“I’m trying,” Tristan said. “But it sucks to know that the stuff I want to do and the people I want to do are out there and I can’t do that. I know it’s the same for Byron. It’s different for him, though, because he’s a quiet guy, he wants to take it easy, but you get the weird conflict where you want to chill out but you can’t because you also want to maximize your use of time, when you only get to live half your life.”

“I’d like to talk about that at a later point, when we’re not a minute away from wrapping up,” Mrs. Yamada said. “I’d also like to have a word with Byron and you after the session, make sure everything’s okay.”

“Sure,” Tristan said.

“On a positive note, if nobody minds,” Sveta said, sitting up with the faintest of metal-on-metal sounds. “I got to recharge too, but it was a big one.”

“Your trip?” Kenzie asked.

“I know we talked about it last week, but we mostly talked about Rain staying safe and the hero team thing. It wasn’t a little pick me up. It was big, and I really want to find the chances to go and do stuff like that again.”

“Traveling?” I asked. Her smile was contagious.

“Traveling. We had a boat, and when we weren’t around people, I got out of my hamster ball. We stayed pretty close to the coasts, Weld sailing or driving the boat and me swimming. It was really, really nice.”

“I can tell you got a lot of sun,” Tristan said.

Sveta smiled. Her face was so pale that her complexion was borderline impossible for a human. “I like swimming. I want to find a way to get out and do it more. It’s the first time I can remember moving and having there be resistance. Everything else is too hard or too reflex.”

“Anyone else?” Mrs. Yamada asked. “Final words? Thoughts?”

“I’m glad you had a good time,” Kenzie said.

“I really did,” Sveta said.

There was a pause. No responses, the only sound was a clack as the wind blew the blinds away from the window and they swung back into position. I wondered how bad the rain was.

Mrs. Yamada looked up at the clock, then said, “Then we should wrap up. Tristan, a word. Everyone else, have a good week. There won’t be a Friday meeting this week, so I will see you next Tuesday.”

“I’d like to exchange people’s contact information, if it’s okay,” I said. “If you’re wanting to do this.”

“You keep saying that like you’re hoping we won’t,” Ashley said.

“It might make things simpler,” I said.

“The others have my number,” she said. “I don’t keep track of it.”

“Sure,” I said.