Page 10 of Puck My Stepbrother

I shrugged. Honestly, I didn’t know or care. Well, I wouldn’t have cared if anyone else was talking about it. Quinn saying it changed everything.

“It’s taking two or more different genres and mashing them together until you get something totally new,” he said. “Writing that way can give you some pretty interesting results. Only mine isn’t a mashup exactly. It’s more of a combination or blend.”

He paused again, but I was more than happy to let him continue.

“I’m writing a zombie novel,” he said, “but it’s not what you think. It’s more literary, not your average shoot-’em-in-the-head, Romero-esque zombie novel. It’s supposed to cover some serious themes, but involves the walking dead. If that makes sense.”

I arched my eyebrows. I had no idea what that really meant, but what he’d described actually sounded cool.

“I normally don’t read books outside of school,” I said, “but I would totally read that one.”

“You would?”

“For sure.”

“Why are you…”

I didn’t know how he meant to finish that sentence. Why was Iwhat? Why was I being so nice to him? Was that what he wanted to know? Maybe I was putting on an act, but maybe I wasn’t. After all, I’m sure he didn’t think my stealing his room out from under him was nice, even though I’d been totally within my rights.

“Tell you what,” I said, “if that thing gets published, I want the first copy. Signed.”

“You’re not expecting me to give you a free one, are you? Oh wait, maybe you expectmeto payyoufor a copy.”

I laughed out loud and slapped my stepbrother-to-be on the shoulder.

“That’s a good one, Quim,” I said.

“Quinn.”

“Whatever. I’m serious, though. I really want to read it when you’re finished.”

He nodded, not like he agreed, but like he would’ve done whatever was necessary to make me shut up and go away. Only he didn’t understand that I would never disappear now that I knew what I wanted.

Not ever.

Quinn spooned cereal into his mouth and I took a bite of toast, waiting for a reaction and hoping he would give in.

“You know,” I said, “I think us living under the same roof is gonna be a blast. It’ll be like old times.”

That comment drew a reaction from Quinn. He looked up from his cereal at me like I’d completely lost my mind—or had never held a grip on it in the first place.

“You know what else?” I asked. “I’ve never had a brother, but I’ve always wanted one. I’ve always dreamed of what it would be like.”

“What did you dream of?”

“Oh, you’ll see what I mean soon enough. And as for the bedroom situation, my door is always open. I mean that. You come see me there anytime.”

If Quinn didn’t get the message, I’d turn up the heat until he did.

5

QUINN

Okay, you’re not going to believe what I found when I came home the next day. Levi, standing in my bedroom.

Seriously.

I came home, set my knapsack down at the front door, ran upstairs, and found Levi Dunn standing in my bedroom and browsing my bookshelf all casually, like he was at fucking Wal-Mart or something.