Olivia

Status: One-off

An Airman at Vandenberg Air Force Base, Homeboy’s girl for the back half of Night School, alongside Cindy and Chino. She meets him in Mission Control, dates him over lunch on one condition (it better be a good conversation), and ends up in the janitor’s closet with him while the janitor has the worst shift of his life outside the door.

Description

Young, radiant, recruitment-poster polished like every Air Force woman in the building, which is exactly what makes Chino and Homeboy suspect Jedi Beer Goggles. Playful and direct: she sets the terms (we’ll go on a date with you, if you sit down and have a conversation), laughs through the Star Wars pitch, and takes his hand in front of everyone.

Role in Volume 01

In Night School, Olivia locks eyes with Homeboy in Mission Control, joins Cindy in accepting the commissary date, and walks out of the commissary hand-in-hand with him past a fuming Karen. The janitor’s closet scene is hers (Oh, Homeboy!, breathless, through the door), followed by a soft goodbye in the hallway: she gives him her number, five three oh nine, one more kiss, and he’s gone at Chino’s cheese it! She doesn’t appear again; the rocket launch overtakes the romance.

Relationships

• Homeboy: her date; genuine warmth on both sides, cut short by la chota.
• Cindy: her fellow Airman; they present as a unit and choose as a unit.
• Chino: Cindy’s date and Homeboy’s best friend; friendly by association.
• Karen: the disapproving audience to the whole affair.

Notes

• Five three oh nine. Whether Homeboy ever calls is a Volume 02 question.