Chapter 21: Chapter Twenty One, Lily

Oliver was in a park he had never been before. He looked around. It was a wide, green park—so big it seemed more like a field, than anything. There was a single pathway cutting across the bench, and 2 scarce benches. Other than that, it was completely empty. He started to walk. 

 

“Why am I here?” he wondered. 

 

As he continued to walk in the early morning sunlight, spotted something in the distance. He was too far to see, though, so he got closer. When he was a couple dozen feet away, that’s when she turned to face him. 

 

It was Marilyn. At least, he thought it was Marilyn. 

 

“M-Marilyn…?”

 

She looked just as confused. “O-Oliver…” She bounded over to him. 

 

She had Marilyn’s face and build, but something was off. Her hair was longer, and less unruly, and she wore a school uniform. The strangest thing of all, though, was her eyes—they were blood red. 

 

“Hey!!” she said with a smile. Her voice was more steady than normal—more grounded. 

 

“U-uh, hey…”

 

“Wanna play a game?” 

 

“...sure.” He didn’t know what else to say. 

 

Her red eyes flickered gleefully as she smiled. “Okay! Let’s play hide and seek—you’re it, Oliver!”

 

“Okay. Fine.”

 

“Close your eyes and start counting, and I’ll go hide!”

 

Oliver closed his eyes and exhaled. “One, two, three, four, five….” as he went on, he could feel an early summer breeze. It carried the chirping of distant birds with it. Everything was calm here. “...fifty-eight, fifty-nine,” he opened his eyes. “Sixty. Ready or not, here I…come…”

 

He realized the expanse around him. On the outskirts of the field were trees all around him—she could’ve gone in any direction. He stood for a moment, wondering what to do. That’s when something caught his eye. 

 

He looked down and realized he was wearing a school uniform, matching to hers. “W-what the hell?” 

 

After standing in loose thought, he began to search for her. He checked the trees, and the bushes, and the ditches, and the tops of the trees, and the holes inside the trees, around the entire perimeter of the massive field, but nothing. He looked for minutes, which quickly melted into hours. The sun was already tipped to the west. 

 

“Shit, where is she??” he muttered. 

 

He didn’t know what else to do. The forest was massive and unending, and he had already searched so much of it. It had been at least 5 hours of just searching in the woods. He began to walk back to the field, unsure of what else he could do. 

 

Thats when he saw her—perched at the top of the tree right where he began looking. 

 

“There you are!!” he cried out, to which she laughed. 

 

“Found me!” she said. 

 

She jumped off the tree and landed on the ground next to him. The memory of Marilyn on the flagpole flashed through Oliver’s mind—it looked just like that. She threw her hair over her shoulders

 

“I had fun today,” she said, a look of warm content in her eyes. 

 

Oliver didn’t know what to say. “That’s…good to hear.”

 

Her warm, liquid eyes lingered on him for a moment, before she embraced him in a hug. 

 

“I love you, Oliver,” she whispered. “I always have.”

 

Oliver froze. “Y-you w-what?” he stuttered. 

 

She looked him in the eyes. “I said I love you, dummy.”

 

Oliver’s heart raced in his chest. He opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out. 

 

“What?” she asked. “You shy too, Oliver?”

 

His face burned red. “I-I didn’t know you loved me, Marilyn,” he said. 

 

“It’s not Marilyn,” she said, “and I always have…”

 

Slowly, she leant forward and kissed him. 

 

Oh my God…

 

He couldn’t move. Eventually, she pulled away. 

 

“Will you be my boyfriend?” she asked, wrapping her hands around his neck amorously. 

 

“I-I-......I don’t think this is real…” he said. “You look like Marilyn, b-but…aren’t her…”

 

“My name is 47,” she said, to Oliver’s surprise. She continued. “It’s me. I’m the girl you spend all your time with. To you, we might just be friends, but to me…there’s something between us. I want there to be something between us. I want to be more than friends…” 47 said. She stroked her fingers through his hair slowly. “And maybe, someday we can be even more than that. Maybe someday, I can even be your w—”

 

Oliver crashed back into reality when something big and heavy collapsed on his head. He winced in pain and sat up. It was Maxine—she had rolled off the bed in her sleep and landed on Oliver. 

 

“Hey, Maxine!” he barked sleepily. 

 

“W-what…” she mumbled. 

 

He made an effort to push her off. “Get off of me! You fell on me!”

 

She made no effort to move and closed her eyes sleepily, curling up like a dog. 

 

“Ugh…” he groaned. The after-effects of his dream still played on his mind—he almost didn’t want to think about anything that had happened. These dreams were getting too outlandish. 

 

“Hey, Oliver?” Maxine asked, eyes still closed. 

 

“What?”

 

“Who do you like, Marilyn or May?”

 

“W-what?!”

 

“I said, who do you—”

 

“No, I heard you the first time,” he said, “but why are you asking?”

 

“Cuz I want to know.”

 

“I like both of them,” he said. 

 

She opened her eyes to roll them. “Not as a friend, as a girlfriend.”

 

“I-I don’t—I don’t know. Neither, I guess.”

 

“Mom said she wants you to marry May,” Maxine said. “She said May would make a good wife and stuff like that, but I don’t think so. She’s too boring. Marilyn is funny, though—I really like her. Plus, it looks like she likes you!”

 

“Nah,” Oliver said, “she meant as a brother. Like me and you.”

 

“Didn’t you hear what she said last night?? She said she wants to be your girlfriend just so she can hug you!! I think she really likes you.” 

 

Oliver couldn’t help but blush. “Nah, trust me—she doesn’t feel like that.” 

 

Maxine sat up. “Hmm…well, who do you pick, anyway? Marilyn or May?” 

 

“I don’t know!!”

 

“Pick one!”

 

“I can’t!” he yelled. “I like them both, they’re my friends!!”

 

“Uggghhh, Oliver!” she reproached. “This is why you’ve never had a girlfriend!! You’re such a loser!” 

 

She plopped back into her curled position and pulled the blanket off the bed, snuggling back into sleep on Oliver’s legs. 

 

Oliver laid down himself, scooting her to the side so he could sleep comfortably. 

 

Who do I like…he repeated to himself……

 

Later, he woke up to the morning sun shining through his window, directly into his eyes. 

 

“Sh-shit,” he muttered, attempting to block the light with his hand. But it was pressed to his side. He looked down and saw Marilyn and Maxine asleep on him. 

 

“MARILYN!!!!!” he screamed.  

 

“W-what..?” she mumbled. 

 

“Why are you on top of me?? There’s a bed right there!” 

 

“Because, its unfair—” she started, “your sister gets to sleep with you, so why don’t I?”

 

“Well get off of me! We’ve gotta go to school.”

 

“No,” she pouted. “I’ll get off when she does.” She closed her eyes again. 

 

“Maxine,” Oliver said, shaking her shoulder. She didn’t budge. “MAXIIIIIINNNE!!!!!” 

 

“Whaaaaat??” she whined sleepily. 

 

“Get up! It’s time for school!” 

 

Maxine frowned and looked over at Marilyn. “HEY, I SAID TO GET OFF HIM!” Maxine yelled. 

 

“No, he’s my Oliver!” She hugged his waist, resting her chin on his chest. “I love him!” 

 

Oliver froze, hit with the dream he’d had. Looking at her face, right there in front of his…she had brown eyes, and shorter hair, but the same face. She had the same face as the girl in his dream. 

 

47.

 

He pushed them off with a controlled gentleness and stood up, feeling a blush creep on. 

 

“L-let’s just go to school,” he said, turning away from her. The girls stared after him as he walked to the bathroom, locking the door behind him. He undressed, turned on the water, and stepped into the shower. 

 

That dream felt so real…he thought. I can’t stop thinking about it. 

 

10 minutes into his shower, there was a loud series of pounds on the door. 

 

“What??” he yelled. 

 

“Hurry up, Oliver!” Maxine yelled from the other side. “I’ve gotta go!!!” 

 

“Shit…” he muttered, rinsing out his hair and turning off the water. Hurriedly throwing on a pair of shorts, he rushed out of the bathroom. Maxine was with May in the kitchen. As soon as the door opened, she got up to go, but then stopped at the sight of Oliver. She examined him. 

 

“Ollie?” she asked curiously. “Have you been exercising?” 

 

“Huh? What do you mean?” 

 

“You’re so fit now,” she said, nodding at his torso. “Toned muscles, six-pack…you look good.” 

 

“Oh, uh, thanks,” he said shyly. 

 

Maxine looked past him towards the kitchen and scowled. “May, stop staring at my brother!” 

 

Oliver turned to see May gawking at him. She caught herself clumsily. 

 

“Um, b-breakfast is ready,” she murmured. 

 

He nodded. “Oh, ok…just let me go get dressed…” 

 

May stared after him hungrily as he left.

 

“May, wipe off the drool—you look like a saint bernard!” Maxine called as she walked to the bathroom. Oliver shut the door to his room, and May wiped the drool away. 

 

She stared at the counter, humiliated. Marilyn sat at the table nearby. “I-I think Oliver thinks I’m weird now…” May sighed to her. 

 

“You are weird!” Marilyn laughed. “Oh, and Oliver looks like that because of me, so you can thank me for making him such a hottie.”

 

She looked up at her with contempt. “Sh-shut up!” 

 

Oliver walked out of his room. May stared down at the counter again, refusing to be caught looking at him. 

 

“So, what’s for breakfast?” he asked, sitting across from Marilyn. 

 

“...um, eggs with toast,” she said quietly. 

 

“Oh. It smells good,” he said. May set down a plate in front of him, and he started to eat. “It’s great May. Thanks!” 

 

She blushed. “O-of course, Oliver,” she said, looking away. 

 

Maxine walked out of the bathroom and sat at the table. May set a plate in front of her, and she started to eat. 

 

“Ehhh,” she said, “Mom’s cooking is better.” 

 

“W-what…?” May asked, gutted. 

 

Maxine laughed and took another bite. “Just kidding! It actually tastes pretty much the same.” 

 

“Well hurry up—we’ve gotta go to school,” Oliver said. 

 

“I am!” she said, taking another quick bite. 

 

Half an hour later, the four of them were ready to go and left the apartment. Oliver was going to walk Maxine to her middle school. He turned to May and Marilyn—”You guys can just walk to school,” he said. “I’ll take Maxine and meet you guys there.” 

 

“Nah,” Marilyn said. “I’d be bored without you, so I’ll just come too.”

 

“Yeah, m-me too!” May chimed in. 

 

“U-um, okay…” Oliver said, turning to walk. The four of them took the detour to the middle school, which was swarmed with younger, shorter kids. When they looked over and saw Maxine, they whispered among themselves. 

 

“Is that Maxine’s brother?” one girl asked. 

 

“Yeah, I think it is!! He’s kinda cute, to be honest!”

 

One girl looked up as the four of them walked by, and her eyes lit up. 

 

“MAXXXIIIINNNNEEEE!!!!” she yelled. 

 

Maxine turned and grinned. “WENNNDDYYYYYYY!!!” she yelled back, running past Oliver. The two of them hugged and laughed, and Wendy looked at Oliver. 

 

“Who’s this?” she asked in a lowered voice. 

 

“Oh, that’s my brother Oliver,” Maxine explained. 

 

“Oh,” Wendy said with a shy laugh. “Um, hey.”

 

“Hey,” Oliver said. 

 

She stared up at him for a second, her eyes darting between his face and the floor. “So, um…how old are you?” she asked. 

 

“15.”

 

“O-oh…”

 

“Hey Oliver let’s get going!” Marilyn said. “We’re gonna be late!” 

 

“Shit, you’re right. I’ll see you after school, Maxine.”

 

“Okay,” she said. “Bye Oliver! Bye Marilyn and May!” 

 

The two girls watched them turn around and walk in the opposite direction. When they were far enough out of earshot, Wendy pulled closer to Maxine. 

 

“I didn’t know your brother was so hot!!” she whispered, staring after him. 

 

“What?? No he’s not!” 

 

“He is!!” Wendy exclaimed quietly. “He even has two girlfriends!” She sighed. “Sooooooo cool…”

 

Maxine laughed. “Yeah, I guess.”

 

Marilyn looked back at his little sister. “Oliver,” she said, “Your sister is annoying.”

 

“What??” 

 

“I agree,” May pouted. 

 

Oliver didn’t know what to say. “Well, yeah, but I mean, she’s also kinda fun to be with.”

 

“No she’s not, and I don’t like her,” Marilyn frowned grumpily. “She doesn’t even let me hug you!! Marilyn needs her hugs!” She threw her arms around Oliver and squeezed him. 

 

“MARILYN!!!!” 

 

As they entered the schoolgate, they came up to the three guys from the day before. They stood aloofly until they spotted Oliver. 

 

“Sh-shit!” the boss said, straightening up. “M-morning…sir,” he said as Oliver passed. 

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“Hey.”

 

They were going to walk past them, until Marilyn backtracked to face the leader. 

 

“Hey you” she said, “gimme your money.”

 

He was confused at first. “W-wha…?”

 

“I said to give me all your money now!!” she yelled. 

 

He still hesitated, caught between fear and sense. “I-I, er…”

 

Marilyn neared her face to his. With a slow, sadistic smile, she repeated, “I said…give me…your money…now.”

 

The guy didn’t need another hint. He pulled out his wallet, still reluctant, as Marilyn snatched the money from it. The wallet dropped to the floor. 

 

“Hey Marilyn, we gotta go!” Oliver called back. 

 

She gave the guy one more smile before hurrying to catch up. “Let’s go to class!” she said to Oliver, pocketing the money. 

 

LATER

 

“Oliver, have you read the school newspaper yet??” Marilyn asked. Oliver was on his way to the cafeteria. 

 

“No. Why?”

 

“Your friend wrote something about us!! Everyone’s talking about it—they’re even calling us super heroes!!!” 

 

“Really?” Oliver laughed. 

 

“Yeah!!” Her eyes shone. “Oliver, us—demons—we’re being called heroes!!” 

 

Her smile lit up her face in a way so pure, Oliver got lost in it for a moment. 

 

“F-fourty-seven…”

 

She was caught off guard when he pulled her into a hug. 

 

“Um…”

 

He caught himself and stepped back. “A-ah…shit, sorry. I…I don’t know what got into me…” 

 

Marilyn smiled. “No, it’s okay. I’m happy too.” She hugged him again. “I’m happy to be your friend.”

 

He blushed, still thinking about what had just happened. “Y-yeah…me too.” 

 

They walked to the cafeteria for lunch, side by side. On the way there, Oliver felt a pair of arms wrap around his. He turned and saw May, giving Marilyn a dirty look. 

 

Meanwhile, inside the cafeteria, August sat alone at a table on his phone. 

 

It’s been a long time since I’ve had one of these, he thought. Huh. I forgot how fun they could be. But he couldn’t forget he had to do. He looked around, and spotted her. Marilyn. She was standing alone a few feet away—perfect. He grabbed his backpack and got up to talk to her. 

 

“Marilyn—” he said. She looked over at him. It was Marilyn…she was just—

 

“What?” she asked, interrupting his thoughts. 

 

“Can you come with me?” he asked. 

 

She rolled her eyes. “No, I don’t want to be your girlfriend!” 

 

“No, it’s not that Marilyn, it’s just…I just wanted to give you something.”

 

“Oh. Well in that case, sure,” she said. She followed him back to his table. 

 

As they sat down, he opened his backpack. “...here,” he said, handing her something. She took it and looked it over with a confused gasp. 

 

It was a T-Rex stuffed animal. Only it was old, covered in dust and ash, and missing an eye. At one point it was probably green, but now sat as an ugly dark gray. 

 

“Mr. Rex…” she whispered distantly, a look of horror on her face. “No…” 

 

She shot her head up at August. “Where did you get this??”

 

“I-I just found it,” he said. 

 

The more she looked at it, the more confused and afraid she became. Her breathing quickened. “N-No!” she yelled. “This is a fake!!! Mine is in my bed, in the Underworld!! Th-there’s money in his mouth, b-but this one doesn’t have any, and he’s missing an eye!! A-and he looks too old, years and years old, to be mine!!” She threw it at him, a tear running down her eye. “You’re stupid!” she said, running away from the table. 

 

“M-Marilyn, wai—” but she was already long gone. He let out an angry sigh. “Shit…” 

 

Oliver sat down next to him. “What’s wrong, man?”

 

“Ugh…I totally fucked up…” he muttered. 

 

“Oh yeah? How so?” 

 

August looked up to see who he was talking to. And the last person he expected to see, was Oliver. 

 

“WHAT THE FUCK!!!!”

 

“W-what?” asked Naomi, who sat on the other side. August looked over at her. 

 

“N-nothing…” he muttered, turning away from her. Shit, what the hell is she doing here?!?? 

 

“Well, me and Oliver wanted to join you for lunch, and try to be your friend and stuff, since your new here,” she said. 

 

August couldn’t believe it. He looked at Oliver. This monster? Wants to be friends with me? What a dumbass. 

 

“You work out, right?” Oliver asked. 

 

“Sure,” he muttered. “Something like that.”

 

Oliver put his elbow on the table. “Let’s arm wrestle.”

 

“Wh-what??” Naomi said. 

 

August just smirked. “Nah,” he said, “I don’t wanna break your arm.”

 

Oliver laughed. “Sure, buddy. What do you say, then?”

 

August rolled up his sleeve. “Sure. Why not.” He put his own elbow on the table as Naomi watched them uneasily. They locked hands and stared each other down—Oliver with a look of smug competitiveness, and August with pure concentration.

 

“3…2…1…GO!”

 

Oliver was expecting a clean, effortless win, and was met with total shock when August nearly slammed his arm into the table. 

 

“WHAT THE HELL??” he yelled. August flashed him a smile. This…this isn’t even human!! I’m actually trying, and this guy is still beating me! What is he???

 

Their elbows dug into the table. With both of them throwing all their effort into it, their hands stayed in the middle, occasionally taunting to sway more in one direction or the other. Oliver focused, and slowly started to push August’s arm closer and closer to the table. 

 

“SH-SHIT!!” August yelled, starting to resist. 

 

Before either of them could react, there was a single, loud CRACK, before the table snapped in half. All heads in the cafeteria turned at the sound, and the three of them stood over the rubble. 

 

“Shit!” they both exclaimed. 

 

Naomi shot them a look. “Dumbass!” 

 

“Well, I guess it’s a tie,” Oliver said. He looked at August. “So seriously, what’s your workout?” 

 

He looked up from the broken table. “I’m not telling you!”

 

“Why not?”

 

August looked him in the eyes. He knows what's up, doesn’t he. “I think I’ll be going,” he said, turning around. 

 

“Okay then. Bye!” Naomi called. 

 

“I should go to,” Oliver said. “I left Marilyn alone in the lunch line.” 

 

August stopped. “Uh, I think I saw Marilyn walk back to her class,” he said. 

 

“Oh.” Oliver looked at his phone. “Shit, the bells ringing in two minutes!” He started to hurry away, yelling “Thanks!” back to August as he left the cafeteria. 

 

August stared at him as he ran. He didn’t know what to make of any of this. 

 

Oliver walked down the hallways until he saw Marilyn. She was sitting on the floor. 

 

“Marilyn, I’m sorry for leaving you alone. I just—” He looked down and realized she was crying. 

 

“Shit, I’m sorry!” he said, hugging her. She looked at him. 

 

“N-no, i-it’s not you, du-ummy!” she cried. 

 

“Then what is it?”

 

She shook her head. “It’s nothing…don’t worry about it.”

 

“You sure?” he asked. 

 

She didn’t look at him. “Yeah. I’m sure.”

 

BING BONG

 

 “Shit, it’s time for class,” he said. 

 

“I-I don’t wanna go!” 

 

He thought for a second. “Alright then—come with me.” He stood up and held out his hand. 

 

She sniffled. “I said I don’t wanna go!” 

 

“We’re not going to class,” he said. “Just come and see.” He helped her up, and the two of them walked down the hall. 

 

Meanwhile, May sat in class alone, looking around. “O-Oliver…?”

 

As Oliver and Marilyn walked through the halls, Marilyn couldn’t help but notice how odd it felt—everything was empty and silent, except for a sole kid every now and then running late to class. It didn’t even feel like school. 

 

Oliver led her to the behind the library. It was secluded and cast in the shadow of the building, with a single bench. There was already two people sitting there—Marilyn recognized Teri, but didn’t know who the other girl was. She had bubblegum pink hair up in pigtails, dressed in all black save for two red bows. Her eyes flicked up at them. 

 

“Oliver!” she cried. 

 

“Hey, Ollie,” Teri said. 

 

“Hey,” Oliver said. “Why are you here?”

 

Teri shrugged. “Didn’t want to go to class.” 

 

The pink-haired girl looked at Marilyn. “Who’s this?” she asked. 

 

“Oh, this is my friend Marilyn.”

 

“Nice to meet you, Marilyn—I’m Lily,” she said with a pleasant smile. 

 

“Nice to meet you too, Lily.”

 

“Hey, you don’t skip class—why are you here?” Teri asked. 

 

“I just didn’t feel like going today,” Oliver explained. 

 

Teri nodded. “Same. Well, there’s not much to do here except wait for school to end. I usually just watch anime on my phone or something.” 

 

“Oh.” Oliver sat back and took out his phone. Marilyn did the same. 

 

Meanwhile, Lily watched Oliver from behind her book, using it to hide her smile. 

 

H-he’s MINE. He’s ALL MINE. Everything, all of him—ONCE I FINALLY GET MY HANDS ON HIM, I’LL… 

 

The three of them looked up at her unprecedented giggling. When she saw Oliver staring at her, she gave him a wink. 

 

“So…what’s so funny?” Teri asked. 

 

Lily blinked innocently. “Oh, th-this book! This book is very funny.” 

 

“.......you’re holding it upside down.”

 

Lily looked. It was upside down. “Oh!” she said, starting to laugh. “No wonder it didn’t make any sense!” 

 

The three of them went back to what they were doing, and Lily hid behind her book again with a scowl. Dumbass!! she chafed herself. 

 

“Hey Oliver,” Teri said, “look what I’ve got.” He pulled a can out of his backpack. 

 

“Beer?” Oliver asked. 

 

“Yep. But I only got one can, so we’ll have to share.” 

 

“Alright,” Oliver said, opening the can and taking a sip. Lily watched from behind her book. 

 

“C-can I have some?” Lily asked Oliver. 

 

“Uh, okay,” Teri said, “even though I thought you said you hated beer.”

 

“I did not!” 

 

Oliver handed the can to her. She stared at it for a second before slowly raising it to her lips and drinking. 

 

It’s so bitter…but so yummy. She continued to drink. I can’t stand the drink itself, but Oliver…he made it taste so damn good. 

 

“LILY, WHAT THE FUCK!??” Teri yelled, snatching the can. “YOU DRANK THE WHOLE DAMN THING!!” 

 

“It’s okay Teri, calm down,” Oliver said. “I’ve got some at home. Tomorrow I’ll bring one for each of us.”

 

He was still pissed at Lily, but couldn’t help but smile at Oliver. “Sure!”

 

Lily wiped her mouth. “S-sorry,” she muttered. 

 

“It’s cool, Lily, I got you,” Oliver said. 

 

She felt a little glow in her heart. “Th-thanks,” she said. 

 

3 HOURS LATER

 

As they sat doing their own thing, the final bell rang. Oliver stood up and stretched. 

 

“C’mon, let’s go home, Marilyn.”

 

“Ok!” They got up to leave. 

 

“B-bye, Oliver!!” Lily said. 

 

He swung his backpack on. “See ya, Teri,” he said. 

 

“Bye, Oliver!” 

 

The two of them started to walk away. 

 

Did…did he not hear me…? Lily thought to herself. 

 

As Marilyn and Oliver got closer to the school gates, he saw May standing there. 

 

“Hey, May!” he called. 

 

May whipped around at the sound of his voice. “Oliver!!” she cried, running over to greet him. “Where were you???”

 

“I didn’t feel like going to class today, so I didn’t go.”

 

“You…you can do that?” she asked.

 

Oliver laughed. “If you don’t get caught!”

 

May realized what he meant and frowned. “Oliver, don’t do that!! Dummy!”

 

“I didn’t feel like going, May,” he repeated. Marilyn took note of it. 

 

“Yeah, but you still knew better!” she scolded. 

 

“Ugh, c’mon, let’s just go home.” They started to walk down the sidewalk. 

 

“I mean it, Oliver! Do you hear me? I said…”

 

End of chapter Twenty One

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