Back at home, Dad is long gone, and I plop down on a chair in the living room, take off my heels, and grumble as I rub my sore feet and ankles. Mom merely smiles and arches an eyebrow as she watches me.

  “What?” I ask, in a slightly irritable tone, as I gnce up at her since she’s standing over me for no reason.

  She shrugs and smiles, seeming amused by something. “Love, you’d better get used to heels. Didn’t you notice what the girls were wearing at Starlight?”

  I pause as I’m rubbing my left foot and think about it, but I don’t believe I paid attention to what they were wearing since I was paying more attention to the facilities we were touring. I shake my head and reply, “Not really, but everyone was wearing a uniform. Why?”

  “Sweetheart, all of the girls were wearing heels with their uniforms. So, for at least 10 hours a day, you’ll be wearing them. I recommend that you get comfortable in them,” she says sympathetically.

  As I look at her, I frown because, no, I hadn’t noticed that, but as I said, I wasn’t paying much attention to the girls. Then, realizing she’s right, I sigh heavily before murmuring, “Awesome. Just great. My feet are going to be killing me every day.”

  Mom chuckles and sits down next to me. She wraps an arm around my shoulders and hugs me. “You’ll survive. It takes a little time, baby, but you’ll get used to wearing them.”

  I scrunch up my face for a second and then shrug. “Yeah, it sounds like I don’t have a choice. They were really wearing heels with their uniforms?”

  Mom ughs again and pats my shoulder. “Yes, love. They were.”

  “Hmm, okay… Well, one thing I did see was that they all had long hair. Can we take me to the salon and have extensions put in? I pnned on growing my hair out anyway, but if we do the permanent type, then it’ll just get slowly trimmed off as my hair naturally grows.”

  I pause as she looks at me and then continue. “At best, I look cute with short hair. I’ve done the virtual try-ons online, and I look a hundred times cuter with long hair.”

  Mom considers it for a moment, tapping her chin thoughtfully. “That's not a bad idea, actually. It’d certainly help you fit in at Starlight. You have the facial structure for either style, but yeah, long hair would be good.” She smiles, reaching out to ruffle my hair, and I dance backward.

  “Ugh~ Can we not mess up my hair, please?”

  She ughs and then says, “I’m going to make dinner. Didn’t you say you were going out with Kelly Anne tonight?”

  I nod. “Mhmm. She refuses to tell me what we’re doing, other than saying we were going out to eat. I’m not sure what to wear, and I don’t want to be the odd girl out by overdressing, you know?”

  She shrugs and replies, “I doubt you’ll need to get dolled up, baby.” She pauses for a moment, then continues. “You can never go wrong with a cute blouse, skinny jeans, sandals, or your booties. That’s likely fine for wherever you girls are going.”

  I consider her suggestion, then nod in agreement. “Yeah, that sounds good. I’ll go with that since I don’t have a better idea. I’d rather wear a skirt, but depending on what we’re doing, it might not be a good idea.”

  As Mom heads to the kitchen to start dinner, I make my way to my room to get ready. First, I change into a padded push-up bra to visually give me a bit more up top. Then I rummage through my closet, and finally I select a top that Kelly Anne and I bought when we went shopping, skinny jeans, and a pair of my heeled sandals.

  At six, I walk over to Kelly Anne’s house. She gives me an appraising once-over as she opens the door. “See! I told you that top was perfect for you,” she says with an approving nod. “Between it and those jeans, the boys will have to use a crane to pick up their jaws!”

  I grin, my confidence bolstered by her compliments. We order an Uber and head to Mason’s, the gourmet burger spot everyone always raves about. The mouthwatering scent of grilling meat and fries envelops us as we step inside, and as usual, it’s packed.

  “Over here,” calls a voice, and Kelly Anne turns to look, and a wide smile graces her lips as she waves back. We walk over, and Kelly Anne introduces me to Macie and Olivia. My stomach tightens, but I force myself to smile as we slide into the booth, and a barrage of animated chatter commences as we compliment each other's outfits and makeup. Kelly Anne then tells them that I’ll be attending Starlight soon, and their eyes go wide.

  “Oh em gee, you got in? That’s incredible! Mom tried to get me in, but their entrance exams are, like, a total nightmare,” Macie gushes.

  “Yeah. Seriously, major props. I hear the competition to get in is brutal,” Olivia agrees. “They only take, like, less than 5% of the girls who apply.”

  I’m pleasantly surprised by how easygoing they are, so I begin to rex a bit more. “The tests weren’t too difficult,” I say, causing Macie to grin and stick her tongue out at me. “But the interview, yeah, that had me, like, seriously worried since I’m kind of introverted.”

  Of course, what I just said was a btant lie, but I was instructed to tell everyone that story by Mr. Devry. Not that it was necessary, since I already knew that there would be hell to pay if anyone found out how I really got in.

  “Well, you obviously deserve it, and oh em gee, you’re going to love it there,” Olivia says. “I’ve heard that a lot of the girls go on to be quite well known in the fashion and modeling industries.”

  “Thank you,” I reply. “I think I will too. Mom and I took a tour today, and it blew my mind.”

  We all ugh, and suddenly, I realize this feels no different than hanging with Kelly Anne. Conversation flows as we devour the mouthwatering burgers, sweet potato fries, and sodas. We discover we’re all obsessed with the same bands and shows, though neither Olivia nor Macie is into gaming like Kelly Anne and me.

  The Uber drops us off in front of Slipstream Skate Station, a massive warehouse-like building pulsing with colorful lights and thumping music. We spill out, giddy and ughing, arm in arm, like we've been best friends for years instead of me just meeting Macie and Olivia an hour ago.

  Inside, it’s fairly loud, both from the music and the sound of the wheels on the polished wooden floor. Skaters in bright outfits zoom past, spinning and leaping gracefully. My stomach flutters with nerves—I haven’t skated in ages.

  Macie doesn’t give a single moment to dwell on the thought as she links her arm through mine and almost drags me to the rental counter. “Don’t worry, we’ll stick together. If you fall, we’ll all fall with you so you aren’t alone,” she jokes. I grin back as I shake my head and giggle over her absurd statement.

  We ce up our rented skates, and I wobble a little as I stand. Thankfully, it only takes a few seconds for muscle memory to kick in. By the time I reach the floor, it feels like no time has passed since I st skated. Soon, I’m flying along with the air whipping through my hair.

  “Looking good, girl!” Kelly Anne whoops as she skates beside me backwards. I beam, gaining confidence with each circuit I complete.

  The music changes, and they announce a couples skate; two cute guys glide over to us, all rumpled hair and roguish smiles. “Would you two like to skate with us?” The taller one asks, eyes twinkling as he looks down at me. Even as my heart leaps into my throat, a slow smile spreads across my glossy lips, and I nod.

  He takes my hand, and we set off. A few seconds ter he says, “I’m Mark.”

  “Jackie,” I reply simply.

  He tells me he's 14 and is a freshman at Starke HS. I tell him I’m 13 and attend Starlight. When he hears that, he still smiles, but I can see his interest dim dramatically. I get it. I really do. Who wants to get involved with a girl you’ll rarely ever see? I mean, it makes perfect sense. We roll along hand in hand, talking through several songs until the music changes again.

  Mark gives my hand a gentle squeeze and says, “Well, Jackie, it was great skating with you.” His smile is polite but distant, and I can see he’s mentally dismissed me. “Maybe I’ll see you around sometime.”

  “Sure,” I reply, trying to keep my tone light even if I am disappointed. He lets go of my hand and skates off toward a group of boys who are ughing near the edge of the rink. I watch for a moment, then shake myself out of it. It’s fine. It’s not like I truly expected anything more.

  Macie appears beside me almost instantly, her arm looping through mine again. “What happened?” She asks, her voice ced with indignation.

  I shrug and paste on one of my social smiles. “It’s no big deal. We’re from different schools—what did you expect?”

  Kelly Anne glides over, her cheeks flushed and her eyes sparkling with excitement. “Who was the guy? He’s so cute! What did he say?” She gushes, oblivious to my mood in her excitement.

  “He was nice,” I reply, brushing it off and ughing. “But it wouldn’t go anywhere. He attends Starke, and Starke and Starlight might as well be different pnets.”

  Macie rolls her eyes, her arm tightening around mine. “That’s such a dumb excuse. Who cares what school you go to? If he likes you, he should’ve asked for your number or something.”

  I shrug again, trying to seem indifferent, but inside, I feel a tiny pang of regret. “In this case, it matters. I’d be living an hour and a half away. Just how would we get together anyway?” I ask in a joking manner, hoping to lighten the mood.

  “Oh, come on, Jackie,” Kelly Anne chimes in, her voice teasing. “You’re acting like it’s the Middle Ages, and you’re sending love letters by carrier pigeon. Geez… It’s called a phone. Oh, and we have these newfangled things called cars, buses, and trains. People make long-distance work all the time.”

  Macie nods vigorously, leaning closer as we glide zily around the rink. “Yeah, and besides, it’s not like he even tried. He just skated off like you were some random stranger. If he were really into you, he would’ve made more of an effort.”

  I bnch, and my smile disappears as I look at Macie. “Wow, Macie. Thanks for that, seriously. Way to boost my confidence,” I state sarcastically, trying not to let my hurt feelings show.

  Macie’s eyes widen, and she quickly backpedals, her grip on my arm softening. “No, no, that’s not what I meant! You’re gorgeous, Jackie. I just meant he didn’t seem to realize what he was missing out on.”

  Kelly Anne jumps in, her bubbly energy filling the awkward pause. “Exactly! He’s probably intimidated since you’re out of his league. Starke boys are all brawn and no brain, anyway. You can do better.”

  I force a small ugh, but the sting lingers. “Yeah, maybe,” I mutter, gncing over my shoulder at the spot where the guy had been moments ago. He’s gone now, lost in the swirl of skaters and neon lights. “I’m going to go sit down and rest for a bit. You don’t have to come with me.”

  I take off and exit the rink, taking a seat at the table we selected earlier. The cold bench presses against my back, and I shiver, though it’s not from the chill. My fingers fidget as I stare bnkly at the scuffed floor. The music bres from the speakers, a distant thrum of bass and ughter that feels like it’s coming from another world. Part of me wishes I could just melt into the background and disappear into the chaos of it all. Then I feel a presence beside me, and I gnce up to see Kelly Anne sliding next to me. She doesn’t say anything at first; she just sits there with me in silence.

  “Are you okay?” Kelly Anne finally asks, her voice soft now, the teasing edge gone.

  I shrug while fighting to dispel the darkness creeping over me. “Yeah, I’m okay. Just... overanalyzing things, like always.”

  “Jackie, look at me,” she commands, and I comply, looking into her worried eyes. She pulls me into a hug and whispers, “I love you.”

  I melt against her, and the darkness disappears just as quickly as it had appeared. “I love you too,” I murmur.

  “Tell me what you need,” she breathes in my ear.

  A small, grateful smile tugs at my lips. “Just... you. That’s enough.”

  Kelly Anne pulls back slightly, her hands move to my shoulders, and she gives me one of her signature cockeyed grins—the kind that always manages to pull me out of my own head. “Good. Because I’m not going anywhere. But you know what else might help? A giant pretzel with hot mustard and a slushie. Then maybe I can torture the three of you at karaoke ter. What do you say?”

  I ugh; the sound is lighter now, less forced. “You’re ridiculous.”

  “Ridiculously awesome,” she corrects, standing up and grabbing my hand. “Come on. Let’s go raid the snack bar before the line gets crazy.”

  I let her pull me to my feet, the weight on my chest lifting a little more. She pulls me against her and gives me a soft, deep kiss that makes my head spin. When a few guys near us notice, they whoop, acting like they’ve never seen two people kiss before. Though they don’t know that this isn’t romantic, this is patented Kelly Anne therapy in action. Several seconds ter, she breaks the kiss and grins at me.

  “Come on, gorgeous. Let’s go repair our lipstick and then go to the snack bar.”

  I roll my eyes, but a smile spreads across my face as I follow her to the bathroom. The fluorescent lights buzz overhead, casting a too-bright glow on everything. Kelly Anne leans against the sink, takes a paper towel, and wipes away the smeared lipstick. Then she removes her lipstick and gloss from her clutch and reapplies it while I do the same thing at another sink. I gnce at myself in the mirror, turning this way and that, but she catches my eye in the reflection and winks.

  “Stop overthinking your face,” she says, tossing her lipstick back into her bag. “You’re stunning. Now, come on. I’m craving some starches.”

  She grabs my hand again, leading me out of the bathroom and back into the chaos of the roller rink again. The moment we step into the snack bar, the smell of buttery pretzels and sugary syrup hits me. Kelly Anne makes a beeline for the counter. She’s on a mission, and nothing is going to stop her.

  “Two giant pretzels, extra mustard on the side,” she announces to the teenager behind the counter, who looks mildly overwhelmed by her energy. “And two rge slushies. One cherry, one blue raspberry.”

  I stifle a ugh as she taps her fingers impatiently on the counter. I look at her and again wonder why she’s never had a boyfriend or girlfriend. I’ve told you what she looks like, and I know for a fact that she’s been asked many times. It doesn’t make sense to me. She hands me my cherry slushie and pretzel, and we half skate, half clomp over to our table and sit down.

  Kelly Anne takes a small bite of her pretzel, and I have the irresistible urge to ask, “Hey, umm, you don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to, but why have you never dated anyone? You’ve been asked, but you’ve always said no.”

  She allows a small smile to cross her lips as she chews and then swallows. She takes a sip of her slushie, then replies, “I don’t mind you asking. I’m asexual, and that means many things to many people, but for me, it means I’m not sexually attracted to people. I think the closest I’ve ever come to that is you.”

  I blink in surprise as I look at her, taken aback by her unexpected confession. “Me?” I stammer, nearly dropping my pretzel into the mustard cup.

  Kelly Anne ughs softly, leaning back in her chair. “Yeah, you. You’re my person. My best friend. My confidant. I don’t need romance or other stuff to feel close to someone. With you, it’s just... easy. You get me, and I never need to expin my absence of sexual attraction to you. Mostly because it’s something you never had either, or at least you never did, but maybe you will now. With you, I don’t have to pretend to be something I’m not. Oh, and before you start second-guessing things, yes, I can love someone.”

  She pauses, her blue raspberry slushie dangling from her fingertips as she studies me. “I just don’t love in the way most people expect. For me, it’s not about romance, grand gestures, or any other nonsense. It’s about... this.” She gestures vaguely between us, her smile softening. “Being with my person, eating pretzels, talking about nothing and everything all at once. That’s love to me.”

  I sit there for a moment, absorbing her statement. It’s not like I haven’t thought about it before—how effortless it feels to be around her, how I never feel like I need to perform or impress her. Though hearing her say it so pinly and confidently makes something click in my brain. It’s kind of beautiful.

  “Even when we kiss?” I ask.

  Kelly Anne tilts her head, her smile turning pyful. “Even when we kiss,” she says, her voice steady. “Kissing doesn’t have to be about attraction or desire, not for me. It’s... it’s connection. A way to be close to someone I care about. With you, it’s like... I’m saying something I can’t put into words. I think you understand that, even if you don’t realize it.” She pauses again and leans forward. “It’s also my way of stopping your spirals because it yanks you back to the here and now and grounds you again.”

  I stare at her, my pretzel forgotten in my hands. Her comments sink in slowly, like sunlight breaking through a thick fog. It’s not that I don’t understand—it’s more that I’ve never thought about it like this before. Kelly Anne has always been my rock, my safe pce, but hearing her articute it so clearly makes me see her in a new light. Her love isn’t tied to societal norms; it’s just... hers. Somehow, that makes it even more profound.

  “So,” I say slowly, turning my pretzel in my hands, “when you kiss me, it’s not because you’re into me?”

  She ughs. “There’s my cute, clueless, smart, little idiot,” she says with a grin. “Jackie, I’m into you in every way that matters. I’m, like, 99.999% sure if I weren’t asexual and you didn’t have that little issue, I’d have been all over you.” She leans forward and reaches across the table to poke me gently on the nose. “You’re my Jackie. My partner-in-crime, karaoke buddy, gaming battle buddy, and everything. I don’t need all the extra crap that typically accompanies it. I don’t need the physical aspects to understand that you’re my person.”

  “Got it,” I say finally, taking a bite of my pretzel to buy myself a few seconds to process. “So, what you’re saying is, I’m kind of your semi-ptonic soulmate.”

  She nods enthusiastically, her smile widening. “Exactly! Semi-ptonic soulmate—I like that. It’s way less cheesy than ‘best friend forever’ and closer to how I feel about you.”

  “Can I ask an odd question?” She nods. “What if I, uh, wanted to... you know?”

  Kelly Anne raises an eyebrow, her lips curling into a teasing smirk. “You want to... you know?” She mimics, leaning back in her chair with an exaggerated wiggle of her eyebrows. “Oh, Jackie, my sweet girl, you’re going to have to be a little more specific.”

  I feel my face heat up as I fumble with my pretzel. “I mean, like, if I wanted to... do more than kiss you. Uh, just to see what it’s like. Not that I’m saying I do! But... like, hypothetically.”

  She tilts her head, studying me with that same pyful glint in her eyes. “Hypothetically,” she echoes, drawing out the word like it’s a game. Then she shrugs nonchantly. “I mean, sure. Look, just because I don’t seek out sex doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy orgasms when I masturbate. So, if you want to explore that with me, then sure.”

  Her casual tone surprises me, and I nearly choke on my pretzel. She watches me with an amused expression, clearly enjoying the effect of her statement. I set the pretzel down carefully, wiping my hands on a napkin as I try to gather my thoughts.

  “You’re serious?” I ask, my voice a little shaky.

  She shrugs again, her smirk softening into something more thoughtful. “Yeah, why not? I trust you, Jackie. More than anyone. If it’s something you want—and only because it’s you—then I’m open to it. But,” she adds, holding up a finger, “it has to be because you want it. Not because you believe it’s what I want or what I expect, because I’m good with our retionship.”

  I nod slowly, my mind racing. This isn’t exactly how I expected this conversation to go, but then again, when does anything with Kelly Anne ever go as I expect? I take a deep breath, gncing around the bustling rink. The neon lights flicker overhead, casting colorful streaks across the polished floor. For a moment, the world feels oddly surreal, like we’ve stepped into some alternate dimension where the rules are different.

  “Okay,” I say finally, meeting her gaze. I sigh and murmur, “Then can we? I’ve always wondered.”

  Kelly Anne smiles, her expression warm and reassuring. “Sure, but how about we finish our girls’ night out? Then we can go back to my pce, and you can spend the night.” She reaches across the table and squeezes my hand briefly before letting go. “Now, finish your pretzel before it gets cold.”

  I chuckle and shake my head, amazed at how easily she can change gears. “Yeah, yeah,” I mutter, picking up my pretzel again. I take a bite as I look at her. She’s already back to sipping her slushie, her eyes scanning the rink like nothing just happened. Typical Kelly Anne—calm, collected, and completely unbothered.

  We roller-skate for another hour before heading out to karaoke. Surprisingly, Macie and Olivia, or maybe it shouldn’t be surprising, but to me it is, invite four boys to join us.