"Hello?" I called as I walked into the hangar while untangling my hair from the catastrophic state it was in, courtesy of the hurricane winds outside. I was humming with anticipation of what we were doing today. I loved flying in crazy wind.

"Over here!" Uncle Thomas called back. I followed his voice to the helipad, where he was refuelling his machine. He looked up at me and grinned as I approached.

"Happy Fourth of July!"

"Yeah, happy Fourth of July," I replied with less enthusiasm.

"Ready for some flying?" He asked, setting the jerrycan down. I smiled and nodded.

"Oh yeah. What are we gonna do with this hurricane weather?" Uncle Tom reached into the pilot seat and tossed me my helmet. I grinned before he even spoke.

"Navigating and landing in extreme winds."

••• 影の秘密 •••

"Little close on the tail end," Uncle Tom warned, his voice in my ear. I inched forward before setting the copter down on the helipad. The strong winds kept the blades turning until the helipad descended into the hangar and we escaped the outdoors. He looked over at me with a huge smile.

"That was really good." I could already hear his voice above the propellers as they steadily came to rest. I smiled back.

"Wind like this is always fun." He shook his head win wonder.

"I don't get how you almost fly better in weather like this than a clear day." I just shrugged and pulled my helmet off, smoothing my hair. I hopped out and placed my helmet back on my seat. Uncle Thomas came around the helicopter, his brown hair wild from wearing his helmet. I nodded in approval.

"That's some nice hair."

"It has a mind of it's own." He chuckled and ran his fingers through it. "What do you and Olivia have planned for tonight? Doing anything to celebrate?" My hands strayed to my hoodie pockets.

"Nope. Liv's working late so I'll probably go make and mess in the kitchen for her to come home too." I grinned.

"When's she going to be back?"

"Around eleven."

"That's enough time to go for dinner. Does she like The Smith? You can bring something back for her." He started walking toward the connected garage and I followed.

"Sure, sounds good." I hid my awe at the sight of his obviously new BMW. He glanced over at me.

"Like it?"

"Yeah, it's...really pretty," I said, unable to think of anything else to describe it. I mean, I wasn't a vehicle person in any way, but I knew enough to know that it was insanely expensive and luxurious. He grinned.

"Hop in." I climbed into the passenger seat of his incredibly pristine BMW. I felt way to underdressed to be in it, but Uncle Tom wore only jeans and a leather jacket, plus his unkempt hair. He started the car and zoomed out of the garage.

"So what classes are you taking this year?" He glanced over at me. I felt like I was in a scene from Fast and Furious and some speed demon would come challenge us to a street race out of the blue, but it never happened.

"Uhm, well I'm taking Physics 10, obviously. And a general science, then Math 10-1, English 10-2 and Social 10-2. Then for options I'm taking Spanish, Art and Home Ec."

"Spanish? How do you say I'm a nerd?" I grinned.

"Soy un nerd."

"Really? That sounds easy. How do you say my uncle is awesome?"

"Mi tío es grande." He frowned.

"So when I'm asking for a grande coffee at Starbucks, I'm asking for an awesome coffee?"

"No, grande means big."

"So you called me big?" I sighed inwardly.

"No, it has two meanings, big and great." He raised his eyebrows.

"Oh so you downgraded me?"

"I don't know what awesome is in Spanish, Tío." I rolled my eyes. "Mi tío es vanidoso."

"What does that mean?" I shrugged. "Hey! What'd you say about me?" He demanded.

"My uncle is wise."

"Oh," A grin split his face, "I am very vanidoso." I nodded, holding back my laugh.

"Very."

"So any progress in making friends?" I snorted.

"The last friends I had where the ones in Arizona. And that was when making friends was like 'hey we both like tigers, let's be best friends.'" He laughed.

"Grade sixes aren't like that, you're thinking of grade twos."

"Oh even better, I haven't had friends since grade two." He waved his hand.

"Nah, I bet you have friends. You just don't think you do."

"I...have acquaintances," I decided. Uncle Tom chuckled.

"Friends don't usually last very long in high school anyways. As long as you have your family around, nobody really needs friends. It helps you to focus on school, which is why you're so smart." I grinned.

"That makes me feel better."

••• 影の秘密 •••

Uncle Tom held the door open for me as we left The Smith with satisfied stomachs and a packaged pasta and vegetable dinner for Olivia.

"Thank you so much for dinner," I said, stopping just outside the restaurant's entrance. He smiled.

"Anytime, I didn't want to let you go home and wait there for you sister alone." I shrugged, glancing around at the dark streets flooded with colourful lights.

"I can play loud music when she's not around." He laughed and pulled his jacket closer around him. He tilted his head toward his car, parked a few feet away.

"I can give you a ride back." I shook my head.

"No, I'll be fine. It's not a very long walk." He glanced across the street, at the spectrum of colours, brighter against the dark backsplash.

"I know, but it's late. There can be some sketchy people out right now." I rolled my eyes.

"Okay, I think we both know I've learned my lesson about alleyways. Plus, It's not like anyone weird is gonna be out tonight, there's a million people out celebrating. Aaaand, I think you'll be proud to hear that I successfully escaped a potential mugging yesterday." Uncle Thomas freaked.

"What!? What happened!? Are you alright!?"

Oops. That may have been the wrong thing to say.

"What? I'm fine, I'm fine. Don't worry." I laughed lightly.

"Raiya, what happened?"

"I was testing out one of my theories. And I was like ninety-nine percent sure it was gonna work, but it didn't so I mean I obviously had a plan just in case so I was prepared and I'm fine, seriously. And I've seen Miss Congeniality a million times, I know what I'm doing. I am feared." I grinned, but he didn't seem overly impressed.

"I'm driving you," he decided, but, being the stubborn person I was, I stood my ground.

"Uncle Tom, I'm serious. The streets are gonna be cramped. Anyways, it's like a five minute walk and I've been cooped up in the apartment all summer so far," I begged, party lying. It was more like a fifteen minute walk. He sighed, and raked his fingers through his hair in thought. I didn't wait for a response, I just waved and started to walk off.

"Bye! Thanks again for dinner!"

"Be careful!" He called back. I turned and grinned as I walked.

I'm always careful.

AN: Okay but I actually know like nothing about helicopter flying, so cut me some slack haha.