“No, I’m still a big ole V,” Rae says.

I hear a muffled voice shout, “Tell Chase I’m working on it!”

“Harry says hi.” Rae flips the camera so I can see him, dressed in a dadesque polo shirt and ill-fitting jeans, sitting at Rae’s dorm room desk, glasses at the tip of his nose. I’d say he’s a total zayde, but his prudishness reminds me of Rae’s bubbeh.

“Wait a second, why the hell is Once Upon a Tim stenciled on your wall?” She closes her eyes and sighs. “Mama Arthur did that, didn’t she?”

I burst out laughing. “How’d you know?”

“Is that like, some sort of gay mating call to all the Tims out there?” Rae asks.

“Wait. Tims is a great code word for hot guys.”

“Yes, yes, it is,” she says. “Enough stalling. What’s up? What’s wrong? Talk to me.”

“I’m bored!”

“Do you need me to come over there?” she asks. “I can be on the bus in ten minutes and at your dorm within a half hour. And yes, I did already map out bus routes and schedules because one of us had to.”

Not going to lie—I did the same thing already. “Or you could take your car?”

“My mom doesn’t want me to use the car too much. According to her, it’s ‘Emergency Use Only.’ ” Rae lives and dies by her parents’ strict rules, even if they don’t make much sense. I mean, I’m so close by, her mom would never know. Except Rae would tell her because she tells her mom everything, and then she’d have to endure a lecture about car safety and mileage and spending too much time seeing me instead of studying, and I’m exhausted already on her behalf. “You know Mama Ackerman, she’ll know if I so much as turn the ignition.” She pauses. “Is this an emergency?”

“Nah, I’ll be okay. One night alone won’t kill me.”

“You sure?”

“Yeah. I just wanted to see you.”

“Awwwww, you do love me!” She brings her lips to the camera and smooches the air. It sounds wet and gross, and I love it.

“Shut up. Do not.”

“Deny me, and I won’t give you that sweet, sweet lovin’ next time I see you.”

“Yes, you will.”

“You’re right, I will.” She starts to laugh again. “Harry is giving me the most fakakta look right now.”

“Harry, get used to this!” I shout.

She flips the camera again so I see him. He says, “You two are wild!”

“We’re a package deal,” Rae says. “You want me, you get Chase.”

He buries his face in his hands.

Between gulps of laughter, she says, “Listen, sweetie, I should go.” She flips the camera back to her, and her face is changed. She’s wearing her stoic, serious, “I’m done joking” mask. “Harry and I have to study for an exam on Monday, and yes, before you say anything, I do actually mean study.”

“Don’t classes start on Monday? And you have a test already?”