“What does he mean call Mia? What archivist?” Emil squinted at his phone like focusing harder would make his brother’s text make sense.

  “Isn’t she with him?” A muffled bossa beat with an electronic twist came from the cafe whose awning Leon joined him under. Had Emil known this place was just up the street from the fountain, he would’ve taken a video of Cosmo here with his phone instead of using it as a music source. Transferring video from camera to phone took more patience than it needed to.

  “Right??” Emil’s fingers tapped away. “There. I just asked him the same question.” Another text got his attention. “Huh?”

  “What else did he say?”

  “No, I just saw that Ange responded to that thing I wrote you earlier.” Angelo’s text got a laugh out of him, but it made its mark, just like a manly-but-caring heart-shaped bruise. He angled his phone so Leon could see.

  “Awh.” Leon chuckled. “I’m surprised he sent that. I can’t think of a time that he’s ever gone out of his way to talk to someone outside of the family. We even order food for him. He must really like you!”

  “That reminds me.” Emil ignored Lorenzo’s next text for a moment. He’d thank him later for this. “Another reason I brought you with me is ‘cause I needed to ask ya something a little personal.”

  “Really? What is it?”

  “Does Ange have a crush on me?”

  “Not that I know of. I could ask h–” Leon reached for his bare wrist. “Right. I keep forgetting I don’t have my phone. What makes you think so?”

  “Lorie thinks somebody does. Ange is the only one that makes sense. Everybody else is either into girls, into nobody, or already knows nothing can happen between us.” At this point, Emil doubted anyone walking by paid their talk much attention, but he’d rather play it safe. Thank goodness Angelo’s nicknames leaned gender-neutral.

  “Woah, really? Hm, I never really got that vibe from ángie. Just a few days ago, we were talking about how cool you are, and it was mostly me doing the talking.” Leon laughed. “I can’t say I’d blame him if he did, though.”

  Emil couldn’t either. If a guy stuck his neck out for him the same way he did for Angelo, offering understanding while being the first other gay-adjacent dude he met as an insecure teenager, he’d probably fall in love. But did Angelo? He had a hard time imagining it.

  “I know people who would hate what you’re doin’ to my ego right now, but I’ll take it~” Emil winked. “Ange doesn’t give me that vibe, either, so I’ll save us the awkward conversation. Now if you’ll excuse me,” he finally checked Lorenzo’s non-answer, “I gotta make a call.”

  “Hello?” Mia’s whisper soon came over the speaker. Someone else’s did too. Not Lorenzo, from the sound of it.

  “Heeey, Mia! The archivist is here,” he spoke it like a code phrase, “whatever that means.”

  “Oh, thank y–” She did not explain, but Emil heard the other person ask who he was, and something about Mia being popular. “Mom, please–! Um, sorry about that. Thanks for letting me know. Bye–”

  “Wait, before you go, can you do me a favor?”

  “What is it?”

  “Try to see if you can get Lorie to join the group chat or something. This is ridiculous.”

  “...I’ll try?”

  “I know he’s a tough nut to crack, so don’t worry if you don’t succeed. Just give it your best shot. See ya!”

  “Tell Mia I said ‘hi!’” whispered Leon.

  “And Leon says ‘hi.’”

  “Uhhh, hi? Bye?” Some more whispering happened on Mia’s end. “...My mom says hi. I’ll talk to you later.”

  Emil let Lorenzo know the call had been made and that the crush situation was sorted out. He made his own attempt to convince Lorenzo to open up his lines of communication, but no dice. At least he got some thanks for his efforts. “Let’s get this show back on the road.”

  “Where are we going next?”

  “Where the people are, my good man!” Had they not been in public, Emil would’ve slung his arm around Leon for emphasis. “See where that statue is?” He pointed a few blocks ahead. “There’s a rec center, a museum, and a buncha other things nearby. I figure it’d be a good spot to record.”

  “Ah, good thinking!” Leon looked around, wide-eyed as usual. “Gosh, there’s so much to do in Lunaria. It’s a shame that we really only have one day to really experience it.”

  “Tell me about it. Guess we’ll have to make the most of today.”

  Just when he opened his mouth to respond, a guy shoved a pack of tissues at him. Another girl stared Emil up and down. “You look like the kinda guy who's got someone special in his life.” Taking his hand in hers, she placed another pack in it. “Take these.”

  “Aw, that’s alright. I’m single.”

  “Keep ‘em." She winked. “You never know when love’ll find you!”

  “Thanks?”

  “There’s ads on these.” Leon joined back up with him.

  “Walk around the city long enough, and you’ll never need to buy tissues. Flyers are seen as a waste around here, so this is a kind of work around.”

  “That’s such a cool way to do it! I got a guest pass to the gym plus a discount for a spa visit. What did you get?”

  “A couple’s discount for—Oooh, Space Paisanos’!” Emil grinned at his napkin pack. “My mom used to take us there. Easily the best pizza in space, though it’s mostly just chain restaurants.”

  “I’ve only ever had chain restaurant pizza, so I don’t really have an idea of what’s better or worse than that. ”

  Emil gasped. “You’re missing out. Ya gotta come to NYC. We’ve got slices so big, you hafta fold ‘em to fit them in your mouth.”

  “I didn’t know you were from New York!” Leon’s eyes bulged. “Gosh, no wonder you’re like that.”

  “Like what?”

  “I dunno, like vibrant? That’s not quite the word I’m looking for–Larger than life!” he remembered. “Yeah. Your personality’s as big as the Big Apple.”

  “Mine~? Nooo.” Emil couldn’t help but laugh. “‘Sides, I’m not even from New York. Me an’ Lorie are Texan boys.” He deepened his voice and put on an accent to match.

  “Woah, really?” Leon stared up at him in awe. “I guess that works too. Everything’s bigger in Texas! Wait, then why were you talking about New York like you’re from there?”

  “Oh! Our mom lives there, so it’s kinda like a second home to me.” Emil laughed to himself. “It’s funny. Even though she’s surrounded by some of the best pizza in the world, we always bring her some Space Paisanos’ when we visit. That’s how you know it’s legit. I’m gonna miss it.”

  “The pizza?”

  “A little, yeah, but mostly goin’ to my mom’s place. No offense to my dad or Lorenzo, but just imagine me and two Lories in one house. It’s a little stifling. My mom and step dad are both a little weird in the brain, so when I’m with them, I feel less like there’s somethin’ wrong with me.”

  “There’s nothing wrong with you.” Leon sounded so sincere, it made Emil feel bad. “But if the captain is the same at home as he is on the ship, I can see how you’d feel on edge. Especially so if your dad is just like him.”

  “Yeah. It’s not like they’re bad or nothin’, just a little strict.”

  He nodded. “Even though I’m super excited about our trip, I can relate to feeling a little torn, especially with everything that’s been going on with you-know-who.”

  “That wooould put a wrench in things.” Emil sympathized.

  “Him being here took care of my biggest worries, even if it created a bunch of others. So that’s something?” Leon made an attempt at staying positive. “I dunno. Sometimes I wonder if there was something I could’ve done to prevent any of this from happening.”

  “If you figured it out, would it make a difference? Can’t change the past.”

  “You’re right. I guess all we can really do now is focus on what comes next.”

  “That’s the spirit.” Emil still had no idea how he could right the Angelo situation, but it wasn’t something he trusted himself to tackle on an empty stomach.

  “Your coupon reminds me of another thing I’m not looking forward to.” Leon tilted his head back. “No dating for a whole year? How are we gonna survive? I mean, I know the captain, Jun, and Aiden are gonna be okay, but what about the rest of us?”

  “Hang in there, buddy.” Emil gave his sympathy through a tap of Leon’s arm with the back of his hand. “If I can survive for 18 years, you can make it through one.”

  Leon’s mouth dropped. “You’ve never been on a date…?”

  “No??” Emil thought that went without saying. “Not with my dad and brother watching.”

  “I thought you would’ve snuck around or something.”

  “I’m not that much of a rebel.” He tried to lighten the mood, but Leon looked at him with eyes pitiful enough to rival Angelo’s. “Hey, don’t cry for me. I’ll be okay, promise! See?”

  His goofy grin got Leon to cheer up somewhat. “Maybe it’s better you don’t know what you’re missing. But you’ll find out soon, I’m sure you will!” Leon’s confidence made Emil want to believe. “Until then, you can count on me for dating advice, okay?”

  “Okay. Let’s hear some!”

  “Right now?”

  “Yeah, as a matter of fact, turn on your mic and camera. We can make this part of our vlog.”

  “Ooh, good idea! Good idea!”

  Emil made use of nearby windows to pretty himself up for the camera. He took his cue when he saw Leon’s lens behind his reflection. “We rolling?”

  “Yep!”

  Years of pretending to host things prepared him for this. “Gooood afternoon, space cadets! Lunar E-Clipse comin’ atcha live from Lunaria’s Main Street. As always, I’m your co host E-Clipse. My buddy Lunar’s behind the camera–”

  “Hi!” Leon turned the camera towards himself and waved to the viewers.

  “–and together we are approaching Seneca Street, one of my favorite spots in the whole city. Even if you’re alllll by your lonesome, there’s enough energy goin’ around to make ya feel apart of somethin’ special! But it prolly ain’t a bad place to take a date.” Emil winked. “Me? I don’t know nothin’ about that. Thankfully, we’ve got our very own love guru to help us singles out.”

  “Love guru?” Leon pointed at himself in disbelief.

  “Yeah! Take it away, Lunar!” Emil reached for the camera.

  Soon, it pointed at Leon. “Hi, welcome to Lunar’s Love Corner? That sounds right. I am not a love guru.” he denied with a smile. “I’m not much of an expert on anything, but I have been in a few relationships–”

  “Five.”

  “–and I hope that my experience can help you find love today, because love is good. I love love! But love isn’t always easy.” Leon glanced away. “Sometimes you’ll think everything is going fine, and then an issue pops up out of nowhere. Ahh!” He raised his hands in a weak attempt to look scary.

  Emil’s snickering was cut short by the world turning sideways. Next thing he knew, he was shrieking and praying that his flailing hands would find the sidewalk before his head did. But they didn’t. Instead, he smacked into something softer.

  “Whoops! Are you alright?”

  He opened an eye to find the other half of his face buried in Leon’s shoulder. The rest of his body hung like a hammock. “Well, my skull’s in one piece. Thanks for that.”

  “I’d help you up, but,” Leon awkwardly hovered his hands around, “I know you don’t really like being touched in public.”

  “Appreciate it.”

  Emil took a moment to consider what would be the most hetero-passing way to get back up. Then he realized anything looked straighter than laying in the crook of another guy’s neck. Taking back the camera, he dialed up the suaveness in his voice as if he didn’t almost chip another tooth. “Heh. Let’s get this show back on the road, shall we~?”

  “You got it!” If no one else, Leon bought it. “Sorry about that, we had a little hiccup just now.” He apologized to the viewers. “Watch where you step, in love and in life.” His advice reached one viewer, at least. “Speaking of love, what was I talking about again?”

  “The horror of relationship troubles.”

  “Oh yeah! Sometimes your relationship will run into issues even when you’re doing your best. It can be scary, but don’t worry! Most problems can be solved if you talk things out. From there, all you gotta do is listen to how you can make yourself a better partner.”

  “So it’s all about communication, huh?”

  “Yeah! Communication is important. For example, if you communicate, you won’t end up like me with my last girlfriend, where she thought we were a couple before I asked her out.”

  “What??” Emil sputtered out in a laugh.

  “If I had communicated sooner that I wanted to go out with her, she could’ve told me that what I thought was us just hanging out was actually her asking me out, and then she wouldn’t have to wonder why I hadn’t kissed her yet.”

  “How long did this go on?”

  Leon scratched his cheek, averting his eyes. “Three months.”

  Emil nearly died laughing.

  “Apparently she’d been flirting with me the whole time, too. It’s a lot more obvious looking back, but I dunno! I got flustered just being around her. How was I supposed to know when she was doing it on purpose?”

  “Oh buddy.” He shook his head. Something like this would happen to Leon. What a treat it was to get a glimpse into other people’s love lives. “You mean to tell me you didn’t have any friends to tell you ‘Hey, she’s totally into you?’ No wingmen to help things along?”

  “I don’t know if any of them knew how to be a wingman.”

  Emil huffed. “If I had been there, you two would’ve been smoochin’ three months earlier, I can tell you that much.”

  “Really?”

  “Guaranteed. I used to do a little matchmaking here and there, pro bono. The birth of a happy couple is my reward.”

  “Wow, that’s super nice of you.” Leon’s eyes sparkled. “Maybe you should be the one giving love advice!”

  “Oh please, I just set people up. You’re the one with inside knowledge. Speak your wisdom.”

  “Okay.” He opened his mouth, but nothing came out. “I don’t know what else to talk about.”

  “Hmmm, this might be a personal question, but five girlfriends means five breakups, right? Is there anything you wish you’d done differently?”

  Leon’s smile grew a little sadder. “Fallen in love with girls whose families didn’t move away. That happened twice, though one time was with an exchange student, so we saw it coming. We tried doing long distance. She said it wasn’t the same. It wasn’t, but,” he sighed, “I was hoping we could make it work.”

  “Awww.”

  “And then I guess I moved away this time. I thought about trying long distance again, but my last girlfriend decided it’d be better if we ended things. It was hard for both of us.”

  “That’s rough. If there’s one bright side, at least none of your exes have anything bad to say about you.”

  Leon sucked air through his teeth. “Oooh, I wish that were true. Those three don’t, as far as I know. The other two… My first girlfriend mistook me saying I liked anime as saying I liked a girl named ‘Annie Mae,’ and she wouldn’t listen to me when I tried to tell her. I guess that’s one situation where communication didn’t work out.”

  “Communication is a two-way street, though. Can’t do much if someone decides not to listen.” Though Emil had never been in a relationship, he knew this far too well. “What is anime, anyway? I feel like I hear you and Roxie talk about it a lot.”

  “Oh, really?” Leon laughed, a little embarrassed. “It’s Japanese cartoons, like–What’s a popular one? Have you heard of Dragonfruit Z?”

  “Is that the one with the monkey? Gokonuts? My cousins love that guy! I watched a couple episodes once. It’s pretty cool. Geez, you got broken up with over that?”

  “Yeah. Even if there wasn’t a misunderstanding, she probably would’ve thought it was too babyish anyway. She had more mature tastes. If nothing else, I’m glad she pushed me to be more adult.”

  “How old were you guys?”

  Leon tilted his head back and forth. “Twelve, thirteen? Something like that.”

  “What? You guys were still kids!” Suddenly, Emil felt lucky to skip out on middle school relationship drama. “How was she pushing you to be an adult??”

  “Well, she’d tell me ‘real men do this’ or ‘real men don’t do that,’ and so I’d try to change based on what she said. To be honest, I couldn’t care less about being a real man, but that’s what she wanted. Sometimes you have to make compromises to make your partner happy.” Leon lit up. “Oh hey, that could be some relationship advice!”

  “Uhhh, L-Lunar? Don’t you think that’s a little much? Like sure, yeah, I can believe relationships come with some compromise, but if you have to change your whole personality just to make someone happy, I don’t think they like you.”

  A lightbulb seemed to go off. “Ohhh. Hm. That might explain my other breakup. She said dating me was like dating a puppy. Cute and devoted, but not hot. I kept wondering what I could’ve done better, but maybe she just didn’t like me like that. Like I told you earlier, I was never good at changing my personality, even in my first relationship.”

  “Thank goodness for that.” Emil shuddered. “Still, I can’t imagine tryin’ to put myself back on the market after one breakup, let alone that many. How do you find it in you to keep going?”

  “I believe that I’ll find love again, no matter how many times I get turned down.” Leon held up a finger. “That’s another love tip from me. Don’t be afraid of rejection!”

  If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

  “Doesn’t it hurt, though?”

  “Absolutely.” he smiled. “It’s easier said than done, but I won’t find love if I’m too afraid to ask.”

  Emil groaned. “You’re braver than me. With match-making, I wasn’t the one who had to get rejected, and even then it stung. What do you mean you don’t like each other?” he played up being offended. “I just wanted to vicariously live through your relationship, and now you gave me vicarious heartbreak!”

  “Awwww. Don’t count yourself out like that. Besides, if a girl was willing to ask me out, who knows? Maybe someone will scoop you up before you have to ask anyone.”

  “I can dream.”

  Leon laughed. “You probably won’t have to ask for long, either way. And for the rest of us,” he addressed the audience, “don’t give up hope, okay? E-Clipse, did you have any more questions?”

  “Huh? No, I’m all out.”

  “Well, I guess that’s it for Lunar’s Love Corner. See you next time!” he waved.

  Emil cut the feed, too lost in his own thoughts to realize he forgot to bid the audience goodbye. He and Leon slowed to a stop at the final crosswalk before their destination. Passengers trickled out of a nearby bus.

  “Vicarious, hm?” Surprisingly, Leon brought up the very thing on Emil’s mind.

  “Yep. That’s how I planned to do it.”

  “Do what?”

  “Relationships. At least until I told my brother,” Emil stopped short of mentioning his coming out directly, “stuff.”

  “Ohhhh.” Leon seemed to catch on. “That’s,” his brows scrunched up, “that’s really sad.” Happiness brightened his face just as quickly. “But now you don’t have to worry about him anymore! You can experience them for real! At least, after we come back. Isn’t that exciting?”

  “Yeah. Yeah.” That second ‘yeah’ was more for Emil’s sake than Leon’s. With most of his immediate family in the know about his being gay, the future opened up wider than he’d ever imagined. But he still didn’t feel free.

  “You don’t sound excited.”

  “There’s someone else I’m worried about.”

  “Oh. Your dad?”

  Emil nodded. He tried to smile. “Though Lorie was the one I was most worried about, so it’ll probably turn out fiiine.”

  “Then that works out!” At least that reassured one of them. Leon’s eyes softened. “And again, don’t worry too much about getting rejected. Anyone would be lucky to be with you. Heck, if I was into g–” he cut himself off upon noticing the ex-passengers passing them by. His voice lowered. “I would totally ask you… you know.”

  Emil’s smile felt more real. “Aww, thanks, Rookie.”

  And then Leon’s words hit him like a bus. ‘Heck, if I was into guys, I would totally ask you out.’ That had to be what he meant, right? What else could he have meant? Traffic cleared and the crosswalk changed before Emil fully processed it. He still hadn’t when they crossed the street, but he noticed Leon looking legitimately sad. Then it became clear.

  Leon loved love. It must’ve been the saddest thing in the world to realize Emil had been locked out of bumbling through teenage romances. Emil welcomed the pity just a tiny bit. Finally, some sympathy for how unfair it was for him to have to miss out for his own safety.

  But what kind of friend would he be if he let a frown linger? “I’ll find someone.”

  Leon’s frown turned upside down. “I know you will.”

  It’s almost a shame he and Leon didn’t go to school together. Had they been classmates, his situation wouldn’t have changed much, but the little changes would’ve meant the world to him, a brighter one than he thought possible back then.

  “Seneca Street.” Leon’s head snapped up toward the street sign above. “This is our stop, right?”

  “You got it. And you know what that means!”

  “What?”

  “We gotta tell the viewers all about it. I’ll let you take us back in this time.” Emil started recording again. “Aaand you’re on!”

  “Oh! Welcome back, space cadets.” Leon gave a cheesy wink and thumbs up. Emil couldn’t be prouder. “I’m Lunar, and me and E-Clipse finally arrived on Seneca Street. I don’t know much about this place other than that there’s a museum and a rec center over,” Leon pointed back and forth, “somewhere!”

  “That a-way.” Emil pointed left.

  “Thank you. And there’s also this statue of an old star ranger.” Finally, Leon noticed the floating golden figure by the wall. “Hm, I wonder how it’s floating like that.” He inspected it closer. “I can’t see anything holding it up.”

  When he tilted his head, the statue did, too, though Leon’s focus on the ground kept him none the wiser. The Gold Star Ranger raised a finger to his own lips, not acknowledging how hard Emil tried to stifle his own giggling. Viewers would love this.

  “‘Insert money.’” Leon read a box nearby. “Does it move? I guess there’s only one way to find out.” He stuck in a bill.

  The ‘statue’ moved as if it belonged to the unseen music box that started to play. He surveyed the area, ran in place, and waved all in stop motion. Leon stared in wonder. Though Emil had been the one to see him move normally, his brain still struggled to accept that the man in front of him was alive. The music soon came to a stop, and so did he.

  “How cool was that?” Leon asked the camera. “Lunaria sure does have some great art.”

  “Thanks, kid.”

  Leon’s head snapped toward the talking statue.

  “You’ve just experienced one of the many talented performers Seneca Street has to offer.” Just sweeping the camera back and forth, Emil caught a lady eating fire, a breakdancing crew, and a guy spinning more plates than he could count. “I was hopin’ to catch your reaction to it. Incredible work as always, Gold Star Ranger.”

  “Yeah, that was amazing!” Leon came back to his senses just in time for The Gold Star Ranger to finger gun at both of them. He faced Emil again.“Wow, no wonder you like this place so much. Where do you even begin to look?”

  “That’s up to you. We’re in no rush to be anywhere.” His stomach disagreed, but lunch could wait. They had a vlog to make! “Might as well enjoy the sights.”

  “Let’s keep going this way.” Leon turned left “I can’t wait to see what all we’ll find!” His eager smile turned toward the camera, just what the viewers needed to keep them hyped.

  The two spent the next stretch of sidewalk pointing out different acts to each other and the viewers, occasionally stopping themselves from stumbling into decorative trees whenever they got too distracted. With Leon, sometimes it wouldn’t even be a performer. Colorful storefronts, an ad for Astro Bitz soda, and other things Emil long took for granted captivated him.

  That wasn’t to say Emil had grown jaded by everything Lunaria had to offer. A funky bassline moved him like a puppet and drew him like a magnet. It came from a small band a few feet away, the first performers they’d come across on their side of the street.

  “Let’s check them out.” He could not be trusted to hold a camera while grooving this much, so he passed it off to Leon. They stopped under the shade of a tree next to a smaller audience than Emil would’ve expected. Three players made up the band, though he almost didn’t notice the bongo guy at the back, dressed in all black.

  The other two were much harder to miss. On lead keyboard was a short, poofy-haired guy dressed as futuristic as any spacepunk, yet flamboyant enough to remind him of performers from decades ago. So long as this guy was around, no one would bat an eye at Emil’s outfit.

  Or so he thought. The bassist, a girl in white and plastic, would not take her eyes off him, and the more he looked at her, neither could he. Something about her rang a bell. He had a hunch, but it would have to wait until after the performance.

  “Thank you everybody~” The keyboardist gave a deep bow complete with a flourish after the song finished. “I hope you have been entertained by Kosmic Royale. W-With a ‘K.’ You can find our music on most streaming platforms. Please check us out if you w–if you’d like.”

  “Or buy our CDs!” Bongo Guy held one up.

  “And if you’re feeling generous, every donation counts.” At that, the bassist tapped her mostly empty guitar case with a foot. “No pressure. We’d reeeally appreciate it, though.”

  A few people left bills and coins, but soon after, Emil and Leon were the only ones left hanging around.

  “You all were great, and your outfits look super cool too!” Leon complemented.

  “Heheh, w-we try.” The keyboardist fluffed his hair. “Are you guys doing a vlog? What channel are you with?”

  “We’re Lunar E-Clipse. I’m Lunar, he’s E-Clipse, and this is our first vlog ever! We haven’t even made a channel yet.”

  “First time vloggers? An honor.” The keyboardist did another bow.

  “Wow, I’m flattered you think so. By the way, is your band based on The Royals? The name’s kind of similar, and you even look like Rushad Kingston.” Leon had a point. His flashy, androgynous look did match the lead singer. “My dad and I are big fans.”

  “Kinda.” answered the bassist. “Amir wanted us to be, but I can’t play lead guitar and bass at the same time, and Ozzy didn’t feel like lugging a whole drumset around, so we’ve been doing our own thing.”

  Leon turned to Emil. “Hey, if we were staying in town longer, maybe you could’ve joined as their lead guitarist.”

  “Not gonna lie, I’d be tempted.” Emil smiled at the bassist. “Especially if it gives me a chance to catch up with an old friend.”

  “It is you.” she pointed. “Emil Galhardo.”

  “Geez Deedee, you gonna dox me on my own vlog? Rookie, cut the feed.”

  It was a little harder to recognize her through the makeup and green wig, but this was the same Daphne Diakos he knew from academy, complete with her sly smirk. “I didn’t know your dad allowed you to vlog.”

  “Shhh!”

  Leon finally lowered the camera. “Woah, you guys know each other??”

  Daphne hooked an arm around Emil’s shoulder. “We nearly blew each other up in chemistry.” She looked up at him. “Which is why I’m guessing you got your new buddy to bleach your hair.”

  “No, he bleached my tips, actually. I’m Leon, by the way!” Leon offered a hand to shake.

  “Cool. Daphne.” She shook it. “Oh guys, I should probably introduce you to Emil. He was a big deal at our school. His family is basically the Kingstons of the IF.”

  Emil blinked, flabbergasted. “C’mon, you can’t just say things like that! We don’t even have a sister. You’ve got a pretty big name in your family, too.”

  “Sure, but he didn’t change the entire course of the whole branch.”

  “That wasn’t us, though! Me and my brother are just some guys.”

  “I know that. You were still freakily skilled and popular. Well. Your brother was skilled, you were just popular.” She didn’t have to say it like that. “Though if you can do a Rushad impression while playing guitar, you might give Amir over there a run for his money.”

  “‘Fraid I can’t do that for ya, luv.” Emil attempted his best impression, but it felt wrong on his tongue. “Eugh. See? It’s no good at all.”

  “I thought it was good.” Of course Leon would.

  “You can do a better British accent than I can.” Amir backed him up.

  “See?” Daphne elbowed Emil. “All you need is to do is rock some eyeshadow and heels, and you’re good to go.”

  “I-I don’t know about thaaat.” There was not enough privacy in the world to convince Emil into borderline drag before coming out to his dad. Especially not when her uncle, Chief Commander Diakos, worked right next to him. “Could I even pull it off?”

  Everyone practically raced to see who could say yes the fastest. Betrayal from all of them, especially Leon, who won.

  “But!” Ozzy spoke up. “Even with all that bein’ said, Amir has a special ingredient that makes him our perfect Rushad, right Amir?”

  How Amir pivoted on heels was a mystery. “W-What? Are you talking about my bisexuality? I don’t think people are searching for that level of dedication from an impersonator!”

  “I was gonna say your flair for the dramatic, but for you, it’s the same thing, I guess. Which makes you the perfect Rushad!”

  “Woah,” Daphne’s eyebrows raised. “I thought you and Ozzy were just regular gay. Guess my point still stands.”

  “What point?” Emil’s curiosity got the better of him.

  “The gays and lesbians and stuff should take over this city.” She thumbed to her bandmates. “Lunaria’s only so big, so it’s better if us straights weren’t running around having babies, right?”

  It threw him for a loop to hear a former academy student talk so casually about gay people. Despite the IF’s reputation, the Interstellar Forces Preparatory Academy would rather have students think they didn’t exist. ‘Us straights’ made an already dazed Emil feel delirious.

  He struggled to shake himself out of it. “Yeeeah, that makes sense.”

  Living in his own closeted bubble, Lunaria’s open and thriving gay community always slipped his mind. Even staring at Amir dressed like that, he’d chalked it up to being able to get away with it as a performer, especially a celebrity impersonator.

  Emil knew from experience. He knew he’d never pass as rugged enough to escape scrutiny, so he mixed his own style and mannerisms with those of famous men. Though Rushad fit the bill, as a flamboyant, openly bisexual man, Emil found him too risky to replicate. Just looking at Amir made him feel naked. Yet Amir stood calm. Confident.

  “Emil’s just as dramatic, though. I mean, look at how he’s dressed.” Daphne so rudely pointed out.

  “Yeah, but he’s dressed more like Jay Kingston than Rushad.” Ozzy lazily slapped his bongos while exposing something Emil didn’t even realize. Emil spotted the telltale sunglasses, belt, and bright colors in a nearby reflection. All he needed were gloves and some glitter. His method of concocting an identity from celebrities must’ve done something to his brain.

  “Riiight.” Daphne snapped her fingers. “You used to do a Jay impression all the time.”

  “Not all the time!” Emil argued, though the pull to demonstrate was just too strong. “It’s quite ungentlemanly to toot me own ‘orn about such things, innit?” To cap it off, he danced his way into a pose. He ate up everyone’s applause.

  “Woooah, it’s like you’re channeling him!” marveled Leon. “Assuming he has a ghost. Who knows?”

  “Yeah, Emil has a bunch of cool tricks like that. Girls would not shut up about him, oh my gosh.” Daphne rolled her eyes. “You’re cute, but I like more humble guys. A little awkward, y’know? Too many guys here are so in-your-face about being an influencer or a STEM major, which kills my love life. What about yours?”

  “Same old, same old. Technically, it’s IF-mandated this time. I got a year or two to go.”

  “Poor guy. Dad still has you on a leash.” She then raised an eyebrow. “It’s weird you never tried to sneak around. Like how you still showed up at parties.”

  Emil had a trusty excuse locked and loaded. “C’mooon, I didn’t wanna break any hearts~ You know I cared about y’all too much to make you deal with my issues.”

  “How do you even know you have commitment issues if you’ve never been in a relationship?”

  Time to improvise. “What are you, my therapist? I’m not gonna air out my dirty laundry in public.”

  “Oops. You’re right, sorry.” That finally shook Daphne off his case. It might’ve been Emil’s imagination, but he swore Amir and Ozzy stared at him. Did they suspect something? Would they bring it up to her? “Nice seeing you again. I’d love to have something to remember you by, maybe a few dollarssss?”

  “I reeeally wanna pick up one of your CDs, but I forgot my wallet. Lorie has it, sorry.”

  “It’s cool. There’s always next time.” Daphne tried her best to be a good sport, but he could tell she regretted asking the ditzy Galhardo. “You really haven’t changed a bit.”

  “I could buy one for you, since I was already thinking about getting one.” Leon offered. He picked up two. “Oh wow, these are cheap. Here,” he tossed in some extra money, “consider it from both of us.”

  “Awww, how sweet. We appreciate it.” Daphne gave him a warm smile. “Leon, right?”

  “Yeah! And before I forget,” he held out a CD, “can I get your autographs?”

  “S-Sure, okay.” She and her bandmates gave each other excited glances.

  Seeing that warmed Emil’s heart. “Thanks, Rookie. Remind me to pay you back. I’d like some autographs too, please. We’ll keep ‘em around so we can brag when ya get famous.”

  Emil and the others made idle chit chat while CDs changed hands. Amir and Ozzy shared little moments of closeness, a hand around the waist, leaning against the other. Good thing Emil wore sunglasses, otherwise he’d look like a weirdo for staring at them so hard. Did he feel jealous? Sure. More than that, he was happy for them.

  If only they could talk without Daphne around. She treated them well enough, still he didn’t have a good enough grasp to tell if she would see him differently if she knew the truth. With his classmates, he already walked a fine line between comedian and joke. She probably wouldn’t hate him. Unfortunately, hate wasn’t the only thing that hurt.

  Goodbyes came and went before he knew it. Meeting the band brightened his day, even if it left him hungry for more from life. He’d satisfy some of it soon.

  “I’m starvinggg.” Emil slumped. “I need to sink my teeth into cupped pepperonis,” he cupped his hands for emphasis, “with all the grease and seasonings sloshin’ around, crust that’s crispy yet soft like a fresh-baked loaf, and cheese piled on so thick, it runs off the sides like a river.” At this, he pulled on an imaginary strand of cheese.

  Leon’s eyes followed the trail like a dog would meat. He swallowed, “You know you could’ve just asked if we could stop for pizza. That,” his eyebrows furrowed, “almost sounds too good to be true...”

  “Yeah, it does, doesn’t it? Anyway, you wanna hit up Space Paisanos’?”

  They trekked back from where they came, past Kosmic Royale, past the intersection, and into the little hole in the wall Emil swore his life by. As they crossed the worn checkered floor, the man behind the counter lifted his head up with a smile.

  “Ey, if it ain’t my favorite poofy-headed pizza prophet! Thought we wouldn’t be seein’ you for a while.”

  “Papa Pepe!” Emil threw his arms up.“This is my last day in town. I had to drag at least one more person here.”

  “Always happy to see it. Your ma doin’ good?”

  “Yeah, though she’d be doing better if she had a slice from here.” he winked.

  “Glad to hear it, glad to hear it! You.” Papa Pepe addressed Leon. “Can I see some ID?”

  “Uh, sure!” Leon handed it over without question. Emil didn’t have the heart to tell him about the light system. It wouldn’t apply to him anyway since he lived on Earth, not that it mattered much. Skinny friends made the system a joke. Its only real impact was making people feel worse, like Mia. Or Lorenzo.

  In the meantime, Emil wandered over to the drink refrigerators and saw a sight that would delight Leon. “They have Astro Bitz. Wanna try?”

  “Of course, I’d love to!” Leon answered with a full buck-toothed smile.

  “Here you go.” Pepe handed his ID back. “What’ll it be for ya?”

  “Just a slice of pepperoni for me, thanks.”

  “I’ll have what he’s havin’.” Emil placed their drinks on the counter. He grabbed a lemon one with lime-flavored bits for Leon, and a strawberry one with lemon-flavored bits for himself. He tilted them once and back again to show off their full lava lamp glory.

  “Two pepperoni slices and two drinks.” Pepe muttered the order to himself as he typed their order in. “I dunno if you saw her, but I’ve got someone on Main Street handing out couple’s coupon napkins.”

  “Oh yeah, he has a pack of those.” Leon thumbed at Emil.

  “With the way things are these days, so many people could show up and pretend to be a couple.” Pepe shrugged, not even the slightest bit annoyed. “So, are you two…?”

  Emil fiddled with the napkin pack in his hands. He picked up what Papa Pepe was putting down.

  Leon did not. “We’re just friends. Really good friends. I was telling him earlier how anyone would be lucky to have him–”

  Emil leaned down to his ear. “He’s tryin’ to give us a discount.”

  “Ohhhh! Wow. Really?” Leon looked up at him expectantly. “So, uh, what are we?”

  “We are…”

  None of the other customers rang a bell to Emil, nor did they pay them attention. With the little money he had left, a few extra dollars might leave him begging Lorenzo to cover dinner costs. Leon would have to pay up front either way. Taking the deal would be easier on his wallet, and at this point, it’d be weirder to refuse. He made up his mind.

  “We’re friends.” Emil slapped the napkin pack in Leon’s hands. “He’s gonna need this for his date tonight anyway.” He let the words tumble where they may.

  “I have a date tonight?? With who?”

  “We’ll figure somethin’ out. And if not, you can put it on my tab.”

  “Emil–” Two warm slices of pizza took the words out of Leon’s mouth. His eyes grew almost as wide as the plates. They rose to meet Papa Pepe. “Can I date this pizza?”

  Once he paid for them, he and Emil took a seat across from each other at a window-side booth. Though his slice sagged against the weight of cheese and pepperoni, grease pooling on top, Emil’s teeth broke through the crust with a satisfying crunch. Watching the birth of a new space paisano satisfied him almost as much.

  Leon wrestled with strings of mozzarella hanging from his mouth. “I never knew real pizza could be this cheesy. It’s everything you said it would be. This is the pizza of my dreams. I-I’m in love!” He took another bite. “It feels like a crime to have this all to ourselves.”

  “That’s why I gotta bring people here whenever I have the chance.”

  “Good. More people need to know.” He opened his drink. “And now I finally get to find out what Astro Bitz taste like. It’s been on my bucket list for years.” His eyebrows shot up after taking a swig.

  “How do you like it?”

  “Uh,” his smile wavered, “it’s definitely surprising. I wouldn’t call it bad. Overwhelming maybe, but not bad.”

  Emil took his own sip and instatnly remembered why it had been years since he last had one. “It’s like soda with pulp. There’s a lot goin’ on with it texture-wise.”

  “Well, at least I don’t have to wonder anymore. I think it’s worth it just for that experience.” Leon grinned. “By the way, don’t worry about paying me back. Lunch is on me!”

  “What?” Emil nearly choked on his pizza. “You’re really throwin’ your money around today, huh?”

  “You’re always going above and beyond for everyone else, and I really appreciate you,” Leon’s eyes lowered, “going out of your way for me, so I figured someone should treat you for a change. Really, I should be paying you for showing me this place. And besides,” he slid over the receipt.

  It looked like a normal receipt to Emil at first, until he saw the section labelled ‘Friends’ Discount.’ He whipped his head back to see Papa Pepe dealing with another customer. “Papa Pepe…” He turned back around. “Ah gosh, aww geez, are you guys tryin’ to make me cry over my pizza?”

  Leon laughed, as intended. “You don’t even have to find me a date tonight. I still don’t know why you offered. Aren’t we on a ban?”

  “Within the crew, yeah. Ain’t no rule sayin’ you can’t go out with someone from outside. And if one of us is gonna use that coupon, I’d rather it be on a real date. That’s why I offered.”

  “Aww. If you’ve survived for so long, I can handle a year or two.” His smile fell. “I just wish you didn’t have to.”

  “Dooon’t sweat it. A highschool sweetheart was never in the cards for me anyway. I’m not too lonely. Especially now that I get to enjoy somethin’ else I didn’t have.”

  “What’s that?”

  “Friends like you.” Emil gave him a wink before deciding to get more real, even if it killed him. “I don’t wanna diss my old friends. They’re fun, but with you guys, the crew, I-I dunno, it feels like I have so many people lookin’ out for me.”

  “Yeah, friends are supposed to do that.” It must’ve sounded so obvious to Leon. “You look out for us all the time.” He smiled with such warmth, Emil had to look away.

  Another bite of pizza gave Emil an excuse to mull over his thoughts. “When we left Earth, I thought I’d be leaving behind the only people I could really open up t–Sorry, this is too deep.”

  “No, you’re fine. I’ve told you way more personal stuff!”

  “Everyone, even Lorie now, you all give me something to look forward to.” Saying all this out loud felt strange. Time to lighten the mood. “You’ve made this goofball feel like a real boy with thoughts, feelings, all that kinda stuff.” His words trailed off into mumbles. “Thanks.”

  “Wow, I didn’t realize we were doing all that much. I haven’t even swooped in to brighten up your worst day, at least, not that I know of. But I can promise I’ll be there for you if it ever comes to that. Or anytime you–Oops!” The cheese on the slice Leon held up started sloughing off. He crammed it in his mouth just in time!

  “Nice save, Rookie.” Emil couldn’t help but smile.

  As strange as it felt in the moment, Leon made it easy for him to talk about his feelings. He never backed down from sincerity even if it led to awkwardness, like almost asking Emil out for the sake of allyship. What a guy. To think that all his strengths went over his head.

  Emil kept an eye on them, and it reminded him of someone. “Hey, I know you said I don’t have to follow up on that date thing, but I was wonderin’. How do you feel about Daphne? From the band?”

  Leon took a smaller sip of Astro Bitz. “She’s beautiful, and really cool, especially being able to play an instrument. But if she’s not into you, then she’s probably way out of my league.”

  “She said it’s ‘cause she likes humble guys. From where I’m sitting, you look pretty humble to me.”

  “You think so?” His head lifted up.

  “Yeah. We should be passing her band on the way to where we’re goin’. I could put in a good word for ya.” Emil winked.

  “You don’t have to do that,” Leon tilted his head one way, then the other, “but if you want to, I won’t stop you. Do you think she’ll like Cosmo?”

  “Won’t know until we find out.”

  Emil hadn’t thought much about the plastic purple dog since he and Leon took a video of it. Someone should’ve reacted to it by now. And she did, enthusiastically. He smiled at the many misspellings of ‘puppy doggie’ Roxie sent over the group chat. Before her, the others discussed updates on–

  Right. They were supposed to be finding a lady. Angelo last saw her in his area, the farthest one away from Emil and Leon. Nothing they could do about that but wait. Would it be such a crime to make the wait fun?

  Would You Rather...?