Hours Later

*

"If this goes well, the only thing I'll lose is my deposit and a car," Grew-Ella said.

"We could run to the Ivy Kingdom." Quig unlocked his station wagon electronically.

"That wouldn't work. Sean-Mack will search the ships." Grew-Ella buckled her seat belt.

Quig started the station wagon and kept his eyes on the road. "Our marriage protects me from reject status. We need each other. Sleep in the closet on the cot or take the bed, and I'll sleep on the floor. To be honest with you, if you ever decided to try to make our relationship romantic, I'd be thrilled."

She glanced out the window at billboards mocking Ida. "Yes, we'll keep up appearances, but I can't tell you I love you in public or even in private. I'm not ready."

"I know." Quig's fingers dug into the steering wheel.

"You're attractive, but it's complicated. I can't tell you how your eyes sparkle or that you're the most genuine man I've ever met." Grew-Ella's shoulders slumped. "Chase and I signed an NDA concerning the details of our engagement, but there is a loophole. I can break part of the contract and marry a broken elite."

"That is in every marriage-related NDA and engagement contract, but I bet your ex demanded you remove it," Quig said.

Grew-Ella nodded, 'yes.' "This is the only unredacted part. If I'm married for a full seven days to a broken elite. I'm able to tell my husband what is in it. I have this document angel working to make my life better. Actually, Rodrick handled the agreement. I have been fined and threatened with jail time for telling my mom."

"Wish he told me." Quig turned down a side road.

"Rodrick isn't legally allowed to, and he originally wanted me to tell my husband everything before I married, but the others balked."

"My sister told me about the NDA's existence. Well, the bracelet is for you because I'll protect you. I planned to talk to you around Christmas. Is there anything else you can tell me?" Quig asked.

"Well, he managed to slip in a line that no one has the power to annul my marriage after three hours. They all signed." Grew-Ella breathed deeply. "Thank you for thinking of me as someone worthy to save."

Grew-Ella's phone buzzed. Chase emailed her.

*

Hey Gorgeous

I found out you're marrying Quig. You better not go through with this.

They'll hurt you.

Love,

Chase

*

She deleted the message. No matter how many times she changed her phone or blocked him, his messages always got through.

Quig turned down the road in the direction of her apartment. "Grew-Ella, I promise I won't date other women until you divorce me because our marriage is sin enough."

"I won't date anyone either." She formed a heart circle with her finger.

Quig stopped his station wagon. "Oh... we'll have to kiss in front of everyone."

Grew-Ella peered out the passenger side window. "Yoleta hasn't shown up, and we should attempt a couple of awkward practice kisses, but no more private kisses until-" She touched her wrist, and felt the rapid beating of her heart.

Quig grabbed Grew-Ella and mashed his mouth into hers. They clanked their teeth together. His slobber dribbled down her chin and neck. "Glad we didn't do that in public. I've kissed my ex four times in the two years we dated. Well, I realized why Ann knew I was a terrible kisser, not that she could feel anything because of the filler she received at age thirteen."

Grew-Ella closed her eyes, kissed him, missed his lips, and landed on his nose. "That was my fault."

Quig giggled and made a silly noise on her cheek. His lips fumbled against her mouth. "I can't believe how awful I am at kissing."

"You're a better kisser than Chase. His kisses taste of sadness and fish. I hope he doesn't find out I said that." She kissed him again.

"Don't lie to spare my feelings," Quig said.

"No, once his tongue reached so far back into my throat, I choked. He battered my tonsils." Grew-Ella kissed Quig, and her thin but soft lips lingered against his mouth for a minute. She yanked herself away.

"Yes, the last kiss works," Quig's voice cracked.

"No, we need to fool them." She rubbed her lips against his.

Flashes of light blinded them, and paparazzi bolted when Quig and Grew-Ella exited the station wagon.

Quig waved at Yoleta. "You should tell us the next time you send paparazzi," he said.

"What were you doing?" she asked.

"Practicing kissing, we'd prefer our kisses appear real for the wedding." Grew-Ella blushed and hid her hands behind her back.

"Honey, you're fine then, and I didn't call the media, or at least I don't remember doing so, but I'm stressed. Wait, Rodrick sent them. He texted me and used it to suppress an article, calling him weak, out of the paper. Says he might as well benefit from your love story."

"Zill will be humiliated, and that isn't good," Grew-Ella said.

"That is why I changed the wedding date." Yoleta tore down two Vote for Yoleta posters and glued replacements to the brick wall. "I'm replacing my adverts." She hid the posters in her limo.

Sounds of crashing tables and glass came from the direction of Grew-Ella's apartment. Yoleta ran across the street and dragged a squad member out the front door.

The younger woman reached for her weapon, but Yoleta snatched her electric sword, breaking it in her hands. She slugged the woman twice.

The squad member rubbed her jaw and glared at Yoleta. "Why did you smack me around?"

"Because you were in her apartment, and I told you to leave. The damages are coming out of your pay."

"Most of the wreckage happened previously. Sean-Mack sent me back to arrest Grew-Ella," the woman said.

Yoleta rolled her eyes and placed her hand on her hip. "Her arrest has been canceled. Those apartments are owned by the state of New Jersey because they were bought by the college. You didn't have a warrant."

"He told me I did," the woman said.

Yoleta grabbed the woman, ripping her uniform. "Sweetie, you needed a court order and a high-ranking board member to enter legally, but you're going to hop into your mini-tank, and we'll pretend this didn't happen because I don't wish anyone as young as you, arrested."

"I'll pay for the tea set." The squad member slipped her hand in her wallet, tossed a handful of money at Yoleta, and fled.

"What did the squad do to my apartment?" Grew-Ella tucked the money into her messenger bag.

Yoleta's entire face frowned. Her eyebrows moved and wrinkled the skin underneath.

They rushed inside. Grew-Ella's possessions were piled on the floor, smashed, torn, and damp. Stuffed animals sat on a shelf.

Quig picked up a toy pig dressed in a muted green pioneer-style dress with a matching bonnet, and the plush emitted an odd buzzing. He flung the plaything against the wall, and they fled the apartment.

"Whoever trashed your apartment added listening devices," he said.

Grew-Ella didn't say another word until they climbed into his station wagon. "They can't steal from my teacher's account, but I'm furious they shattered my tea set. My mom sculpted it for me as a Gotcha gift."

Quig climbed out. "Grew-Ella, I forgot to ask Yoleta something." He met Yoleta halfway across the street. "Ann and I spent six months planning our wedding."

"Don't worry, I'm messaging the right people. Grew-Ella's dad can reuse the items you bought for your last attempt, and your sister will provide flowers that didn't sell as a gift."

Quig gazed as he spoke to Yoleta. "After your crew clears it, send me Grew-Ella's non-trashed items to my apartment. If you can't fix her tea set, I'll make her a new one. She's going through a lot right now." He glanced back at her dingy apartment complex.

"My crew will work all night to repair her things, and my driver will take your station wagon home. I'll drive you to my castle."

Grew-Ella and Quig climbed into Yoleta's retrofitted hearse, no longer hauling coffins, a reminder of what Yoleta did for a living.

Yoleta rubbed off her lipstick with her hand and parked in her garage.

They entered her massive dining room.

Her fingers peeled a giant V off one of her You Should Vote for Yoleta posters. A tiny lens extended out of the glossy paper.

Quig sat on the couch. "Is that a film camera?"

Yoleta spoke in a hushed tone. "Yes, it is."