Ana was left without a ride. Once she wouldn’t have cared, but she was ready to go home. She wanted to check on Milo, but Hank was missing in action and Brendan was intent on staying after to rehearse. “My vocals were off during the finale and god help me, everyone noticed!”
The way Ms. Yu jumped for joy, bumping against a mobile of planets that dangled over her desk, you’d think Ana was Rosalind Franklin.
“Hey, Ms. Yu. Anything I can do to help out today?”
“Ooh, Ana. Always. But don’t you want to get home? It’s Thanksgiving tomorrow.”
“My ride’s busy. Let me help out?”
Ms. Yu bit her lip. “Well. The work today is less than wonderful.”
“Does it involve the cat corpses?”
Ms. Yu shook her head. “I’m afraid we’ve got something of a parasite problem.”
“You … what?”
“I’ll show you.” She led Ana to the row of rat cages alongside the back counter. From the largest cage she plucked the largest rat, beige with brown patches. “Come on, Salvador, there’s a good girl.”
Ms. Yu set Salvador on the counter. The rat seemed bothered, but not terribly, squirming a little when Ms. Yu peeled back her ears. “Look there. Do you see them?”
Tiny black specks dotted pink flesh. “Ear mites. It’s probably got to do with filthy bedding. Mites thrive in messy places. Even though I’ve been having a student help me out, changing the litter on top, underneath, the cedar chips were neglected. But I’ve got some drops for Salvador and the others.”
Ana sat down on the stool, watching Salvador meander across the table.
“Hold her still for me, please?” Ms. Yu plucked a bottle of brown fluid from a drawer. Ana placed Salvador flat on the table and held her breath. Ms. Yu dribbled a drop from the applicator into each ear. When Ana let go, Salvador shook her head and pawed her ears.
“So the ear mites have to die.”
“Well, of course mites aren’t intentionally malicious. They nestled in Salvador’s ears for warmth. But they’re also biting her to bits, so they’ve got to go.”
“Why? Why can’t Salvador just … just live with them?”
“I’m glad you asked that, Ana.” She really looked it, too. “I had to write a paper on this issue in grad school, and here’s what I came to. Ready?”
“Very.”
“And I quote myself: ‘Any life—no matter how ambivalent—that exists only to the detriment of other life should be treated as lesser life.’ Doesn’t that sound cool anyhow? My professor was into it. Basically, if you can only live by harming others, your life becomes less valuable.”
“That sounds like morality, not science.” Ana hoisted Salvador into her palms, held her close to her chest.
“Oh, totally. But that professor was a total hippie. He loved it. Now, there are parasites with mysterious health benefits. For instance, there’s a faction of people who claim that hookworms can cure you of pollen allergies and hay fe—”
“What about people who hurt themselves? Or hurt other people?” Ana let Salvador clamber onto her shoulder. “Human beings can be just as bad as parasites.”
“Oh, sure. But people, unlike parasites, can learn to be better. In the end, I think the best thing to be is someone who does more good than bad. That’s why I work with kids; I have to counteract my own damages somehow. And I’m clumsy, so the damage can be pretty literal at times—Ana, what’s the matter?”
“Just … Salvador’s a really pretty rat.” Salvador’s whiskers tickled her ear.
“She is, isn’t she?”
Ana laughed.
There came a knock at the classroom door.
“Ah! Here’s my usual help! Marissa, we’re cleaning all the tanks today, and there’s a Coke in it for you. Do you know Ana Vasquez?”
Marissa’s hair was shorter than ever. She’d dyed it lavender and taken to combing it back like some of the silver-screen actors she and Ana used to watch in old horror movies: Vincent Price chic. She wore a suit vest, black pants, and no makeup.
“Nice to meet you, Ana.” Marissa blinked but did not leave.
“Ana, Marissa wants to make movies about aliens one day. Marissa, Ana’s in a musical about aliens. You guys might have a lot in common!”
“Yeah, I think you’re probably right.” Marissa joined them. She plucked Salvador from Ana’s shoulder. “How’s our pretty lady?”
The door came open again, this time with significantly more force. There was Brendan, still wearing stage makeup that made him hyperreal. He wasn’t alone.
“Sorry, Ana. Found her in the auditorium. She ran back here after school let out, looking for you. She won’t tell me what’s wrong.”
Penny looked ungodly pale. Something had sucked the air right out of her.
“What is it, Penny?”
“Luz took Milo!”
Ana felt the old itch in her eyes.
Penny relayed the story, stuttering between gasps. Brendan’s eyes widened. Marissa didn’t say a word. Ms. Yu seemed to think this was some bizarre in-joke. By the end Ana was halfway to the door with Penny.
“Who were the other people?” Ana asked. “The ones who ‘caught the bug too,’ like you said?”
“Um, the Chinese basketball boy.” Orson. “And the girl with a name that sounds like candy.” Carmella?
“I think Milo was going nowhere,” Penny said, drying her eyes. “I think he was screaming inside. He kept signing ‘help.’ ”
“Then we will.”
“When something is this wrong, you must go to an adult.” That was what Dr. Ruby once told Ana. “Not because we’re adults. Because half of us were girls once, too.”
“Mom?”
“Ana? Is that you?” The sound of chatter and music in the background.
“Where are you?”
“I’m just—no. I won’t lie to you. I’m playing hooky. I’m at Gailsberg Mall, of all places. They have a trapeze in the food court now.”
“Mom.”
“How was the dress rehearsal? Do you need me to pick up anything before the show this weekend? I will not be back here on Black Friday, so speak now or forever—”
“You said to call you if anything bad happened.”
All laughter left Mom’s voice. “Tell me what’s wrong, Ana.”
Ana found speaking impossibly hard. “It’s Milo. He’s gone again.”
A sharp intake of breath.
“Mom, I’m so sorry, I don’t know what happened, Penny just told me he walked out of school, but Mom, Luz is back and I should have looked for Milo when I didn’t see him at the show, but—”
“Ana. Shh. Breathe. I’ll be in Eustace in twenty minutes. Okay?”
Ana choked. “I’m so sorry.” Not only for this, but for all the times she hadn’t asked for help, all the times she thought Mom didn’t want to hear that question.
“Ana. Stop. I’m glad that you called me. I love you.”
“I love you, too. But Mom?”
“What is it?”
Ana steeled herself, shook all hesitance from her voice. “I’m going to fix this.”
“Ana—what does that mean? Don’t go anywh—”
Ana hung up the phone.
“Brendan. Could you possibly give me a ride to the desert?”
Brendan held the door open. “Not a question.”
“I’m coming,” Marissa said, joining her at the door.
“Marissa, this has nothing to do with you.” There weren’t words for this kindness.
“Are you kidding?” Marissa smirked. “This is the stuff of real cinema. Like we dreamed. And come on. Don’t you remember?”
“Remember what?”
“Don’t you remember?” And her smile focused like a lens. “We’re the same person.”
“I’m coming too!” Penny cried.
Ana shook her head. “Stay with Ms. Yu. Maybe Milo will come back here.”
“I’m not stupid. You’re just trying to get rid of me.”
Brendan laughed at that. “Certainly true, Penny. But won’t you stay anyway?”
Penny folded her arms. “Fine. Just in case Milo does come back here first.”
“Well.” Ms. Yu clung to what was familiar. “Penny! Do you know anything about ear mites?”
Penny uncrossed her arms. “I’m basically an ear expert. Actually.”