Sebastian flew down the road to Zuzu City. Sam might not even be there, but at least it was a place to start. How different this ride had felt just last night, with the whole road open to him, and Penny pressed against his back. Now cars squeezed in around him, and even in the morning, the bright sun made him sweaty and uncomfortable.

Sebastian had felt guilty toward Sam all night. But seeing Maru cry this morning made him hate Sam all over again, and hate himself for not being on his sister's side. He didn't know what he would do when he found Sam, he just had to find him.

When he reached the city, Sebastian visited all of Sam's favorite haunts. Sam often went to Zuzu for the music scene and was always trying to get Sebastian to join him to see different shows. Now Sebastian wished he had gone more often, because he was struggling to remember which clubs and venues Sam liked.

"Look, I haven't seen him, sweetheart," said the bartender at The Pit, snapping her gum.

"You're sure? Here," Sebastian held up a photo of Sam on his phone.

"Yeah, I know what he looks like, the kid's a regular."

"Well, could you call me if he comes by?" Sebastian reached over the bar and grabbed a napkin and a pen to scribble down his number.

"And if he doesn't? Can I call you anyway?" she winked.

Sebastian forced a laugh. "Thanks for your help." He walked out.

That was the last place he knew to check. He leaned against his bike and realized he wasn't far now from the diner where he ate breakfast.

Sebastian was starting to think of going back home when his phone rang. A goofy picture that he'd taken of Penny at the movie theater when she wasn't looking came up on the screen. He answered.

"Hey, Penny." He tried to sound positive, but didn't do a great job.

"Sebastian? You're not driving, are you? Where are you?"

"No, I'm in Zuzu City. What's up?"

"Oh, good. Listen, Sam's at his uncle's house. He texted his mom he was going to stay there a few days. I got her to give me the address."

Sebastian breathed a sigh of relief. "That's great Penny."

"I'll send it to you."

"Thanks."

"Wait, Sebastian?" Penny took her time, and Sebastian strained at the silence on the other end of the line. "What are you going to do when you get there?"

"I don't know, Pen. I'm not gonna hit him again if that's what you're worried about."

"That's not what I'm worried about."

She didn't say any more, but Sebastian didn't want to hang up, so he held the phone against his ear in silence for a little while. Then he heard some shuffling, and she said, "The kids are arguing, I gotta go. Um, bye Sebastian. See you soon."

"Bye Penny."

He hung up and checked the address, which looked like it was near Zuzu City. He put on his helmet, straddled his bike, and took off.

The map took him to a suburb. Not a wealthy one; the fences were chain link, not picket, but it was nice. He double checked the address as he pulled up to a low ranch house half hidden by an overgrown garden.

Tucking his helmet under his arm, Sebastian walked up the path and knocked on the door.

"Can I help you?" A man with a cane opened the door. His brown hair was cut very short, and his scowl and grizzled expression made him look older than he probably was. Sebastian opened his mouth to answer, but didn't get the chance.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Sam appeared in the hallway behind the man.

Sebastian was glad to see he was alright, but anxiety and frustration welled inside him. "Sam. Could we talk somewhere?"

"Anything you have to say to me, you can say in front of my Uncle Mike," Sam said sternly.

"Count me out!" Mike said gruffly. "I'm not interested in whatever this is. My show's on." He hobbled out of the entryway and shut the door behind him.

Sam looked annoyed at his uncle, but didn't let it phase him too long. His annoyance course-corrected back to Sebastian. "Well? Why are you here?"

"To be honest, I'm not really sure. This morning I was ready to apologize, but now I think I didn't hit you hard enough."

"Excuse me?" Sam looked ready to hit Sebastian himself.

"One thing happens and you just ditch Maru? You might be my best friend, Sam, but she's my sister. Do you know how badly you hurt her?"

Sam's expression flickered, but it hardened again. "I have a right to be mad at Maru! At all of you! Everyone in my life, everyone I care about, has been keeping this big secret from me all this time. I'm sorry I'm not as—as smart as you and Penny, okay? But you didn't have to treat me like an idiot."

Sebastian faltered. Sam did seem genuinely hurt, but it couldn't excuse him. "Would anything have changed if you knew?" Sebastian asked. "Would you have returned Penny's feelings? Besides, I did try to tell you. Sort of." He rubbed the back of his neck. "It wasn't my place."

"Then you should have kept quiet till the end. You should have—"

"I know I made a mess of it. I know I overreacted! But do you really believe that? Would you rather be in the dark?"

Sam sighed deeply. "No."

Neither of them had anything left to say. Finally Sam cleared his throat and said, "So. We're good then, I guess."

"Will you call Maru?" Sebastian asked, and Sam nodded. "Then yeah," Sebastian agreed. "We're good. I'm sorry I punched you."

Sam smiled and rubbed his cheek. "It was a good hit, man. Your form could use work though."

"I'll keep that in mind the next time you start breaking hearts around Pelican Town."

Sam shook his head. "I've got no intention of that. If Maru'll still have me, that is. I really like her, Seb."

Sebastian nodded. "And you were right yesterday. I could be a better brother to her."

"Well, you'd better stay the night," Sam said. "We're about to have dinner, and you look like you haven't slept."

He was right about that. It had been, what, thirty-six hours since Sebastian had last slept? He was starting to feel it.

Sam went out to the front yard to talk to Maru on the phone. In the meantime, Sebastian washed up from being so long on the road and called Penny. He told her he was with Sam and that he wasn't driving again that night, which she was grateful to hear.

It wasn't like Sebastian didn't have anyone else in his life that cared about his safety. He had his mom, his friends, Maru, and maybe even Demetrius. But something about the way Penny cared felt different. His life just mattered to her, and he could feel it in the way she talked, and worried, and listened.

Uncle Mike grilled up some burgers, and they sat at the patio table to eat. Sebastian and Sam were technically at peace, but it was still awkward to be hanging out.

"Well, this is awkward," Mike said.

Sebastian choked on his burger.

"Did you two fight over a girl or something?" Mike asked bluntly.

"Not exactly," Sebastian said, and he hoped to leave it at that.

Sam watched Sebastian's reaction and smiled mischievously.

This kid just can't leave things be, can he?

"I'm dating his sister," Sam told his uncle openly.

"Hoooo boy!" Mike said with a laugh. "Makes sense now why you came here in a huff, son."

Sebastian wanted to be swallowed up by the plastic deck chair. He hated talking about personal things with strangers.

"But that's not why he got mad at first," Sam went on. "He got mad for Penny's sake."

Mike squinted as he pieced together the story, which earlier he had acted so uninterested in. "This Penny, she's your girl then?" he asked Sebastian.

"What? No, Penny's not my—no." He felt his face heat up. He was way too tired for this.

Then Sam gasped and raised his hands to the sides of his head. "Dude! I get it now."

Sebastian eyed him suspiciously. "Get what? There's nothing to get."

"Ha! Penny's not the only one with a secret crush, is she? That's why you got so mad!"

Sebastian was not enjoying himself nearly as much as Sam was. "I got mad because she's my friend and she was hurt," he grunted. "Like I would if it were you or Abby."

Sam shook his head and said sarcastically, "If you say so."

Sebastian glared at him but refused to say anything more. Anything he said would just encourage Sam's teasing. Mike, thankfully, switched the conversation to some old band he and Sam liked.

Sebastian couldn't focus and gave up trying to follow. Sam's words echoed in his mind. Would he really have been so upset if it were Abby or Sam in that situation? He would feel sympathy for them, and he would support them, but would he get that angry?

All this time he'd thought of Penny as belonging, somehow, to Sam. She was his friend. She had liked Sam so long that it felt unchanging, even if Sam would never like her back.

But an idea flashed like a bulb in Sebastian's mind. Penny didn't belong to anyone. It didn't matter that she had been Sam's friend first or longest. Sebastian's friendship with her was just as worthy, just as strong, just as important. It didn't matter if he'd known her his whole life or if he'd met her twenty minutes ago, or even if she were still in love with Sam; Sebastian's feelings wouldn't change.

He liked Penny.

And he missed her more than anyone else in Pelican Town.

"Earth to Sebastian, did you hear what I said?" Sam was waving a bowl of chocolate chip ice cream in front of Sebastian's face.

"Hmm?" He reached out for the bowl. "Thanks, did you say something?"

"Yeah, I already promised Mike that I'd help him with some yard work tomorrow, but if we work quickly I think we could get it done in time to be back by the Dance of the Moonlight Jellies."

"Sure, sounds good."

Sebastian helped with the dishes when they'd finished eating, and then Sam lent him some pajamas. They were light blue with ducks. Thank Yoba no one else would ever have to see him wearing them.

In the morning, they ran some errands for Mike, mowed the lawn and cut back some bushes. Like Sam's dad, Mike had fought in the war with the Gotoro Empire. He could walk, but chores like this weren't easy for him.

"I'll drive you boys home to Pelican Town," Mike said when they were done.

"I can just take my bike," Sebastian offered, but Mike was insistent.

"I've been meaning to check in on Jodi anyway; Kent wouldn't like to know how long it's been since I last came by to see you all. Besides, I can put in a good word with her, and you might not get in trouble."

Mike drove a pickup, so they were able to take Sebastian's bike back with them in the truck bed, and they got back to town right at ten p.m.

Everyone was already down at the beach. Sam had been chipper all day, but Sebastian could see that he was nervous now to go back and see them all.

The Dance of the Moonlight Jellies wasn't like other Pelican Town festivals. It was calm; there was no music and dancing, no feast. Just people enjoying the night with their families or on their own. It was one of Sebastian's favorite nights of the year, and even though he had been focused on other things for the last few days, he was glad to be back for it.

"Maru usually stands with our parents on the far side of the beach," Sebastian said, pointing across the wooden bridge.

"Thanks." Sam took a deep breath, then walked over to her, cutting behind the old cabin to avoid everyone else. Sebastian watched him approach Maru and could see the two of them talking. They didn't seem to immediately reconcile, but they weren't fighting either, so he let them be.

Sebastian looked to the other side of the beach and found who he was looking for. Penny stood alone, keeping a relaxed eye on Vincent as he ran back and forth by the water. Sebastian walked up behind her, and she turned at the sound of his soft footsteps in the sand.

"Sebastian." In the moonlight he could make out her smile, kind and inviting. She hugged him, and he felt all the weirdness and anger and strain of the last few days finally, completely, dissolve.

"Did you..." She pulled out of the hug, but left one arm around his side, and in turn he left one hand resting on her back.

"Sam's here, he's talking to Maru." Sebastian pointed to the other side of the beach. He expected Penny to turn and look, but she kept her eyes trained on him.

"I'm glad you're back," she said, and they stood quietly, looking out over the dark ocean.

After some commotion over on the docks, the candle boat was released. One by one, the soft glow of each Moonlight Jelly touched the surface of the water and drifted toward them. As far as the eye could see, the ocean lit up in a tranquil blue. The light washed over the beach and over everyone on the docks. Some people gasped and ooh-ed, but there were no other sounds but the lapping of the waves. Sebastian rubbed his thumb absentmindedly on Penny's shoulder.

The Jellies never stayed for long. Almost as soon as the sea became its brightest, the light began to dim once more. The Jellies let the waves pull them little by little back into the open ocean. The darkness that followed felt deeper than before, and lonelier.

Sebastian pulled his arm off Penny's shoulder as people started walking up the docks.

"Goodnight," Penny said softly, then walked up the beach to catch up with her mom. Sebastian hung back near the shadow of the treeline as the crowd filtered away. Sam had come back across to the main beach and Jodi had found him, and was giving him an earful. Maru and their parents were heading out too.

"There you are! Where the frick have you been!"

Uh oh. Sebastian knew that voice well. He slowly turned to face Abigail, the last to come up from the docks. "Hey, Abby..."

"Don't 'Hey, Abby' me. First, everyone bails on Solarion night, and no one picks up their phone. Then, I just found out from Vincent of all people that Sam has been out of town for two nights, and you were probably with him, Yoba knows where!"

Sebastian winced. He hadn't wanted to exclude Abigail, things had just been crazy. And he sort of figured she'd talked to Sam or Maru or Penny.

"Sorry Abs, things got kinda dramatic. Sam and I had a bit of a fight."

"A fight? And you left me out? Why do I miss everything fun that happens around here!" She flung her arms out in exasperation, and Sebastian couldn't help but smile a little, even though he felt bad about it.

"You'd better catch me up, dude," she said.

"Well, most of it's not mine to tell. I think Sam should tell you..."

"What could Sam possibly know that you can't tell me? I know every embarrassing detail about that man's life."

"It's not just about Sam," Sebastian added.

"Well, who else knows?"

"Maru...and Penny..."

"Unbelievable. Un. Be. Lie. Va. Ble. Everyone knows but me. You're gonna regret this Sebastian. I'll make sure of it." She stormed dramatically up the beach.

Sebastian sighed. There was a difference in Abigail's fake anger and real anger. This time it was mostly fake, but he could tell she was still hurt underneath it. Whatever outlandish punishment she came up with, he was determined to accept.