I didn’t think Lex was bothered by her gap year, but I guess I was wrong. She’s always so high energy that it can take a while to find out when something is upsetting her. Not my finest moment as her best friend. “I’m sorry, Lex,” I say. “I’m sure you’ll get into a great college this year, though. Then it’ll all be worth it.”

She purses her lips. “Yeah,” she says unenthusiastically. “My parents are just, like, convinced I’m going to become some dropout witch and move to a commune or something. They’ve been watching the news too much recently, and now they’re all freaked out.”

“Yeah, my mom’s been doing that too.”

“It’s kind of annoying. I’m just tired of people telling me that I need to work harder so things will work out for me. There’s this guy at the soup kitchen I’m volunteering at that really thinks I need to hear his opinions about how to be the right kind of hardworking American witch.” She rolls her eyes. “But he’s also convinced that I’m a Chinese spy here to steal American magical secrets and that Don’t Hate, Educate is part of a big Chinese plot to ruin the American educational system, so . . .”

“Um.” I blink, taking a moment to absorb that. “Does he know you’re Filipino?”

“I mean, no, but I don’t think that really matters to him.”

“What the hell,” I say. “That guy is a straight-up conspiracy theorist.”

“I know!” Lex shouts. “And he’s young too! He’s not, like, some weird old wizard that’s stuck in the past. He’s just on his third gap year, and he’s decided that he’s not getting into a licensing college because people ‘hate white dudes now.’ ” She huffs loudly and shakes her shoulders. “Okay, I’m over this. You want to get Starbucks?”

I have no money. Don’t even have to check my wallet. “Um . . .” I say awkwardly.

“Pleeease?” she wheedles. She leans over and puts her head on my shoulder. “My treat?”

“Ugh, no. I feel like such a bum making you pay for me.”

“No stress, lady. The magimeds are paying for it.”

Lex’s parents make so much money that Lex could buy the whole Starbucks menu on her credit card and they wouldn’t notice.

We end up going to the Starbucks drive-through on the way home, because Lex is persistent, and she buys me a latte against my will. “I already paid for it, so you have to drink it,” she says when she hands it to me.

“It’s not like I’m going to throw it away,” I say, rolling my eyes. “Anyway, would you want some Night Vision potion? I made too much.”

“For what? My career as a spy?” Lex snickers.