He wants to show them his hands, wants to shout, How do you know what I do? What I think? How I feel? If they want all this to themselves they can have it and he is off, like always, out to the car alone. Leni running up to his side, God, he’s so stupid, just ignore him. Xie’s furious shrug. He’s right. I don’t know why I even bother coming to this shit. Leni’s hand on his sleeve; he pulls away. Don’t be like that, Xie. Everyone wants you here. Xie stops short, incredulous. Everyone? Really? Leni’s helpless gray eyes wide, vein pulsing in her skinny neck. How weak she looks, is, always at Jo’s side, like a dog. She takes a step back, quick, as if seeing the thought in his face. He looks away, flushing. I’ll wait. Okay, she says, turning to go back to the house, holding her elbows. Xie ducking through the branches to the car, yanking open the back door. Lies in the back. Fucking new car. P. nowhere. Fuck you, too. Closing his eyes only to hear, a moment later, the door wrenched open, Jo jamming herself into the front seat. Leaning to look out the window, heavy sigh, heave back out to kick a skateboard away from the car, shouting, Would you clear your shit out of the way, Amber! Then back in and the door slammed twice, spinning out onto the narrow road. You need to grow a pair, Xie, you can’t let people talk to you like that. Xie sitting up, slow. What does it matter to you what anyone says. Jo’s snort. Excuse me? What do you want me to do, let you get your ass kicked? Xie rolling his eyes, Leni was the first one out, you were too busy holding court— Holding court? You mean doing our job? You’re right, that’s exactly what I was too busy doing, while you were sitting off in some fucking corner— Leni saying, quiet, Come on, Jo, he’s shy. I know he’s fucking shy, Leni, Jesus, everyone’s shy, it’s no excuse for acting like a sociopath. Xie flinging his arm in the air, Why do you even invite me then, you’re always off with those—people we don’t even know. Jo’s hard laugh, You mean you don’t know them, because you don’t want to know them. Those people aren’t the bad guys, Xie, there’s a whole community right here, people who want the same things you want, people who are willing to do the work that you always say you want to do, so what the hell is your problem? Xie glances at her in the mirror. Silence. Jo’s eyes meeting his. What. Xie shrugging. Nothing. What’s that look mean? What look. Xie shifting in his seat, the smell of the microfiber seats and the plastic dashboard noxious, he needs air, fumbling with the buttons on the handle of the door, but they’re locked; Jo has to press something up front before the window will go down.