"I'm leaving you guys here," Arty said before they reached the gate to the Crown. "Gonna try to find a room before the summit crowd starts coming in."

"I'll see you tomorrow at the parade?" Archie asked.

"Yep. And then I'll smoke you at the exam. Both of you!" He grinned at Blanche.

She raised her hands, conceding defeat early. "I'm just going for eighty, getting the yellow, and getting out."

"I'll win," Archie said—even though he knew he wouldn't. His best bet was them both scoring perfectly and calling it a tie. Either way, Archie was glad to not just see his father rejoin Chef society but also to have a bit of competition. Blanche never wanted to compete with him in anything.

"We'll see. If you beat me, it's only because those Head Chefs of yours are playing favorites."

"Yeah, yeah." Archie pushed his dad away and went through the gate with Blanche. "See you tomorrow!"

"You're just like your dad," Blanche said.

"I take that as a compliment."

"As you should."

Blanche took a deep breath and clenched her teeth in excitement. "We're going home!"

Archie admired the way her naturally red lips made her white teeth sparkle. "Is it more home to you than Hill Creek?"

"Hmmm." Blanche pinched a piece of her bangs and twirled it around. "Yes and no. It's different. Like, Hill Creek is home and always will be. I was born there. But another part of me was born at the Academy. The greenhouse was my delivery ward."

Archie smiled and thought back to his conversation out on the balcony with his father. Different versions of oneself. Different perspectives. All true, all a facade. "I get it. Don't you miss your parents?"

"Yeah. I mean, I saw them twice last year. They brought Raclette. They wanted me to find a different sponsor. A more dignified sponsor. My sister was soooo helpful with that." Blanche's voice grew acidic. "Not that I asked. My parents' idea. They think a true Chef wouldn't be working in the fields all day. They think that a true—"

She shook her head, looked up at the sky, and sighed. "Sorry. They're still coming to terms with who I am. That's all."

"Sorry," Archie said. It was all he could say. He didn't know what it was like to have to deal with anyone's overwhelming expectations but his own.

"Whatever. Not gonna let it get me down." Blanche took a deep breath through her nose and smiled. And that was it. She had the uncanny ability to turn the sunshine back on. It was one of Archie's favorite things about her. "Today's a good day! I get back to my babies!"

"Your babies?" Archie laughed.

"In the greenhouse! They're all my babies!"

"I thought you were the baby in the greenhouse?"

"I was. Now I'm the mother."

"Welllll…" Archie raised his eyebrows. "You fall asleep in the greenhouse. We have to feed you in the greenhouse. I think you're still the baby in the greenhouse."

Blanche gave him a twisted little smile. "Maybe that's why the plants like me. We're all babies. Ugh, I can't wait to sleep in there again."

"Wait, you sleep there intentionally?"

"Sometimes. It's warm and the soil is soft if you treat it right."

"That's…" Archie shook his head and smiled. "Alright, then."

"Stop right there!" someone yelled from up ahead.

Blanche froze like a frightened deer. Archie grinned. "Chrysanth!"

The guard grinned with his crooked teeth, their yellow sticking out from his perfectly black stubble. His hair had only grown more unruly since Archie saw him last, the summer humidity leaving a curly black mop that spilled out of his helmet and rested on his shoulders.

"Ain't seen you in a while," Chrysanth said with a shake of his spear. Blanche flinched at the movement, but Archie understood that it was just how the guard spoke. If he took the spear away, Chrysanth would turn mute.

"I was in Khala."

"Khala? What's there to do in Khala?"

"Lots of good hiking." Archie got a little giggle out of Blanche, but Chrysanth just stared with confusion.

Archie shook his head and laughed. Even though he wasn't going into the royal keep, he felt like royalty. Like Ambrosia City was his. Like he could do anything. He turned back to Chrysanth as he passed. "You working tomorrow?"

"Aye."

"I'll bring you something."

"Nothing spicy! Oh, unless you make that medicine again."

Archie chewed on his lip. "We'll see. But yeah, I'll bring you something!"

Archie and Blanche continued along the wall of the royal keep, both giddy with excitement as they approached the Academy.

"What was that all about?" Blanche asked. "You're friends with a guard?"

"He helped me out with…that thing." Archie had been unable to hide his imprisonment, but he still kept a tight lid on some of the finer details of his escape.

"Oh." Blanche pursed her lips and nodded.

"Yeah. I mean, I probably owe him my life. Least I can do is bring him lunch, right?"

They slipped through the narrowing road and turned the corner to the little plaza of the Academy. The familiar statues welcomed them back, and the shade of the portico drew them in. Archie pulled one of the massive wooden doors open, cold air and chatter rushing out of the great hall to meet him.

There were the vaguely familiar faces of older students, the completely unfamiliar faces of new arrivals—Archie figured they were this year's Chefs-to-be—and a pair of very familiar faces that smiled at them.

The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

"Archie! Blanche!" Cress called out. She jumped up but was pushed aside by Oliver.

"Archie and Blanche!"

Blanche ran up to them, pushing Oliver's forehead to get past him and give Cress a hug. Archie followed, giving each of them a hug.

Oliver twisted around and grabbed his cup from the table, extending it to Archie. "Try this," he said.

Archie eyed the cup. "Oh, I don't know. We just got in today, and we've been walking around the city all day, and I'm all sweaty…"

Oliver's lips morphed into an exaggerated frown.

"And he doesn't want to get drunk in the afternoon, Oliver," Blanche finished.

Archie sucked in his lips and raised his eyebrows at Oliver. "Well…"

Cress made sure Oliver wasn't looking before widening her eyes and shaking her head at Archie.

"I'll pass this time," he said.

"How was Khala?" Cress asked.

"Eventful," Blanche said in a way that teased a future story. "How was Kuutsu Nuna?"

"Well, I now realize how fattening all the food back home is. So I get to worry about working that off."

"I think you look good," Oliver interjected with a suggestive raise of the eyebrow.

"Yeah, yeah." Cress pushed him away. She noticed Blanche's jitteriness and wandering gaze. "You're wanting to run off to the greenhouse, aren't you?"

"Yes," Blanche exhaled. "Do you mind? I'll tell you all about Khala later."

"Go."

Archie meant to stay behind to catch up with Cress and Oliver, but Blanche grabbed him by the wrist and pulled him along. He looked back to wave goodbye. Oliver and Cress both elbowed each other and whistled at the leaving pair.

Blanche pulled Archie through the kitchen and outside and down the narrow stairs. He barely had time to peek over the walkway wall, catching just a glimpse of the lake below before Blanche's grip tightened and he nearly stumbled down the stairs. He had no time to stop in the lounge either, exchanging fleeting greetings with Akando. Blanche finally let go of Archie's wrist, but only to use both hands to wrench open the iron gate of the elevator. She stepped onto the wooden platform and looked at Archie expectantly.

"What?" he asked.

Blanche nodded at the elevator noodle. "That's your thing. I can do it, but…well, things can be a bit scary when I do."

Archie plucked the noodle that stretched down the elevator shaft. The platform shifted and started to descend slowly, slowly, slowly. Archie grinned at Blanche. She puffed air up to lift her bangs and crossed her arms.

"What?" Archie asked. "I'm trying to get us there safely."

Blanche grabbed his forearm and yanked it toward the noodle. "Come on! You know I've just been waiting to get to the greenhouse."

Archie resisted just enough to keep his hand a few inches away from the noodle.

"We went to The Gift!" Blanche whined. "We walked! I wanted to take the tram! Come on!"

"Alright, alright." Archie plucked the noodle again, sending it down the shaft at a reasonable pace that slowed near the bottom.

Blanche jumped off while the platform was still a foot off the ground. She squealed with excitement and ran down the tunnel. Archie followed, nearly keeping up at a fast walk—for all of Blanche's talents, running wasn't one of them.

As Blanche broke into a sprint at the sight of the greenhouses, Archie slowed down, taking in the cool breeze that blew over the lake and chilled the sweat on his temples.

He looked over at a little patch of field near the lake, remembering Aubergine's first lesson. He looked at the tree line, laughing at how many weekends he and Nori had spent picking blueberries—he knew to cut the memory short before it went dark. He looked at where they had held Tarragon's class and remembered the targets and competing with Julienne and summoning his first noodle. He couldn't wait to brag to Julienne about fighting the tariaksuq. Archie wished he could brag about how he had lifted the empowered Glutton like an elevator. He understood the gravity of the secret, and that was enough to keep him quiet, but he also felt like the Bhantla would know if he talked about it. He imagined her peeled back lips and sunken, alien eyes and shivered.

He took one last look back up at the balcony of the Academy and remembered his late nights staying up with friends drinking and hanging out and complaining about Colby's class and gossiping about whether or not the Head Chef ever had a thing with Pomona and swapping stories about Anise's strange behaviors and talking about all the endless entertainments that came from student life.

It was good to be back.

He winced as he walked into the greenhouse, which was even more humid than outside. A summer in Khala's dry air made walking through Ambrosia City feel like swimming.

"Oh hey Archie," Benedict said. He hovered over Blanche as she fussed over the plants in her garden plot.

Archie's voice caught in his throat. He didn't know what he and Blanche were, but he knew that the Benedict of it all would complicate things. All year, Benedict had orbited around her, just waiting for her to give him a chance. Without realizing it, Archie had managed to steal that opportunity away.

"Hi Benedict," he said, his voice more stilted than he meant it to be. Benedict was his roommate. His friend. He deserved more. Archie cleared his throat and doubled his enthusiasm. "How've you been?"

"Good. Good. Just uh, been around." Benedict nodded and smiled awkwardly. "Been working at Blue Orchards most days. And keeping things alive in here. Oh, your sugar cane is dead. It was, uh, I couldn't figure out how to do your lemon water. But your wheat is good!"

Archie looked over at his plot. Blueberries bloomed from two bushes, a tall carpet of golden wheat separating them from the dried up brown sugar cane stalks on the other end of the plot.

Blanche ripped an ear of corn off the lone stalk in her plot. "Ugh. No regrowth. I'll have to start over." She threw the corn in the dirt and pouted.

"Maybe it'll be good to restart," Archie said. "You learned a lot over the summer. Maybe now you'll be able to start with a better foundation."

Blanche inhaled through her nose and then smiled. "You're right."

She smiled a special kind of smile at Archie, who returned a more shy one as he went over to his plot. He plucked a blueberry and laughed at how little essence was in it. He could grow it twice as well now.

"Did you just get back from Khala today?" Benedict asked Blanche.

"From Sain," she answered absentmindedly as she moved on to fuss over her carrots and potatoes. "I stayed with Archie the last couple of weeks."

"Oh." Benedict looked back and forth between Archie and Blanche, his confusion slowly turning to worry.

"There was something only she could grow," Archie explained. He'd have to deal with letting Benedict down easy another day, and he didn't want to tell the story of his summer to everyone individually. He'd have to wait until they were all in the lounge, drinks in hand courtesy of Oliver.

"Oh." It wasn't enough for Benedict. He continued to look between them.

Archie needed to change the subject and fast. "Thanks for keeping things alive in here, Benny. Did you do anything fun over the summer?"

It worked. Benedict looked up through the glass tiles of the roof as he tried to recall the most interesting events of his summer. "Well…Yeah, actually. I joined a troupe."

Archie and Blanche both looked up from their crops. "What?"

"Yeah! Well, there was this festival for Grand King Flambé's birthday, and Blue Orchards wanted me to run a produce stand. They said that as soon as I sold out, I could go off and enjoy the festival. So, a few days before going out there, I learned to juggle."

"Juggle?" Archie sneered.

"Yeah. To get people's attention! They see me juggling, they come check out the stuff, buy it, and then I get to go have fun."

Benedict waved his hands around as he explained. Archie and Blanche's snickering only served to make his movements more exaggerated and his voice more pitchy. "It worked! Sorta. I got attention. This guy came up and told me that their juggler got too drunk. Asked if I could replace him on stage in a few minutes. Told him that I couldn't leave until I sold out the stand. So he bought the rest. I still had two crates left."

Archie couldn't contain himself anymore. He burst into laughter. Blanche joined him.

"So what, that's what you do now? You juggle?"

"Yeah! Every week, I juggle for Everyman Productions."

"Everyman Productions?"

"That's the name of the troupe. All of our plays have very powerful messages about the plight of the everyday man and we do charity and stuff."

"So you're an actor?"

"No, I'm just a juggler for now. But we all gotta start somewhere, right?"

Archie and Blanche looked at each other and laughed.

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