Little Stranger

Two months later, Olivia still dwells on the sexual touching between herself and Malachi. She wonders if he regrets the encounter but does not ask him about it. Malachi ignores her for weeks after learning she has kissed her dates. When she goes to sleepovers at friends’ houses, he sneaks in at night and urges her to come home with him.

The Vizes go on a camping trip. Parker tries to make plans for Olivia’s return, but she keeps him at arm’s length. On their long drive, Malachi insists they hold hands, threatening to tell their parents about Olivia’s sexual touches if she doesn’t. Malachi ignores Jamieson and Jennifer’s queries about his whereabouts the night before, and Olivia gets upset at the idea that he might have been on a date, though Malachi reassures her that he was just with friends.

Their parents go for a walk, leaving Malachi and Olivia alone at the campsite. He urges her into their shared tent and asks to see her naked. She agrees to do so, despite being nervous about getting caught by their parents, if he answers a question in exchange for each item she removes. He confesses to using substances and being able to speak aloud, though he refuses to do so. He refuses to answer her question about whether he sees her as a “real sister,” taking off one of his own pieces of clothing instead. She feels bashful about finding their near-nudity arousing, though she is reassured when she sees physical signs of his arousal, too.

Malachi admits to spying on Olivia, including with cameras he secretly placed in her room. He urges her to masturbate while he watches, teasing her about their sibling relationship; Olivia finds this taboo highly arousing. She fantasizes about other taboo sex acts between them, including having him chase her. When he tries to kiss her, she pushes him away, insisting that this is abnormal between siblings. He counters that she isn’t his “real sister,” which he sees as eliminating her concern. Olivia is surprised that this hurts her feelings. When their parents suddenly return, Olivia and Malachi pretend to be asleep.

Weeks after the camping trip, Malachi still ignores Olivia. She tries to lure him into paying attention to her, including by inviting over one of her would-be suitors, but he remains absent. She frets when he goes on a date. After a long bath to soothe herself, she returns to her room, startled to find Malachi there. She snaps at him for his inconsistent behavior and tells him to leave; he ignores her. Despite her irritation, when he urges her to lie with him in her bed, she does so, even though she is only wearing her towel.

Olivia asks about his date. Malachi confesses that he is only comfortable with kissing and sexual contact with her. He asks her to teach him to kiss, promising to keep it a secret between them. They kiss, which Olivia finds extremely enjoyable. She admits to enjoying rough kissing that involves choking, and Malachi follows her instructions. They have manual sex, not stopping even when Jennifer knocks on Olivia’s door.

Malachi and Olivia overhear Jennifer and Jamieson talking about how they had “arranged for [Olivia] to sleep with Adam” (75). Adam, too, was disinterested, but they had been forced to have sex by their parents. She was also forced to have sex with Parker, who was not unwilling. Malachi is furious that Olivia has had sex with other people. He threatens to kill anyone else she has sex with.

The next morning, Olivia tells Malachi that Jennifer “arranged” for her to have sex with Parker again that evening. She insists that their kissing was merely to “teach” him, and their lessons are complete. He counters that he wants her to instruct him in oral sex. When she tries to ignore him and leave the house, he corners her in the garage and kisses her, even though their father’s security cameras might catch them. She finds his roughness arousing and begrudgingly agrees to continue their “lessons.”

Later that evening, Olivia sneaks onto Malachi’s balcony. She performs oral sex on him, surprised that he has genital piercings. She finds the thrill of having sex with Malachi before going to Parker’s house alluring. She also likes his roughness and when he uses harsh language to describe her. Their father hears their interactions but doesn’t know Malachi is with Olivia; Malachi taunts Olivia with the possibility of getting caught. He urges her to think about him while she is with Parker.

Olivia unhappily attends a party with Parker, where he and his wealthy friends use cocaine. Despite her lack of interest in him, Olivia plans to have sex with him, fearing her parents’ retribution. When one of his friends asks Parker to tell Olivia to perform oral sex, however, she tries to leave. He hits her and threatens to publicly reveal that Jennifer “sold [Olivia’s] virginity to [him] for five grand” unless she agrees to have oral sex with his friends (85). She sends her location to Malachi, knowing he will come get her. When Malachi arrives, she tells him of Parker’s actions. Malachi hits Parker with a baseball bat.

When Malachi and Olivia return home, Malachi covered in blood, Jennifer and Jamieson are horrified. Olivia yells at her mother for forcing her to date and have sex with Parker; Jennifer insists she was trying to “help” Olivia and that she “never intended for him to attack [her]” (87). Jamieson was unaware of this arrangement; he plans to hurt Parker, but Malachi reports that he “dealt with” Parker and his friends. He calls Jamieson “Dad,” something that affects Jamieson profoundly. Jamieson praises Malachi and promises to protect him from any legal consequences for the assault.

Olivia frets that she will be forced to marry Adam as Malachi, still dressed, joins her in the shower. Olivia blames herself for the violence that evening, which Malachi rejects. He urges her to reject Adam, then admits that he finds reference to their sibling relationship arousing. They have oral sex and then cuddle in Olivia’s bed. She fears that “if [they] keep doing this, [she will] start falling for [him],” something that frightens her because a relationship between them is “impossible” (94). He continues to indicate that he sees no problem with a relationship between them despite being siblings.

Olivia and Jennifer shop to outfit a bedroom for the Vizes’ upcoming foster child, a young girl named Molly, who was removed from her parents’ home after ingesting drugs. Malachi is uninterested in children and ambivalent about Molly’s arrival. He and Olivia continue to kiss and have oral sex in secret. Olivia’s marriage to Adam is scheduled for the following year. Malachi is furious about this, and Jamieson remains angry at Jennifer for the incident with Parker.

Olivia plans to attend her friend Abbi’s birthday party, which Malachi dislikes. He corners her in their mother’s closet when Olivia is looking for an outfit. When she argues that they can never be together because of her forced engagement with Adam, Malachi kisses her forcefully. She fears that Malachi is incapable of returning her feelings and wishes she could shift her affection to Adam. They are nearly caught by Jamieson.

Olivia urges Malachi to speak aloud in exchange for having sex with her, and he admits that he wants to be able to say her name. She wonders what this means about his emotional connection to her. At cheerleading practice, she fantasizes about having oral sex with Malachi while she is asleep. She worries that her desire for degradation and roughness during sex means there is “something wrong” with her and wonders if it can be attributed to her exposure to violence, sex, and drugs in early childhood. She fantasizes about doing these things with Malachi but is too embarrassed to admit her desires to him.

In the locker room, Olivia overhears other cheerleaders gossiping about Malachi’s date with Anna, a member of the cheerleading squad whom Olivia finds beautiful, kind, and smart. Olivia grows upset when Anna admits that she is having sex with Malachi, feeling betrayed. She calls him, weeping, and tells her that things between them are over and that she hates him for lying to her about Anna. He texts back, asking for her location, which she refuses to give him.

Olivia calls Jamieson. Despite her anger with Malachi, she refuses to tell her father what transpired between them, as she doesn’t wish to get Malachi in trouble. When she gets home, Malachi is in her room. He signs, but she refuses to watch. She screams at him to leave while he urges her to let him explain himself. He tries to say her name aloud and partially manages. He insists that he didn’t lie. He kisses her; at first, she pushes him away, then begins kissing him in return. They have rough oral sex, which Olivia insists is the last such encounter they will have.

He demands that she admit her love for him, accusing her of holding back because he is “defective.” He insists that she is his “property.” Olivia believes this to be untrue, as she does not think Malachi capable of love.

Jamieson catches them having oral sex; he pulls Malachi free and punches him. Olivia defends Malachi. Malachi punches Jamieson until he falls unconscious, then has penetrative sex with Olivia next to Jamieson’s unconscious form. Though she worries about her father, Olivia finds this encounter sexually arousing. When they are finished having sex, she calls an ambulance for Jamieson and urges Malachi to flee.