ADAN GONZALEZ691Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ53zVh0Kfnm
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.691Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4a83dqiR5o
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.691Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAnWjWkAr0Q
Naturally, I wore a hoodie.691Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9HmFo2jvAf
Why?691Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUtAR67FyZX
Because I looked cool in it, and I will give no further explanation.691Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcXqRfMg9Mw
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.691Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0Da98znFdS
He was like a darker, taller, older version of me—but with a meaner backhand.691Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ1zJiWl9FE
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.691Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoeysdSwgWw
“Yessss…” I said, stretching with my hands behind my head. “The day won’t be boring after all.”691Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHmVurYcdHM
“Yes,” the twins echoed in unison.691Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNvtXQVImDT
“No,” Julian added instantly, without even looking up.691Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVWRCBSqTjm
I narrowed my eyes. “You always have to be like that?”691Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq0AvSbup4P
Julian shrugged. “Balance. Yin and yang. Somebody’s gotta cancel you out.”691Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNhOVzGHvvC
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.691Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRs5JIaR3Ma
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.691Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtXNgEHrn5w
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.691Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzmroaowldD
She paused. “What’s with all the yessing?”691Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq6CheJMDJE
I rolled my head around to face her, upside down. “Yes,” I answered.691Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTk8wgBmw68
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.”691Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj9bUt820rC
She started doing little hand gestures like she was teaching a kindergarten class.691Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVaS8hfqcbw
“Sorry,” I said, “never heard of it. Mind explaining it?”691Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQZWFWVy1Sc
“No.”691Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ4KgAjTBRf
“Oh. Okay.”691Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8tBy6DHdji
We all sat in a weird silence, broken only by the occasional buzz of Julian’s earbuds or Giselle’s duct tape being yanked.691Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVDJWtUEUPM
Then I started humming. Loudly. Off-key. Just to make it awkward.691Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ3dUjt0tpG
Cassedy flinched. “Can you not?”691Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmLz72CUUcD
“I can,” I said proudly. “But I won’t.”691Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmac3dY9zkk
Julian pulled his earbuds out. “A friend invited us to his house,” he announced. “Said it’d be fun or something.”691Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡluEwsoOS5B
Cassedy frowned. “Wait—everyone knew about this?”691Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPq2dimus7N
We all nodded.691Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1KCkafVEj8
“And no one told me?”691Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlvw03wJBw9
More nods.691Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsbekqD3qkO
“How—how did I not hear about this?” she demanded.691Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkN5IAb8tHE
We nodded like robots malfunctioning in sync.691Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpI59t8eOAI
Cassedy crossed her arms. “Words, people. Use actual words.”691Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2XxHGccRk6
I shrugged. “I guess we just forgot but it would be cool if you joined us.”691Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1CvcQs9tfN
She huffed and turned to leave. “I’m not going if you’re all acting like that.”691Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgIQaUJLt7r
“Wait,” I said, leaping up from the couch like I had a sudden prophecy. “You must join the clan.”691Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWWSVLGsqDT
I waved my hands like I was summoning ancient spirits.691Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSPPBq2wX1D
Cassedy raised a brow. “Do I get ready?”691Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqHZrhCMea5
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.691Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnvZJPyKNCd
“Does it look like we’re ready?” Julian asked.691Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcx3bCdzxCL
“No?” Cassedy said hesitantly.691Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMZE74OLZQv
“Exactly,” he replied, like that ended all discussion.691Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs19sDIE4Yj
Cassedy sighed and walked off muttering something about getting her shoes. Brielle started balancing a water bottle on her head out of boredom.691Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5rXNt9tVEg
“Hey!” Giselle shouted. “That’s my bottle!”691Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4Kfdf0Th6d
“No, it’s mine,” Brielle said.691Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZw2UqfTqqk
“No it’s not!” she lunged at her.691Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjM6CAp5IIj
The living room became a war zone of pillows, cardboard, and duct tape.691Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3zyuoQVESS
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.”691Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBWOD8c1SRF
“Nooo!” I said. “You must join us!”691Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmgis5TyPBv
She rolled her eyes again. “You’re lucky I’m bored.”691Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡltOs9A4SB9
At that moment, our mom stepped out of the hallway and said, “¿Están listos para irse?”691Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡahyJObs6Rz
“Yup!” we all replied in unison—except Julian, who gave a thumbs-up.691Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSh9vDNreTD
A knock came at the door. I opened it.691Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0tGMnCeKdH
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.691Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSYRaWcJfBM
“You ready?” he asked.691Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNcuL9aK2x5
“Always,” I replied, slapping his shoulder as we all filed out behind him.
and then Add to home screen.