So, sorry for leaving you in suspense. And no, I don't intend to ship OCs. Not just yet. And excuse me if my avatars are a tad OOC. They're partly magic, after all.

But here we go! I hope you enjoy this!

That announcement had me worried. Right away.

No one likes getting in trouble. It's a thing. But I was extra worried because, ahem, I had some things I hadn't told my parents. Had they found out about my latest prank? Or had they found out about the Porsche incident somehow and were waiting for me to elaborate on it? Or had they figured out the truth of my "visits to Miriam"?

"What's going on?" I asked Jeb.

"I don't know. She didn't give specifics."

Great. I was in trouble, and I didn't know what for.

"What's going on?" Benny asked. "What happened?"

"I have to go, Benny," I said. "I'll see you later." Assuming there was a later, because I was pretty sure Mama was about to kill me.

I grabbed my satchel and headed back up to the house.

On my way, I spotted the smoke again. It was moving in a direct way – tapering from the head, like a smoking missile – which could only mean one thing.

"Shadow!" I hollered. "I said not to follow me!"

The smoke still followed me. Of course it did. Shadow was notorious for his stubborn streak, even in the games. But this was really getting old. If he kept this up, I didn't care that he was an avatar, I'd call the police on him. There are laws about stalking, you know.

As I bolted up the streets to my house, I caught the kids from earlier. One was still humming "Three Little Birds." But for the most part, they seemed to acknowledge that I had more pressing matters to deal with, as they backed out of my way.

"Thank you for your appreciation," I murmured.

While I was musing over what sort of trouble I'd gotten in this time, I discovered something out of place at my house. A pink bicycle. I didn't own anything like that, so at first, I thought Daniel had filched some little girl's bike and blamed me for it. But then I saw the Uglydolls stickers on the frame – and the Trolls decor on the spokes – and I knew I was doomed.

There was only one person I knew with a bike like that – and she wore stuffies on her waist.

I muttered a Yiddish curse that Mama would've washed my mouth out with soap for and picked up the pace.

There could be only one explanation for Miriam's presence at my house – she had, in fact, been serious about meeting me, and when she hadn't found me anywhere, she'd gone there, assuming I was staying out in my bedroom. If she had let it slip to my parents that she hadn't seen me in forever…

How could I have been so careless?

I walked up to the door and rapped out a knock – different from what I normally used. I was afraid to use my old Anna-Elsa knock, in case they started yelling at me when they opened the door.

"Amos!" Mama shouted as she opened the door.

"I'm coming, Mama," I said, in my best "responsible" voice. "Is something the matter?"

"There you are!" Uh-oh. I'd know that little-girl squeak anywhere. Miriam was on the couch in the living room, playing with what looked like one of the stuffed animals from her belt. Typical. She also held onto said plushie's neck like she was on the verge of strangling it. If she was attacking her own toys, you knew she was really, really ticked off.

"Miriam," I said, trying to calm her down. "I was with Uncle Jeb. You know, family. Isn't that important? And I thought you were joking about the whole Studio Six Two meeting!"

"That's not even the problem," Papa said sternly.

Oh, man. I knew I was busted before he said a word. If it wasn't my ghosting her right now, today, it was my consistent white lies. She must've let it slip, she had to.

"What is going on, Amos?" Mama demanded. "Miriam came over here saying she didn't see you around her place. I told her you were with my brother –"

"Okay, Mama, I know Miriam. She's a little stubborn. It takes two people to get that through to her."

Mama frowned. "Thing is, when I tried to tell her, she then started rambling at me. Frantic. I told her to calm down, but then she lost it completely, and said something else to me."

Oy, no.

"She said she hadn't seen you all summer. And yet you said you were hanging out with her. Is there something else you're not telling me?"

I knew it. I was busted. I felt like a huge gravity field of guilt had come down on me, Rouge-style – heavy, hard, and paralyzing.

"I really don't appreciate being lied to, Amos," Papa scolded me. "I'd like to know what's going on –"

"You know, I thought you didn't care about me that much," I said. "Didn't you call me a troublemaker?"

"Not like that –"

"Little Moses in the Nile." Mama's ejaculation cut off any explanation Papa might've had. "What is that?"

Oh, man. Sure enough, Shad's smoke had followed me in.

"Shadow," I said in a low whisper, "you can't come in here."

The smoke didn't leave. Of course not.

"Amos, I didn't think you were listening in the van," Papa said in a tone of voice that was more appropriate for soothing a wounded dog. "That's not what I meant to tell José."

"It's what I heard," I retorted.

The smoke doubled around and shifted positions to a less crowded area. Mama's eyes followed it.

If he wasn't presently in his smoky form, I would've smacked Shadow, invulnerability or no. He was really pushing it right now. He'd stalked me, left a note to Uncle Jeb, engineered things so I'd have to tell my family. About everything.

"What is that thing?" Papa demanded, noticing just now Shadow's presence. "Why is it in the house? I don't smoke."

"This is hard to explain," I said, "but he's an avatar."

"A what?"

I huffed, shooting another dirty look at Shadow's smoke cloud. "An avatar, Papa."

"Are they all this…" Papa made a wide gesture around, indicating formlessness.

"No," I said. "He's just being a total dweeb."

Either Shadow thought I was being a hypocrite, or he just didn't like being called a dweeb. He reappeared almost immediately on the couch, his jacket and System of a Down tee clashing with the wardrobe of everyone else. (I kid you not. Miriam's attire looked tacky next to the rock and roll concert shirt. Not that that was hard to accomplish.)

Everyone's reactions were almost immediate. Miriam gasped at the sight of Shadow. Papa gazed onward and once he'd recovered from his initial shock, glared at the hedgehog. Mama muttered, "Catch me, Reuben," and passed out.

"Okay," I said, glancing at Papa, who had turned from withering stare at Shadow back to his previous look. "Guess you know who I'm dealing with here."

I shot Shadow a look that clearly connoted, Now look what you've done.

Which was right when Amy decided to drop in the door.

"Whoa," she muttered. "Bad timing?"

"Miriam blew my cover over me ghosting her – unintentionally –" Amy gave her a look. "It's not like I took her seriously! And Genius the Hedgehog smoked his way in while Papa was giving me what for."

"Bad timing," Amy repeated.

"Maybe we should get some things straight here," Papa said. "Who is she, and what is Shadow doing here?"

I glanced at Mama, who was already reviving thanks to Miriam holding a wax kit under her nose. I'd never liked Miriam's scented wax – she always chose a dead-rose scent, which irritated my nose – but this time I was grateful she had it with her. Mama needed to hear this, and she couldn't very well do that when she was unconscious.

"Can we take this in the kitchen?" I asked.

What's going to happen now? Verse for today's update: Jeremiah 9:5. Stay tuned for more!