Neither cristela nor her friends interested in keeping in touch with family.

a. are

b. is

A if you used is it would sound very weird

The answer is (A). A trick Is to read them in the sentence and the one that sounds awkward is more than likely not it

covert: hidden or secret

candid: truthful and straightforward

what i get from these phrases is covert means undercover or underground and that's where the flower is in april. on the other hand, may is the month where flowers start to bloom and thats the reason why candid is being used as a word to describe the blossoming period of a flower.

hope this answer you.