Everything, Everything

Madeline completes an architecture assignment for her high school tutor, who notes that she has placed an astronaut figurine with a helmet in her building model—as is her tradition—with food in front of it. The tutor asks how the astronaut will eat the food with the helmet on, a question Madeline had not considered.

Madeline learns that Carla knows about Olly and Madeline’s fascination with him. Carla says that it’s fine with her if the two keep communicating, as long as Madeline won’t be devastated if the family moves away. Madeline immediately starts pestering Carla to let Olly come to the house, and Carla eventually allows it, albeit with strict rules about the two not touching and staying on opposite sides of the room. Just before she goes downstairs to meet him, Madeline excitedly sends Olly an email to read later.

Madeline meets Olly in the house’s artificially heated sunroom, which is filled with fake tropical plants and contains a stream. He’s full of nervous energy, climbing up the stone wall of the room, but eventually comes down and channels his energy into intent attention toward Madeline. Madeline finds that she’s physically attracted to Olly. The two banter for a while, feeling self-conscious over meeting for the first time yet comfortable because of their online conversations.