Chapter Two – Arrival
Dylan sat with Jacob the whole plane ride to California, and Jacob was amazed by Dylan's game – Pokemon Sapphire. Whenever Dylan would win a Pokemon battle, or even attack, Jacob would bounce around with exclamations all over the place.
"You're an excited little fella, aren't you?" Dylan smiled.
When the plane touched down in beautiful Sandy Springs California – a small community completely disconnected from the entire California movie-star area – Dylan watched as everyone got off the plane. Nobody claimed Jacob. Nobody even really noticed the two.
"I don't believe this. Nobody is picking you up…" Dylan watched as they closed the gateway to the plane.
"Told ya so!" Jacob said.
Dylan sat down to try to figure out what to do about his current situation. Upon sitting, a book fell out the bookbag he was wearing. Jacob reached to pick the book up, but then jumped four feet into the air with a huge smile on his face!
"OH! I forgot!" Jacob reached around and untied the rope on his back that Dylan had assumed to just be a homemade belt.
With the string untied, a large book fell from Jacob's back – it had been tied to him.
"This is yours now!" He handed the big print to Dylan.
"Mine?" He inspected the book's cover. It was a dark orange color – almost the same as Jacob's eyes. On the book was a black design made up of triangles and circles, and some characters at the top that were unfamiliar to Dylan.
"Your supposed to read the inside, I think" Jacob murmured, not really paying attention.
"Wish I could, but the darn thing wont open!" Dylan was pulling the cover up with much force, but it stuck as if glued down by an unseen force.
Jacob turned around, "Your supposed to read the inside when the time comes."
"Now you tell me!" Dylan said, out of breath, "This is the weirdest day of my life. Come on."
Dylan got up and walked out of the airport, Jacob following close behind, his attention still on a boy across the lobby playing a video card game on his own Nintendo DSi.
"Why is your smaller than that boy's?" Jacob asked Dylan.
"That boy obviously doesn't have a college to save up for, and spent his money on a newer game system." Dylan said, proudly.
"College? Moneys?" Jacob asked, completely oblivious to most of Dylan's words.
Dylan turned around with a serious look on his face, "Okay. Seriously. Your really starting to freak me out…"
"Sorry, Dylan. I've just never heard those words before…humans are different than me…" Jacob looked down.
Dylan kneeled down and tipped Jacob's little face up, "Now listen. I want you to know that if you are playing some kind of huge joke on me, I want you to tell me right now. But if your being absolutely serious…"
"Dylan, you're my best friend. My only friend. I don't joke about friendship." Jacob said, with a serious smile on his face.
Dylan smiled back and continued walking.
"So where are we gonna go now?" Jacob asked in his regular cheerful voice.
"To my cousin Victor's house. You'll like him – he's got tons of video games!" Dylan explained.
"Oooh! Where is his home at? Let's go there now!" Jacob started bouncing around.
Dylan laughed, "He actually doesn't live too far from the airport, that's why he didn't pick me up there…though it would have been nicer than walking down the street…"
"Street…this is the street. Got it!" Jacob was proud to be learning.
"Well technically, we're on the sidewalk. The black part is-oh nevermind…" Dylan decided to let Jacob have his pride.
After about five more minutes of walking, Dylan stopped in front of a mailbox beside a paved driveway. The house it connected to was beautiful! White and burgundy all around.
Dylan smiled, "This is where we'll be staying for the summer. Summer is when-"
"Oh I know summer!" Jacob cut Dylan off, "We have that at my home too!"
"So you must have Winter, Spring, and Autumn as well?" Dylan asked.
"Well, we just call it Fall, cuz of all the falling leaves!" Jacob closed his eyes to think about the beautiful browns and oranges and yellows and reds of the Fall-time.
They had now reached the front door of Victor's house. Dylan knocked six times and they waited a moment. Soon afterwards, the door opened to reveal a smiling boy who looked a little younger than Dylan.
"Dylan your finally here!" The boy said, smiling.
"Yeah, well…my plane had to make an early landing…" Dylan explained.
"Sorry!" Jacob said.
"It's okay." Dylan told him, "Oh Victor! This is my new friend, Jacob!"
"Nice to meet you, man!" Victor told Jacob, "Come on in, you guys!"
The three of them walked into the kitchen.
"Anything new lately?" Dylan asked Victor.
"Um…well I won a contest and got a new laptop…" Victor started, "I beat that game that we worked on last time you were here…"
"Games!" Jacob exclaimed.
"…And I made a friend that fell from the sky. Oh yeah, are you guys hungry?"
"No thanks, we ate on the plane. It was – wait. Did you say you made a friend that came from the sky?!?!" Dylan asked, not sure if he had heard his cousin correctly.
"Oh yeah! I forgot to tell you about that…" Victor turned to the hallway and called out, "Hey Tanjit, com here!"
Dylan looked at Jacob with an look that said, 'What's he talking about?!?!'
But Jacob had a different face. Very different. Jacob's face was full of excitement. Jacob's face was more full of excitement, that he could barely breath!
Small, soft footsteps came from the hallway to which Victor had called, and a small boy emerged.