“But I didn’t query him.I didn’t convince him to represent me because I’m a good writer and because he believes in me.He’d only be helping me because of my parents.”
Bobby’s eyebrows went up.“Dash, you’ve got an offer for a TV show.Is there an agent who would look at that and tell you theyweren’tinterested in working with you?”
It was weird, but that actually made a huge difference.Because Bobby was right—I wasn’t letting Phil and my parents manufacture a career for me.I had something valuable that I was bringing to the table, something that had come out of my own hard work and effort.And now I was trying to find the right person to help me.In that sense, Phil was a great choice.My parents trusted him.I trusted him.He was good at what he did.I knew he was a nice guy I could get along with.
I was still explaining all of this to myself as Bobby chivvied me into the den to make the phone call.
(Phil would be delighted to help me, I discovered.Hewasa nice guy, but I think it also had something to do with all the zeros on the offer.)
The next day, I got up early and packed.Strangely, nobody seemed to believe me when I said I could catch an early flight and make it to my meeting in time, so I had an evening flight to L.A..I’d sleep in a hotel, get up at areasonablehour tomorrow for the meeting, and fly back tomorrow night.I’d be gone less than twenty-four hours.It totally wasn’t a big deal.(Bobby wouldn’t even have time to miss me.)
For someone who had a lot of awesome clothes (three different Sonic the Hedgehog hoodies, including this rare one where Sonic has sunglasses), I had a surprisingly hard time picking what to take with me.Keme watched me for a while—silently judging as I tried to decide between two different Princess Peach T-shirts.Then he texted Millie, who showed up and, with ear-splitting enthusiasm, told me she’d pack for me.Then somehow Indira got involved, and it turned out she wasinto sweaters that didn’t have a single cute video game or comic book character on them.And Fox ended up holding up a pair of my Super Mario Bros.trunks and putting their finger through a hole and making a face like it was the most disgusting thing they’d ever done.
At that point, Keme turned into the bouncer and threw me out of my own bedroom.
The outrage!
It seemed like a good time to grab my laptop and work on a few ideas I’d sketched out, so I made my way down to the den.I futzed around for a while.(Yes, I ended up onCrime Cats, and yes, there was a gorgeous British shorthair that was charged with hunting a moth, and she had the biggest, softest eyes.) I was digging into some serious reportage on a chonky loaf when the doorbell rang.
“I got it,” I shouted.
Nobody answered.(Fox, presumably, was still passing judgment on my underwear.)
“Nobody get up,” I shouted.“I got it.”
Still nothing.
The doorbell rang again.
I heaved myself out of my chair.Apparently, I had to do everything.
Charlie stood on the porch.Their color was much better than it had been the other day, and they wore a smaller bandage barely visible under their bowl cut.The day was gray and cloudy, with diffuse light that made Charlie’s ultra-pale skin glow.(Look who was talking.) Next to them, AJ had her arms folded across her chest.She’d added a new piercing since the last time I’d seen her, this one a barbell in her upper ear.
“We told Thatcher he couldn’t come,” AJ said.
“We’re so sorry, Mr.Dash,” Charlie said.“He lied!”
“He’s a Hemingway wannabe poseur jerk,” AJ said.(But she actually used a word that would have made Mr.Hemingway nod in an approving, masculine, but somehow still withholding way.)
(Is that a dad thing?)
(Oh my God, do I have daddy issues?)
“We didn’t know he was going to do that!”Charlie said.“I’m so sorry.”
“I never liked him,” AJ said.
Which was probably true, but mostly because I got the impression AJ didn’t like anyone—Charlie being the obvious exception.
“It’s okay,” I said.“It wasn’t ideal, obviously, but things worked out in the end.And you don’t have to apologize.If anything, I should apologize to you.I’m sorry you got caught up in this mess—and that you got hurt, Charlie.Not exactly what I wanted for your first experience at a conference.”
“Are you kidding?”AJ said.“It was dope.”
(Don’t worry; I checked to make sure Indira hadn’t heard.)
Charlie shook their head, but they were beaming.“I met Maggie McLaughlin!And she said she loved my worldbuilding!And she said she wanted to set the next book ofDetectives and Dragonsat a con, and she asked if I would help!”
“Wow, that’s amazing, Charlie.I’m so glad.”
