9 – Welcome to the Shopping Channel

Chad looked up from the Rutherford letter to see his sister walk down the stairs. Had it not been for the neon green stripes on the sleeves of her jacket, he wouldn't have noticed the small figure move around the house at all.

'Why... are you dressed like that?'

She sat on the bottom step and pulled a boot on.

'None of your business.'

He took a look at her outfit – black trousers, a black jacket with neon green stripes running down the sleeves, and a neon green hairband holding her hair together into a neat bun. The team outfit.

'You're going to the rink?'

She pulled the second boot on and stood.

'Yes.'

'Maurey said you weren't allowed to skate this week.'

'Maurey is out of town, she won't know.'

'Sit down for a minute.'

She gave him a skeptical look.

'I'll drive you there, but I want to have a word with you now.'

She grabbed her coat.

'I'd rather walk.'

'Jubilee, please...'

'You're not solving anything by nagging me to go, Chad.'

'I'm not going to nag you. I just want to talk things over. Sit down.'

She hesitated, then put her coat back on the rack and walked to the armchair opposite to the one her brother was sitting on. He set the letter on the coffee table between them and set his elbows on the armrests, entwining his fingers – a gesture Jubilee knew he did when he was bothered by something.

'I understand why you don't want to go.' he said calmly. 'I know it's going to be hard for you if you do go. But I still think you should go. There's nothing for you here, and I mean nothing. I want more for you than to be stuck in this little town.'

'You have a good job.' she pointed out.

'True, it's the best job I can have without having to leave for good. But you know I'm doing it for you.'

Sadness and guilt appeared on her face, and she opened her mouth to say something.

'Don't think about it that way, kid,' he said quickly. 'I'm not sorry for staying, and I'm not blaming you either. But I want more for you than to waste your life building websites, or to skate until you're 25, and then quit because you ruined your body.'

'I...' she mumbled. 'I... might not even live that long.'

He clenched his jaw, holding back what would have been a futile argument.

'I could come into contact with something as ordinary as aspirin that might do me in. Or catch a common disease, like chicken pox, and die because of the treatment, like it nearly happened when I was 10...'

'Nothing happened when you were 10, you were hallucinating.' he said. She dismissed his comment with a shake of her head.

'...or I could just drop dead one day, just like that, for all the differences between me and... and humans.'

'Jubilee...'

'Stop trying, Chad, you're not fooling anybody here.'

He sighed and dropped his head a bit.

'But wouldn't you like to know that you're doing your very best to have a good future, just in case you live a long life?'

She stared at the Rutherford letter.

'I want to be happy.' She said quietly. 'I want to wake up in the morning and look forward to the day ahead, not to hide under the covers and will time to pass faster. I've come to terms with the fact that I may never find out what exactly I am, and that I may not live a long life, but that's as far as I'm willing to go. No more uncertainties. I'm happy here. All my life is here.'

'You do know that Craig, and Mel, and Chelsea, and Jake, and Martin, they will all go, sooner or later. Their lives will go on. They won't stay here forever. And then you'll be alone.'

'What's your point?'

'I'm saying you should take the first step and break away from all this. Take the leap. Go, leave it all behind, start over. You can be whoever you want to be out there. And it's better to start now. You have time to mess up and fix things later.'

'I don't know if there will be a 'later' for me.'

'How about you try to make a 'later'?'

'What do you mean?'

'Stay out of trouble. Face it, you're in more danger skating than you'd be over there. You've slashed your femoral artery with your blade when you were twelve, for God's sake. At least you'll be safe there.'

She looked at her lap and grumbled something along the lines of “you have a point”.

'Also,' he continued, 'Rutherford is offering you a full scholarship. Tuition, boarding, meals, books, uniform, parking space,-'

'You have that memorized?' she grumbled.

'It's in the letter,' he replied, picking up the paper. She took it from his hand and scanned it.

'Why would I even need a parking space? I don't own a car, nor would I be willing to drive from here to there if I had one.'

'It's standard. Remember who's attending that school.'

She looked at him, then at the letter again.

'You want me to be in that very select company?'

'They can't all be that bad. And you also get your own room.'

'Honestly, Chad, you sound like one of those shopping channel guys. If I call now, do I get a free squeegee too?'

'Jubes...'

She folded the letter and placed it in its envelope.

'Have you finished your argument?'

He studied her expression for a moment, and understood that the conversation was over. Anything he would have to say next would either have no effect, or would turn around and hit him in the face.

'Yes.'

'Then drive me to the rink.'