Why couldn't he have a brother? He'd even tolerate a sister at this point! It was tough being an only kid sometimes. Yeah, all this parental love directed solely at him! Shawn rolled his eyes. As if! And really, was a sibling all that much to ask for? He knew how it worked; heck- going to the grocery store for a carton of milk took longer than that! Kicking at a dirt clod, Shawn let himself drop into a sitting position. It was getting pretty hot out, but he couldn't go inside until he was finished. Wiping sweat off his brow, the young boy finally pulled himself back to his feet. A couple more scoops from the shovel and the hole was filled. Carefully, he patted the area flat with the heel of his shoe. Next door, he could hear the sounds of the moving truck pulling away. He remembered his father saying something about new neighbors, and there had been mention of a boy his age, but at the time, Shawn had been distracted by the television. Now though, as he smoothed a toe over his work, it occurred to him that close friends could be almost as good as siblings for certain situations. And actually, he thought he remembered his dad saying he should introduce himself.

Well, he wasn't one to ever disobey his father! He snorted loudly.

The sound of the back door sliding open startled him, and he quickly ditched the shovel by the side of the house. Rubbing his filthy palms on the seat of his pants, he wandered stealthily towards the front door… and ran smack into his father, glaring down at him thunderously.

"Shawn!"

"Eeeep! Dad!" He grasped his chest, breathing in sharply. How did his father do that!? Oh, right- mom… she must have been the one he heard out back. He could have smacked his forehead for his stupidity. "So…. How's it goin'?" He inquired lightly. His father just continued to glare, his gaze unblinking.

Shawn cleared his throat, looking down to study his nails. Hmm, they looked like they could use a good cleaning…

"Shawn."

He looked up again, shading his eyes a little in the sun. "Yeah dad?"

"Son, what happened to your mother's glass bird?"

Shawn scratched the back of his head. "Mom has a glass bird?"

"Shawn…"

"SHAWN HENRY SPENCER!" The screech from the back yard completely cut off anything his father was going to say.

He whipped his head around feeling his heartbeat speed up. There was no way this could end well. Pivoting his head back towards his father, Shawn gulped deeply. "Dad, it's not my fault!"

"Oh really Shawn? And who else could it be?"

Why did he have to be an only child, why, why, wh…. Wait… He screwed his eyes shut, a shred of hope blending with the sound of a young laugh next door. Suddenly, his eyes opened again, a newfound confidence straightening his shoulders.

"I didn't do it dad, it's not my fault!" He glanced at the fence separating their property from their new neighbors. "I hate to be a tattletale dad… but it was Gus!"