Momentous Events in the Life of a Cactus

Waiting on the bus while others board to leave school, Aven hunches to hide when Lando boards the bus, but he finds her and asks if he can sit with her. She nods and they ride silently until Lando flicks her leg to get her attention. He asks if she is alright, but Aven says she doesn’t know. Lando says that Zion got her formal email about attending a memorial for Spaghetti. Aven says she does not want to talk to Zion. Lando is sad that the two friends are both unhappy. Aven responds that Zion broke her trust, but Lando assures her Zion would never purposefully hurt her. Aven then agrees to talk to him.

At Stagecoach Pass, Lando puts a sheaf of papers in Aven’s bag for her to read later. He shares that he plans to wear his Captain America costume to school for Halloween because he does not care what other people think. Lando says he wonders when Aven will learn that. Aven, ashamed, wishes she were more like Lando, but he wishes she could be herself. Later, Aven discovers that the papers are all powerful drawings of her as a superhero, playing guitar, in her homecoming dress, and riding a flying llamacorn.