The trip is almost over, and I just couldn't get my mind off that voice I heard earlier today. "Everything okay?" Carla asks, while we're out in the parking lot eating lunch. "Yeah. I just can't stop thinking about that voice I heard earlier," I reply. "That voice sounded exactly like my dad," "it's okay, Shawn. I know how you feel. I miss my mother too," Carla says, trying to cheer me up. Further in the day, that marine walking around Cedar Point is sitting down, hidden in the shadows from everyone else. Walking up to him, I say a polite "hello? Are you lost, sir?" He looks up and we're both speechless for about five minutes, just staring at each other. Finally, I say just one word, "Dad," he just gets up and gives me a hug. We're just standing there, hugging, for about what felt like an hour. "You know this man, Shawnie?" Carla says. "Carla. This. This is my dad. He's alive," I say. "Son, who is this lovely young lady?" My dad says. "I'm- I'm Carla," Carla says, blushing a bit. "She's Shawn's little girlfriend," Jeremy says, pushing me and Carla closer. "Well, nice to meet you, Carla," Dad says, shaking her hand. "Where have you been all this time, Dad?" I ask. "Sit down, Shawn. This may take a while," Dad says, sitting back down, me and everyone else joining him. So Dad gets into this

Long story about how he was shot by an enemy solider and became a prisoner of war. Later, he was able to escape and he traveled for a month to get to just New York. Then an extra five weeks trying to find his way to my Aunt and Uncles house. When Dad got here, he saw me and everyone else walking in and the rest was already told earlier in this book. "You must be hungry, sir," Jeremy says. "Yeah, I could use a snack but I have no money," Dad says as I hold out a sandwich I was saying for later. "Thank you, Son," Dad says, giving me another hug. "Where's your mother?" Dad asks, seeing her in the distance. "Help me up, please?" Dad says, obviously weak and wounded. We make out way over to Mom, Dad holding his head down in pain and embarrassment. "Whose this, Shawn?" Mom asks, looking at the beat-up stranger. "That you, May?" Dad says. "John," Dad does his best to hobble to Mom and they just hug. "I can't believe you're alive, John," Mom says, crying. That's the first I ever remember Mom crying. "Let's go home," Peter says, touched by seeing his uncle for the first time. At my Aunt and Uncles house, everyone is silent except for Jeremy and Peter, playing a game in the other room. "Can I get you anything, brother?" My uncle asks, wanting to take

Care of his long lost brother. "Come with me, Shawn," Dad says. "Sure thing, Dad," I say, following my dad out of the room. "I know what you capable of, now since you have changed," Dad says. "How did you know of it?" I ask, confused. "Your creative side, Son. I can just tell that Carla is the special girl in your life. Trust me, I was just like you when I was young. Wanting to be an artist and do whatever you can to help," Dad says. Phew! I almost thought he- wait. He's my Dad, he must know about my special side sooner or later so, how about now? "Can you follow me, Dad? I just want to walk with my dad," I say, thinking of how I'll show him. "Sure thing, Son," Dad says, walking out the bedroom door behind him. "Me and Shawn are going to go on a little walk," Dad says, not knowing what he's going to find out. "Dad. I have something to show you. Now, when I do, please don't tell anyone," I say. "Sure thing, Shawn. Wait, does your Mom know about this?" Dad asks. "About what?" I'm confused. "Nevermind. Go ahead," Dad says. "Now you're right. I am a changed man. Just not how you think," I say. "What do you mean?" Dad's confused until I show him the transformation. Dad is speechless when I turn. Crazy, right? I growl. "How did this happen, Shawn?" Dad says, worried.

I have no clue. I growl. "So you're him. You're the one that the military want. Wait till they find out that they are looking for a sophomore," Dad says, chuckling a bit. Heading back to the house, I find out where I get my hidden sense of humor. Dad goes in the house and says, "I think you have a secret lover, Carla," Dad says. "Huh?" Carla is confused. "Come on out," Dad says. I'm just silently lying on the roof, waiting for Carla to come outside but, Cake walks out first. "Where is this person?" Carla says, walking out onto the lawn, not knowing what's going to happen. When she stops, I jump down, picking her up and carrying her of in a circle back onto the roof. Ssh. I silently growl. "What!" Cake says, jumping. "The dragon! The dragon has a crush on Shawn's girlfriend!" Cake cracks up in laughter. "Quit laughing, Peter," My aunt says. Should I let them know? Say I dropped you off in the backyard? I growl. "Sure," Carla laughs. "Oh, hi, Carla. You know why the dragon grabbed you?" Cake says, not knowing I've landed behind him. "Uh, Cake?" My aunt says. "What-" Cake starts to say, but is interrupted by a breath down his neck. Cake is frozen in fear until Carla runs up to me. "Bud!" Carla says. "Bud?" Cake, my Aunt, and uncle say, in shock. "He's my friend," Carla says. The others are silent.

"He's your friend?" My aunt says. "Where's Shawn?" Mom says, understanding the prank. "Oh, he is off walking a trail he found," Dad keeps the prank going. Well. I have had fun with this. But I must change back. I growl. "Okay, see ya, bud," Carla says. I've snuck inside and gotten clothes on while Carla told my aunt, uncle, and Cake how she friended me. "What's going on here?" I say, walking out of the woods. "The dragon. Your girlfriend is friends with the dragon!" Cake says. "Not only friends. But his rider," Carla and I say. "Well, happy birthday, Shawn," Cake says, tossing me one of his grenades. "Thanks, Cake," I say, looking at the grenade. "Happy birthday, Shawn. Your present from us is at your house already," my Aunt says. "Goodbye everyone," I say as we pull out of the driveway to home. The rest of the day goes normal. Opening my airsoft light machine gun and some other birthday stuff. Today was the most normal day I've ever had. Well, school is back on tomorrow, better get some rest.