One (One Universe)

screamed at him and drove away.
    Finally, I flop over on the floor next to her and just stare at the ceiling.
    “You don’t even know that anything’s wrong, you know. I mean, it’s not like you broke up. You barely even talked to him.”
    That just makes me start crying again. She squeezes my shoulders and says, “It’ll be okay. This is Elias. I know Elias, remember?”
    I sniffle. “Yeah. Yeah.” I sit up to blow my nose and look at her. I’m so embarrassed that I laugh a little.
    “You guys will figure this out,” she says, rubbing my arm. “I’ve never seen him like this with anyone, Merrin. This is the first year I’ve seen him happy since he was a little kid, you know? He loves you.”
    I shake my head and sniffle again. “Not anymore, probably.”
    She rolls her eyes smiles. “Merrin. He does. Since he met you, he’s…peaceful. It’s been a while since I could say that about him.”
    Leni’s cuff beeps. She answers it, then says, “Yeah. Okay.” She hangs up, leans in, and gives me a hug.
    “Dinnertime?” I just realized it had gotten dark outside.
    “Yeah. I’ll text later. You okay?” she says into my hair.
    “Mmm hmmm.”
     
    I head downstairs after smearing some concealer under my eyes, hoping to find some brownies or a candy bar or something. Mom and Dad sit at the kitchen island, talking quietly.
    Mom looks up at me watchfully. I never know whether she is suspicious or worried or disappointed. All I know is that the look is always there, and it’s the reason we’ve never been close. I’ve never been able to figure out what she thinks of me, and there’s no way I can ask her. Especially not now.
    “How are you doing, Merry Berry?” Dad asks, smiling. I know he’s trying to lighten the mood. His eyes crinkle upward, like it’s secret code for “Just play along.” But I don’t want to be in a good mood. I want to cry in frustration that they seem to know what is happening with the boys and I have no clue.
    The part that causes the biggest ache in my gut is that they don’t seem to think I’m important enough to know.
    “Merrin? Merrin.” Mom puts her hand on my arm, and I break out of my daze.
    “Yeah, Mom?”
    “Merrin, I’m going away for a few days, too. For an intensive study at the Hub.” Her eyes are a little empty, with huge circles underneath them. She’s not happy, not glowing at all like she was after her demonstration at the Symposium.
    “Mom, you okay?” I still can’t summon that much affection for her, but I am worried. And what the hell is going on with half my family at the Hub? Half of Superior, it seems like?
    “Yes. Yes, I’m okay. I’ve left some dinners frozen for you two.”
    I look at Dad. Maybe he knows. Does he know?
    Dad picks at his cuticles. “Dear, I don’t think this is the way to…”
    Her eyes dart over to Dad, full of some weird look I’ve never seen in them before.
    I can’t stand to look at either of them anymore. There’s only one person in the universe who will understand me right now, who knows me and my Oneness inside and out. So, almost without thinking, I head back to my room, pull on one of Elias’s sweatshirts, and call Elias.
     
    “Elias, I have to tell you something.” After agonizing and pacing and burying my face in my Elias-sweatshirt-covered hands, I finally called him.
    “I have to tell you something, too.”
    I blow out a breath.
    He continues. “First, I’m sorry. But you know that. I mean, I hope you do. But there’s something else. Dad freaked out at me about that whole backpack thing again.”
    I suck in a breath. “Why?”
    He’s silent on the other end, which I can’t stand.
    “What did you tell him?”
    There’s a pause. “Elias?” I say after a minute.
    “Nothing about you. So don’t worry about it.”
    “What did you tell him?”
    “I told him I flew. Um, finally.”
    “You what?” This makes me sit up straight. “Elias, what happens…what happens when he wants you to do it again?” My heart races with panic for Elias, how he’ll perpetuate this lie that he told on my behalf.
    “I’ll tell him… I don’t know.” He sighs, so loud I can practically feel it puffing through the speaker. “I’ll tell him it fizzled or something.”
    I have no idea what to say. I can think of a million reasons why that’s a bad idea, but I feel like it’s none of my business right now. Not after how we fought this morning.
    “We could tell him. Together.”
    “No. We’re