"Ximena!" someone yelled at me as I entered school the next day. I sighed, not really in the mood to talk to anyone. Despite the happy day I had yesterday, today I must've woken up on the wrong side of the bed or something.

"What do you want?" I started to snap, but softened up once I realized it was Rose. "Rosie! Oh my God, I'm so sorry for the attitude- how are you? Like- after the whole sneaking out of the house shit...she didn't hurt you, did she? Oh my God, if she did I'm so sorry because you snuck out for me and-"

Rose cut me off by putting her hands on my shoulders, smiling at me. "Mina, Mins. Calm down. And um...my social worker came to me this morning. I'm moving to my grandparents a week early. Someone apparently reported our foster demon."

"WHAT?!" I said, trying to process the news. "W-who was it? Did they tell you?"

"My social worker said the reporter knew you." Rose shrugged.

"Was it Noel? Mischa?" I asked.

"Nope. Some guy named Ricky?"

Ricky. I had just met the guy yesterday- and I hadn't told any of my dads' friends my story, or even about Rose. How did Ricky find out? The only probable reason I could think of was that Noel or Mischa told them, and while I would normally be a little upset at them for revealing my whole life story like that, I decided to brush it off. Whoever told Ricky...indirectly saved my best friend. And Ricky saved her.

"I have to write him the longest thank you note in the world..." I said. "He's one of my dads' best friends from high school."

Rose smiled. "I'll thank him too, if you can give me some way to contact him."

"I can ask my dads." I said. "Speaking of, do you wanna come over?"

"Sure-" Rose said, but was cut off by my phone ringing. I fumbled for it and realized Mischa was calling.

"Mischa? What's up?" I said.

"Hi зірка! Hope I'm not interrupting your classes or anything, but my little cousin's in town. She's around your age, I was wondering if you wanted to meet her after school." Mischa said over the phone.

"Oh, sure! Rose was gonna come over, is that okay?" I asked.

"Of course, зірка. Rose is always welcome." Mischa said.

I smiled and gave a thumbs-up to Rose. "Great. I'll be home as soon as I can after school."

"I love you, зірка!"

"I love you too, Mischa." I said, hanging up.

~~~

Rose and I headed to my house after school, and we were met with an extremely short and thin teenager with choppy ginger hair, vitiligo, and thick wire glasses.

"Hi!" the girl said in a strong Ukrainian accent. "My name is Cass!"

"Cass, this is Ximena, my daughter. And that's her friend Rose. Mina, Rose, this is Cass, my cousin from Ukraine." Mischa said.

Cass and I sat down on the couch, Cass giggling slightly. "So. Tell me about yourself!" Cass giggled.

"Um. My name is Ximena, I'm Dominican, I'm from Massachusetts, and um...I love ballet, math, and theatre. You?"

"My name is Cass, it's short for Cassiopeia! Um, I'm a trans girl, and I'm Ukrainian, obviously. I like playing lacrosse and cooking, I also dance...somewhat." Cass said.

"I like your name. Cassiopeia. It's pretty." I said. "Did you choose it after the constellation?"

Cass nodded. "When I was younger, like really young, I went on vacation with Mischa, his mother, and my parents. We went somewhere in the mountains or somewhere, I was only like four, I don't even remember if we were still in Ukraine. Anyway, we saw the Cassiopeia constellation, and it started my lifelong fascination with stars and space and constellations- I was obsessed. Mischa can tell you all about it, God, for years I wouldn't shut up. I want to be an astronomer when I grow up. Anyway, when I came out...I immediately knew I wanted to go by Cassiopeia. That little group of stars means so much to me as a person."

"That's so sweet." I said, turning to look at a smiling Mischa.

"Do you three want anything to eat?" Noel said, coming in and looking at Rose, Cass, and I.

"I'm fine, thank you." Rose said shyly.

"I'm okay too." Cass replied, and I just simply nodded.

I sighed and turned towards Noel and Mischa, wanting to ask them a question. While part of me felt it was stupid to ask in front of Rose and Cass, the other part of me knew it had to be done somehow and sometime.

"Um...Rose told me that...Ricky reported our foster mother? Your friend, Ricky?" I said.

Noel and Mischa looked like they didn't know what to say for a second. "Um..." Noel said, clearing his throat. "...yeah. The choir wanted to know how we found you and we...told them the whole story. I'm sorry, both of you, we should've asked first before revealing it to people you don't know that well, but yeah...sorry again."

"Don't be sorry." Rose said.

"Huh?" Mischa said, perking up.

"You saved my life." Rose said. "You and Noel indirectly saved my life. You can't even begin to imagine how bad it was getting over at the foster demon's place. The next time you talk to Ricky or see hi, tell him I say thank you."

Noel and Mischa looked to each other and smiled, and then they each gave Rose a big hug.

"You're always welcome here, Rose. Always. Cass, too." Noel said.

"I'll make myself at home, then." Cass said teasingly.

I smiled and looked at my best friend and...cousin, I should say.

"Hey, you two. Do y'all wanna go to the mall?"