I’ve never known anyone in real life with stepparents. The fact hits me after several seconds’ delay, followed immediately by a hot wash of shame. I complain about my family all the time—in my head, to Max and Emmy, even a few times to Wallace, in little messages through the forums, or in quick, throwaway sentences in our paper conversations at school. I assumed his family was the same way. I never thought about the fact that while my family bugs the shit out of me, they aremyfamily, my flesh and blood, still working as a whole unit.
Not that his isn’t. He could love his family as much as I love mine. Maybe more, because he never complains about them.
God, I don’t know anything.
We reach my car. The doors of the school fly open and thirteen- and fourteen-year-olds spill out, speed-walking to their buses. Wallace waits by my car with me in semi-awkward silenceuntil we see the brown-haired heads of my two brothers charging toward us.
“I’ll see you tomorrow,” he says.
“See you,” I say.
He heads off toward the front of the school, where his younger sister no doubt waits. Sully and Church reach me, backs bent with the weight of their bags, their sports gear already in hand. They’re talking about some fight that broke out in the cafeteria today, not paying attention to me as they jump into the car and buckle themselves in. I wait at least a full minute to see if they notice they’re not moving, then get into the driver’s seat.
“What took you so long?” Sully says.
I shrug, and turn on the car.
Monstrous Sea Private Message
9:36 p.m. 17 - Nov -16
MirkerLurker:Why is Dallas your favorite Monstrous Sea character?
rainmaker:Because he never gives up, even after all the bad things that have happened to him.
MirkerLurker:You don’t think he’s broken? Most people think he’s broken.
rainmaker:I think he’s strange, but anyone would be after years of torture and exile. He’s doing the best he can. People literally hunt him down, and he still tries to help Amity and Damien understand what the Scarecrow and the Watcher are, where they came from, and why they exist. He becomes Amity’s best friend, even though everyone thinks he’s incapable of friendship. He’s arguably the most powerful character in the series, but he would never use that for revenge or personal gain.
rainmaker:Plus he’s funny. He’s technically older than most of the other characters, but as soon as he gets to Risht he starts dismantling metal trees like a little kid with a new toy.
MirkerLurker:Aw, I like him for that too.
rainmaker:Izzy’s your favorite, right?
MirkerLurker:Yeah, most of the time.
rainmaker:Most of the time?
MirkerLurker:I like all the characters, but usually Izzyis the one I like the most.
rainmaker:Why?
MirkerLurker:Because he was a scaredy-cat. Or ... because his character arc wasn’t that he stopped being a scaredy-cat, but that he learned to act in spite of his fear. He had to. He had to overcome his fear of being married to Ana, his fear of being a ruler, his fear of raising children, his fear of the Alliance, and the idea that he had no power. He never stops being scared, but he doesn’t let it stop him from doing what he has to do.
rainmaker:Very good, very good. However, I see you have forgotten to mention a silly reason for liking him.
MirkerLurker:Haha it’s his glasses, obviously! The irony that the king of the city of advanced technology won’t get ocular implants because he’s terrified to put things in his eyes.
rainmaker:Weird, I didn’t know you had such a thing for timid guys.
MirkerLurker:Really does it for me when a guy is paralyzed with fear on a regular basis.
rainmaker:Aw. Sad.
MirkerLurker:What’s sad?
rainmaker:That it would never work between us. I’m too courageous.
