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that specifically. I just meant that freedom equals happiness. Stringent laws for the sole purpose of controlling people breed discontent.”
    “But don’t people need to be controlled?”
    “Sometimes, yes. But not in everything. I mean, for crying out loud, Collin, you have people on block A shopping on Tuesdays. Block B gets to do their laundry then. What if I don’t feel like scrubbing my jeans on Tuesday? What if I run out of milk and want a bowl of Fruity Tulips instead?”
    “What the hell is a Fruity Tulip?”
    “Cereal. The kind I want to eat in my utopian world. It’s the perfect combination of sweetness and…”
    “Then eat them. Because in my world, you won’t run out of milk. You would have bought another gallon on Sunday.”
    “No, I wouldn’t have. I would have been wearing my pajamas at noon and reading the second book of a trilogy on my granny’s front porch.” Heads turned as my voice escalated into the near silence of the library. The corners of my vision darkened with the familiar fog.
    “So that’s your perfect world? Everybody gets to be lazy?”
    Walk away.
    I wanted to, but the price seemed too high. I’d made a stand, and I had to stick to it. Besides, it was a topic I was passionate about. I truly believed that if my parents could keep it together long enough to hold down a job, they would be happier. “I expect to work. In a lot of ways, that is utopian. People need to feel needed.”
    Collin leaned backward, balancing on the back legs of his chair. “Continue.”
    “No alcohol. No gambling. No…”
    “Back up. Now you’re taking away freedoms that are currently legal.” He let out a low whistle. “Talk about controlling.”
    “No different than you telling me when I can’t shop.”
    “First off, there’s nothing better than slugging down a cold beer while watching the Super Bowl. And secondly, it’s called controlling the chaos. Don’t you hate it when you get to the grocery store and everybody else in town is there?”
    “A little wait in line isn’t going to kill anyone. Drunk driving can.”
    I grabbed the seat of his chair and pulled it down so I could see him through the creeping darkness. “And for the record, there is something wrong with ‘slugging down a beer.’ Because if you slug down one, a second always follows.”
    Collin grinned. “Right. Alcohol is bad. But so is letting people devour too many bowls of Fruity Tulips. It’s called huge medical bills to cover the cost of obesity and diabetes, which I pay for in taxes and insurance premiums.”
    “I suppose next you’ll want to limit the number of boxes I can buy?”
    “Great idea. We can provide vouchers for every purchase. Then we won’t have chubby alcoholics.”
    I held back a scream. “You infuriate me.”
    “Relax, babe. Just close your eyes and things will get better. I promise.”
    Another promise, Gemi. Be careful.
    “Go away, Collin. I can’t handle you right now.” I closed my eyes and rubbed my temples, willing both Collin and my headache away.

Chapter 10
     
    Indie read out loud in a seductive voice, her pouty lips stained red from too much gloss. “Broken girl. Change of heart. Love me not. Don’t even start.”
    Fell scolded Indie. “You know better than that.”
    Undeterred, Indie held Poet’s notebook out of reach and cast a sideways glance at Angel. “What does this shit even mean?”
    As expected, Angel snapped to attention, her cheeks red at the expletive. “I wish you wouldn’t swear so much. Nobody thinks you’re cool.”
    “Well, nobody thinks you’re cool with all your prayer stuff either. Or Daisy with her flower-child crap or Einstein with his genetics. I mean, who gives a flying monkey’s ass about the probability of inheriting green eyes? I don’t.”
    “I don’t either.” Brutus lounged against the closed door, looking bored.
    “You don’t care about anything.” Indie let the notebook drop onto Rae’s knitting project and grabbed for the