Five and a half hours had passed since Dre and Megumi made it to the Gladestone house. They spent it mostly in silence, with the exception of Megumi's laughter at Dre dying in Super Mario Brothers.

"You 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," Dre spoke in a jokingly angry tone.

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

"Who asked what level it is?" Dre'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, Dre. As in popular throughout the school."

"I know what well known means, Megumi. What I meant was how they were popular," Dre 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 was told, my granddaddy was a 'Nature Sage' or something like that. He was a very 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 Mew-Mew went."

"Mew-Mew?"

"Yeah. She's my little kitten. She's probably in the living room or something. Come with me. I'm getting hungry."

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

They made their way out into the hallway, which still smelled like marijuana, and into the living room, where both Dre 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 comfortably 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 Dre 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."

The academy? Humans? Why did she call them "Humans"? And what is this academy that their parents wanted to show them? The confusion that Dre felt had multiplied ten-fold as he whispered 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 Dre.

"Yeah, but you know the 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, just about any Human 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 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 that would be hazardous to his health and his behind, so he willed himself to stay perched behind Megumi. "Hey, Megumi-" Dre 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, "That has got to be the stupidest conclusion that I've ever heard."

Dre opened his mouth to speak in defense, until he heard his mom ask Raheem to get the kids. Megumi cursed under her breath as she dragged Dre back into her room. They quietly rushed back inside as 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 Dre, its spine hitting him in between his eyebrows.

Dre 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 ya'll some more alone time," he said with a smirk. His face immediately hardened as he said, "Come in the living room. We've got something that we need to explain to ya'll."

"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 Ian broke a lamp when they decided to wrestle in the living room. Whatever it is, it can't be good.