"What the hell is happening?" Dallas shouted, the hand holding his muffin reaching outward. "Give me my muffin."

I wonder who wanted the muffin that he was holding that badly. All the muffins are the same. They might be slightly different in size, but it's not enough for this. Which means it's probably one of the greasers.

The muffin zoomed through our legs. I lost sight of it as Dallas turned around, his gaze murderous. Until it landed on Linh. Then, he looked really happy and calm.

Dallas went around questioning people.

"Dex, did you take my muffin?" he asked.

"Why would I take your's, when there's a whole plate of them?" I asked, pointing to the large platter.

"I guess..." Dallas moved to the next person.

"Who do you think did it?" Biana whispered.

"I don't know. But definitely a greaser," I replied. "Think about it. There's all those muffins. His might be marginally larger, but not enough to go to this much trouble."

"Tess!" Dallas shouted. "Was it you?"

"Why are ya blaming this on me?" she asked. Her tone turned taunting as she said, "So your poor, little muffin's gone. Get another one."

"But-"

"Just shut up," she said coldly. "Let me eat my muffin in peace."

"Is that mine?" he asked.

"No! Now, go away!" she shouted.

"Fine," Dallas said. "I'll leave ya alone. Don't expect me to get ya when you're hurt."

"I'll expect ya!" she called to his retreating back.

I laughed at her last statement. She's got a bright fire inside of her. One I hope will never be killed by the Neverseen.

"She's got life," Biana said, laughing.

"And I don't?" I asked, trying to hold back a laugh, but failing.

"Oh, you have life. We all have lots of life," she said, grinning.

"Biana, can you give me a makeover?" Bex asked. "Please?"

"Of course!" Biana said excitedly. "Linh's competent on her own, and Sophie and the greasers hate them, so I've had nobody to practice on except myself. But now I can practice on you!" Biana squealed, clapping her hands in excitement. "I can't wait!"

"You can do it now," Bex said, grinning.

"Yes!"

The two of them raced to Bex's room, where I could hear girlish squeals of delight.

"Should I be worried about a murder?" Maria asked. "'Cause that's what it sounds like."

"No, it's just Bex and Biana having a makeover party," I said.

"Bex?" Maria asked.

"My little sister. One of the triplets," I replied.

"I never would've pegged her as the girly girl," Maria said, laughing.

"She's mostly roughhousing with Rex and Lex, but she still likes makeovers." I laughed. "There's so many different sides to people."

Sophie turned towards us. "There's a Japanese saying about that. They say you have three sides. One that you show to everybody. Another for close friends and family. And the last one, you only show to yourself. And that's your purest self."

"Makes sense," Maria said. "I sure as hell wouldn't show everything about myself to the Socs."

"Or Stina," Tess broke in. "I'd show the first side to her."

"Does Dallas have three sides?" I asked. "He seems like he's always grouchy and surly, no matter who he's with."

"He has a soft side," Maria said. "You just aren't considered close."

"Oh," I said. "Who does he consider close, then?"

"Well, there's Linh, me, Johnny, Tess, a little bit Jenny." Maria shrugged. "He's not like y'all. He doesn't let many people in."

"And those he does let in usually have to break down the door," Tess said, munching on her muffin. "I know I did."

"Same," Linh said. "Something about him just intrigued me. Made me want to learn who he really was. Not the shell he placed around himself."

"Really?" I asked.

I had a hard time imagining Dallas Winston as anything other than the gruff, cold person he was around me. Some people radiate warmth. He radiated an icy coldness. Except with the people Maria said he had let in. Then he was all sunny and warm. But as soon as he looked at somebody else, he was cold again.

"Yep," Linh said. "He seemed so aloof, yet so caring, but only with Tess, Johnny, and Maria. I wanted to learn more about him."

"Dallas isn't perfect, but nobody is," Maria said. "You just try to be the best you can."

"Yep," I said. "That's what we're doing."

"What's all the fuss about me for?" Dallas asked, slinging his arm around Linh.

He acted like he didn't care, but he did. Maybe too much. Maybe we all care too much, and that'll be our downfall. Vespera said that to Sophie. That she couldn't save everybody she cared about. It would be everybody die, or some live, and some die.

"What fuss?" Maria asked. "We were discussing your kindness."

"I ain't soft at all!" he hollered. "I'm tuff."

"Linh says otherwise," I said. "Same with Tess and Maria."

"Ya sold me out?" he asked, incredulous. "Ya sold me out?"

"Ya know you've got a soft spot." Tess grinned. "We're just making you seem more human and less robotic."

"Gee, thanks," he said sarcastically. "I wanted to be soft."

"You know you do," Linh said. "You gave in to Tess about the muffin."

"You never give up food," Maria said. "Unless it's for somebody you care about."

"See? You do have a soft spot," I said triumphantly. "You care."

"And now I see that maybe I care too much," Dallas groaned. "Man, y'all have gotta stop talking about how soft I am. 'Cause I'm tuff."

"Yeah, right," Tess scoffed.

"Ya can't say no to Johnnycakes," Maria added. "You'd give him anything, including the clothes off your back."

"Y'all are crazy," Dallas muttered.

"But ya love us," Tess said.

"Yeah," Dallas said. "Y'all are good."

"Ya mean amazing," Maria said smugly. "Especially us Winstons."

"Of course!" Dallas said. "'Cause we're tuffer than anybody else."

"I think you mean everybody," Linh said. "And sometimes it's better to be soft."

"Whatever. Grammar. Who needs it?" Dallas rolled his eyes.

"Everybody needs it," I said. "It makes it a lot easier to annoy the stuffy nobles who think we're not as good as them, if you use proper grammar."

"The biggest words also help," Lex said quietly. "And reading."

"Of course," I said, hugging him. "Just make sure those stuffy nobles see that you're just as smart-"

"Or smarter than them," Lex interrupted me.

"Yep," I said. "Exactly."

"And then proceed to kick their ass in sparring?" Dallas asked.

"Dally!" Tess shouted. "Lex is right there!"

"What?" Dallas asked. "What did I do?"