Ximena's POV

So here I was, in a car, driving somewhere that Noel said was "about twenty minutes away." I was just sitting in the backseat, looking out the window at the town that had been my life for a year and a half.

"So, Ximena. Tell me about yourself. If you want to, of course. Misch and I could go first if you'd like."

"Oh, no- uh, it's fine. I can, um, go. Um- where do you want me to start?" I questioned.

I noticed Mischa smile softly at me from the rearview mirror of the car. "Favorite color?" he asked.

"Probably silver."

"Creative choice." Noel piped in. "Do you have any pets? A dog or a cat?"

"Well, back where I used to live, I used to have a hamster." I said.

"Awww, that's sweet! What was their name?" Mischa asked.

"I called him Speedy. Because whenever I was on the floor doing homework or whatever, he would roll over to me with his hamster ball thing, crash into my leg, and roll away at the speed of light. He's done that since we got him." I said, feeling pained at the memories of my old life. What I used to have but didn't anymore.

Noel smiled and said, "What's your favorite subject in school?"

"I like math." I said. "I absolutely hate science though."

Mischa laughed a little as we kept driving off.

_________

Noel's POV

Throughout the drive home, about 20 minutes from Uranium City, I began to learn more and more about Ximena.

That she used she/they/he pronouns.

That her favorite movie of all time, no contest, was Grease.

That when they're older, he wants to be on Broadway.

That she was born in the Dominican Republic and raised in Boston, Massachusetts.

That they loved popcorn and hated anything citrus.

And in turn, Ximena learned more about Mischa and I. He learned that Mischa was adopted from Ukraine, she learned about our own experiences with St. Cassian's, minus the disaster, and they learned about the rest of our choir; and in turn I promised that Ximena would meet them soon.

Damn. Ximena was a really sweet kid, with a really bright future.

Hopefully Mischa and I could give them what he deserves.

_________

Ximena's POV

We pulled up to what I assumed was Noel and Mischa's house. It was quaint, a pretty green color, nicer than my foster home.

"Do you want me to take my shoes off?" I asked Noel as we walked in. The inside of the house looked just as nice as the outside, I didn't want to ruin it.

"Do whatever you feel the most comfortable with, whether that means shoes on or off. Mischa's getting our guest room set up for you, but for now, feel free to sit on the couch or on the chairs, have a snack, I could make you some tea or hot chocolate, whatever you'd like." Noel said.

"Do you- um, have a phone charger?" I asked, and Noel pulled a simple white phone charger out of one of the drawers in the kitchen.

"Thank you." I said quietly, plugging my phone in.

"You're welcome, Ximena. Do you need anything else? Mischa and I made some pasta before the concert- we could give you some leftovers? Have you eaten?" Noel asked as Mischa came into the living room from a bedroom.

"Their room is ready." Mischa said.

Noel smiled and said, "You can put your stuff in the guest room down the hall if you'd like. The bathroom is the door directly to the left of that."

I nodded, drawing my knees to my chest and sighing. Noel and Mischa's house was nice. Noel and Mischa themselves were really nice. I didn't want to leave this place, it felt like a fantasy I would never be able to live out.

"Are you okay, Ximena?" Noel asked.

I shrugged. "I don't know. You and Mischa are really nice. I know it may sound weird, but I don't want to leave this place. It's probably the most comfortable, safest place I've been in years."

"Oh, Ximena. You're welcome to stay here as long as you like, okay?" Noel said, sitting next to me on the couch and putting his hand on my back. I nodded slowly, trying to fight the tears that were coming to my eyes. I had already cried once in front of Noel today, I didn't need to cry again.

"Hey, Ximena, how about you go get some rest, Mischa and I are going to head off to bed too. Tomorrow, I'll text my friends from St. Cassian's and see if they're available so you can meet them, how does that sound? They're all going to love you, I promise." Noel said.

"Okay." I said, getting up, grabbing my phone, and heading off to the guest bedroom. "Goodnight, Noel. Goodnight, Mischa. Thanks for today."

"Goodnight, Ximena."