I told myself to not think about Ovie’s phone over and over in my head, but that didn’t really work. If Ovie knew Jeans, that opened up a lot of reasons expining why she hated me. I just tried to think about my frequent daydreams of visiting Iho Vinai instead. I had read a produ book about Tower of Hate and Love so many times I had the trolley ride memorized, and I could almost guess exactly when the long mossy tunnel between Sky d the vilge ended.

  “Do you think this is the same trolley Hanss Gerslin rode on when he came up with the show?” I asked.

  “Most likely not,” Lillia ce said. “There was heavy maintenan Sky Cy’s transit systems in AB-810, and I assume most of the trolleys were repced.”

  Lillia sat oher side of us, writing in one of her notebooks like she usually did.

  “Oh, hi Lillia,” I said. “I didn’t know you were a fan of the show.”

  Lillia stared at me. red at me. I couldn’t ever tell with her.

  “I hope you will be on your best behavior,” Lillia said to Aira.

  “Yeah, yeah,” Aira said.

  The trolley came to a hissing stop, and Oka and I zipped off as quickly as we could. The vilge was just like the old pictures, and thankfully hadn’t been touched by all the corporate stuff Rising Shards had. The town square looked so weling, with a fountain in the ter that had birds bathing in it, small shops that had friendly looking workers waiting outside to wele people in, and an old-fashioyle that felt like home. Not really my home because I grew up in the big city, but still.

  “Zeta, this is it!” Oka said, pointing to a stoe.

  “Yes! They must have looked at this for the show, it looks exactly the same!” I said. We started rattling off stuff that happened in the first season at the gates while the others left. Aira and Laenie rejoined us.

  “What was that about with Lillia?” Oka asked.

  “Lillia hates Aira,” Laenie said.

  “How e?” Oka asked.

  “Why do you think?” Laenie said.

  “I don’t know if it’s hate really,” Aira said. “I mean, there was that presentation she did on Rising Shards’ history that I fell asleep during. Then woke up too fast and fell down towards the front of css. And that time I actally spilled my punch over her. And then I fell asleep again, and then punched her when I woke up.”

  “What should we do first?” I asked.

  “Well, I do o get—” Laearted.

  “Whoa, look!” I said. “You see the farm!”

  In the rolling hills overlooking the small vilge, beautiful fields of radiant grass flowed. The farm the mastermind of my favorite show grew up at, and the inspiration for the early home of the Tadriff family whose cursed bloodline was the foundation of the series. It almost made me faint.

  “Do you think we go all the way out to it?” Oka asked.

  “That would be very far out of bounds,” Lillia said. “As a representative of Rising Shards and the ey of i, I would advise you follow the rules.”

  I screamed, as Lillia was suddenly standing near us. She didn’t reay yell, she just brushed her hair to the side with her hand like she osing for a photoshoot.

  “How long have you been there, Lillia?” I asked.

  Lillia gred at me again before leaving.

  “She’s scary,” Oka said.

  “No kidding,” Aira said.

  “There’s still so much to check out here, though!” I said. “AH! There’s the Auburn Café! Let’s go there first!”

  Oka and I led the way to a small coffee shop with a fence around it.

  “Zeta, do you think we could get that drink that makes you remember a happy memory clearly?” Oka asked.

  “We better ask!” I said.

  “I love the show too, of course…” Laenie said. “But I would really like to get to the flower store…”

  “We’ll get there, don’t worry!” I said.

  We ran into the café before remembering we didn’t have any money.

  “We ’t get anything here without money, huh?” I said.

  Oka snapped her fingers. “The fountain!”

  Aira was more than happy to join us in hunting for s in the fountain, while Laenie looked nervous as we took our shoes and socks off to step into the water.

  “I don’t know if this is such a good idea,” Laenie said.

  “What are you girls doing there?” Someoh a deep voice from behind us said as soon as I took a step into the fountain.

  We whirled to see two men looming over us in trench coats and fedora hats. They looked just like the detectives in Tower that found out that one of the first main characters was actually a serial killer. While I felt starstruck, the bigger ma itg his nose, while the shorter man with a beard got his notepad ready.

  “Are you…the Midnight Detectives?” I asked. “Because I’m a huge fan!”

  “We’re huge fans!” Oka said.

  “Pfft. No,” The bigger one said.

  “But aid to look like them as a tourist attra,” The shorter one said. “I’m detective Zak Cavalier, and this is detective Biggs. We’re part of the detective agency here in Iho Vinai, as well as in Sky Cy. And you’re standing in our fountain.”

  “Oh!” Laenie said. “They’re very sorry about that!”

  Laenie frantically gestured for us to get out, aepped ba the ground.

  “Lookin’ for ge,” Biggs said. “The same old story.”

  “That’s right, Biggs,” Cavalier said. “Arrest ‘em.”

  “What?!” I said.

  “Just kidding,” Cavalier said. “But don’t get in the fountain again.”

  “Sorry,” I said. “We just needed money.”

  “Don’t worry about it,” Cavalier said. “We’ve seen it all. Tell em, Biggs.”

  “Tell ‘em what?” Biggs said. “I’m tired. My tootsies, Cavalier.”

  “What about em, Biggs?” Cavalier said.

  “They’re a’.” Biggs said.

  “Ahh, you’re always ag,” Cavalier said. “What’ll it be?”

  Cavalier had his notepad ready.

  “What do you mean what’ll it be?” I asked.

  “What do you want to drink? We’re also the waiters here for every restaurant.” Cavalier said.

  “We wao try that memory drink,” I said.

  “Alright, four Lovely Sunshine Sparkling Teas,” Cavalier said. “It’s on us.”

  “I don’t think I drink those…” Laenie said quietly.

  We sat down at the café and enjoyed our drinks. Or, Oka, Aira, and I did. Laenie didn’t touch her tea even though it was free. They didn’t really make me remember or think of anything. The detectives sat near us after we were mostly finished.

  “So I put my cupcakes down, I got two of ‘em,” Biggs said. “And I set ‘em on the carseat o me. While I'm driving downhill, how e they don't fall over?"

  “What fvor were they?” Cavalier asked.

  “One vanil and one chocote,” Biggs said.

  “Mmm. Mhmm. Mhmm.” Cavalier said.

  “And they weren’t even buckled in. How do you expin that?” Biggs asked.

  “We should probably get going,” Laenie said. “We only have a bit of time left here.”

  As Laeood up, I turo the detectives.

  “How do you keep up with beiives and waiters?” I asked.

  “It’s been busy tely,” Cavalier said. “It’s o have a light day like this.”

  “Ever sihat Feral Flu i down at Sky Cy we’ve had to do real work,” Biggs said. “And I hate real work. Especially when it’s hot. It’s hot today, too. Every part of me is stig to every other part of me.”

  “Ew,” I said.

  “Don’t pay Biggs no mind, he’s a bit of a fool and a lot of a simpleton,” Cavalier said. “Speaks whatever’s on his mind. So you four are from Rising Shards?”

  “That’s right!” Aira said.

  “Good school for you fang kids,” Cavalier said. “If you four ever need anything, let us know. We do a lot around here. Security, detective stuff, waiting, shopkeeping, if you got a dog we’ll walk it any day.”

  “Cavalier is a dog walker,” Biggs said. “Loves the dogs.”

  “Do you know where the flower shop is?” Laenie asked. “Or the library? Because—“

  “ we go up to the farm?” Oka asked.

  “Ooh, yeah!” I said.

  “Afraid not,” Cavalier said. “Farm tours only run on weekdays, and they cost a cool four hundo, and even pricier in this lovely Octrember weather. If you need anything Tower of Hate and Love reted, we direct you to the gift shop.”

  Our eyes widened, and we were lucky Cavalier and Biggs uood the excited near-gibberish that came out of our mouths when we heard that.