1: 1

While double-checking my college applications, I found that my deskmate had swapped my Ivy-tier picks for the community college farthest from Washington, D.C.

I called her in a panic. She only gave me a light, unbothered little hum.

"My boyfriend got jealous. He can't handle us going to college in the same city."

"His grades are bad, so all he can get into is community college. Having a guy best friend at an Ivy would make him feel really insecure."

"Sis, for a girl's happiness, I'll just have to trouble you."

The call ended.

I looked down at my size-twelve sneakers.

I'm a guy. Who wants to be her girl best friend?

She wanted to trade my future for her happiness?

I let out a cold laugh and changed my application to the exact one she'd picked—Capital University's nuclear physics program.

That program admits one student a year from our whole city.

And my total was thirty points higher than hers.

……

With one minute to spare, I submitted.

Melody Dickerson called too, still as careless as ever.

"Simon, sis, Lester's throwing a fit about breaking up with me. There's nothing I can do."

"The deadline's passed anyway, so there's no changing it back. Just think of it as doing a girl a favor."

"Besides, so what if it's community college? You can transfer up to a four-year, and with your grades it won't set you back."

I cut her off, done with it.

"Melody, I'm a guy. Don't call me sis, and don't call us girlfriends."

"And tell your boyfriend I'm not his girl's best friend. He can stop reading into it."

Melody went quiet for a second, then suddenly laughed.

"Simon, we've been sisters for two years now. Aren't you being a little cold?"

I was so worked up my hands shook, and for a moment I couldn't get a word out.

My surname is Flores. Full name, Simon Flores.

The other kids all call me Si.

Only Melody insisted on hooking her arm through mine and calling us sisters.

Because she was sure I had a thing for her.

To keep her boyfriend from getting jealous, and to make me give up, she'd forced this whole "sister" persona onto me.

I'd explained it more times than I could count—that I wasn't interested in her, that all I wanted through three years of high school was to study.

She'd only laugh in that infuriating way.

"You tutor me through every night study session. If that's not liking me, what is it?"

I breathed out, worn thin.

"The teacher assigned it. So your grades wouldn't slip."

She made a little scoffing sound.

"Then why do you always sit on the sidelines watching me play tennis in gym class?"

"I get tired from reading, so I look off into the distance to rest my eyes. You just happen to be out there playing."

"Liar!" She cupped her face in both hands and tilted her head at me. "You just blinked. That's a guilty conscience."

I knotted my brows.

"No, I—"

She smiled and pressed a finger to her lips at me.

"Simon, you're not allowed to like me. I have a boyfriend."

"And you're not allowed to not like me either, or you'll suffer, watching me every day and holding it all in."

I gave up. I couldn't be bothered to explain anymore.

As long as it didn't get in the way of my studying, I let it all go.

After graduation, she and I would never see each other again anyway.

What I never expected was that she'd sneak a look at my account password and change my Ivy-tier picks to community college, just to soothe her boyfriend.

I couldn't swallow it.

"If you're so afraid of Lester getting jealous, why don't you give up Capital University and go to that community college of his? Same school—wouldn't that make him feel a lot safer?"

"Huh?"

Melody sounded like she'd heard a joke.

"Me? Community college? Capital University nuclear physics is my dream! I'm going to be a defense-industry talent someday and serve my country."

"You know it—I only listed that one program, and I didn't even check the box to accept a reassignment. I'm definitely going to Capital University. It's Capital University or nothing."

So she couldn't go to community college, but I could?

She had a dream, and I didn't?

I laughed, furious.

"You're that confident? You're sure Capital University will take you?"

Melody let out a couple of dry laughs.

"I placed second in the whole city on the SATs. If they don't take me, who would they take?"

I didn't answer.

I had no intention of telling her I'd applied to Capital University too.

Just like she never told me she'd changed my application to community college.

"That's it for now. Lester made a rule—our calls can't go over a minute, or he'll throw a fit at me."

"Oh, right, come on down. I'll buy you a soft-serve cone, call it my apology."

"Two bucks, okay? Generous, right?"

The corner of my mouth twitched.

"A two-dollar cone—I'm not worth it. Let's skip it, so your boyfriend doesn't get jealous."

"Oh~"

Melody drew the sound out long.

"Not coming? Then you've got something to hide."

"Uncomfortable about seeing Lester? Or does it just hurt too much?"

"You'd better come. Otherwise Lester's going to suspect there's something between us."

My face stayed flat.

"Think whatever you want. It's got nothing to do with me."

Just as I was about to hang up, Melody clicked her tongue.

"Lester and I are right downstairs. Are we sisters or not? If we're sisters, come down."

"Or should we come up and find you?"

2: 2

I was quiet for two seconds, then went downstairs.

Melody was standing next to the soft-serve place with her arm looped through some guy in a basketball tank top, the two of them passing one cup of lemonade back and forth, sip for sip.

When she saw me, she smiled and waved.

"Sister Simon! Over here!"

I walked over, and she started introducing me to Lester James.

"Babe, this is the best friend I told you about. Sister Simon."

"He gave up an Ivy spot for the two of us. Changed his application to a community college."

"A friend like this, once in a lifetime — for someone like me, Melody Dickerson, that's more than enough."

Lester looked me up and down.

Cropped hair, a loose black T-shirt, cargo shorts, sneakers.

His face went dark, and he glared at Melody.

"He's dressed like that and you call this a friend?"

"Melody, is there really nothing between you two? Are you lying to me?"

She grabbed his hand fast, explaining.

"Babe, I really do see him as just a friend. He likes me, there's nothing I can do about that."

"Stop!"

I rolled my eyes and cut them off, loud.

"I didn't come down here for a two-dollar cone. I came to make one thing clear. I am not Melody's friend! At most, she's my deskmate!"

"She's the one who secretly changed my application. There is no story where I picked a community college for your relationship. Got it?"

The two of them stared at me and said nothing.

I shrugged.

"I said what I came to say. I'm out."

The second I turned to go, Melody grabbed me and yanked me over to the wall.

Her elbow drove hard into my shoulder, slamming me into the wall, my arm going numb with the pain.

Her face was ugly, her voice low.

"You had to expose me right in front of Lester? Make your friend lose face, is that it?"

I rubbed my arm and looked at her, cold.

"You'll do it, but you won't own it?"

She froze, then sighed.

"Forget it. There's no explaining this to someone who's never dated."

Then she started looking me over with distaste.

"You dressed this good on purpose, just to get under Lester's skin?"

I pulled in a deep breath.

"Are you out of your mind? This is how I always dress!"

"Always is always. Today is today!"

Melody raked her fingers through her hair, irritated. "Could you not dress a little more masculine? Stay in your lane as my friend? You're putting me in a really awkward spot here, you know that?"

I honestly had no idea what to say to someone this shameless, someone who insisted on treating a guy as her girl best friend.

So I just looked at her, flat, and let her put on her show.

Which she misread all over again.

She tossed her hair and spoke like she was doing me a kindness.

"Sister Simon, let me be honest with you. I really don't have feelings for you."

"Even if you stood in front of me stark naked, all I'd do is pick your clothes back up for you."

"Don't waste your energy on this."

My hand curled into a fist.

I held it in, held it in, and then I couldn't hold it in anymore, my hand already swinging for her face.

Lester suddenly stepped in and clapped my shoulder, grinning wide.

"Big bro Simon, come on, don't be mad, this is all my fault."

"Come on, let's go get some soft-serve, order whatever you want, my treat."

Before I could react, he'd dragged me over to the shop entrance.

A girl with cropped bleached-yellow hair, chewing gum, gave me a lazy once-over.

"So you're Sister Simon? You don't really look like a butch."

I turned my head toward Melody.

Her smile was radiant.

"This is the girlfriend Lester found for you. Well? Happy with her?"

3: 3

I looked at the tough girl one more time.

My head was buzzing.

Across from me, Melody was still running her mouth.

"Three years of high school and you never dated once. I know why, sis. You just never met the right one."

"She's a friend of Lester's. Goes to a vocational school. Face, style, character, there's nothing to fault."

She narrowed her eyes and smiled.

"Sure, she's not on my level, but she's plenty good enough for you. So stop pining over me, okay?"

"So? This one, you like her or not?"

I let out a furious laugh.

"I don't like this one!"

"And I'll swear it on my life. If I ever liked you, Melody Dickerson, may I go blind on the spot!"

Melody froze.

Lester panicked all at once.

"No way! You are not allowed to like my Melly!"

The tough girl tilted her head, confused.

"That's not right. High school boys, there's not one who doesn't like me."

Then something dawned on her, and she stared at Melody, shocked.

"She doesn't like women?"

Melody went stiff all over, grabbed onto Lester, and glared at me on guard.

"Don't you touch Lester!"

It hit me like a bolt out of nowhere.

So in Melody's eyes, I not only lusted after her, I lusted after her boyfriend too?

I was neither man nor woman.

I was a pervert.

"The three of you couldn't scrape together one working brain between you!"

I couldn't be bothered with any of them. I turned to leave.

I hadn't taken two steps before the tough girl chased after me, shoved a two-dollar soft-serve cone into my hand, and lifted her chin.

"My spending power. Satisfied?"

"What you think doesn't matter. I've got my eye on you, so you're my man now."

"Stick with me, and there's all the ice cream you can eat from here on out!"

I was completely dumbstruck.

"Move!"

Lester looked baffled.

"Sis Simon, my friend here is a big deal at her school. You're being a little too picky, you know."

Melody shook her head in disdain.

"Sis, she buys a two-dollar cone without blinking. A woman like this? If I were you, I'd have thrown myself at her already."

I drew in a deep breath.

Then I mashed the cone straight into Melody's face and smeared it good.

"You're overheated. Cool off!"

Lester stared at the cream all over Melody's face, helpless.

"Melly, what do we do, what do we do…"

The tough girl sighed, pained.

"If you're not eating it, give it to me. What a waste!"

I put some clean distance between us.

"Melody, don't contact me again. We're not from the same world. There's no need to force it."

Melody licked the cream at the corner of her mouth, her voice going cold.

"I'm a top recruit for Capital University's nuclear physics program! The only student in the whole state they took!"

"Simon Flores, you're a community college kid. What gives you the right to look down on me?"

I gave a dry little laugh.

Then I turned and walked off.

"Take one more step and see what happens! We're done being sisters for good!"

I broke into a run.

Behind me, Melody was screaming her lungs out.

"Fine! Simon Flores, from now on you are not Melody Dickerson's sister!"

I stopped.

I turned, ran back, and drove my foot into the back of her knee.

Her leg buckled, and she went down.

"What are you doing!"

I smiled.

"Paying you back for that elbow earlier."

"Call me your sister again, and every time I catch you at it, I'll beat you."

Melody's face went livid, but she didn't dare move.

After all, I'm a black belt in taekwondo. She couldn't take me.

So under the three of them glaring, I strolled off without a care.

Back home, I blocked every one of Melody's contacts.

A boundaryless freak of a classmate like that, best I never see her again this lifetime.

I was about to set my phone down when the class group chat blew up.

Melody had posted a photo of her and Lester cheek to cheek, making a heart with their hands.

"My boyfriend."

The others sent congratulations while getting their digs in at me.

"Sis Simon must be heartbroken now, huh? No hope left at all."

"Three years and Sis Simon still couldn't land Melody. Really hopeless."

I replied with a pinched-nose emoji.

Melody fired off a voice message right away, smug as anything.

"Sis Simon changed her college applications from the Ivies to a community college just so Lester and I could be together. Thank you, Sis Simon!"

The whole class started up again.

"Sis Simon's such a diva! Sis Simon, so noble!"

"A genius on paper, a fool in love!"

"That hurts. That hurts so much."

Melody tagged me.

"About today, sis, I didn't think it through. I'll try to keep you from running into Lester from now on, so you feel a little better."

"Don't stay mad. Sisters don't hold overnight grudges. Don't act like some little girl."

The others chimed in.

"Right, Sis Simon, be gracious about it."

"We women shouldn't be so petty."

Melody added one more line.

"It's fine when I call her my sister, but the rest of you can't, got it!"