My Girlfriend, Boyfriend

y, spray-painting a sunflower over the city's eviction notice. Lila knelt beside him, her

e bulldozer, Clara had vanished. No texts, no murals, no

wed Eric's gallery, where Clara's bulldozer installation

ere she was in the background, sipping

. "You still

cketed the spray can. "We'r

Eric's P

ns displayed Clara's protest art, digitized and sanitized. Mateo

next phase glowed on a monitor: "Phase II: Arts District Redevelopment."

"He's not just profiting

o's eye: VEGA, CLARA – CO

on-disclosu

f Clara and Mateo vandaliz

ep on Eric's couch, her protes

"He's black

rned in

ear. "-assure you, Clara's on board. Her little boyfriend? A

Mateo's h

find her,"

top of the Aba

r usual murals-these were frenzied, violent. A self-portrait as Medusa, snakes repla

She didn't turn

you. The bill,

for weeks. If I go public, he'll send it to the cop

r. "So you're just.

exposing the bill's backers, his role in it. But if I publish it

leak it

tterly. "And l

left t

ed a USB from her pocket. "Everything's here. Names

'll be ghosts. But

mmunity Cen

"Eric's got three shell companies funneling cas

inished. "We send this to t

d for hacking," Lil

An independent journalist. She'

ut

face-to-fac

tood. "

ks. Ware

her arms. "Th

pped Mateo's hand. "B

. Wareh

's boots crunched glass as they entered. A single

journalist stepp

tside. Eric's BMW

oved the USB in

Mateo and Clara into the maze of shipping container

led. "Go! T

lled her into a container

a's breath hitched. "T

n't k

his. "If we don't make it.

sion of fear and fury

pierced the contai

Police

he room, Clara argued with a detective

machine, smirking. "Too late,

aving her phone.

tion Scandal Exposed!" The journalist's face fill

aled.

sts remember passw

00 AM. Commu

but Mateo slipped upstairs to the art room. Clara stood

d the file

ric." She turned. "They'll charge

closer. "

n, softer this time

chanted. Bulldoze

e sunflower