Victor stirred his mashed potatoes absentmindedly and listened as Garfield explained that no, just because the bagger at the grocery store was autistic doesn't mean he could also be easily distracted by the addition of powder to a bottle of water. That's just a Stacy thing. Leave Stacy alone.

"Now me? I'm fixated on animals, but you can also distract me with cryptozoology or BattleCasters or a fidget spinner-."

"Or the tags on shirts," Victor joked.

Garfield's hands shot instantly to the back of his neck and scratched vigorously. Rachel rolled her eyes.

"Who made tags?" the small boy growled. "So stupid! Can't the school get those iron-ons like everyone else is doing now?"

Rachel laughed and sipped her lemon soda. Victor wanted to ask again why she didn't buy food, but the first time she told him, "So you can have mine," and the last three times, he only got glares. At least she bought a grilled cheese on Fridays, always with a soda, and always paid for with crumpled bills. Where were her coins going? She got change every day but never used coins.

"Yo, Earth to Vic!"

He flinched at the hand in his face, and Garfield sat back down.

"Like, I get that you already know this stuff, but are you okay, dude?" he asked. "You're kinda spacing out over there, and that's my job."

"Yeah, sorry man. I'm just… yeah," Victor said.

"Spill," demanded Rachel.

Victor scoffed and said, "It's really dumb, but… I'm on the homecoming court. Last year, I'd have been stoked about it. But now, it… it just feels like pity."

"I do not understand," Said Kori. "This is a great insult?"

"Not normally. Normally, it's the school's way of saying you're the most popular senior," Victor explained. "But normally, the court has all their limbs. I don't even know if I can dance in these. It took me weeks of training to learn to walk before I wore them in public."

"Oh, bro, that sucks," Garfield said. "Can you just decline?"

"I'm actually thinking about it. I don't need that attention," Victor said. "If they really cared, they would have been there for me last summer. Plus, I think I'm starting to figure out some personal things, and I really don't want to be under a microscope right now."

The girls' faces scrunched in confusion, and Garfield raised a brow.

"Is it about the thing I promised to help with?" he asked.

"Yes."

"Did the link I sent you last week make sense?"

"It kind of did, yeah," Victor admitted. "I've started talking to some of them, too, and it's really helping me. This one chick, HumbleBumble, is awesome. Really active on the chats."

"I do not understand again," Kori said.

Victor returned to stirring his potatoes. "I had a lot of time the last few months to just think, and one of the things I thought about is dating. I've just never seen the point. So Gar and I started looking into it, and… I might be asexual."

After a long pause, he glanced up again to see both girls staring at him, still visibly confused. He put his fork down.

"Yeah, I didn't know what it was either, until we found this site," he said. "You know how you can look at someone and think 'Wow, that's hot. I want to get with that?'"

Rachel said, "My dad says that's just the demons talking."

"Yes, the same," said Kori. "You mean this is normal?"

Victor smacked his head on the table. That word was really starting to piss him off.

"Hey," said Garfield sharply, "normal is relative! For me, normal is not breathing when I visit the beach. But yeah, most people have those thoughts. Some people don't. And Victor… don't."

"Mm, this will need a great deal of prayer," said Kori, "and the internet. Do not worry, Victor. You are my friend anyway."

"Are you happy?" asked Rachel.

Victor paused a moment and said, "I'm happy there's a word for it. And a community. There are people I can talk to who don't look at me like I'm broken. I mean, let's face it: I'm pretty broken."

"Dude, we're all broken," Garfield said with a laugh. "I can't even deal with shirt tags."

"Wait," said Rachel, "while we're on the topic of sexuality, uh… is it always straight, or do you two sometimes have, you know, gay thoughts?"

"Umm… no. Do you?" asked Garfield as Kori shook her head quietly.

"Huh. Maybe I'm just not as straight as I thought."

Kori rested her chin on her hands and muttered in Arabic. Victor noted her torn expression and thoughtful eyes. He asked if she was okay.

"Mm. It is… difficult," she said. "Some say this is fine, and others say it is not. But you are my friends. I will study and ask Allah for guidance. Oh! Speak of the guidance! I have made a plan!"

"A plan?" Garfield repeated

"Does anyone else feel like this is a really long lun-?" asked Rachel.

As if answering her, the bell rang. Kori waved her hands.

"Ooooh! Time for salat," she said. "I will inform you of the plan shortly! It will do us all much good."

Victor turned to Garfield and asked, "Is it just me, or is the idea of Kori having a plan terrifying?"

"Ha! At least it's not my plan. My plans nearly kill me."

Victor rolled his eyes. The kid had a point. How much worse could a Kori plan be than a Garfield plan?