Cold Sweat

When Jules comes home for fall break, she expects rest, her mother's cooking, and zero complications. What she gets is Red — the insufferably charming, disturbingly self-aware pitcher of Cherry Chill-Assist Punch who has been making her life deliciously difficult for the past two years.

Ever since their parents' wedding joined their households, Red has had an uncanny talent for getting under Jules' skin. His smirking commentary, his opinions on her entertainment choices, his complete and utter refusal to simply be a beverage — it's maddening. Jules is already drowning in the weight of big life decisions she hasn't figured out how to face, and the last thing she needs is a glass-half-full attitude taunting her from the kitchen counter.

Seeking refuge from the noise in her stepfather's new sauna, Jules finally exhales. Warmth.