Nessa’s mom drove them home. Eve and Nessa lived a block away from each other, and their parents took turns picking them up from school when it was cold. In the spring, they walked home by themselves, stopping at the grocery store along the way and noshing on the free samples. All winter long, Eve and Nessa dreamed of freedom and cubed cheese.

Nessa’s mom asked how they were doing, and they assured her they were fine, but Eve could tell that Mrs. Flores-Brady was worried. Normally, Nessa’s mom was good at pretending to be interested when Nessa went on and on about theater and movies, but that day, as Nessa chattered away about the new cast of Hamilton, Eve thought she noticed a strain in Mrs. Flores-Brady’s “Oh yeahs?”

As the car rolled into Eve’s driveway, Nessa’s mom motioned for Eve to lean up to the front to kiss her cheek.

“Vaya mi vida, que dios te acompañe,” she cooed to Eve as their cheeks touched.

Nessa’s mom often said goodbye with “may God be with you” to Eve, and Eve grinned as she heard Nessa reply: “Mama, God hung out with me and Eve earlier. He’s got other stuff to do tonight. Big world out there.”

As Eve hopped out of the car, she imagined Nessa’s chuckle and her mom’s eye roll, and she smiled to herself.

There was no laughter in Eve’s house that night as her family discussed the list over dinner.

“I don’t understand,” her mom said. “Why would someone do this?”

“Because middle school boys are imbeciles, Mom,” Eve’s older brother, Abe, insisted. “I mean—”

Speaking over him, her dad teased, “And you’re a grown man now, huh?”

“I’m serious,” Abe persisted. “The sooner girls figure out that the boys around them just don’t value their inner truth, then maybe they’ll find a little confidence. A little self-love, you know? Eve—just ignore this crap.”

“Abe! Watch it!” Her dad didn’t care so much about curse words, but he knew it bugged her mom. And in her house, even “crap” was unacceptable.

“And why should she ignore it?” her dad went on, a smirk back on his face, as if Abe amused him. “She’s number one! Your sister is the prettiest girl in school. I’ve always known that. And, hey, don’t forget, while you’re giving your sermon over there, that your job is to protect her. Right?” He smacked Abe on the back.

Abe shook his head, his mop of brown hair falling in front of his eyes. “Dad, you’re a part of the problem.”

The smile disappeared from her dad’s face. “And what’s that supposed to mean?”

Before her dad could continue, Eve’s little sister, Hannah, jumped in.

“I think it’s awesome. Evie, how did you do it? I mean, seriously, you are the exact opposite of cool, and now this all of a sudden?! What happened? Is it the…” And Hannah motioned in front of her chest.

“Hannah!” scolded her mom.

Eve’s mom liked to say that Hannah was ten going on sixteen. However old she was or wasn’t, she was definitely annoying. She spent about twenty minutes doing her hair in the morning, hogging the bathroom.