Page 62 of Zachary

I don’t think anyone else will get it—well, maybe Steffen and Brandt. And Wil. That’s the day I pretended to be Steffen to gain access to the DEA offices and tried to hack his computer. The day Wil caught me and I first met Brandt. The day that set me on the path to being free.

The day of my rebirth.

Those first few months were painful and difficult, both physically and emotionally. But I’m still here, and now I’m me.

Dustin:

That’s only two weeks away! It’s going to be hard to plan the perfect party in that time. My circus contact needs at least three months’ notice

Hagen:

May 2. Got it. Hold off on the party planning for now

Fabian:

Why? Ronan deserves a party, and we’re his friends.

Hagen:

Bro code. Just do it.

Sophie:

I’m not a bro. Why can’t we plan a party?

The chat goes quiet for a minute, and I check the Wi-Fi connection.

Sophie:

Let’s hold off on the party planning for now. We can have a virtual celebration on the day and then a real party when you next visit.

What…? I start typing a question, but my doorbell rings, and according to my magic, it’s Zoe.

Gotta go. Doorbell. TTYL

I cram my phone back into my pocket and go let Zoe in. To my surprise, she’s carrying a big box.

“This is yours,” she says. “I picked it up for you at the post office. What’s in it?”

“No idea.” I take it and step back to let her inside while I check the label. That’s my name, but the return address is just a delivery depot. “Oh, wait—Hagen said he was sending me something. It’s taken longer than he thought, so I forgot about it.”

We traipse into the kitchen. “No baking today?” she asks, unwinding her scarf and dumping it with her parka on one of the kitchen chairs.

“I haven’t started yet. I got distracted by the group chat.” Setting the box on the table, I go find the scissors to cut the tape. I could use magic, but where’s the fun in that?

“Okay, listen, I need to talk to you about something, but first, you know I’m your bestie, right?”

I don’t look up from slitting the tape at the sides of the box. “What? Of course.”

“Good. Because I am. And I’m always on your side. But I also want what’s best for you, which is why— What the fuck?”

The scissors drop from my hands to clatter to the floor as I stare into the box. “Oh no,” I breathe. Everything inside is packaged, but the pictures on the packaging… and the names…

“What the hell is a Ding Dong Dildo?” Zoe reaches out to grab it, and I slap her hand away. “Ow! Ronan, I just wanted to look at it!”

“I…” My lips press together hard, but I can’t help it. Laughter bursts from me.

“Care to let me in on the joke?” Zoe’s taken advantage of my distraction to raid the box, and she’s holding up a hot pink dildo in a clear, molded plastic package. “Ding Dong Dildo. Guaranteed to ring your bell,” she reads. “A friend sent you this?”

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