Melissa Chapman – Post-Drode Summary (Taking the Information Into Account) Melissa has taken the Drode’s visit and the subsequent confirmation extremely seriously. She now operates under the working theory that her parents have been replaced/possessed, that The Sharing is deeply connected to whatever is happening, and that a hidden war is underway involving “Andalites” and something called Iniss. She is treating this as real and dangerous rather than a hallucination. Current Mindset and Approach

Pragmatic paranoia: She no longer trusts surface appearances. She assumes people who are suddenly very into The Sharing (or who have changed after interacting with it) are compromised. This includes her parents, Tom Berenson, and to a lesser extent Rachel, Jake, and Cassie. Information gathering: She has started keeping detailed notes in customized Forkner shorthand. She listens in on her father’s (Iniss’s) phone calls when she can and cross-references patterns (Sharing membership vs. behavioral changes, zoo escapes, etc.). Self-reliance as survival strategy: She has already largely moved out emotionally and physically. She spends most of her time camping/hiking, has decent wilderness skills, a sling (now with lead weights), basic hunting tools, and a one-man tent. She only returns home to maintain appearances, do laundry, eat, and check on her cat Fluffer. Emotional detachment: The neglect from her parents has made her stop expecting or wanting emotional connection from them. The Drode’s confirmation that they are no longer really her parents has hardened this into a cold, functional distance.

How She Would Handle the Main Story Events (Lorash/Naomi’s Plans) When “Naomi Berenson” (Lorash) calls and tries to reconnect her with Rachel, push the Galard after-school class, and act like a concerned mother figure, Melissa would react with deep suspicion and strategic caution:

Immediate Red Flags: She already knows something is wrong with Rachel’s social circle and that Rachel distanced herself after a Sharing event. “Naomi” suddenly being very involved in Rachel’s life, grounding her, and pushing structured after-school activities (especially something as weird as learning Galard through The Sharing’s resources) would look like classic cult/possession behavior to Melissa. The offer to “reconnect” her with Rachel would read as an attempt to pull her back into the compromised social circle.

Likely Response: Surface-level politeness with cold distance. She would not be openly hostile (that risks drawing attention), but she would be noticeably cooler and more guarded than a normal teenager talking to her friend’s mom. She would give short, non-committal answers. She would not enthusiastically join the Galard class. She might agree to attend one or two sessions purely to gather information, but she would treat it as an intelligence-gathering operation rather than a genuine opportunity. She would increase her note-taking and cross-referencing. “Naomi” suddenly caring this much and pushing a strange language program would go straight into her shorthand notes as another data point.

Strategic Thinking: Melissa would assume “Naomi” is either compromised herself or being heavily influenced. She would be extremely careful not to reveal how much she already knows or suspects. She would continue prioritizing her independence and wilderness skills, seeing them as her real safety net. She would likely keep investigating on her own (listening to Iniss’s calls, observing people, possibly trying to get more information from the Drode if it appears again) rather than trusting any adult or “reconnection” effort.

Overall Characterization in This Context Post-Drode, Melissa is a lonely, hyper-competent, quietly paranoid survivor who has accepted that her parents are gone and that something large and dangerous is happening around her. She is no longer waiting to be saved or included — she is gathering information and building her own capabilities while staying under the radar. In the context of Lorash’s plans, she would view the Galard class and the “let’s reconnect with Rachel” push as potential traps or recruitment attempts, not opportunities. She would play along just enough to learn more while keeping her real activities (camping, note-taking, self-reliance) completely separate. She is essentially in “observe and survive” mode, treating almost everyone connected to The Sharing or showing sudden behavioral changes as potentially compromised — including the version of Naomi who is now aggressively trying to insert herself into her and Rachel’s lives.