When we get back, I still wasn't feeling much better. I glared at Barley for ruining Ian's plan but I decided to just let it go. I went up to my room and curled up in a ball.
Mom: Wilbur?
Mom knocked on my room and came in.
Mom: Hey, are you okay?
Wilbur: Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine.
Mom: What happened?
Wilbur: (Sigh) Why do people keep asking me about my past, Mom?
Mom: Oh, sweetie.
Wilbur: Why am I so... different?
Mom: It's not a bad thing. People are just curious. They don't know how it affects you. There are times when you just gotta ignore it and move on.
Wilbur: Yeah.
She pulled me up.
Mom: I know it's hard. But you can't keep going through life like this.
Wilbur: Ok.
She kissed my head and walked out of my room. I then decided to go to Ian's room and talk to him.
Wilbur: Hey, Ian.
Ian: Yeah?
Wilbur: I'm sorry we ruined your plan, today. Barley didn't mean to, and I tried to stop him. But he was just trying to help.
Ian: It's not you guys. I just couldn't be confident enough, today. I just couldn't be more like Dad.
This hit me.
Wilbur: Be more like Dad? Come on. I mean don't try to be more like Dad. You gotta find your own confidence. You know? Do your own thing.
Ian: Yeah, I tried. But I kept running into obstacles, today.
Wilbur: Well, yeah. You are going to keep running into obstacles that keep saying "you can't do this". Don't listen to that. Push through it. And don't let Barley embarrass you. Give him a chance.
Ian: Yeah, ok.
Ian pulled out a tape from a drawer and then I saw the radio.
Wilbur: Hey, I remember that. Mom and Dad were fixing it up while I was handing him the tools.
Ian put the tape in the radio.
Mom: Will, you're not going to get that thing working.
Dad: I think I've got it.
Mom: I'm going to watch from over here for when it blows up.
Dad: Hello? Hello?
Mom: I'll bet good money you can't get it to work.
Dad: Oh, is that right?
Mom: Yep, but you're doing a good job of making it look like you know what you're doing.
Dad: (Laughing) Well, I'm trying to.
Mom: Did you check if it had batteries?
Dad laughed in the radio.
Mom: Of course you didn't.
Dad: I know.
Mom: So, is it really working?
Dad: Let's find out. Okay, bye.
The the clip ended.
Ian rewound the tape and replayed it.
Mom: Will, you're not going to get that thing working.
Dad: I think I've got it.
Mom: I'm going to watch from over here for when it blows up.
Ian: Hi, Dad.
Dad: Hello? Hello?
Ian: It's us. Ian and Wilbur.
Dad: Oh, is that right?
Ian: Yeah. Did you have a good day?
Dad: (Laughing) Well, I'm trying to.
Ian: Yeah. Us, too. Although we could clearly use your help. (Chuckling)
Dad laughed in the radio.
Ian: I sure wish we could spend the day with you sometime.
Dad: I know.
Ian: Well, there are so many things we could do. I bet it could be really fun.
Dad: Let's find out.
Ian: Yeah, I mean. I'd love to. We could, uh...
Dad: Okay, bye.
It ended again and Ian's face fell.
Ian: Goodbye.
Wilbur: I'm sorry, bro.
I put my hand on his shoulder.
Ian: It's okay.
I could still tell he was downtrodden but I decided not to push it and left his room.
YOU ARE READING
Onward: Wilbur
AventuraWilbur Lightfoot is a Werewolf who was adopted by Wilden, Laurel, and Barley before Ian was born. When he's a teenager, he goes on an adventure with Barley and Ian to get his dad back.
