I woke to a knock on my door and my dad’s voice. “Lisa?”

“!” I hissed, and raised a hand to my head as the throbbing set in. Jennie was still asleep, drooling rather unflatteringly on the pillow next to mine. I scrambled to hide the vodka and glasses under my bed and then shook Jennie a couple of times before I hurried over to open my door. “Hey, Dad!” I said a little too brightly, but he was too busy looking past me at my bed to notice.

“Oh, Jennie stayed over?” he asked as she sat up and smacked her lips. She hid a pained look and shot him a sleepy smile, and he waved lamely at her. “Guess I’ll make a couple more pancakes,” he said, and then added, more quietly, “Next time, you need my permission.”

“Sorry,” I mumbled, and closed the door behind him as soon as he was gone. I turned away and rested my back against it, watching Jennie, and heaved a sigh of relief.

“Holy crap,” she said, and raised both hands to rub at her temples. “My head. Never again.”

As much as my own head hurt, I couldn’t help but smile at her. “You made so much sense last night, Oh Wise One.”
“Shut up; I was smarter than you!” she shot back, and chucked her spit- stained pillow at me as I laughed at her.

** *

“So how was your date last night, Mr. Brüschweiler?” Jennie asked him over breakfast. I shot her a look but she didn’t take her eyes off of him.

To my surprise, appa smiled at her, and then said, “It went well. Thank you for asking.”

 “ up,” I mumbled to her, and nudged her foot with mine under the table. She caught my leg with hers and then yanked, nearly displacing me from my chair. Appa arched an eyebrow at the both of us as I replied to her grin with a glare.

“So do you have any plans for today?” he asked us. To me, he added, “Do you plan on finding a new job?”

“Yes,” I told him. “As soon as I see one I think I’ll enjoy, I’ll apply.”

“I think I’d like to go back to that