"Where were you all day?" Bella inquires when she answers the door and waves him in.

"At home," he says, shrugging. "Didn't feel like school today."

"How do you get away with that?"

He shrugs. "Nobody cares?"

"Not even the school administration?"

"I was," he makes air quotes, "'sick'."

He shrugs. "I don't really have to fake it; if I wanna stay home, somebody'll cover me."

"That's... convenient?"

"Ain't it just?"

"Potentially, at least. Anyway, why don't you put that on the counter, dinner's not for a little while. It's going to be takeout Chinese followed by the cake, Renée had a long day. Want to add anything to the order?"

"Shrimp fried rice, dumplings, hot and sour soup, beef-and-broccoli, crab rangoon. And the obligatory fortune cookies."

"Sounds good to me."

"Okay. Renée will probably also throw in an order of eggrolls with four people to feed, she likes them but me and Andi don't."

"I'm fine with those," he says cheerfully, setting the cake down and stepping back to admire it. It is a good-looking cake.

"The cake is really pretty - did you just carry it here from your house? Where do you even live?"

"What else was I gonna do, levitate it?"

"I mean, walking as opposed to getting a ride or taking a bus somewhere."

"Oh. Nah, I took the bus," he laughs.

"Where from?" Bella asks again.

"Not that far."

"Is there some reason I'm not allowed to know where you live?"

"Yeah, nobody does."

"Why?"