Out-of-town students were housed in dormitories located a few blocks from the academy in plain, concrete, academic buildings tucked away in a forgotten part of the city. To give Scooter a break from cafeteria food fatigue at his off-campus dining hall diet, Sonya invited him for a casual pizza dinner. 

During the bus ride home, Lizzie told Scooter about Vinka's warning and how their janitor's supply closet rendezvous could jeopardize their scholastic careers.

"I was worried about that," he said.

"I didn't have time to worry about it until now," she said. "But it makes sense. And now I'm definitely worried." She could barely feel her electricity.

He squeezed her hand. "We'll figure something out."

They didn't speak until they got off the bus.

"So, that Sebastian dude works with you at the academy," he said.

"He doesn't really work with me. I do my own work and he does his work."

"But he's in your department. He sits right near you."

They resumed their walk past the familiar red brick building with the green-striped canvas awning, and empty orange vinyl chairs arranged in line along the sidewalk.

Scooter said, "I think he likes you."

"I like him, too," she said.

"I mean he likes you in a girlfriend/boyfriend kind of way."

"Oh, geez. That doesn't even make sense."

"You're not good at reading people, social cues, and all that, right?"

She shrugged.

"I'm pretty good at it," said Scooter. "And the way Sebastian looks at you, he's definitely crushing on you."

Her brows furrowed.

"He wishes you were his girlfriend."

"Oh, geez. I'm an annoying autistic girl who's very particular and super weird. The total package. That was sarcasm, by the way."

"Yeah, I got that." Scooter grinned. "And also, I think you're an awesome girlfriend."

"I never even thought about having a boyfriend before I met you. Now I brush my hair and shower and everything. Because of you."

"Thanks, I guess. Do you ever think about other guys like Sebastian?"

"Think about them? Why would I think about them?"

"Girls that I know in Atlanta have different boyfriends all the time."

Lizzie sighed. "You should stop listening to your brain when it gets like this."

"Like what?"

"Thinking about all the bad things that could happen. On certain days, my brain goes from me maybe getting kicked out of the academy to me being sent to work in a coal mine somewhere."

Scooter smiled. "There's no way you'd ever work in a coal mine."

"I don't think my neck is even strong enough to hold up my head with one of those big metal helmets on it."

He laughed.

"Oh, geez. I'm too claustrophobic to ride an elevator. A coal mine would be a hundred times worse."

"I think some coal mines have elevators."

"An elevator in a coal mine. If there really is a devil, that was probably one of his ideas."

Before Lizzie had her keys out of her shoulder bag, she could smell Ms. Brennan's pecan putters. She unlocked the door and stepped inside. Scooter followed.

"That smells good," he said.

"Pecan putters." She started up the staircase. "They were your grandad's favorite cookies."

"He was a pretty cool dude, wasn't he?"

"Yeah. I miss him." When she reached the landing, she said, "Looks like they didn't fix the door."

"Let's go in," said Scooter, rushing by.

They came to a stop in the vacant front room, which smelled of mustiness, burnt matches, and methamphetamine.

"It doesn't smell like him anymore," she said. "That makes me sad."

"Yeah, me, too."

She followed him down the hallway into the kitchen. She went to the kitchen window and looked across the street at the white apartment building where the Cincinnati Bengals banner hung, waiting for a breeze.

As she looked down at the street below, she had an epiphany about her namesake.

The storybook Lizzie built her own treehouse without anyone's help, which was admirable but she had a glaring shortcoming. She was an observer. Lizzie sat in her treehouse sanctuary reading her books and watching the world go by but all she did was watch. She didn't participate. Planning her treehouse and constructing it was exhilarating but once it was built, the adventure was over.

Adventure came from trying new things. From taking chances. The power of possibility. Lizzie recognized a pattern. Every time she broke from the comfort of routine, good things happened, well, most of the time. (except for the time she got lost counting trees in the park.)

Living with Aunt Sonya turned out to be a life-changing development.

Lizzie took a big risk when she kissed Scooter. Things could have gone terribly wrong but they didn't and she was rewarded.

Enrolling in the Cincinnati Academy of Science and Technology was a major step that potentially prepared her for the future, for the next chapter of becoming a semi-adult. "I don't know if I'll ever seem like an actual grown-up," she said. "It's a scary thought."

"Lizzie, it's like what your mother told you. If you're smart then you never have to be afraid. Tell that to your brain."

She smiled. "I think I need to hug you."

She slipped her arms around him and she embraced him, feeling immensely grateful for their friendship. Not only her momma but her Aunt Sonya was right. She said Lizzie was lucky to have such a sweet boy walk right into her life with a sincere desire to be her boyfriend. And Lizzie felt fortunate, and that feeling made her brain happy.

"I never had time to think about the future," she said. "Oh, geez, I was so worried about what I was doing right now and worried that if I didn't think about whatever it was as hard as I could and focus all my energy on it, then bad things would happen and people would say, "See, we told you she wasn't a normal person."

"I think normal people are overrated."

"I remember when I told your grandad that I was autistic. You know what he said?"

"What?"

"He said, I always thought you were just a deep-thinker."

Scooter couldn't help but smile. He could imagine his grandad saying those words.

And so the circuit was closed (no stranded electrons), completing a path where electricity (and this story) would flow between two successive sources. Lizzie's story ended right back where it began, with her and Mr. Frederick Gibbs.

He was there with them in the apartment, a faint electric pulse. She could feel it and she knew he'd be pleased that she and his grandson had found magic in each other.

She followed Scooter into Mr. Gibbs' bedroom where they were surprised to find his dusty bike leaning against the wall.

Lizzie had a very scary but exciting thought and it made her electricity crackle. "Oh, geez," she said. "Maybe you can teach me how to ride that bike."

The thought of it lit Scooter's eyes.

"I'll probably fall a lot and, of course, there will be injuries."

"Maybe not," he said. 

Life was full of uncertainties but Lizzie had to admit a lot of certainties were boring. 'Maybe not' spoke of possibilities.

Lizzie thought it would be better if bike riding didn't require going outside where the sun was too bright, the weather was hot, and people stared at your ears. But maybe not.