---
The library basement smells like old carpet and stress. Alex's stomach growls loud enough to echo off the concrete walls as he rounds the corner to the study carrels. He's been running on White Monster and crème brûlée vape pods since noon, and his mouth tastes like a chemical plant had a baby with a dessert cart. Jian is already there, laptop open, three highlighters arranged by color, a thermos of green tea steaming gently beside his elbow. Alex thinks, this fuckin guy, does he do anything else, but Jian just looks up and nods, that same calm nod he always has, like the world is a math problem he already solved. "Can you believe Voss," Alex says, dropping his bag and himself into the plastic chair. "This is unreal. How are we supposed to do all this?"
Jian nods in agreement, but his mouth does that thing where it turns down at the corners, the thing that means he's about to say something annoying. "Yes," he says, "but this will come to pass. Remember to work on your attitude."
Alex shrugs him off. He's not in the mood for Jian's Taoist bullshit or whatever book he's reading this week. He pulls out his phone, checks the time. No Maddy yet. "Look," he says, sliding into the chair across from Jian, "about that text I sent you. The video.