“Everybody calm down!”  Marco shouted over the chatter. Nobody heard him.  In fact, they raised their voices to talk over him.  He shouted until his face was red, and then he drew his gun.  Marco shot into the air, and in the startled silence he bellowed, “Everybody shut the fuck up!!”

 

All eyes turned to Marco, who now needed a moment to cool off. 

 

“Jesus fucking Christ!” He shouted, “You wanna know what’s going on?  Or you wanna keep speculating amongst yourselves!?  Cuz *I’m* the guy who fucking knows!!”

 

Reggie approached him cautiously. “It’s alright, Marco. We’re all listening.”

 

Marco took a deep breath and closed his eyes as he exhaled. 

 

“Alright guys, here’s the deal: we’re getting kicked out of our apartment.”

 

The crowd erupted again.  Marco rubbed his face and waited for things to die down.  There were at least twenty-five people gathered at the core, not counting Marco and Reggie.  Their voices were deafening. 

 

“Do you wanna know why or do you just wanna freak out about it?!”  Marco shouted when the noise didn’t dissipate.  Nobody acknowledged him and he clenched his jaw.  He was reaching for his gun again when a dragon sat down next to him and roared. 

 

Silence followed.

 

“Thanks, Darax,” Marco said before addressing the crowd again. “So listen, it’s because the fucking building manager lives under us, and she can hear Kate and Susan waking around. So she knows that we’re letting them live here, and she’s not down with it. So we can either make Kate and Susan go back to living in the sketchy house with all the fuckin’ meth heads, or we can find somewhere else to live.”

 

“We can’t make them go back to that place—“

 

“I know, Nathan!  That’s why I started by saying we’ve been kicked out of our apartment!”

 

“Yo, chill out man,” Nathan said with his hands raised. 

 

“*You* chill out, man!”  Marco shot back. “That’s what your best at!  Chillin out, smokin’ weed on the fuckin’ beach all day!”

 

David shoved his way through the crowd. “Marco!” He put his hands on Marco’s shoulders and stood between him and the crowd. “Hey, just breathe. Ok?  You’ve got this.  Just keep a level head. They need a leader right now.  You can’t be at everyone’s throat.”

 

Marco took another deep breath.  “I know. I know. I’m ok,” he said. “I got it. I’m ok.”

 

David stepped behind him and exchanged a nervous glance with Reggie. 

 

“Ok, look. We’re not gonna make Kate and Susan go back to the meth house. Alright?  I already made that decision. It’s done. And I already texted someone about crashing at their place until we get a new apartment.”

 

“Is it Harvey?  Because I think that guy might be in love with us.”

 

“Yes, Artemis. And that’s the reason I asked him. And he said yes, all three of us have a place to stay.  For now. So everything is fine. For now.”

 

“So everything is fine?” Dante said. 

 

“Yeah. For now.”

 

“You maybe should’a led with that—“

 

“Do *not* push my buttons right now, D!”

 

Dante snickered. 

 

“We aren’t, um.. leading him on though. Are we?” Artemis asked.

 

Dante rolled his eyes and repeated his words in a high pitched mocking tone.

 

“Dante shut-up.”  Marco said. “Artemis brings up a good point.  We need to keep this guy firmly in the friend zone.”

 

Dante scoffed. “The fuck does that even mean?”

 

“Well for starters, *Dante*, it means don’t let him fucking kiss you!” Marco glared at Dante.

 

“Woah, ok. First of all, he was on acid, that meant nothing! Sec-“

 

“I disagree,” Artemis said, “he kissed us because he likes us, being high was just—“

 

“*Second of all*,” Dante continued, shooting a glare in Artemis’ direction, “I didn’t fucking encourage him!  If you’ll fucking recall, it was super awkward and I’m pretty sure he knows it’s not going anywhere!”

 

“I’m just saying—“

 

“*And third!*” Dante glared at him again, harder this time. “I was doing a lot of wipits that night.”

 

Artemis rolled his eyes. “That’s not a great excuse, Dante.”

 

“Oh ok Mr. Mother-Fuckin’-Perfect over here!”

 

“I’m not perf-“

 

“I fuckin’ know you aren’t!” Dante shouted. “I’m Arty, I cry myself to sleep at night because school is hard and I’m *stupid*!”

 

“Dante-“ Marco started, but Artemis’ mouth was already open. 

 

“Everybody here knows that you can’t even *read*, Dante, so why don’t you shut the fuck up!?”

 

“Oooh, lookit that I made him age-slide!” Dante laughed and pointed. 

 

“Dante!” Marco barked, “don’t be a bully!”

 

“Uh, said the mobster who’s job it was to literally shoot people dead.”

 

“On assignment!  Not just randomly for fun!  And it’s not even remotely the same thing!” Marco was starting to lose his cool again.  

 

“No, I just hurt his feelings. You would’a shot him in the face.”

 

“Shut the fuck up, Dante!!”  Arty shouted. 

 

“Oh well maybe not. How old did I make you?  Fourteen?  Twelve?  Marco wouldn’t shoot a kid. Probably. He *would* threaten to though!”  Dante laughed and looked at Marco. “Remember that Marc?  When you pointed your gun at my face cuz I pissed you off?  Good fucking times, man—“

 

Artemis tackled Dante to the ground. His fingers wrapped around Dante’s throat. His short fingernails bit into the flesh. 

 

Dante forced a chuckle and rasped, “harder.”

 

Artemis lifted Dante’s head and slammed it into the ground. 

 

Marco and David rushed to pull them apart. Marco pulled Artemis off of Dante, and Dante shoved David’s hands away from him. 

 

“Don’t fucking touch me!” Dante shouted and scrambled to his feet. 

 

Marco passed Artemis off to Reggie and went after Dante.  He grabbed the hood of Dante’s sweater and growled in his ear.  “Hey!  You wanna stop being a little shit for five minutes?”

 

“Not really, no.”

 

Marco shoved him. “Then fuck off!”

 

Reggie wrapped her arms around Artemis and tried to sooth him.  “It’s ok.” She murmured. “He does it to all of us.”

 

“Hey,” Dante grinned at Marco and motioned with his head. “You think I made him cry?”

 

Marco drew his hand back. “Don’t make me smack you, boy!  Now fuck off!”

 

“Whatever you want, man,” Dante said, and made a run for the core. 

 

“No!  Shit!”  Marco chased after him, but the kid was too fast. 

 

He leaped into the Core and sent Kasey shooting out of it.  The gathered crowd parted and erupted with noise again. 

 

“Well that’s not good,” Marco muttered. 

 

“Oh *hell* no!” Kasey jumped up and charged to the Core.  He roared and smashed his fists into it. Fur began to sprout over his body. He tore into the Core like it was a large animal, claws leaving huge gashes behind them. Kasey burrowed his way back Outside. 

 

Dante popped out of the Core and immediately tried to press his way back in. David wrapped his arms around him from behind, pinning his arms to his sides. He lifted Dante, kicking and screaming, off the ground. 

 

“Ow!  Shit- *ow*!  Put me down! Don’t fucking touch me!  Shit!  Why the fuck are you so strong!!?”

 

“You’re not the first person I’ve had to restrain.” David said. 

 

“David, just.. take him to my place,” Marco said before he turned back to the crowd. “Everyone shut-up!  Darax, would you—“

 

The dragon roared. 

 

“Again, thank you.  Ok listen up people!  Everything is fine for now, but it’s also... not fine.  A lot of us who used to go Out a lot can’t get through anymore. I dunno why, maybe it’s stress. Maybe we’re tired?  Maybe this thing,” he gestured to the Core, “is tired of us?  I dunno. That’s just how it is.  So we all need to *help* each other. Ok?  So if you can feel that whoever’s Outside needs to come back, you gotta find someone who can get out there.  Preferably *not* D. You all heard that?  Don’t let him Out there unless you have to!  Until we get Marcy back, we have to be on top of our shit.  If it’s not one of us, it’s nobody, and I dunno what happens out there if we leave it empty. Everyone clear?”

 

The crowd murmured its agreement and began to disperse. 

 

“Oh and if you see anyone you don’t recognize send them my way!!” He called after them. 

 

Marco sighed, rubbed his forehead and pinched the bridge of his nose.  “Ok. Ok,” he muttered to himself, “what am I doing?  Oh shit. David.”

 

Marco ran into the Void, leaving Reggie and Artemis alone at the Core. 

 

She was still holding him. His face buried in her cloths. Her hands in his curls. 

 

“Hey kiddo,” she said softly, “everyone’s gone.”

 

Artemis turned his head to peak one soggy eye out into the Void.  He drew in a shaky breath and let go of Reggie. 

 

“I’m sorry,” he said quietly. 

 

“For what?”

 

“I dunno. Everything.”

 

“Shh.”  Reggie brushed his curls out of his eyes. “You don’t need to apologize. D knew what he was doing. He knows you.”

 

“Why does he hate me?”

 

“Because he hates everybody,” Reggie said, “He’s had a hard life.  Do you want to go home?”

 

Artemis shook his head. 

 

“Do you want to come home with me?”

 

He nodded. 

 

“Ok,” Reggie said with a smile. She took his hand and led him into the Void. “Actually, I have someone I think you should meet. Nobody knows about him though, so you have to keep it a secret.”

 

Marco stepped through his door to find David frustrated and out of breath. 

 

“Did you lose him?”

 

“He is *definitely* in here somewhere.”

 

Marco nodded and silently looked around. The moss covered stone ruins were, unfortunately, a great place to hide.  He smelled the air. 

 

“What are you doing?” David asked. 

 

“Looking for the smell of blood,” Marco answered. 

 

“What? Why??”

 

“Because he’s upset,” Marco said, and gave David a look like ‘duh, what did you fucking think?’ David was clearly still confused. “Look, if you were just a burning ball of hate and anger with nobody to take it out on, who would you take it out on?”

 

David just looked at him. 

 

“Yourself, David!  You’d take it out on yourself!  The kid’s a fuckin cutter!  Christ!”  Marco shook his head and continued his search. 

 

I heard my Everywhere Door open. 

 

“Hey Reggie. Hey Artemis,” I said without looking away from my screens. “Come on in you guys.”

 

They joined me in the living room. Reggie sat down beside me, and Artemis just stood, looking at the screens. 

 

Dante breathed heavy and shallow.  He was crouched behind a weathered stone wall. His face was wet with tears and he pressed a blade against his forearm. 

 

Artemis furrowed his brow. “I guess he hates himself too,” he said. 

 

“Oh definitely,” I said. 

 

“Should we be watching this?” Artemis asked without taking his eyes off the screen. 

 

“It’s alright,” I said, “just don’t tell anyone.”

 

“That sounds like something you say when you’re doing something you shouldn’t be doing.”

 

“It’s.. it’s complicated,” I said. 

 

Blood dripped from the cut on Dante’s arm, and he pressed the blade into a fresh spot right next to the first. He took a deep breath and rocked himself back and forth. He was shaking, and his next cut wasn’t as clean as the first two. 

 

“Should we... do something?” Artemis asked. 

 

“Marco’s on it. Look.”  I pointed to a different screen. 

 

Marco held up a hand and stopped moving. David froze. They both listened, and both turned their heads at the same time. 

 

“Stay here,” Marco whispered and moved toward the sound of Dante’s breathing. 

 

He silently peeked over a low wall, then climbed on top of it. Marco sat and watched for a moment. Dante hadn’t heard him. He made another cut and it bled more than the others. 

 

“Shit,” he muttered under his breath and tossed his knife into the grass. 

 

Marco hopped down next to Dante, who quickly pressed his hand over his arm trying to hide the blood. 

 

“Hey,” Marco said gently, “I’m not here to cuss you out‘r nuthin’.  Let me see.”

 

Reluctantly Dante lifted his hand and held out his trembling arm.  Blood trickled to the ground between them. 

 

“I don’t think you got the artery. Just got a little deep into the muscle.” Marco said. “I’m gonna touch you. Ok?”  

 

When Dante didn’t withdraw Marco touched his arm.  Pulled the cut open with his fingers and made a sour face. 

 

“You gotta be more careful than that.”

 

“The fuck d’you know about it!?” Dante spat and yanked his arm away. 

 

“Keep pressure on that,” Marco said. 

 

Dante pressed his hand over the wound again. 

 

Marco pulled back one of his pant legs and Artemis gasped audibly.  Marco’s leg was marked up with thin white scars. 

 

“I don’t always wear sleeves, so..” Marco shrugged. 

 

Dante looked at Marco’s scars. “When did you stop?” He asked. 

 

Marco sighed and pulled back his other pant leg. It was covered in scars too, and among them was a bandage with splotches of red and brown.

 

“I didn’t,” he said, “shit I gotta change this.”  He peeked under a corner of the folded gauze. “I’ll deal with it later,” he muttered and smoothed down his pant legs again.  “So you gonna let me help you or not?”

 

“Ok fine,” Dante said. 

 

“Can I call David?”

 

“Don’t fucking call David!!”

 

“He’s a nurse, D.  The only thing he ever wants to do is help.”

 

“So he knows that *you’re* a cutter?” 

 

Marco didn’t respond. 

 

“That’s what I fucking thought,” Dante said. 

​

“It really seems like we shouldn’t be watching this,” Artemis said. 

 

“Yea but look,” I said, “you’re not a kid anymore.”

 

Artemis looked down at his body.  “That’s.. that’s great. But Marco and D clearly don’t want people to know this shit.  I mean..” Artemis touched the screen gently with his fingertips, caressing the flat image of Dante’s face. “Even if they weren’t basically telling us that right now, I can feel it.  They’re.. ashamed of this.  They do it to manage their feelings, and they consider it a weakness. We can’t just watch it like it’s TV.”

 

I leaned forward. “How do you know that?  How did you.. feel that?”

 

“I don’t know,” he said, “I just can.”

 

“Artemis is extremely empathic,” Reggie said. 

 

“There’s so much information I can’t access by just watching,” I said, “this is the stuff we need to know.”

 

“What?  Why?” Artemis sounded appalled.

 

“Ok look,” I said and stood up, “I’m not just watching everyone for shits and giggles (although it is pretty funny sometimes). I’m trying to figure out what the fuck is going on around here, and the emotional information is possibly *the most* important part of it all.  See, I’m pretty sure this whole universe exists in Marcy’s subconscious- and that means that stuff gets translated into all kinds of metaphorical crap. What’s true, what remains in tact, is the emotional content.”

 

Artemis shifted uncomfortably.

 

“So is it the cutting itself they’re ashamed of, or the emotional state it represents?” I asked. 

 

Artemis looked at the ground, then back at the screens.  Marco was agreeing to tell David his secret if it meant Dante would let him help. 

 

“I’m pretty sure it’s the second one,” Artemis said. 

 

I nodded slowly and looked thoughtfully at my screens. “Interesting,” I said. 

 

“I’m not comfortable with this,” he continued, “Do you guys watch me too?”

 

“I haven’t actually gotten around to yours,” I answered, “and you don’t hang out with the others very often so.”

 

“My what?  You haven’t gotten around to my.. What?”

 

“Oh sorry.  Your life. The data is all here,” I gestured vaguely, “I’ve got it all downloaded on my computer in audio visual form.”

 

“Just.. my whole life?”

 

“Well not all of it. There’re some holes and some fuzzy parts.. Y’know like when a vhs starts to wear out?  Some of it looks like that. Everyone’s life is like that.  I can’t access any of Dante's life after age 16. It’s just static, but there’s no video of him dying so I think it’s just inaccessible right now.”

 

“I’ve never seen him older than 16, so that makes sense I guess.” Artemis said slowly, thinking. Then he closed his eyes and shook his head. “No. This is.. this is not right. You can’t just—“

 

“Look, I get that you find it morally objectionable,” I said, “And we’ve had debates about it, believe me. In the long run, it’s just more important to solve the puzzle than for everyone to be comfortable.  Nobody even knows I exist. It’s fine.”

 

“That’s.. that’s not the point!  They’re going to find out about you eventually— and last time I checked, Reggie and I aren’t ‘nobody’.” He gestured to the couch where Reggie was still sitting, watching the screens. “Reggie!” He raised his voice to get her attention. “Can I get you some fucking popcorn?!”

 

“I’m sorry,” She blinked and tore her attention away from the screens “it’s just *vey* dramatic—“

 

“And *private*!  Reggie they don’t know we can see them!  How does that not bother you?  This is a violation!”

 

“Ok,” I said and switched off the screens. “You clearly don’t want any part in this, so I won’t subject you to it while your here.”

 

Artemis took a breath and calmed himself. He glanced at me in a way that seemed meaningful, but knowing what people meant was never my forte`.

 

Reggie stood up and I took the opportunity to sit down and fade into the background. She opened her mouth to speak but Artemis got there first. 

 

“Why did you bring me here?”

 

“Because I thought.. well you were upset and I thought..”

 

“You thought I’d like this?”

 

“Well.. yeah.” Reggie’s voice got quiet. There was tension in the air. 

 

I was no empath, but Artemis projected. 

 

He didn’t need to speak. I understood instantly that Reggie and Artemis went way back, and this vast misunderstanding of his core moral code was an insult to their entire relationship.  It radiated off him like heat.  His reality imposed itself over my own and I felt what he felt. I took a deep breath. Artemis’ feelings were so visceral. I wondered if this was why he didn’t socialize with the others very often. 

 

“You don’t know me at all,” Artemis said and he turned to leave, but Reggie grabbed his sleeve and tugged. 

 

“No!  Arty please don’t leave like this!”

 

“Reggie,” Artemis turned back with a look on his face I couldn’t quite decipher. The more dramatic things got the more nuanced they became, and the less I understood what was being communicated. “I feel like I’m being watched *most of the time*. A lot of us do!  It’s not a great feeling!  And here you are, *watching* everyone!  So now I don’t know if I feel these things because I’m paranoid, or if it’s because of you!”

 

Reggie frowned. “It’s because of our fucking father!  We couldn’t make a fucking sound without him being all ‘what the hell are you doing in there?!’  We’ve been seriously paranoid since middle school, Artemis!  This isn’t my fault!”

 

“Yea, well what was *he* up to during middle school?” Artemis gestured to me. 

 

“Not this,” I said, “I wasn’t aware of you all until... well until I met Reggie, so whenever that was.”

 

“So after we moved away from home!” Reggie exclaimed. 

 

Artemis took a breath and combed his fingers through his hair. The energy spilling off of him was confused and intense. “I just don’t understand how.. how you can *not* understand what’s wrong with this!!”

 

“But that’s part of it, Artemis!” Reggie exclaimed. “I *don’t* understand you guys!  I used to be Outside all the time!  I only knew you when you were Out with me!  Now suddenly the Core’s rejected me!  And I’m just *in here* by myself and there are SO MANY boys!  And you all have these intricate, detailed lives!  And I’m just.. *here*!  I don’t *have* memories, Artemis!  I have an apartment!  And there’s nothing outside of it!  I tried to remember but there’s nothing!! Seth can’t find *anything*! I’m not like the rest of you!  And neither are Natalia and JoJo!  JoJo, has a little bit.. but still not much outside her house!  We’re different and I don’t know why!  And I don’t understand you!  I don’t understand *myself*, Artemis!  I just need to *understand*!”

 

Artemis bristled against the sound of her voice. Reggie was spilling energy now, and it made my skin crawl a little. Artemis stepped toward her and enveloped her in his arms. His face looked pained.  Like he was hugging a fusion reactor. 

 

“Shh,” He soothed her and petted her hair. “It’s ok, Reggie.”  For a long moment he just held her. “Listen,” He said finally, pulling back far enough to look at her face. “I can’t be a part of this.  You do whatever you need to do, but I’m gonna go home and try to forget you showed me this.”

 

Reggie nodded her head silently and let him walk away. 

 

“Are.. you ok?” I asked when he’d gone. 

 

“I’m fine,” she sniffled. 

 

“Do you wanna keep watching this?”  I gestured to the screens. 

 

Reggie shrugged. 

 

“Are you.. feeling weird about it now because you thought he’d be on board and he isn’t?” I asked. 

 

“Maybe..”

 

“Nailed it,” I said to myself. 

 

“That was an easy one.  Don’t get cocky,” Reggie scoffed. 

 

“If it makes you feel any better, Reg, I started watching this stuff because I don’t really get other people at all.  Watching them like this gives me some insight. Like how people will say one thing to your face but behind your back it’s completely different— I can watch people doing that, and I can study it and figure out why. With this crowd it’s usually to avoid confrontation. I.. probably still can’t tell when it’s happening to me in real time, but.. Y’know.”

 

Reggie sat down heavily beside me and folded herself over into her lap.  I patted her shoulder sort of awkwardly. I wasn’t sure if she wanted me to touch her. I didn’t always appreciate being touched when I was upset, but I didn’t really understand what other people wanted. 

 

 I turned my screens back on and rewound to where things were before Artemis began protesting.  Reggie took a deep breath and sat up. She crossed her arms and sank into the couch cushions.

 

“That’s what I fucking thought,” Dante pouted on the screen. 

 

Marco’s face did a thing it only did when he was dealing with other people’s emotions. His brow furrowed and his mouth tightened, and he looked down. Marco rarely looked down. 

 

“If I tell him will you let him help?”

 

“So is he like your boyfriend or something?” Dante asked. 

 

“D would you just—“ Marco stopped himself from saying something. He took a short breath and started again, “yes he’s kinda like my boyfriend.  Or something. Now would you come on?”

 

“Fine. You’re *boyfriend* can help- if you tell him.”

 

Marco stood and climbed onto the wall again.  “David!” He called, “come here, I gotta show you somethin’!”  Marco sat down on the wall and pulled up his pant leg again. When David arrived he spoke before Marco had a chance to. 

 

“How old is that bandage?”

 

“David Listen, I gotta tell you something—“

 

David looked him in the eye and Marco stopped talking. 

 

“Marco, I know.”

 

“...what?”

 

“I know that you self-harm.”

 

Marco scoffed. “Self-harm, What is that? The politically correct— No, wait, *how* do you know?”

 

“Because we’ve—“ David paused. “He’s right there, behind this wall, isn’t he?”

 

Marco nodded. 

 

David leaned close to his ear and whispered something. Marco blushed, then stammered, “um.. ok.. so, uh.. D cut himself a little deep here so-“

 

David climbed easily over the wall and crouched down in front of Dante. “May I?” He held his hands out and Dante extended his arm.  David looked at it for a moment, then reached out and touched Marco. With his hands on both of them, he closed his eyes and they were standing in his kitchen. 

 

“Alright, just hop up here,” David said looking at the kitchen counter.  He moved his hands to Dante’s sides to assist him and Dante immediately recoiled. 

 

“No don’t!” He shouted and sucked air through his teeth. 

 

David’s eyes bugged a little and he stepped back. “What?  What is it?”

 

“He doesn’t like to be touched,” Marco said. 

 

“Yea, and my fucking ribs are broken right now!” Dante yelled. 

 

David frowned and looked at Marco. “Were.. were they broken before Artemis attacked you?”

 

“Yes!  This is a whole.. separate thing! And it fucking hurt when you picked me up before too, so thanks for that! Can you just look at my fucking arm already!?”

 

“Follow me.”  David led them to the bathroom and sat Dante down on the lid of the toilet. 

 

He tended Dante’s cut in silence. His mouth was drawn tight and his brow was furrowed.  Marco leaned quietly in the doorway.  

 

David was wrapping clean gauze around Dante’s arm when he finally spoke. “How did you break your ribs?”

 

Dante let a heavy pause fill the air before he answered. “Sh-Sharon. It was an accident.”  I saw his eyes tighten when he stammered. 

 

“Was it?” Marco commented dubiously. 

 

“She.. didn’t mean to hurt me this bad,” Dante said. 

 

David and Marco looked at each other.

 

“What? She didn’t!” Dante insisted. 

 

“How did it happen?” David asked. 

 

“She just.. sort of.. threw me against the kitchen sink- it’s not as bad as it sounds.”

 

“Seems like it’s worse than it sounds,” David said. “Why did she—“

 

“Why do you wanna know?!” Dante demanded. 

 

David secured the gauze with a strip of medical tape and stood up. “I guess we’re done here,” he said and stepped out of the bathroom. 

 

“He just cares about you, D,” Marco said. 

 

“Bullshit,” Dante said. “Nobody cares about anyone.  They just wanna make themselves feel better.”  He vanished from where he was sitting, and Marco rolled his eyes. 

 

I glanced over at Reggie, who was hugging a pillow and frowning at the screens. I turned them off. 

 

“You seem upset,” I said. 

 

Reggie grunted. 

 

“I said before that I didn’t think it was a good idea to let you see all this stuff,” I said and shifted on the couch to face her, “and I changed my mind because you seemed to be handling that little quest I sent you on pretty well.  But now I’m thinking maybe I was right the first time.”

 

Reggie grunted. 

 

“Reg, I think watching this shit is bad for you.”

 

She groaned and fell over sideways onto the couch. 

 

“Ok. I want hot coco. You want hot coco?”

 

Reggie nodded. 

 

“Ok.”  I patted her head. “We can have little marshmallows and everything.”