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Side stories may reveal events, characters, or developments that appear later in the story. Viewing content this way can present information out of the intended reading order and may affect the original narrative experience.
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Recommended to be read after reaching this point of the main story:
Part 2 Chapter 28: A New Ship to Sail
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The Coolest Thing Ever
Ben and Matt had been on the same platoon for a month when Ben decided the problem needed solving. Matt didn’t know how to be off duty. A Friday night at a bar was supposed to fix that.
So far, all it had fixed was that Ben now knew the guy preferred lagers.
“You always set on firefighting, or was there ever something else?” Ben asked.
“This was always the plan.”
“Yeah? Why?”
Matt had never told anyone this before, and for good reason.
“There were a lot of reasons, but… well, in sixth grade, this girl I had a crush on, said firemen were the coolest thing ever.”
Ben waited for the rest. There was no rest.
“…What?”
“She was talking about some movie. Said it offhand.” Matt shrugged. “I guess it stuck.”
“That’s it?”
“I didn’t say that was it. Just… arguably a major factor.”
Ben burst out laughing.
Matt did not appreciate this reaction.
“You went through all of this—training, years on an engine, RQC, risking your ass every shift—because some girl you liked said ‘firemen are cool’ when you were twelve?”
“She had a point. We are pretty cool.”
“We are. You, specifically, are a dork.”
“Like you’ve got a better origin story.”
“Oh, mine’s worse. I joined to get off my family’s farm.”
“I should’ve known.”
“Youngest of five. Dairy and berry farm, up north. If I’d stayed, I’d be milking cows and hauling crates for the rest of my life. This was the exit.”
“Could’ve been worse.”
“Yeah, well, at least I didn’t let a girl pick my career for me.”
Matt took genuine offense at that. “Hey, she was cute.”
“…Wait, was this a serious girl? Or just some random classmate?”
“Not important.”
“So, serious.”
Ben had clocked Matt as a good guy and too serious from day one. Tonight added no fun at parties and definitely straight.
“Youngest of five, though,” Matt said. “What’s that like?”
“You seriously asking?”
“Didn’t grow up with that many people around. Hard to picture.”
“Oh, man. Where do I even start.”
And with that, he launched into the full Ralston experience.
Sharing a room with his nephews. Sitting through whatever his brothers wanted to watch because the remote was never going to be his. Holidays that started three days early and didn’t end until the last cousin went home, which was never soon enough.
“…Sounds nice.”
“And my oldest sister—she once chased me across a field because I broke something of hers. I don’t even remember what. I thought she was going to kill me. This is a woman who scared off a bobcat once.”
Ben shuddered just thinking about it.
“Anyway, didn’t have a moment to myself until I left for the academy. My folks hated that, by the way. My dad went about a month without talking to me. Too dangerous, the whole thing. They got over it now. Mostly.”
He’d been talking more than he meant to.
“Bet your parents weren’t too happy about it either.”
“I guess they wouldn’t,” Matt said simply. “If they could.”
That wasn’t the answer Ben expected.
Matt drank his beer like he’d been talking about the weather.
Ben could’ve asked.
“Okay. Real question.” He leaned forward. “What was the movie?”
“What?”
“The one your girl was talking about. The one that made you decide this was the coolest job ever.”
“Not telling you.”
“Oh, come on—”
“Nope.”
“That means it was something dumb.”
“I’m not confirming that.”
“Dumb. Definitely dumb.”
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