Amity

Chapter 9: Three O'Clock

Time had passed since Dré and Megumi made it to the Gladestone house. They spent most of it in silence, apart from Megumi's laughter at Dré complaining about Super Mario Brothers.

"You really suck at this game, dude," Megumi said, laying down the second comic book.

"We all can't be gaming gurus, now can we Miss Gladestone?"

"True, but this is only the second level."

"Who asked what level it is?" Dré's eyes were still glued to the television. He was surprised with himself. This was the first time he was invited to a girl's house, and he was even making her laugh, a definite good sign from what he learned in the drama programs his mom made him watch when she braided his hair as a kid. It was strange, though. For some reason, it felt like he had known Megumi for years rather than just a few hours. "Our parents seem pretty close."

"No surprise," she said. "From what daddy told me, they were pretty close back when they were in the military," She picked up her third comic book. "But seeing as though my daddy and my uncles were pretty well known in school, it really doesn't really surprise me."

"Well-known?"

"Yes, Dré. As in popular."

"I know what well-known means, Megumi. What I meant was how they were popular," Dré huffed. Megumi didn't seem to notice or care.

"Not really sure. For one thing, they formed a rock group called Rush the Police. Though, I think that was after the war. Hm..." She tapped her bottom lip with the comic book before opening it. "There was something else. From what I heard, my granddaddy was a 'Nature Sage' or something like that. He was an important person is what I'm trying to say. Very important. Daddy hates him though, so I've never met him."

"Why is that?"

Megumi shrugged as she said, "It seemed like a pretty touchy subject, so I never bothered to ask. I wonder where Peek-a-Boo went."

"Peek-a-Boo?"

"Yeah. She's my little kitten. She's probably in the living room or something." Stuffing the comic book in her pants pocket, she slid off the bed. "Wanna come with me? I'm getting hungry."

Dré, who had been parched since he started playing the Nintendo, hastily pulled himself up with the top of the bed. "Sure. It's probably close to three now anyway."

They made their way through the hallway, which still smelled like marijuana, and into the living room, where both Dré and Megumi's parents sat around the television watching the news. Toney and Tiffany were sitting in the love seat, while Abigail sat in the armchair. Raheem was sitting on the floor in front of her with both of his elbows resting on her knees. "This is so boring," Toney groaned, "Why can't we get back to the game?"

Megumi stopped at once and dragged Dré back into the darkness of the hallway. Shushing him, she peeked out of the doorway to listen in on the conversation. "We have to keep watch to see if anything suspicious happens to the humans," they heard Tiffany say, almost sounding impatient. "Besides, it's almost time to show the kids the academy. It was your idea after all."

Odd. Why did she call them "humans"? And what is this academy that their parents wanted to show them? "Hey, Megumi? Is it normal for her to call people 'humans?"'

"Nuh uh. I've always heard her say people," she told him, her profile looking as perplexed as Dré.

"Yeah, but you know that humans are known to be unpredictable at times," Raheem said, sounding bored. "I mean, considering what you and Abigail told me about that principal at the school, they can snap without warning."

Now his father was even using the word "human" as if he himself wasn't one of them. He wanted to rush out into the living room and demand that they explain why they are speaking as if they don't belong to the human race and about the academy that Tiffany mentioned, but he knew that doing so would be hazardous to his health and his behind, so he willed himself to stay behind Megumi. "Hey, Megumi-" Dré whispered, "I think I have an idea on what's going on. Maybe our parents got abducted by aliens and were brainwashed by them. Or maybe they actually are the aliens."

After a moment of silence, Megumi whispered back to him, "Dré, that has got to be the stupidest conclusion I've ever heard."

Dré opened his mouth to speak in defense until he heard his mom ask Raheem to get them. Megumi cursed under her breath as she dragged Dré back into her room. Once they rushed inside, she hopped back in the bed, allowing her short legs to dangle at the edge. "Sit down and act natural," she commanded as she threw a comic book at Dré, its spine hitting him in between his eyebrows.

Dré screwed up his face as he sat down on the floor and opened the book. "That hurt, you know. What the- I can't even read this," he added as he looked at the Japanese text.

In an instant, Raheem peeked inside. "You two alright in here, or do I need to give y'all some more alone time," he said with a smirk. His face hardened as he said, "Come in the living room. We've got something that we need to explain to y'all."

"What do you think that's all about?" Megumi asked him as he handed her the comic book.

"No clue," was all he could say. He had never seen his dad so serious in his life, even when he and Isaiah broke a lamp when they decided to wrestle in the living room. Whatever it is, it can't be good.

Megumi placed the books on her dresser and slid on her gloves. He could see the concern on her face as she walked past him. Dré followed her out of her room, through the now brightly lit hallway, and into the living room, where their parents, Loyalty, Joel, and Isaiah stood. "Ah, there you two are," Toney said cheerfully. "Sorry I couldn't introduce myself to you properly. The name's Toney Gladestone. You're Ke'Undré, right?"

"Y-yes, sir. But I mostly go by Dré," he said behind Megumi.

"No need to be so formal, Dré," he said, beaming. "Right then. Megumi, Dré, I've got to confess something, something that Raheem, Abigail, Tiffany, and I have been hiding from you since your birth."

Dré didn't like the sound of that. He looked to his mother and father, then to Loyalty and Joel, all of whom were intently focused on Toney's confession to spare a glance at him. With a heavy sigh, Toney said, "Neither of you are humans."

Dré's eyes widened, and he knew he didn't need to look at Megumi to know that she was just as shocked as he was. He was just joking with Megumi about them being aliens; he'd never even considered thinking he wasn't human.

Then again, this could've been one big joke from their parents. He didn't know Toney, Tiffany, or Joel, but he knew his parents. They'd probably joke about them not being human. Hopefully.

Dré forced himself to chuckle, catching the attention of everyone else. He'd hoped that everyone would join in. "You're- you're joking, right?" He was answered by their perplexed stares. Dré's chuckle died down. "Oh, my God, you're not."

"Nope. This is all serious, little bro," Isaiah said, straight-faced. "Mom and Dad told me about it last year." That was something that Dré hadn't expected to hear. With someone who was as anti-weird as Isaiah saying that it was no joke, it was obvious that Toney was telling the truth.

There wasn't a soul in the house that was human.