Everything, Everything (7 page)

Madeline:
Hi.

Olly:
hey

Madeline:
I didn’t know if you’d log on tonight. Are you OK?

Olly:
fine

Madeline:
What happened? Why was he so angry?

Olly:
i don’t know what you’re talking about

Madeline:
Your dad, Olly. Why was he so angry?

Olly:
you’ve got your secrets. i’ve got mine

Madeline:
OK.

Olly:
ok

Wednesday, 3:31 A.M.

Olly:
couldn’t sleep?

Madeline:
No.

Olly:
me too. fast five favorites movie food body-part class

Madeline:
That’s only four. Besides, it’s too late for this. I can’t think.

Olly:
waiting

Madeline:
Pride and Prejudice—the BBC version, toast, hands, architecture.

Olly:
jesus. is there a girl on this planet who doesn’t love mr. darcy

Madeline:
All girls love Mr. Darcy?

Olly:
are you kidding? even my sister loves darcy and she doesn’t love anybody.

Madeline:
She must love somebody. I’m sure she loves you.

Olly:
what’s so great about darcy?

Madeline:
That is not a serious question.

Olly:
he’s a snob

Madeline:
But he overcomes it and eventually realizes that character matters more than class! He’s a man open to learning life’s lessons! Also, he’s completely gorgeous and noble and dark and brooding and poetic. Did I mention gorgeous? Also, he loves Elizabeth beyond all reason.

Olly:
huh

Madeline:
Yeah.

Olly:
my turn?

Madeline:
Proceed.

Olly:
Godzilla, toast, eyes, math. wait, is the body part your favorite on yourself or on someone else?

Madeline:
I don’t know! It’s your list.

Olly:
o yeah. all right, i’m sticking with eyes

Madeline:
What color are your eyes?

Olly:
blue

Madeline:
Be more specific, please.

Olly:
jesus. girls. ocean blue

Madeline:
Atlantic or Pacific?

Olly:
atlantic. What color are yours?

Madeline:
Chocolate brown.

Olly:
more specific please

Madeline:
75% cacao butter dark chocolate brown.

Olly:
hehe. nice.

Madeline:
That was still only four favorites. We need one more.

Olly:
i leave it to you

Madeline:
Form of poetry.

Olly:
that assumes that I have one

Madeline:
You’re not a heathen.

Olly:
limericks

Madeline:
You are a heathen. I’m going to pretend you didn’t say that.

Olly:
what’s wrong with a good limerick?

Madeline:
“Good limerick” is a contradiction in terms.

Olly:
what’s your favorite?

Madeline:
Haiku.

Olly:
haikus are awful. they’re just less fun limericks

Madeline:
You’ve been downgraded from heathen to heretic.

Olly:
noted

Madeline:
OK. I should be asleep.

Olly:
ok me too.

Thursday, 8:00 P.M.

Madeline:
I wouldn’t have guessed that math was your favorite class.

Olly:
why not?

Madeline:
I don’t know. You climb buildings and leap over things. Most people are good with their bodies or their minds but not both.

Olly:
is that a nice way of saying you think i’m dumb?

Madeline:
No! I mean that … I don’t know what I mean.

Olly:
you mean i’m too sexy to be good at it. that’s ok. i get that a lot

Madeline:
. . .

Olly:
it just takes practice like anything else. i was a mathlete two high schools ago i’ll have you know. got a probability and stats question? i’m your guy

Madeline:
No!

Olly:
yes!

Madeline:
So sexy.

Olly:
i sense insincerity

Madeline:
No!

Olly:
yes!

Madeline:
:) So are you going to be a Mathlete at SFV High?

Olly:
probably not

Olly:
my dad made me quit. he wanted me to do something more manly like football

Madeline:
You play football?

Olly:
no. he made me quit the mathletes, but he couldn’t bully the coach into taking me midseason. he let it go eventually

Madeline:
What if he brings it up again now?

Olly:
i’m a little harder to bully now than i was 2 years ago

Olly:
i’m meaner now. bigger too

Madeline:
You don’t seem mean.

Olly:
you don’t know me that well yet

Friday, 3:03 A.M.

Madeline:
You’re awake again.

Olly:
yeah

Madeline:
I know you don’t want to talk about this.