“If it’s really going to make you feel better, I can go to the AM, get checked out.”

“I don’t think that’s necessary,” she said shortly, turning the sink back on and picking up the sponge.

And just like that, I’ve disappointed again. My intended olive branch was actually a hot poker. Despite the fact that everyone in my family had spent time at the Atypical Monitors, my mom has always had some strange grudge against them. I thought about arguing, about forcing her to explain exactly what was so bad about them, but that’s not what I do. Even when I don’t want to, I have to step back, to let the superhumans have their way, try and be a daughter my parents could be proud of.

I feel a little bit like my life is falling apart around me right now—not able to work, no school, no friends, worrying my family and unable to stay conscious for more than eight hours tops—so I’m trying to hold onto the fact that I have a date. Basically for the first time ever. I’ve hung out with girls before, kissed a few of them, but I’ve never done the whole “ask someone formally out on a date and then go on said date with the full understanding that you both are aware this is a romantic outing and the stakes are very high as a result” thing and I have no idea where to start.

(And no, I am NOT thinking about the fact that the only reason I asked a girl out was because MY MOTHER HAD A PSYCHIC VISION thankyouverymuch.)

Emily and I exchanged numbers right before I got onto the bus—no, don’t think about that bus ride, that dream, just focus on having a cute girl’s number programmed into your phone—and when I finally shook off that whole weird day, I realized that she had texted me to ask when I was free.

Already, I was failing at this. I had asked her out and she had to be the one to follow up with me!! Humiliating.

CLEARLY, I need help. So I turned to the one person I feel like I can trust on romantic matters: my dad.

Again: humiliating.

I guess, maybe, it would have been less embarrassing to ask Aaron but 1) I don’t want him to feel like he can lord anything over me and 2) he’s never had a relationship in his life and that’s with the benefit of being a mind reader, so how much can he really know? So I swallowed my pride.

“Hey, Dad?” I asked, coming into the living last night as he read on the couch.

“Yeah, Rose?”