“Yes,” I say flatly.
“No,” Beck says at the exact same time.
The guy blinks, confused, then wanders off.
I glare at Beck. “What was that?”
“I helped.”
“By scaring him away?”
“By sparing you the need for antibiotics,” he says.
I shake my head, laughing despite myself. “You are being deeply unsupportive of my hoe era.”
He tilts his head. “Is this a full era or a limited-time engagement?”
“Seasonal,” I say. “Holiday-themed.”
That earns me a smile from him. Not teasing. Not smug. Just…warm.
Maybe he’s not judging after all. Maybe he’s humoring me. Letting me drag him along like I always do.
“Well,” he says, nudging my knee with his, “if you’re going to pretend this is a good idea, I’d rather be nearby.”
I pause. Look at him. “Why?”
He shrugs. “Someone should probably keep an eye on things.”
I roll my eyes. “And you’re just the guy to do it?”
“Always,” he says lightly, lifting his beer.
I clink my glass against his. “Don’t get too cocky.”
“Wouldn’t dream of it.”
Science Goo
Beck
Age 8
“You think this is the right apartment?” Mama asks nervously as the doorbell fades.
I almost tell her, how the heck would I know. Even though Gracie’s been my best friend at school for a couple of years now, I’ve never been to her place either. We had to drive farther than I expected, past the edge of town where the streetlights thin out and the road runs alongside open fields instead of houses. The apartments appear all at once—two low buildings set back from the road, surrounded by gravel and grass instead of sidewalks.
But I don’t say any of that.
Mama gets like this, anxious around new people, tense in new places.
Dad used to complain about it.
“Jesus, Suzy,” he’d say. “Just go introduce yourself. What’re they gonna do? Call the police? Fuck, you make everything so damn complicated.”
After that, Mama would go quiet. Not angry. Just silent.
I learned early it was better not to push. Better to wait. To keep things calm.
