"Knock, knock, knock-"


    Jimmie''s knocking grew more insistent, his voiceced with urgency. "Are you awake? My sister''s not in her room, and she''s not downstairs either."


    He had gotten up early to make a wide variety of breakfast foods, hoping to give his sister a taste of a warm family wee.


    Dana stood silently to the side, her head bowed in guilt.


    "My brother''s here," Juniper said, calmly finishing the knot on the tie. She tilted her chin up, her clear eyes looking at Shanley with unconcealed amusement. She wasn''t worried at all; in fact, she seemed to be enjoying this. It was obvious she was looking forward to the show.


    "I know." Shanley''s lips curved into a faint smile. He picked up her backpack. "Let''s go."


    “Okay.” Juniper stuffed her hands in her pockets and sauntered to the door.


    When the door swung open, Jimmie was caught mid-knock, phone in his other hand. He froze, his words dying in his throat as he saw the two of them emerge from the room together. This was Shanley''s room, right? So why was Junipering out of it first thing in the morning?


    Juniper just pursed her lips, saying nothing.


    "Morning," Shanley said smoothly, stepping forward. "I was helping Juniper with her homeworkst night. She left her backpack, so she came to get it."


    "Homework?" Jimmie looked from Shanley to Juniper, his eyes filled with suspicion. "Isn''t Juniper''s homework excellent?"


    Did a student with perfect scores really need tutoring?


    "Yes," Shanley replied, his expression unblinking. It was a beating he''d have to take eventually, but he''d postpone it as long as possible. The girl had just given him permission to pursue her; he hadn''t even officially won her over yet.


    "There were a few things she didn''t know."


    Like how to tie a tie, for instance.


    "Is that so?" Jimmie was still skeptical. He pulled his sister to his side, his eyes fixed warily on Shanley. "Juniper, what kind of problem did you have?"


    “Math," Juniper said coolly. She thenunched into a wless recitation: "An ideal in the polynomial ring Clxylis scaling invariant if, for pair of non-zero elements A,u, the ideal generated by all elements of the form f(λx,μy), where f(x,y) I I, is I itself..."


    Jimmie''s expression grew even more strained. He didn''t understand a single word But Shanley was a global mathpetition champion It seemed usible that Juniper would ask him a math question.


    "Ms. Payne, you''re going to bete, and you haven''t had breakfast yet," Dana interjected at the perfect moment.


    "Let''s eat first." Jimmie dropped the subject and led his sister to the


    dining table, presenting the feast he had prepared. "I didn''t know what you like, so I made a little of everything."


    Since his sister wouldn''te home with him, he would just have toe to her. Juniper propped her chin on her hand, looking at the spread with a distinctck of appetite.


    "You were up early," Shanley remarked, looking at thevish breakfast before cing a ss of oat milk in front of Juniper. Her eyes immediately lit up, and she took arge gulp.


    “Juniper, try some of what your brother made." Shanley picked up a knife and fork and began serving her pieces from each dish.


    "Okay." Juniper obediently ate whatever Shanley put on her te.


    "Juniper, try this." Seeing Shanley''s attentiveness, Jimmie felt a pang of jealousy and also picked up his cutlery to serve his sister. A savory pastry with chives.


    Juniper took one bite, immediately put it back on her te, and pushed the te far away. Her face said it all: disgust.


    Jimmie''s smile faltered, a wave of defeat washing over him. His sister liked Shanley more than him.


    “Juniper doesn''t like chives," Shanley exined softly. “She doesn''t like anything with a strong vor."


    Juniper nodded in agreement. Her eyes then fell on the braised shrimp in front of Jimmie.


    "Bro," she said, speaking up for the first time. "I want some of that."


    "Of course." Jimmie''s spirits lifted instantly, and he happily began peeling shrimp for her. Juniper, to her credit, ate every single one he gave her.