Where It All Goes Down
Kabraska/Nebransas
This setting isn't just a weird mash-up of names—it's where the Beaumonts jokingly say they live. They moved to the middle of nowhere-land, the edge of Nebraska and Kansas, so that they would be as far as anyone could be from water, a move they made specifically in response to Fish's unfortunate habit of starting hurricanes. What this does for the characters is make them strangers and outsiders in the community… on top of having powers that they hide from regular people. It's like they're super outcasts or something.
On top of that, if you've ever been to Kansas or Nebraska, you'll know that everything is really far away from everything else. Seriously—it's hours between towns, which makes the trip to Salina an adventurous journey. When you're a kid and you don't have a car, a town that's two hours away might as well be on the moon.
Heartland Bible Supply Bus
Most of the story takes place on the bus that the gang stows away on, which is perfect not only because they're on an adventure, but also because it forces them to interact with each other. Close quarters will eventually force even the quietest of people to interact with each other. And when you've got a motley crew of kids, some of whom have super powers and some of whom are brooding teens, well, things are bound to get interesting.
The coolest thing about the bus, though, is that it's a way to mark everyone's progress. Every single character who gets on the bus eventually gets off it at the end as a radically different person. Mibs comes to an understanding of not only her savvy but herself; Fish learns to scumble his savvy; Samson learns to speak up; Bobbi becomes more communicative and nicer; Will grows the nerve to kiss Mibs; and Lester manages to become a salesman and falls in love with Lill. All thanks to one heckofa bus trip.