The House in the Cerulean Sea (Cerulean Chronicles, #1)

by T.J. Klune

He couldn’t believe it was only Wednesday. And it was made worse when he realized it was actually Tuesday.

Though Linus didn’t talk much to his coworkers, he still heard their gossipy whispers. He’d learned early on in life that if he didn’t speak, people often forgot he was there or even existed. His mother had told him once when he was a child that he blended in with the paint on the wall, only memorable when one was reminded it was there at all.

“Sometimes,” Mr. Parnassus said, “our prejudices color our thoughts when we least expect them to. If we can recognize that, and learn from it, we can become better people.

“There’s music everywhere, Mr. Baker. You just have to learn to listen for it.”

“It would be better if there were actual treasure,” Lucy muttered. “And what if the treasure was the friendships we solidified along the way?” Arthur asked. Lucy pulled a face. “That’s the worst treasure in the world. They already were my friends. I want rubies.”

“Children,” he said mildly. “Please exit the vehicle and buddy up.” A herd of charging, heavily pregnant rhinoceroses would have been quieter than the children were at that moment.

“Then let’s go!” Arthur said cheerfully. Lucy and Talia immediately reached up and took Linus’s hands. “Do you think there’s a graveyard here, Mr. Baker?” Lucy asked. “I would like to see it, if there is.” “I told you I should have brought my shovel,” Talia muttered. “How am I supposed to dig up dead bodies without my shovel?” Perhaps Linus was going to live to regret this after all.

I love how much they trust Linus.

“You smell funny,” Lucy said, leaning forward and sniffing deeply. “Like … plants, but not like any that Talia has in her garden.” “Oh, yeah,” J-Bone said. “I grow and smoke my own—” “That’s quite enough of that,” Linus said. “We don’t need to know anything about your extracurricular activities.” “Who’s the square?” J-Bone whispered. “Mr. Baker,” Lucy whispered back. “He’s here to make sure I don’t burn anyone alive with the power of my mind and then consume their souls from their smoking carcass.” “Rock on, little dude,” J-Bone said, offering a high five which Lucy gladly accepted.

This mini retreat is too much lol.

It’s the little things, I expect. Little treasures we find without knowing their origin. And they come when we least expect them. It’s beautiful, when you think about it.

“There was no treasure after all! It was a lie to get you here for your party!” “Oh. I see. So the real treasure was the friendships we made along the way?” “You guys are the worst,” Lucy muttered. “The literal worst.”

Sometimes, he thought to himself in a house in a cerulean sea, you were able to choose the life you wanted. And if you were of the lucky sort, sometimes that life chose you back.