Disclaimer: I do not own American Dragon: Jake Long, and I am not Buddha.

Author's Note: First: I AM NOT BUDDHA! I'M NOT DEAD! Second, I really have to thank tuxer, Dragon Lover and Lone Wolf102 for reviewing and asking for an update. To Dragon Lover: Rotwood isn't greedy or anything. He just wants, I don't know, reassurance that he isn't crazy. He does respect magical creatures, but not everyone does. Rotwood is going to be smarter about magical creatures in this story, seeing as how he has had multiple opportunities to… study them up close. So, here it is; chapter 2.

I gritted my teeth and clenched my hands. I couldn't help myself; every fiber in my being made me want to charge at him and knock his face in. This is probably why shrinks and therapists always encourage self-control. So you don't go and get yourself into trouble. Well, in the last few weeks, I had to practice some serious self-control, or else I would put everyone, my entire family at risk. Mom and dad, they weren't dragons. Mom was descended from them, but she didn't have any of their abilities.

I reached into my pocket and pulled out a stress ball. I found the little thing so useful on days like these. None of the teachers minded either. Everything had become so stressful lately that almost everyone had one, squeezing it instead of letting it go on other people. So they wouldn't make a mistake and trip up everything. I squeezed the orange starfish, stalking past Rotwood. He was trying to figure out the best way to pull down the dragon skin from the top of the flag pole. I almost let a deep growl out when I passed him, but I managed to choke it back in. Losing my cool wouldn't help anyone.

Still, my blood boiled with anger and I hardly noticed that everyone stayed away from me in school. Even Brad, the school bully, cowered when I walked by. Why, I didn't care. When I came to my locker, I brought my hand up to spin the dial, and saw why no one would come near me. I was holding the starfish stress ball in my hand, and I had to force my fingers apart so I could get a better look at it. The thing had been ripped in half, and I hadn't noticed. I had actually tried to rip one in half a few years ago, but they're pretty tough. I swallowed; I was afraid I might have given myself away. I decided not to dwell on it too ling and unlocked my locker, exchanging my books in my bag with those in my locker for the beginning of school.

Rotwood shouldered the door open, drawing everyone's gazes to the door. I had a sinking feeling in my stomach, so I was rather sure he had gotten that dragon skin down, either by himself or with the aid of a student. It looked like he had a rug under his arm, but was dripping. I felt sickened by this man, by this world. World War II was nothing compared to this.

"This, my students, is proof of a dragon," Rotwood began with a flourish.

He waved the rug out like a bed sheet and several students made noises of disgust. It was the dragon skin, and I got a better look of it than I wanted. The scales were a light green, like the color of grass in May, and rather small. So the dragon wasn't very old, maybe eight years old. I felt my eyes tear up slightly. That's how old Hayley is.

"Dragons are the most powerful creatures of all, generally regarded to be protectors of the magical world. All dragons posses a rare form of magic, one that has aided them in hiding from humans for many years," Rotwood drawled. He lay the skin down on his desk, ignoring the blood staining the papers and wood. "They can shape shift themselves into humans." There was a mixed outcry at those words, and I felt, rather than saw, Spud raise his hand. "Yes, Mr. Spudinski?"

"Well," Spud said, lowering his hand so he could rub his neck, "if dragons can become humans, doesn't hat mean they are humans?"

The class became quiet, waiting to hear Rotwood's answer. Rotwood himself seemed to realize that his answer was important. I perked my head up; depending on Rotwood said, it could turn the tides on this war. He could single-handedly stop it, f he said the right thing. I crossed my fingers and pleaded that he would say that dragons were humans. 'If he does,' I internally pleaded, 'I will do my homework and study for the rest of the year, no, my entire life with no complaints.'

"No," he bluntly said. "Dragons can make themselves appear to be human. This is only a part of their magic, and does not truly make them human."

I felt myself go from elated and hopeful to disappointed to furious in seconds. I barely stopped myself from leaping over my desk and throttling the man. I took a deep breath instead and squished what was left of my starfish. It didn't work as well since the foam was ripped, but it was better than breaking my pencil.

"Since I have a dragon skin, thanks to an anonymous donator who tied it to the school flagpole, today's lesson will be on dragons." Rotwood pulled down a sheet above the whiteboard. The sheet showed the anatomical makeup of an average dragon. I shivered when I saw the pictures; that was a closer look than I wanted. "This lesson will take a week's time to cover, and will be split into sections. Here are your papers."

Rotwood handed out worksheets and notes out to the class. After everyone was settled, he went into a lecture on a dragon's skeleton. I skimmed the notes and was baffled. How did Rotwood get so much information on dragons? Before, he thought their claws glowed in the dark and the scales smelled of lavender. What happened to that clueless teacher?

"You may now work on chapter one in your worksheets. Any work that is not finished in class will be homework, and is due tomorrow. You may all work in pairs or in groups of three."

While Rotwood distracted himself with his new find, I talked with Trixie and Spud about the war. Before I allowed myself to get too engrossed, I took a last glance at Rotwood. He was sitting in his seat, looking down at the dragon hide. One hand was in his pal, with his elbow on the desk. If that was anyone but Rotwood, I would have said they looked sad. Regretful, even. I tuned back into what Trixie was saying.

"I think it's pointless," Trixie lamented. "I mean, it's not like they're killing everyone or anything, right?" I nodded in agreement while Spud pored over the paper. "Yo Spud, what do you think?"

"'An insincere and evil friend is to be more feared than a wild beast; a wild beast may wound your body, but an evil friend will wound your mind.'" Spud saw us looking at him.

"What? Have you been watching too much TV again?" I asked.

"No. It just means that a bad friend will hurt you in more lasting ways than an animal will."

I felt sheepish when I heard that. Was I being an evil friend? I was hiding a pretty big secret from my two best friends. But if I told them, I could put my family in danger. Which was more important; family, or friends?

Trixie seemed to notice and shook me out of my pity party. "Jakie, is there something wrong?" I shook my head slowly, getting my thoughts together.

"No, I'm okay." My voice was slightly thick, so I swallowed and said "I'm going to get started on this. I can't afford another detention; my mom said she'd ground me for a month if I get another F or a detention."

Spud didn't look convinced, but he did look concerned. He didn't say anything except some consoling words to Trixie, convincing her to relax. I would thank him later; right now, I needed to figure out what I was. Was I a good friend or an evil one; was I a human or a dragon? Or was I something in between, neither one nor the other, always stuck at the boundaries? I could feel that these questions were more important than ever. So, they begged to be answered; what am I?