ADAN GONZALEZ673Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL1hc76KWY7
The day was the kind of day that made the sun feel personal. Like it woke up angry and decided, I’m going to ruin lives today.673Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpoA1Aw7rO3
The air was so thick with heat you might as well call it a solid. It was always nice to finish a school year but if only the weather felt as good.673Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡauI4RFdvCd
Naturally, I wore a hoodie.673Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhzxTxmPIMH
Why?673Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXxhkCuyOPP
Because I looked cool in it, and I will give no further explanation.673Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtxRTIo3YsM
I was sprawled across the living room couch like royalty. My feet were on the armrest. My head hung off the other end. Julian sat nearby, legs kicked up, phone in hand, earbuds in—probably watching some weird stuff.673Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSkbNg1QWKh
He was like a darker, taller, older version of me—but with a meaner backhand.673Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5VDmsAK8ju
Giselle and Brielle, my younger twin sisters, were sitting on the floor trying to build something out of leftover cardboard boxes and duct tape. Whatever it was, I was pretty sure it had no right existing.673Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG7Citym8Eb
“Yessss…” I said, stretching with my hands behind my head. “The day won’t be boring after all.”673Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzhIso1puJ5
“Yes,” the twins echoed in unison.673Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7EPQyV67kP
“No,” Julian added instantly, without even looking up.673Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1OnyQhC8KD
I narrowed my eyes. “You always have to be like that?”673Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyGzXfDFatk
Julian shrugged. “Balance. Yin and yang. Somebody’s gotta cancel you out.”673Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv7Q6ZU3rUp
He wasn’t lying. Once, I got so annoyed with him in the garage that I shouted at the top of my lungs. He got so mad, he picked me up and threw me across the garage like I was a beach ball. That might sound exaggerated. It’s not. I tasted the air before I hit the concrete.673Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPSkqirQeew
My sisters were less violent, but way more persistent. Like emotional termites. They’ll wear you down with endless questions and facts about cartoons you’ve never even seen.673Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiBWrAalz34
As I laid there, repeating “yes” to the rhythm of my own boredom, Cassedy walked in—our older sister. She was eighteen, smart, sarcastic, and anime weeb.673Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbcQQ4JXbaM
She paused. “What’s with all the yessing?”673Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbX3PDpiOzM
I rolled my head around to face her, upside down. “Yes,” I answered.673Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKVGT1YiCWS
Cassedy blinked. “That’s not even—You know what? Never mind.” She turned to the twins. “What’s with all the yes-yes-yessing? Unlike you, I speak English. You might’ve heard of it.”673Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQDGgWqWdcJ
She started doing little hand gestures like she was teaching a kindergarten class.673Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTMOrCvEAwm
“Sorry,” I said, “never heard of it. Mind explaining it?”673Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIEZxiqEoxl
“No.”673Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO22LQaNX1U
“Oh. Okay.”673Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3leIXYPSV1
We all sat in a weird silence, broken only by the occasional buzz of Julian’s earbuds or Giselle’s duct tape being yanked.673Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGjtfMiZgmX
Then I started humming. Loudly. Off-key. Just to make it awkward.673Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqg0oXZDG1Z
Cassedy flinched. “Can you not?”673Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvTWv50E4Nd
“I can,” I said proudly. “But I won’t.”673Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZylZZs4OmX
Julian pulled his earbuds out. “A friend invited us to his house,” he announced. “Said it’d be fun or something.”673Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTQAzupysfI
Cassedy frowned. “Wait—everyone knew about this?”673Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn0A8DmViIw
We all nodded.673Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0asno0tO1D
“And no one told me?”673Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6TiSQxdPfG
More nods.673Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9iVtvkWYva
“How—how did I not hear about this?” she demanded.673Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLQNNO7tgj7
We nodded like robots malfunctioning in sync.673Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHPyzqV9F3a
Cassedy crossed her arms. “Words, people. Use actual words.”673Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYiEhYEi0DR
I shrugged. “I guess we just forgot but it would be cool if you joined us.”673Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo7KI0vWrKo
She huffed and turned to leave. “I’m not going if you’re all acting like that.”673Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ34rZ5FfXcp
“Wait,” I said, leaping up from the couch like I had a sudden prophecy. “You must join the clan.”673Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhVyHlrt32X
I waved my hands like I was summoning ancient spirits.673Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡncuLiK7CFN
Cassedy raised a brow. “Do I get ready?”673Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPcA455lZhX
Julian looked down at himself. His T-shirt had a mystery stain that could’ve been mustard or something. His shorts were basically rags. The twins looked like they were melting inside their sweaters. I, of course, had my hoodie.673Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTbpzGA5eWm
“Does it look like we’re ready?” Julian asked.673Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl7H9pXhbgB
“No?” Cassedy said hesitantly.673Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNB2bm6012g
“Exactly,” he replied, like that ended all discussion.673Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFAKt1TC5o3
Cassedy sighed and walked off muttering something about getting her shoes. Brielle started balancing a water bottle on her head out of boredom.673Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiuIt19TfpK
“Hey!” Giselle shouted. “That’s my bottle!”673Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmMrpLar6om
“No, it’s mine,” Brielle said.673Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8dBlSky2dU
“No it’s not!” she lunged at her.673Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkf22QcHryn
The living room became a war zone of pillows, cardboard, and duct tape.673Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIvS8tQf1ZJ
Julian kept watching his video like we didn’t exist. I just watched in amusement. Cassedy returned just in time to get smacked in the leg by a flying pillow. “Okay,” she said, expression flat, “I’m definitely staying home.”673Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJooqcY1zGs
“Nooo!” I said. “You must join us!”673Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGrlbXExm18
She rolled her eyes again. “You’re lucky I’m bored.”673Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSWqUgaaMLV
At that moment, our mom stepped out of the hallway and said, “¿Están listos para irse?”673Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4iXoeB6ZCe
“Yup!” we all replied in unison—except Julian, who gave a thumbs-up.673Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl0beQhuEVT
A knock came at the door. I opened it.673Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcA3tNdrVo0
Davis stood there, hands in his pockets, usual serious face on. He was always quiet. Polite. But something about him felt older than the rest of us—like he was carrying things in his head we weren’t allowed to see.673Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9jMqpUD9aF
“You ready?” he asked.673Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMZnJ0QxSHS
“Always,” I replied, slapping his shoulder as we all filed out behind him.
and then Add to home screen.