Chapter 16

Dona's POV

A while later, Piper and I made our way into the lecture hall.

“Ready to blow their minds with renewable energy statistics?” she whispered as we slipped into the front row.

“More like bore them to death,” I muttered, dropping my bag with a thud.

She laughed, unbothered. “That’s why I’m here, to keep things spicy.”

Our Engineering Statistics professor, Dr. Rowland, adjusted his glasses and glanced around the room. “Alright, first up: Piper Ramirez and Dona McNair. Let’s see what you’ve got.”

Piper leapt to her feet like she was headed for a stage performance. I followed slower, clutching the stack of notes I didn’t even want to look at. We connected the laptop to the projector, and our title slide: The Future of Renewable Energy in the U.S., lit up the screen.

Piper turned to the class with a grin. “So, renewable energy, super sexy topic, I know.”

A few students chuckled. Dr. Rowland arched an eyebrow.

“Focus, Ms. Ramirez,” he said evenly.

“Right, right.” She cleared her throat dramatically. “So, as of 2023, renewable energy accounted for about twenty-two percent of total electricity generation in the U.S. And no, that doesn’t mean we can all throw solar panels on our heads and call it a day.”

The class cracked up. I pinched the bridge of my nose, half-embarrassed and half-grateful she kept them engaged.

Dr. Rowland’s calm voice cut in. “Stick to the facts, please.”

“Yes, sir. Facts, here we go.” Piper clicked to the next slide. Charts and graphs filled the screen. “Wind and solar have been growing the fastest; solar capacity increased by nearly fifty percent between 2018 and 2023. That’s like… imagine your grocery bill doubling, but in a good way.”

More laughter.

“Piper,” I whispered under my breath.

“What? They’re listening,” she whispered back, then pointed at me. “And now, my brilliant partner will explain why this matters for our future. Dona, take it away.”

Great. Showtime.

I stepped forward with damp palms. “So… renewable energy isn’t just about saving the environment. It’s also about ensuring stability. For example, relying on fossil fuels means we’re tied to volatile global markets. Prices go up, prices crash and regular people pay the price.”

Seeing that I got the class's attention emboldened me. “With renewables, costs keep dropping every year. The International Renewable Energy Agency reports that between 2010 and 2022, the cost of solar electricity dropped by eighty-nine percent. Wind power also dropped by seventy percent. That means cleaner energy is becoming more affordable for everyday households.”

Movement caught my eye in the third row. I turned in that direction and saw August leaning back in his chair and watching me with this quiet focus that made me lose my words. When our eyes met, he gave me a little thumbs-up with both thumbs.

I blinked, thrown off. My stepbrother was encouraging me? What kind of alternate universe was this? Worse, I felt happy that his was, like his approval mattered.

I forced my gaze back to the screen. “And, um, these trends mean that by 2030, renewable energy could realistically power over half the nation’s electricity demand. That’s not just speculation, but but’s based on current growth.”

My hands stopped shaking. I clicked to the next slide. “Now, we still have challenges, of course. Intermittency is the biggest one, because solar doesn’t shine at night and wind doesn’t blow every day. But storage technology is improving. Battery costs have fallen by ninety percent since 2010.”

Piper nudged in. “Which means someday soon, you’ll be able to charge your phone with yesterday’s sunshine. Tell me that’s not cool.”

Groans and laughs rippled across the room.

“Ms. Ramirez!” Dr. Rowland reminded.

“I’m done, I’m done,” she waved, grinning.

I took over again, pulling the thread tighter. “Ultimately, transitioning to renewable energy is more necessary than optional. Climate change impacts are worsening, and delaying the shift will only makes things harder for future generations. The good news is, progress is happening faster than anyone predicted a decade ago.”

I wrapped up with a steady breath. “So, our conclusion is simple: renewable energy isn’t just the future, it’s the present, and the numbers prove it.”

Then Piper clicked the final slide: Thank You. She bowed exaggeratedly, earning more chuckles.

Dr. Rowland clapped his hands together once. “Well done. Both of you. A bit too many jokes, Ms. Ramirez, but the data was solid and clearly explained.”

“I aim to entertain and educate,” Piper quipped.

He gave her a patient look. “Keep aiming for education. Ms. McNair, excellent clarity and composure. Your delivery was strong.”

Heat rose in my cheeks. “Thank you,” I murmured.

We unplugged the laptop and returned to our seats. Piper whispered, “Nailed it!”

I pretended to focus on packing my notes, but my eyes betrayed me, flicking once more to the third row. The seat was empty now. August had slipped out at some point, quiet as ever. Did he even attend Dr Rowland's classes?

The sun was blazing down when Piper and I stepped out of class in the evening. My head was still buzzing from the presentation, and I was already counting the minutes until I could collapse in my room. But Piper had other plans.

“Let's go get coffee,” she announced, linking her arm through mine. I opened my mouth to argue, but then my eyes snagged on August, standing across the quad.

He was with two of his hockey buddies, all of them laughing like they’d been running the place for years. August had this stupid ease about him, like he’d already staked his claim. The sight made me annoyed. He wasn’t supposed to fit here. He was supposed to stand out and look lost. Instead, he looked like he’d been born for the spotlight.

Suddenly, a shot of caffeine didn't seem like such a bad idea.

"Let's go." I grunted and pulled Piper along.

“Why are you dragging me like I’m a sack of rice?” Piper snapped, yanking her arm free. “Girl, my shoulder is about to pop out.”

“Sorry,” I muttered, even though I wasn’t.

Her sharp brown eyes followed mine, and she spotted him instantly. “Ay Dios mío. Your step brother again, huh."

“Let’s just get the coffee,” I cut her off, pulling her toward the café before she could make this into another thing.

Inside the café, we grabbed two iced coffees and slid into a booth by the window. Piper stirred hers with the straw like she was plotting something.

“So,” she said, “you riding with him again after this?”

“No.” My voice was snappy. “Actually, I’m not. I’m catching the bus home.”

Piper blinked. “What? Your mamá will ground you into the next century.”

“She doesn’t have to know, because I’ll beat him home, and she’ll think I rode with him anyway.”

Piper leaned back, giving me a look. “You are really planning a whole rebellion over a ride.”

“Over my sanity,” I corrected. “I can’t do this anymore, Piper. Being stuck in his car every day is like torture. He fills the air, the whole space, and it makes me want to scream. Imagine being stuck in a house with him.... every single day, probably for the rest of my life.”

"I mean... you might get used to each other eventually." She snorted into her straw. “Dona, you sound obsessed.”

“I’m not obsessed.”

“Yes, you are. You wouldn’t be talking about him every five minutes otherwise.”

I rolled my eyes and took a long sip of coffee, letting the coldness wash down my irritation.

When it was time to go, we hugged quickly at the bus stop. Piper’s hair brushed my cheek, and she squeezed me like she always did, all tight and warm.

“Don’t kill each other,” she teased. “Text me later.”

“Yeah, yeah.”

The bus rattled through town, and I stared out the window, thinking about everything and nothing. By the time it pulled up in front of my house, I felt a tiny bit better.

Peter’s car wasn’t in the yard, and I groaned in relief. No Peter meant no awkward family drama for at least a little while.

I hopped off the bus and walked up to the porch. The boards creaked under my sneakers. The moment I pushed the door open, voices drifted out from the living room. I recognized my mom's voice immediately.

I paused for a second, then stepped inside more slowly. She was pacing with her phone pressed to her ear, her free hand slicing the air as if whoever was on the other end could see her.

“I have no money, okay?”