Reagan was shoving clothes in her bag. Im taking a shower at your place, she said. Im so goddamn sick of public showers.
Levi scooted forward on Caths bed and leaned an elbow on her desk. So is that how Baz became a vampire? When the nursery was attacked?
Cath wished he wouldnt talk about this in front of Reagan. You mean, for real?
I mean in the books.
There is no nursery in the books, Cath said.
But in your version, thats how it happens.
Just in this story. Every story is a little different.
And other people have their versions, too?
Oh yeah, she said. Therere all these fans, and were all doing something different.
Are you the only one who writes about Baz and Simon falling in love?
Cath laughed. Uh, no. The entire Internet writes about Baz and Simon. If you go to Google and type in Baz and Simon, the first search it suggests is Baz and Simon in love.
How many people do this?
Write Simon-slash-Baz? Or write Simon Snow fanfiction?
Write fanfiction.
God, I dont know. Thousands and thousands.
So, if you didnt want the books to be over, you could just keep reading Simon Snow stories forever online.
Exactly, Cath said earnestly. Shed thought Levi must be judging her, but he got it. If you fall in love with the World of Mages, you can just keep on living there.
I wouldnt call that living, Reagan
said.
It was a metaphor, Levi said gently.
Im ready, Reagan said. Are you coming, Cath?
Cath smiled tightly and shook her head.
Are you sure? Levi asked, lifting himself off her bed. We could come back for you later.
Nah, thats okay. See you tomorrow.
As soon as they left, Cath headed down to eat dinner by herself.
Maybe Im not supposed to have a wand. Maybe Im supposed to have a ring like you. Or a a wrist thingy like mangy old Elspeth.
Oh, Simon. Penelope frowned. You shouldnt call her that. She cant help her furher father was the Witch King of Canus.
No, I know, I just
Its easier for the rest of us, she said, soothing. Magicians instruments stay in families. Theyre passed from generation to generation.
Right, he said, just like magic. It doesnt make sense, Penelopemy parents must have been magicians.
Hed tried to talk to her about this before, and that time it had made her look just as sad.
Simon they couldnt have been. Magicians would never abandon their own child. Never. Magic is too precious.
Simon looked away from her and flicked his wand again. It felt like something dead in his hands.
I think Elspeths fur is pretty, Penelope said. She looks soft.
He shoved the wand into his pocket and stood up. You just want a puppy.
from chapter 21, Simon Snow and the Third Gate, copyright © 2004 by Gemma T. Leslie
FOURTEEN
Their dad came to pick them up the day before Thanksgiving. When he pulled up in front of Pound Hall, Wren and Courtney were already sitting in the back of the Honda.
Wren and Cath usually sat in the backseat together. Their dad would complain that he felt like a cabdriver, and theyd say, No, limo driver. Home, James.
Wow, look at this, he said when Cath sat in the front seat next to him. Company. She tried to smile.
Courtney and Wren were talking in the backseatbut with the radio up, Cath couldnt hear them. Once they were on the interstate, she leaned over to her dad. Hows Gravioli? she asked.
What? He turned down the radio.
Dad, Wren said, thats our jam.
Sorry, he said, shifting the volume to the backseat. Whats that? he asked Cath.
Gravioli, she said.
Oh. He made a face. To hell with Gravioli. Did you know that its actually canned ravioli soaked in slimy brown gravy?
That sounds disgusting, Cath said.
Its revolting, he said. Its like dog food for people. Maybe thats what we should have pitched. Do you secretly want to eat dog food? Does the smell of it make your mouth water?
Cath joined in, in her best announcers voice: Is the only thing keeping you from eating dog food the fear that your neighbors will notice all the cansand realize that you dont have a dog?
Graaavioli, her dad said, rounding out every vowel sound. Its dog food. For people.
You didnt get the business, Cath said. Im sorry.
He shook his head for a little too long. We did get it. Sometimes getting it is infinitely worse than not getting it. It was a shoot-outsix agencies. They picked us, then they rejected every good idea we had. And then, out of desperation, Kelly says in a client meeting. Maybe theres a bear who comes out of hibernation really hungry, and all it can say is Grrr . And then the bear gets a big bowl of delicious Grrr avioli, and it turns into a human being. And the client just loved the idea, just fucking flipped, started shouting, Thats it!
Cath glanced back to see if Courtney was listening. Their dad only cursed when he was talking about work. (And sometimes when he was manic.) He said that ad agencies were worse than submarines, all cussing and claustrophobia.
So now were doing cartoon bears and Grrr avioli, he said.
That sounds terrible.
Its torture. Were doing four TV spots. Four different bears turn into four different peoplefour, so we can cover our races. And then fucking Kelly asks if we should make the Asian guy a panda bear. And he was serious. Not only is that racist, panda bears dont hibernate.