"It's a cartoon. It's on the Cartoon Network," Alex explained. "They have Speed Racer. Scooby Doo. All the classics."

"First of all, marines aren't called squids-that's the navy. Marines are called jarheads. Not by punks like you, though-you'd just earn yourself a beating if you tried it," Jesse told him. "And second, do they have that one cartoon, Josie and the Pussycats! Because those Pussycats are hot."

Alex laughed. Jesse was definitely the coolest of his three brothers. Yeah, he had just given Alex the speech, the "you have got to be a military man" speech. But at least Jesse occasionally thought about, and even talked about, other stuff. Unlike their dad. And their other brother Harry, who was also home for a visit.

Fortunately for Alex his third big brother, Robert, couldn't make it home this time. Alex didn't think he could handle a four-part surround sound lecture on why he should go straight into the military after grad. The three-pronged attack mounted by Jesse, Harry, and his father had been rough enough. And Alex suspected it still wasn't over.

"Being a marine, it changes your life," Jesse said.

Nope. It definitely wasn't over.

"It's like you have a whole new family," Jesse continued. "Or at least like you have a bigger family."

A bigger family. Yeah. That sounded real appealing.

Harry wandered into the dining room and plopped down on one of the chairs. "You girls are doing such a nice job with the table," he cooed.

"Thanks. We put a pretty red bowl on the kitchen floor for you," Jesse shot back. "We thought you might be more comfortable in there since we have company coming and you still haven't quite mastered the use of silverware."

"Company?" Harry asked. "Oh, right. We get to meet Alex's little girlfriend."

Little girlfriend. Alex knew his brother was expecting some geek girl. He couldn't wait to see Harry's face when he got an eyeful of Isabel. Okay, that sounded a little piggish. And he apologized to the goddesses of womanhood or whatever. But it was still going to feel pretty good to show Harry-and Jesse, and even the old man-that little brother was playing in the big leagues now.

Harry leaned back until his chair was balanced on two legs. "So, I just got off the phone with Alice Shaffer," he told Alex.

Alex put the last fork in place. "Who?" he asked.

"Your principal," Harry answered. "She said you never gave her the ROTC application materials." He rocked back and forth, making the chair legs creak. "She said you've never mentioned the ROTC to her period."

Alex felt like kicking that chair right out from under his brother. Just because their dad was totally obsessed with starting an ROTC program at the high school, why did Harry have to get all involved?

"The three of us have an appointment with her tomorrow at four," Harry continued. "Dad wants you to come," he informed Jesse. "He thinks you and I will be great and shining examples of what the ROTC program can do. You better keep your mouth shut so you don't blow it."

"I lost the application Dad gave me," Alex said. "I'm waiting to get a new one in the mail. There's no point in having a meeting without it."

Not a very creative excuse. Only about half a step above the dog ate it, which he couldn't have used because they didn't have a dog.

"Got it covered," Harry answered. "Dad told me to bring one with me."

Oh, happy day.

Jesse shot Alex a semisympathetic look. "You didn't actually think you were getting out of it, did

"I guess not," Alex admitted.

But he'd been doing everything he could to block his dad on this one. He'd thought of it as practice. A way of preparing for the big battle-the one where he told the Major that he wasn't planning on a military career.

Just because you get muscled into helping set up an ROTC program at school, and being unable to escape joining said program, doesn't mean that you'll end up in the military, Alex promised himself.

He wished he believed that.

"We should think about what we're going to say," Harry told Jesse. "Alex's principal didn't sound all that excited about the program."

"I'm not saying anything, remember?" Jesse answered.

"Fine," Harry said. "Alex, I want to go over what clubs and organizations you already have at school. That way I-"

The doorbell rang, interrupting him. "I'll get it." Alex bolted before Harry could say another word. He swung open the door, and a big, doofy grin spread across his face. He didn't think he'd ever been so happy to see Isabel.

"Hey, you look really beautiful," he said, careful to keep his voice low. Harry and Jesse would fall on the floor laughing if they heard him.

But Isabel did look beautiful… as usual. Except tonight she looked dressed-up beautiful. She was wearing this shiny, clingy dress with embroidered roses growing up from the bottom. And her blond hair fell down across her shoulders in perfect waves.

"Thanks," Isabel answered. "So, are you going to introduce me?"

Alex turned around and saw his brothers standing there. And his dad halfway down the stairs. His stomach kind of seized up for a minute. His dad tended to have that effect on him.

"That's my brother Jesse. That's Harry. And that's my dad," Alex said.

"And I'm Isabel Evans," she added. She shook hands with all of them.

Duh! He forgot half the introduction! But Isabel jumped right in there. She was good at impressing people and making them feel at ease. At least when she felt like bothering.

"Why are you all standing around in the hall?" his mother called. "Come on in the living room."

They all obediently trooped in. Alex and Isabel sat on the love seat. Usually he'd put his arm around her. But it just felt too weird in front of his family.

"So, Isabel… Alex is helping me figure out how to get your principal to agree to an ROTC program at your school," Harry told her. "Any ideas?"

What a butt kisser. Alex was sure that Harry just wanted to show his dad that he was on top of the ROTC situation. Harry was twenty-two years old… and still living to please daddy.

"Maybe you could try telling her that it's sort of like cheerleading," Isabel answered. "Stacey Scheinin, the head cheerleader, is pretty much a drill sergeant. Except she has this little Minnie Mouse voice."

Alex braced himself for the explosion. He didn't think his dad would like the cheerleader-ROTC comparison. But his dad just laughed. And kept on laughing as Isabel launched into an impersonation of Stacey and the other girls on the squad.

His mom and brothers were laughing, too. And the little glances Harry and Jesse kept shooting at Isabel made it pretty clear they thought she was hot.

But Isabel was his girl. Alex enjoyed being the enviable sibling, for once in his short life.

Max picked up the lighter and turned it over and over in his hands. He could see the fluid sloshing around inside through the green plastic.

He flicked it on and stared at the flame, thinking about the Bunsen burner in lab class. That flame had dazzled his eyes until all he could see was a wall of flickering orange and yellow. The whole lab had disappeared. Liz had disappeared. And Max had been surrounded by a beautiful, horrible fire that felt like it was melting his eyes with the brilliance of its colors.

Liz said he'd been holding his finger in the flame, but he hadn't felt anything except the sensation of his eyes dripping out of their sockets and mixing with the flames.

Max put down the lighter and clicked open his laptop. He selected a file called fertilizer. He'd called the file that because every once in a while his mom or dad or Isabel borrowed his computer, and he thought the file name akino would get their attention. So would the word death. Fertilizer, that wasn't something that any of them would be tempted to take a peek at. And it seemed appropriate. Fertilizer, that's what he would become. Something to help the flowers grow. Worm food.