug from
her mother, not returning the gesture. Liv walked outside and saw the sleek black
Mercedes waiting in front of her house.

“Wow.” She whispered. A chauffeur stepped out of the driver seat and
opened the trunk, taking the luggage from her hands.

“I’m Jeffrey.” He held out his gloved hand. Liv scrunched her eyebrows, but
placed her hand in his.

“Liv.” She said simply. He nodded and opened the back door for her. She sat
on the cushy leather seats awkwardly.

In a matter of minutes they were at the airport. Jeffrey escorted Liv as far he
could, but the parted at security. She went through luggage check and sat in the
waiting area. Liv finally heard the plane was being boarded and she stood in line
with the ticket that Jeffrey had given her.
 The woman at the booth was telling the passengers to go left or right and as
Liv showed her the ticket she told Liv to go left as she entered the plain. Nervously,
she walked through blue velvet curtains and came upon the first class section. Her
eyes widened in amazement and she found her seat. She settled and began flipping
through the TV. As the flight attendant announced take off, Liv buckled her seatbelt
and prepared for a dull summer of perfection.