"But we just stapled one to the pole not even ten feet away from this one," I tell Adriano, who staples flyers for his party around town. 

 "Chill out, Kodiak," he tells me. "The more the better." 

 Adriano declared that we actually hang out on our according to, rather than the killers. I asked him who would want to hang out with me after knowing what I did to Reyna – after witnessing it. He said that normal people are boring and that if someone can say that they've never lost their mind, then they're liars. 

"I mean it's your party, so whatever," I tease. "How many kids do you think will show up?"

"Maybe one to two..."

"One to two?"

"Hundred," Rio clarifies. "One to two hundred."

"How do you even know that many people? I can count on one finger the number of friends I can actually tolerate..."

"Connections of connections of connections. If you impress the right guy, your title goes up," he says as if it's common knowledge. As if I should know that already. "That's how I became Adriano the Epic."

Dubiously, I look at him. "I feel like you gave yourself that nickname."

"I did," he confirms, chocolate eyes bright. "But that's the kind of stuff you can do when you're like me."

"You can't just give yourself a nickname..." I harp, looking at students passing by shops on the town block. It's weird seeing these people outside of school in broad daylight. I mean, we're usually in school around this time, and when school ends, all we want to do is go home. But school is shut down this week so they can figure out how there was a firewall and how the killer was already inside. "But whatever floats your boat."

"Goat," Adriano corrects, crossing the street without looking both ways.

"Goat?"

"Whatever floats your goat. Goats are cute and goats are cuddly, Kellin. Oh, here is a perfect place!" he eagerly chirps, positioning a flyer on a white picket fence.

"That's private property," I notify, feeling like that friend who keeps everyone safe.

"What's your point?"

"Stapling that is vandalism and you could get arrested."

Adriano sighs and walks over, placing his hands on my shoulders. "Oh, Kellin. Sweet, sweet Kellin." Smiling, he says, "I don't care." And with that, he staples the highlighter sheet to the boundary.

We walk past some quaint houses and pass a few jiffy stores and approach a movie theatre. "Want to see a movie?" Adriano asks.

"In the broad daylight?"

"Why not?" he inquires with a shrug, an innocent little smile on his face. "You don't even have to pay."

"You'll pay for me? Really?"

"God, no," he suddenly says, disgusted. "Why pay at all? I've got a friend who's working today and he owes me a few favours."

I laugh. "Alright, smooth. What do you want to see?"

"Ozzy and Maren?"

"There's a movie about Ozzy and Maren?"

Shaking his head, Rio nods across the street and towards the theatre, where Ozzy holds the door open for the sheriff's daughter. She smiles at him and walks in.

"Huh," I sound. "There's something I never thought I'd see."

"Anyways, The Heart of Darkness looks good," he suggests, taking my hand and jaywalking us across the street. "An evil force is hidden in the jungle, eager to lurk on young teenagers..."

"Yeah, I heard about it," I joke, rolling my eyes. "I doubt it's that good."

Adriano gasps and lifts a hand to his chest horrified at my opinion. "That good? Kellin, you uncultured swine. It's going to be fantastic. All the reviews are exquisite."

"Well prove me wrong, then," I challenge.

"Consider it done," he smirks, still holding my hand. We watch Ozzy and Maren get drinks and greet them. "Ozzy and Mare Bear, what brings you fine human beings to the theatre?

"The Heart of Darkness," Maren says, excitedly chewing on her soda straw. "We've been waiting forever for it to finally come out."

"I'm stoked," Ozzy cheers, rubbing his hands together. "What about you guys?"

"Same thing," I answer.

"Hey, we can get you in for free," Adriano offers the two.

"Like...illegally?" Maren inquires.

Adriano puts his face in his palm. "Shit, I suggested illegal favours to the sheriff's daughter. I'm an idiot. But the guy working here owes me some favours, so..."

"I don't even have a job," Maren protests. "I'll take all the free stuff I can get."

Perking up, Rio flashes his bright teeth. "Perfect! This way, my dudes."

He leads the way to the big theatre, where a bouncer-looking guy checks off tickets.
Seeing the Italian, he grunts. "Santiago."

"Ricky, my man. What goes on?" Translation: what's up? Adriano speaks in a language of his own.

"She with you?" the supposed Ricky interrogates, nodding my way.

"And these guys," Rio adds, jerking his thumb behind us to Oz and Maren.

"That's a lot of people to let in for free," Ricky admits. "Don't think I can do it."

 "This is Kellin," Ozzy introduces. "She's a badass bitch who almost killed someone with a crowbar. Behind her is our best friend Maren. She's the sheriff's daughter, so if you don't do this...well, I can report you for that thing you did that one time at that one place in that one room..."

Ricky gulps and sees Ozzy. "And who's he?"

"Oh, he keeps the balance," Adriano fills in. "He calms my crazy, soothes Kellin'stantrums, and keeps the sheriff's kid in our dirty clutches. So if you don't mind, we'd like to see a movie." 

Rolling his eyes, Ricky checks to see if anyone's watching. When they aren't, he steps aside and waves us in. "Right this way. Mr Santiago the Epic." 

Adriano winks and gives him finger guns. 

"Even the creepy ticket-checkers call you that?" I rhetorically ask. "That's ridiculous." 

 "Well if being so cool that people add 'the Epic' to your name is ridiculous, then hell yeah I'm ridiculous." The movie lights dim, and right before the movie starts, Adrianostands up in front of the packed theatre and shouts. "I am ridiculous!" before getting applauded and sitting back down. 

 "Damn right," I confirm, watching him chew candy and cross his legs like a child, eyes looking high at the screen. Softly, I smile. Do I like Adriano? Damn right.