A mere 24 hours away, the whole campus of CHS would soon be full of students and their families. And with the main event set of Sunny and Izzy to put on a show for everyone, both girls were nervous as they had quite a performance to entertain the masses.
"You're what?!" shouted Zipp as she was on her phone.
"I said I'll be coming tomorrow," responded Haven as she was shown in her limo, doing her nails while holding the phone with her shoulder. "I can't wait to hear what you and your sister have been doing."
"Great," groaned Zipp as she dreaded the thought of her mother coming for Friends and Family Day.
"Plus, I want to see if there are any eligible boys that my little Zephyrina has decided on."
"Mom, I'm not little!" responded the teen.
"Ms!" said the driver as he got Haven's attention.
"I need to go, Zephyrina. But don't worry, you'll see your dearly beloved mother tomorrow. Ta-ta!" said Haven in a sing-like voice as the call ended.
Zipp sighed as she had a hand run down her face. The girl was hoping her mother would be too busy with her company that she would have either forgotten about Friends and Family Day or be too busy to attend. Since enrolling, she scheduled nothing for that day as she wanted to see her two little babies and their new environment. But for Zipp, she knew it was just an excuse to potentially see if there were any suitable matches for her. This was part of why Zipp did everything she could to avoid starting a relationship.
The girl knew from past experiences that whenever she was with a boy, her mother was too invested in trying to make sure that this was the one who would marry her oldest daughter and run the family business with Zipp when she decided to hand it off to her. Running the family business was Zipp's inheritance; as the oldest sibling, she would take over her mother's company when the time was right. It was something that Zipp dreaded the more she thought about it.
The good thing is that she didn't have to worry about her mother trying to coax a boy into sweeping her off her feet. The reason is that she had no interest in any recent boys.
"Hey, rich girl, you coming or what!" said Mario from her window.
Zipp approached her window, and outside was Mario. The boy had been waiting for her for quite some time as she was the one who told him to not be late. Yet here she was, taking her sweet time.
"Yeah, just give me a minute," responded Zipp to the boy as he rolled his eyes.
The girl smiled nervously before shutting the window and taking a deep breath. For some reason, her nerves kicked up just seconds after calming down. And it all happened when she saw Mario. Zipp assumed she was still thinking about her mother coming as she decided to put it out of her mind for now. The girl began to head downstairs as she didn't want to keep her friend waiting any longer.
Hitch was currently with Sunny as the pair were working on making a dish to serve for Friends and Family Day. Their Home EC teacher, Mrs. Sugar Belle, had offered her students a chance to earn some extra credit if they wanted to serve a dish for the banquet table that was to be served for Friends and Family Day. Sunny was happy to jump at the opportunity for multiple reasons; she dragged Hitch against his will to make something with her best friend.
The pair had been in the kitchen of Sunny's dorm building for the past few hours, with several desserts before them. All of which were made from Sunny's memories of helping her father in the kitchen when she was little paid off. The timer from the oven went off as Sunny put on some oven mitts and opened them. The smell emitting from the tray of cookies was shown as the girl sniffed it and happily hummed to herself as she placed the metal tray on the counter.
"You're really a wizard in the kitchen, Sunny," stated Hitch as he sniffed the sweet treats.
"Thanks, Hitch. Here, try this," stated the girl as she popped a cookie into her friend's mouth.
A bite and a swallow soon followed as Hitch found the cookie tasty.
"Vanilla frosting, some cameral drizzle, and a pinch of coconut flakes," said Sunny as she began to decorate her cookies. "How's the dough?"
"Almost ready," said Hitch as he had a rolling pin and was trying to get the dough to stay flat and nicely even.
The boy wasn't the best in the kitchen as he followed Sunny's instructions on what to do and helped her in any way he could while she handled the more advanced stuff. Sunny was humming to herself as she decorated some cupcakes she made. The girl began to customize them as she made unicorn smiley faces on them. Hitch saw them and was reminded of the manuscript the girl gave him about six magical ponies going off and having adventures. It also got him to think about the question she asked him then, about whether he ever felt stuck in a loop.
"Hey, Sunny."
"What is it, Hitch?" responded the girl, keeping her focus on the cupcakes.
"You remember asking me if I ever find myself stuck in a loop?"
The girl stopped when she heard that as she put down the frosting and turned to eye her childhood friend.
"Yeah, I do. That was a while ago. Why?" asked Sunny.
"Well, I remembered it while you were gone. And since then, it's kinda been on my mind. You asked me if I ever felt like my life was in a loop? I kept my thoughts to myself, but is it wrong to say that I don't mind it?" asked the boy as he kept rolling the pin across the dough.
"No. But… wouldn't you want some excitement to happen? Something extraordinary to occur so that you don't have to live the same boring day for who knows how long?" countered Sunny.
"I guess. But I find it a bit… scary. You never know what could happen, and that's nothing I enjoy too much."
"Yeah, I know. We've been so close that I know you like order and things to make sense to you. But, would you take it if you had the chance to liven things up, like, I don't know, go on a life-changing adventure?"
Hitch didn't answer immediately as he had to think about what his best friend was saying.
"I can't say I wouldn't do it. But then again, I don't know."
"Well, one thing's for sure, that will never change, no matter what happens," said Sunny.
"What's that?" asked Hitch.
The girl bumped her shoulder against his.
"That we're best friends. Forever," smiled the girl.
"Best friends. Forever," smiled the boy as he returned the gesture.
The teens kept smiling as they lifted their hands up.
"Up high, down low, hitch it to a post. Flip it sunny side up and on a piece of toast."
The duo did their handshake as when Sunny went to do her playful punch to Hitch's shoulder, some flour picked up in her face. The girl coughed as she seemed to inhale some of it.
"Oops, my bad, Sunny. Forgot I was coated in that stuff," said Hitch as he tried apologizing to his friend.
"It's okay," coughed the girl as she waved her hand about to get some air.
Sunny managed to breathe as she looked at Hitch, unaware of the bits of flour on her left cheek.
"You got a little," gestured Hitch.
Sunny lifted her hand to wipe her cheek as she got most of it.
"Did I get it?" asked the girl.
"Sort of. Here let me help," offered the boy.
Hitch raised his hand as he wiped the last bit of flour from Sunny's cheek. Yet, at that moment, something occurred. When Hitch brought his hand up to wipe Sunny's cheek, she felt his fingers graze them. The girl felt the warm touch of her best friend as it made her feel… nice. Though the gesture was simple, the skin-on-skin contact sent both hearts into a feverous flurry of raw, intoxicating emotions. It felt good. So unbelievably good. They stared at each other like they wanted to remain in this moment for eternity. Sunny and Hitch slowly began to move closer; the pair leaned in as they started to feel their eyes close with their lips beginning to pursue.
"Hey, you two!" exclaimed Izzy as the door to the kitchen opened.
"Izzy!" yelped Sunny as she broke away from Hitch.
The boy quickly returned to rolling the pin on the dough, hoping Izzy didn't see what he and Sunny were doing.
"I just came to check up on you two. Plus, I was hungry," said Izzy as she seemed oblivious to how the pair were close. She grabbed a cupcake and ate it as the sweet treat sent her taste buds into overdrive. "Mmm. These are good."
"Thanks. Glad you like them," said Sunny as she played with her hair a bit, trying to avoid eye contact with Hitch.
"So, uh, are you nervous for tomorrow, Izzy?" asked Hitch.
"A little. But no worries, me and Sunny will make sure we don't have the jinxes."
"What?" responded Hitch.
"Jinxes?" said Sunny.
"Bad luck," whispered Izzy before looking both ways as if to watch out for something horrible.
"O-kay," responded the boy, unsure what to make of Izzy's weird behavior.
Mario was shown with a piece of paper in his hands. The boy set it in front of him as he bent down to examine it. He then extended to grab a brush as he dipped it into a jar of paint, and began to paint the large canvas before him. Mario was helping Pipp create the banner that would be hung before the school entrance as she wanted to create something iconic, as she put it. That and she wanted to spend some time with her crush.
"So, what's up with you, rich girl?" asked Mario as he switched to grab another brush.
"I just found out my mom is coming for Friends and Family Day tomorrow," said Zipp, seated on a bucket with a bored look.
"Wait, what?!" expressed Pipp as that was news to her.
Mario looked at the two sisters with a raised eyebrow.
"Not the reaction I was expecting," said the boy as he continued to paint the banner.
"You don't know her like I do," sighed Zipp. "She's gonna come over and see if any boys suit me. She wants me to inherit the business when she decides to retire. And by then, to have a suitable partner to care for me."
"Ah, boo hoo. The princess has too many options on who she should marry," mocked Mario as Zipp glared at him for making that comment.
"Well, hope I get a chance to show Mom my job. I'll make sure to give her a makeover that she won't ever forget," stated Pipp as she brought more paint for the boy. "What about you, Mario? Are your parents coming?" the girl batted her eyelashes and winked while getting close to the boy, trying to use her flirtiness to get her answer.
"Not a chance!" stated the boy, aggressively grabbing the paint from her hand and returning to complete the banner.
Mario's aggressive behavior took aback Pipp. Zipp also noticed it as she looked at the boy.
"Why?" asked Pipp.
"Just drop it, will you, chica!" shouted Mario as he didn't want to raise his voice, but they gave him a reason to.
"Look, we just asked a question. That's all!" said Zipp. "You don't have to be so sensitive. We just wanted to know if your parents were coming."
"And did I ask you to ask about that? No! So drop it and don't ever ask me again!" stated Mario as he began to paint more forcefully.
"You're not telling us something!" said Zipp as she began to approach Mario with a determined and angry look. "Whenever we ask about your parents, you throw a hissy fit. Enough's enough; I want answers!"
Zipp grabbed the paintbrush from the boy's hand. That set off Mario as he stood up and stared down Zipp, who was doing the same. The two teens glared at each other as Pipp could see her sister was serious and knew that things go get ugly very soon.
"You want answers? Huh? You want answers? Kiss my ass!" said Mario to Zipp.
Zipp acted on her anger as she shoved the boy back. Pipp gasped when she saw her sister do that, as she knew her to be more physical compared to her. Mario chuckled as he mumbled at what Zipp did before getting up in her face and pressing his forehead against hers as the two teens glared at each other.
"You really want to push my buttons, rich girl!" growled Mario.
"Do something about it!" taunted Zipp.
"Oh, I got no problem kicking a girl's ass!" shouted the boy as he raised his fist.
"No!" shouted Pipp as she grabbed Mario's fist.
The girl held back the punch he wanted to throw at her sister before getting in between her sister and her crush. Pipp had her hands on Mario, pushing him back and attempting to hold him.
"Get out of my way, chica!" shouted Mario as he wanted to give Zipp what she wanted.
"No!" said the girl, as she didn't want her friends to fight.
"Really, Pipp?! You gonna choose to stand by him over your sister!" shouted Zipp, as she couldn't believe she was holding Mario back.
"I don't want you two to fight!" shouted the social media girl as she held back Mario.
"All I want is to know who the hell you are!" shouted Zipp at Mario. "'Cause from day one, all I've gotten from you is sensitive, whinny, little bitch!"
"Oh, that's rich, coming from you, rich girl! Seeing as how you can't even decide which boy you like!" shouted the boy.
"I rather have that than daddy issues!" the girl responded.
"Hey, at least I got a dad!" fired back Mario as Zipp took offense, shown by her gasping when the boy said that remark.
"I dare you to say that to my face!" shouted Zipp.
Pipp was still trying to play peacekeeper as Zipp approached from behind her and put her hand on Mario, which he swatted away and caused Pipp to put both arms out in both directions to keep both at bay. She was lucky that Roll happened to arrive at that time; the girl knew what to do, and instead of grabbing her brother forcefully, she gently put her hand on his shoulder as Mario recognized the touch of his little sister.
The girl knew her brother and how to handle him in any situation. Instead of trying to hold him back like Pipp, she put her hand on her brother's shoulder and gently guided him away. Pipp was relieved to see Roll take her brother away as Zipp was still shouting at Mario to get physical with her.
Once they were back at their dorm place, Roll turned to look at her brother leaning against a wall with his arms crossed and eyes closed.
"You good?" asked Roll.
"Yeah. Thanks, sis," stated Mario as she smiled.
"Anytime. Are you still gonna attend tonight?"
"I'll think about it."
Mario then began to walk as he gave his little sister a kiss on her head before heading upstairs to his room. Roll smiled, glad to see that she could calm her brother's situation with Zipp. Still, if anything like that happened tonight while they were going to see stars, she would have to take matters into her own hands involving the billionaire princess. Hitch found out the hard way what happens when you cross the line.
Night had fallen on the campus of CHS. On top of Mario and Roll's dorm building, the roof was set up for a night of stargazing. Izzy, Sunny, and Hitch all arrived. Sunny brought a telescope she used with her father when they did their own stargazing. Pipp arrived later than that. The social media girl saw her crush as he was helping Sunny to set up the telescope while the others were around the fire pit table.
"Hey."
"Hey. So... is your sister coming?" asked Roll as she approached the girl.
"It's... complicated," responded Pipp as Roll nodded in understanding. "So, is your brother..."
"For now. Let's just try to enjoy ourselves," stated Roll.
The six teens all began to enjoy the evening festivities. Hitch had brought board games for all of them to play as they began to have fun; even Mario had a smile on his face. In the middle of their latest pictionary, Zipp made her presence known. The athletic teen arrived as the others spotted her and greeted their friend. Zipp waved as she cast a glance at Mario; the boy saw her as both held a stare.
Surprisingly, both kept their heads in check as neither got on each other's case. It gave hope to both younger sisters that their elder siblings might let this whole thing blow out. For Zipp, while she was putting on an act for her sister that she was here to have fun with her friends, she still wanted answers from Mario. And by the end of the night, one way or another, she was gonna get him to talk.
Mario was downstairs in the kitchen as he went to get more snacks and drinks for them ahead of the stargazing. He had closed the fridge when he noticed Pipp.
"Need something, chica?"
"Yeah. Several things, if you don't mind. First, just know I apologize for what my sister did. And I hope..."
"Can we just... not bring it up, please," said Mario, rather firmly, as he felt they should just ignore it.
"Well, I... s-sure," responded Pipp, feeling she didn't want to push her luck. "Okay, well, next thing. Why do you call me that?"
"What?" stated Mario before sipping the juice he poured, "Chica."
"Yeah, that."
"Just 'cause," responded the boy casually.
"Right, well, then," said Pipp, coughing to the side as she expected some better answer than that. "Then my next question is..."
"Look, Pipp. You want something. I can tell. So stop beating around the bush and tell me." Mario firmly stated.
The girl took a deep breath as she knew what she wanted to ask. However, she knew how it would make Mario feel. Still, she had to take a chance.
"Can you please tell me about your parents?" asked Pipp.
Mario knew she would ask that and immediately turned to grab the edge of the sink. The teen sighed heavily as he tried to process what was said. While the two were in the kitchen, they were unaware of someone listening in. Zipp had left the roof to see if she could have a chance to talk with Mario; however, as she was coming down the stairs, she overheard some voices as she hugged the wall. The girl peeked around the corner to see her younger sister and Mario talking.
"Look, I know you don't want to speak of it. But my sister has a point. Since you and Roll came, you haven't been honest with us. And I know the subject of family can be something tough to deal with. Trust me, I know." stated Pipp as the thought of her father came into her mind.
Mario kept his head down as he listened to the girl's words. The boy's hands still gripped the sink as their muscles tensed up. Pipp could see that his tough iron defense was something that wasn't going to break. With all her faults and wanting to follow the latest trends, the social media girl was ineffective in helping a friend. She turned as she looked to head back up to the roof.
"My mom..."
Pipp stopped just as Zipp was sweating, seeing the hand of her sister grip the wall she was about to turn the corner.
"My mother... she's very intelligent," confessed Mario. The boy lifted his head to look at the window and saw Pipp in the reflection.
The girl turned to look at the boy as he stared out the window. Zipp began to pull out her phone as she wanted to record this. The teen finally got some answers and had proof to back it up.
"My mother is a very smart woman. She's vastly clever. There wasn't a problem that she couldn't solve with her mind. Though I think the only thing she loves more than her kids is books." Mario chuckled when he said that, a memory of his mother reading to him when he was young as she tucked him into bed. "She's always loved me and Roll with all her heart. She's always taken care of us when we were sick or hurt. She had this touch that was... magical."
"What does she do?" asked Pipp.
"She owns her own company. A card-designing company, in fact."
"You mean?"
"Duel Monsters."
"Wait, so... if your mother owns a company... then... that means... that makes you..."
"Rich, yeah," confirmed Mario as he turned to look at the girl.
Pipp was shocked to learn that Mario and Roll's mother was not only a successful businesswoman, but she was just like her mother in that she owned a company. It also explained how Mario and his sister had so many cards. Any why he just got even hotter to her.
"She sounds like a wonderful person," stated Pipp.
"Yeah. She is," said Mario as he couldn't help but think of his mother.
"So. What about your dad?"
The atmosphere changed on a dime. The boy's hands clenched at hearing the mention of Pipp's question. He got up from leaning against the sink to look at the girl dead in the eye. Pipp saw how different Mario was after she said that question.
"All you need to know is that my dad is a junkie!" responded the boy.
Listening from around the corner, Zipp heard that as she turned her head. The girl had a look on her face after hearing Mario say that about his father. The teen looked at her phone as she touched the screen; the girl looked at the audio file before her and sighed before clicking delete. Zipp left as Mario and Pipp were unaware of the girl listening to their talk.
It was later as the group of friends were fast asleep. As tomorrow was Friends and Family Day, Celestia and Luna were lenient with all the students about staying over at dorms other than their own. So once they all were done stargazing, Sunny had the idea of them all sleeping over at Mario and Roll's dorm. The others all brought some sleeping bags as they were downstairs sleeping.
Mario was in his room as he was tossing and turning. The boy was mumbling to himself when a sound was heard. It caused him to open an eye as he looked about his room. Nothing seemed to be out of order as he continued to hear a noise. The boy approached his door and quietly opened it. The teen peeked his head out as he looked about the hallway, still seeing nothing but darkness.
He quietly stepped out as he approached the end of the hallway and hugged the wall leading to the stairs. The boy heard footsteps as he quieted his breathing; just as the shadow was shown reaching the top of the stairs, Mario made his move.
He reached out to grab the person as he pinned them against the wall. The shadow fought back as it kneed him in his midsection, causing him to stumble back. The shadow lunged at Mario as the pair fell and tumbled along the floor. Soon Mario found himself pinned by the shadow as he looked up. As the shadow was revealed, a ray of moonlight came in from a nearby window.
"Zipp?"
"Mario?"
The shadow was revealed to be the girl as she was on top of him and had his shoulders pinned down. The pair blinked as they looked at each other before Zipp got off the boy and allowed him to stand up.
"Sorry about that."
"No worries," said Mario as he dusted himself, "Wait a minute, no, I'm not! What the hell are you doing wandering about my dorm at this hour!" said the boy as he realized their situation.
"I was just trying to get to the roof. I... wanted some air," confessed the girl.
The evening air was cool and crisp as two teens approached the roof. They walked in comfortable silence, their footsteps crunching softly against the stairwell they trekked. With her electric blue and pink hair and determined spirit, Zipp led the way with a slight skip in her step. The girl often looked back to ensure she didn't lose the boy following steadily behind her. The boy lulled over his thoughts while his gaze tracked every movement the girl's hips made as she walked before him.
They soon arrived as they were now on top of the building. The boy headed over to the firepit and began to turn it on so that the girl could have some light and warmth while she was up there. In the meantime, Zipp was sitting on a sofa as she rubbed her arms. The girl felt the breeze as it was a bit chilly, given her jacket was sleeveless. She was also looking up, enamored with the serene beauty of the night sky's superior canvas.
"Okay," said Mario as he managed to get the firepit going as it began to burn. The boy tossed a stick into the pit to add more fuel to the flame. "Alright, you're all set, rich girl. Just turn it off when you're..."
"Mind if you stick around?"
When Zipp said that, Mario was about to head back downstairs to sleep. The boy turned to look at her as the girl began to scoot closer to the fire.
"Come on, Mario. Take a seat."
Settling beside her, he felt a sense of peace wash over him as the girl looked at him. Together, they gazed up at the heavens, watching the stars drift lazily across the sky, twinkling brightly as they did so. Their breaths mingled in the tranquil night air, and the rhythm of their hearts seemed to align in the peaceful stillness accompanied by the embers crackling from the fire.
"I honestly forgot how beautiful this all is." Mario mused softly.
"Yeah...I...never get tired of it." Zipp agreed. Her voice was soft. Softer than usual.
Mario seemed to notice the change of tone in her voice; the boy looked over at the girl as she rubbed her exposed arms.
"Everything alright?" asked Mario.
After hearing the boy's question, the girl was quiet for a long time. The boy knew that Zipp often preferred to process her emotions internally, finding solace in her thoughts and actions rather than vocalizing them. She was okay with talking about silly things, but when it came to her personal life, she almost liked a closed book, not wanting someone to read her... kinda like... him.
"I don't want this to end..." Zipp admitted, her voice tinged with uncertainty as she finally spoke.
"Huh?"
The girl shook her head at the boy's questioning tone, "This...me being here. Carefree. With you. With all our friends."
"Oh..." Mario trailed off, unsure of how to respond. Zipp sighed as she scooted closer to the boy on the couch.
"Look. You know me that I'm not the type of person who likes to express or talk about her emotions, sort of like you. But lately... I've been thinking alot, I guess..." Zipp sighed before momentarily closing her eyes. "My mother has always been an incredible owner, and she's done so much for her company, even when she was trying to raise two kids by herself. Even as we got older and could care for ourselves, I still saw my mother working hard on her company."
"Yeah... so..." asked Mario, rolling his hand, wanting to see the point the girl was trying to make.
"It got me thinking... what the hell am I gonna do?"
"What do you mean?" responded the boy with a curious look.
"Even my sister is doing something to help others feel better about themselves. And look at me... what have I done?"
The boy just stayed quiet as he let Zipp's question sink in. The girl continued, her voice tinged with uncertainty.
"My mother wants me to take over her business when she steps down, but...I don't know if I can be like her. I don't know if I want to be like her. I know it's selfish, but I don't want to be responsible for anyone but myself right now." Her voice trembled slightly as she buried her head in her hands, "I honestly don't know if being a business owner is really what I want to do with my life anyway. I've been trying to find my own path, my own purpose. I know I have, but it feels like the expectations of others overshadow everything I think I wanna do. That's why I wanted to get away from home, to have time to think and be free from the responsibilities waiting for me back home." She looked up at Mario before looking away in shame. "Does...that make me a bad person?"
Zipp's question hung in the air, heavy with self-doubt and the fear of judgment. Mario's gaze softened as he looked into her eyes, understanding the weight of her concerns. The boy then leaned forward as he looked at the fire. His eyeball showed flames as it flickered and seemed to respond to him.
For a while, the pair just sat in silence. Neither spoke a word; the only sound was the fire before them cracking its embers.
...
...
...
"How long have you been dealing with this?" Mario finally spoke, breaking the silence. His voice was even and kind, yet stern as well.
"Since I left home..." She shook her head. "No...that's a lie...I've been dealing with that before I left home."
"Well...You shouldn't have to." Mario stated matter-of-factly. "Least not anymore. You have a sister who I'm sure will listen to you, just like you listen to her. You have friends in Izzy, Hitch, and Sunny who will do the same. And...haha... I guess... you have me and Roll too." He smiled as he looked away.
Zipp smiled after hearing the boy's words; her cheeks turned slightly red as the fire did well to hide her small blush. Mario turned over to face the girl, his hand rubbing his neck as he recollected his thoughts on what he was about to say.
"Ya know, Zipp, I really can relate to your feelings of uncertainty and not knowing what you want to do," Mario confessed.
"You?" The girl teased with a slight chuckle. "I kinda find that hard to believe."
"Heh," chuckled Mario back, "But in all seriousness, to answer your question, just do your best with what's in front of you. I'm sure everything will fall into place for an amazing girl like you."
Zipp smiled as she heard that. "You're... pretty smart," she responded with a chuckle before looking at him. "I think I needed to hear that. I mean...I still don't know what I should do...but...I can't help but feel better knowing I have someone like you looking out for a silly girl like me."
"Oh, come on now, Zipp. You are anything but silly." Mario stated with a smirk. "In fact, I think you are one of the most mature and wise girls I know."
"Alright, Mario. Don't need to flatter me." Zipp said, gently pushing the boy's shoulder, though the blush on her face told something else, still hidden by the fire's flames.
"And who says I'm flattering you?" Mario countered. "I'm just stating facts."
"Uh-huh..." The girl replied a skeptical tone to her voice with a hint of joy. "You're just fishing for something from me?"
Mario gave a soft laugh as Zipp joined in. The two kept on smiling and casually sitting in silence. The pair enjoyed the atmosphere that surrounded them as it gave them a sense of clarity; all the worries and issues each had seemed to disappear, at least at this moment.
"So, we cool?" asked Mario.
"We're cool," said Zipp as she was willing to forget their outburst from earlier.
The boy smiled and extended his fist out. Zipp did the same as the two teens shared a friendly fist bump. Mario heard his father's words as he recalled something he said.
Just know, Mario. I don't have any expectations from me or your mother. You're free to choose whatever you want with your life. We'll support it. Just know... the one thing I ask is that you hold on to the people who are special to you. Hold them tight and close to you.
Author's Note: The night before Friends and Family Day and things have gotten rather interesting. Hitch and Sunny seem to be thinking a bit more about each other than just best friends, but... the biggest thing is Mario and Zipp lashing out at each other over the topic of family. It seems both have their own issues when it comes to who their parents are. However... Mario refers to his dad as quote: "a junkie".