Tracy Deebs's Blog, page 10

The Fall Line Up

I'm literally drooling over the new fall TV season. Not–sadly–because I'm actually excited about any of the shows (though some look promising). Mostly I'm excited because I'm sick of summer TV. In our house, summer TV is the land of boy TV. Hubby gets the remote in the summer. Only because there are no new sitcoms. Ah ... sitcoms. I'm a fan. I'm also a fan of Castle. And Psych. And I've missed them. Dear God, have I missed them. So what is boy TV you may be wondering? It's the Discovery Channel. It's How It's Made. It's Myth Busters. It's thirty minutes about concrete and steel. Possibly animals. Maybe fish. Definitely crabs. Dear lord have you seen The Deadliest Catch? It's about crabbing. Guys on boats in Alaska fishing for Crabs. Seriously. It's been on for 7 seasons. Seven. I'm not making this up. My eyes roll back in my head when it's on. And it's on a lot in the summer. Which is why the thought of scripted TV makes my heart thunder with excitement. This week and next there are some new shows on. Tonight, my palms were a little sweaty.Here are the returning shows I'm excited about:Big Bang TheoryModern FamilyCastlePsych The OfficeCougar TownHere are the new shows I'm panting for:Up All NightOnce Upon a TimeGrimm (I'm not committed, but curious)BentI Hate My Teenage Daughter (only 'cause I love Jamie Pressly)Suburgatory2 Broke Girls (only 'cause I love Kate Denning)
But rest assured, no matter how good any or all of these shows are, they will not lessen my love of Awkward. What are you excited about this fall?

Awkward Epi 9 Recap & Contest Weds Combo Package

Today, we're mixing things up and running a two-fer with my Awkward recap and our contest Weds giveaway. Read on for a chance to win a copy of one of my favorite movies of all time.



 My SuperBittersweet Sixteen  - Review and Summaryin 750 846 words or less (ugh)

The least you need to know: Jenna is a sloppy drunk who can't keep her lips shut, or toherself. So, Matty isn't talking to her and neither is Tamara, who may or maynot (I don't believe it) have authored the "care-frontation" letter.
The Set-up:Happy Birthday, Dear Jenna! Except it's not—she's nearly friendless at thispoint, except for Ming, but she's got mono. (Who was Ming kissing?) To top it all offshe fails her driving test. No wheels for Jenna. At school, Tamara has already moved on to anew BFF (B=band). But wait, someone has decorated her locker…stalker boy?? Andthen there's Sadie, never one to miss an opportunity to kick a person who's down.Jenna can't take it, not today, so she begs Val to write her a note to go home,but Crazycakes seems to be the only one genuinely excited to celebrate with herhomegirl and gifts her a Sixteen Candles DVD—because Jake Ryan can makeanything okay!
The Sagging Middle: Int. school cafeteria. The ultimate haves vs. haves-notarena. Jenna is exiled to a table by herself, while Tamara is with the BFFpissing about Ricky Schwartz's wandering eyes, until she gets a sexy text fromthe asshat and she quickly forgives him. The BFF accuses her of adouble-standard, but Tamara defends that she and Ricky were unofficial, whileshe and Jenna were bonded for life.
Sweetheart Jake stops by to ask ifshe's going to the big game this afternoon. And invites her sit as his table, withMatty. And Sadie. No, she wants to keep a low pro. Wishful thinking, becausehere comes Crazycakes with a birthday cake and a bullhorn. Sadist Sadie blocksher escape, and birthday rap ensues. Sweet Jesu! The cringe is palpable, evenfrom Matty. Can it get any effing worse? Yes, yes it can—her monthly bill cameearly and Tamara is the keeper of the backup pants.
Forced into her gym shorts and sportingthe whitest legs ever and some circa-1982 rainbow knee-highs (I had a pair justlike them when I was 8), all vestiges of dignity are nil. But her mom won'tcome get her yet cause she's doing something at the house?!? Fine. Footballgame it is. (Uh, since when are football games right after school?)  Lucky for her, sweetheart Jake waves her overto sit by him. In the band block, Tamara has had it with Ricky's philanderingways and makes plans to end to their "flirtationship" right after the game.
Jenna's bored. Then Matty shows up andputs the digs in a little more by cheering on Sadie right in front of her.Sadie is super-pissed to see Jenna sitting with her friends, and means to stop to all things Hamilton. Stat.
Total tension between Matty and J inthe bleachers, and when Jake asks Matty if his big (drunk) brother, a former HSfootball star, is still kicking his ass, Matty answers yes, but that he's notthe only one. Side-eye to Jenna. Feeling sh-tty, J tries to go, but sadistSadie ambushes her and lays down the law about stealing her friends. She punctuates it by dumping her iced mochaccino allover Jenna. (Sadie is an irredeemable b-tch at this point, for me. I don't careabout her recessive chub gene--she deserves it.) Please, Lacey, come get yourdaughter!
Again, Sweetheart Jake (who'scheerleader gf, Lissa, is strangely absent this whole epi), offers Jenna a rideto the football afterparty. But she's not going. Neither is Matty, as Jakepoints out, so he can give her a ride home. Over Sadie's dead body. Except Matty steps up like a gentleman. (F-offSadie!)
In his car, Jenna profuselyapologizes again for the harsh words at the party. But Matty admits she was right,not about being too good for her, but he cares too much what other peoplethink. And it kills him that she thinks so (ahhhh,sniff). There's a cute moment with the aforementioned rainbow socks before theyarrive at J's home. Friends, again? she asks. Totally. Except her real wish wasfor a boyfriend. And maybe Matty wants to be?? Come on Matty, just saysomething!! But he pusses out. Ugh.
The Final Act:Ta da! Her mom made over her room into something from the Vegas strip completewith mirror on the ceiling over the bed for chrissake!!! Time for some JakeRyan time. Tamara tries to put down the Ricky-crack pipe, but can't give it upjust yet. Jenna learns a lesson from Molly Ringwald: you can't expect others tobe cool with you unless you're cool with yourself. She tears up the damned care-frontationletter. Knock at the door—it's Matty (squee!) He forgot to wish her a happybirthday and…he doesn't want to be friends. He wants to be more!!! Sigh. This episode lacked only a glassdining table.
Best Matty/Jenna Moment: See above, and the clenched hands on the steering wheel.Best Line: Those spandex bastards think they own they road.
Okay, now for the contest part: A little Jake Ryan makes everything better, so tell me how you celebrated or will celebrate your 16th birthday and you're entered to win your very own Sixteen Candles DVD (US/Canada residents only. Contest end midnight PT 9/17/11).

Caught VD? Or how to publicly discuss a guilty pleasure and not sound like a raving fangirl

Okay, I know the titleof this post is deliberately lurid and should be beneath me, much like the showfor which it is a campaign slogan, but damnit I can't help myself—I lurve mesome Vampire Diaries. This Thursday begins the highly-anticipated (by me)  3rd season of this dark, angsty, sexilicious show. It's totally one of many myguilty pleasure. And I want to talk about it, like a lot, but it's kind ofembarrassing to wax poetic about a show that a)has a target demographic bornafter I graduated high school and b) whose ratings get better based on thenumber of times you see six-pack abs. However, using VD as myexample, I'm going to share with you how you too can openly and publiclydiscuss any of your less than award-winning entertainment and actually makeothers believe that not only are you're not actively losing brain cells becauseyou love it so much, but it's aworthwhile intellectual pursuit.
Based (loosely, Iunderstand) on a series of books by L.J. Smith written in the early 90's, thisproto-Twilight story of vampires and werewolves and witches walking amongst usanchors itself with a love triangle.  InMystic Falls, VA, beautiful, but tragically orphaned, Elena knows two brothers:one is her love(r), Stefan, and one is her friend, Damon—who would very muchlike to fulfill both roles. Naturally, they're vampires (hence the show'stitle) and she's human. Also, all three are freakishly gorgeous (this is airedon the CW, afterall). Now, the key to a public discussion about  VD and shows of its ilk is to steer clear ofreferring to either guy as smokin' hot, hard as that may be. Rather you want tospeak in terms of their character archetypes, those recurring symbols or motifsfound in literature (e.g. cowboys, femme fatale, etc.).
All characters can bedescribed in terms of an archetype. For heroes there are 8 broad categories:chief, bad boy, best friend, charmer, professor, swashbuckler, warrior, lostsoul. Han Solo=swashbuckler. William Wallace (Braveheart)=warrior. These days,vampires almost always are protrayed as lost soul heros—brooding, dark, tortured,intense and mysterious. And hot. Stefan and Damon are both lost souls,figuratively and literally, but they are layered with other archetypes todifferentiate.       
Stefan, whose love forElena would have him sacrifice himself and all that he has to protect her, isalso a warrior with shades of a best friend. Though he has done bad, bloodythings in the past, he wants to atone and is, at heart, a good, loyal guy. Youcan tell these things because he's portrayed by a blond, which is the universalsymbol of a "good" character in film.
Damon is obviously thereckless, dangerous bad-boy because he has dark hair and a love of blackclothing. He struggles between wanting to be good to deserve Elena's love andkilling people willy-nilly because, well, he's a frickin' vampire and he enjoysit.The object of their undying(pun intended) affection, Elena, is a former perky, popular cheerleader, but throughtragedy (after tragedy, after tragedy) now introspective and earnest. In lovewith Stefan, but also drawn to Damon, she is the fragile human in thisparanormal tug-of-war and a classic waif heroine (think damsel-in-distress),with some nurturer and the beginnings a crusader thrown in.
Now, let's say I'm withTracy and Emily and we're having an intense discussion about story arc and thelimitations of the three act structure (just go with me here, because in reallife we mostly talk about hot celebrities and food), but what I really, reallywant to talk about is the epic VD episode from the previous night.  So, I say this:I think we can agree,as best exemplified in the recent episode of the Vampire Diaries, that as it relatesto a heroine's character arc, for the romantic subplot it seems more judiciousfor a waif archetype to necessarily align herself  with a classic warrior hero to protect her, andshe must avoid the temptation of the the morally-ambiguous bad-boy, who really requiresa more seductress-type heroine to fully realize his own character potential.
Now didn't that soundall intelligent and literary and not at all like what it really means? Which isthat Elena should totally be with Stefan forevah, because he loves her morethan life itself and has abs of steel, while Damon will always be bad and shouldbe with someone equally as bad as he is. And as smokin' hot. 
Tell me your guiltyboob-tube characters and I'll reveal their archetype so you too can have publicdiscussions without blushing.

And our Contest Weds Winner is...

Blanche! Please email your addy to shellee_roberts [at] yahoo [dot] com and I'll get The Body Finder in the mail to you. Thanks to all who entered and come back next Wednesday for another contest!

Putting a call out for Smooch Club and Splash Team Members

I know, I know.  With my fabulous and exciting blog partners who write about awesome stuff (and Awkward .. a lot-- not that I'm judging) I should be able to come up with a better blog topic for today than an announcement/call to action.  But I'm half brain dead from Tempest Unleashed, and rushed as I only have ten minutes before I have to go teach class. Plus, I'm super excited to finally be able to announce this and hope you guys will help me out:

Shellee, Emily and I are looking to put together some street teams to help us get the word out about International Kissing Club.  We have cool gifts for anyone involved, plus some fun swag for you to give away.  Also, I'm looking to put together a Splash Team to start promoting the Tempest trilogy-- same thing goes about cool gifts and fun swag.  So, if you're interested in passing out some totally legal stuff to your friends that will help us pimp our books-- and getting cooler stuff as a way for us to express our gratitude-- contact me at tracydeebs@gmail.com and let me know which team (or both) you'd be interested in helping out with.

Thanks so much in advance-- I can't wait to hear from you guys :)

Okay, I'm in...

Last night, Shellee finally convinced me to watch Awkward. It's not that I was vehemently anti-awkward or anything. I just didn't know it existed. Plus, I don't have a lot of spare TV time. But I guess the weeks of Awkward recaps finally wore me down. This morning I watched the pilot on line.So, two thoughts. First off, how great is it that we can actually watch TV shows online. I grew up in a world where, if you missed a great pilot, you were sol until December when the network started showing reruns. Of course, that was also the world of three channels and rabit ears. Yes, I'm rabbit ears old. Sad, isn't it? And though the changing world of television has brought many evils to us (infomercials, Fox News, etc), it's been redeemed by three fantastic words: Watch Full Episode. Internet, I love you.But here's my second thought: Awkward, where have you been all my life? I sure could have used you when I was in high school. All I had to rely on were John Hughes movies. And those only came out every year or so. So far, none of the other teen TV shows have appealed much to me. Vampire Diaries is so angsty and brooding. There's not enough humor. Gossip Girls and Dirty Little Liars, too elitist. But Awkward? Awkward is a show I can get behind.
So what's you're favorite teen show?
And speaking of behind ... I'm so behind in announcing winners for my contests (like a month behind! Ack!!!) So here are the last for winners for contests from this blog. If you're one of them. Just email me at Emily at EmilyMcKay dot com with your info. Thanks!August 31 -- BlancheAugust 4 -- Laney4July 28 -- Garrett
(See, told you I was far behind! I'm *so* not good at time management! )

Contest Weds: Win a Signed Copy of The Body Finder

Falling in love with your best guy friendis a path fraught with peril in the best of circumstances, but insert the factthat you happen to have a sixth sense for finding dead bodies and the killer ofsaid bodies may want you as his next victim, and your angst-ridden road to happily ever after withyour bestie is probably going to take a right at Albuquerque. Such is thepremise of Kimberley Derting's debut YA novel The Body Finder:Violet Ambroseis grappling with two major issues: Jay Heaton and her morbid secret ability.While the sixteen-year-old is confused by her new feelings for her best friendsince childhood, she is more disturbed by her "power" to sense deadbodies—or at least those that have been murdered. Since she was a little girl,she has felt the echoes the dead leave behind in the world . . . and theimprints that attach to their killers. Violet has neverconsidered her strange talent to be a gift; it mostly just led her to find deadbirds her cat left for her. But now that a serial killer is terrorizing hersmall town, and the echoes of the local girls he's claimed haunt her daily,Violet realizes she might be the only person who can stop him. Despite hisfierce protectiveness over her, Jay reluctantly agrees to help Violet find themurderer—and Violet is unnerved by her hope that Jay's intentions are much morethan friendly. But even as she's falling intensely in love, Violet is gettingcloser and closer to discovering a killer . . . and becoming his prey herself.Warning: Do not read this storyin the dark. The first scene where we see the killer lure his victim to herdeath is chilling in its realism. I made sure I had another talk with mydaughter about getting into cars with strangers.
I was lucky enough to meet Kimberley at a conference and snagged a signed copy. If you want it for your very self, reveal the name of your first non-celebrity (No, Scott Baio doesn't count. Yes,  I',m old.) crush in the comments before midnight PT Friday (9/9/11) and you're entered to win*. I'll go first: his name was Christopher and he was tall (for a third grader) and dark and ruled the monkey bars like no one I'd seen before. Sigh.
*US/Canada residents only.

Awkward Epi 8 Recap

My BFL (Best Friend for Life) have known each other since we were eleven. We graduated HS together, were college roommates, bridesmaids, the whole bit. We are in this till death do us part. Not to say that the course of true friendship always did run smooth. Oh, hells no. There were some MAJOR domestic disturbances in our time, mostly over guys (and, really? the guys were not worth it) but this is the exact pickle we find ourselves in for this episode of Awkward.


The Adventures of Aunt Ally and Lil' Bitch - Summary and Review in 
500 703 words or less.


The Least You Need To Know: Jake (Lissa's BF) like likes Jenna, but Jenna like likes Matty (Jake's Bestie)

The Set-up: Lacey's acting weird - like a real mom - and Jenna's wigged out by it. Cause it's a setup:  Lacey's WT BFF Ally shows up for a visit. Ally is to Jenna, like oil is to water. Ally calls her Lil' Bitch. And since Jenna's (cute) dad is out of town, Ally and Lacey decide to help Jenna host a kegger. Tamara is pro-party, Jenna's not so much...until Matty calls to RSVP in the affirmative. Ming is still on lockdown and can't attend, but Ricky Schwartz (Tamara's crush) is coming with his crew and Tamara blissfully declares that Jenna is going to be the hostess with the mostest. And, while Betty Friedan rolls in her grave, J's hormone-addled brain convinces her that if her party is epically awesome, Matty will see her as true girlfriend potential. (What's so sad/funny about this statement is that's how I girls actually think.)

The Sagging Middle: It's 9 o'clock and no one's arrived at the red-cup ready Hamilton abode yet. Ally and Lacey assure Jenna and T that cool kids don't arrive before 10. Which is enough time to give Jenna a sexified makeover, complete with duct-tape miracle bra and a beta-blocker (courtesy of Ally) for nerves. By the time Matty and Jake arrive, Jenna--in a very un-Jenna cleavage baring, fushia number--is blotto.

Record scratch, cut to next morning. Jenna awakes, raccoon-eyed, duct-tape still in place, and not alone in bed. Gasp! But it's only Ally, who confirms the party was bitchin'--especially the part where Jenna tongued some guy publically, except Lil' Bitch can't remember which guy: Matty or Jake? Dundundun.

Trying to piece together the alcohol/drug-induced holes in her memory, Jenna flicks through the pics on her homepage to no avail. Frantic to figure out what happened she calls Tamara, who doesn't answer. A pissed off Lacey interrupts to say they've got 5 hours to get the house in shape before her dad gets home. Apparently, Ally and Lacey had a fight. And the house is wrecked. Is that boob smudge on the sliding glass door? Yep, Tamara's. Jenna vaguely recalls the flash incident, and also a cute, if drunken, convo on the back porch with Matty. The wet spot on the sofa is where she spit up tequila, fell into Jake's lap and compared him to a puppy, because everybody loves puppies. But did she kiss him, or did she kiss Matty? F@#$ing Ally and her beta-blocker! Why oh why won't Tamara answer her phone to clear this up?

So, the adult BFF fight was about said beta-blocker. Lacey may be laissez faire when it comes to parenting, but she draws the line at her friend slipping drugs to her kid. Jake shows up to return Jenna's dad's shirt, cause she puked on his--just after she lectured him about kissing her when he already has a girlfriend. Whew! Crisis averted. She didn't kiss Jake. So, it must have been Matty, right? Except instead of a kiss, she remembers accusing him of being a snob, and not going public with her because she's not cool enough. He left, feelings hurt, but I think Jenna shamed him a little, too. She texts an apology to him stat, but only receives a monosyllabic, whatever response. Then Ming calls to have her check her page again, and there is a pic of the biggest party foul of all--Jenna kissing Ricky Schwartz! In front of Tamara. Oh. Snap.

The Final Act: Ally apologizes to Jenna and Lacey, and they make up. Not Jenna and Tamara, though, who takes Jenna's tearful offer of I'm-sorry-donuts (mmm, donuts), but tosses their Best Friends picture at her feet. And, the biggest FU of all, confesses that SHE wrote the "care-frontation" letter!? (This, I refuse to believe.)

Best Jenna/Matty moment: Okay, it's just a little thing, but on the back porch when she almost falls over and he goes to catch her--that protective crap gets me every time.

Best Quote: "I'm studying Portuguese." What?

International Kissing Club: Only 4 months to go!!

Four months from today The International Kissing Club hits the shelves at a bookstore near you. Yay!! An excerpt while we wait:


At last Cassidy staggered off the plane, her legs barely able to function properly. She had the urgent need to pee. After going through customs she found a restroom and saw herself in a mirror for the first time since leaving North America. Holy crap!   Stale, recirculated airplane air, confined space, sleep deprivation and crossing an ocean obviously did not do wonders for one's appearance. Not that she usually cared about that kind of thing, but come on. She looked like a creature straight out of the movie Zombieland: red-eyed, pale skin, and with a decidedly funky aura. And her hair…even under the best circumstances her hair was about as easy to tame as a horde of flesh-hungry zombies.        With a groan she splashed water on her face, wrestled her hair into a braid and popped three Altoids into her mouth. It  wasn't much, but until she had her luggage it was the best she could do. She only hoped Ms. Gatwick would be understanding enough to take her straight home and to a hot shower. Cassidy joined the thousands of people navigating the ginormous airport's maze of corridors. She didn't know what she'd expected, but most of the people looked and dressed just like Americans. Well, maybe not Americans from Paris, Texas, but big melting-pot cities like Dallas or Houston, for sure. She got to baggage claim to find the hundreds of bags from her flight already circulating around the turnstile. She cringed when she spied her own from a hundred feet away. Unfortunately, there was no mistaking the 1970's guacamole-colored Samsonite suitcase she'd had to borrow from her Memaw. To make it worse her Papa had strapped two bright red and yellow bungee cords around it to be sure no one would "poke around" in her stuff. It looked like a rejected pinata from a Cinco de Mayo festival.        She slunk to a spot in back where the fewest people stood before claiming it, then walked towards the exit area where loved ones and other stood waiting for arriving passengers.        With nothing more to go on than the description from Mrs. Gatwick's e-mail, Cassidy scanned the crowd looking for an elderly female holding a sign with her name on it. When she didn't find anyone, she flipped open her phone to make sure there wasn't anything saying Mrs. Gatwick would be late. Then she decided to open Facebook to check the IKC page and let the girls know she'd arrived somewhat intact.     While she was posting, someone bumped into her and she glanced up from her phone. She caught a glimpse of her name scrawled across a white piece of paper. However, the person holding it was neither old nor a lady. Oh. God.Those were the only words that formed in her mind when she saw him. Tall and tanned, in a clean, white tee, frayed cargo shorts and flip-flops, with golden streaks in his tousled, sun-bleached hair setting off deep-set hazel eyes to perfection, the guy looked like summer at the beach.   Their eyes met and he started walking toward her."Are you Cassidy?" he asked in a rumbly, Aussie accent. "Y-yes," she managed to croak.He smiled, a wide, eye-crinkling grin punctuated by a gorgeous little dimple on his left cheek. "I'm Lucas."

Tempest Unleashed is FINISHED!

Thank God.  I am exhausted from not sleeping in over 72 hours, stressed out, and suffering from what I am afraid might be carpal tunnel, but Tempest Unleashed is finished.  Woo-hoo!!!!!!!!!!!!  And since I am in such a good mood, here's another excerpt for you ;)

The barista called my name and I signed my name on the credit slip that would be charged to Hailana—her version of a salary for me—then rounded up my tea and an ice pack or three before making my way out to where he was sitting.  He glanced up when I slid into the seat next to him, did a double take.  And then smiled the crazy, lopsided grin of his that had been making my heart flutter since the first time I saw it.Tonight it was a little more lopsided than usual, thanks to Sabyn's fists.            Looking good, I told him, pressing one of the icepacks against his bruised jaw.            Yeah, well, you should see the other guy.            I laughed, because I knew that was what he wanted.  I can imagine.            His hand covered mine, where I was still holding the ice against his face.  Neither of us said anything for a while, probably because we didn't know what to say.  Where to start.  Finally, figuring I might as well jump in, I said, I was at—            He spoke at the exact same time.  I'm sorry.            We both paused, smiled some more.  Ducked our heads.  Who knew making up from a fight could be so awkward?  Usually Kona just swooped me into his arms for the mother of all make-out sessions.  Then again, I guess this fight was too serious to just be swept away in the current …I was a jerk.  I'm sorry, he told me.  I knew you were upset, but I was too furious to care.  It won't happen again.I shouldn't have gotten so angry, I answered.  I know Sabyn is a hot button for you and if I'd just told you we weren't together you would have calmed down and we could have talked.He closed his eyes, breathed in a long draw of water, then sighed it back out.  I'm glad you weren't with him.And I'm glad you kicked his ass.  He totally deserved it.He really did.  He pulled my hand from his cheek, brought it to his lips instead and kissed the center of my palm in the way he knew drove me insane.  I'm sorry I grabbed on to you like that.  You should have kicked my ass.I almost did.  He continued to press kisses up my palm to my wrist.  He paused there, gave a long, lingering lick that had me shivering and clutching at his shoulders.I love you, I murmured, pressing my own lips to the spot behind his ear, the one I knew made him crazy.His arms came around me, lifted me onto his lap.  I love you, too.I straddled him then, grateful that I was in human form.  He rubbed against me a little and I saw stars. Judging from his suddenly choppy breathing, I think Kona did as well.  And then he kissed me, really kissed me, and it was just like it had always been.  A dazzling sunrise sweeping across the beach at dawn.  Cherry Garcia ice cream dribbling down my fingers on a hot summer day.Catching that amazing, perfect wave and riding it all the way in.I wanted to stay here forever, pressed against Kona so tightly that it was hard to tell where I left off and he began.  Everything was good here, better than good.  I didn't have to think about Hailana or my mother, didn't have to worry about Tiamat or my family back home.  I could bury my hands in Kona's hair, wrap my arms and legs around his body and just sink into him and all the emotions that rocketed through me when we touched.He pulled away too soon.  So, you want to tell me what was wrong this afternoon?  I know I was a dick earlier, but I'd like to listen now.Did I want to tell him? I wondered.  Originally, I'd held the cave close to me, hadn't wanted to share this new look at my mother with anyone.  But after this morning, after what I saw, everything felt tainted.  Wrong.  It would probably be easier if I showed you.  I glanced at his poor, beat-up face.  But it's about two hours from here.  Do you think you're up for it?I'm fine.  Sabyn punches like a little girl.I snorted.  No, he doesn't.  I had the bruises to prove it.Still.  I'm fine.Okay.  Drink your beer and we'll go.   I picked up my tea, drained it in three long gulps.  Kona beat me anyway.