Maybe she’s right about all of it. I feel my own pride prickle. I could give up almost anything on earth not to have things change with me and Germ ever. And Germ doesn’t really understand and I could never really explain it to her. She has her mom and her brothers—they’re all stuck with each other. I don’t have anybody like that. If Germ’s not stuck with me, nobody is.

She looks down at her hands. “It’s hard for me, too, you know. Changing. It’s like… good to have new friends and care and participate—it feels so good sometimes. And then other times, I care too much. I get caught up and worried that maybe I don’t deserve all the attention. I worry about what people think in a way I didn’t used to. I lose the brave pieces of myself sometimes, and I don’t like it. You never seem to lose yourself like that. I’m not as brave as you that way. You don’t care what anyone thinks.

“But I want a normal life,” Germ sighs. “Like, to go out with people and go to the movies and kiss D’quan maybe.”

I make a face. “He eats dirt sandwiches.”

Germ looks annoyed. “Rosie, that was second grade,” she says flatly. And then we look at each other, and for just a moment, laugh.

She looks at me solemnly once we’ve quieted down.

“Rosie, I’m here. Whatever comes for you, I’m here—just tell me how I can help, and I will do it. But with the future, like the future future, I think we just… don’t know who we’ll turn into. I may just turn into an average girl who likes going to the movies. And if things go well—you’ll be off hunting witches.”

“I only want to hunt one witch,” I whisper.

Germ shakes her head, thinking something she won’t say at first. She looks up at the news, and is quiet for a long time.