The Rules They Broke

Chapter 11: Beginnings of Belonging

OLIVIA 

"Blake?"

"Yeah, what's up?"

Olivia, Blake, and Elijah were all sitting at the table, eating dinner. Contrary to Blake's prophecy, they were not eating pasta again. Elijah had managed to whip up some sort of soup with broccoli, cheddar, barley, and chicken. Blake was having trouble swallowing, but Olivia was enjoying it.

She pointed her spoon at him. "Are you going to the football game on Friday?"

Blake put down his own spoon too eagerly. "Yeah, I'm going. You want to come?"

Olivia shrugged. "What's it like?"

"It's a lot of fun. It's kind of noisy and hot in the stands, but you'll like it. Really makes you feel like you're a part of your school when you're yelling for your team while the other team loses. And we're going to beat Streamwood tomorrow for sure. They suck. Their coach doesn't even have any experience-"

"Blake," Elijah interrupted as he got up from his chair, empty bowl in hand.

"Yeah?"

"You still have to finish that."

Blake made a face. "Can't I just-"

"No."

Blake sighed and sat back down again. When Elijah disappeared into the kitchen, Olivia motioned for him to give her his bowl. Blake grinned and noiselessly handed it to her. She was carefully pouring it into her bowl when Elijah's footsteps came back through the door. She shoved the bowl back at Blake, who took it and put it up to his lips just in time for Elijah to see him do so.

"Blake, what are you - are you drinking that?"

"Fastest way to finish it. See? Almost done." Blake set it down on the table for him to see that it was nearly gone.

Elijah shook his head. "Blake."

"Yes, dear brother?"

Elijah put his hands flat on the table and leaned in to Blake's face so close they were almost nose to nose. "Why is Olivia's soup now double what it was when I left?"

Blake kept talking. "I feel kind of intimidated. And a little cross-eyed. Also, our lips are like milli-inches away from each other, and I'm kind of scared something's going to happen at the end of which I'm going to have to burn my mouth off and then clean it with bleach. Do you think maybe you could back away just a milli-inch, or maybe even like a whole milli-foot or -"

"Blake, just answer the question."

Blake glanced over at Olivia, who was just wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. "Don't know what you're talking about, Elijah. Her bowl seems empty to me."

Elijah turned to stare at Olivia. She set her spoon down in her now-empty bowl and glanced back at him. Had she made a giant mistake? Was he going to be mad at her for siding with Blake? For going behind his back to do this?

Elijah bowed his head down and Olivia thought he was going to be very, very angry at the both of them until she heard a little laugh escape him. Blake winked at Olivia and reached over to take her bowl and pile it on top of his.

When he raised his head, Elijah's eyes gleamed with mirth and happiness. Shaking his head, he said, "You two are something else entirely."

At his words, Olivia felt a little bit of warmth uncurl and stretch inside of her. It stretched all the way to her face and she found her mouth curling up at the ends and when she smiled, she saw Elijah's smile only grow brighter.