"Ollie!"
Mai attacked Oliver with a bear hug as soon as she opened the door.
"Hey, Mai." He tightened his arms around her. "Here. I brought some flowers."
He handed her a bouquet of hot pink dahlias and she grinned.
"These are beautiful! Thank you. My dad and Penelope are in the kitchen. Come on!"
Mai dragged him through his old home and into the kitchen. The entire house seemed foreign to him. It was as if he hadn't spent the first seventeen years of his life there. His eyes caught sight of the height chart he made for himself on the kitchen's doorframe when he was younger. It was faint but it displayed his heights from ages four to thirteen. His mother started the tradition but forgot about it after she met Steven. Fucking Steven.
Penelope Samuel (previously Scott but she reverted back to her maiden name after the divorce) wasn't a bad mother. She was very loving when she wanted to be. But it felt like somewhere down the line she just gave up on him. When they met each other, which had become quite rare, she would greet him warmly and talk to him normally but as soon as she left he wouldn't hear from her for another few months.
"Oliver, darling, how are you?" His mom asked, planting a kiss on each cheek.
"I'm good. "
"Oliver," Steven said, acknowledging Oliver's presence in his douchey voice. He nodded his head towards him.
Oliver swallowed down any insults. He promises himself that he would try and remain calm and collected. For Mai's sake.
"Steve," He replied back, knowing that Steven hated when people called him Steve. Hopefully that dig would sustain Oliver and keep him going until the end of the dinner.
Mai pushed a pile of plates onto his hands. "Help me set the table."
Oliver took them from her and placed one on each placemat in the adjoining dining room. Steven watched him from across the room, crossing his arms and peering at him suspiciously.
"You okay, Steve?"
Steven was about to shoot back with something but Penelope cleared her throat and glared at him.
"Yes," He spat out.
Mai nervously looked at both of them before bringing the final dish to the table.
"Um, I'm just going to go wash my hands. Be right back," Oliver said, excusing himself.
He made his way to the bathroom and locked the door behind him. There, he took out a small vial from his pocket and tapped out its white powdery content onto the back of his hand. With one deep snort, he managed to clear his hand of any evidence and popped the bottle back into his pocket. He had to top up. If he didn't he would get really irritable and, considering he was about to sit down his sworn enemy, it was very necessary.
Before he left the bathroom, he caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror. His hand reached up and poked his cheekbones which looked sharper than usual. He had lost weight. He hadn't realised it before but his face just looked dull and tired. His hair wasn't as combed back as it usually was and there was visible stubble around his jaw and upper lip. He didn't look well. He just hoped nobody noticed.
On returning, he found that everyone had already sat down. He wedged himself between Penelope and Mai, opposite to Steven.
"This hot pot looks really good, Mom."
"Thank you, love, but it was Steven who prepared everything."
"Oh..."
Steven smirked smugly, getting ready to dip a strip of meat into the boiling liquid. "I'm glad you like it, Oliver."
What a douchebag.
They ate in a tense and awkward silence. Every now and then Penelope and Mai would break the silence with some useless fact or comment but neither Steven nor Oliver spoke.
By the time Penelope brought out dessert, Oliver had to intervene. He had been there long enough.
"Mai, why did you call this family meeting?"
She exhaled nervously. "Okay, so, after I got arrested last month-"
"You got arrested?!" Oliver exclaimed but Mai ignored him and continued to speak.
"I realised that my life is going down a really unsatisfactory path. So.... I have decided to drop out of dentistry and move to Milan to study fashion."
Mai's bright beam died down as each second of shocked silence passed by.
"Guys, what's wrong?"
Penelope was the first to speak. "Oh, sweetheart... don't you think this is a bit rash?"
Mai shook her head. "I have been planning this all year. I got accepted to the Milan Fashion Institute. The course began last week but I convinced them to let me start in November."
"November? Mai, that's only in a few weeks..." Penelope said.
"I'm proud of you for following your dreams," Oliver eventually said. "Obviously I'm going to miss you like crazy but Milan has got some hot babes so I'll be visiting you a lot. My dad has a holiday home in-"
"Are you crazy?" Steven eventually spat out. "Grow up, Mai! I am so sick of you making such irresponsible decisions. Fashion?! Seriously, fashion?! Are you out of your mind!?"
"Dad, calm down. I have always been interested in fashion and this is something I really want to do. Why can't you support me?"
"Because you're acting like a spoilt brat! Aren't you a bit old to be acting out like this? You want to move halfway across the world in two weeks to major in fashion!?"
Oliver was beginning to become piqued by the volume of Steven's voice. "Stop shouting at her. She's old enough to decide her own future."
Steve turned his attention to Oliver with a deathly glare. "Why are you even here?"
"Because I belong to the family-"
"Get out of my house. And don't tell me what to with Mai."
"Dad, stop-"
"Be quiet, Mai! You-" He clicked his fingers st Oliver. "Get out."
"Dad, why are you angry at Ollie? I'm the one that wants to go to Milan."
"That's not happening-"
"It is-"
"Yeah? And with what money? Because, if you move, I'm cutting you off. You hear that? No more allowances or tuition fees. You leave and you won't get another penny from me."
Steven banged his hand on the table for extra effect, making both Mai and Penelope jump. Oliver could see Mai's lower lip start to quiver. He hated seeing her upset.
"I'll pay."
They all turned to face Oliver.
"What?" Mai asked, perking up.
He shrugged. "I'll pay for your tuition, accommodation, shopping, travel; everything. You don't need him."
"Like hell you will..." Steven was seething with rage by the looks of it. It was glorious to look at.
Oliver smirked. Not only was he going to help Mai fulfil her dreams but he was also pissing off Steve. Two birds, one stone.
"Oliver, that's very nice of you..." Penelope said. She reached up to pat his arm. "But I can pay. It's fine."
"Penelope!" Steven scorned. "She's my daughter-"
"And mine too, despite our genes. Mai, sweetie, you have nothing to worry about. I trust that you have thought this decision through."
Mai nodded, a bright smile appearing on her face. "Yes. Yes I have."
Steven suddenly stood up, knocking his chair back. "Get out," He exclaimed, looking at Oliver. "Get out of my house."
"Technically, it's my mom's house-"
"GET OUT!"
Oliver frowned and looked at his mom for back up but she avoided his eyes, looking down at her feet. She had just been sticking up for Mai..... why wasn't she sticking up for him?
"Dad..." Mai whined. "Why are you doing this?"
Oliver shook his head. "It's fine. I'll leave. Clearly your dick of a father doesn't want me here."
"Oliver!" Penelope gasped.
He raised his arms in mock defence before popping a grape into his mouth and standing up.
"Steve, Mom... as always, it's been a pleasure," He said sardonically. "Goodbye."
He took his jacket from the back of his chair and smirked before making his way outside. He didn't need Steve or his mom. Neither of them liked Oliver but he was okay with that. He had Mai who made up for every single one of their grievances. She made it all worth it.
"Ollie! Wait!" Mai called, chasing him to his car.
"Mai? What's up?"
She threw her arms around him and hugged him. "Thank you. I'm so lucky to have you as a big brother."
Oliver smiled and hugged her back. "It was nothing. You know I'm always here for you."
She let go of him and handed him a leftover swan made of aluminium foil.
"What's this?"
"Some leftover chicken."
He chuckled and took the leftovers from her. "Thank you."
"You're welcome!" She chirped before beginning to walk away.
"Hey, Mai?"
"Yes?"
"Why were you arrested?"
She turned around to wink at him before continuing to walk home. "It doesn't matter," She called out. "I got it erased from my record."
"Huh? Wait. Mai! Come back! What happened? Mai!"
⢠⢠â¢
When Oliver returned home, he couldn't shake off his bad mood. Time after time his mother sided with Steven over Oliver and it was becoming very more and more obvious who she loved more. And the fact that she stuck up for Mai but remained quiet when her husband was telling Oliver to leave his childhood home proved something. It proved that she didn't care about Oliver. And that realisation hurt. A lot.
"Oh. Hey. Welcome back. I didn't realise you would be home so soon," Charlie said, emerging from the bathroom. His shirt must have been discarded somewhere because he was wearing nothing but shorts as he dried his hair with a towel.
Oliver's breath hitched when he caught sight of him but he hid it with a cough. "Oh...uh, yeah. Dinner was a bust."
Oliver never noticed the small crown tattoo at the edge of his hip. An 'E' rested just below it. For Ellie...
"Oh... Are there enough leftovers in that foil swan for two people? I'm pretty hungry."
"Uh...."
"Is that a no?"
"No! I mean yes! I mean- damn it! What I meant to say was that there is enough for both of us."
Charlie smiled and clapped his hand on Oliver's shoulder before leading the way to the kitchen. "Great! Let's eat!"
"Uh-huh...." Oliver couldn't get why he was suddenly struggling for words.
⢠⢠â¢
Alternative name for the chapter; 'Home is where the heart is".
Any movie recommendations?
With love,
-hexed
xoxo