Chapter 47

Sometimes Before It Gets Better, The Darkness Gets Bigger

I was trying to finish my Geometry homework when I heard screaming.

"YOU DON'T KNOW-OH-OH!!! YOU DON'T KNOW YOU'RE BEAUTIFUL!!!"

Not One Infection again! Olivia needed to listen to better music. Anything that wasn't stupid boy band pop would do. I marched out of my room and knocked on Olivia's door.

Olivia opened the door. "What is it?" she snapped.

"Could you please turn down the music?" I asked.

"What? Now that you supposedly saved that stupid old library, you think you can boss me around? Well, you can't."

"I was just asking you to turn it down. It's really loud," I said, covering my ears. "How did you hear about that anyways?"

"You're kidding me, right?" Olivia said. "Everyone knows about that. I think you were even in the newspaper. I don't think Mom and Dad know yet, but they'll find out soon enough. Personally, I think it's kind of stupid. Who uses that place anyways?"

"I do," I said.

"Here's how I see it," Olivia said. "I quit badminton, so Mom and Dad get mad at me. You waltz in with all this saving Barnswell business and you get all of their attention."

"To be fair, I started the project long before you quit."

"You must have known though. It was all in the plan. After I lost the state championship BECAUSE OF YOU..."

"You're not still mad about that, are you?"

"Yes I am! So after I lost, I really didn't want to play anymore. I just postponed telling Mom and Dad because I knew they'd be mad."

"I thought you liked badminton," I said.

"Who likes badminton? That's Mom and Dad's weird quirk. I just did it to make them happy. I realized after the game that I'm sick of making them happy. And you. I don't really know why I'm telling you all this." Olivia pulled out her phone. "Let me take a selfie real quick."

I rolled my eyes and stepped out of the way. "You're ridiculous."

"No you are. Do you even have an Instagram?" she said as she made the duck face in the mirror and took a photo.

I didn't. "Should I have one?" I asked the Magic 8 Ball.

My sources say no.

"Nope," I told Olivia.

"Again, you're insane. Where else are you going to post selfies?"

"Why do I have to post selfies?"

Olivia rolled her eyes. "You don't understand."

"Whatever," I said. "Can you turn down the music?"

"Ugh, fine," Olivia said, turning the music down.

"Thank you," I said. I walked out of Olivia's room. Somehow, I thought things were going better with Olivia. She was still annoying, but I didn't think she would stop. It was just a little sister thing I guess. I couldn't help but feel things were improving though. She was willing to talk and that was a start.