My Girlfriend, Boyfriend

bly folding chair, his voice raw from shouting. "Bill 207 isn't just numbers-it's people! It's Ms

oblivious as they scribbled protest signs with crayons. But Ma

replying to texts with single words. Busy. Later. Sure. When he'

HE BILL," the door creaked open.

leeveless, steel-gray, expensive. Eric's

ze. Her eyes flickered with guilt before hardening. She guided Eric to the back, where

ateo jumped down, fists clenched. Clara interce

t him here?

d, too quickly. "A grant

e for what?

's talent deserves patronage. E

issors on his wrist itching.

nodded at the fading mural. "Your mother's work is... q

ightened. "Er

their path. "You're re

him. "It's not just m

buzzed. "Car'

d, then foll

47

ter's tables, the acidic tang of turpentin

r-old he mentored, burst in, her septum piercing

es, Mr. Chen's peonies, the sunflower patch Clara had planted as a "middle fi

n at the hem, screaming at a foreman. "

reemptive clearance.

through the c

They're killing the garden,

ed away, climbing onto a bulldoz

Eric's BMW pulled up, and he watch

down!" Mat

he bulldozer's hood. The driver revved the engine, lurc

dragging her back. "

. "And you're

, broken sound-and sprinted toward the wreckage. Mateo caught her

ked. "I can't watch

through her smudged eyeline

ic lowered his

Mateo's

ion..." A clip played-Clara on the bulldozer, fierce and radiant, followed by Ma

lay open to a half-finished drawing: Clara amidst the sunflowers,

kn

dress swapped for a hoodie, he

ge, chugging orange juice from the carton.

inst the counter

rest survives." She traced the scissors dood

eel like you're

ed. The fr

celebrate urban renewal.' He wants me to display

d bitterly.

Her voice broke. "Please.

inted hope on dumpsters, now bargaini

mor

la. 9:

e skeletal corporate ghoul now dripped with diamonds, its slogan changed to "CONSUMPTION AS C

own, laughing at a collector's joke

ted and nauseous. Lila, posing as wait

e said, though the w

for surrender." Lila nodd

n her ear, she stiffened, her fingers brushing a bracele

, champagne sloshing on hi

not a

ppeared, smirking. "Enjoying

. "You're parading h

ipped his drink. "She'll thank me wh

not y

e sharpened. "The

beat, she looked like herself-scared, furious, alive

. Roofto

ailing, the city's chaos

said, not turning ar

heir elbows brus

trembled. "The grant's conditio

fight h

think it's 'us against the world'? T

ors doodle pressing into his pa

ars glinting. "To remembe

cut through the dark. "Clara!

Mateo's hand once before pul

ila's voice in his head: "Surviv

Communi

churned, petals crushed. Mateo k

till in her silver gown, clu

et it die," s

lldozer's carcass with sunflowers and fist

aid finally. "Eric never f

heart sa

se hope over truth." She laug

aint smearing his pal

into his to

ozer fired up d

her,"

teo wondered if "together" was jus