I peel my hand away even though it’s hard and shuffle back to my side of the car. Herson doesn’t say anything else, so I just stare out the window, watching cars and palm trees pass us by in a gray tint.The air in the vehicle is still marked with uncertainty, and I begin to spiral, worried that I totally put my foot in my mouth.It’s only when we pull into the garage under the apartment complex that he speaks again. It’s one word spoken so low that it causes my skin to prickle as it rolls over me.“Thanks.”“Guess who’s back, losers.”I ignore the noise, centering my concentration as I speed up my car using a rainbow pad. Stevie throws a green turtle shell from her car, but it’s easy to dodge. I shoot out a banana peel, but she narrowly avoids it. I’d never admit it, but she’s getting a little too good at this game.“Nice try, but I’m winning this round,” she croons.“We’ll see.”I still have a trick up my sleeve.“Hello? Any of you wankers listening to me?”“No. Stop distracting me,

I don’t say anything and neither does she.She’s been here for a little over a week and this is the second night I’ve caught her having some sort of a nightmare. My throat thickens as I think about the weeks she spent before coming here when she was holed up in her apartment all alone. How many times did this happen after the incident? How many nights did she cry alone?No wonder she looked a mess when I picked her up. She’d probably given up on sleeping altogether.Panther releases another hiccup, but her body begins to relax under my hand. I feel some of the tension ease from the tight curl she’s been holding as her muscles start to melt.Without giving it too much thought, I lower my body to the mattress. I curve into something like a C shape, molding myselfinto a fence of safety around her. My hand doesn’t leave her once in the process, anchoring her to me.She begins to wriggle, and I spot the tips of her fingers as they emerge from beneath her cocoon. Those pointy nails curve ar

—shealwaysrolls her eyes—and begins ripping open the takeout bags Lee brought. The smell of melted cheese and ketchup wafts around us as we settle in.“By the way, are you guys busy Sat?” Lee reaches forward and grabs her burger, taking a large bite.“Why?” I steal a fry from her lap.“There’s this content creator party downtown.”I wrinkle my nose. “Pass.”“Aw, come on. You’re not going to make me go alone.”Dammit. See, nowthisis why I always ended up going out. It wasn’t becauseIever wanted to but because I would never let Lee go alone. My sense of Girl Code is too strong, even if my social anxiety pulses like a beacon during a storm at the idea.“You could always get one of the boys to go with you,” Syd offers. “I ended up having to move their streaming schedule around that day so they could have it free.”“Why?”“Herson’s sister has another piano thing.”My ears perk up, and I try to sound casual as I ask, “Where is that again?”“The recital? Her high school, I think.”“Back down

Panther’s hand tenses on my arm, the tips of her nails pressing into my skin ever so slightly, though her face stays a practiced, placid mask.“Technically. It’s also my gamertag.”“What does that mean?”Po powhispers to me, but her voice carries across the table.“It’s a video game thing,” I whisper back.“You play games as well?” She leans across to make eye contact with Panther.“I do,” she smiles. “I’m not as famous as Herson, though. He is part of an epic legacy, and everyone really respects him.”She is laying it on thick, but I don’t really mind it. It’s nice to have someone in my corner who actually understands me, who believes in me.That being said, she is selling herself short. I don’t think Panther realizes how many people adore her content, how she has quickly become a star in the community.“It’s still just playing games,” Auntie An chimes in.Panther tilts her head. “I know a lot of people have trouble understanding the video game industry, let alone streaming, but it is