"I'm really excited about this play," said Jeremy. "I've never been to an opening night before—have you?"

Jean snorted. "Ah, yes, the Ravens took us to the theatre all the time. The performances fit seamlessly into our eighteen-hour days."

"Okay, yeah, dumb question," said Jeremy. "You're looking forward to it, too, though, right?"

"Yes, of course," said Jean, facing the mirror and continuing to get ready. "There are some very big stars in it—ones who have done movies and television too—and we get to go to the after party. There will be plenty of opportunities to talk to the press and get photos with celebrities who have bigger followings than we do."

"And our friend and former teammate Travis, who is in the play."

"Yes, we will need to get at least one photo with him, too," said Jean. "It would look bad if we did not. Besides, a cast member—that has to carry some weight, too, even if he isn't exactly the lead."

"Are you sure you didn't go to the theatre with the Ravens?" Jeremy muttered.

Jean snapped to face him. "What?"

"Nothing," said Jeremy quickly. "I didn't mean—" He sighed. "The way you were talking, it just kind of seemed like the way a Raven would be looking at an evening like this. All focused on the competition and strategy of it. Instead of the fun."

"Winning is fun," said Jean. "Besides, this is important. We are better than Josten and Minyard, and it is important for the world to know that."

"Is it, though?" asked Jeremy. "Why does it matter what the rest of the world thinks?"

"Because we are in a competition with them," said Jean, as if it were obvious. "The entire outcome rests on what the rest of the world thinks."

"But what are the stakes?" asked Jeremy. "If we lose—so what? It doesn't actually change anything."

"Do you think we are going to lose?" asked Jean.

"We might!" said Jeremy, throwing his hands out. "We can't control that! And that's okay! It doesn't matter, because, at the end of the day, win or lose, we have each other, and we know how awesome we are, and so do our friends, and all the people who actually matter."

Jean frowned. "We cannot do this if you are not committed to winning."

"What does that even mean?"

Before Jean could answer, his phone started to buzz. "It's Kevin," he said, answering and putting it on speaker. "Hello?"

"Hey, Jean," said Kevin, sounding relaxed and happy. "How's it going?"

"Good," said Jeremy, trying to match Kevin's tone. "Just getting ready for the show tonight!"

"Oh, yeah, that will be starting soon, won't it?" said Kevin. "I don't want to keep you—just calling to give an update on Neil and Andrew's activity today."

"How did it go?" asked Jeremy.

"What did they do?" asked Jean.

"It was a lot of fun!" said Kevin. "I finally got them to go with me to the history museum downtown!"

"A museum?" asked Jean, perking up. "That does not sound very visible to the public."

"They were having an event," said Kevin, either oblivious to Jean's implications or ignoring them. "Some kind of family day, for the opening of a new exhibit. There were activities, guest lecturers, all kinds of stuff."

"That sounds really cool," said Jeremy. "I know you've been wanting to get them to that museum for a long time."

"Since before they even got married," said Kevin.

"Tell us about the exhibit," said Jeremy.

"It's fantastic," said Kevin enthusiastically. "You should really come out here and see it for yourself. It's centered around a nature photographer who has taken all of these spectacular photographs all over the state, and the exhibition pairs his photographs with historical facts about the locations where the photos were taken—sometimes, they've even got photos taken at the same spot from decades earlier, so you can see the way things have changed. They're really stunning. I keep meaning to get out more during the off-season, maybe go on some hikes, and this exhibit really inspired me."

"That's great," said Jeremy. "Do you know how long the exhibit will be there?"

"A few months," said Kevin, "so it will still be there if you want to come visit in the down time between Court and the pro season."

"Fantastic," said Jeremy. "So, definitely something we can plan to do."

"Really?" said Kevin brightly. "You actually want to?"

"Yeah," said Jeremy. "It sounds like a really cool exhibit. And, besides, if you're this enthusiastic about it, I'm sure we'd like it, too." He glanced over at Jean, who seemed distracted. "Right?"

Jean made a vague noise of agreement and then tilted his head at the phone. "I have a question," he said. "Are you home right now?"

"Me?" asked Kevin. "Yeah."

"Is the cat no longer attempting to murder you?" Jean asked, sounding slightly disappointed.

"Oh! King and I have reached an understanding," said Kevin. "We're friends now. Or at least—friendly."

"Oh," said Jean, the disappointment now apparent in his voice. "I see."

"Wait, are you upset that I'm no longer being viciously attacked in my own home?"

"No, no, it is fine," said Jean.

"It's great," Jeremy corrected, shooting Jean a look. "We're glad things are going better with the cat."

"Me, too," said Kevin. "The scratches are finally starting to heal."

Jean perked up. "But you still had visible scratches today, when you went with Josten and Minyard on the museum outing?"

"Well, yeah," said Kevin. "So did they—the cats play rough."

Jean pursed his lips, then nodded. "We can work with that."

"Work with—what are you talking about?"

Jeremy sighed. "He thinks it's good for us that the aftermath of one of their activities is resulting in injury to you."

"Oh," said Kevin. "Yeah, maybe. It's hard to predict for sure, but I bet at least a few people will make that connection."

"Excellent," said Jean happily. "I hope the people that make the connection are the ones who will be very vocal about it."

"We should probably get going," said Jeremy, trying to sound as if he weren't deliberately changing the subject. "Don't want to be late!"

"Oh, oui," said Jean, nodding. "We want to make sure we have plenty of time on the red carpet—if we are not seen before the show, we will be wasting a lot of time sitting in a dark theatre where no one can post about it."

Jeremy held in a sigh and smiled instead. "There's also the after party."

"Yes, and that will help, but it will be very late by the time the after party starts, especially on the East Coast. We need to make sure people are posting about us before the show."

"I'm already seeing some buzz," said Kevin. "Especially since Neil and Andrew have already finished their event for the week. Everyone is excited to see what the two of you do!"

Jean brightened, and Jeremy tried to at least be happy that Jean was happy. "Excellent. Perhaps the suspense is working in our favor." Jean paused. "Kevin, you should come visit us. Participate in our activity next week."

"Yeah," Jeremy agreed; he didn't have to fake enthusiasm for a visit from Kevin. They still hadn't talked about it, but at this point, the distraction would be welcome. "You should come, and stay through the week. We can all head back East together for the Court weekend."

"You do realize you're further from the national team's facilities than I am here in Denver, right?" asked Kevin.

"Go home in between, then," said Jean with a shrug. "The voting will be over before we leave, anyway."

"That's another thing—I'm not sure it's appropriate for me to come visit y'all in the middle of all this," said Kevin. "People could think I'm playing favorites."

"People may already think that," said Jean. "After all, you did participate in their activity today. What if the public thinks it is because you like them more than you like us?"

"I live with them."

"Exactly," Jean nodded. "You are already showing potential favoritism. You simply must visit us to counteract it."

"Do you know what your activity will be?" asked Kevin. "I'm not flying out there to do something I'll hate."

"Camila is still finalizing the details," said Jean, "but we're planning to do a fan day at our local Exites. Photo ops, autographs, the works. It should generate some very good publicity. A day surrounded by exy gear and adoring fans. You would love it."

"Oh," said Kevin, "that does sound fun."

"Think about it," said Jeremy. He touched Jean's shoulder. "We really should get going."

"Ah, yes, the red carpet awaits!" said Jean. "Kevin, we will see you soon, oui?"

"I'll get back to you," said Kevin, "but yeah, probably. We can talk timing tomorrow."

"Sounds good," said Jeremy. "See you soon!"

"It would be very good for Kevin to come visit us," said Jean as soon as he ended the call. "He can draw a bigger crowd than we can."

"I don't know, we can draw a pretty big crowd in L.A. all on our own. This is our hometown, after all," said Jeremy.

"True," said Jean. "Still, it cannot hurt. I hope he gets here early in the week. That way, we can be sure to go out to a few dinners together. There are plenty of opportunities for good, impromptu public sightings." Jean checked his reflection in the mirror one more time, gave Jeremy a quick once-over, then nodded. "All right, let's go. The public awaits!"

"You know they aren't there to see us, right?" asked Jeremy lightly. "The main attraction is, in fact, the play. The play that our friend Travis has been working very hard on for weeks."

"Yes, yes, of course," said Jean. "We want the play to do well, also. It would not be as useful for us to be seen at opening night of a flop."

Jeremy had neither the time nor the energy to continue their fight, so he let it go. "Yeah. It will be good for everyone if they play does well."

The rest of the night passed in a blur. From the flashbulbs of the red carpet to the crowded glamour of the after party, the only time Jeremy could relax was during the play itself. It was a relief to sit in a dark theatre where no one could take any pictures. He was still too distracted to focus on the play, but he followed it well enough to pay Travis specific compliments afterwards, and he made a mental note to see it again once the madness of the rivalry was over.

It would be over soon.

He could make it one more week.

Probably.

"That was fun," said Kevin happily as they got into Jean and Jeremy's car outside their local Exites. "I'm glad I came out to visit y'all. This meet-and-greet was way more fun to join in on than Neil and Andrew's activity for the week. And your publicist is fantastic—it's clear she really likes you."

"Camila's the best," said Jeremy, backing out of the parking spot.

"She seemed really happy with the event."

"There was a really good turnout!" said Jeremy. "My hand is a little sore from signing so many things."

"More people wanted Kevin's signature," said Jean, staring at his phone. "Most of the buzz online seems to at least mention all three of us, but he definitely drew attention."

Kevin rolled his eyes. "You're welcome."

Jean glanced back at Kevin as if he'd just remembered he was still with them. "Can you tell us about this mysterious, less-fun activity our rivals participated in, or is it still a secret?"

"Don't be a hypocrite. You wouldn't have liked it if I was leaking inside information to them," said Kevin.

Jean shrugged. "My opinions are entirely consistent. I want you to do things that help us and hurt them."

"What part of 'neutral third party' is difficult for you to understand?"

"The part where you are actually sticking to it," said Jean, making a face.

Kevin sighed heavily. "I can't wait for this to be over."

"You can end it now," said Jeremy hopefully. "Send out the poll. Let us be done with it."

"I'm going to give it until tomorrow morning," said Kevin, and Jeremy swallowed his disappointment. "I want to make sure there's enough time for people to see coverage of both of your activities before they see the poll. Besides, it will be a better time for the algorithm."

"Why do you know that?" asked Jean.

"Why don't you?"

"Tomorrow's fine," said Jeremy. "And it will just be a 24-hour poll, right?"

"Yes," said Kevin.

"So there's time for us to choose and arrange our volunteer activity for next weekend," said Jean, nodding.

Kevin hummed in agreement. "The poll will close Tuesday morning, and the joint activity will be next Saturday."

"Sounds good," said Jeremy, mentally counting down the hours until the rivalry was over.

"What was their activity?" asked Jean. "We have already finished ours. What could we possibly do with this information?"

"I'm sure you could think of something," said Kevin dryly. "But—good, it doesn't matter anymore, they've posted about it. They went to visit the local children's hospital."

"Oh, wow," said Jeremy, "that's really nice."

Jean snorted. "Sure, if you want to lose."

Jeremy looked at him. "What?"

"Their strategy is terrible," said Jean.

Jeremy held in a sigh. "It's still a really nice thing to do," he said. "I'm sure they had some really meaningful conversations. And I bet those kids will remember it forever."

"We do not need anyone to remember it forever," said Jean. "Kevin will be posting the poll in the morning. And you know who will be participating in the poll? Exy fans. Not hospitalized children."

"He's got a point," said Kevin. "Strictly in terms of the contest, your activity was probably way better."

"Sure, maybe," said Jeremy, "but that doesn't mean theirs wasn't good."

Kevin gave him a long look, then a sad smile. "Yeah. Theirs was good, too."

"But not as good as ours, yes?" Jean prompted.

"Maybe," said Kevin with a shrug. "These things are hard to predict."

Jean frowned. "We should go out to dinner tonight. Somewhere trendy."

"You're just trying to get one more public appearance out of me before I leave in the morning," said Kevin.

"I am simply trying to give you the quintessential Los Angeles experience."

Kevin raised an eyebrow.

"Okay, fine, I would like to get another public appearance out of this," said Jean. "We are allowed to do that."

"There is such a thing as overexposure," said Kevin. "Besides, you're at the end of your social rope. I could tell how hard it was for you to keep up the act for the last twenty minutes or so of the signing; you're not going to be recharged in time for a dinner tonight."

"You do not think I am strong enough to hold myself together?"

Kevin sighed. "It's not about strength. Is this really how you want to be spending your time right now?"

"The competition is almost over," said Jean. "Why would we bench ourselves in the final minutes?"

"I get where you're coming from," said Kevin, "but I'm done. The two of you can do whatever you want after you drop me off at the airport tomorrow morning."

"Fine," said Jean. "You are useless to me."

"Are you sure you don't want to stay any longer?" asked Jeremy. "We'd love to host you through the end of the week." He left unspoken his hope that Kevin's continued presence could deter Jean from planning more public outings, but he was pretty sure Kevin could see it in his face anyway.

"I'm posting the poll tomorrow," he said, his tone somewhere between comforting and apologetic, "and I do not want to be with any of y'all while the voting is going on. Besides, I'm looking forward to spending a few days with my dad and Abby."

"They'll be happy to see you," said Jeremy with a resigned smile. "Send our love."

"Of course," said Kevin. "Now, do you have thoughts on dinner? Because I would love some more good Mexican food before I leave."

"You know," said Jean, "there is a wonderful place downtown with a great outdoor seating area. The fajitas are particularly excellent—they bring them out in the skillet, still sizzling."

"Nice try," said Kevin. "Still not going out tonight."

"They deliver, too," said Jeremy, "and the enchiladas are better than the fajitas, anyway. Plus, they travel well."

"Thank you," said Kevin. "I love enchiladas."

"I like the fajitas," mumbled Jean.

"We can go tomorrow, after we drop Kevin off," said Jeremy. "We can make a reservation for the balcony and everything."

Jean hummed. "The Mediterranean place on the corner has better visibility."

Jeremy smiled tightly. "Wherever you want."

"Excellent," said Jean. "I will make the reservation now."

"And put in our dinner order," said Kevin.

"Yes, yes, I will do that, too," said Jean. "You know, the balcony really is—"

"No."

"Fine, delivery it is," said Jean. "Or, we could pick it up ourselves. It would probably be faster. And it would save the delivery person a trip."

"And it would give you the opportunity to still be seen with me at that restaurant tonight," said Kevin. "The answer is still no."

"You could stay in the car."

"Jean," said Jeremy, gripping the steering wheel, "I'm pretty tired." Tired of being on all the time, tired of Jean's one-track focus, tired of the rivalry. "I'd really rather just go home."

"We are in the home stretch," said Jean. "We can be tired when the poll closes."

"I'm tired now."

Jean sighed. "All right, tonight, we will just go home. But tomorrow, can we do more than just the lunch? Maybe a stroll down the Boulevard, and a stop at the chocolatier you like?"

"We'll see how tomorrow goes," said Jeremy. He felt Jean's eyes on him. "But yeah, probably, that sounds good."

"Très bien."

Jeremy took a deep breath. It would be over soon, and Jean would go back to normal. "Yeah. Very good."