"Olga honey, are you sure you don't want to come down for breakfast?" Miriam asked.
"I've already eaten, mommy, hours ago." Olga's soft voice emerged from her room, behind the closed door. "I'm sorry I'm not cooking anything this morning. Something came up."
"Olga are you alright dear?"
"Yes mommy." Olga answered blankly. "I've just been looking for a job and I'm pretty tired."
"Oh...OK dear." Miriam answered somewhat absent-mindedly and left the premises.
Helga looked on from her room and smiled gleefully. How long would Olga stay bed-ridden this time? Oh, Helga relished this. Hopefully now she would learn and just go away, but she wouldn't hold her breath.
"C'mon Olga, you gotta come out of there sometime!" Bob goaded. "Why don't you tell me what's bothering you?"
"It's nothing daddy." Olga answered weakly.
Bog sighed. Helga laughed in the background.
"Something funny little lady?"
"Nope." Helga smiled.
"Olga, what's there to be upset about? It's not like that time you thought you got a B+. You're sitting pretty, and that boyfriend of yours is amazing! A true wizard that guy is! Almost kicked as much butt at the beeper emporium yesterday as I did! So I want you to get out of bed and report for breakfast!"
"I just want some alone time, daddy."
"Alright Olga...I've gotta go anyway, but when I get back, I want to see a new attitude!"
Bob left the still smirking Helga and went downstairs, leaving a few minutes later.
"Hey Loumeister!" Bob greeted as he got out of his car. "What brings you back? Everything got set up yesterday, and I already paid you!" He talked excitedly.
"I just wanted to go over a few more things with you and get you more familiarized with your website and how to sell your merchandise online and the like."
"Aw, gee. Thanks for that."
Louis smirked as Bob unlocked the doors.
"Hey uh...did Olga say anything to you yesterday?" Bob asked.
"No. I didn't talk to her yesterday, why?" He responded curiously.
"Eh...she's just been held up in her room the past day or so. She says everything's fine though. Maybe she's just taking a break from all the craziness. Or maybe it's just that time of the month, huh? Huh?" He joked and elbowed Louis in the stomach.
Louis' face hardened.
"I mean, what could possibly be wrong with her? She's got great grades, awards, she'll get a nice job soon enough, and she's got you. There's nothing for her to remotely be upset about! She's my little girl, always a winner!"
He looked at Bob distantly as they walked into the store.
Helga was eating a sandwich she made for lunch when she heard the doorbell ring. Helga had a feeling who it was, and she began to move to answer him. Miriam had gone out to the grocery store.
Helga went into the foyer and opened the door.
"Oh, hi there Helga." Louis greeted. "Olga's supposed to be home, so I dropped by."
"She's upstairs." Helga gritted in answering him. As usual, he looked great.
"Thanks." He answered and stepped inside, hanging up his coat. "You know Helga..." He turned back toward her. "You look like something's bothering you. Care to let it out?"
"I..." Helga gasped, taken aback. "I..."
Louis stared at her with slightly widened eyes.
"I...mean it's none of your business! Don't you respect anyone's privacy?!" She seethed.
Louis smiled lightly with a chuckle. "Suit yourself." He shrugged his shoulders and began to walk up the stairs.
Helga folded her arms and grunted. "Yeah, whatever your highness." Helga mocked, not bothering to look up at him.
Louis chuckled again and headed to the second story. It was then that a tinge of curiosity overtook Helga. When around Louis, Olga seemed somewhat different. When Helga saw her sister with him there appeared to be a genuine happiness that she had never seen before emanate from her. She seemed so...so...normal. With a sigh, Helga headed silently up the stairs. What if Olga mentioned yesterday's incident to Louis? Would she be different? It was too much to take without knowing. She silently but swiftly crept toward Olga's room.
Louis knocked on the door.
"Olga, it's me." He declared.
Olga immediately opened the door. Helga could see that she was smiling brightly. So that was it then? As soon as Louis showed up everything was better, and Olga would be back to her bubbly self?
Louis smiled and closed the portal behind him. He turned around to see his girlfriend still smiling widely at him, but he immediately put on a serious face when he got a good look at her. The covered-up smattering of runny mascara did not escape his eyes, and he noticed that her smile was not entirely genuine. "Olga, you've been crying." He said with concern.
"I don't know what you mean Louis." She acted, coming over to give him a hug and kiss. He saw right through it.
"Spit it out." Louis demanded as he lightly pushed Olga away.
Olga gasped as she tried to control herself. There was no use fighting him and she knew it.
Helga was laughing to herself as she listened outside the room. Making Olga feel bad sure made her feel good. It was what it was.
"Am I such a monster that my own sister hates my guts?" She squeaked.
"Helga, hate you? No." Louis said in a tone of light disbelief.
"Do you remember how I told you that my relationship with my sister was one of my biggest regrets, and that I wanted to get closer to her?"
Louis slowly nodded.
"Well I tried to talk to her yesterday. I tried to be friendly. I spoke with as much love as I could muster."
Helga gagged. That was what she called 'love?'
"I got us two tickets to the opera and told her how much fun we would have together. But she only pushed me away and said that...that...I was a bad sister."
Louis smirked lightly as Olga continued her diatribe. He looked amused, like he was trying to stifle a laugh.
"It seems that no matter what I do, no matter how kind I am to her, she still hates me. Maybe I just need to accept that she's always going to hate me..." The waterworks began to turn on again and she looked out the window. "She's so rude and obnoxious sometimes..."
Helga was enraged and almost felt like bursting through the door. She was very close to doing so when she heard Louis speak in a strong and stern voice.
"Wrong tactics."
"Huh?" Olga turned toward her boyfriend incredulously, mascara running down her eyes.
"A grown adult trying to dictate to a child is supposed to bring the two closer?" Louis asked somewhat sarcastically.
Olga's face squinched and more tears began to flow. She threw a book down onto the floor. "DAMMIT Louis, are you taking her side against me?!" She asked in a very teary anger.
Helga was very surprised now, shocked even. She had NEVER heard Olga speak in an angry voice or cuss. Even when she had changed her grades last year and admitted it, Olga was not angry at her. That had been almost infuriating just by itself. She continued to listen.
"I'm not taking anyone's side here." Louis chuckled. "But Olga, your sister is still but a child...without your accomplishments, and you know? I think she's unhappy. She lives in the darkness of your shadow, all day, everyday."
"Our parents don't even know she exists!" Olga cried. "She knows it and they know she knows it!"
"And they don't give a damn." Louis responded with a lecturing tone. "Poor Helga."
Helga felt like she was hit by a ton of bricks. He said it bluntly. He knew. The protective walls around which she housed her soul crumbled, just like that. Hearing her hidden thoughts straight from the mouth of someone else was very surreal. She felt like brooding in her room, but continued to listen to the conversation.
"POOR HELGA?!" Olga answered angrily. "What about me, wind-up doll that I am?!" She began to wail again. "You know what I have to go through all the time! And then when I try to show Helga a little kindness...she abuses me! Am I not to be pitied?!" She put her face in her hands and began to sob.
"WHY SHOULD YOU BE?!" Louis answered with a calm, cool fire in his voice. "It's certainly no wonderful situation, in fact I abhor it, but at the very least you can get away from it most of the time. Think about your sister. She's virtually a prisoner - sentenced to a life of nonrecognition by those who she's supposed to be closest to! It's quite easy to see within five minutes of being in this house. Furthermore, she doesn't have the luxury of escape like you do. In fact, she probably resents you all the more because you can break free and she cannot."
Helga was crying now. She situated herself in a fetal position outside her sister's door, leaning against the wall. She refused to let herself totally break down. Not yet.
Olga was diffused by this and stared at Louis wide-eyed. Tears were still flowing. He smiled softly at her.
"You know Olga, your biggest weakness is that you don't see yourself the way that others see you. I don't fault you for it - most people lack the ability. But try to see yourself the way Helga must see you. Here you are, showered with adoration while she gets nothing, and now YOU want to be HER friend. But to be her friend, you should instead let her come to you. Do what she wants to do. You need to be there for her. She doesn't need to be there for you."
"But what if she just continues hating me forever?" Olga squeaked out.
"Don't worry about it too much. Kids grow up, they change. Just go about it the right way and you'll be fine."
Tears were still streaming down Olga's face. Her lips were trembling as she looked at him.
"Come. Come here. Come here." Louis beckoned with a kind voice.
Olga moved into his outstretched arms and embraced him. He kissed the top of her head and rubbed her back.
"It's alright." He reassured. "You made a mistake. We all do. Make it up to Helga. You're smart enough to do that. At least...I think you are." He teased.
"Louis, you really are wonderful." Olga laughed weakly.
"I know." Louis grinned, causing her to laugh harder.
Helga tip-toed away and went into her room, slowly shutting the door behind her. It was she that now began to sob.