Ferris perched on the windowsill, steam floating around his face and rising into the pleasant afternoon air from the mug of tea he had clutched to his chest. It was painted pale pink with polka dots, matching his pajama pants, and when he breathed, his senses were filled with peppermint.

From a glance, with his perfect posture and dazed, daydreaming expression, he looked like a living, breathing social media photo, perfectly frozen in aesthetic bliss.

Truthfully, he was distracting himself from a pounding, squirming heart, trying to maintain an image of dignity in front of his sister, Sunny - the world’s most ironically named, pocket-sized demon of a girl.

“This is marvelous, brother!” Her voice cut into his peace with a razor-edged flourish to it. The particular kind of cheer that dragged your attention in, inescapably, in contrast or even spite of the content’s tone. “It’s a big choice to make, but I’m glad you’re finally giving in and admitting your true calling.”

“…I am not ‘officially becoming a lifestyle hermit’,” Ferris made the mistake of mumbling into his tea, the words half drowned in bubbles. He’d been ignoring her just fine, for the first half-hour of this. “What’s that even mean?”

Sunny pushed Ferris’ knees out of her way, squashing them against his chest. He fumbled at his mug with clumsy fingers, a panicked hiss coming through his teeth as a few droplets of hot tea got on his sleeves. He couldn’t complain, since it could’ve been so much worse. He eyed the intruder suspiciously and made sure to hold the mug away from her general direction.

Once fully claiming her own territory on the windowsill, she went on, “It’s when you’re never gonna have college debt, never gonna stress about rent, ‘cause your parents are paying for everything. But some intrinsic part of your essence is screaming out, begging you to abandon society and live off the land in your apartment, foraging for microwave dinners and taking all our shared pillows for your blanket fort. Presumably hoarding for winter hibernation, instead of actually enjoying summer. I’unno, though, I’m waiting for the documentary series.”

Ferris’ freckled face was as pink as his mug. He slurped his drink annoyingly to enact revenge, which had Sunny gigglesnorting at him. Not exactly his intention, but he was cursed to feel warmth wash over him, accompanied by his insides turning squishy. He wished he could be angry, but it was hard to muster, when her eyes were crinkled as she grinned, and she sabotaged her own mockery with that goofy laugh.

He sighed. “Sunny, please? I don’t want to play this game. Anything I say is going to make it worse. I already told you, it’s not like that! Have mercy on me.”

Sunny deadpanned, “We moved in at the start of the month, you asked me to let you have space, give you time. It’s almost the end of the month. You’ve barely been outside a block’s radius of our apartment building. How many more months will go down the drain of ‘just a little longer’?”

“We visited the college.”

“Yeah!” Sunny snapped her fingers, lighting up again. “Once, before we’d even unpacked here, for a mandatory, pre-scheduled tour. And who could forget you letting mom and dad video call in? That was deeply uncool.”

Ferris bit back a dry-heave at the reminder. Everybody stared, nobody stopped him. “Oh dear. Why didn’t they save me from myself? If the tour guide had said ‘hey, that’s a little weird!’ or pretended I was breaking a rule, my reputation wouldn’t already be in the mud.”

“I tried. I told you it was stupid. Nobody listens to me, despite me always being right. I knew you’d end up moping over that, but not for the whole fucking month, Ferris. This is crazy. Less crazy when we were five year olds, but guess what? We’re eighteen, and in some places, that’s called an - ” She wiggled her fingers and sounded it out slowly, like an exotic alien word, “ - ‘adult’. Ooooh! Doesn’t that give you the shivers? I’ve used it for masturbation material, and here you are, deadweight. What the actual fuck is wrong with you?”

Ferris startled and shrunk when Sunny switched from playful to genuinely hostile, eyes flickering away for escape routes, going so far as to consider climbing out the window.

Sunny wasn’t impressed. She reached over, taking his round cheeks in her hands, squeezing them, and dragging his head back to look at her. “You know. I don’t want to play this game either. It’s your game. You’d like it here if you gave it a try. It’s not home.” She flicked his tiny nose, making him scrunch it up and sneeze like a kitten. Sunny rolled her eyes. “I’ve actually been around. There’s too much going on at once for anyone to care about the embarrassing incidents you inevitably stumble into. Oi, no - don’t make that face.”

Ferris hadn’t noticed he was making a face, and groped at it to see what it was. It appeared to be a needy, pleading pout. He yanked the corners of his lips up into an uncanny smile with his fingers.

Sunny ruffled his hair, turning thick strawberry-blond fluff into tangled bird’s nest. “Good boy. Pushover ain’t such a bad thing when you’re being pushed by the right person, AKA, me. Don’t listen to anybody, unless it’s me! That should be straightforward enough for you to remember.”

She squinted, zoned out, and refocused. “What wisdom was I sharing… right! Dude, think for a sec, use that thing rattling around in your noggin for me. If nobody cares, you can make them care, in whatever way you want! Gotta make some noise for it, but…” Her lips were faintly parted, the taste of ambition in the air around her and lingering on her tongue. “You get to be the driving force. You’re pushing it, you’re demanding to be seen, you set the standards and then you go out there and fulfill them. So I’m serious, actually. You could be anything here, and you’re being… nothing.”

Begrudgingly, she added, “We’re being nothing. I can fix that anytime, but I’ve been holding back for you, waiting for some sign you’ve gotten comfortable before I start inviting strangers over, and avoiding going out when you might beg me for food at the last minute when we’re entirely out of groceries.”

Ferris sniffled, chin dipping inward, hair that’d been haphazardly tucked behind his ears falling into his face, overwhelmed for a minute with feelings that weren’t self-contained. They get under the floorboards and into the walls, leaving invisible stains in their new home.

From himself, there was deep-seated shame, and the increased feral gut instinct to flee from everything screaming for his input at once, so eardrum shattering, and to cut off action so he wouldn’t have anything to continue screwing up.

He absorbed Sunny’s energy without even making a conscious effort to. This close to someone, when you could hear them breathe and spot every blink or twitch, it didn’t feel like there were boundaries, even when he wanted there to be. He hurt for her. She wasn’t ignoring his needs like he’d been ignoring hers.

This place would be good for her growth. She’d been stunted in their intimate, closed off community. Her limbs didn’t fit that box. While he’d seen her constantly sulk, throw tantrums, and build up to volcanic explosions back there - here, her manic light fizzed around her openly at every waking moment.

And she wanted more. Why wouldn’t she? For the road she was on, there were no stoplights, traffic, or dead ends in sight.

His heart crumpled like origami under a combat boot, and his mouth was awfully dry all the sudden, no matter how much tea he sipped. “Ah,” he said, in a delicate, wispy voice. He gave an equally slight nod. In blunt contrast to Sunny, the gentler Ferris reacted, the deeper meaning it held.

“You don’t have to wait anymore. I’m always going to be a little… it can’t be helped. I am how I am, and you are how you are. But thank you for everything, I don’t know how I’d survive without you.” He chuckled, stroking his fingertips over the violet swirls of Sunny’s eternally bruised knuckles.

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“Hmph. You probably wouldn’t, you big baby,” Sunny snapped without real venom, an exaggerated gruffness in the face of Ferris’ unrestrained bleed of sincerity. She was the one avoiding eye contact now, which made Ferris triumphant for the first time. A short lasting, but extremely rewarding victory.

She wasn’t done. Her laser-focus gaze had already locked on to its target, and had no trouble returning. “That’d work on anyone else, but I’m your twin sister. I’d have to get amnesia before I bought that excuse. You must be proud of how reasonable you’ve learned to sound when you’re wallowing.”

“Ohmygosh,” Ferris hissed under his breath, more fed up than he’d known he had the capacity to be. Leave it to siblings to expand your universe, but mainly in frustration.

“Shut up! I want to get this over with too, but your closing speech won’t bring true closure, even if it does have obligatory touching sentiments. I didn’t start this conversation to get your permission to have fun.” A baffled laugh followed. “What? I’d have fun with or without your blessing.”

Ferris exhaled and waited, one eyebrow raised.

“Mr. Center Of The Universe over here! Wowie, can I, a humble human being, get your autograph? Did you honestly believe-” she was going on, before hesitating at his distinct lack of reaction.

She blinked sluggishly for a moment and cleared her throat. “Look. You’re missing something vital I keep trying to reword, so I’ll be blunter than blunt. If you sincerely want to live and die in bed, I’m not going to get in your way. But you don’t want to. You’re being self-defeating, and it’s a downer. Uh. I mean.” Sunny slapped a hand to her forehead, dragging it down, pulling on her cute, tiny facial features along the way until they were long and almost grotesque.

The slapstick effect had Ferris biting his cheek to stop a giggle and keep this somber energy up, shoulders trembling. It mirrored their earlier exchange.

“I-I mean,” she sighed, switching to her ‘I’m trying to be nice, it’s agonizing torture, so you’d better fucking appreciate it’ voice, “Ferris, sweet angel, babycakes.” She took his hand in her own, patting it excessively.

He grinned and, instead of taking offense, decided to enjoy it.

“There there, hush now, don’t cry. Ah, that’s just the facial expression you were born with? Never mind! Anyway, hun, I can handle you bluffing to me, and needing help with basic human tasks, whatever, it’s nothing to me, I’ll get over that in an hour after I lovingly kick your ass a little. Lying to yourself, though? That’s fucked up to watch.”

Ferris’ grin faltered. And after a few beats of quiet that not even Sunny interrupted with any further rants or bullying, fat tears really did begin to spill. “Please, don’t do that,” he pleaded to himself, scrubbing at his eyes but only leaving them redder and further irritated. And as any seasoned crybaby would know, that only made him feel worse.

Sunny didn’t tolerate being the object of pity, but since the spotlight was on Ferris, she scooted closer rested her pixie-like face on his knees, dabbing at his face with the sleeves of her dark purple varsity jacket.

Ferris’ breath hitched and he furrowed his brows. “But that’s your favorite-”

“Damn right it is! Cost me months of my allowance. And you’re going to wash it really well, aren’t you! By hand if you gotta,” Sunny snapped.

Ferris choked out a laugh, then couldn’t stop, and he was both giggling and crying. “Duh!” He carefully put his tea on the floor, then less-carefully threw his arms around his sister. Hearing her squawk and only made him squeeze tighter. He sobbed a bit softer when it was against another living person, the gentle shared body warmth calming him starting from his core and infecting him at every following level.

“Jesus. You’re like an anaconda. Never knew you had it in you, bravo. Looks like you aren’t a spineless pigeon destined to only be eaten by animals with more teeth.” She struggled to no effect. Then, she tried more ribbing. “...Well, you could commit a passion crime, but you’d turn yourself into the cops before anyone knew there was a crime to investigate.”

Ferris didn’t care. Cuddling reigned supreme. “Did you have something in mind?” he whispered, gentle and dreamy enough for Sunny to nearly miss it.

“Shit!” Sunny exclaimed when she realized, body tightening up with a surge of hyper, barely contained energy. Ferris knew he wouldn’t be able to hold her still for much longer, so he nuzzled aggressively while he could. “You’re considering it! Hell yeah, I knew you’d come around if I harassed - er, convinced you! As a matter of fact,” she purred, about to sell him something and already sure she could go in for the kill, “I found the perfect way to kick off your debut into adulthood. Can’t miss it for the world, I think you’ll agree.”

“Oh my! Tell me more about this magical opportunity I needed you to tell me I needed.”

She squirmed and jerked wildly until she popped out of Ferris’ grip, her faintly lighter hair flipping in several directions, reminding him of a slippery banana launching from the peel. A banana rocket. He was laughing too hard to re-catch her.

She stood upright on the windowsill and struck an assertive pose, one hand on her hip, the other thrusting out the window, pointing towards the center of the city, where the breathtakingly imposing buildings seemed to nearly break through the sky itself, racing to meet the twinkling stars. “There!”

“There?!” Ferris gasped, his hands coming up to cover his mouth, fully swept up in her theatrics.

“This weekend, they’re sending the first tourist shuttle to the moon. The first, Ferris, let that sink in! Our city, making history, and we have a once in a lifetime chance to get a piece of that.”

“Geez,” Ferris said, eyelashes and heart fluttering. He fanned himself a bit, holding the inside wall and tipping half out the window. The stars weren’t out yet, but when they were… no city in the world boasted a brighter view. No pollution or neons, while still present in the labyrinth of modern life below,  blotted out the magnificence of the heavens. It seemed as though it was simply too overpowering, too ruling, in this one, perfect spot to ever be outdone by human innovation.

The sky dazzled him even from their measly third story apartment perspective, to the point that when Ferris woke up in a cold sweat at four in the morning, paranoia and loneliness coiled like a noose around his neck, or never fell asleep in the first place, he’d sneak out of bed and sit in that same windowsill spot, caterpillar-cocooned in thick blankets, and stare at the constellations and planets winking back at him. Then, if only in an isolated a time capsule of a moment, everything was okay.

“A-and we’re - don’t tell me we’re going? Eeek! Sunny, you didn’t!” He gnawed on his nails, eyes round and sparkly, already reflecting stars.

“Nope.”

Ferris glowered, a murderous storm cloud taking up residence above his head, tears threatening to spring back up. She could insult him, be crude, bug him, but jerking his tentative hope around was where he had to draw the line. He opened his mouth, about to chew her out, stomp off, and lock himself in his room to starve for real this time.

“But I got us the next best thing,” she continued casually, dipping her fingers into her jacket pocket and waving two tickets. They had a holographic, iridescent effect, shimmering and shifting in the sunshine. Ferris drooled, and when he snatched at one, Sunny let him do it instead of moving away and taunting him.

The description on the ticket read: ‘This Summer only, in partnership with the Spaceflight Operations Center, you’re invited to a all-day festival running through Infinity City’s Heart! Shop til’ you drop, try fun space-themed activities, eat and drink for free at select venues, visit the Spaceflight Museum, and at midnight watch the shuttle blast off, then enjoy the accompanying musical concert and fireworks show. Cameras outside and inside will give you a special peek into what our brave citizen voyagers are undertaking.’

Curiously, there was another splash of information underneath the first, in bold pink, glittery box. ‘If you have the Holograph Tier ticket, congratulations! You’re granted special access to the VIP After Party, where you’ll undertake your own adventure to the stars in our new VR (Virtual Reality) Shooting Star Journey, also in its virgin first launch stage. Ride inside with the rest of the travelers or fly outside the shuttle in real time. Tomorrow is today, and our technology turns everything you’ve dreamed of into a reality.’

Ferris squealed loudly, leapt to the floor, and twirled in circles upon circles with the grace of a ballerina. Pure, weightless euphoria lifted the lead from his slender limbs, turning what typically curled and packed itself tighter and tighter inward into loose, ribbonlike shapes that kept him balanced in movement.

“Grr! You’re such…” He stopped and lowered his voice, looking over his shoulder. As if one of their staunchly conservative parents would be summoned in a poof of holy smoke to smite him. “An absolute bastard!” His voice broke when he said it, but he said it. He wasn’t sure if he should feel proud or sick. 

Sunny dropped down from the windowsill after him and bit her lip while she smiled, happier to be jabbed than she had any right to be. “Wouldn’t it be bitch?”

Ferris shook his head and hugged his ticket close. “Mmm… you’re definitely a bastard. A cool bastard, on special occasions, every other blue moon, but a bastard.”

“Hah! The nerve! …You’re welcome, you emotional little bitch.”

Ferris burrowed his face into his too-big sweater collar, but only because he was also smiling more than he had any right to.