It Starts Here / 𝗯𝘅𝗯 (✓)

5: Boys and rats

CHAPTER FIVE
Twelve years old

When he starts seventh grade, Felix learns a lot about himself. 

In the span of his first week, Mr. Wen has run a test on him. On Friday, he tells Felix that he is dyslexic. Felix asks Mr. Wen what that means for him and he explains that it means he has difficulties when it comes to reading. Felix thinks that he could've told his teacher this a long time ago, but he doesn't say it in case it sounds bratty.

While Mr. Wen is figuring out that Felix has dyslexia, Felix figures out that maybe dinosaurs aren't as important as he thought them to be when he was younger. He still thinks they're cool, but he has decided not to scorn others for not liking them as much as he does.

Even before the summer vacation is over and he starts seventh grade, Felix learns that baking is fun. A lot of fun, actually. Cass doesn't have as much time to bake with him as she usually has (Ares says it's because she has adult things to take care of because she is an adult now and Felix takes his word for it) but it's still fun to do so even when Cass isn't there to help.

Felix finds that when Mrs. Sanchez allows him to use their kitchen for baking (with an adult in the room next to them), it's even more fun to have Cass—who's sitting in her room, studying—rate the baked goods. She's honest even when Felix has done terribly and even though she worries it'll hurt his feelings in the beginning, it's his favorite part. 

"Three out of ten," she says, mercilessly, when he tries to make rum balls for the first time.

He gapes. "What?"

"They're way too sticky."

Ares take this a lot more personal than Felix ever does. "They're supposed to be sticky, smartass."

She shakes her head. "These will stick onto the roof. Mhm, I think you added too much water."

But before Felix can agree, Ares says, "He added a perfect amount of water," and pushes Felix out of her room while muttering into his ear, "What does she know, anyway? She's just a teenager."

Cass laughs as Felix makes sure to close the door behind them so she can finish her assignment. 

Just to prove Cass wrong, Felix is sure, Ares eats all of the rum balls. Felix tells him not to do it, but Ares won't stop eating. Felix won't be surprised if he doesn't show up at school the next day, but he does.

"They were perfect," he says and Felix wants to roll his eyes, but instead he smiles.

Later, Felix tells Ares that his mother always messed up her rum balls, too, and that maybe it's his fate to mess them up like she always did—like she maybe still does. Ares tells him that he doesn't think that's the case and that Felix will become such a great baker that he will prove himself wrong. Felix chooses to believe him.

Then, after a while, Ares asks, "Do you miss her?"

"Yes," Felix says. "I miss her." Ares doesn't say anything and Felix decides to admit, "I wish I could tell her that I like to bake."

And Ares says that he also wishes he could.

A week later, Julian finds out that Felix likes to bake when Ares and he bring cookies that he baked the day before for lunch. He laughs when he finds out and asks if Felix is a girl or something and before Ares can push him off his chair (because that's what it looks like he'll do), Keyomii hits Julian on the back of his head and asks why he has to be such an asshole. It makes Julian scowl. He says that he didn't say it to make fun of him or anything.