I have some news.

I will not be posting on Wattpad any further until someone tells me how to get past the cease-saving-after-a-thousand-words problem. Please PM me if you know a way.

And here's the last of it. Glad you could go through this with me!

There are some things that defy all logic. Like a monster disintegrating from an onslaught of music. Like a father you thought wouldn't approve, finally showing he enjoys where you are. Or a whole bunch of people he knew from school, whom he'd probably lamented about you to, finally bursting out into applause over your song.

I mean it. There was a full uproar in the crowd – all sorts of clapping, some screaming from Benny and Miriam. The VLADJIs whooped among themselves. I was happy that they were happy. Because, well, friends.

Amy was presently cleaning up from the fight. Easy for her, because her touch could mend pretty much anything that was broken. She just tapped the crater in the floor and boom – it was instantly filled.

"Thank you, everyone!" I hollered. "I'm here all night!"

Then I yanked my pendant out of the guitar, which promptly vanished, and set it back on my chain. I descended the stage – only to get tackled by a very excited Vinny Lee.

"¡Excelente! Bravo!" she whooped. "Amazing, amigo!"

"Whoa, VL, watch the ribs," I choked out.

"Well done," DJ said, smiling at me. I couldn't help smiling back.

Imira glanced at me. "Not half bad," she said in a low voice. About as close to praise as I usually got from Imira, but as she turned away, I caught her smile.

"Whoa." Vinny Lee got up and then pointed at my pendant. "¿Cómo lo hizo?"

I had to pause, because I wasn't sure what Vinny Lee was saying. "What?"

"Your pendant. Mira."

What? I glanced down at the pendant.

It had changed color – at least the design had. The pendant itself maintained the maroon color it had had previously. However, the design was no longer traced in green, but the magenta color of my shirt. It also hummed sleepily against my chest. Gone was the agitated glowing, the flashes of light from earlier. I could tell it was quite content.

"You did it!" Miriam came on the stage. "You found your talent!"

"Uh, thanks, I guess." I wasn't sure what else to say. This was my flighty friend we were talking about.

Besides, my pendant was resting now, but if I yanked it off again, it would get agitated. I knew that much from my impromptu rock concert. Magic items were temperamental little things. I needed to take a breather anyhow.

"Amos!" It was Papa. He and Uncle Jeb were approaching where I was. Benny was bouncing up and down with excitement. I caught him humming the chorus of my song. Clearly it had left an impression on him.

"Papa," I began, "I just –"

"Don't try talking." Papa leaned in closer. "I know, I may be hard on you. But it's because I care. I want you to be at your best. I did think you should be a part of my team – at least, if you couldn't find your place –"

"Thanks for that," I said dryly.

Papa frowned, as if unsure what to do with my sarcasm. "But seeing you, up on that stage… you looked the happiest you'd ever been. I'm glad you found your way. And I'm proud of you."

I couldn't believe it. He was proud of me. I felt as content as my pendant.

"Hey, Benny," I said to my cousin. "I know, it's –"

"Amazing? Yeah, for sure!" Benny held up a sheet of paper he must've robbed a printer to get. Sketched on it, in crayon, was a picture of me jamming out on the guitar I'd summoned from my pendant. He'd gotten every color right. And I could catch every detail: the way I strummed the guitar, right down to the fingers tapping on the strings; the crowd around me; the monster disintegrating under the weight of rock music. He truly had a talent, like me.

"Well done, cuz," I responded.

Benny hugged me. "Just like me," he said. "I can tell."

Pretty soon I had a full crowd praising me. I was only glad for the attention. I'd earned it. But there was someone else I wanted Papa to know. Three someones, rather.

"Papa?" I asked.

"Yes?" he said, coming out of a conversation with Uncle Jeb.

I beckoned to the other VLADJIs, who came out to meet me.

Uncle Jeb recognized DJ on sight. "That's the girl who came in to meet you this morning," he said. "But what about the others?"

"Papa," I said to my father, "I believe I've mentioned I'm a part of an organization for humanity. Well, this is it."

"VLADJI?" Papa glanced sideways at my group. "That's your team?"

"Yes," I said. "This is DJ." DJ politely curtsied when I said her name. "She's the head of the team. And here's Vinny Lee and Imira." Vinny Lee stood up on tiptoe and Imira nodded in response.

Papa gave them a once over, as did Uncle Jeb. "Well, they were quite wise to choose you," Uncle Jeb said at last. "And vice versa. You seem to benefit from each other."

Imira nodded. "Well, he only has brothers. Not really a sister. Now he's got three of 'em – and one of 'em ain't afraid to smack him around when he gets out of line."

Vinny Lee smiled. "It's like a familia here."

"I'll bet," Papa said with a light grin – the first time I'd ever really seen him smile.

Uncle Jeb nodded as if he understood, then turned to me. "I take it you won't be attending my shop from now on?"

"I'd love to," I said in reply, "but I'm not sure I have the time."

"I understand. Too devoted to your friends?"

"Sure," I responded. "We have to save the world."

Jeb laughed. "If anyone could do it, it would be you."

Then he took off to talk to the other guests. I had to smile. This would be the best day of my life right now. Getting to visit my relatives, saving a party, finding my voice – yep, full checklist.

"Hey!" It was Vinny Lee. "Wasn't this a fiesta?"

She strolled on up to the newly repaired stage, pulled her MP3-and-speaker Fiesta Apparatus out, and set it down on one of the speakers. Then she shot me a look like, wanna assist?

Oh, of course. She would need some help to pull off her great idea.

Which I was all too happy to do. If it was an encore they wanted, it was an encore they'd get.

I headed over to the stage and tried the pendant's magic once more.

One more song for tonight? I thought to the pendant once I pulled it off.

True enough, the pendant was eager for another go. Always gung-ho for a ride, like me.

"Try the keyboard!" Vinny Lee whooped, having noticed me. "I liked that one. And I could use it for the song I'm thinking of."

Well then. I summoned the keyboard.

Vinny Lee hit play on the Fiesta Apparatus.

And what came out at full volume – oh yes. JLo. "Let's Get Loud." Now it was, as Vinny Lee would say, a fiesta.

I wasn't intent on just lip-syncing, either. I sang full blast while I played the keyboard. Vinny Lee, catching on, sang along with me, doing some stellar dancing as well. Truly, like her father, Vinny Lee was a girl of many talents.

I had to enjoy myself, too. I'd found my talents – and I was still a valued member of the team. I was the best possible version of myself that I could be.

And wasn't that something to shoot for?

And as I played, I found myself smiling at my good fortune, to be with my family and friends in this hour, without a worry in the world.

And the verse for today is: Hosea 14:5. Glad you could stay with me! And don't expect this to be the last story from... casonic!