21 Having Individuality Isn't Being Wicked

Olivia decided to take the room from the start of the hallway, much to Oliver's annoyance since they were already at the end of the long*ss hall. 

"You could've told me sooner," He grumbled.

But Olivia was more concerned that he made her choose from a suite of rooms, only for all thirty-five guest rooms to look absolutely identical to each other. 

"It was just a mere illusion of choice..." Olivia muttered as they entered her official room in the Twyne Mansion.

But it seemed like Oliver heard her. "What the hell does that even mean?" 

Though it seemed like it didn't really matter if he did or didn't since he was quite, as she noticed, an idiot.

"Anyway, get yourself comfortable," Oliver spoke again with his demanding tone, even though his words were supposed to be welcoming. "I'll send your new phone through one of the maids. I'll also ask them to get your measurements."

Olivia flushed a bright red, causing 𝘩𝘪𝘮 to blush at the lack of context in his words.

"I-I-I'm not a pervert!" He stammered. "I just need your measurements to send it to the family seamstress and get you some new school uniforms."

She looked down at herself and realized how dirty she was.

Her clothes were no longer damp from the well water, but they were noticeably dirty. Her blue vest and black skirt had shades of mud brown on them due to Badd dragging her on the ground while still in her original universe.

"I'm genuinely surprised no one told you that you look like sh*t while you were parading yourself all around Huxley," Oliver hummed.

"I wasn't '𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘢𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨' myself!" Olivia argued. "It's not like I walk around looking like I went through hell on every everyday basis!"

Oliver waved her hands dismissively, causing Olivia to growl at him.

"Do you need anything else?" Oliver asked. "A change of clothes?"

Olivia shyly nodded.

"You don't need to act timidly around me, Olivia." He sighed. "After all, you just slapped me across the face a while ago--"

"I'm sorry!" Olivia squealed.

"--So you might as well be as shameless as you can be with me." Oliver continued. "Also, don't apologize. Own up to it and live up to it."

"Why are you giving me advice to be a bad person...?" 

Oliver chuckled. What an odd, gentle sound it was coming from this brute. But contrary to his kind demeanor, his next set of words were blunt.

"I think the reason why you're getting bullied is because you're spineless." 

"Hey!" Olivia winced.

"I'm just saying what I observed," He crossed his arms. "Even though you're my alternate self, you remind me more of Goodd than me."

Before she could argue, Oliver leaned down to her level. They were now looking into each other's eyes. Oliver's blue eyes hinted at his wicked thoughts, while Olivia's brown pair were gazing at him in uncertainty.

 "I'll help you."

Olivia repeatedly blinked in confusion. "Help me in what way?"

"Remember when the Maestro said that one of your quests was to 'shed your weak personality?'"

She nodded hesitantly.

"Well, I'll help you with that." Oliver pointed at himself proudly. "I'm the best person you can ask for help with getting a strong personality!"

"I would prefer to call you off-putting rather than 'strong,' but okay."

He rolled his eyes at her but continued. "Think of it as my gift to you."

"Why?" Was all Olivia could say.

Oliver scoffed incredulously.

"What do you mean 'why'? Can't I do something out of the pureness of my heart?"

It was Olivia's turn to roll her eyes.

"You don't have a heart in the first place."

He narrowed his eyes, pulling away from her.

"The Maestro is right, you 𝘢𝘳𝘦 ungrateful."

"Hey, I'm sorry." Olivia sighed, scratching the side of her face. "I'm just used to living in my world where things aren't handed to me on a silver platter. Oh, that means--"

"I know what that means, Olivia," Oliver interjected. "I'm not as dumb as everything thinks I am. But don't worry, in this world, things work that way as well. You have to work hard for it to get what you want."

"So why are you..."

"Because I want to prove that I don't have a wicked heart like what the Maestro said!" He grinned, puffing his chest out like a pigeon.

"Aren't you just proving her point?" Olivia raised an eyebrow. "You're simply doing me favors because you have an ulterior motive: Pretending to be kind."

"No, I'm not!" 

"Oh, I would know what is fake kindness to a genuine one, Oliver." She said in amusement. "After all, I'm the girl who was so kind that I got sent to an alternate universe as a 'gift.'"

Oliver knitted his eyebrows together. 

"I really do think you're not looking at the positive side of your situation, Olivia." He remarked.

"What positive side?!" She said, louder than intended. She then cleared her throat, lowering her voice. "I just want to return to my sister and graduate from Huxley. 𝘔𝘺 Huxley, not yours!" She added, in case Oliver needed extra clarification.

A puzzled 'huh' escaped from Oliver's lips as if in deep contemplation. 

"What's with the reaction?" Olivia asked in curiosity. 

"How old are you, Olivia?" He asked out of nowhere.

"Seventeen," 

"Huh," Oliver repeated. "So am I."

"We're literally the same person, Oliver." Olivia pointed out. "Of course, we're the same age!"

Ignoring her, he asked another question.

"You're also a junior, aren't you?"

Olivia nodded, not understanding where this was going.

"Well, technically, we can grant your wish in a year and a half." Oliver chuckled.

"You mean..." Olivia swallowed the lump forming inside her throat. "I should graduate here?"

He nodded with a wide grin. 

"No!" Olivia shook her head aggressively. "I'll graduate along with JaNyx!"

"We have a JaNyx here--"

"You know what I mean!"

Oliver shrugged nonchalantly.

"I have lots of plans, Oliver." She continued. "I have plans for my family that I promised to fulfill. How can I stick to those promises if my family--"

"Do you have plans for 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧?" He interjected.

"I-I-I..." Olivia stammered, not even finishing her sentence because she didn't know what to say.

"You always say you want to return home because of your sister, but did it ever occur to you to stay here for yourself?"

She felt her brown eyes widened. She opened her mouth to argue, but no words came out.

"See," Oliver sighed. "You're proving my point."

"What point?"

"That you're spineless."

Oliver's face contorted into a scowl.

"And you're proving the Maestro's point!" 

"That I have a wicked heart?" Oliver scoffed. "Having individuality isn't being wicked, Olivia."

Olivia wanted to curse or even mock him because he surprisingly knew the word 'individuality.' But before she could even speak, Oliver patted her on the head and smiled.

"Let's just agree to disagree."

Olivia closed her eyes, sighing.

"Fine."

"Oh, by the way," Oliver added offhandedly. "I'm surprised you didn't ask this when I said I'm going to get you a new set of uniforms, but I already told one of the maids to fix your papers and enroll you in Huxley."

Olivia blinked dumbly, realizing that she technically didn't exist in the universe, so she didn't have any legal documentation here, much less even be enrolled in this version of Huxley.

"You surprisingly think ahead, Oliver." Olivia sounded quite impressed.

"Oh, it wasn't my idea." He admitted. "JaNyx texted me while we were in the car."

"Figures."

"What does that supposed to mean?" Oliver raised his voice.

Olivia shook her head before grabbing Oliver's hand that was on her head and shaking it.

"We have our differences, but I hope we can get along, Oliver Twyne."

Olivia smiled cockily, firmly grabbing her hand.

"Same sentiments."

"OLIVER!" The door to Olivia's room burst open, revealing this universe's version of Azure. "JOE TOLD ME YOU BROUGHT A GIRL HOME AGAIN!"

He stopped mid-shouting before staring at the two Twynes' hands.

"Oh."

Both Olivia and Oliver looked at Azure, their hands, and each other.

"Oh."