London grinned. “Only around you.”
“Get in, asswipe.”
“Wait. Where are we going?” London asked again, but they were already clicking in their seat belt.
Julie glanced at her phone before tossing it in the cup holder.
“You’re needed back on set for something.”
“What?”London threw their head back with a groan. “I thought I was done with that place! They better have cleaned up the glitter. Wait, are you taking me back there just to torment me with more glitter? It’s weird, but also feels like something you would do.”
Julie shook her head, eyes on the road.
London turned in their seat. They squinted at her.
“Why are you being so quiet? What secret are you hiding?”
Julie bit her lip.
London squinted harder.
“Hmm. Everyone in our family knows how bad you are at hiding secrets. So who would . . . ?”
London gasped. And smacked their twin sister in the arm.
“Ow!” she shouted, rubbing her bicep. “Jeez, London. Don’t kill us before we even get there.”
“It’s her, isn’t it? I saw you talking to her this morning. Are you like,friendsor something? What thefuck.”
Julie just smirked.
London faced forward again, rubbing their temples. Their stomach flip-flopped.
She had disappeared, after the cameras turned off and they could finally look for her. It had left them feeling unsettled, disappointed, but then Ahmed was hugging them, and Cath was smacking them on the back, and they were being introduced to all the former winners ofChef’s Special, and their family was whisking them away and plying them with champagne.
Julie came to a stop outside the gate to the studio lot. She turned to smile at them.
“Go get her, London.”
Their hands shook as they undid their seat belt. They were halfway out the door when Julie called out to them again. London looked back.
“Yeah?”
“She seems cool. Don’t be a doofus.”
“I hate you.” They slammed the car door shut. And leaned back inside the open window. “But also, you know I love you, right?”
“Oh mygod,” Julie waved an arm. “Go!”
So they did. London sprinted through the gate, down the sidewalk, past jacaranda trees, fizzy champagne bubbles coursing through their veins, until they reached sound stage three. They ripped open the door. Ran until they reached the wooden archway where they had first met.
They paused, wheezing slightly, leaning over to catch their breath. Finally, gathering themself, they straightened, and for the actual last time, stepped onto the set ofChef’s Special.
And that was when time stopped.
The pause in the universe allowed all the remaining bruised, healing pieces inside London to rush together again, until miraculously, their entire body relaxed, and they felt whole.
Dahlia let out a small squeak. She tried to quickly pull off her dirty apron, although of course it got stuck in her hair, which was up in its signature bun. After a moment, she untangled herself, the bird’s nest on her head only thrown slightly askew, and she threw the yellow apron to the side. She nervously patted down her skirt.
