Getting around the crowd entering the buses was a bit of tricky business. He wasn't the tallest kid there, and everyone seemed to assume everyone near them was going to their bus. But he was eventually able to squirm his way through the crowd and out to the other side where he shot off to where the cars gathered.

He stood beneath the shadow of the school as he looked for his car. Black, white, blue, beige–many different colors and shapes inched and then drove past. Finally, red came into view. Red in a familiar shape.

Henry walked as quickly as he could past the other children waiting to be picked up. After confirming the driver was indeed Dad Reginald, Henry hopped into the backseat, holding his backpack in his arms and quickly buckling his seatbelt. "Hello, Dad Reginald, Uncle Right!"

"Good afternoon. You seem calmer than this morning," Dad Reginald remarked.

Henry nodded. "Yeah! You'll never guess who I met!" Without giving Dad Reginald a second to consider, Henry exclaimed, "Charles and Ellie! They go here, too!"

"Charles and Ellie?" Dad Reginald echoed.

"They were the kids we met at Sandwich City," Henry said. "So, uh, since it's the first day of school, none of the teachers assigned any homework. But, uh… Ellie said she, Charles, and Joan–one of their friends from school, we met at lunch–are going over to her house tonight. I know I wouldn't be able to go tonight. But I was wondering if maybe later?"

Dad Reginald put on a weird look which could be described as concentration, but Henry wasn't sure. Uncle Right shot Dad Reginald a look. Eventually, Dad Reginald said, "That isn't a good idea. You may know those children a little, but neither you nor I or Right Hand Man know anything beyond what they have said to you."

Henry hummed and thought on the words. "Well… what if you meet them? O-or meet their parents?"

"…we will look into it, see who their parents truly are," Dad Reginald said. "But until then, no."

Henry frowned but nodded. "Okay. But they're really nice. You might even like them! Charles said he wanted to be a pilot when he grew up. Everyone's banned from Ellie's house because everyone else's parents knows she gets into a lot of trouble. She knows how to play by her own rules. Charles doesn't, but that's okay."

He wasn't excited about school, but he couldn't wait to go back and meet his friends. Maybe there would be a time when they could all meet up. Well, obviously. Dad Reginald and Uncle Right would see that Charles' family was probably just as great as Charles and they could hang out!

"Absolutely not, Henry," Dad Reginald stated as they walked to dinner together.

"What? Why?"

"Charles' parents are third generation air force. He lives at the military base," Dad Reginald explained. "There is absolutely no way you will be going there."

"What about Ellie?"

"We are still talking about her. But I don't want you associating too much with Charles," Dad Reginald stated. "Anything you tell him, he could tell his parents, just like you told us about him. His head is full of ideas that the government gave him. He won't be a good influence on you. If the government found out who you were, they'd attempt to use you as bait or ransom or a message. You can never trust them."

Henry pouted. "But Charles is great! He's fun to be around and he's cheerful. He makes things that are scary not scary anymore, just like magic! And he always has the greatest plans. He understands what I'm trying to say, e-even if I can't say it. He'd never do anything like that! Ellie's great, too; she knows what's what and she makes sure everyone else does, too."

For just the slightest moment, Henry could see Dad Reginald hesitate. But the moment was gone so quickly he might have imagined it. "Henry, I said no. Those friends will be nothing but trouble for you."

Henry crossed his arms. "Nothing but trouble for me or for you? They never did anything wrong and you're judging them for their parents!"

Dad Reginald and Uncle Right both stopped and turned to him. "Henry Stickmin, don't take that tone with me."

Henry dug his heels into the ground. "W-well, you're not making any sense! And, and you don't know them! You've never met them! How could you say those things?"

"You don't know them, either," Dad Reginald crossed. "You have known them for a day, just a few hours. Their presence could become a threat to the clan."

Henry wrinkled his nose and kept his glare. "Nuh-uh. Charles would never do that, and neither would Ellie! I've only known them for a day, but I only knew you for about an hour before I started trusting you both! You said that you trusted me to make good choices, and I am making a good choice!"

"I just told you why befriending a military brat is not a good idea," Dad Reginald crossed, his tone crossing much farther into a warning.

"He's not a military brat!" Henry spat. "He's just a kid, like me!"

"No, he's not like you," Dad Reginald chided. "He was raised with the grand idea that the government is supposed to be some great establishment that, if it did away with us, would make the world a grand orderly utopia. Their existence is a threat to our kind."

"Humph. Our kind," Henry grunted. "Well if you really think that your kind is so important, maybe you should drop me off back at the orphanage with all the other unwanted little pests because your kind is so great and sophisticated and–"

"Henry Stickmin," Dad Reginald cut him off and threw his hand to point down the hall. "Go to your room, now."

Henry recoiled and lost his snarl. Oh. Oh no. He tried to say something, but he was cut off.

"You will go sit in your room until you learn how to behave properly."

Henry swallowed and wrinkled his nose. "F-fine! Have fun with your real friends without me making a mess!" Henry stalked back toward his room, crossing his arms so tight he could suffocate himself, clenching his teeth so hard his breath could hardly go through them, ignoring the stinging in his eyes. Once he got to his room, it took a hit or two for the door to open.

He plopped down on his bed and curled his legs up so his knees touched his chest. He tore off his shoes and chucked them in the general direction of the closet. Henry loved the clan, he did, but he didn't get to choose who his friends were. No one here was his age, no one understood. But then he finds someone who does, some kids who knew what he was feeling and shared his interests, and suddenly he couldn't be friends with them? Because of their parents? Well, at least when he was in the orphanage, he didn't have parents to disapprove of him or his choice in association. Though, he didn't really associate with too many people.

Henry glanced at the other side of the room where his scooter leaned on the wall. He touched the card on a lanyard around his neck. …a ride outside. He could do a lap around the outside, clear his head.

Well, no. He was supposed to be in his room. Dad Reginald would just be even more mad and disappointed in Henry if Henry left his room without being told he could come out. Then they would yell at each other again and then he would just feel even worse. Dad Reginald was always so nice to him. He and Uncle Right were great. They believed in him when no one else did. They brought him to a new life, a better life. Dad Reginald was just being unreasonable. He would get over it, and he would see what Henry was seeing and then he would approve of it. After all, Dad Reginald got to have friends that were like him, so why couldn't Henry? Dad Reginald and Uncle Right were best friends, and barely ever left each other's side. They were really happy about it. So why couldn't Henry be happy like that? Why didn't Dad Reginald want him to be happy like that?

Bah. He was just going to mope and be miserable. That's just what adults wanted kids to feel when they disagreed. So, Henry reached under his bed and brought out his pillowcase. Within, he found his Gameboy and started it up. It only had half battery, but that was fine. Whatever. He could still play it.

Henry lost himself to distraction, ignoring his hunger and the pain in his chest. He wiped his face off with the sleeve of his shirt and ignored his own sniffling.

Eventually, through a fog, he could hear footsteps. Henry turned off his Gameboy, stuck it under his bed, and rushed into the bathroom, where he locked the door and turned on the shower. He curled up under the sink, wrapping his arms around his folded legs. There was a knock on the bedroom door, but the noise was drowned out by the hissing of the shower.

The door opened, and footsteps entered. "Hey, little buddy?" Howie called through the door. "Ah didn't see ya at dinner. Everythin' alright?"

"Yeah," Henry called back.

"Alright. Thought it was a bit odd 'sall. Anyone troublin' ya at school?"

"No."

"Great! Well, uh, Ah'll stop talking to ya through the shower, now."

Henry chuckled and hiccupped. Howie was great. He was a true friend. It felt wrong lying to him, but at the same time it felt worse thinking about worrying him. It wasn't his fault Dad Reginald was just plain unreasonable, or how Henry was so good at screwing up.

Henry gathered some of the falling water in his hands and washed off his face. He once heard one of the girls at the orphanage saying that cold water made puffy eyes go away faster, and others agreed. So, there must be some merit to that claim.

Henry got up and looked at himself in the mirror. He was back to his light, rounded, bright-eyed self. Sorta.

He started to turn off the water when he heard a knock at the door. It wasn't at the bathroom door, thankfully. Still, Henry retracted his hand and listened.

"Howdy, Reginald," Howie greeted.

"Hello, Howie. May I talk to Henry?"

"O' course! Ahh, well, he's in the shower right now, so maybe not. Hey, was he with ya at dinner? Ah didn't see him."

"No, he wasn't. What did he say?"

"He said he was okay. Ahh, he didn't really elaborate. He was in the shower, an' Ah remembered it's kinda awkward talkin' to people in the shower. Do ya want me to tell him you were lookin' for him or do ya wanna wait here 'til he gets out…?"

"Yes, yes, I'll wait here."

Henry let out a quiet sigh, silent beneath the running water. Let's make this quick.

He turned off the shower and dried off his hands. Wait. He should have brought new clothes in with him. Stupid!

Eventually, Henry pushed open the door and looked out into his room. Howie was partially in his closet, ruffling through the clothes and plucking out his pajamas. His hat hung on the hook beside his bed. Dad Reginald sat on Henry's bed, looking at the bare walls around him.

When Henry left the bathroom, both pairs of eyes turned on him. Howie grinned. "Howdy, Henry!"

"Hello, Henry," Dad Reginald greeted him.

"Hello."

A short silence later, encouraged by Howie who looked between them with a sudden look of understanding and then awkwardly took his hat and scuttled out the door, Dad Reginald said, "Henry, we have been talking. I know that school will be good for you. But those kids you associate with aren't good influences." Here we go. "However, we do trust you and know that a good friendship is important. So, though you will not be visiting with Charles at his house, you may keep your friendship with him. Perhaps, once we get to know the Rose family better, it may be appropriate to let you visit there."

Henry's eyes lit up and he had to force himself to keep from grinning, though it was a difficult fight he was obviously losing. "Really?"

Dad Reginald smiled a little at that. "Yes." His smile left him. "Now, you still were disrespectful, so you're staying in your room until tomorrow, when you go to school."

Henry nodded seriously. "I understand."

"Good. Now, why are you wearing the same clothes now that you were wearing this afternoon before your shower?"

Dangit. "I forgot to get my pajamas," Henry admitted.

"Well, get dressed in clean clothes, then. Goodnight, Henry."

"Goodnight, Dad Reginald!"

With that, Henry had the room to himself.

Still feeling a little petty, Henry ignored his closet and searched under his bed for his Gameboy.