The Secret Scrabble Society (SSS) Symbol in A Long Time Coming

What Is the Secret Scrabble Society (SSS)?

The Secret Scrabble Society is an underground college club built around competitive Scrabble games. In A Long Time Coming, the SSS first appears in the prologue as a hidden room (Room 209) in the Pine Dormitory. Membership requires completing a three‑week online trial against current members, receiving a wax‑sealed invitation, and reciting a password (“Walla‑walla‑bing‑bang”) at the door. The hideout itself is a geek’s paradise filled with sci‑fi posters, an Atari console, Harry Potter books, and a deluxe rotating Scrabble board. The society’s strict secrecy—parodied as “the first rule of SSS is that you do not talk about it”—mirrors the exclusivity and playful seriousness of the club.

Where Does the SSS Recur in the Novel?

The SSS is explicitly present only in the prologue. After that chapter, the club is never shown meeting again. However, its symbolic weight recurs throughout Breaker and Lia’s relationship. Every subsequent board‑game night, every inside joke about Supernatural fan fiction, every moment of raw honesty between them echoes the founding dynamic of the SSS. The club becomes a shorthand for the safe, judgment‑free space where their friendship first solidified. Even years later, when Breaker confesses his romantic feelings, the memory of that initial Scrabble battle—the S‑tile sting—lingers as the emotional baseline they keep returning to.

How Does the Meaning of the SSS Change?

Initially, the SSS represents belonging and intellectual kinship. For Lia, a transfer student struggling to find like‑minded people, the club offers immediate connection. She and Breaker bond over shared obsessions: Blondie, The Wonder Years, and even her Supernatural fan fiction. The mustache—that deliberately ridiculous barrier—reassures Lia that no romantic tension will complicate their friendship. At this stage the SSS is a fortress of nerd culture where brutal honesty is the currency of trust.

As the story progresses, the club’s symbolic meaning shifts to represent the unresolved tension between friendship and romantic love. The very foundation that made their bond so secure now becomes the obstacle to confessing deeper feelings. When Breaker later declares, “Siempre me has gustado, Lia” (I’ve always liked you), he is essentially violating the unwritten SSS pact that kept their relationship platonic. The password, the mustache, the strategic S‑tile—all were mechanisms designed to preserve “just friends” status. By breaking that code, he forces both of them to redefine what the SSS really meant: a cover for a love that was always there.

By the end of the novel, the SSS transforms into a symbol of enduring partnership. The club’s initials are never mentioned again, but its spirit persists in the couple’s playful banter, their shared commitment to honest communication, and the way they navigate family expectations together. The Secret Scrabble Society ultimately becomes the bedrock of a romantic relationship that honours the nerd‑culture roots of their friendship.

Character Connections to the SSS

• Breaker Cane – As the club’s “person with authority” and the owner of the hideout, Breaker embodies the SSS’s ethos: strategic, witty, and deeply genuine. His mustache—part of his personal brand—serves as the club’s unofficial mascot. Through the SSS he learns that vulnerability (admitting he reads Lia’s fan fiction) is the key to genuine connection.

• Ophelia “Lia” Fairweather‑Fern – Lia’s candid personality wins her entry. The SSS validates her quirks—survey‑making, cat‑hat knitting, and writing Supernatural fan fiction. The club becomes the first place where her “brutal honesty” is celebrated rather than shunned, empowering her to eventually pursue her own self‑discovery [link: /books/a-long-time-coming/themes/self-discovery-and-empowerment/].

• Other Members – Characters like Harley, Jarome, Christine, and Imani are present only in the prologue, but they establish that the SSS is a community, not just a duo. Their willingness to let Breaker vouch for Lia reinforces the theme of choosing your own family [link: /books/a-long-time-coming/themes/family-expectations-vs-authenticity/].

Theme Connections

• Friendship vs. Romantic Love – The SSS epitomizes a bond built solely on shared interests and brutal honesty, deliberately excluding romance. As attraction grows, the club’s rules are tested [link: /books/a-long-time-coming/themes/friendship-vs-romantic-love/].

• Communication and Intimacy – Passwords, tapping codes, and Scrabble tiles become alternative languages. The SSS teaches that true intimacy comes from speaking one’s mind without filter [link: /books/a-long-time-coming/themes/communication-and-intimacy/].

• Grief and Loss – Although the SSS itself is not about loss, the secure world it created is temporarily lost when Breaker’s confession threatens their friendship. Navigating that loss forces both characters to grow [link: /books/a-long-time-coming/themes/grief-and-loss/].

• Self‑Discovery and Empowerment – For Lia, being accepted by the SSS helps her embrace her unique identity; for Breaker, risking friendship for love is an act of self‑honesty.

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