50 scene snippets about a snotty rich boy (self-improvement in progress) and an anxious newcomer to the big city (Livin' big and lovin' life) - Set during "The Treble With Rivals" and the week following.
OR, Dev and Hazel go to Tokyo, say hi to Dev's mom, and Dev picks on orchestra kids because #Band For Life.
Wednesday December 13th - Friday December 22nd, 2023
Year of Love; Autumn - Winter of the Watchful Birds
1. Zoo
"Wait… Your dad runs a zoo for the most expensive and difficult animals to keep in captivity? That's so…" Hazel searched a moment for the right word before settling on, "out of pocket."
"My grandpa started it, and it's not without ulterior motives," Dev told her honestly. But even after her very first trip to Dimmadome Zoo, Hazel stood by her belief that maintaining this place was the best investment Dale had ever made. And maybe, leaning his folded arms against the narwhal exhibit rail, watching her bounce and babble to the pink elephant and green otter plushes in her hands, Dev thought so too.
2. Bear
"Uh, Dev? I don't think this is the best move we could make in this situation…"
"I've always wanted to pet the polar bear cubs," he said, already hopping the fence. "C'mon, Hazel! We have fairies!"
The purple au pair drone whirring behind him let out a groan. "Dev, we HAVE to talk to your dad about installing better railings in this place…"
3. Travel
"COSMO! WANDA! I WISH WE WERE IN TOKYO!"
"Ooh! Make it a sushi place!"
"Just run!"
4. Heal
* 東京 プーフ! *
Dev's next slamming footstep plunged into nothing. He flipped forward into frigid water… Except, through the water, like his whole body had just been splurted with gel and wrapped in itchy feathers. And... whiteness. Or pinkness? Dev stretched out a hand, feeling blindly in the rush of twisting space for Hazel, but he'd left his hands with the polar bears and screaming made no sound.
Then the world snapped into place again like a rubber band. When Dev blinked, it was dark… Maybe early morning. He found himself sitting upright on what felt like padded patio furniture, holding a menu in one hand and a purple paprika shaker in the other. Uh. Do sushi places usually have paprika shakers? From the looks of it, Peri had dropped him in an outdoor dining experience on some kind of waterfront, right across from Hazel… and a very confused polar bear. Who also had a menu in her big, clawed paws. Dev lifted his shades and squinted against the hazy fairy lights. Do bears like sushi? I guess it IS made of fish…
Hazel recovered faster. Opening her hand, she hissed to the salt and pepper shakers, "When I said 'We,' I didn't mean the bear."
"You should be more specific," the green shaker griped. But with a glimmer of his metal cap, the bear disappeared in a snappy *Dimmadelphia poof!*
"40,000 yen per roll during dinner rush," Peri muttered. "And if I'm calling it out as pricy, that's saying something."
Adrenalin churned like whitewater rapids through his body, so Dev put down the sushi menu and took the deepest meditative breaths he could. Huh- Maybe Mr. Guzman's relaxation lessons were onto something. Hazel leaned her elbows on the table, hand on her forehead. Is she-?
"Are you okay, Hazel?"
Hazel took a big breath of her own, rolling through it like a cat in a sunbeam. She pushed back her hair. "I think so, yeah. It's just being chased across the ice caps by an angry mother bear. No big deal. You?"
"Yeah. I think so. Ihhh." Did she-? Should I-? Ah, too many thoughts bubbling up, overlapping- Dev took the leap; made the move: "I wish all Hazel's scratches were gone."
… Those were just from tripping mid-run while they escaped the bear, right?
5. Impress
"I'm impressed, Dev." Hazel smiled across the table, then tilted her pressed-together hands forward and dropped any glitter and fun in her eyes through the floor. "That was crazy, impulsive, and totally dangerous even for you."
"Uhh… I guess I might've got carried away back there." You know what would be really nice right about now? "I wish I had my tablet," he whispered to Peri, who sighed (as usual- overworked college student he was or what the ever) and poofed up exactly that.
6. Reply
"I wish this place was open," Dev said, peering through the windows. Peri, who'd taken au pair form above his head, whirred his fans just fast enough in reply that Dev wondered if he was grumbling to himself again, but with a couple beeps and boops, the lights flickered on inside the sushi restaurant. One poof later, a single employee materialized behind the counter in full uniform… looking wobbly, but otherwise totally there. Okay, not bad! I can work with this. Just need- Dev snapped his fingers towards Peri, not taking hand or eyes from the window. "I wish I had enough yen for a sushi roll."
"That would be poofing up money."
"Wait- Are you serious?" That got Dev's attention. "Fine… Whatever. I wish my existing American dollars were here and converted into yen so we can eat at this restaurant."
"I can't," Peri intoned, and wasn't that always the way? I can't, I can't, I can't… Guess-and-check your way around the entire book that I refuse to let you turn pages of by hand, lest you get your grimy human fingers all over it. "Da Rules state that foreign exchange-"
"Forget it." One hint of rule-breaking and Peri will drone on and ON about that stupid book. "It's so dark out… Why'd you pick this place?
The au pair looked at him in stunned silence, then gestured his claw towards the ocean beside them. Idly, Dev wondered how hard it would be to jump that guardrail too. You know- for emergencies.
"Hey, it's cool," Hazel cut in. "I wish… Dev and I were Tokyo VIPs for a day, so the employee in there gives us one sushi roll completely free!"
Oh, sure… but Hazel's two fairies don't even make her pay…
7. Sister
Even Dev had to admit that was some really good sushi. "We're here anyway," he said to Hazel between sucking soy sauce off his fingers. "You wanna stick around? My mom and her sister just put out a vlog of Tokyo- They're probably still here. We could say 'Hi.'"
"You have a mom?" Hazel asked, and immediately kicked herself in the foot. Dev looked up, blinking in bewilderment (Maybe? Was that bewilderment?) and Hazel scrambled to recover. "Iiiiin Tokyo? Wow! What are the odds? Sounds like she and her sister had fun! We should totally say 'Hi.' You know, I've always wanted to have a little sister… Sisters are so cool. Jasmine has one!"
"Are you done?"
8. Cemetery
Cosmo and Wanda warned that trying to poof to Dev's mom when they had no idea who or where she was would probably lead to "complications…" so Dev and Hazel started out by walking. With that VIP For a Day wish glittering off their skin - and a couple well-placed wishes - they sampled snacks and gift shops along the way. Hazel liked the zen garden especially.
The cemetery was an interesting stop, though… I wonder if these are all markers for people who've been cremated? Or are there bodies under here? That sounded like some Halloween fun, though Hazel wasn't about to make that wish. Anyway, the cherry blossom trees were pretty. The ones blooming this time of year didn't look as full as she'd hoped, but they splayed pink petals with all their autumn might. With a little help from Cosmo and Wanda (in the shape of birds) to pull down a light branch, Hazel even studied a few up close (with a deep, deep sniff of the biggest blossom). Woo! "These look just like the ones in Prime Meridian Love," she said to Dev, though he kept back with his hands in his hoodie pockets. Seriously, did he ever take that shirt off? Go off, California boy.
"Eh. Not my thing."
"Oh, come on. You can't hate cherry blossoms."
But there were other cool things about the cemetery too! Like the shrines with swooping roofs, or the tall stones covered in Japanese words - probably names - that Dev could read better than she could. While this place was more "reverent" than "spooky" - Shame - Wandering around and practicing the Japanese each of them had picked up from years of magna and anime was a nice way to pass the time before dawn.
After a bit of Tag and a little more giggling than was probably respectful, Dev stopped in front of one particularly fancy grave marker. "My dad says tech will be so advanced by the time I'm his age, I'll probably be able to raise him from the dead."
Hazel waited for him to continue that sentence. But when she turned her head, Dev said nothing… Just stood there with the softest smirk on his lips, gazing through the ground as if imagining the bones and casket lying underneath.
9. Sick
"Uggggh! I'm sick of all this walking… Are we close enough to poof to my mom yet?"
His bootsteps dropped away. Hazel, Cosmo, and Wanda - they were pink and green tanukis - looked back to find Dev spread-eagle on the sidewalk, squinting into the rising sun.
"Dev," said Peri, whirring down to eye level. "It's one of the biggest human cities in the world. Any time you wanna, I don't know… give us a description to work with would be real helpful."
Yeesh, Hazel thought. Dev and Peri both looked like they'd woken up rumpled and under their own beds. Dev let out some grumbly noise, then typed something into his tablet and held it up to Peri with both hands. "There. The one in the blue sweater. Don't tell me you don't know Hadley Harrington."
Cosmo and Wanda instantly snapped upright- and weirdly, so did Peri, who cringed back like he'd been shocked. Still, he reached an Au Pair grabby claw from his underbelly and took the tablet for a better look. "Hadley Harrington," Wanda repeated, and in such a tone that Hazel's mind reeled. Wait- Am I supposed to know who that is?
"Those two stayed together?" Cosmo asked in greater wonder. Dev shot them a look that Hazel couldn't puzzle out, but she saw him slip his shades from his pocket to his hand.
"Look… She's got 400-something videos, right? If you need voice or picture references, I've got 'em, but I'm not going one more step. I'm sick of this tourist stuff."
"Oh, girl," Peri murmured to the tablet, "you need to check that eyeshadow at the door. Gold is not your color."
Well… If Peri had to watch videos to get a feel for Dev's mom, this could take a while. They might as well keep moving. With a quick wish or two, Wanda poofed underneath Dev in wagon form and Cosmo clung on in the shape of a rope. Hazel took hold and dragged the squeaky wagon forward. Off they went again!
10. Overrated
Pulling the Dev-laden Wanda wagon down the street, listening to Peri play peppy cooking, crafting, travel, and clothing-rating videos without headphones… Hazel couldn't help wondering if maybe, this bubbly Hadley Harrington person was a little overrated.
11. Reach
"Psst. Hazel." Peri nudged the tablet in front of her and pressed the Play button. "Get a load of this."
Hazel didn't get past the opening sentence of "Today, I'll be bathing my son with all the soaps-" before Dev launched himself at Peri; the fairy dodged away with a cackle.
"GIVE ME THAT!"
12. Brainy
"Hey, you were right about sushi being brain food, Dev. I understand way more of the street signs than I thought!"
Dev, still in the wagon eating granola bars, sat up and blinked around. Then he pushed his shades up his forehead. "Are we still in Tokyo?"
13. Prepare
Cosmo and Wanda tried to lend their son a hand, but Peri insisted he could poof them on his own. After all that time bingeing Hadley videos while Dev and Hazel roamed the Pokémon Center, play-fighting Rock-Types vs. Dinosaurs, he was ready.
* Poof! *
Two knocking heads and one twisted arm later, the two kids poofed into the lobby of a hotel. Both hit butt-first, of course, with a couple "Oof!"s. But this place looked like luxury, and that sounded right for Dev's family. Good for Peri! And then Hazel looked down at her bulging sleeves.
"Whaaa…? Cool! Rock snake arms!"
"I hope you paid for this," Dev said, looking at the dinosaur in his hands. Peri gave a nervous laugh, and Hazel hid her smirk as she watched him stick his wand behind his back and, presumably, add a replacement plush to the store shelves.
14. Stone
Every time Hazel tried to lift her fists, which had apparently been fused with her plush (Just… without the plush part), she staggered backwards and fell with a thump. Cosmo and Wanda, now disguised as two pins on her shirt, exchanged a look and kept out of the way. Which, y'know… Fairies and their rules about waiting to hear the words "I wish."
The next time Hazel got her arm up, she grinned a wicked grin. "Heeey, Dev~! Wanna play Tag again?"
"I think that counts as 'Wishing to win a contest,' which is cheating," Dev said, staying right where he was behind Peri, who'd taken 9-year-old human kid form.
15. Difficult
"I don't have to unwish them!" Hazel protested as Dev pushed the Wanda wagon (with her inside it) towards the elevator. "It's not THAT difficult to be a rock girl! Just check out my minerals. I think I've got quartz." She looked at her Cosmo pin. "Does this look like a rash?"
"Well, can you just hurry up and finish enjoying it? You weigh a ton."
16. Chew
Dev put the shades back on and kept his hands firmly in his hoodie pockets. At least that disguised some twitching. Pro Tip: Of all the times to have ADHD, don't let it happen to you when you're stuck in a box with a girl chewing on a wincing fairy fidget toy. Gnashing teeth, flicking tongue, saliva oozing in and out of popping bubbles… It wasn't a moan, but sort of a grunt and a click and a smothered laugh rolled into one, all mumbled and sticky and wet and drippy-
"Just knock it off already," he finally snapped, which he got a salty glare for… but Hazel stopped.
17. Tightfisted
They stood in cold silence after that. Dev glared at the floor and scrunched his toes inside his boots. His fists clenched so tight inside his hoodie pocket, his nails bit through skin.
"Did we pay for those plushes?" Hazel asked Peri, who took such offense, he actually sassed her a little for a change. Dev didn't look to see if that hurt Hazel's feelings, though he felt Peri - still in his 9-year-old façade - pull the bill of his hat over his eyes and huff. Then cool, comforting silence washed over again, mixed only with the familiar hum of shuddery movement between floors.
It was a long elevator ride.
18. Pail
"Wait, wait, wait… My mom will flip if she finds out I've been in her gel pail. Peri, Hazel- Scruff my hair up."
"Uh- What?"
"Just do it!"
19. Wrap
"Devin! What a surprise!"
"H-hi, Mom… You remember Peri-"
Well… This must be the right hotel room. Peri smirked at the squeaky noise Dev made when his flame-haired, shiny-teethed mom scooped him up and crushed him in a hug, but the yip Hazel made when Hadley wrapped her in the other arm was almost funnier. The woman might not be tall, but she sure had muscle. All those fitness and food challenge videos paying off, I guess. Hazel squirmed, coughed, then lifted one timid fist in the air.
"Woo! Double hug!"
"This is… Hazel," Dev said, clinging to his mom's other shoulder for support. His little legs paddled the air; Peri kept a tight grip on his wand, currently acting as a cane. Dev hooked a thumb in his direction. "That's Peri- The one I made friends with at the museum sleepover."
Hadley looked over at Peri as if wishing she had a third hand to hold him with. Peri kept his distance, but offered a little wave. First impressions? Uh… Answering the door in a low-cut crop top wouldn't have been Peri's first choice, but hey… Who is he to judge? Can't say I don't sit around in my undershirts too. She'd tattooed cherry blossoms up her stretch marks, but… he'd noticed that during his binge.
"I don't really watch TooYube," Hazel said, still squirming in Hadley's arm. "But Dev showed me one of your videos on the way here!"
"We could film one right now," chirped Hadley in just as much enthusiasm as ever. She plopped each kid on the floor in turn, then looked right at Dev. "How about 'Isn't My Son Supposed to Be At Home With His Dad Right Now?'"
"Heh… Uh, about that…"
20. Pizzas
Well, at least Mom bought the "Dad said I'm old enough to fly solo now" white lie. Or she didn't, but was polite enough not to say so, leaning on her fist as Dev sat beside her at the squeaky clean restaurant table. Peri, back me up, he thought, but Peri had his own thing going on. He sat across the table from Dev. 23 and 95 - the two au pairs who helped Mom record her videos - kept scrutinizing him, getting real close. Peri kept edging away.
"Dev's really good at navigating," Hazel chimed in from her place beside the purple fairy, so at least someone had his back. Dev shot her a grateful smile. She smiled back.
And you know what? Lactose-free pizza tasted even better after a long adventure… especially with his mom and very best friend.
21. Battle
"Don't give me that! If you saw him this morning, how is he HERE!?"
Well. At least the Street Warrior games were fun. Dev, Peri, and Hazel took turns mashing buttons… and watching Mom pace back and forth in the back of the arcade, arguing with the projection on the other side of 23's hologram screen.
22. Hat
No question what they'd spend their arcade tickets on. Matching I ️Heart 東京 hats? Best. Prize. Ever.
23. Messy
Not even a temporary hotel stay was immune from his mother being… his mother. After some frantic digging, Dev unearthed a dented au pair from beneath some piles of clothes and bulky boxes. Let's go, Dev intuition! "88! I knew you had to be around here."
The dusty drone beeped weakly in response; 95 whirred over to hold its claw out for a fist bump. "Dev…in… Sensors down…"
Yikes. Dev rolled 88 to its back and winced at the busted fans. "I'll take you back to Dimmadelphia so Dad can touch you up. Uh… We won't tell Mom."
"Ohh," Hazel said, sliding down this side of the stuff pile. "So, when you said your mom was an impulse buyer and a hoarder… You meant a hoarder hoarder."
Dev winced. "Yeah, well… It's a mess, but you get used to it. Just keep an eye out for sharp metal or tags. Most of this is clothes, though."
Hazel looked at Peri (who still knelt atop the pile), then back to Dev. With a shrug, Peri said "I have no questions," and Hazel put her hands together and tacked on, "I've never had my understanding of a person make so much sense so fast. This is why you put your colored pencils away in order."
… Do I do that?
24. Brass
Even if none of her classmates - Dev included - believed the band and orchestra kids could ever get along, Hazel knew she was right about how great they'd sound together. Sitting on the hotel balcony, watching Dev show his mom videos of them playing their trumpet and saxophone together, made all this week's running around feel worth it.
25. Toothpaste
They did have school tomorrow. And they did have a concert to practice for, so they really should be getting home. After some whispered negotiation, it was agreed Cosmo and Wanda's apartment would be the best place to land. They could make snacks and think up a plan to convince Dale and Hadley their son had been in Dimmadelphia this whole time. Or… something like that.
And the snacks were great! Who doesn't love cheese and chocolate? (Cosmo supplied all the many cheeses… some of which Hazel hadn't even heard of before.)
Dev, she found out after snack time, was very picky about his dental hygiene. He foamed up his whole mouth, and Peri finally had to ease him away from the sink before he scrubbed so hard, he made his gums bleed. But given his dad's gold-tooth implants, Hazel wasn't sure she blamed him. What was that about anyway?
26. Grandiose
In all honesty, Dev liked the simple atmosphere of Hazel's apartment building. While it wasn't as flashy or grandiose as Dimmadome Tower, it had a whole lot more nooks and crannies to explore.
They played Freeze Tag with Cosmo, Wanda, and Peri for an hour that night.
27. Achiever
Whaaat? He deserved the special sticker she'd been carrying in her bag and hadn't decided where to place. After all, he'd fixed Au Pair 88 without his dad's help. How cool was that?
28. Giddy
There were days (albeit rare) when Dev was the giddiest kid climbing stuff on the playground.
29. Whine
And… there it was.
30. Wren
"Is this sanitary?" Dev asked, on his hands and knees in the dirt beneath the tube slide. Hazel, who was prodding through the bird's remains with a Cosmo pick and Wanda brush, grinned like a wolf chasing beavers and didn't respond.
31. Locket
Peri's locket disguise worked great for about 1 class period before rumors about whose picture might be inside started flying past Dev's ears.
32. Decorate
Decorating the hall for the concert wasn't their responsibility, but it wasn't specifically NOT their responsibility either. Jasmine squeezed her eyes shut, papers fluttering in her arms, as Hazel raced by pushing Dev on a swivel chair and cackling like mad, neck and neck with Bev in full sprint and Winn riding their skateboard and yelling about all the great reasons to put a helmet on
33. Mine
Peri had some reservations about Dev and Jasmine spilling soapy water on the floor when they knew Winn would be skating back with the streamers, but come on… they were in orchestra!
And Hazel's MY friend now.
34. Mass
Who knew mass messes could lead to mass consequences? Dev and Jasmine gulped in unison when Principal Krentz picked herself off the floor. And it's not like he expected Hazel to volunteer to join him in detention for the last week before winter break (or even wanted her to, or anything). But the way she smirked when she handed him the mop from the janitor's closet got his face all red.
"You're never going to let me live this down."
"Nope."
35. Bridge
Bridging the gap between band and orchestra sounded so daunting when spoken aloud… but if anyone could pull them all together, it was Hazel. And this time, Dev got to give her a cool train sticker he'd found.
36. March
"TRAN! DIMMADOME! Class is over. Get your butts down to detention, right NOW!"
"Yeesh," Hazel muttered as Dev scrambled to shove his things away. "Good luck…"
"The bell's still ringing," Dev groaned back.
37. Rare
It was rare that Dev and Jasmine spent any time together. Honestly, scrubbing the teachers' bathroom wasn't any fun no matter who was hanging out with him. But after watching Jas fold a perfect paper plane in an unfamiliar design (and a tiny crane to ride it), Dev reluctantly admitted to Peri that maybe Hazel did have pretty good taste in friends. Peri - disguised as a bucket filled with soapy water - rolled his eyes as if shrugging without arms.
"Eh, well… You're one of 'em."
38. Chop
"So how was detention?"
"Worse than you can imagine. Krentz chopped off my fingers!" Dev shoved his hand from his sleeve, flailing his stumps, and Hazel yelped. When her shock turned to confusion and then suspicion, Dev threw back his head to laugh.
"I'm just kidding… Peri, I wish I had my fingers back."
39. Girls
It wasn't the best spontaneous talk to receive, but at least it bought Hazel time to scramble off without his dad catching a glimpse of Cosmo and Wanda. Dev didn't even know his family HAD this many poster boards about growing up and girls- and knowing his mom, that's saying something. And at least most of the presentation wasn't pre-recorded, so that was nice.
"Huh," Peri said, poofing into normal fairy form once Dale left the lounge. "Is that how humans work? I've been writing my fanfics all wrong."
40. Pick
Even when they weren't poofing back from Tokyo, picking Cosmo and Wanda's house as a hang-out spot was just plain obvious. Every drawer, shelf, and closet brimmed with magic. Even the silverware looked kind of funny when you took a second glance at it. While Hazel looked for a board game, Dev took his time studying walls with real family pictures on them. Do people actually do that? Seems like a lot to dust and straighten.
"Is this you in the bathtub?" Dev asked, pointing to one picture. Peri tried to swipe it back, but his mom and dad dragged him into a hug. Typical.
In the end, Dev stood on Hazel's shoulders to pull something dusty down from the top shelf. "Huh," he said. Hazel wobbled beneath him, but she'd figure it out. "Cosmonopoly…"
41. Exchange
"Look- If I had to get The Talk to cover for you in front of my dad, you can do the same for me. Your dad is actually on Peri's heels!"
"But I already got The Talk," Hazel protested.
"GET IT AGAIN!"
42. Clam
Of course… Sneaking out a window tends to go better when your friend's dad doesn't open her bedroom door to find you with your legs hanging out the other side. Dev froze, Hazel covered her eyes, and Marcus blinked at him like he'd just seen a tabletop firework go off in front of his face. Peeeeewwwwww PSSSSSSSHHHHHH. Every muscle in Dev's body went FULL sweaty, red and blue alarms blaring BEE-BOO, BEE-BOO in his head. He looked for words, but he was just- His mouth went as dry as a clam. Is that where the expression 'clam up' comes from? I should look that up. There are clams in England- That's where they speak English- It's got water-
Hazel seized attention again by throwing out a hand. "Dev hasn't gotten The Talk and his dad's so busy, I was hoping you and Mom could help out. I mean, I don't wanna leave out any detail or get it wrong…"
"The downstairs door was stuck," Dev blurted, climbing back into the room. I'm not- This wasn't- He turned his back on Marcus to shut the window and muttered a wish to Peri to make it so; the purple doodle on the back of his wrist lifted his wand to make it so. Instantly, Marcus's anomaly-detecting gear (Or whatever you call it) beeped to signal something was wrong, but Hazel grabbed her dad's arm, pleading for kindness and aid. Dev darted his eyes around Hazel's room a couple times, standing very straight with his hands in his hoodie pocket. Ohh man… I'm SO toasted…
"Is that really what you want?" Hazel's dad asked, looking at Dev in question.
"Uh… My dad's really busy this week, and we have a test coming up… I mean, if you wouldn't mind, that would be great! … I'll use the door next time."
And finally, Marcus Wells relented. The bulky machine in his arms went back on the floor. "Uh… Well, he can join us, I guess… Let's do this in the living room. I'll get your mother."
"Just so you know, I hate every part of this," Dev whispered to Hazel as he followed her into the hall. She shrugged back, clamming up for the rest of a long evening. But it did sidetrack Marcus from chasing after Peri, and that almost made up for the way Doodle Peri giggled at him all the way home.
43. Terrible
The reception at Signal Hill was terrible… so Hazel always knew where to find him when Dev didn't answer her calls.
44. Town
Look- It stank, icy shards blew in the wind, and all this walking gave him a headache, but if Peri said this was the best small town in Fairy World to find ladybug trinkets for Hazel, he wasn't about to argue.
45. Subtract
"Technically it's a gift exchange, and Hazel's getting something for me too, so technically, I'm not losing any money. If I stay under budget and we subtract the costs of gas because I'm not taking the helicopter, I might even make money at this party. Comparatively."
Dad's eyes narrowed a little in suspicion. But two seconds later, he pushed his chair back along the floor, spinning around to his second desk. "Well, bring back all the gift wrap scraps and frilly paper inserts. I still need to throw something together for your mother."
46. Ubiquitous
It was just a stupid hoodie. The embroidery of cash piles was tacky and fraying in one corner. Why did she even get him this when she knows he mostly wears white? Besides, this doesn't even apply to me. Dimmadomes are always alike- It's who we are.
But the words carefully ironed on across the front, showing the wrinkles of amateur care, stuck with him the whole party. One In a Million…
47. Scrub
"Uh, Dev? I don't think it's coming off…"
"Well, scrub harder! I'm not going home with my nails like this! My mom is filming our holiday video tonight!"
48. Attraction
"I just said going for hot cocoa with her and her friends sounded nice," Peri protested, but Dev didn't pull his hood down the whole way home.
49. Reading
Most winter breaks, Dev played tablet games until his mom came home to record a special holiday video with the whole family- Something that even got his dad's attention, because those brought in a lot of views for her channel and doubled as free promotion. But, y'know… Hours spent in the lounge reading Prime Meridian Love and drawing art with Hazel was good too.
50. Pack
It wasn't often that Dev forgot to pack a snack to keep his blood sugar up. But even when they argued, Hazel kept a little candy in her bag for her hypoglycemic classmate anyway… just in case.