G SEARCH, 9:12 AM, SATURDAY

What to do with a giant empty pickle jar that a nice rich kid you're trying to manipulate gives you?

G SEARCH, 9:15 AM, SATURDAY

What to do with a giant pickle jar that's empty and given with a bow?

G SEARCH, 9:20 AM, SATURDAY

Pickle allergy real or fake

G SEARCH, 9:30 AM, SATURDAY

Can you give someone a pickle allergy

G SEARCH, 9:32 AM, SATURDAY

Logical ideas for giant empty jars

Number 1:

Storage.

It was a relatively large jar so storage wasn't such a bad idea. I set it down on my desk, stuffing my ink pens in it and nodding, satisfied.

After ten minutes of trying to get my hand unstuck after attempting to grab one, I decided to cross that one off.

Number 2:

Candles.

I laughed. With our pollution, it'd probably set the air on fire.

Number 3:

Salad jars.

"Who eats salad?" I muttered, scrolling past.

Number 4:

Paint storage.

I glanced at the corner of my room where a half finished painting lay from seventh grade. I still vividly remember the look of horror on my teacher's face and the sudden guest appearance of a rosary in her room the next day.

"Yeah, no," I muttered.

Number 5:

Terrariums.

"With what plants?" I scrolled past.

Number 6:

Tea lights.

"When was this written, 2018?" I snapped, sighing.

Number 7:

A letter jar.

A letter jar is a good way to say what you want to someone, perhaps in the present or future. To send or keep, or reflect back on and remember.

I cocked my head at that.

"So depressing," I said, grabbing an adhesive paper from my desk and a pen.

I stuck it on the jar, and nodded.

"I'll call you...JJ. JJ the Jar."

It stared at me in response. I glared, getting up and grabbing my stuff as I went.

"Don't be an asshole, JJ," I muttered, shutting the door behind me.

_______________________________

It was the Saturday of that week and Raj had invited the team out again for a dine out night, but most said they couldn't go except for Theo and Heather.

And me. If Theo went, I went. I couldn't get close to someone I never hang out with.

I was tempted to invite Martinez to make things less awkward, but he probably would deny. He hated aristocrats more than me or G.

G was out of the question. I didn't want her getting dragged back under into the pressure that came with high class students. That was a road neither of us wanted to go down.

Raj promised to pick us all up, so I settled for waiting at the front of my building as I waited. Tuesday night bothered me. It was like it was nipping at my heels. What I had said drifted in the air between us all, even if no one acknowledged it.

And Theo's strange, but good-hearted, gesture was biting at me, too. Who had a random pickle jar lying around anyway? Exactly. Maybe he was a coincidental jar collector. Or maybe he just really liked pickles. Either way, it had a bow. A bow. What the hell?

I hadn't said anything about it for the week, and practices were rigorous enough that it left little time for conversation until after, but G had been picking me up right on the dot, which took away my opportunity. Theo hadn't mentioned it either. One theory was he wasn't the sender, but that was unlikely considering he was the only person that I had said anything to, and the only person who would send me a pickle jar just because I wanted one while drunk.

Either way, it plagued me endlessly.

Raj pulled up in front of me a moment later in a hover vehicle, sleek and new and bright cherry red. It floated above the ground and the window disappeared to reveal her and Heather in the front. She pulled down a silver-colored mask that said she had come from the metropolitan area.

"Get in, B!" she said. "We're going to LSX."

"LSX," I repeated, sounding confused because I was.

She gestured to the door behind me, which lifted away at her command. "I'll explain it to you later."

Theo was sitting behind Raj with his head propped up against the window. He was wearing a simpler get-up than last time. Simple jeans and a simple shirt and a simple jacket with simple shoes. It made my chest a little tight knowing I wasn't the only one going in something that didn't look like it cost a month's wages.

He grinned at me, bright and happy, with dimples. The grey colored sunlight was dim so his hair looked bluer. I resisted the urge to narrow my eyes and question what a silver-haired, dimple-having college student was doing giving random pickle jars to people he's only known for three days.

"Hey," he said.

"You," I muttered.

Theo cocked his head to the side at that and I quickly cleared my throat.

"You...hey. Hey...you. Hey, you," I said. Tripped a bit, stuck the landing.

Theo laughed. "Hey, you, too."

"Hey, all of you," Heather said, turning around. Her tight black top climbed high on her neck until it reached the string of gold wrapped around her throat and it jingled so distractingly when she talked I just had to stare. The twin buns on her head threatened to hit the roof with the speed bumps. "You ready? I'm excited."

"What's LSX?" I asked.

"It stands for Leonard Sharepai Xeneph."

"What?" I repeated, shaking my head.

"It's a milkshake place in West Hollywood," Theo explained. "The guy who made it had no better name because of how many there are, so he just went with his own name."

"Is it just me or do shop names have nothing to do with what's in the shop?" I asked.

They all nodded, laughing.

"I didn't know milkshake shops were still around anyway," I said. "I thought they all died out in the 200s."

"Their numbers went way downhill, but there are still a few hidden in the north estates if you look hard enough," Raj said.

The car was dark inside, lined with blue veins, and the windows were crystal clear. Raj was chattering, the car driving itself towards the designated locations. She was wearing ridiculously large hoops with a ruby-encrusted bird perched on it, chirping whatever the hell a ruby-encrusted bird had to say to the world.

I tapped my fingers against the seats as the car stopped, exhaling sharply and making black strands of my hair fly into the air momentarily.

"So," Theo said suddenly, making me whip my head to him. "Found any use for that pickle jar?"

I laughed abruptly. "Hah! Uh...no."

Oh, whatever. Like I'm going to tell him I made it something as stupid as a letter jar. Sue me, why don't you?

Theo stared at me, almost amused. "What about a terrarium?"

Of course he would suggest something from a stupid G search.

"It'd die too quickly," I said, waving it away.

"Fake terrarium?"

"I'm not buying the shit for that."

"Storage."

"I got my hand stuck."

He laughed at that and it bubbled in my ears.

"Okay," he said. "How about a candy jar? Everyone likes candy."

I laughed. "That'd be gone in a day."

"You like sweets?"

"To a fault."

"How is that somehow so fitting?"

"How is that some—what's that supposed to mean?"

Theo shrugged. "You seem like the secretly very sweet type."

I pointed a finger. "Lies. Lies upon your tongue."

He laughed. "You do like sweets?"

"So? Plenty people like candy. I bet Satan likes a lollipop every now and then."

"Wow, that went dark."

I shrugged and leaned against the window as he grinned. Stupid dimples. Try me, I'll rip them off with my bare hands.

We conversed loosely among ourselves for another few minutes before we were in front of the milkshake shop. It was the same black and white get-up as almost every building had around it. I spotted a few children on capeboards zooming down the sidewalk, sending people sprawling into the streets and crashing into each other as they did so. One kid clipped a man's car and laughed.

Gold lights lit up the initials LSX at the front of the shop. Large glass windows displayed the pure black interior, which was a bit intense for a place that served milkshakes but hey, what do I know? The white orbs inside pulsed in the grey light and I waved my hand in the air, coughing a bit. I forgot how smoggy it can get farther north.

Raj bounced on her toes, grabbing my arm and grinning. "Isn't it awesome?"

"Uh, yes?"

I watched her and Heather chatter as they looked at it, their heels stepping onto the shiny inked sidewalk, slick as oil. Theo stepped up behind them, and I saw his jacket lift enough to reveal a three gold and emerald elephants pinned to his pocket, each jewel pressed carefully to a gilded chain that hung quietly against his jeans.

Subtle wealth. Just there enough to make you remember where both of you stood in the red lines of life.

The door lifted up at our approach, a greeting echoing from above as we went inside. We walked up steps to see several seats elevated in the air with glass tables in front. People's laughs and crude conversations surrounded us in time with bass-heavy music. A long, white counter wrapped around the right side of the shop, blue circles spaced out on top of them and flavor names marking which were which.

"You ever been to one of these?" Raj asked.

I shook my head. The south didn't have any shops other than simple eateries, clothing, miscellaneous, or supermarkets. Something this self-indulgent would be way out of our city's budget.

"Oh, you'll love it," she assured me. "Here."

We walked over to the beginning of the counter where several other friends were standing, talking to each other aimlessly. Raj pointed at several stacks of glasses. Some were red, others blue. Some had jewels, others looked like outlines of the air. She grabbed a red one and handed it to me.

I don't know if it was my lack of muscle or the weight of its price printed under the cup, but I nearly dropped the thing it was so heavy.

She took a clear one as Theo and Heather grabbed blue ones. I looked to be the only one who had checked the price.

"You should try the strawberry banana. Vintage flavor, they call it. It's made with real bananas."

"Excuse me," said one of the girls behind Raj, staring at me. Her eyes had blue contacts on them and framed by gold glasses. "We were here first."

I made a move to step out of the way but Raj spoke up.

"And doing nothing," she replied.

"Move," she snapped.

"Get a grip, asshole," Raj said.

She scoffed. Raj flipped her off effectively and moved along, dragging me with her.

Well. That's one way to go about it.

"We could have just moved," I muttered as Raj placed her cup on a blue circle labeled MANGO CHERRY.

Raj gave me a confused expression. "Why?" she asked simply, narrowing her eyes at Glasses. "Stuck up bitch. She probably barely even lives in the north looking at those fake glasses so I don't know what makes her so goddamn snooty."

Heather laughed at that. "Guess she just wants to make her moment last before she has to creep out for a slush at Target."

Raj snickered with her as she sprayed a perfect swirl of cream on her shake. I still had my glass in my hand, red as wine and empty.

Heather turned to me, smiling bright as stained glass.

"Come on, B." She took my glass. "You should try the mixed berry."

As I watched her fill it with the purple milkshake, I realized Theo had remained silent for the entire ordeal, fingers fiddling with the chain of his pins.

Raj had paid for all of us and I didn't even bother looking at the price when she did. We sat down at a corner table with the hovering seats, sucking our shakes in the grey light. Raj and Theo were discussing the upcoming game next Friday and Heather was talking my ear off about her English teacher's "ridiculous" comments on her latest essay.

"I don't think anyone appreciates being compared to an angry rhino, Heather," I said,  swallowing some more of my milkshake.

"Rhinos are majestic and beautiful creatures!" Heather defended. "And I said so!"

"Yeah, they're also extinct," I pointed out.

"She said I could change it by tomorrow," she went on, pulling the essay up on her phone and projecting it in front of me, zooming in on the paragraphs. "What else should I call her?"

"I don't know," I muttered. "Something nicer than a rhino."

"How about a turtle?"

"Also extinct."

"Whale."

"Too big."

"Elephant."

"Really?"

"Orangutan."

"Oh, yeah, they're a site to see."

"But they aren't extinct!" Heather said, writing it down. "Thanks, B."

I didn't have the heart to correct her so I just nodded and allowed her to keep on with her enthusiasm. Raj tapped her manicured nails on the table to make me face her.

"So, B," she began, leaning in and grinning slyly. "How's it going?"

I blinked. "Don't murder me."

She burst into laughter along with the rest of them.

"Oh, god, you think so badly of me," she muttered, pouting. "You're supposed to say 'nothing much' and then I'm supposed to say 'oh, really?' and you say 'yeah' and then I say 'liar' and—"

"Please just ask or tell me whatever you want to ask or tell me," I said, stopping her.

She took a swig of her shake, cream dotting her upper lip. "Any girls you interested in around here?"

The choke of laughter escaped me before I could stop it, though I regretted it immediately after. Have you ever snorted mixed berry? If not, keep it that way. Zero out of ten, would not recommend.

They stared at me. I cleared my throat and shook my head.

"No," I said when I was done. "None."

"Not one?"

I shrugged, grabbing my shake. "I don't like them."

"Knew it," Heather said under her breath.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"You just...give off...the energy."

"The energy? Of what?"

"A gay."

"The energy of a gay—the hell even is it? What is the energy? Is it like radiation or something? Someone gonna read my palms and find 'gay' written on my heart line?"

"Palm reading and general energy isn't the same thing."

"Thank you, little miss gypsy."

"I just read the blogs, okay?"

Raj waved Heather away, turning back to me. "So any guys then?"

I shook my head. "Nope. I don't even look up enough to notice if there were any."

She glanced at Theo with one of her odd looks. He narrowed his eyes.

"Theo's available," she said just as he mouthed her to stop.

Ding ding, opportunity comes knocking.

I glanced at him. He reluctantly turned his gaze to me, shaking his head.

"She's kidding."

"Am not."

"She's kidding," he repeated.

"Oh sure I am," Raj said.

I pointed at him, turning to Heather. "Does he have a gay energy?"

Heather shrugged. "Yours is stronger."

"What are you a bruja?" I muttered. "But I'm not the only one, right?"

"His is more manly."

"Wha—I'm manly!"

"You're kinda gawky."

"You're kinda gawky."

"You just have a...cuter energy."

"She means you're a bottom," Raj interrupted.

I glared. "I am not."

"Are too," they chorused.

I slid down in my seat. "Dammit."

"As I was saying, Theo would totally be—"

"—very annoyed if he was suddenly propositioned in the middle of a milkshake shop so maybe I should just stop," Theo finished for her, giving her a significant look.

Raj huffed. "Just saying."

"Just because two people are gay doesn't mean they like each other," he said.

"Oh, come on, that's not what I was implying," Raj said.

"Not your type?" I said to Theo, gripping the opportunity tighter.

He glanced at me, brown eyes bright.

"No! No," he quickly said, shaking his head. "No, that's not what I meant. I just don't...why force it, you know? Not like it's gonna happen gradually or anything, or...yeah. You're great."

I snorted. "Good save."

He laughed. "Sorry."

"You could just say you don't want to date me."

"We're friends."

They stared at him. He sighed heavily.

"I'll stop," he muttered, leaning back and shaking his head.

Raj and Heather snickered to each other as my eyes stayed on him. He snapped at Raj to shut up and she elbowed him suggestively. I grabbed my milkshake, hoping the cold would overpower the heat in my face.

He enjoyed my company, which was good to know. We were getting closer, inch by inch.

I sucked a mouthful more of the mixed berry and almost grinned. I know I should feel guilt, but satisfaction met me instead.

My moment was quickly shattered by Raj a moment later though.

"So, B," she began. "What were you doing in Moneda?"

I frowned. "What?"

"When I picked you up. Why were you south?" She set her shake down.

The light mood disintegrated, but only for me. "Is it...weird?"

"Unless you have a thing for thrift shops and drug alleys, no," she said, laughing.

Heather grinned, but nudged me and shook her head. "Don't go down there for the cities, B. Their parks are nicer but the urban are gross." She shivered. "I had to run an errand with my dad there and I swear to God I can't even tell the difference between the rats and the kids, they're so big."

Raj laughed, then said, "What do you mean? They're the same thing."

Heather burst into snickers at that. My grip tightened on the table edge.

"Come on," Theo intervened, making us all whip our heads to him. "Lay off. They're the third estate."

Raj shrugged. "Exactly."

"Raj."

"What?" she said, scoffing. "They're lazy. Why do you think they're in the third estate? They couldn't get off their asses to get an education and get a decent job so we're all supposed to feel sorry for them?" She shook her head. "Sorry, Theo, but I'm not gonna pity slackers."

My stomach was hollow and blood pounded in my head. The air was sticky on my skin and I wanted to rip it off until there was nothing left to breathe.

"They always complain about having little money or not as much of what the first estate has," Heather added. "It's literally just get good grades, go to college, and get a damn job. Why's that so hard to understand? Basic sense."

"Right?"

I bit the inside of my cheek hard.

Theo tilted his head. "Ah, come on, Raj. Not everyone gets a free pass to good education."

"There are plenty of stories about successful people from bad homes. They just need to work harder." Raj sipped at her milkshake and pointed at Theo. "Why do we have to make up for all of their shortcomings? It's unfair."

The logical thing would be to speak in a diplomatic manner and explain the other side of the argument calmly and eloquently. To understand point of views from either party and take it accordingly. It would be very Henry of me, ergo the smarter route, to just be calm.

But who the hell ever has time for the logical thing, okay?  Fuck diplomacy, I'm ready to pour a mixed berry shake on someone's head.

"That's...really bitchy," I said simply. See, Theo? Secretly sweet my ass.

She swiveled her head to me, mouth parted and brows raised. "Excuse me?" she said, shaking her head as if she hadn't heard me right.

"What you said." I snapped my head up.

"It's what I think."

"It's rude." I clenched my fingers around the cold liquid in my glass, feeling it freeze my skin. I narrowed my eyes. "And it's fucking wrong."

"B," Heather said, frowning. "It's not."

Raj eyed me. "Don't insult me on it. It's the truth, Briar, don't be defensive over it."

My tongue lashed out like a serpent's. "It's ignorant, silver spoon-fed bullshit," I said, my voice barren of any sarcasm.

The entire table went silent at that. Raj looked like I had just shot her, or someone in front of her. Heather, stone still, looked between me and Theo; Theo, who was busying himself with eyes going wide and a blank face that held neither agreement or disapproval. His doves glittered, and his head tilted adjacent at me, like he was waiting for something.

"Briar," Heather hissed. "What the hell?"

Theo put a hand in front of Raj, muttering something to her. She shoved him away, her bubbly demeanor fading quickly.

"What's your problem?" she snapped. "It's just my opinion."

"Yeah, a stupid one," I bit back. "You don't know shit about the third estate. Not everyone can work their way up the social classes just because they go to school."

"They don't even work."

"They work their asses off, actually." Day and night, night and day, without a shred of acknowledgement from her world. A world's apart and she couldn't even turn around to see it. "Not everyone has so many millions coming in that they don't have to bother with worries. And it's not like their education system is so fucking fantastic either."

She scoffed. "They're wastes of space."

Nerves snapped throughout my body. I glared.

"So are you," I hissed.

Raj whipped her head to me, earrings swishing like swords. "What did you say to me?"

"Money doesn't make you a valuable member of society. It makes you a rich sellout," I said. "You complain like you know anything about them, when you couldn't care less."

"Why would I?" And she said it like she was truly asking. "And why are you being such a jackass to me over it?"

"Because I know it better," I snarled. "And I know they're half your income with twice your worth."

Raj shoved her glass away and turned on me with something dark in her eyes. Her anger came in controlled lines and flexed fingers, prim and proper threatening to break under her disturbance. I dared her to. I wanted her to. Because what the fuck did she know?

Theo put his hands up. "Okay, just calm down. We don't—"

"So you live down there," Raj spat. "With those rodents."

My blood boiled. "Takes one to know one."

She stood up. "It affects my life too, I have a right to think what I want."

"Keep it to yourself then." I got up, grabbing my jacket. "Leave me out of it."

Raj rose up out of her seat, staring after me. "Have fun walking home, then."

I whirled around, forgetting the other customers in the shop. "You're only elite because your parents are. Without them, trust me, you'd be worse than any third estate resident could be."

"Parents—" She scoffed. "Yeah. Third estate residents sure know a lot about being worse, huh?"

"Leave me alone," I snapped.

"Gladly!" She grabbed her bag, facing me with a shadowed smile that was not nearly as friendly as her last one was. "Don't come after me for saying something you know is true."

I said, "You're so full of yourself, you don't know which way is down, do you?"

Raj tightened her grip on her bag. "Go back to the gutters then."

She shoved past me and I stumbled a bit. In my haste, I tried to right myself and spun right. But instead of greeting an upright position, I ended up tripping backwards and crashing into a man carrying several half-filled shake glasses in his hands.

He slipped at my stumble and the shakes fell from his grip, splattering my head and face with sugary milk and ice. A cascading waterfall of color and syrup and dairy, falling over my face.

Great. Awesome. Cool. Fabulous. This is the highlight of my fucking life. Take a photo, I want to frame it.

The entire shop went dead silent. I could only hear the blood pounding in my ears and the consistent drip of strawberry banana smoothies falling off of my body, a beat to the sound of my humiliation. From the chunks on my arms and the sweetness in my mouth, Raj must've been right: they were real bananas too.

I wiped it from my eyes and face, shaking it out slowly and turning around. Raj's hands were over her mouth, eyes big and face frozen in frame. Heather and Theo were staring at me, jaws ajar. I huffed.

I never thought I would associate strawberry banana milkshakes with social trauma, but I guess life is funny like that.

Strawberries were still dropping from my hair and I wiped the stickiness off as much as I could, trying to inhale any remnants of confidence. I made a move to go towards the door.

Then I heard footsteps making their way towards me, and for a split second I thought it was Raj ready to laugh away the shock into mocking snide, but when I looked up, it was Theo.

He gestured towards the back of the shop.

"Come on," he said, taking my hand. "Let's go."

"Is she usually that smart of a thinker with her attacks?" I asked.

We were sitting in the bathroom, which was probably nicer than any bathroom I had ever seen in my life. Theo had a stack of wet paper towels, trying to wipe away as much of the strawberry banana as he could.

He shook his head. "I'm sorry," he said. "Raj is a good person and all, but she can be pretty desperate to seem a certain way sometimes. She didn't mean to push you into that guy."

"I bet," I muttered.

Theo wiped my forehead, pursing his lips. "Aristocrats can be assholes," he said sadly. "In this world, everyone thinks wealth gives you carte blanche to act like kings of the world."

"Clearly," I muttered.

He wiped my cheek, pursing his lips and letting his hand linger there.

"She doesn't really think that," he said. "About the third estate."

I snorted. "Great actress, then."

He shook his head. "She came from the third estate."

I stared at him. "What?"

Theo's hand moved away from my face, warmth replaced with cold milkshake.

"Her dad and her used to live in the third estate, and he made a single investment into some tablet company that was barely even a company," Theo explained. "The tablet company blew up months later, made her dad one of the main guys on the development team, and they rose up the ranks until they got to the hills of the north estate." He glanced to the exit door, back into the humiliation of LSX. "I hear she's changed a lot since then. But I guess I wouldn't know."

"What company?" I asked.

Theo hesitated, then said, "Minke."

"Minke?" I exclaimed.

Minke was one of the highest grossing tech companies of the decade. Almost every school used their tablets and G screens. And her dad was one of the head developers.

No wonder she'd become such an airhead. I would, too.

"Minke," Theo said. "But she lost all her friends when she moved, which was the only reason she wanted to join a team. People sort of secretly resent her because of her dad, though."

"Let me guess: sweet to her face, talk shit behind her back."

"Age old story."

I huffed. That sucked, of course, but I didn't know if it was a real excuse to be such an ass. Pain, as much as it could be reasoning, couldn't always be a free pass. Although it provided better than a blank box of explanation.

"Raj says a lot of shit she doesn't mean," Theo went on. "And I know you're new, so it's not like it's exactly excusable, but I guess..." He sighed. "Sometimes when people want something, it can make other people collateral."

That chilled my skin, and not just because of the milkshakes. I knew he was referencing Raj, albeit a bit cryptically, but some more God-fearing part of me felt the stake drive right through the heart of my bad intentions.

Theo gave me a sad smile that made the stake sink further. "She'll understand if you're gonna be mad at her for a while," he said. "I'd be mad. She insulted your entire city after all."

'I would'. Like he wasn't.

"Do you hate the third estate?" I asked.

His eyes angled at the ground. "No," he finally said. "No, I'd never."

"Why? Because you're incapable of hatred?"

"Because I know people from there," he said. "I know that it's not that simple to just succeed. Not everyone has the privilege of a linear path. But I think a lot of people forget that." He shrugged. "Different worlds, different lifestyles. It's all just differences, you know?" Theo clicked his tongue. "People just have to understand them instead of fighting them."

I pursed my lips. Understand. Did he understand?

How much could we understand of each other's worlds when they were so fucking far apart?

He wiped the last of the milkshake from my hair and helped me to my feet. His hand reached towards my face, thumb swiping away a strawberry.

"You want a ride home?" he asked, leaving a burn where his hand had been as he lowered it.

I sighed. "Definitely."

I walked out. Raj and Heather were gone, the mess on the floor gone into thin air. Most likely by the work of a Heart Hands. Customers' eyes followed us as we exited, whispers trailing in our wake.

A hover vehicle was waiting for us out front. We got inside, shutting out any echoes of the outside world.

I sighed, leaning back and crossing my arms. "This sucks."

He grinned. "Yeah." Then, "I'm really sorry. About all of this." He sighed. "Shitty first introductions, huh?"

I shook my head. "It's not your fault. Thanks for cleaning me up, though."

Theo shrugged. "Thanks for not taking Raj's crap."

"Careful," I muttered, tapping the chips in my neck. "They'll hear the great Theodore Maize talking badly about someone."

He waved me away. The vehicle zipped through the streets, south down towards Moneda de Oro. My body was uncomfortably sticky with milkshake residue and I groaned.

"Maybe I'll use your pickle jar to store the fraying threads of my dignity," I said.

He shook his head. "You still have your dignity, trust me. Raj shouldn't have brought something like that up."

"In my estate, yes. In hers, definitely not."

"Two different worlds, huh?"

"Like you wouldn't believe." I raked my fingers through my hair. The mood was heavy and stiff in the car, and it made my throat close up. I sighed heavily, leaning against the window. "Although I think I'd suck at astronomy in any estate."

Theo perked up. "I thought you were doing well."

"Well is...a generous word."

He laughed lightly, the weight of the atmosphere alleviating.

"I'm sure you can't be doing that ba—"

"63 percent."

He hissed. "Wow."

"Yeah," I muttered. "Wow." Then, "Hey."

Don't judge me. This is the plan, these are the steps. Forget Raj or Heather or anyone else. I wasn't trying to get them to like me. Stop giving me that stink eye.

"You tutor, right?" I asked.

Theo nodded. "Yeah." He smiled softly. "You need a tutor?"

I tried to seem at least somewhat reluctant to the idea. "I need to at least pass the class. You're a star major."

"Star major," he mouthed.

The vehicle stopped near my complex. "Help me pass the class and I'll stop making stupid plays during the game. How about that?"

He shook his head. "Can't tutor you then."

"What? Why?"

"I like your last minute plays too much to give them up," he said with a bright grin. Fucking dimples. How charming.

I sighed. "Fine. What do you want because I can't pay you for all those sessions."

He shook his head. "I don't charge."

"'Course you don't, golden boy."

He laughed and got out of the car. It was late afternoon by now, the sun turning gold on the pavement. Theo opened the door on my side and I got up, brushing aside strawberry scented hair as I did so.

I walked over to the gate.

"See you Tuesday, then," Theo said as I reached for the door handle.

I whirled around and he smiled, sunlight weaving in his hair. His pale skin shined and his grin was as subtle as the glint of the golden chain at his pants. The entire display was awfully nice.

Instead, I held out my hand.

"Tuesday," I said.

He shook it firmly, and the chips in his neck glimmered.

"Definitely," he replied.

I taped the piece of paper shut, tossing it into JJ. The jar stared at me, the letter sitting quietly inside the glass. Moonlight weaved blotches onto my desk, illuminating inside the jar. Ping was glaring at me in that condescending way plants do. I waved her away.

"Don't even," I muttered. "I actually need the tutor help."

She seemed to scoff. I scoffed, too.

"Rude. Don't be so—"

"Are you talking to your plants again?"

I turned around, spotting Henry in the doorway. He was still wearing his apron from working at the bakery all day. I always thought it was funny how he worked at both a Mexican bakery where he served abuelas and old tias before going to work at an aristocratic bar for druggies and young drunks. A good balance.

"Ping is a good listener," I defended.

"Mm," he hummed. "How was hanging out with the team?"

"I can see why you never told me anything about them."

He pursed his lips. "Yeah," he muttered.

"Do you keep in touch?"

"Yes," he said. "But only with Theo and Kate."

"You knew they were stuck up asses and you still made me try out," I snapped.

"They're assholes sometimes but we'd all be if we were raised on velvet cushions."

I hesitated. "Theo isn't."

Henry stiffened. "He's a different type, huesos," he said.

"He's tutoring me in astronomy."

Henry only nodded. "Oh."

"Oh," I repeated, feeling the tension that ran under that single syllable.

Shaking his head, he waved me away. He pointed at the pickle jar with the single letter in it. "¿Qué es esto?"

"A letter jar," I replied. "For all my manic rage."

Henry laughed at that. "You've always been a very intensely angry person."

"Oh yeah," I said, nodding. "Fucking nuts."

He grinned, but it quickly faded. "Mom is coming next week."

I did a double take. "Mami is back? Why?"

"Fabrics ran short so they're sending her back early. She's gonna be here for all of next week and then half of the week after."

"Then she's going?" I asked.

He sighed. "You shouldn't sound so happy about that."

"Whatever." I sighed and shut my blinds. "Night."

"Briar," Henry said.

"Buenas noches. Good night. Gute nacht. What else do you want?"

"She's still your mom."

"By blood," I reminded. "Ve a dormir. It's late."

He sighed, but ruffled my hair anyway and shut the door behind him as he left. I sat down on my bed, rubbing at my eyes and flopping down on my bed, eyes up to the ceiling decorated with cracks, stains, and a single glow-in-the-dark star that glimmered blue.

Number eight:

"Make a jar of everything wrong with the world," I muttered, and closed my eyes tightly, making silver hair and strawberry banana milkshakes disappear with the rest of the night.