The first thing that happened when Zach stepped in after his absence was the librarian cursing out loud.

Aside from that, though, Zach made his glorious return after a week of cough and snot, delighted to see everything was just as he had left it.

No, seriously. "Wow. My chair is totally in the same position. NO ONE comes to this library, do they?"

Addy and Connor exchanged looks. They hadn't really paid any attention to the chair, so who really knew?

It made Connor think, though. "Actually. You're right. It's amazing how empty this place is during lunch. Maybe it fills up after classes?"

Okay, who cares?

Addy didn't. "Whatever. Zach, how absolutely obliterated were your lungs last week?"

Zach groaned. "Ugh you don't even want to know. It was way worse than I expected."

Oh, obliterated was a kind word. It was ragnacough on the poor guy's throat. In simple terms, back during the flood, the perfect conditions were created for an unusual mosquito strain to develop and sting Zach in his poor sugar-overwhelmed arm.

After a few weeks incubating, the strain hit Zach with the overwhelming force of a million pillows stuffed with turtles.

Connor triple frowned. "I'm almost convinced that you're lying."

Zach feigned indignation, pain and distress. And then grinned. "Nah. It's legit. The good side, though, is that I got to be overdosed in painkillers! It was awesome."

Addy was slightly worried, having overheard her mother speak ill of overdosing in general.

But Zach was alive, so whatever, right? "Okay. On the scale of two-for-one cake sale to winning the superbowl?"

"It's on the scale of mini Connors jumping over fences, and mini Addy piledriving a goat." Connor had a lot of issues with that sentence, but Addy cut him off.

"Just for the record, boys, I have actually wrestled animals before." 'Ooohs' echoed through the empty hall. Librarian included.

"No way, girl. You're fifteen! Unless you suplex'd a dog or something. In which case...How could you, you monster!?"

Addy was giggling, and blushing. It was weird. "Oh nonono. Never. I took down this giant, angry pig back at my Uncle's farm."

But now Connor cut them off. "...I...I am not saying that is not impressive. But...why did you suplex a pig? Is that legal?"

"Holy shit. How? Do you have a six pack, or something?"

Addy flexed her arms, which pumped up to unimaginable levels. "No six packs. I'm doing good, though."

Zach shivered. "Damn it. I thought I was just a sissy, but no wonder your smacks hurt that much."

Laughter was abound. Except for Connor. News at 11. "Are we completely going to ignore WHY she fought the pig?"

They did ignore it. Connor did eventually find out why Addy wrestled that pig, but it wouldn't be until much later.