Chapter 6: Eight Years Later
"Take that, Dragon!" Teenage girl Haley Long heard from her little brother's bedroom. Out of fear that Eric had finally embraced his Huntsclan heritage and was somehow keeping a dragon as a captive, she barged into his bedroom to find him… playing a game at his computer. "What's up, Sis?" Eric asked Haley after pausing the game.
"Uh, I heard something about a dragon and…" Haley awkwardly tried to say.
"And you thought there was one here?" Eric asked in surprise. "Come on, Sis, everybody except that crazy Middle School Principal you and Jake used to have knows dragons don't exist. If he's still at Millard Fillmore Middle School by the time I become a middle-schooler, I'll talk Mom and Dad into enrolling me at another school."
"Oh, yeah." Haley meekly said. "Everybody knows dragons don't exist." She then left the room while cursing herself for not being a better liar than her elder brother Jake. Upon arriving at the living room, she's noticed by her Dad. "What's wrong, sweetie?" He asked.
"I almost slipped things to Eric." Haley answered and then went into details. "All those years and you're still worried?" Jonathan Long asked. "I remember back when you wore your hair in pigtails instead of this ponytail and wore a lighter shade of pink. Sometimes I wish the Council didn't want us to hide the dragon stuff from Eric. It's probably just a matter of time before he finds out anyway."
"The Dragon Council takes secrecy seriously, Dad." Haley replied. "It was on their insistence we never told you about us even before knowing you were a… well, Huntsclan member."
"Don't worry." Jonathan assured her. "I'm not telling him anything. For now." He then heard the telephone ring. "Long residence! Jonathan speaking."
'Dad, it's me!' Jonathan heard from the other side.
"Jakers? What's up, Mr. College man?" Jonathan was happy for hearing about his first-born.
'Dad, they're bug-spraying the dorm so I'll need a place to spend the weekend on. Is home ok for that?' Jake asked.
"Sure thing, son." Jonathan gladly answered. "You can share a room with Eric."
'Thank you, Dad. Bye.'
After hanging up the phone, Jonathan explains the situation to Haley. "You tell Eric while I tell your Mom." He added.
Meanwhile, at campus, Jake Long was readying himself to leave for the weekend. "So, you're spending your weekend at your parents'?" Spud asked.
"Yeah, Spud." Jake answered. "What about you?"
"One of my buddies at the science club invited me over." Spud replied. "Too bad my parents were travelling or I'd have joined them for the weekend."
"Lucky Trixie decided to attend medical school elsewhere." Jake commented.
Back at the Long household, Susan and Eric were just told the good news. "That's wonderful!" Susan exclaimed. "I missed Jake so much ever since he went to college."
"He's not that gone, Mom." Eric replied. "He works at Gramps' electronics shop to pay for his college education."
"It's not the same as having him home, Eric." His mother said.
End chapter. Sorry it's so short.
