Three famous families—the Hales, the Meadows, the Cobalts—are permanently bound together because our moms are sisters. The Calloway sisters, to be exact. And the Calloways, namely my grandfather, founded Fizzle: a soda company so world-renowned that they beat Coca-Cola in sales for the past decade.
Fizzle is part of why we’re all famous.
But it’s not the whole story.
I add,“I can just text her myself.” I reach for my phone, but he caves, nodding to me.
Once he swallows his food, he says, “She kept yawning on our way back from a state park. She didn’t get home until three a.m.” He sends another text. “I should’ve known she’d wake up.” His eyes flit to me. “She has FOMEFT.”
Fear of Missing Every Fucking Thing.
My lips rise.
Sulli coined it herself. The most predictable thing about my younger cousin is the least predictable thing:sleep.
I’d think it’s strange that Akara knows these details about Sulli, but he’s her personal bodyguard. He’s been assigned to Sullivan since she was sixteen. If anyone knows her life habits, it’s him.
It hits me again. The thought I’ve been swatting away like a bee:someone is about to know my life habits that intimately too.
Great.
I lean on the counter, arms crossed over my green crew-neck shirt. And then my muscles bind as the lock starts to rotate on the tinted-glass door.
Someone is entering. Someone who was given a key.
My new bodyguard.
He’s finally here.
2
MAXIMOFF HALE
Dear World,stop fucking with me. Sincerely, an agitated human.
The last person I wanted to see today enters Superheroes & Scones. I refill my glass of orange juice and watch the familiar face open the door.
Towering at six-foot-three, his black V-neck is tucked in black jeans, a leather belt buckled. The hilt of a handgun sticks from his waistband, and his dyed bleach-white hair contrasts his thick brown eyebrows.
Most people find Farrow Redford Keene intimidating at first sight, but I’m immune to most kinds of intimidation.
It’s called being a Hale.
I can describe Farrow in three meaningful ways.
1. Frustrating.
2. Aggravating.
3. Piss in my hot tea.
Since he’s my mom’s bodyguard and she stops by the store frequently, I expect she’s not far behind his self-assured, unflustered demeanor.
Farrow carries himself like he owns the world, but amusement constantly rests behind his brown eyes. I sometimes think he’s purposefully channeling James Franco circaFreaks & Geeks—minus the weed and multiply the Francosmileby a billion.
It shouldn’t capture my attention.
But it does.
