Oscar looks down at the shirt and beams.
“Well, I have to say, this is adorable, honeybee! I do really like it! Thank you, Leonie! Look at him—lil’ Edward—he’s as cute as an extra shiny button!”
“Sparkly even!” I interject helpfully.
“Yes, he is and I just love my new sparkly T-shirt! I might have to incorporate it into my couture for the parade.”
“Yeah, maybe Captain Marvel likes Twilight too!” I add super brightly.
“Oh, my goodness! He might just have to!”
“We love it on you.” It’s a group vote. It does totally rock. The look in Leo’s eyes . . .
Uncle Oscar gazes down and smiles as he smoothes his shimmery shirt.
“You know what else? This is only my second new T-shirt all year. I just realized that.”
“Yeah? What was your other one?”
Oscar whispers conspiratorially. “Harry Potter. I have a
T-shirt with wonderful Albus Dumbledore. I’m totally a fan!”
Frankie rolls his eyes and holds his hands to his heart melodramatically.
“In love,” he mouths to us silently.
We laugh. Figures!
That was a couple days ago.
Yesterday Beau and Frankie left on the train. They are going home to Seattle a few days early so Frankie can see Gina and meet Matt. Then Beau will stay home and Frankie will return to San Francisco, and we’ll all come back for the ballooning during spring break.
Leo and I are chilling for a couple more days, and then we’ll drive home with The Bomb. I’ve talked to my mom, and she is cool with both Leo and The Bomb staying with us while they get things figured out. She has some time to help Leonie before her job starts.
In fact, knowing my mom, she will never want Leonie to leave. Or Bommy either.
When I called my mom, I told her we’d start for home soon. School starts the day after Epiphany, and I said we’d be back in Seattle by that weekend and ready to go. And we will.
But first, something happened to me.
It was yesterday afternoon, and we were down at the wharf killing time till Uncle Oscar got home from work, and people were milling around and we were enjoying the feeble sunshine. I’d sat down on one of the big benches by the water, and Leonie and The Bomb were dancing like they do, and I was laughing at them like I do, when this girl came over and sat down on the other side of the bench I was on, which of course freaked me out immediately.
The Bomb was twirling on her hind legs, and Leonie was not paying attention to what was going on, and this person was looking at me, and I could feel myself winding up, getting wrapped too tight, stressing. . . .
“Hi,” she says. No attitude visible.
“Hey.” I feel myself unfreeze a little.
I look over at her. She’s staring at me.
This chick is good-sized. I mean, she isn’t fat but she’s big. Like cut. She smiles.
“I was watching you over there when you pulled that stick out of the sand and threw it to your dog.”
“Yeah.” I acknowledge I did do that.
“You’re strong.”
“Yeah, I am.” I am also surly. So ready for the crap I’m about to get.
“Like how much do you weigh?”
I just look at her. Sigh deeply.
Are you kidding? After everything we’ve been through, that I’ve been through, to ask me that and start giving me crap again is not freaking on! I shut down immediately.
“Look, why don’t you just bounce?” I ask wearily. “I didn’t start anything with you.”
She looks at me and laughs.
“No, you got it wrong! No offense. I think you are perfect!”
Now I’m worried that she’s actually crazy.
“Okay. Whatever,” I say. “Just go.”
“Listen, have you ever heard of Roller Derby? A bunch of tough chicks all roller-skate in this indoor race? Have you ever seen one? Never? Well, do you want to?”
“We aren’t even from here,” I tell her to make her go away. Her face falls.
“Oh . . . dang! You’re perfect. We need you! How tall
are you?”
I consider not answering, but then again, why not? “Five nine.”
“Wow. I bet you can totally take a charge.”
“Yeah.” That I can. That is one true thing.
“Do you skate?”
“Uh . . . sort of. Badly.”
“It’s not that hard to learn. It’s mostly about heart.”
I laugh.
“That I got.”
Without doubt, that I got.
“Where are you from?”
“Seattle.”
“Omg! Seattle?! Seattle has the best Roller Derby! Actually, several! You should totally go see them! You could skate with them if you tried! The Rat City Rollergirls?! Seriously! They are epic! They are legend! They are the best!”
“Really?”
“Yeah! Omg! I can’t believe you’ve never seen your own Roller Derby team! Look, why don’t you come see ours? We skate tonight. We’re off the hook!”
So we do. Leonie and Uncle Oscar and me.
And it looks so fun! The roller chicks are mostly about my size, except for this little one they keep throwing forward to make their team win. I laugh so hard I’m overheating. They are all tall and fat, or big and buff, and most have a ton of ink.
Glamazons and rock chicks roller-skating! It’s awesome.
After the derby, my new friend, whose name is Jamie, introduces me around, and of course some of the roller chicks here know some of the Rat City girls at home! We get each other’s names and plan to friend each other on Facebook so they can introduce me.
They are really sure I would make an awesome Roller Derby girl. I have never in my life been preapproved because of the way I look. It’s fantastic!
I am definitely going to check it out when we get home. Jamie gave me a beaten pair of their old skates to get some practice with. I tried them on in the rink before we left, when the track was empty. The skates are so old they fit like soft gloves, and after falling down eleven thousand times, I’m getting the hang of it. And you know what? I am talented! I got the need for speed!
I got the need for speed . . . just not while driving.
So that was fun. Maybe something to make me tick!
Maybe even life changing. It feels like it.
Maybe this whole trip has been.
So okay, then I guess this is it.
I’ve been dreading this part, you know. It seems like all emotions ever do is make me bawl like a baby now that I actually acknowledge them. But whatever, it’s actually okay. I’ve found that I can cry and I won’t rust, you know? It’s not the end of the world to have feelings. If I get knocked down, I’ll just get up again. In fact, I plan on getting knocked down!
But I do feel like crying again.
So instead, let’s review! What have we all learned?
Well, Beau finally figured out which way is home, Leonie got a new groove, and The Bomb is beloved. Yay! We learned not to judge a book by its cover. That nobody is perfect. That maybe “The Bomb” is a confusing name for a dog. And we learned to treat people like we want to be treated . . . the Golden Rule. The Golden Rule, guys.
And we learned to give peace a chance.
But you already knew all that, right?
Of course you did!
Hay; it’s been stuffed in your little old head this whole time, right? It’s nothing new! It’s not like you get a diploma for realizing it! I mean, even cobbing to it now is a little corny. . . .
The other thing I want to point out is that it wouldn’t have been the same trip without you.
This whole trip—it’s really been Beau, Lee, The Bomb and me . . . and you.
I’ve never actually said it, but you totally had to be there too, you know? To bear witness and realize the risk we all took. So there would be a point. To tell what we’ve all been through and what we’ve seen. To
spread the word. What we’ve learned. How we chose the right wolf.
That we’re not really hurt.
And so, for that, I thank you!
With all my heart. Listen, friend me, okay? I’ll post pictures of us in the balloon and Beau’s and Frank’s faces when they jump out. It’ll be hee-larious! Just hit me up, okay? And keep in touch. I know whatever you decide to major in, you’ll be out standing in the field!
So . . . that’s my time and I’m out.
Keep your wits sharp and don’t take any wooden nickels (my dad used to say that too).
See you in the funny papers!
Rusty’s Retro Road Trip:
Mostly Oldies from the Eighties and Beyond
These are the tunes I listen to the most. They are generally old but cool.
I’ll say what they are about/who each is for and why.
Songs for Me
“Ha Ha Ha” by Flipper:
To start things off, this is an awesome song about how everything is pathetic.
“Teenage Frankenstein” by Alice Cooper:
I’m a monster. Just ask the baboons.
“Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps)” by David Bowie:
I dedicate this to my lil’ school chums.
“Cathedral” by Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young:
A song about losing my religion.
“Mad World” by Tears for Fears:
I’m sorry to say I have felt this way most of my teens.
“All Stood Still” by Ultravox:
Because I am frozen in place. Maybe we all are.
“Kung Fu Fighting” by Carl Douglas:
Except my bro—kick on wich yer bad self!
Songs for Leonie
“Rock On” by David Essex:
For Leo, the prettiest girl I have ever seen. Turn the bass wayyyyy up!
“Hungry Like the Wolf” by Duran Duran:
Because she always is. Hungry.
“Da Da Da” by Trio:
I don’t love you; you don’t love me. . . . What I wish Leo would tell Ratskin.
“Tusk” by Fleetwood Mac:
Because I don’t think anyone tells her they love her.
“She’s Lost Control” by Joy Division:
Because Leo is outta control. Seriously.
“My Big Hands (Fall Through the Cracks)” by Talking Heads:
For Ratskin. Keep your big hands to yourself. Jerk.
“I Saved the World Today” by the Eurythmics:
For Leonie, when she saved The Bomb.
“Woman King” by Iron and Wine:
Because Leonie looks like a warrior princess in the purple silk robe.
Songs for Beau
“What Have I Done to Deserve This?” by Pet Shop Boys:
It’s a question Beau asks.
“Clampdown” by the Clash:
Boy, get running! It’s the best years of your life they want to steal!
“Don’t Fade on Me” by Tom Petty:
For Beau, because he must stay so it does get better!
“Can’t Find My Way Home” by Ellen McIlwaine:
Beau, even though he is home, in my opinion.
“The Town” by Macklemore:
I want the town (Seattle) to be Beau’s home.
Songs for The Bomb
“Who Let the Dogs Out” by Baha Men:
Answer: Leo. And she’d do it again!
“Don’t Eat the Yellow Snow” by Frank Zappa:
Watch out where the huskies go! Lol!
“I Wanna Be Your Dog” by the Stooges:
Who wouldn’t want to be Leo’s dog? She’s sweet and kind.
“You Dropped a Bomb on Me” by the Gap Band:
Because: Duh!!!! (For us I think it’s “You Dropped The Bomb on Me!”) This one is really for Leonie, but Bommy can share it.
“Thank You” by Dido:
What The Bomb would tell Leo, if she could.
Random Songs for the Road
“Convoy” by C. W. McCall:
Because it’s hilarious! They got smokeys everywhere. Lol omg! 10-4!
“I Will Follow” by U2:
Because we are running away.
“Where Did You Sleep Last Night” by Nirvana:
What our moms were wondering—mine and Beau’s.
“Bela Lugosi’s Dead” by Bauhaus:
For the vampires of Forks. (Also, Werewolves <3 La Push. Heh!)
The Dark Side of the Moon by Pink Floyd:
I don’t know, it just seems to fit, like a strange dream. . . .
Songs for the Uncles
“Same Love” by Macklemore:
For the uncles, because it is the same love.
“We’re a Happy Family” by the Ramones:
Because it’s hilarious! Also because we’re not really hurt!
“I’m Not Like Everybody Else” by the Kinks:
Because they’re not.
“She Moved Through the Fair” by Odetta:
This is almost exactly the way Uncle Oscar sang this song at the “Annie-You-All Orphan’s” Christmas party.
“Angel” by Sarah McLachlan:
For Uncle Oscar because he’s such an angel to Lee, especially when she’s sad.
“Over the Rainbow” by Israel Kamakawiwo’ole:
A really beautiful version of this awesome old song.
Songs to Make It Better
“Make It Stop (September’s Children)” by Rise Against:
Non-retro song about suicide and bullying. Make it stop. Words hurt.
“Working Class Hero” by John Lennon: We can be heroes.
“Tubthumping” by Chumbawamba:
I get knocked down—but I get up again! You’re never gonna keep me down! This one’s for all of us. (I so do not condone the cocktail list, though! Omg! Lol!)
Songs for You
“I Was Broken” by Marcus Foster:
But it’s over now. (And I’m so glad!) So crazy the lyrics fit so well. It’s how I feel. So, yeah. Thanks. You made it better.
See you in the funny papers!
In Remembrance
With love to the “real” Leonie: who I hope finally did rat out the real Ratskin—and come to realize her true worth.
And with so much love to my “real” Beau: 1958–1984.
As well as to all the dear ones we lost too soon, to illness and despair, that the celebration of their lives will inspire us, though bereaved, to carry on dancing.
Last words I want you to see in this book:
“Certain unalienable Rights . . . Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”
/ Mary McKinley
/ Mary McKinley
Beau, Lee, The Bomb, & Me /
/ Mary McKinley
Beau, Lee, The Bomb, & Me /
/ Mary McKinley
Beau, Lee, The Bomb, & Me /
/ Mary McKinley
Beau, Lee, The Bomb, & Me /
/ Mary McKinley
Beau, Lee, The Bomb, & Me /
/ Mary McKinley
Beau, Lee, The Bomb, & Me /
/ Mary McKinley
Beau, Lee, The Bomb, & Me /
/ Mary McKinley
Beau, Lee, The Bomb, & Me /
/ Mary McKinley
Beau, Lee, The Bomb, & Me /
/ Mary McKinley
Beau, Lee, The Bomb, & Me /
/ Mary McKinley
Beau, Lee, The Bomb, & Me /
/ Mary McKinley
Beau, Lee, The Bomb, & Me /
/ Mary McKinley
Beau, Lee, The Bomb, & Me /
/ Mary McKinley
Beau, Lee, The Bomb, & Me /
/ Mary McKinley
Beau, Lee, The Bomb, & Me /
/ Mary McKinley
Beau, Lee, The Bomb, & Me /
/ Mary McKinley
Beau, Lee, The Bomb, & Me /
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Beau, Lee, The Bomb, & Me /
/ Mary McKinley
Beau, Lee, The Bomb, & Me /
/ Mary McKinley
Beau, Lee, The Bomb, & Me /
/ Mary McKinley
Beau, Lee, The Bomb, & Me /
/ Mary McKinley
Beau, Lee, The Bomb, & Me /
/ Mary McKinley
Beau, Lee, The Bomb, & Me /
/ Mary McKinley
Beau, Lee, The Bomb, & Me /
/ Mary McKinley
Beau, Lee, The Bomb, & Me /
/ Mary McKinley
Beau, Lee, The Bomb, & Me /
/ Mary McKinley
Beau, Lee, The Bomb, & Me /
/ Mary McKinley
Beau, Lee, The Bomb, & Me /
/ Mary McKinley
Beau, Lee, The Bomb, & Me /
/ Mary McKinley
Beau, Lee, The Bomb, & Me /
/ Mary McKinley
Beau, Lee, The Bomb, & Me /
/ Mary McKinley
Beau, Lee, The Bomb, & Me /
/ Mary McKinley
Beau, Lee, The Bomb, & Me /
/ Mary McKinley
Beau, Lee, The Bomb, & Me /
/ Mary McKinley
Beau, Lee, The Bomb, & Me /
/ Mary McKinley
Beau, Lee, The Bomb, & Me /
/ Mary McKinley
Beau, Lee, The Bomb, & Me /
/ Mary McKinley
Beau, Lee, The Bomb, & Me /
/ Mary McKinley
Beau, Lee, The Bomb, & Me /
/ Mary McKinley
Beau, Lee, The Bomb, & Me /
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