Billy's grandfather reached forward, taking Billy by the chin and pushing apart his lips with his fingers. Bile rose in his throat, hot and metallic. He forced it down with a hard gulp.

"You have fine teeth," his grandfather commented. "How many times a day does Thad make you brush them?"

"Father, what the hell are you doing?"

His grandfather let go of him, and Billy had to spread out his legs to keep from falling. He stepped back onto the stairs, taking the nearest railing and clutching it until his palms began to sweat against the smooth wood. He turned, catching Annie's gaze. She tilted her head at him, her frown deepening. Then, she turned and hurried and back upstairs.

Billy's father and grandfather both hurried towards each other.

"You have no right to speak to me that way, Thad, especially not in my own house."

"And you think you can assess my son like a cow on display at the county fair?"

"Don't be so dramatic! I was just making sure you were raising the boy well."

"What did you expect me to bring, a street urchin?"

Despite himself, Billy stood riveted to the spot. He was like the Cheshire cat, at once there as the subject of conversation but at the same time far away and alien. No one was looking at him, and it was hard to imagine that they were only squabbling over him.

"Oh, hardly, but you can never know with parents these days. I do hope he'll be wearing something else to dinner."

With the way his grandfather and uncle were dressed, he had to wonder if there was anything in their closets except three-piece suits.

"What does it matter what he's wearing?"

"You think he can go to Bellissima dressed like that?"

His father turned to glare at Uncle Sid, who was standing near the end of the hallway. "I thought you said you were ordering in."

"Dad called me while I was in the bathroom earlier to say that he'd gotten an unexpected dinner call that he couldn't refuse. Said he'd love if you guys could come."

"You are coming." Both men turned, locking gazes with the Sivana patriarch. "Really, Thad? You finally decide to return for a family holiday, and you don't think I'll use this time to make up for your absence? My investors have been wanting to meet you. It's your share of the fortune that gets funneled into the university and that project of yours there that you never discuss, after all."

"What I do with my money is my own business, father."

"It damn well is when it comes out of my own shares!"

"Your own website uses it as proof of corporate philanthropy in support of higher education!"

"Thad, you know Dad doesn't write that."

"Oh, but I'm sure he loved the press coverage!"

There was an anger in his father's voice that snapped Billy free, forcing his legs back up the stairs. As if suddenly remembering him, three sets of eyes again locked on him, but before he was even fully up the stairs, they were back to arguing. The distant voices followed him all the way back to Annie's room. He pulled the door closed behind him as he entered.

"Do they always do that?" Billy sat back down in her desk chair, taking a chocolate chip cookie from her outstretched hand.

She shrugged. "Usually your dad isn't around. My dad and grandpa don't really fight, but that's just how my dad is." She rolled her eyes. "There's a reason I wanted to stay at my mom's."

"Then why'd you come here?"

She raised an eyebrow. "Why'd you?"

"Because my dad said we were coming."

She laughed. "Well, it wasn't quite like that for me. But I figured if Dad was going to cover all my tuition, a few weeks with him would be an easy way to say thank you. Pretty stupid in hindsight, but in a few more days it won't matter anyway."

"I'm in the marching band at my school." The words were out of his mouth before he fully realized them. Somehow the fact had slipped his mind earlier that evening.

Her eyes widened, her face again brightening. "Really? A lot of my friends from high school were, too!"

Billy grinned, letting her in on how the football season had ended. "If I'd bothered to stick around for the final game, I might have been disappointed!"

Then Annie started discussing her classes. She moved her hands as she spoke, gesturing towards her cello case and pulling up pictures on her phone. For a moment, she looked like the girl in the framed photos around her, smiling and eager to face the world.

"Any idea what you're going to be studying yet?"

"Hardly," Billy replied. "I went to some different career camps over the past few summers but haven't really decided on anything. Guess it's because I can't do everything."

"Hey, you don't have to know what you want to be right now. It's better to explore."

"How'd you know that you wanted to study music?"

"Easy! Playing cello is the only thing I'm any good at."

A knock came at the door. Her face stiffened, but she stepped forward and opened the door a crack.

"Annabelle, is William there?"

Her only reply was to open the door wider. Billy stood up, meeting his father's gaze.

"Sid is taking us back to the hotel to get changed." He rubbed absently at the bandages around his eye.

"Whatever."

"Do you have any cookies left?"

Annie blinked. "Oh, yeah." She held out a napkin. "Take whatever you want, Uncle Thad."

"Thank you." He took a gingerbread man and snapped off its head, swallowing it seemingly without chewing it. "I'm glad that you two had the decency to spoil your appetites."


Considering the fanciest thing that Billy had packed were some school-logo polos and khakis, he'd had to wear some of his dad's clothes. His father had traded in his usual brown weather waist-length jacket for a navy-blue suit. Billy wore a starched white collared shirt, a black tie, and matching colored dress pants.

"Be sure to put your elbows on the table when you eat," his father had said. "And use the forks indiscriminately."

"Won't your dad get mad?"

"That's the point." His father's face hardened.

"I don't want him to get mad at you because of me."

"He'll be mad at me no matter what. Why not get some fun out of it?"

Billy gave a smile that was all teeth.

His father had changed into a fresh pair of bandages. As the two headed for the hotel room's door, he considered asking about it but stopped himself. Just because the bandages were still there didn't mean that the infection wasn't healing. Wasn't it better sometimes to not leave things exposed to open air and the germs it carried?

"Dad, why'd we come here if everyone is just going to fight?"

"You wouldn't understand."

"Really?" Billy bit his lip. Was that his only answer? That was the kind you gave kids that you thought were stupid.

"I have my reasons, William. But if it makes you feel any better, I can already tell you that we aren't coming back next year."

"I wouldn't have guessed."


"What's an Italian place without spaghetti?" Annie whispered into Billy's ear. She was wearing a wavy black skirt that went down to her ankles and a light purple sweater that looked too thin to actually keep away the cold.

"What's veal?" he replied.

There didn't look to be anyone else their age in the restaurant. Billy had to keep himself from asking his dad if the reason the place was so packed was because they served a senior citizen discount. Not that he would have had the chance. His father had yet to touch anything on his plate, he was so busy answering questions.

He couldn't remember the names of the other people at the table, only that they were board members of Sivana Industries. Every once in a while, they would turn and look at Billy and Annie boredly, even sometimes ask them to pass the bread. The rest of their time was spent discussing stocks, public image, and increasing revenues.

"This is why I didn't let my dad talk me into business school."

It would have been much easier for the two to text each other, but Uncle Sid had taken both of their phones away when they arrived at the restaurant.

"Dad insists on it," he'd said.

Well, even if Billy didn't get to tell him until later tonight or tomorrow morning, Freddy was going to love hearing about this. Surely he could find a joke in this mess.

"And your research, what practical applications does it have?" one board member asked.

"More than I can list," Thaddeus replied. "The patients who come to me are confused and need to know that what they are experiencing isn't something to be ashamed of. Such shared phenomena is fascinating but unfairly stigmatized."

"Hey, what's your dad talking about?"

"Beats me. He doesn't talk about his work a lot to me."

As if to prove his point, his father began quoting some of his papers word by word. At least Billy thought he did. He poked at his plate.

"Hey, uh, I didn't get the chance to ask you earlier, but is it true that marching band kids get a lot of-"

The more people that entered the restaurant, the harder that it was to hear Annie even though she was sitting next to him.

"Annabelle!"

Annie's sudden pause caused the next word that she had been speaking to die in a low squeak. She pulled away from Billy and sat up straight.

"I asked you to elaborate on your time at university."

"Oh, of course, grandfather." All eyes of the board members were locked on her. "In case my dad hasn't mentioned this yet, I'm a junior-"

Billy sighed. He eyed the restaurant, taking in the waiters in flawlessly pressed suits holding bone white china plates. He'd seen the prices listed for meals on the menu and had to hold back a gasp. The wine his grandfather was sipping alone cost thirty dollars a glass. What he would have given then for a slice of pizza!

Luckily, the board members seemed so engrossed in their drinks that they soon forgot Annie. She sighed, stuffing a roll into her mouth.

She leaned forward and whispered into his ear. "See what you guys have been missing out on these last two weeks?"


Billy collapsed into the hotel bed before he had even changed into his pajamas. "Hey, dad, is it okay if I hang out with Mary from the Philly trivia team tomorrow? I know I told you about her after the competition."

"Yes." His father didn't even look at him.

"I won't be missing out on anything important tomorrow afternoon, right?"

He shook his head.

"I'm serious. I don't want you getting in trouble or anything because of me."

That was enough to get his dad to finally look at him. "William, I appreciate your concern. And though my father might not always realize it, I am a grown man. I can deal with him myself. If you'd had someone to stay with, I wouldn't even have brought you here with me. This isn't anything that you need to be worrying about."

"But if you don't like them-"

"William, when you get into the working world, you'll meet a lot of people you don't like. Sometimes you just have to deal with them in the best way that you can. Maybe that means compromising, maybe that means giving them what they deserve. But right now, that isn't your issue."

Billy held back a groan. He could ask all of the questions in the world and still get nowhere. But maybe his dad was right. What exactly did any of this matter to him? Once he and his dad got back on the plane to California, this Christmas would be nothing but a bad memory.

"Whatever you say, old man."


"If your Christmas sucks, you and your dad can always come spend the holiday with my family. We love having people over, and Darla will be thrilled to share the tofurkey."

"Just hearing you say that word made me lose ten years of my life."

"Yeah, well you're not the one who has to eat it every night." Freddy put one box down and then grabbed another. "I already got my sister Vixen and Supergirl figures for her birthday, so all that's left is to decide between Wonder Woman and Batgirl." He held them up. "What do you think?"

"It's your choice."

"Man, you can't put me on the spot like this. With my luck I might choose the wrong one."

"There has to be one that speaks to you."

"It would, but it says here on the back of the box that batteries aren't included." He placed the boxes back down, giving them another look over. "I'm a bit biased, but I'm definitely feeling Wonder Woman."

Billy snickered.

"You know what I meant!" He grabbed the Wonder Woman figure, then headed towards the cash register. "So, where do you want to go after this?"

"I'll have to check the directory." Once Freddy was a few feet ahead of him, Billy grabbed the Batgirl figure.

"You didn't have to do that," Freddy said as they left the store, sticking the second figure and Billy's receipt into his bag.

Billy shrugged. "I figured if I didn't get it then you'd drag me back in there."

Freddy gave him a playful punch on the arm.

"Hey, can we sit down?"

Freddy nodded. The two headed towards a bench across from a shoe store. For a moment, the two sat in silence, watching the crowds of people pass by.

"Is something wrong?"

Billy shook his head. Digging in his pocket, he pulled out a small, messily wrapped box. "I was going to give this to you earlier, but you were in such a rush to get to the toy store that I didn't have time to stop you. It's not much, but I hope you like it."

Freddy grinned. As soon as he pulled it from Billy's hands, he immediately began pulling off the paper. "Dude! I've been wanting this game so bad."

"I mean, you never shut up about it."

"And you think giving me this will make me stop?" Freddy's smile wavered. "I really appreciate it, Billy. I wish I had something to give you in return."

"Freddy, it's no big deal."

"I'll have to find something for you now, at least."

"Look, I don't know what the next few days might hold. If something big happens, I might not even be able to see you again."

"Then that means I really do need to find you something for you while we're here!" He stood up, poking Billy's leg with the end of his crutch. "Come on, there has to be something here you like."

Billy almost protested, then stopped himself. Whether he actually found something he wanted or not, it was better than going home.


"You sure that's all you want?" Freddy asked as he dropped his cup into the trash.

"It's enough for me," Billy replied, taking one last sip of his own milkshake. "I don't want to drag a bunch of shit home with me on the plane, anyway."

The two left Big Belly Burger, passing a number of smaller restaurants as they headed further into the food court.

"If you say so." Freddy pulled his phone from his pocket. "Hey, Mary's picking me up in twenty minutes. Anywhere else you want to look?"

Billy shook his head. "I should probably call my cousin soon and ask her to pick me up. She's probably done shopping now anyway."

Freddy cleared his throat. "I was serious earlier, you know. We'd love it if you came over for Christmas. Victor and Rosa are very chill. You couldn't ask for a more relaxing family dinner."

Billy scoffed. "I can't make any promises. But if it gets any worse, I'll tell Dad about your offer."

Freddy pulled him into a hug. It wasn't as tight as one of Annie's, but it was firm and warm. "Thank you again for the game."

"It was nothing. Thanks for dinner."

"Do you mind if I give Darla the Batgirl that you got her early?"

"Feel free to."

A few minutes later, as none other than Uncle Sid pulled up to the door to pick him up in a grey van, Annie waving to him from the passenger seat window, Billy thought back to his friend's offer.