I like this section a lot

(Lilith is telling Alex about the meanings of her name and her sister Valerie's name.)

“Anyway, Valerie’s name is way less interesting than your friendly neighborhood Beautiful Night Monster. Although, it does mean the same goody two shoes ‘brave,’ in like, three languages. And Lian means Daughter of the Sun.”

“That’s kind of hilarious,” he said. 

“What? That her name is Brave Daughter of the Sun Sun?”

“No. Well yes, but I was thinking more that you’re the Night Monster, and Valerie’s the Daughter of the Sun. It’s pretty cool.”

“Eh. I guess so. Valerie isn’t exactly sunshine and rainbows though.”

“No, I guess not. Well, I mean sometimes. But really I think she’s more complicated.”

“I think we all are more complex than the shiny little boxes people stuff us into.”

“Yeah.” He took another sip of his root beer. Lilith looked at him. She tried to see what was shoved inside the shiny box labelled “Sensitive Nerd,” but Alex would have to open the lid for her first.

(If you know who I'm referencing with both the shiny boxes, and the imagining each other complexly, I love you.)

Noah Tells his Mom about Solace

He’d never been good with girls, so he did the one thing every teenaged boy does when he needs girl advice. He called his mom.

“Mena Anderson. May I help you?” She sounded tired. Noah wondered how his little siblings, Sam and Kacie were doing.

“Mom? It’s Noah.”

“Noah, why didn’t you call me sooner? I’ve been worried about you!” She sounded genuinely delighted to hear him.

“I’ve been busy, new job and everything… Listen, can you help me with something?”

“Oh, I see… What do you need kiddo?”

“Err… There’s this girl.” His mom chuckled. Noah blushed, and was really glad his mom didn’t have a video reception.

“No it’s not like that, it’s just that she’s different. She drives me crazy! But every time I see her…”

Nah’s mom sighed.

“Honey, we’ve all been there. Tell me about her.”

“She’s my age I think, but she’s small. She really skinny too, like she didn’t get enough food when she was younger, and she’s got blue hair to her waist.”

“Blue?”

“Yep. It’s got dark brown roots coming in though.”

“Hmmmmm…” She’d never much approved of hair dye.

“She’s mart, she’s opinionated. She knows what she wants and she knows how to get it.”

“What does she do there?”

There was no way Noah was going to tell her that Solace was a hazer. She distrusted hazing more than he did, and had only let him get the job because they needed money so badly.

He cleared his throat. “She programs a lot of hazes… their very realistic.”

“Very nice. I think she sounds wonderful. What’s her name?”

“Solace. Her name is Solace.”

His mother laughed.

“What?”

“Honey, do you know what Noah means?”

“No…”

“Comfort and consolation.”

--PICKLE