PEAK: I feel like an absolute alien around my friends lately.

BATS: Really? What happened?

PEAK: So I don’t want to jinx it but . . . I’m trying to get into a really intense summer program that would let me study cello with my literal idol. And tonight Nikki said it “won’t be the end of the world” if I don’t get in.

BATS: And?

PEAK: I think I would die if that happened.

BATS: Do you mean that? Peak, that’s not okay.

PEAK: Not literally or anything.

BATS: Oh. Well, good.

PEAK: But I’ve been working toward this for so long, and now the audition is almost here and one of my best friends in the whole world is just like “oh, it’s not a big deal.” It is, though. IT IS A VERY BIG DEAL.

BATS: Yeah, that would suck to hear. Like they’re minimizing your dream or whatever.

PEAK: Exactly! I can’t believe she said that.

BATS: I think some people don’t understand what it’s like to be so singularly driven. They’re wired differently. You can’t really get mad at that.

PEAK: Can’t I get a little mad at that?

BATS: Okay, a little.

PEAK: There is so much riding on this audition. Like I can’t just get in. I have to get that scholarship, you know? And I can’t have Nikki acting like it doesn’t matter. I can’t have that in my head.

BATS: It matters. Of course it matters. It’s a ton of pressure to be under.

PEAK: God, you just get it. How do you just get it?

BATS: I have no idea. I never get anything.

PEAK: You get me.

BATS: I hope so.

PEAK: I’m so glad you were in that elevator.

BATS: Me too.

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

Ridley

IT’S NEW-COMIC day, same as every Wednesday, and I’ve been helping Jubilee out with a rare surplus of customers. Vera has offered to add me to the payroll more than once, since I’m here so much, but I declined. She makes me wear a sign around my neck that says INTERN whenever she sees me, to shame me into accepting pay—which I never will. I’ve noticed she gets around it by buying me extra food and giving me books. It feels good in a bad way.

A man named Rutherford came in a few minutes ago and picked up his gigantic stash of books, which had Jubilee laughing for some reason. But now it’s just us again, back to restocking, and she’s acting all jumpy and nervous.

“Sorry,” she says the third time she walks into me.

“It’s fine.” I steady her with my hands, so starved for touch that even this little bit of contact makes my head spin. She smiles and I fight the urge to kiss her.