After I left the Clocktower, I went to the Fyron Dormitory, to Farrah's door and knocked. Her roommate answered, Jasmine.

"Hey, Rollie, what's up?"

"Can I talk to Farrah, please?"

"I think she's getting ready for bed in a few minutes. Did you see what happened to the Unity Statue? I can't believe it. All of us are so freaked out by it. Everyone was in the main lobby earlier and Farrah was looking for you."

Hearing that crushed my heart. "I was outside, actually. Can I talk to her now?” My voice was broken.

Jasmine gave a concerned nod. ”Sure, I'll try and get her for you."

She turned around and didn't close the door all the way. I could hear her talking to Farrah.

"Hey, Rollie's outside. He wants to talk to you. I don't know what it's about but he looks really sad too."

"Oh, okay, thank you. I'll talk to him." Farrah appeared in the doorway. "Hey, what's going on?"

"Can we talk in the study lounge or something? A lot happened tonight, and I need to tell you about it."

Farrah nodded, and we walked into the study lounge. There was no one in there, but a fire was still moving around in the fireplace. We sat down at a table, and I told her about everything. I even told her about the prank I initially pulled on the rec hall with Boris and Chris. Nothing was held back.

The entire time, Farrah's eyes bulged.

"... Anyway, since all that transpired, I have to return to my home world for a bit. I was wondering if you wanted to accompany me and we can be together for some extra time before I'm suspended indefinitely?"

"Rollie, I don't know what to say. I feel like you kept so much from me. And I can't believe you were the one who vandalized the rec hall.” She was mortified.

"Trust me, I learned my lesson. I will never do it again. I guess back in my home world, graffiti happens all the time and it's a cultural thing for me. Although I won't lie to you, it's frowned upon to do it in my home world, but it seriously isn't as big of a deal as it is here. Please pardon my ignorance. I just didn't know."

"But you never even told me about it. I feel like you hid that from me."

"It wasn't my proudest moment. I didn't want you to think poorly of me. It was just a prank, and I didn't think it would be such a big deal at the time." I held Farrah's hand. "Please don't be mad at me. You're one of my favorite things about coming to school here."

Farrah paused. Her eyes softened. ”You’re one of my favorite things about campus too, but when do you think I could see you again? Are you just going to permanently stay back in your home world?"

"No, I don't want to stay there. This is temporary, I promise. Principal Pine has taken my side with this and I’m confident he’ll bring me back."

Farrah analyzed my face. "Are you sure you're not leaving anything else out that I should know?"

"No, I told you everything." There was some silence. "Will you come with me to see my home? I know you said you were interested before."

"Well, I was planning on waking up early tomorrow and figuring out some..." Farrah frowned. "Yeah, I'll go with you."

I rushed back to my suite. After packing my stuff quickly, I left the room without saying goodbye to my roommates or suitemates. Jonathan took Farrah and me on the dragon bike, and we went to the docks.

There wasn't much conversation during the trip back to my home world. Except I did bring my textbooks and Farrah helped me study for my exams as we sailed back to Port Harbor.

Returning to my hometown, Farrah was amazed by her surroundings.

"Wow, it's like a whole different world here," she uttered.

"It really is, but trust me, Lementum is way better than this place. Also, brace yourself to meet my parents. They’re not the most pleasant people in the world."

"I'm sure they're fine." Farrah held my hand.

We sauntered through the dimly lit trailer park, the silence broken only by the crunching of gravel beneath our feet. As we approached my home, a feeling of unease washed over me - my father's truck was nowhere to be seen. I inserted my key into the lock and pushed open the door. Inside, the trailer was nothing but darkness, but I quickly flicked on the lights. My eyes fell upon a letter sitting on the table. Farrah stepped by my side, but Jonathan lingered by the door, as if he sensed something amiss.

Rollie,

Considering our last letter was torn to pieces, I'm going to guess that you managed to come home for Thanksgiving. Sorry, we missed you, but I will say, your father and I didn't argue nearly as much while at your aunt's house. We had a lovely time without you around. If you manage to come back for winter break, you won't find us home. In fact, we've gone back to your aunt's house, and we've decided to stay there a little longer. We're probably going to sell the trailer as well. You could come to your aunt's house if you wanted, but I don't know how good of an idea that would be. I'm sure you've grown attached to Lementum, so it's probably best you stay there. And even if you did come by, I'm not sure how your father would react. If you come up in conversation, your father immediately changes the subject, and he always seems upset by the mention of it. I've tried talking to him about it more, but he just refuses. We've all realized we've probably lost you for good, and we're trying to move on from that. You have no idea how much it stung When you didn't come over for Thanksgiving. Especially after I saw the note was torn apart. And you didn't have the courtesy to leave a message that you were home or where you would be. I hope you treat your friends and your "family" better at Attleton.

Mom.

I paced back and forth in the kitchen, taking deep breaths.

"What's the matter, Rollie?" Farrah asked, approaching me.

"Read this letter if you want it. You said you were interested in getting to know my family. Well, this letter really sums up a lot," I said. I was on the verge of tears.

Farrah scanned the note and set it back on the table. "I'm really sorry, Rollie. That's harsh."

Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.

I stormed out of the kitchen and went into my old bedroom, which had been turned into a closet. More clothes had cleared out since the last time I had been there. I sat there on the floor sobbing into my hands. It felt relieving, but at that exact moment, my body felt hot, tears spilled down my cheeks, my sinuses clogged up, and I couldn't stop sniffling.

After a few minutes, there was a knock at the door. "Rollie, can I come in?"

"Yeah," I uttered. My voice was thick and syrupy.

Farrah sat down beside me and put her head on my shoulder. "I really hate seeing you like this. I'm about to cry for you."

“Don’t. It will just make me cry harder." I laughed pathetically.

"I wish I could make all of your pain go away."

"It just sucks, you know? Like, my parents always bothered me and annoyed me. I always dreamed of moving out of the house and going to a different school far away when I got to college because I wanted to be as far away from them as possible. But at the same time, I get that letter and it really hurts. It feels like they never really cared, but at the same time, I always felt like I never really cared about them. It's very confusing. And then I saw your family, and they're all perfect and live in an amazing house, and here I am in a shack with parents that hate me compared to you."

"Rollie, you shouldn't compare how you live to how I live. Everyone has a different upbringing, some might be similar, but others are different. All that matters is what you decide to do with your life, but don't think your parents hate you. I'm sure they love you, they just have a different way of showing it. Everyone expresses love uniquely."

"I don't think there's any love there. They truly hate me." I sniffled.

"I refuse to believe that."

"You probably think I'm a loser now."

"Rollie, I've never had that thought once. If it's any consolation, I would still love to meet your parents someday. This doesn't change my opinion of them or you. Try taking a few deep breaths. Everything is okay." Farrah held my hand.

I took in a deep inhale and followed it with a long exhale. Over and over again.

"What are you going to do next?” Farrah asked.

"I can't stay here. There's no food, and there's no money to get food. I feel like I could go to my aunt's, but I don't want to tell them I'm suspended indefinitely. It would just be a mess."

"I'm sure you could stay at my house for the time being."

"Actually, I do have a last resort that I want to try." I stood up from the ground and helped Farrah stand. We hugged and kissed, and I held her for a while. I didn't want the moment to end. But I knew the time in my home world had ended.

Going back into the living room, Jonathan was waiting by the door, sitting in a chair nearby.

"Hey, Rollie, you doing okay?” Jonathan asked.

"Yeah," I said. My voice sounded hollowed out. "Can you take me to my grandfather's house in Lementum?"

Jonathan was surprised by the suggestion, but he nodded. “Yeah, we can arrange that. Let's go back to Attleton, I should bring Farrah back to campus, and then we can leave."

"Yeah, that sounds good. Thank you, Jonathan."

We went back to Attleton and dropped off Farrah. It was late at night, and I felt terrible relying on Jonathan for a favor, but he assured me it wasn't a big deal. The trip on the water to the Eurozia section of Lementum took longer than the rides from Port Harbor to Attleton. Fortunately, I fell asleep in the cabin without any issues.

We arrived at the Englara Port early in the morning, and Jonathan took a dragon bike and flew us to my grandpa's house.

"Jonathan, I know you're probably going to be involved in the investigation on campus, but I have to tell you, I am innocent. No matter what happens, I maintain my innocence. I tried to defend the campus from Patrick and Richmond."

"I understand, Rollie. Thank you for telling me that," Jonathan replied. We kept flying through the air.

Where my grandpa lived was quite different from Hartsera. The land was wide open and flat, reminding me of the farms in Ohio. Except there was a thick layer of snow all over the land. The houses were large, though, and we eventually came to a two-story home with an acre of land. Jonathan parked the dragon bike in front of the house, and I walked up and knocked on the door.

In a few seconds, the door opened, and standing before me was a man of my exact height and similar frame, although he had a bit of muscle and a similar face. I felt like I was looking at a mirror of myself 60 years into the future. There was no doubt he was my grandfather.

My grandpa paused, dropped his jaw, and his eyes bulged. "Rollie, it's you! It's really you! I know my flesh and blood anywhere. Welcome, welcome, my dear boy." He stepped out of the doorway and wrapped his arms around me.

It was too much. I wanted to say, "nice to meet you," but his excitement left me all choked up. It was mind-blowing to hear him talk with a British accent too. I had never met anyone with one.

There were tears in my grandpa's eyes as he pulled back from the hug. "I'm so glad you're here. Please come inside."

I turned around to look at Jonathan and then back at my grandpa. "Grandpa, is it okay if I stay here for a while?"

"Of course it is. That must be the Head Counselor, Jonathan." My grandpa waved at him.

"Let me know if you need anything else, Rollie. I'm going back to campus," Jonathan said, and he got on his dragon bike and flew off.

"This is the most pleasant surprise I could receive. Please, make yourself at home." My grandpa guided me inside, and I was amazed at how cozy his house was. There was a staircase to the left, a living room in front of me, and then a dining room to the right. There were even more rooms. He had so much space. He had a lot of bookshelves and framed pictures on top of cabinets and tables. The couches in the living room were burgundy and olive green, looking like they were made for royalty from the 1700s.

"It's so good to finally meet you," I said.

"Likewise. You have no idea how happy I am."

A large dog came jogging into the room. It had floppy ears, a droopy snout, tired-looking eyes, and a bread loaf body. A cat followed behind the dog, black and white spotted, just like a miniature cow.

"Ah yes, these are my close friends, Benson and Hubert. Benson is the dog, and Hubert is the cat," my grandpa said.

I knelt down and petted both of them. I couldn't believe how gracious both animals were, especially in each other's presence.

"They're so cute. I've always wanted a dog or cat or anything."

"Consider them your pets now." My grandpa smiled.

"I'm sorry I didn't write to you sooner. I was so busy with school and many other things going on."

"Yes, yes, I understand. No need to worry. I saw some of the headlines coming out of the news in your area. Attleton is going through a lot this year. Although I do find it curious, has Winterium break started already? I thought it was supposed to begin a week from now?"

I sighed. ”Well, Grandpa, we have a lot to talk about."

He nodded. "How about I fix you a nice breakfast. I can imagine you're quite hungry by now."

"That would be wonderful. Thank you, Grandpa."

We went into his kitchen, and I told him everything as he cooked, even when I misbehaved and vandalized the rec hall building. I thought it was best to be completely transparent. It wasn't fun to tell all the stories again, but I smiled when I told him I could shoot a fire bolt and also when I talked about Farrah. I included the story of how my parents practically left me too. When I finished updating him about everything, we were sitting at the dining table with dumplings on our plate, along with potatoes with gravy and beans made with tomatoes.

"I'll admit, Rollie, you made some mistakes. But nothing that I would criticize you too harshly for. That's what being young is all about, making mistakes and learning from them. You seem like a good kid because you have learned from your experiences. That's quite admirable.” My grandpa used a napkin to wipe his face. “A lot of kids your age don't learn from their errors, and it prevents them from becoming better people or better mages. I'm not worried about you at all. In fact, you remind me of my own days when I was younger. Thank you for telling me all this. I can't tell you how much I appreciate it."

"Of course."

"I'm really looking forward to you staying with me, Rollie. We have a lot to catch up on. You have a room upstairs waiting for you. Please stay as long as you'd like."

"I guess however long the investigation takes." I shrugged.

"Even over holiday breaks and summer break, you're more than welcome to come here."

"Thank you, Grandpa."

I walked upstairs after I finished eating and unpacked my bag, and got settled in my room. The bed was massive, easily the largest one I had ever slept in, and the comforter was thick and plush. The dressers were empty, and I could put my clothes away. There was a desk in the corner with a wide window in front of it. I set my textbooks on top of the desk and closed the curtains on the windows. It was a beautiful view though of the snowy farmland.

Since I didn't get much sleep, I crawled into bed and closed my eyes. I took a deep breath and felt relieved and comfortable. Even though I was waiting for a massive decision to be made back at Attleton, I had a place to stay where I felt loved. A particular feeling overcame my mind.

No matter what happened, everything would be okay.

Everything would be okay.

I fell asleep.