Storyboarding

The Turners had ended up compromising. After the start of Downtown Abbey’s second season, they’d started the third season of Bizarre Stuff like Richard had wanted. But he’d fallen asleep on Hazel’s chest shortly before the Hemi-Gorgeon had showed up, so the two still conscious women had decided that it was time to call an early night like they’d planned.

The next morning before the challenge, they were glad that they did. Genet surprised them with a text asking that they all be at the auditorium by eight am for the start of the day’s events. Both the Turners did their best to stay out of each other’s way as they got ready with Hazel.

Aubrey and Stella were already there when they arrived at the dining hall. The blonde approached them as they came into the room.

“Hey, Maeve’s late. Do you think there’s anything we need to worry about?”

“Maybe she’s just trying to have some more time to prepare, since the challenge is today?” Richard guessed, trying to reassure her.

“You’re probably right.” Aubrey said uncertainly. “She seemed pretty tired last night.” She joined them at the table, having already finished her cereal.

Luna came in soon after that, and by the time she finished breakfast it was seven fourty-eight. Everyone made their way to the auditorium to avoid being late.

Three minutes before the deadline Felicia rushed in, practically dragging her roommate by the arm. Ava was still in her pajamas as she sat down in the plush red auditorium seats in the row behind everyone else.

As the clock hit eight, Genet puffed onto the stage in a cloud of red perfume and the curtains closed behind her as they had in the opening ceremony. The host snapped her fingers, then when nothing happened she decided to move forward with her monologue.

“I hope everyone is ready for the second challenge. The first challenge was intended to see how you all could use your transformations and your knowledge of the island to your advantage, eschewing the traditional sexual focus to give you a chance to get used to the show more gradually. I think you’re all ready for something more fun.

“As you all know, I’m intending Richard here to be famous, the type of celebrity that everyone pays attention to. If there’s one thing that can catapult a celeb from D-list to A-list, it’s a sex tape.

The host stopped and smiled for a moment at them. “I know what you’re going to say. ‘But Genet, a sex scandal could ruin a politician!’ To which I say: Should it? In a perfect world, people should understand that sex is just an expression of love, not something to be judged.” She took a break seeing a hand shoot up. “Yes, Helena?”

“You understand that we don’t live in your perfect world, right?”

Genet hemmed and hawed before responding. “Not yet, no. But these won’t be released immediately, they’re just going to be yours until you decide that you are ready to release them.”

“Release… the sex tapes you want us to film.”

“Yes. May I continue?”

Hel nodded begrudgingly, and Genet resumed her monologue. “Your challenge this round is a challenge to your creativity. You are to create a scene for you, your Master, and the audience to all be able to enjoy that displays as many of the themes in your paths as possible. You may not coordinate with him beforehand aside from what can be fit on a notecard that I may present to him as the challenge’s coordinator and emcee if so requested. It should be simple enough that- yes?” She saw that Luna had raised her hand.

“Can I do that instead?”

“Why?”

“That’d count towards Wingwoman, right?”

Genet nodded. “I suppose so. I’ll talk with you before the challenge officially starts.”

“Thank you.”

“Now, as I was saying, you have thirty minutes to enact a simple scene. Richard’s memory will be sealed off after completing each scene to both prevent him from reacting differently than he would normally and give you all the encouragement to do things that you normally would be hesitant to do. Those memories will be returned to him if you choose to show him your own entry, which will be on a DVD mixed into your belongings. Speaking of which Richard, would you mind coming up on stage?”

Richard swallowed, having listened to Genet give the rules. I'm more involved in this one, I suppose. Genet said back at the beginning that the second challenge would be ‘something fun’, and she's not wrong. He looked between Hel and Aubrey on either side of him before getting up, shuffling past his stepsister. He walked up the side stairs and stood next to the host.

Genet pulled on a rope that hadn’t been there a moment before and the curtain parted, revealing a wooden door like in her bedroom, flanked by two phone booths on either side. “In a second, I’d like you to walk through the door. You’ll be paused in time until everyone is ready and the next thing you’ll see will be the start of the Challenge. Any questions before then?”

Dick looked at the rows of seats, concentrating on Hel, then to where he would’ve expected to see Maeve sitting. “What happens if they don’t participate in this?”

Genet frowned. “Jay told me this morning that he was worried about me taking too soft a touch. If that happens, he’ll step in.”

“Then I can’t agree to this. The second challenge will need to be something else. If I don’t go along with it then-”

“Then you’re threatening to put everyone else in danger.” Hel interrupted him from the audience. “I have a plan, don’t worry.”

“You’re sure?”

“Yes.”

He wavered, still worried about Maeve. But he caught Luna’s eye, and she nodded at him.

“Fine. Good luck, everyone.” He walked through the door and was gone.

Genet turned back to her contestants. “Now, I’ll give everyone a short period to prepare. You may coordinate amongst yourselves if you wish, and I’ll be sitting in the first row of the auditorium for any questions or once you’re ready to turn in your notecards.

“If anyone has spare time, I’ve prepared a small gift for you all.” She gestured to the phonebooths. “Unlike the closed networks of your cell phones, these can connect you each once to someone outside the show. The call will be routed to the receiver at the same time that I picked up Helena to minimize the risk of paradoxes, so try to pick people that will be awake around midnight. Otherwise, have fun and remember: you’re competing with each other, not against each other.”

Genet’s attempt at splitting hairs caused several people to snicker or roll their eyes, but people started putting their plans into action as the host got off the stage and took her seat. Luna noticed Stella whisper to Felicia before the two dipped out of the room.

“Do you remember what classes Professor Andrus taught?” She heard Aubrey turn and ask. She tuned out the conversation as she hustled to the front.

“Where’s Maeve?” Luna asked the host.

“Probably still in her room.” Genet responded. With her back to everyone else, she seemed even more anxious than Luna.

“Probably? Genet, what’s going on?”

“You remember that I can normally see and hear you all through your dreams and positive emotions?”

“Of course.”

“I haven’t been able to sense Maeve for nearly a day. The last time this happened was during Hel’s escape attempt. I checked the cameras just before I came and she was still in bed. I was going to ask Scylla to check on her while you were all distracted.”

“I’ll do it.”

“Thank you.” Genet called out as her contestant walked away.

***

Luna knocked on the door again and waited. The bronze and glass door stood silent in front of her. The Latina looked down at her phone, checking for a reply even though she’d heard or felt nothing. Hopefully she understands, Luna tried to reassure herself before opening the door and letting herself in.

She was taken aback by the space as she entered. She’d spent the first two rounds in the Pomegranate Cottage. It was certainly pretty, but there was an earthy hominess to it. She could see someone as rich as Dick or Hel making a room like that for their kids someday. Arrow, where Maeve had been put for the last round, looked more like a palace or a fancy art museum. Luna walked down the hall, seeing as she looked at the mosaic that it followed the same floor plan as the other two cottages. Following the path, she went straight to the bedroom.

Maeve was lying down on the bed, her back to the door. She didn’t respond or react as Luna opened the door. No, she just lay still as if asleep.

“Maeve?” She called out. It was quiet enough that her lover was unlikely to hear it if she really was asleep.

She got a response. “This isn’t a good time.”

Luna ignored her. She took one of the chairs from the corner by the window and dragged it across the floor until it was angled towards Maeve. She sat down and tried to examine her.

She looked tired. Her shoulders sagged, and the lawyer thought she could see a tear that had yet to dry. But Maeve wiped it away, and it was gone.

“I don’t want to talk right now.”

“You weren’t at the challenge meeting.”

“No.”

“What happened?”

“I told you on one of the first times we met that I had a handle on things, that I hadn’t really felt bothered by the Hotel or its premise; but that all my problems might sneak up on me when I felt that other people weren’t struggling.”

“And you also made me and Aubrey promise that we’d be here when you reached that point.” Luna pointed out.

Maeve didn’t respond.

“Was it something that happened yesterday with Aubrey?”

“It doesn’t matter.”

“You have to give me something.” Luna pushed.

“Do I?” Maeve flipped over to ignore her more easily.

“What’s that supposed to mean? Are you mad at me?”

“Maybe.”

“Stop giving me those silly noncommittal answers. What did I do?”

“You tried to push me to him.”

“Yeah, I did.” No point in trying to deny it.

“I’d been trying to avoid that.”

“But it’d be good for you, or at least good for what you said you want. You’ve told me before that you wanted kids and romance of your own. You’re so used to trying to ignore those desires that you haven’t been phased at all by Genet giving you a mental TF for it. And I’ve seen Hazel get hit with those multiple times, I can’t stress enough what it means for you to be unaffected by it.”

Maeve turned back to her and made eye contact finally. “I’m not sure I’m still unaffected by it.”

“You mean…”

“The past two days, my usual morning rituals haven’t been helping the same way I’m used to. I used a shower to get some distance from Richard, and now I feel like it’s the worst thing I could’ve done. I feel like I wasted so many years after Harrison where I could’ve tried again.”

“So why not try now?”

“I need to prevent it if I can. With my position, I’d be taking advantage of him.”

“You’d be at risk of taking advantage of him. It’s not like any of our relationships are so clear cut anymore.” Luna took a deep breath, switching tactics. “You’ve described it as an inevitability, and you’ve pining for the sort of things he’d be able to give you. Is the power dynamic the only thing holding you back?”

“No. I’m scared.” Maeve weakly answered back. “I’m scared that I could be wrong again. But I’m also scared that I might not be wrong again, and I’d have wasted all this time. I… just feel like I’ve trapped myself, and I don’t have the strength to move in any direction.”

“I see. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean for you to feel this way.”

“Like I’ve said before, I think it was inevitable. Especially after yesterday, I think I was always going to reach this point.”

“After yesterday? Again, what did she do?”

“Don’t worry about it.” It feels wrong to share what happened.

“I know you didn’t want me interfering before, but can I try to figure out a way to help?”

Maeve tried to smile. “I don’t think it’s possible, but I would… appreciate any way out of this room you can give me.”

“I’ll see what I can do.” Luna left the bedroom and the Arrow, heading back to the auditorium.

***

Some time earlier:

“-Otherwise, have fun and remember: you’re competing with each other, not against each other.”

I’m sure Felicia will treat this as just a friendly competition. Not. Aubrey thought to herself. But as the person who understood Richard best, she knew that she was uniquely equipped for the challenge.

She turned to ask Hel for one detail she was struggling with. “Do you remember what classes Professor Andrus taught?”

Helena raised an eyebrow. “I’m not sure. Hazel?”

“She taught history, with an academic focus on the cold war.”

“Thank you both.” Aubrey stood up and went up to the front as Luna ran out of the room. She took one of the notecards from the pile Genet had mentioned and scribbled her idea down before handing it to the host. “We can call anyone?”

“Of course.” The Host nodded, gesturing back to the phone booths. “Just make sure they’re willing to talk late at night.”

“Won’t be an issue. Thank you for this,” Aubrey said before hopping up to the stage. She went into the phone booth closest to the magic door and typed in one of the few numbers she’d managed to memorize. She listened to it ring before he picked up.

“Hey, Aubrey.” Her dad’s voice came through. “Everything alright?”

“Of course. I just wanted to hear your voice.”

“That’s fine then. I can talk for a few minutes as long as a customer doesn’t come in.”

“A customer? Shouldn’t you be at Stillmans right now?” You already work too much for your own good. I wish you could quit.

“Not anymore.” He sounded uncomfortable.

“What happened?”

“You know my knee surgery a while ago?”

“Yeah?”

“The factory let me go while I was on leave. Mr.McFay called me a few days after the surgery to let me know I couldn’t come back.”

“But that’s illegal!. They can’t do that, I was there when Ms.Gentille was helping with the FMLA papers. You’ve been working there as long as I’ve been alive. You should sue.”

“Hun, I can’t afford a lawyer. I wouldn’t even be able to keep up with my medical bills if Robertson’s hadn’t offered to give me more hours. The manager even offered to match what I was making, they’ve been very supportive.”

“How much do you owe?” She asked.

“I’m down to twenty-six thousand.” He answered, trying to make that sound like a good thing.

“Dad!”

“My insurance dropped me pretty much immediately when Stillman’s did. But I’m managing.”

“I can try to help if you need. I don’t have much, but-”

“No. Sweetie, what kind of father would I be if I burdened my daughter with this. You need to live your own life.”

“I can ask the Turners to-”

“No. I know she’s your friend and I’m glad she’s helped you, but I wouldn’t feel comfortable asking my daughter's friends for money. If things get bad I can ask my manager if there’s anything more I can do, or get a short term loan if I need.”

Aubrey thought for a moment, a little annoyed with him. “Fine. But I feel like we should talk about this more this weekend.”

“Sure. You can stop by on your way to Ms.Gentille’s for tea tomorrow if you want. Is there anything new going on with you?”

“I got back together with Richard.”

He took longer to respond than she’d expected. “Are you sure?”

“Of course I am.”

“I just don’t want you to get hurt again.”

“We’re doing better this time. I met his friends, and we’re not going to make the same mistakes this time.”

“I hope you’re right, I just want to make sure you’re safe.” She could hear a bell ring in the background. “I’m sorry, I need to go.”

“I love you.”

“Love you too, Aubrey.”

***

Some time earlier:

“-Otherwise, have fun and remember: you’re competing with each other, not against each other.”

Helena decided to look around at what everyone else was doing. Luna was interrogating their Host about what was happening with their missing member. I’m glad she’s handling that. Ava was just sitting quietly by herself as the rest of her friends whispered together before dipping down into the athletic complex. Interesting that Stella initiated that. Good for her.

“Do you remember what classes Professor Andrus taught?” She heard Aubrey say, as the blonde leaned across the seat her stepbrother had been sitting in a moment ago.

Hel remembered the name, but not much else. Why would you need to know that? Then something clicked as she remembered Genet’s rules. You’ve got a teacher path, don’t you? I’m surprised you won’t just use your own classroom. “I’m not sure. Hazel?”

“She taught history, with an academic focus on the cold war.”

Aubrey thanked them both before scurrying away. Hopefully she can make it into the top two with Hazel. Helena watched as the teacher gave her notes to Genet before going into the phone booth.

“Good job remembering that professor. Can you try to listen in?” Hel asked.

“Of course.” So she sat there for a few minutes as Hazel closed her eyes and did her best to listen to the only conversation left in the auditorium.

Hazel whispered to her partner a few minutes later. “Her dad is struggling financially again, I think it’s a medical issue. He doesn’t want our help this time.”

Helena rolled her eyes. “Would thirty thousand solve what he’s talking about, or would he need more?”

“It should, but we’d need to figure out a believable reason for that to suddenly land in his lap.” Her assistant warned.

“I’ll figure that out. Take me to the phones.”

Once she was sitting in the phone booth, she plugged in a number she’d been using increasingly often the past year.

A woman’s voice spoke on the other side, much to her annoyance. “Hi, this is Danielle. Who am I speaking to?”

“Helena.”

“And how can I help, Ms.Turner?”

“I need to speak to Ron.”

“He’s indisposed at the moment, can I take a message for him?”

“Danielle, this is his cell phone.”

“Yes?” The young woman on the other side agreed nervously.

“Danielle, Ron’s in Toronto tonight. Why are you answering his cell phone?” Not immediately getting a response, Helena continued. “Give me to Ron and I’ll stop asking you why you have his phone.”

There was a long pause, then the man she’d been hoping to speak to answered. “Hel, it’s nearly midnight. What do you need that can’t wait until morning?”

“Douglas Conners. I-”

“Not again.” She heard him mutter.

“Yes, again. I need you to give him a bonus.”

Ronald Robertson the third sighed. “How much?”

“Thirty thousand.”

“Helena, you can’t be serious. He's just a clerk. It’s not realistic to-”

“Why do you think I care?” She cut him off.

“I can’t keep doing things like this for your obsession with a random man.”

“You think that you still get to tell me what you can or can’t do? The time for that was before I bought you from your father. You’re honestly lucky you kept your job through the merger. I had plenty of reasons not to do that, especially if you’re going to sleep with your secretary.”

Mr.Robertson sighed again, deeper this time. “Thirty thousand you said?”

“Yes.”

“How do you want me to justify it?”

“That’s not my problem, just make it believable. Maybe you can tell him he won an award or something.”

“He’s not the kind of person that really sticks out like that. I still don’t understand why you’re so focused on him. ”

Well, fuck you too. “Oh, and one more thing.”

“Yes?”

“I’m transferring Danielle. One of my accountants could use someone to help manage the little things, and she won’t need to worry about social subtleties there. Hazel will get you a replacement once we’ve found someone you can stop yourself from screwing.”

“You can’t do that.” He tried to protest.

“You need to remember that I can do anything I want to, at least when it comes to that little string of convenience stores I let you run. This is the compromise I’m offering instead of dumping you and leaking your relationship with an employee to the press. How low do you have to be start a relationship with an employee? If I hear something like this happening again I’m sure I can find an empty suit to do your job without questioning me half as much as you do.” She hung up the phone so Hazel could come back and escort her back to her seat.

***

Some time earlier:

“-Otherwise, have fun and remember: you’re competing with each other, not against each other.”

After Genet’s speech ended, Stella knew what sort of pitch would be easiest for her paths. But to make it perfect she’d need Felicia’s help.

It’d honestly been easier than expected.

“You’re sure you don’t want me to pay?”

“Not necessarily.” Her friend shrugged.

“I was there when Hazel asked you for help. You charged her for that dance hall she needed.”

“And I like you a lot more than her. I might want to beat you, I need to beat her and Aubrey.” Felicia said, almost defensively. “She was getting the benefit immediately. If I help you and you still lose, then what was the point? So if I beat you, then you got it for free and it doesn't matter in the end. If you beat me, then you pay me. Besides, aren’t you broke right now anyway?”

Stella fished her phone out of her pocket. “Genet let me know when we were cooking together this morning that she forgot to give me my quarter VP bonus.”

Stella Steward, +2 BP (Quarter Bonus)

“Oh. Good for you, though you should probably pay Ava back.”

“Probably. Thanks again for your help.”

“Of course. I’m competitive, not cutthroat.”

The two went back into the auditorium, and Stella approached Ava as Felicia sat back down next to their friend. “Hey, Ava?”

“What’s up?”

“I suddenly have more BP than I expected. I can pay you back now.”

Ava looked between the two of them in surprise for a moment, having learned from Luna and Hazel what sort of actions could generate BP. “Oh! Good for you? I’ll take it then.”

They used their phones to make the payment, and afterward Stella stepped away by herself to head up to the stage. She tried to write something on one of the note cards for Genet before climbing up onto the stage. She carefully plugged in the number and her mom picked up immediately.

“Stella, is something wrong?” She could hear the tension bleeding through the phone.

“No. M-mom, I’m fine.”

“You’re sure?”

“Yes. I promise, everything’s fine.”

“Good, good. We already had our check in for the day so I was worried. Try to warn me over text next time if there’s nothing wrong when you call.”

“I’m sorry.”

“It’s alright. So what’s going on? Were Felicia and one of your new friends arguing again and you got anxious?”

“No, nothing like that. My anxiety’s doing a lot better than usual.”

“That’s good to hear.”

Stella tried to figure out how to explain everything she’d experienced in the past few weeks. It’d only been a few hours since their last conversation from her mother’s perspective, and half of what Stella had experienced would be likely to cause her mother to be terrified for her all over again. “I’ve actually got some good news, a lot of it. I'm not sure how to start.”

“You can start however you need. Just remember to take a deep breath if it’s too much.”

***

After making her pact with Stella, Felicia sat down next to her best friend. Not being able to bear the silence as Aubrey left the room and Hel was locked in one of the phone booths with her girlfriend silently waiting outside, she pulled out her cell phone. Then she just stared at it as she remembered that it didn’t have the same internet access that her real phone had to entertain herself.

“You alright?” Ava asked.

“Yeah. I’m fine.”

“Have any idea what you’ll be doing for the whole skit thing?”

“Working on one. Katrina gave me the idea in the mural she showed me this morning, though I didn’t know what it meant until Genet’s speech. Do you have anything figured out?”

“Not really.” Ava stared at the group of phone booths, where it seemed like Stella was trying to stop her mom from overreacting again. Ms.Steward had tried thrice over the years to ban her daughter from hanging around them, but thankfully Stella was usually able to talk her down. “Do you think you’re going to call your parents like everyone else is? Other than Hel, no idea who she’s talking to.”

“Maybe. I just know that they’re going to be annoying. But I kind of want to tell them.” Felicia stuffed her phone back in her pocket and stormed to the booths, locking herself in to call home.”

Her mother’s voice was like honey, sickly sweet as she answered the phone. “Cupcake!”

“Hey, mom.”

“You never call! It’s so good to hear from you, you really should call more often.”

“Well, I’m calling now.”

“What’s going on, dear?”

“I… I got a boyfriend.”

“That’s great! I’m so happy for you!” Felicia had to take the phone away from her ear as her mother’s volume overwhelmed it. “So who is it? One of your coworkers at your clinic? That boy in your little board game group? He’s in Congress, isn’t he?”

“Yes, Richard’s in the House.” Don’t want her getting at me for being vulgar this early in the call.

“And he has such a nice name! I want to say again how proud I am.”

Something about that felt off. “You’re proud of me?”

“Of course I am.”

“God, Mom, you sound happier than when I finished med school.”

“I just-”

“-Just what?”

“I’m glad you found someone, especially someone so successful. I always hoped you’d find some nice lawyer, someone wealthy who’d let you argue like you do.”

“I make more than him. A lot more.” Felicia snapped. She chose to leave out his existing fortune.

“Oh.” Her mom sounded like she was befuddled.

“Yeah.”

“But you love him? And he’s not uncomfortable with how much you make?”

“I love him. And he’s not the best with money, so I doubt he’s even thought to compare our salaries.” That was all true. “But why do you sound so much happier about this than my actual achievements? I know you want me to be some housewife like you, but I’m not. I’m a doctor. I help people, and I’m good at it. Sure, I could probably be a little gentler. But I’m the one that gets called in when one of my coworkers wants a second opinion. We want different things and we’re not the same person. I need you to understand that!”

“I do.” Her mother responded sadly. “I know we’re different people, and I’m sorry. When I was young I wanted nothing more than to be a mother, which I think you know. I wanted a little girl to show all the things that I loved when I was a child. I saw that you were better than I was at all the things I was good at, and I got excited. I wanted to push you, and… and I realized way too late that I was hurting you.

“I didn’t mean to sound happier about this, I’ve just… I don’t always understand your accomplishments or why you want to do them. Like you’ve said, we’re different people. The more you did, the more I had to pretend I understood it. I know I wasn’t a good mother to you, as much as I wanted to be more than anything. I’m sorry. But it’s not that I’m more proud of this than anything else you’ve done. I just got excited because this was something I hoped we could talk about together. But I’m sorry.”

Felicia let the words wash over her.

“Felicia? Oh dear, I hope she didn't walk away.” She heard her mother murmur.

“I’m here.” She felt a tear drip onto her cheek.

“Cupcake, I’m so sorry.”

“I’m fine.”

“Of course you are. Do you want to tell me more about Richard?”

“Sure, Mom. I’m sorry for shouting at you.”

Thirty minutes later, she walked out of the phone booth. Ava was gone. With nothing else to do, she started writing her pitch on the card and waited.

***

Shortly after Ava watched Felicia start her call, Luna came back. She immediately went into the last phone booth and closed the door.

Eleven at night on the east coast was just after dinner back in Pacific time, so Amá had been able to answer pretty quickly.

“Everything alright, Mija?”

“Yes. No. Can I get some advice?”

“Of course. What do you need?”

How do I not sound insane? Even by what she’s heard before this is out there. Maybe if I couch in the type of stuff she’s heard before. “So there’s this girl I’m seeing, and a guy she’s had a crush on for years that she’s been tempted to bring in as something longterm between the three of us. She’s scared about the idea of what happens if he joins us and something goes wrong, but at the same time she can’t bring herself to stop thinking about the idea of him. Does that make sense?”

“I think so. Could you tell her to take things slow, and watch for warning signs?”

“I could, but she’s worried about the power dynamic too.”

“Tell me more about that power dynamic.”

Luna had to be more creative twisting it, hoping that she wasn’t pushing things far enough that Amá wouldn’t be able to help. “They work together. When he was first hired she was his mentor. He relied on her for everything. There’s a bit of an age gap, and so he relied on her on some life skill kind of things too. But he advanced, and the dynamic flipped so that now he’s her boss. She asked me to help decide how to approach it.”

“I see why you wanted my help now. Should I get your mother, that way we can discuss it? You know she’s more experienced with this kind of thing than I am.”

“Not right now. I kind of just wanted your perspective on this one?” Mom would also see through my story too easily.

“Sure, sure. He was an adult when she mentored him?”

“Yes. Definitely.”

“So that part of it can probably be worked around more easily. It still might take some adjusting, but if the two of them can acknowledge what the dynamic looked like back then and whether they’re able to grow past it it wouldn’t be too much.

“That he’s her current boss is the bigger problem. In my opinion, there’s nothing wrong if you were to help her explore it, as long as she was no longer his subordinate. If this is so important to her, then she should consider trying to transfer to a place at her company where he wouldn’t have that direct power over her. I personally don’t think it’d be worth it to make that career change, but I’m not your girlfriend and that’s a value judgement she’d have to make.”

“That makes sense.” Though it doesn’t really matter. If you’d try to extend the analogy further he’d be everyone’s boss, and it’s not like anyone can really opt out right now.

“Are you still planning to visit in a few weeks during the recess? You should bring your girlfriend.”

“Yeah, I’ll be there. I’m not sure we’re at that point, but I guess I can ask.”

“How’s everything else going for you?”

“About normal.”

“How’s your friend Richard doing?”

“Dick’s doing well. He got back together with his ex, but she’s actually being nice to me this time.”

“Good for both of you, I suppose. Do you want me to have some orejitas sent?”

“That sounds nice. Thanks.”

“Of course. Make sure you call again soon so your mom has a chance to talk to you too.”

“I will. Love you.” It’ll be soon from their perspective at least?

“Love you too.”

Luna hung up the phone and left the booth, to where Hazel and Hel were just coming out of their own booth. “Perfect. I need your help. Can I get some BP from you?”

“How much do you need?” Hazel asked.

“And what do you need it for?” Hel added on.

Luna wavered. “A minimum of three, but really as many as possible. Ten would be better.”

“But what’s it for?” Helena pressed.

Because I’m trying to get another of his doctors to hook up with your stepbrother. That was exactly what she couldn’t say. If she could just get Hazel alone she knew that they could work something out. But she was glued to her girlfriend like always. “I need it for the challenge.”

“We’re competing against each other in that challenge. Sorry.” Hel denied her, as Luna knew she would either way.

Should I just flash everyone at this point and earn it myself? I’d need to do more than my chest, since I already earned that point with Hazel. Luna started to consider her options. But before she could commit to anything, someone they’d all sort of lost track of spoke.

“You’re going to the tower? I was considering buying something there, and Stella was able to pay me back so I should have three BP if you need it. I could kind of use some advice, so maybe we could talk on the way?” Ava offered, having climbed over the seats a moment ago to get closer to the conversation on the stage.

“Sure. I’d really appreciate that.” Luna went down the stairs and left with Ava so they could both get what they needed for their plans.

“Before you go, can I ask you about something you’d be able to do for my scene?” Hazel asked. “Ms.Turner was right that we’re in competition. But I had an alternate idea I think could help both of us?”

“I don’t have a lot of time right now.” The Latina apologized. If you want to include it in your notes, I can run it by you if I have any questions?”

“Thank you, I can work with that.”

***

Much later:

Maeve quietly slipped into one of the empty phone booths Luna had told her about. She dialed the number for her parent’s apartment in their assisted living facility, then waited.

“Maeve?” Her father’s voice answered.

“Hello. Is this a good time?”

“It’s… rather late, but I can talk if you need. Is something the matter?”

“I’m considering something that might be irresponsible. I wanted to talk to you before I did it.”

“Are you quitting your job?”

“No. Definitely not.”

“Good. Will anyone be in danger?”

“No, I don’t think so.”

“Then if you need my approval, you have it.”

“You don’t have any other questions?” Maeve asked.

“My sonechko, you’ve always had a good head on your shoulders. If this is something you want to do, then I won’t stand in your way. You could stand to have more fun.”

“But-”

“Maeve. Live your life. If this is something you’re still worried about tomorrow, we can discuss it when you come over for dinner.”

“Yes, Father.”

“I’ll see you then. I’m going to try going back to sleep.”

***

Everyone having finally turned in their notes, Genet took the stage back. “I’m glad you all had a chance to work out what you need. I’ll give everyone five minutes to decide amongst yourselves what order to go in, then after that we’ll start your second Challenge properly.”