After he finished charging his phone, Cayto opened it and sighed. You got 18 new messages, the notification bar read. View them in YouText.

  Cayto opened the app. The first five messages were from his father trying to contact him, only to give up a few days later. I should probably reply to him, Cayto thought. But as soon as he began typing a reply to his father, he suddenly remembered Alexis's conditions:

  "1) That you never use it to call your parents again—"

  Wait. Am I allowed to send this message? Cayto thought as he quit typing mid-text, his thumbs hovering over the keyboard. For a minute he mulled over whether he should send the text or delete it, but then he realized something: that Alexis only forbade him from calling his parents. She never said anything about texting.

  Hi Dad, I'm here, Cayto typed into the message bar before pressing send, only for the message to not go through. He tried again, but with no success. Then he tried again, and again, and again, changing his reply a little each time, but none of his messages got delivered.

  Just my luck, Cayto thought, annoyed. Is the universe out to get me or something?

  The next three messages, which were surprisingly non-hostile, were from his mother. Well damn it, Cayto thought, somewhat relieved that at least Sierra wasn't chewing him out over text, but still conflicted about contacting her. Guess I'm gonna have to explain everything to her, then. And so, he began typing.

  Hey Mom. Just so you know, I didn't run away. I actually got kidnapped by some strange people, and now one of them is blackmailing me into not calling you or Dad. She didn't say I couldn't text though, Cayto typed, letting out the breath he was holding as he pressed send. This time, the message went through.

  A few minutes passed while Cayto waited for a response. He cleared out his inbox. He checked his missed calls. He sat through a long, drawn-out voicemail of "I'm not mad, just disappointed in you," from his father. And finally, he looked at his ten remaining unread messages, all of them from a complete stranger. As he read off his messages, Cayto couldn't help but roll his eyes in exasperation:

  Hey Cayto!

  Cayto, are you there?

  Cayto, did you get your phone back?

  Cayto, are you alive?

  Cayto? CAYTO?!

  Cayto Halifax?

  Cayto the Potato?

  Tater Tots?

  COME ON SPUD MAN, WHY AREN'T YOU RESPONDING?!

  RESPOND NOW ROOT VEGETABLE

  Cayto sighed, again. Who are you? He texted, put off by the unknown contact's persistent messaging and strange nicknames for him.

  A few seconds later a notification popped into view, but it only remained for a brief moment until Cayto swiped it aside. At the same time, a new message appeared in the chat. Don't you know who I am? It read. Below the text was a selfie of a sickeningly familiar-looking girl in pink pigtails, pouting.

  Yes, I know who you are. You're that creepy girl who blackmailed me at the office today, Cayto typed into the chat. Then he got another message from Alexis:

  Come on! Is that what I get? You're not even gonna tell me how cute I look in this photo? :(

  Cayto's response was immediate. No.

  Bwahaha! A double negative is a positive, so you are gonna tell me I'm cute! >:D Alexis replied.

  NO.

  Aww. You're a meanie :,(

  Cayto stifled a laugh. Oh no! Somebody refused to feed into your overinflated-yet-undeserved ego! How dare they! He quipped.

  At least I don't look down on everybody I come into contact with, acting all high and mighty to make up for my all-consuming inferiority complex, Alexis retorted.

  Cayto froze. If the comeback hit a little too close to home for him, he would've never admitted it. Instead, he tried to change the subject.

  So how can I earn money around here? He asked. Besides the Aura Games, of course.

  Alexis sent a picture of a potato battery being used as a phone charger in response.

  Cayto glanced at the picture. Tf do you mean by that? He texted back.

  Come on, it's not that hard to figure out! I'm just saying that you can make a profit charging people's electronic devices with your lightning aura, Alexis clarified. Fitting job for a human potato battery, don't you think?

  Please don't call me that again, Cayto replied.

  Oh, I will >:D

  I hate you.

  Is there anything you don't hate?

  Cayto paused to think. After a while, he began typing again. Goldstones. Academic validation. My privacy. Peace and quiet. Not being bothered by people like you, he listed.

  What about Ivan?

  I guess you're right. I don't exactly hate him.

  Ooh, somebody's in love~

  Shut it.

  Ha! You're not denying it, Alexis responded. Then she sent a string of numbers. Oh, and speaking of Ivan, I promised you I'd give him his number, so here it is. Good luck gathering the courage to talk to him, though! Knowing you, you'd definitely freak out and bail on him.

  Cayto flinched at Alexis's personally-targeted jab. Don't give me any more reasons to hate you, he warned.

  Wow, not even a "thank you for giving me Ivan's number?" Alexis remarked. Rude much?

  I highly doubt that reading people's minds without their permission is any less rude than not thanking someone who just blackmailed and tried to make fun of me, Cayto acknowledged. And how can I be sure that the number you gave me is real? For all I know, it could be a prank.

  Hey, I'm not pranking you! I can swear on my life that I just gave you Ivan's number, Alexis affirmed. I never lie, remember?

  If that's what you say… Cayto replied, unconvinced of Alexis's honesty.

  Oh, and did you know that Ivan signed up for the aura level evaluation test? I have proof, too! Alexis added. Below her text was a link to the online signup sheet, which Cayto clicked on, and lo and behold Ivan's name was there along with fourteen or so other names. Sure you still don't wanna go?

  Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

  And land myself in the infirmary again? No way, Cayto remarked.

  But the infirmary wasn't all that bad because of a certain someone taking care of you… right? Alexis teased.

  Please, I'm not that desperate. I'm not gonna injure myself again just to see you-know-who, Cayto typed furiously. And I already decided against attending the evaluation, taking magic classes, or participating in the Games. It's not happening.

  Aww :( Alexis reacted. I was hoping you'd start learning magic again because you genuinely wanted to, not because you wanted to use it to fight us or escape. Maybe you'd get to see that mages aren't all bad. 'Bout time you got some character development, don't you think?

  Cayto stared blankly at the screen. I can't do what you're suggesting. My parents would kill me, he responded.

  Your parents are not here, so why do you care so much about what they think? Alexis questioned. You see, that's your worst problem. You care too much about how you're viewed, about whether what you're doing will maintain your "uptight goody two-shoes" image or not. When are you gonna start living for yourself? When are you gonna stop wearing yourself out for the sake of meeting expectations that don't even benefit you?

  Cayto's eyes widened as he read Alexis's message, her words echoing inside his mind on repeat. Now that I think about it, I've never really lived for myself…

  But then he sighed and put his phone down. As of now, Cayto didn't feel like answering Alexis's interrogations. He had enough of her personally-targeted comments for the day, and already decided that he wasn't going anywhere near Avriya's mage programs. Nothing could change that, not even a pink-haired girl or some tall blonde boy. It didn't matter how adorable or stunning or oh-so perfect the aforementioned blonde boy was— no, don't go down that train of thought, Cayto reprimanded himself— for he had weighed out the pros and cons of each choice in his head, and concluded that the most logical course of action to take was to not attend the evaluation. What was the point of risking his health, security, and reputation just for a chance at winning a few goldstones, (which he could simply obtain by getting a job) or escaping the island, (when there was already a search party looking for him) or getting close to some curse-bearer that his brain stupidly decided to produce a bunch of feel-good chemicals in the presence of? (No, seriously, what even was the point of that?) Those were all uncertainties, and Cayto wasn't going to put everything on the line for uncertainties. Not after last time, when everything went south after he signed up for the evaluation in a state of panic. He clearly was in the wrong state of mind to make rational decisions back then, and wasn't planning on repeating that mistake anytime soon.

  But life had different plans for Cayto.

  ***

  Getting a job did not work out.

  On day one of job hunting at Avriya, Cayto applied at three different places and got rejected from all of them. On day two, he finally secured a job at a fish market, but had to resign fifteen minutes in due to how bad the smell was. On day three, he tried again for a different job, and got accepted at a daycare center, but he couldn't get over his paralyzing fear of children so he had to quit. And on day four, he absolutely bombed an interview at a coffee shop for a position as a barista, and predictably got rejected. By day five he had given up.

  And all while this was happening, Cayto was desperately trying, and failing, to avoid Alexis. When he awoke one morning to a text from her, this was the message he received:

  Good morning my sweet yam! <3

  Cayto almost smiled. Almost. But then he corrected his reaction to one that was more appropriate, because he wouldn't be caught dead smiling and giggling at being called embarrassing nicknames, especially not by some weird junior with pink hair dye who used her aura irresponsibly. He knew better than to associate with those types.

  Ugh. Sickening. Cayto thought instead. He put his phone away.

  Avoiding Alexis was proving to be of no use. She was drawn to Cayto like a swarm of flies drawn to a pile of poo on the sidewalk— ew, no, why the hell would I think of that? Cayto thought. I'm terrible with metaphors. But on the other hand, it does fit the situation in a rather unfortunate way, since interacting with Alexis is about as annoying as trying to swat away a swarm of flesh-eating insects in the summertime. Not to mention that with each passing day, I feel more and more like a piece of shit…

  "Hey there, Cayto the Potato!" Alexis announced in her obnoxiously bright and peppy voice. "Why the long face? Then again, is there ever a time when you're not sulking?"

  A week had passed since Cayto got his phone back, and as of now he was sitting inside Silver Run Academy's cafeteria with a tray full of mashed potatoes, some vegetables on the side, and a bottle of iced tea that he paid too much for because the school vending machine, which was frankly quite defective, didn't give him anything the first time he tried to use it. The cafeteria was crowded, noisy, and had an unpleasant smell to it which could only be described as "school cafeteria smell," and the iced tea Cayto got wasn't even in the flavor that he wanted, but at this point he decided he'd take what he could get.

  Alexis leaned over to look at Cayto's tray. Then she caught sight of its contents and let out a dramatic gasp:

  "Oh my God! Are you eating your own kind?! Don't tell me you're a cannibal, too!"

  Cayto said nothing and continued to scoop up a forkful of potatoes.

  "So you're giving me the silent treatment, huh?" Alexis accused. "That's not gonna fly with me, y'know. In fact, I'm not leaving until you talk to me, so you might as well say something now!"

  Cayto looked up from his school lunch. "I am talking to you. You may leave," he stated.

  "Thought I'd let you off the hook that easily, huh? Sorry, but I ain't doin' that!" Alexis announced. "Gotta check up on you first, y'know."

  "For what?"

  "Remember our terms and conditions?"

  Oh crap, Cayto thought. Though I did technically stick to the terms and conditions, I don't know how Alexis is gonna react to me texting my mom— WAIT NO STOP THINKING SHE COULD BE HEARING YOUR THOUGHTS RIGHT NOW. "Yeah, the terms and conditions," Cayto repeated. "I followed them, just as you told me to. I did not call my parents. I did not tell any non-Avriyans about the existence of Avriya. And I followed your blog."

  Alexis made a tsk-tsk noise, narrowing her eyes in annoyance. "Cayto, I know you unfollowed my blog right after following it, only to stalk it later, or as you have convinced yourself, "visit" it. That doesn't count."

  "Yes it does. All you told me was that I had to follow your blog. You never said I couldn't take it back."

  "Seriously?" Alexis remarked. "I always knew you were a bit difficult, but this is a whole other level of pettiness. And you thought you were allowed to text your mom since I "never said anything about texting," huh? Well you know what? Even if you assumed you could get away with exploiting loopholes, you still broke the terms and conditions in spirit, and for that you will have to face the consequences."

  Cayto hesitated, an apprehensive look etched on his face. "What consequences?"

  Alexis pulled out her cell phone and began playing a blurry yet vaguely-familiar looking videoclip in front of Cayto. "Courtesy of Ivan for recording and sending this over to me," she explained. "Remember this?"

  Cayto didn't even know how to react. He just froze in place and nodded at Alexis while screaming internally, overcome with shock. Oh. Shit. He thought. It's that time I got "possessed by lightning demons," as Ivan would've described it. I've been trying not to think about that stupid mistake.

  "So you do remember. Then how would you feel if I were to send this over to your father?" Alexis suggested. "He wouldn't like that you practiced illegal magic behind his back, would he?"

  In a state of panic, Cayto tried to grab Alexis's phone out of her hands, but she reacted too quickly for him. "No, don't send that! If you do, I could lose everything," he pleaded, only to regret losing his composure seconds later. Ugh, I sound so pathetic…

  And by "everything," you mean your daddy's approval and ownership of Halifax Industries, is that right?" Alexis asked, typing on her phone. "Honestly, it's frustrating watching you self-abandon, self-sabotage, and tear yourself apart over and over again, just so you could fit the ideal image your parents had of you in their minds. It makes me think that perhaps you'd be better off if you didn't let yourself get influenced by those scumbags to the degree that you do, and that maybe me sending this video to your father and you "losing everything" would be a blessing in disguise—"

  "No. NO. Anything but that!" Cayto begged, shoving Alexis's arm aside before she could send the video. "I know, Martin can be unpleasant at times. But he and Halifax Industries are my only chance at making it in this godforsaken society."

  Alexis paused, a curious expression on her face. "And what makes you think that?"

  "Because if I wasn't born into the Halifax family, nobody would give a shit about me and I'd be a failure."

  Silence. Cayto felt his body tense up as he shrank into himself, eyes darting nervously around the cafeteria. Alexis gave Cayto a concerned look. "So it's a self-esteem thing. You attach your entire identity to being part of a renowned, upper-class family because you don't think you're good enough on your own," she noted. That made Cayto shudder again, because as much as he wished for Alexis to be wrong, she knew much more about him than he would've liked her to, and her telepathy only made it all the more unnerving.

  Alexis put her phone away, and Cayto's breath caught in his throat. It's too late, isn't it? He thought. Has she already sent the video?

  But Alexis only smiled and shook her head. "Don't worry, I did not send the video, if that's what you're concerned about," she said in an attempt to reassure him. Then she opened her inbox of recently sent messages, showing it to Cayto as proof. "See? It's not here."

  "Then why would you pull off a stunt like that?" Cayto asked.

  "To be honest, I actually considered sending the video, but now I realize that you may not be emotionally prepared for the fallout if that were to happen," Alexis admitted. "So instead, I'll give you another option. If you don't want your father to receive the video of you engaging in “illegal supernatural activities,” sign up for the aura magic level evaluation and re-enroll in Silver Run Academy's mage training program, from now until the Autumn's End Festival."

  "So I have to fry myself alive again?!" Cayto asked, panicking.

  Alexis laughed. "Potatoes are meant to be fried, aren't they?"

  "No. Please, no." Cayto reacted, more than mildly disturbed.

  "Hey, I'm just messing with ya! I don't actually expect you to fry yourself alive," Alexis quipped. "I'll even send the video to you instead of Martin so you can go over your mistakes."

  Cayto nodded. "Thanks," he mumbled, still not on board with the plan, but at the same time not willing to risk getting disowned or worse because of a video. "Anyway, the period is ending soon. I gotta head to class."

  “Alright,” Alexis agreed. “Go on, head to class. I wish you the best of luck on your evaluation.”