My dad and I sat at the kitchen table, and my mom stood in the entranceway, glaring at Jonathan.

"I just want to hear what he has to say," I said.

"I thought I made myself clear when I said I don't want this man in our house!" my mom snapped.

"Well, he stays unless you can talk about Grandpa."

My mother paused. Her lips twitched like a malfunctioning robot about to combust. But then tears raced down her cheeks. "I don't really know where to begin," she uttered.

"Start anywhere," I said.

"Rollie, I-uh." My mom stared at the ground and fiddled with the bottom of her shirt. "I didn't grow up here, really. In Ohio, like you might've thought."

"Like I might've thought? You told me yourself you lived here all your life!"

"I know, I know! Rollie, just let me talk!" Her face contorted, agonized from frustration and tears. She rushed to the kitchen table, sat, and rubbed her eyes. "I grew up in a different place considered 'fantastical' or 'magical' or whatever you want to call it. But I ran away from all of it when I was a teenager. Around your age, Rollie." My mom took a deep breath.

"Your grandpa was an 'elemental mage' and could shoot ice from his hands, but I never could do anything like that. In the land I grew up in, everyone has the ability in some shape or form. Whether fire, water, ice, lightning, wind, or poison, each person can shoot out magic from their fingertips. I never could." My mom frowned and stared off into space.

My dad's forehead wrinkled. While Jonathan nodded along as if everything sounded correct with whatever information he had.

"It's possible for that to happen. Sometimes, the ability doesn't get passed down to the children." My mom's lips trembled. "I felt so out of place and alienated from everyone. I couldn't make friends, I couldn't go to school, and I couldn't get a job like the rest of the people there. My parents told me they would care for me my whole life, but I didn't want that. My mom drove me crazy, and my dad -well- that's another thing about Grandpa. He was rarely home."

"Why?" I asked.

"Well." My mom sniffled. "Grandpa was a professional sports player. And since he was rarely home, Grandma and Grandpa both split up. I think I had a lot to do with that too. Grandma had a tough time with me. I tried to bury all those memories and force myself to believe that none of it ever happened, but I can still remember the hostility in the house."

I'd never seen my mom broken down like that. She always seemed so resilient and tough. Never could I have imagined any of that information about her past. Everything about the evening felt like a dream. I wanted to tell her I was sorry, but I had millions of other questions racing through my mind. It felt inappropriate, though, to keep asking about this new world, so I kept silent. My dad put his hand on my mom's shoulder.

"I'm fine. I'm over it, but I always worried about you, Rollie. I figured if I didn't have the ability and married a normal person here in Ohio, my child wouldn't have the ability. But here you are. So what's your power?"

I lifted my hand up and stared at it. "I guess fire. My hands have been igniting into flames recently. Is fire good or bad? I have no idea."

My mom shrugged.

"And that's where I can come in and answer questions for you, Rollie," Jonathan said. "Fire isn't bad. None of them are better than the other. They just fulfill different purposes. We need to provide heating for people; we can have fire mages create fires for us. Our society needs some boosted wind for our ship sails, so it's a good idea to hire a wind mage. Do you understand how some of this works now?"

"Sure, I guess so. So wait, Mom, you were talking about how Grandpa was a professional sports player in this land. What sport did he play?"

"I don't even remember," she said.

"Dragonstryke," Jonathan said. "It's a fun sport where everyone gets on fancy flying bikes and throws elemental bolts at each other for a couple of hours. But we can talk more about that later. Your grandpa was a terrific pro, but he played in the Eurozian League."

"Eurozian League?" I asked.

My mom sighed. "It can be difficult to understand. Grandpa grew up in the 'British' part of Lementum. So he has a British accent," my mom said.

My eyes expanded. "So you must've had an accent?"

"Yes. I did, and I worked hard to get rid of it. I wanted nothing to do with my previous life," my mom said.

My dad stared at her with his jaw dropped the entire conversation. "I feel like such a horrible husband. I never knew any of this. Rollie, I'm really sorry I couldn't tell you anything."

You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

I didn't feel too upset. Seeing my mom in shambles made me feel bad for her. "It's okay, I understand."

"I never thought I'd have to tell you about all this. So, I'm sorry I didn't say anything sooner." My mom wiped away more tears from her eyes.

"I can give you some time to think about it. Or maybe I could take Rollie on a tour to see if he likes it?" Jonathan offered.

That sounded too good to be true. But I didn't want to seem overexcited. "Uh, yeah, I think it would be great to see the place that apparently is my 'home,' but I'm not sure how well I'll fit in. How do the people dress?"

"You'll be fine. You'd be issued a cloak for your fire abilities upon being admitted to Attleton," Jonathan said.

"So, a school uniform?" I asked. I always hated the idea of school uniforms.

"Yes."

"That's strike one," I said and chuckled at my joke, but no one else seemed to find it humorous. "So, how do we even get there?"

"I have a capsule just outside that can take us to Lementum. From there, we'll get on a boat and sail to the island where you'd have your classes. You'd live on campus and learn how to use your power to the best of your ability," Jonathan said.

"Do they have football there?" I asked.

"No, I'm afraid we don't."

"Strike two," I said.

"Rollie," my mom said, pressing her hands together. "I think you'd actually really like Dragonstryke. Maybe more than you like football."

"I don't know; that seems unlikely."

"I've seen American sports. Trust me, they're not nearly as exciting as Dragonstryke," Jonathan said.

"So what would happen if I didn't go to this magical place, Lementum? That's the name, right?" I asked.

Jonathan thought about it for a few seconds. "I'm not really sure. Anyone with the mage ability I have brought to Lementum has never left. So long-term, it's hard to say because there's no data, but I know that your power will never develop in this world."

"What do you mean it wouldn't develop?"

"Well, right now, your hands just turn into flames. That's it. That's all your power has here. But in Lementum, especially at Attleton, where I work, we can educate you and build your skills to a point where you can shoot fireballs from your hands. And if you continue to excel, you can bring down fire from the sky. There's even more than that, but only a few people can reach the zenith of elemental power." Jonathan paused and stared at me. "Have I lost you yet?"

I was getting lost in daydreams of throwing fireballs. The idea made me feel like I had superpowers. "You haven't lost me. I hear you, loud and clear."

"So, what do we all think?" Jonathan asked.

I was chomping at the bit to tell him, yeah, let's go right now. It sounded like an exciting vacation. I'd get to miss school for at least a day, and I'd be exploring my superpower. But with how torn apart my mom was and how my dad frowned the whole conversation, it didn't seem right to show any enthusiasm.

"Let's say I were to go. Is it easy to get back to this world whenever I want?" I asked.

"It's time-consuming but relatively easy. Although you'd be going to Attleton and living on campus for the school year, there are breaks when you could return home. You know, for the autumn holiday break, winter holiday break, things like that," Jonathan said.

"Okay, cool," I said.

"I think it might be best if you gave us a moment to talk," my dad said.

"Please, take your time. If you don't mind, I'll wait on your porch." Jonathan bowed his head and stepped outside.

My dad's knee bounced up and down underneath the table. "Isn't one of you goin' to say somethin'?" He asked.

My mom shook her head, gazing at the table, still stuck in a daze.

I flicked my eyes back and forth between the two of them, not smiling nor frowning. My lips were just a flat crack.

"Fine, I guess I'll start first, then. Rollie, I don't know about all this. I don't think you should go. I think you should stay here," my dad said.

"Wait, Dad, are you serious? I can't even check it out and take a tour?"

"I don't want you going anywhere with that man. We have no idea who he is or if any of the crap he's spouting is real!"

"It's very real, Len," my mom said, taking a deep breath.

"Well, I've never heard about it until now. So I hope you can understand my reluctance," my dad raised his voice.

"I think you should at least let me check it out. I mean, it sounds like I have a superpower! And it sounds like I would finally fit in somewhere," I said.

"You're so worried about that, yet you dress like a punk and cry about not fitting in? Rollie, I think you're fine in this world. You just have to stop with the stupid mohawk, stupid clothes, and your stupid attitude! You need to start getting into focus! Plus, you have a superpower: throwing the football! Hello! Do you not remember your coach telling you the starting quarterback position is yours?" my dad was red in the face from hollering.

I wanted to scream back at him, but I refrained. Relaxing my shoulders and taking a moment to cool off, I knew what to say. "I want both of you to look at our lives. Do you know how much we argue and fight and scream?" I glared at them, and they just sat there staring at me. "I hate it! I hate being here. It sucks!" Taking a deep breath, I lowered my voice. "And what really sucks is that both of you can be nice sometimes, but most of the time, I'm on the verge of bashing my head off the wall. So can you see why this opportunity sounds a little appealing to me? As soon as I'm 18, I'm out the door of this house. You can bet on that. But waiting that long sounds like a nightmare."

My mom lowered her head and couldn't look me in the eye. My dad breathed loudly, scowling at me like a dragon.

"If neither of you will say anything, I'm gonna leave and see what this place is all about."

My mom nodded, tears coating her eyes. "Sure. I think it's good for you to see where you might belong. I wanted to stay there so bad, but I was an outcast." Her voice grew syrupy. "I just want what's best for you, Rollie. I'm sorry if that ever seemed lost. I'm so proud of you, and I love you so much. You've accomplished more than I did at your age." My mom trembled as the tears kept flowing.

"It's okay, Mom. I love you. I'm just going to take a tour and come back. Sound good?" I said.

My mom bobbed her head and smiled through the emotional pain.

"I still don't think this is a good idea. What about what I have to say?" my dad said.

"Len, just let him go. I don't want us to deter him or affect his decision. It's his to make," my mom said.

"Don't worry, I'll be back. I probably won't like it that much anyways. I love you, Dad," I said.

"I don't want you to go out with some stranger to this different land. It just doesn't feel right to me."

"Are you really not going to say it back?"

"I have nothing more to say to you." My dad stood up and marched out of the room.

"Wow. Maybe I won't come back then!" I yelled at him as he went past me.

The bedroom door slammed shut.

"Just go. Don't worry about us," my mom uttered.

"Can I at least give you a hug?" I said.

"Just go."

"Fine." I scoffed and left the house.

Jonathan was waiting for me on the porch sitting on a chair. He had a bright smile. "You ready?"

"Yes, sir."