Tru handed it to me. I was pretty sure Chance wasn’t even in middle school yet.
It was the Compass BioTek high school internship application and had been filled out in colorful felt-tip pens in mostly legible, but not always spelled right, baby scrawl.
“Don’t tell Mercy I used her good markers.” Tru grinned and ducked her head.
“Oh, thank you. I’ll give this to the internship coordinator. But please don’t be sad if you don’t get accepted. I think you have to be going into your second year of high school.” I looked over her application.
Why should you be chosen for this internship?Because I’m going to be the second-best math scientist in the world when I grow up. My sister will be the best.
My heart.
“I can handle it. They want me to be in a different grade, you know. But Mom says it’s not fair to Pax for me to be ahead of him in school because we’re twins.” Her eyes rolled. “Pax doesn’t care. His favorite subject is recess. Which is fine. But unsolvable equations aren’t going to solve themselves.”
“Very true. But perhaps he’ll get inspiration at recess for something else?” Spencer told her.
“Maybe? Dare plays music and it makes my toes happy.” She closed up her purse and set it next to her, giving it a little pat.
“I play the piano,” I replied. “Music and math go together.”
“I think the drums are pretty. If I get the ‘ship, can I stay with you? I don’t think Dad will let me stay in the dorms.” Her head cocked.
“Of course. Just to let you know, Grace and I don’t get to pick. Even Riley has to go through the same application process,” Spencer remarked.
She thought for a moment. “Well, that sucks hairy balls. But Hale always mumbles that favoritism is shitty. I guess it is when you’re not the favorite.”
I put my hand over my mouth. Hale must do his share of babysitting. But I suppose they all did. After all, Dare, who was still in high school, had taken his two brothers to the park the day Hale, Mercy, and Tru came to the beach.
“But yes, if you get the internship, you can stay with us, as long as your parents are fine with it,” Spencer assured.
“Thank you. It will be so much fun.” Tru bounced on the couch.
“It would.” I texted Wes.
Me
I don’t know if you’ve left the restaurant yet, but if you haven’t, can you bring something for Tru? She called herself a ride so she could give me her application for the internship program.
Wes
We’re getting ready to leave, so I’ll see what I can do. She’s the one who’s five, right? Wow. But it makes sense your siblings would be geniuses like you.
Awww.
“What do you want to do eventually, after you solve Garamoci’s Theory of Everything, of course?” Spencer asked her.
She thought for a moment. “I want to build spaceships.”
Sure enough, there it was on her application, complete with a little drawing of a spaceship.
“I like that idea. Riley likes the idea of space travel, too.” I loved how Spencer took her completely seriously and didn’t wave it off as her being a silly little child.
“You’ll hire me when I solve it, right?” Tru asked.
“Absolutely,” Spencer agreed.
Yes, I was paying for her college so she could go wherever was best for someone like her. I might need to send her to the high school for geniuses that Evan’s sister worked at.
“Do you want to color?” I asked her. Liz, the crisis counselor from the Omega Center, kept bringing Riley snack packs with coloring books in them, so we had a couple of them. She’d stopped by a bunch so that she and Evan could have long conversations about Blanket Brigade training.
