This is Life Pal

en a long week, and they all needed a break. They wandered through their

was lava. And Beth? She rolled her eyes but played along, carefully stepping only on the

sn't much-just a couple of swings, a slide, and an ol

gher. Beth sat on the bench, scrolling through her phone, pretending not to enjoy the

gled when they stepped inside. The air smelled like candy, newspapers, and something slightly dusty. Jordan le

, painting the sky in soft pinks and oranges. For a moment, everything

rock, watching it bou

d suddenly, his voic

t the melting ice crea

wouldn't change anything. Instead, she nudged Benji's s

"You don't ha

ou definitely don't

yes. "Excuse me, my

dan's phone buzzed. She glan

ed up. "

promise?" Zoe's voice

-Jordan, Zoe, and Mary. But Mary had moved to the UK, leaving just the two of the

r forehead. "Yeah, yeah,

the results go, if I did worse th

d. "Give me t

up, stretching. "Alright, guy

ble to go. Mom will be waiting, an

I'm dropping you off first." She hesita

so you're just going to thr

y. And if Mom asks, you

30 PM. "Let's get moving b

her stomach tightening a

made her nervous. He was the kind of man who barely smiled, spoke in short sentence

a deep breat

arter. Tall, slightly graying, arms cro

" Jordan said, stan

"Jordan." A pause

s,

t her like he was scanning her thoughts. Fin

she was holding. "Thanks." She stepped insi

tsteps rushing down the stairs. Zoe appe

Zoe's room, shutting

numbers from her desk. "A

shrugge

aper. "Go ahead. Let

cts, grades, remarks. Then she l

snatched the paper back and did a lit

erformance, eyes moving down the page. She stayed s

"Okay, good. I didn't want to be

ughed.

t each other, both realizing the

t now?" Jo

then jumped up. "We cele

nd came back holding a plate o

This is your idea

lain. These cook

iting into it. "Al

snacking, finally let

d, "it's weird doin

. "Yeah. Feel

her pillow. "You know wh

ulling out her phone. "Y

er, and after a few ri

ice came through,

nces before Jordan spoke. "M

er end. "I know, I kno

d, shoving the last c

eople I stay with. You know, my re

slightly. "Ev

e guests over, so I was running around

're saying is... you're th

kled. "Ba

not fair. You should be getti

w it is. Anyway, why did y

look before Zoe answered,

voice perke

ned. "We bo

I knew you guys would!

yeah. We were just waiting

aid. "I wish I was there

d. "We wish

n. "Tell her abo

"Zoe celebrated by feedi

You're telling me I missed c

nce between them feeling a

start wondering where I disappeared to. But I'm real

n said. "Take

o. Bye,

nd for a second,

eath. "She sound

eah. Like she's c

d. "I don'

do? Mary was miles away, in a different