“I hadn’t thought about it like that,” Rinn said.

“Because you’re so busy focusing on one binary definition of success that you’ve missed all the magic you made.” Imogen crossed her arms. She was in a huff now.

Rinn reached out, touched Imogen’s shoulder. “I’m sorry. You’re right. Binaries are awful.”

“Yeah, you better be. We all worked for you. You rallied us. Now you’re saying we failed because we didn’t save some awful, out-of-touch guy’s bookstore. Well, good riddance.” Imogen tilted her head away, like she was still upset with Rinn for suggesting that they had failed.

Rinn wanted her to understand. “It’s just. It’s my other home.”

Daniella laughed—almost at Rinn, but a little bit the way she always did, laughing at what the universe would throw at her. “Same here. Same for all of us. But that doesn’t mean it’s lost forever. I mean, given what I thought was going to happen, just an hour ago, I’ll take this win and every win like it. Look, I just accidentally confessed my feelings to Eli, and I didn’t even want to admit them to myself.”

“You would?” Rinn had never heard Daniella be so open. She’d never thought of wins on a sliding scale before. She’d only thought about results. “Wait, you did?”

“I would. And I did.”

“Do you want to take them back now?” It was the only question Rinn could think of. The most important question at the top of her mind. She needed the answer like she needed air and front-facing cameras.

Daniella shrugged. “How can I? They’re feelings. They might not stay true, but they were true. I think if I’ve gotten anything from performing my poetry, it’s that I can’t keep my feelings pocketed in little notebooks to keep them safe. I don’t think anything really works like that.”

Rinn was watching these two girls. They had been practically strangers to her this morning. Now they were like wise abuelas or tías or something telling her the secrets of the universe that they had learned from life. Maybe they weren’t always right, but they definitely weren’t wrong, either.

“Are we going to be okay?” asked Rinn. It was a question she needed to know the answer to.

“No idea,” said Daniella. “But I’m willing to try if you are.”

“Same,” said Imogen.

Daniella put her hand in the middle of their little circle. “All right, hands in.”

And all three piled their hands, one on top of the other.