ADAN GONZALEZ350Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo1QBxCxVd6
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.350Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeiE4gvTKsU
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.350Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8IVnKOj5n7
Naturally, I wore a hoodie.350Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1JYvAD8Apy
Why?350Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe96RP6wA6y
Because I looked cool in it, and I will give no further explanation.350Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2SwOix35qd
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.350Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8IUdY8sKIC
He was like a darker, taller, older version of me—but with a meaner backhand.350Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6tW5wFiqbi
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.350Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJmKZHa4pCu
“Yessss…” I said, stretching with my hands behind my head. “The day won’t be boring after all.”350Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ39DPJ9feBN
“Yes,” the twins echoed in unison.350Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcs505gHrSy
“No,” Julian added instantly, without even looking up.350Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpuO5FLyLWM
I narrowed my eyes. “You always have to be like that?”350Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv1Q3wmf0vO
Julian shrugged. “Balance. Yin and yang. Somebody’s gotta cancel you out.”350Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡreCb9cc5jn
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.350Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZfdaOoPzZU
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.350Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡebYZZ4ikcX
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.350Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIZBRD8FeEt
She paused. “What’s with all the yessing?”350Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZpThkUPZz9
I rolled my head around to face her, upside down. “Yes,” I answered.350Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrmu27U90Ul
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.”350Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpZEtJHVtvu
She started doing little hand gestures like she was teaching a kindergarten class.350Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYhwt79BSSU
“Sorry,” I said, “never heard of it. Mind explaining it?”350Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYcXihRc5H8
“No.”350Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuN4Iy2Cs3C
“Oh. Okay.”350Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxeAbwT2UWO
We all sat in a weird silence, broken only by the occasional buzz of Julian’s earbuds or Giselle’s duct tape being yanked.350Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk6jw9tbeKj
Then I started humming. Loudly. Off-key. Just to make it awkward.350Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFpgsLXpd5Y
Cassedy flinched. “Can you not?”350Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡObDKod5I72
“I can,” I said proudly. “But I won’t.”350Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYEsaw4HlFG
Julian pulled his earbuds out. “A friend invited us to his house,” he announced. “Said it’d be fun or something.”350Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6frA0vsui3
Cassedy frowned. “Wait—everyone knew about this?”350Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ86K8jmc9kt
We all nodded.350Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7Xlw4GljDS
“And no one told me?”350Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmjFYRe9v8M
More nods.350Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW2rgBJtkVv
“How—how did I not hear about this?” she demanded.350Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBtY4UfRuL7
We nodded like robots malfunctioning in sync.350Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlKhxOE56wj
Cassedy crossed her arms. “Words, people. Use actual words.”350Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4MBi1edFju
I shrugged. “I guess we just forgot but it would be cool if you joined us.”350Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpysQ5eewRu
She huffed and turned to leave. “I’m not going if you’re all acting like that.”350Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBmnSHs0cYn
“Wait,” I said, leaping up from the couch like I had a sudden prophecy. “You must join the clan.”350Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwfou53uBcQ
I waved my hands like I was summoning ancient spirits.350Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhRNtJ2YROc
Cassedy raised a brow. “Do I get ready?”350Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS8vYDw75PH
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.350Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3YR2dxZX14
“Does it look like we’re ready?” Julian asked.350Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi1Hi1AHB64
“No?” Cassedy said hesitantly.350Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpPIxflWf4H
“Exactly,” he replied, like that ended all discussion.350Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGzj6PaURUc
Cassedy sighed and walked off muttering something about getting her shoes. Brielle started balancing a water bottle on her head out of boredom.350Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvItZaC3OjR
“Hey!” Giselle shouted. “That’s my bottle!”350Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT8P647VSx4
“No, it’s mine,” Brielle said.350Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOgBdDendvG
“No it’s not!” she lunged at her.350Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMkck6Pe8N8
The living room became a war zone of pillows, cardboard, and duct tape.350Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH8wiSMplfQ
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.”350Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡge5YcbVcik
“Nooo!” I said. “You must join us!”350Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1f7BkUaxOz
She rolled her eyes again. “You’re lucky I’m bored.”350Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡehoeS4Qnfe
At that moment, our mom stepped out of the hallway and said, “¿Están listos para irse?”350Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoWAijIxulg
“Yup!” we all replied in unison—except Julian, who gave a thumbs-up.350Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPWoxzVRhKn
A knock came at the door. I opened it.350Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0l51aIx7To
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.350Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW8tU35sljc
“You ready?” he asked.350Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7BKLzdMb6e
“Always,” I replied, slapping his shoulder as we all filed out behind him.
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