When I open it, I find a little glass globe with a thick layer of dirt on the bottom. There’s a button on the side of the base. I press it, and mist fills the globe. After a few moments, plant seedlings begin to poke their way out of the dirt. Ferns, tiny glowing mushrooms, and a miniaturized weeping willow grow until the globe is filled with plants.

“Oh!” I say, staring intently at the still-growing terrarium. “That has to be Flora-Grow potion. Wow, they’ve measured it so precisely! Everything grew to exactly the right size. This is genius.”

“So you like it?” Ana asks.

“What?” I drag my attention from the terrarium and find her watching me with an amused expression. “Yes! I love it—this is so cool.”

“Nerd,” she says affectionately. “I made the lady at the kiosk write out how they make them, because I thought you would want to know.” She points at a paper lying at the bottom of the box.

“Really? Am I right? Is it Flora-Grow?” I pause in my scramble to pull out the paper when I hear her laugh. I lean over and kiss her on the cheek. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” she says, and I’m blessed with a full-on Ana Álvarez smile. “Glad you like it.”

With Ana at my side, rehearsal becomes tolerable. I can’t be as close to her as I would like because of Mr. B, but I still get to watch her dance. Plus, when Brittany snipes at me unnecessarily during rehearsal, I can catch Ana’s eye and know that I have an ally there with me. On Thursday, however, Ana’s not called. Without her, I have to grit my teeth and smile through several hours of Mr. B mining my personal life history to help me find motivation for my acting.

When I check my phone after rehearsal, I have a missed text from Dad.

DAD: car won’t start—at the mechanic now

This again? Why did this have to happen on the one day Ana isn’t around to drive me home?

Just as I’m lamenting my lack of a ride, another text comes through.

LEX: I GOT INTO COLLEGE!!!!

I sling my backpack onto my shoulder and book it out of the auditorium, pressing the button to FaceTime Lex as I go. Her head and upper body pop up above my phone moments later.

“Congratulations!” I say, throwing my free arm in the air.

“Thank you, thank you.” She does two little bows, which makes her ponytail bobble happily back and forth.

“I told you that everything would work out for you,” I say, pressing a button on the side of my phone. It floats out of my hand and hovers in front of my face, leaving my hands free to do a little victory dance for Lex. “You worked way too hard not to get into a licensing college.”