Dynamite

Chapter Three: Digital World

After school that day, Ethan drove Emma, Jess, and Gavin to Emma, Ethan, Jake, and Rose's apartment. When they walked inside, they found Jake, Rose, and Adam sitting around the kitchen table, talking, and laughing.

Adam was 30 years old and had ear-length, dark black hair and dark green eyes. Adam was Jake's boss and co-worker, but he also was one of Rose and Jake's best friends. Since Adam wasn't married and wasn't close to any of his family, he was over a lot since Rose and Jake were family to him. Not only did he see Jake and Rose as family, but he saw Jess, Gavin, Emma, Ethan, and Tony as family too. Whenever Jess, Gavin, or Tony were over, he hung out with them. He also was Emma and Ethan's godfather.

Gavin was 17 years old, and he was Ethan's best friend. He and Ethan had all of their classes together in seventh grade, and that was how they met. Gavin had ear-length, dark red hair and dark hazel eyes. Gavin's biological mother was a teen mom who gave him away when he was a newborn. His adoptive parents were nice and happy, but he had no siblings. For that reason, he saw Ethan, Emma, Jess, and Tony as siblings. Jake, Rose, and Adam were also like parents to him.

"Hi everyone!" Jake greeted. "Are we having a party tonight or something? Everyone's over!"

"It's like that every night," Rose laughed. "I thought you were used to it by now."

"I am, but haven't you noticed that I make that joke every time everyone is over?" Jake asked. Rose sighed and playfully rolled her eyes. "Wait... Tony isn't here! Where is he?"

"Before we invite him over, we have a request," Emma muttered, gesturing to herself, Jess, Ethan, and Gavin. "Do you think it would be possible at all for Tony to be informed about our Dubleka secret? He's a close friend of ours... and I think we can trust him." Rose and Jake looked at each other with suspenseful silence fluttering around the room. Then Rose shrugged and said, "I'm fine with it. Jake?" He thought intently for a moment.

"Well... he'd have to go through the initiation first," Jake answered with a smile. Everyone groaned in annoyance.

"Dad, is the initiation even necessary?" Ethan asked.

"Yes, it is," Jake answered. "Adam, Jess, and Gavin all did it. Tony has to as well."

"Ok, ok," Emma sighed. "I'm going to invite him over right now." Emma pulled her phone out of her pocket and texted Tony. After about half an hour, he arrived.

"Tony, we are going to trust you with a secret that ONLY the people in this room know," Jake announced, pacing back and forth in front of Tony. He looked nervous. "We are going to give you an initiation, ok?" Tony looked even more stressed out than before. "This is going to be one of the biggest secrets you'll ever have to keep. If you tell one person, everything will be ruined. Also-."

"Jeez Dad, you're freaking him out," Emma groaned. Tony took a shaky breath.

"Sorry Tony, didn't mean to scare you," Jake apologized. He patted him on the back and chuckled. Tony, in a panicked way, laughed back.

"What Jake's trying to say is to not tell anyone else, ok?" Adam summarized. "We know how fast news spreads in this world, and we wouldn't want the media to find out about this." Tony nodded.

"First, Tony, I'm going to give you the initiation," Jake chuckled. "You must... eat one spoonful of the spiciest salsa in the world."

"What?" Tony questioned. Jake took a jar of salsa out of a cabinet. He also took a spoon. He scooped a spoonful of the salsa and gave it to Tony.

"This is so weird," Tony sighed. He put the salsa in his mouth. Then his eyes widened in shock.

"Swallow it," Jake commanded.