[takes a deep breath] I got into a fight at school. [glances down, guiltily] I get into a lot of fights at school. I try not to, but.. [gives him a look and shakes her head].
[takes another deep breath] The headmaster says I have to write about the good things the Longcoats did for the Zone. [makes a face] And the boy I was fighting with has to write about the good things the Resistance did. [sighs] And I don't know what to do. Glitch said that Zero told my dad and my brother about the brain and that's how they helped DG and Azzie stop the witch, but then he said that was actually treason. And I know that's not a good thing. And I just.... [takes a deep breath] I don't want to get in more trouble.
[he ponders what he would write and he can't think of a damn thing, well maybe one thing; shakes his head] That is tough and the only good thing I can think of the Longcoats did was to show me how precious my family and what I have is. And that's probably not what the Headmaster is looking for, but Kenna, I can't think of a damn thing the Longcoats did that was good for the Zone. I can't say anything good 'bout them. Did you tell your Mom and Pop 'bout all this? [purses his lips] So, what was the fight 'bout anyway?
[gives him a smile, actually glad that he feels the same]
[shakes her head when he asks if her parents know; they have enough to worry about, right now] There's a lot of fights at my school. They make the Longcoat kids and the Resistance kids sit together and learn to be friends. And, sometimes... I can be friends. I know that there are a lot of people who picked sides to save their families. I know they didn't want to fight. I like them. [nods] They just wanted it over, same as us. [makes a face] Resistance, I mean.
[she didn't really have an opinion on it, because the camps was all she ever knew]
Some of the kids are just mean. They want a fight and they know how to start one. And I'm not... [winces] good at... ignoring them. Sometimes. Especially when they start taking about Jeb and Az and my dad and... [glances away and shakes her head; quietly] I really don't like school.
[smiles when she finishes] You have every right to defend your family and at the same time, you should tell your folks what's goin' on. They have a right to know the environment at school isn't good for you. As far as this paper, in my opinion, the Headmaster can take it and, as Pop says, "Cuir sé i gcás soilse na gréines riamh." Rough translation is shove it where the suns don't shine. [smirks]
[gives him a smile] My brother married a princess. My life is never gonna be normal, no matter what. [glances down] And me getting in fights isn't really what my mom and dad need to hear about, right now.
[glances sideways at Tyler] I already got enough people in trouble, anyway. [Jeb told her that their father had talked to Garrett about the Vapors]
I'm right there with you, kiddo. My Pop is the Mystic Man, my cousin married the Queen, so...I don't know what's normal anymore. [smiles] But you are important to 'em, more than anything that they're facin'. Don't hide this from 'em. Hidin' stuff is what gets us in trouble later on.
[gives him a smile, but still shakes her head] My mom feels bad enough. And that's my fault. If I tell her I'm getting into fights... [shakes her head] that won't make her feel any better. [frowns] At least my dad can't beat anybody up.
[looks up and sighs] At least the kids here [meaning Ruby Creek] are nice. [there were some girls near the bakery, that morning, who asked if she wanted to play with them... even if playing, to them, was just watching the blacksmith work]
[narrows his eyes slightly] Why do you think her feelin' bad is your fault? [raises his brows] Think of it this way, if your child was having problems in school, wouldn't you want to know?
[gives him a sideways glance] When we lived in the camp... she found out I knew about her Vapors. And she stopped using them. [makes a face] And then.. [sighs] I'm not supposed to know that my bad dreams are real. That she died. [takes a breath] But I do. And when we left the camp, she was better. 'cause of my dad and Aunt Hilary and Uncle Scott and Uncle Jeff. She pretended to be happy, but I knew she wasn't. And then.. a little while back.. she was really really happy. But then.. she... then she was the same as back in the camp, after she stopped using the Vapors. [lets out a shaky breath] If she didn't stop using the Vapors because of me, she would have been happy this whole time and she wouldn't be so sad, now.
[smiles, because just having someone who knows how she feels makes her feel much better] I wish we lived here.
[nods as he listens; her words are all too familiar to him] The happiness she was feelin' from the Vapors would have lasted for so long [he shakes his head] because it's a false happiness used to block out the pain. But eventually, she would have needed more and more, and trust me, she would have gotten worse. [reaches out and places a hand on her shoulder] She's better off not being on Vapors, dealin' with what makes her sad so when she is happy, it's real.
[smiles] I don't know what to tell ya on that one, kiddo.
[sighs] I just wish I knew what was makin' her sad, so I could fix it. [glances at him] And that's why I don't want to tell her about school, 'cause it'll just make her more sad. But [shakes her head] it's not her fault I don't like it. I just don't. The other kids are mean and I liked where we lived.
[okay, she likes the warmth of the palace and their old house, because it was toasty in the winter, but the camps were fun]
We can't go back home, either. 'cause my dad can't walk anymore and there's too many stairs. And Azzie doesn't live there anymore and Jeb is too busy being an about to be king and taking care of Owen and Sarah.. [sighs again] And Deeg is learning to be a queen and all of the staff is too busy working. And Dizzy has a whole bunch of friends from her school and... I just wish there was somebody else older.
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[okay, she didn't sell that one very well]
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How do.... [scrunches her nose and looks at him] How do you find a good thing to say about someone who never did a good thing?
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[takes another deep breath] The headmaster says I have to write about the good things the Longcoats did for the Zone. [makes a face] And the boy I was fighting with has to write about the good things the Resistance did. [sighs] And I don't know what to do. Glitch said that Zero told my dad and my brother about the brain and that's how they helped DG and Azzie stop the witch, but then he said that was actually treason. And I know that's not a good thing. And I just.... [takes a deep breath] I don't want to get in more trouble.
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[shakes her head when he asks if her parents know; they have enough to worry about, right now] There's a lot of fights at my school. They make the Longcoat kids and the Resistance kids sit together and learn to be friends. And, sometimes... I can be friends. I know that there are a lot of people who picked sides to save their families. I know they didn't want to fight. I like them. [nods] They just wanted it over, same as us. [makes a face] Resistance, I mean.
[she didn't really have an opinion on it, because the camps was all she ever knew]
Some of the kids are just mean. They want a fight and they know how to start one. And I'm not... [winces] good at... ignoring them. Sometimes. Especially when they start taking about Jeb and Az and my dad and... [glances away and shakes her head; quietly] I really don't like school.
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[glances sideways at Tyler] I already got enough people in trouble, anyway. [Jeb told her that their father had talked to Garrett about the Vapors]
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[gives her a wink]
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[looks up and sighs] At least the kids here [meaning Ruby Creek] are nice. [there were some girls near the bakery, that morning, who asked if she wanted to play with them... even if playing, to them, was just watching the blacksmith work]
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[grins] That's Quadlings for ya.
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[smiles, because just having someone who knows how she feels makes her feel much better] I wish we lived here.
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[smiles] I don't know what to tell ya on that one, kiddo.
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[okay, she likes the warmth of the palace and their old house, because it was toasty in the winter, but the camps were fun]
We can't go back home, either. 'cause my dad can't walk anymore and there's too many stairs. And Azzie doesn't live there anymore and Jeb is too busy being an about to be king and taking care of Owen and Sarah.. [sighs again] And Deeg is learning to be a queen and all of the staff is too busy working. And Dizzy has a whole bunch of friends from her school and... I just wish there was somebody else older.
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