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Kit nods. “So.”

“So.” I drum my fingers on the side of the can. “So…this is all really weird, right?”

Kit blinks. “Compared to what?”

I guess he has a good point.

But then he shakes his head. “No, it definitely…” He sighs. “It definitely is.”

“I mean—” I lower my voice a little, on the off chance that anyone’s listening. “Tink’s a girl. He’s…she’s…”

“Right?” Kit says. He stares into the middle of the room. At nothing in particular.

“I mean, that’s crazy, right?” I say. “That none of us ever noticed? Or even suspected? I mean, I definitely…” I let the sentence trail off before I finish what I was going to say, which is, I definitely thought he/she was a guy when I wanted to kiss him/her.

And that just made it all…

“Yeah, well.” Kit lifts a shoulder. “She’s smart, and we’re dumbasses. So.”

“Speak for yourself,” I say. But then again. “No, you’re right. And Wendy…”

But before I can finish whatever I was gonna say about Wendy, there’s a pounding set of footsteps from down the hall, and—and oh my God, it’s Tink! It’s her. I got it right this time.

She doesn’t look that different, all things considered. I mean, I guess she only owns guy clothes, maybe, in a black T-shirt and jeans. Her hair all messed up from sleep. I guess the only thing that would be different is probably…

And I am sure to keep my eyes on her face as I think it. Her boobs. I guess she had, like, a sports bra on or something before? My face gets hot just thinking about it.

“Morning,” Kit offers, as she swipes past us.

“Yeah,” she says, already starting down the stairs. “Morning.”

I breathe out, long and slow, and stand still as a statue, not even daring to drink the little bubble of liquid that’s settled on the rim of my can as she walks across the front of the store, opens the front door, closes it, walks back up, rattles up the spiral stairs, and crosses back through the kitchen, two knotted takeout bags in her hands.

“Did you get…?” I start, but she doesn’t even pause. Just keeps right on going, back to her room, until the door shuts with a click.

“Oh,” I say, and finally sip my drink.

Kit squints at me. “Were you gonna ask if she got enough for everyone?”

I throw up my hands. “No,” I say defensively, because that’s exactly what I was going to ask her. It smelled like breakfast burritos, or at least something with a lot of cheese and spice, and my stomach gives a growl as I think about it.

“Yeah, I wouldn’t be asking her any favors anytime soon,” Kit mutters.

I sigh. Set down my can and open a cabinet, as much for distraction as for something to eat. There’s a rolled-up bag of Doritos, Cool Ranch, nice, that someone left in here, and possession being nine-tenths of the law, or whatever, I decide that they’re mine.

“What’s gonna happen now, do you think?” Now it’s Kit’s turn to ask a question.

I sit on the edge of the countertop, fisting Doritos into my mouth. “What do you mean?” I ask. Then I shake my head. Actually, no, doesn’t matter. “I have no idea.” I wipe my hands on the thigh of my sweatpants, which is stupid because I dive right back in for a second handful as soon as I’m done. “I mean, I guess she has Wendy right now, and they’re talking about…”

Our eyes drift toward the back of the apartment in unison.

“Yeah,” Kit finishes for me. “Girl stuff, or whatever.”

“Or whatever,” I repeat. “Yeah. And Blue’s…”

Kit chortles. “Blue’s fucking Blue,” he says. “He’ll do whatever he damn well pleases.”

I swallow more Doritos. “So at least that hasn’t changed.”