Ed and Edna's Scrap and Junk Yard was busting at the seams with energy as the couple and the teen pack rushed around. You see, the Walker family reunion was in a few days and Ed, Edna, and their son were busying trying to get everything ready. Thankfully Jay's friends had offered to lend a hand. Even though she was grossed out by the junkyard, Harumi wanted to gain the pack's trust so she had offered to help too. Ed and Edna welcomed her with open arms, but the same could not be said for the teens.

But none of them said anything to Harumi and just got on with their tasks.

While Cole and the girls were helping Edna and Ed search the dozens of sheds for the necessary supplies, Kai, Morro, and Lloyd were clearing up the junkyard, trying to make as much space as possible. While the others were working on that Zane and Jay were looking through the post. They had an easy job compared to the others. They were trying to find the replies for the invitations Ed and Edna had sent out and make a guest list of who was coming to the reunion.

"Ha! Found another one!" Cole shouted down as he carried two large boxes full of party supplies.

"Thank you, Cole." Ed smiled as he took the box from the noirette and placed it down with the others. "I still can't believe it's been eight years since our last family reunion, I remember it like it was yesterday."

"Well, you have been talking about it pretty much every day since then." Harumi chuckled as she helped Edna, Nya, and Pixal carry banners and streamers out of one of the many sheds in the junkyard.

"Jay! How are those RSVPs coming along? Who's showing up to the reunion?" Edna smiled at her son who was looking over piles of envelopes with Zane's help.

"Everybody!" The ginger-haired teen beamed in joy.

"Everybody?! Are you sure?" Ed asked in shock.

"Well, we have RSVPs from Forest Hill, Cloud Kingdom, Djinjago City, Shintaro City, Dyer Island, Echo Canyons, Gypsy Cove, Ignacia City, Keeper Island, Philidelphia, Jamanakai Village, and Stiix." Zane listed off all of the home towns and cities where the members of the Walker family were coming from.

"Oh, and we've got an RSVP from Empire City! That means Unagami is coming! I get to see my favorite cousin!" Jay squealed in delight at the thought of seeing his younger cousin. Ed and Edna's jaws practically hit the ground when they heard how many people were coming to this family reunion. It looked like the Walker family had grown tenfold since the last reunion. The couple knew that they were going to be very busy trying to get everything ready.

The worry must have been clear on their faces because Lloyd quickly spoke up.

"Don't worry, we could always help out." He promised the couple.

"Oh, we'd sure appreciate that, deary." Edna smiled in relief.

"Yeah, you both may be old, but you're as feisty and full of spark as ever," Kai reassured Jay's parents.

"Who you calling old?!" They both snapped at the brunette, scaring him so bad that he fell off his chair and made his friends laugh at his misfortune.

"He just meant why don't two of you let me take over putting the reunion together this time?" Jay asked through bursts of giggles. "That way all you two need to worry about is enjoying yourselves." He added to sweeten the deal. Ed and Edna shared a look and seemed to have a silent conversation between them before smiles broke out across their faces.

"Alright, young'un, you got yourself a deal; you are in charge." Ed nodded to his son.

"I won't let you down! You just tell me what the reunion needs, and I'll take care of the rest." Jay promised with a mock salute and the others promised to help their friend.

"I'll do better than tell you what the reunion will need; I'll show ya!" Ed grinned and almost dragged the teens back to the trailer. The pack waited outside patiently for a few minutes until Ed came stumbling out, carrying a large, think photo album. He opened the book and the teens saw dozens upon dozens of photos from over the years. "We've been hostin' these things at the junkyard since we first planted roots here in Ninjago," Ed explained as he showed them the pictures.

"Hey, who's that?" Morro asked and pointed to an old picture of an old man standing over a large smelting furnace and he seemed to be mixing the molten metal.

"That'd be Jay's great-great-uncle Molten Freddy a few reunions ago." Edna smiled at the old picture. "He used to go by another name, but everybody started calling him Molten Freddy after all his false teeth fell out when he was melting down some scrap metal." She explained and pointed out another picture of the same man but this was taken right as his fake teeth fell out and into the smelting furnace. The teens couldn't help but wince at the picture.

"Yeah, they never did find those teeth in all that molten metal." Ed sighed in dismay before he turned the page.

"Hey! That's you, Edna!" Nya exclaimed when she saw a picture of Edna who appeared to be in her mid to late twenties. The older woman was sat in a small circle with other women from the family with a large quilt in front of them. Edna smiled at this slightly embarrassing memory. This was her first Walker family reunion after she married Ed. The family had been working on that same old quilt since the first-ever reunion and Edna wanted to join in.

Unfortunately, she had never really sewn anything before.

As a result, when Edna started sowing the quilt the thread was pulled right out because she had forgotten to knot it. When she realized her mistake, it lead to a bright red blush, and the other women burst out laughing. In her defense, nobody told her that you had to knot the end of the thread. As Edna told the pack this story, Jay was listing off everything he would need for the reunion. He would need to get new quilting materials, fabric, needles, and thread.

Zane was a little shocked to hear the family had been working on the same quilt since the first reunion.

The pale teen wondered why they hadn't finished it yet, but he knew it was not his place to say so he dropped the subject.

"Hey, what's going on here?" Pixal asked as she pointed at a picture that looked like it was taking place during a baking contest.

"You know us Walkers enjoy a good apple crumb cake." Ed chuckled as he recalled when this picture was taken around fourteen years ago. Edna had been making more apple crumb cake than the family knew what to do with so they left them on a table to pack up for people to take back home with them. Ed was in charge of packing them away towards the end of the day and he turned his back for only four minutes. When he turned back around he was stunned to see the plates empty except for a few crumbs.

There was a slight gurgling noise under the table and Ed pulled the table cloth back to reveal his toddler son Jay sat under the table, still eating a piece of apple crumb cake.

Jay blushed a bright scarlet when his dad revealed a picture the couple had taken with his toddler self covered in crumbs to his friends.

"And that's how we figured out Jay had the appetite of a full-grown papa bear." Ed laughed as he ruffled his son's hair, but the ginger-haired werewolf tried to ignore him as he thought about what he would need for this event. Because of how many people were coming to this reunion he had better get twice as much honey and flour. Then fifty more baskets of apples, more oil, and wood for the fire.

"Aw, now this one sure brings back memories!" Ed smiled and turned to his son. "Y'know how Unagami is your favorite cousin? Well, Colin is mine; the two of us entered the three-legged race every reunion!" He said and showed Jay a picture of a blond-haired man around Ed's age with his leg tied to Ed's. They never won a single one of those races but they still had a blast and a half. Jay wasn't listening to this, however. He was too busy worrying about how many cloth ties they would need for the race.

Luckily there was not much to a three-legged race.

"We can't forget to take the big family photo!" Ed exclaimed as he showed the teens several pages full of pictures of people gathered outside the junk yard's gate. In each picture, the pack could see the family growing bigger and bigger with each reunion. "You see, we always snapped a photo in front of the junkyard at the end of every reunion; it lets us see how our family's grown!"

"You have some great memories of these reunions." Zane pointed out with a smile as Ed handed the teens the album to flip through.

"Indeed deary, and we're lookin' forward to makin' more at this one." Edna beamed warmly.

"I'm sure everybody is! We got the whole family together this time 'round! Who knows if they'll all be able to make the next one?" Ed pointed out in excitement. Jay paused, realizing that that might be true. With how busy everybody's lives were getting these days, their chances were pretty slim they would be this lucky next reunion. He would have to make this the best reunion ever...

Lloyd sighed as he stumbled into his home later that night. They had decorated most of the junkyard for the reunion and when it was getting late Ed and Edna sent the teens home. Everyone was excited about this reunion but they knew that they couldn't stay for the even party thanks to the full moon tomorrow night. But Lloyd's disappointment at missing half the reunion wasn't like his friends were. He had other things on his mind. Up in his bedroom was a growing pile of college applications that his mother and teachers had been giving him over the last couple of weeks.

He wasn't sure how to tell his family that he didn't want to go to college.

He wasn't sure how his uncle would react but he knew that his mother would probably transform and eat him. The only person he had told about not going to college was the school guidance counselor. The school guidance counselor promised the teen that a parent cannot legally compel an adult offspring to enroll in and attend college. But Lloyd knew that that wouldn't stop Misako. The school guidance counselor suggested that Lloyd ask his mother if she had some time to talk to him about his college plans.

He had to choose a time when she was relaxed and maintain a calm and focused approach throughout that important discussion.

"Mom! What are you doing in my room?!" The teen squeaked in surprise.

"Why haven't you touched these college applications?" She frowned and gestured to the large pile of papers on his desk.

"I can't decide where I want to go yet." The teen werewolf quickly lied. He wanted to be honest with her, but he was too scared. He searched online for an answer as to why he didn't want to go to college and most of the results were positive and helped reassure him. But that didn't mean that the websites he visited didn't tell him not to go to college at all and showed him all his options. In all cases, college was a great idea. Although there were many different types of college and ways to gain the knowledge they need to succeed.

Traditional colleges weren't for everyone.

Technical, vocational, and art schools could all offer a path towards obtaining a career of their choice. Going to college was a good idea for more than one reason. Most importantly, college would help train and education him for a career, not just a job. The first thing he had to ask himself was what he wanted to do when he got older. That could be a lot to think about at first, but just the fact that he was thinking about it could help guide him in the right direction.

He didn't have to know exactly what he wanted to do right out of the get-go.

He just wished his mother would ask him why he didn't want to go to college and why. As a parent, this meant that she had to listen to him and respect his goals. He was scared that she would just try to rebut his answer by dismissing what he had to say. He wanted Misako to give him a chance to think about his idea of success and where he wanted to go with his life. He knew why she was worried but even if he didn't go to college he could pursue vocational training.

Trade schools could offer Lloyd vocational training that was a more direct route to many secure and high-paying jobs in the world.

Skilled workers were very much in demand in areas ranging from dental hygiene to plumbing. But vocational training and other apprenticeships focused mainly on the development of practical skills which could be put to use immediately. Vocational training once had a negative stigma to it. But what was turning around due to the competitive job market was the fact that colleges were not training students for the jobs that existed. Former school chancellor Carolyn Warner added to this.

She said those who graduated from high school with a certificate of technical expertise in a field like auto repair or welding were certainly more likely to find jobs in the world.

Lloyd could also consider enrolling in boot camp. He was not thinking about the military. He was thinking about coding and programming boot camps. With universities failing to produce enough STEM graduates to meet the demand for employees with tech skills. Coding boot camps had emerged as an alternative education model aimed at providing critical tech talent. He could always join the military. Just as college degrees weren't for everyone, nor was the military.

But if it is right for him, it may change his life for the better.

For starters, joining a branch of the military came with basic pay, free room and board, free healthcare and dental care, educational benefits including tuition assistance, and even home financing. Then there was the fact that things he could learn in the military stay with him for life. If none of those worked for him, Lloyd could take time to travel as his father and uncle did. Unless he was independently wealthy, however, a carefree trip around the world may not be in his future.

But there were many ways to travel productively, such as volunteering with a non-profit organization.

In doing so, he could learn many things that couldn't be taught in the classroom. If all else failed, Lloyd could get an internship. While he may not be able to land the job of his dreams without training or a degree, he could land an internship in the field of his dreams which could help him acquire the skills and experience he needed to move up the ladder.

"Well, you better hurry! Those applications need to be sent off soon and all your friends have already sent theirs off." She reminded the blond teen sternly. She knew she was being a little pushy with Lloyd but it was because she wanted him to have the best life. When she looked online and spoke to the teachers and other parents she learned that people who graduate from college could arguably have a much better life. The main reason was that people who go to college made much more money than those with just a high school diploma.

A lot more money. Data from the BLS showed that in 2016, people with a college degree made around $1,156 a week.

Someone with a high school diploma earned just $692. Those people who go to college open up their choices for more jobs as many jobs these days required a college degree. Plus, college graduates had less chance of losing their jobs. In 2016, the overall unemployment rate dropped to four percent but as education levels go up, unemployment rates go down. For high school graduates, the unemployment rate was five percent, but it was only two percent for college graduates.

In college, students made new friends and other connections that would be helpful when it was time to get started in a career.

Those friends they made in college could help them get jobs, and these connections and networks could help them throughout their lives. Studies have shown that college graduates were healthier and were also less likely to get divorced. There was a well-established link between more education and better health. High school graduates were nearly twice as likely to be in poorer health than college graduates. Also, according to a 2015 report by the Pew Research Center, the divorce rate for college graduates was about twenty-six percent.

Compared to forty-three percent for the high school graduates, that was low.

Misako was also told that it could become a tradition. If her son went to college, her grandchildren would be more likely to go, too. Seventy-one percent of students with at least one parent who had a bachelor's degree applied to college themselves. Only twenty-six percent of students with no parent who went beyond high school applied to college. But she was also told not to push Lloyd too much. Now that he was getting close to graduating high school and deciding on what they wanted to do after, it could be especially stressful for parents such as herself.

"What is going on in here?" Master Wu asked as he suddenly poked his head into Lloyd's bedroom.

"I'm trying to get Lloyd to knuckle down and fill out these applications." Misako sighed in frustration

"Just let him be, Lloyd will complete the college applications when he is ready." He told his sister-in-law before turning to his nephew. "Did you have a good time at Jay's?"

"Yeah, Jay can't wait to see his cousin and we're all gonna do so many fun things together." The teen replied, mentally pleading for the two adult werewolves to leave his bedroom. "His parents handed Jay the reins of this reunion, and he's gonna make the most of it." He added with a chuckle. Knowing Jay, he would have so many things planned for this reunion they wouldn't even have a minute's rest.

"Then I suggest that you get as much sleep as possible, we will leave you in peace." Master Wu smiled and led Misako out of the room. As soon as he was sure they were both Lloyd let out an irritated groan and collapsed onto his bed with a heavy thump...

The next morning, Ed and Edna pulled Jay out of bed, saying they didn't have much time. Preparations for the reunion were underway. They joined Cole and he helped them gather up apples and other kinds of fruits. Nya collected rolls of fabric from town, Zane gathered jars of honey and glitter, and Lloyd and Morro carried buckets of water. Kai chopped logs for firewood, and Pixal lit a fire under a row of cauldrons of cooking oil. Harumi brought dozens of different fireworks for the evening celebrations.

Even though the pack was usually cautious about fireworks as they were with fire, they weren't too bothered this time.

Mainly because for this full moon Jay would be joining Cole, Kai, and Morro up at Zane's house due to his human family filling the junkyard. Jay just hoped that there was no drama like there was the last reunion. Despite most of his family liking the freckled teen and accepting that he was Ed and Edna's son, there were a few family members that were Anti-Adoption. Jay could understand a person's desire to bear a child, but he would never understand anyone's complete dismissal of adoption as valid.

It always drove Jay crazy when a character in a TV show wanted a kid so bad but found out they were sterile or infertile.

Then they were devastated even though they could always adopt. There was nothing special about their damn genes. Even though he was adopted, Jay knew Ed and Edna loved him like he was their biological child. They never saw him as different, or outside, or anything of the sort even though they were different species. But he wasn't completely biased. He knew that adoption could come with some specific challenges and risks. Adopted parents don't always know if their child's birth parents have mental health or addictions issues or genetic or hereditary disease.

But all kids came with problems.

One of the toughest obstacles, in the beginning, was that the application process could be long and arduous. Any adopted child will go through some identity issues, especially if they were a different species from the rest of the family. But it was not impossible to do. It was highly rewarding, and in Jay's book, there was no greater virtue than providing a loving, nurturing home for an abandoned child. But Jay had to push those thoughts to the back of his mind for now as it was almost time for the whole Walker Family to arrive.

"I think that'll do it!" Cole smiled as he hung up the last lot of banners around the junkyard.

"And just in time, too." Replied Harumi as she pointed to a large mass incoming from the horizon. It was almost every member of the Walker family from all walks of life arriving at the junkyard for the reunion. The many branches of the Walker family tree were arriving on foot and in horse-drawn wagons, carriages, coaches, and some were even flying in on small planes and zeppelins. Luckily the junkyard was located just outside the city so that meant there was plenty of space for the vehicles.

As the pack and other family members, all greeted each other and reminisced, Ed saw a familiar face climbing out of an RV with all his children.

It was his favorite cousin, Colin. Colin had chestnut, shaggy hair that was neatly coiffured to reveal a lean, friendly face. His hazel eyes were set buried within their sockets, watch delicately over the little ones he had helped raise for so long. He had scars reaching from just under the left eyebrow, running towards the tip of the nose and ending on his right cheekbone.

"Colin!" He cheered as he gave his favorite cousin a big hug. As the two cousins laughed and talked about all that happened since the last time they had seen each other, Ed noticed his great-uncle Molten Freddy approaching the pair.

"How long you had those new choppers, Uncle Molten Freddy?" Colin asked with a mischievous grin.

"A man never reveals the age of his teeth." Freddy huffed and Ed rolled his eyes at his uncle's antics, which didn't go unnoticed. "Don't you roll your eyes at me, Edward Walker! I imagine you two think I have forgotten what you did to my cane four reunions ago?" The old man scowled at the pair, but they didn't look too scared by his glare.

"We were just usin' it to help break open that piñata!" Colin laughed loudly and was soon joined in his laughter by Ed and Freddy. Jay smiled when he saw Uncle Molten Freddy, Colin, and Ed laughing together. But the teenage werewolf couldn't stand and watch his relatives greet and talk with each other all day. They had events and games to take part in. Jay quickly climbed onto a makeshift stage and pulled out a megaphone.

"Hiya everyone, and welcome to the Walker family reunion!" He exclaimed and the crowd all cheered. "My name's Jay, and I just want to let you all know that I got a real big day planned for ya! We're gonna start with an obstacle course for the kids, and some cooking and quilting for the older ones, and there's lots more to come after that! Hope you all enjoy it!" He told the family before climbing off the stage and beginning to look for his favorite cousin.

He soon found his distant relative with his father and grandmother.

They were Milton Dyer with his mother, Mrs. Dyer, and his young son named Unagami. Milton had shoulder-length grey hair with green eyes behind a pair of slim black glasses and a think grey beard and he was wearing a dark blue suit. Unagami Dyer looked to be around ten years old at the very most. The child had long white hair combed into a tall ponytail with a bright red tie and a few freckles spread across his face. He wore a red T-shirt with a symbol that resembled Pac-Man and short gray pants and a large backpack.

"Unagami!" Jay called and ran to the boy.

"Jay!" He squealed as the two shared an embrace. "I know it hasn't been that long since we've seen each other, but it felt like forever!" He exclaimed as he excitedly started running around his distant cousin's feet. "I can't wait to tell you about my new school!"

"I can't wait to hear all about it!" Jay chuckled as his friends approached them.

"What you got there kid?" Kai asked when he saw a video game case poking out of his backpack.

"Oh, my Dad's making a new videogame and it involves hunting werewolves and he let me test it and it was so cool!" Unagami squealed in delight, not seeing how the group of werewolves suddenly paled at this new development.

"R-Really?" Lloyd gulped.

"Yeah, I wanna be a werewolf hunter! There's no place those monster dogs can hide from me!" The child laughed and started to so off his improvised martial arts moves he would use if he ever came across a werewolf. Morro and Harumi almost laughed at the irony while Zane and Pixal were hit with a sense of déjà vu. The others, especially Jay couldn't help but feel nervous about this. But he quickly pushed those thoughts away. Unagami was just a kid copying things in a video game and within a few weeks, Jay was certain he would move on to the next thing.

"Oh Milton, we're so glad you could come!" Edna smiled as she and Ed approached the Dyer family and the teens.

"We wouldn't have missed this for the world, Edna," Milton promised as he shook Ed's hand and turned to his son. "Why don't you and Jay head over to the obstacle course?" He suggested to the boy, but even though Unagami looked excited by that idea, Jay wasn't so sure.

"I-I kinda wanna check to make sure everything is running smoothly." He admitted but immediately felt guilty at Unagami's disappointed look.

"Don't worry son, you and your friends have taken care of everything." Edna insisted. "There'll be plenty of time for family bonding while you're racing against your other cousins."

"Why don't Kai and I do the race while you say hi to the rest of your family?" Cole suggested and that seemed to reassure everyone, but Unagami still looked a little sad that he wasn't doing it with his favorite cousin. Jay didn't seem to notice this, however.

"Thanks, buddy! Have fun!" He said and the group split off into the crowd to mingle and see what activities they could do. Jay was joined with the girls as they wandered around until they found themselves with Edna, Jay's grandmother Greta, and his Aunt Laura.

"Jay, delightful to see you." Greta smiled as she hugged her grandson and pinched his cheeks, which made him wince but still smile.

"Are you and your lady friends gonna join us in some quiltin'?" Laura asked after saying hello to Harumi, Nya, and Pixal.

"Sorry, Auntie Laura, we're a little busy; you guys should get started, though!" Jay smiled and the group said their goodbyes to the women and continued on their way.

"Is she his lady?" Greta whispered to her daughter-in-law as she pointed to Nya, who was holding Jay's hand.

"Yes, and her name is Nya Smith." Edna smiled at the young couple as they disappeared into the crowd.

"I thought so, she seems polite, I can tell they will make each other happy." Laura smiled as they gathered up their supplies and began sewing the quilt...

Jay couldn't help the proud smile growing on his face. At first, he was scared that it would be impossible to make this gathering one that they would remember with a few family reunion games. Not only were they fun for all ages, but they were a great way to elicit lots of laughter and create lasting memories. But seeing how everyone was enjoying themselves, Jay felt he and the others had done a good job. One of the first things he organized with Cole and Harumi's help was to make another family album.

They had set up an area where people could gather between activities and meals to do crafts.

They asked everyone to bring copies of family photos that could be compiled into a family photo album and encouraged everyone to decorate their pages with stickers, stamps, colorful crayon drawings, and glitter. Kai and Lloyd helped organize the Banana game. To play this game Kai and Lloyd asked all willing family members to line up. Then they tied a string around a banana and hung the banana from each player's waist so that it hovered just above the ground.

Then they put a whiffle ball in front of each player.

Participants must use their hips to swing the banana so that it hit the ball. The first player whose ball crossed the finish line, which was about thirty feet away, won. It sounded awkward, but judging by the laughter everyone was enjoying the game. Morro and Nya helped plan some group ball games. They were some of the best family reunion activities because they allow everyone to play together. Some games they had planned were volleyball, dodgeball, baseball, and soccer.

After that, there was the water balloon toss which was organized by Pixal and Zane.

Because it was a hot day, this family reunion game was a must. Everyone picked a partner and stood facing each other. They started by standing two feet apart and after each toss take one step backward. The team who tossed the balloon the farthest without letting it pop would win the game. Zane and Cole also planned an egg race. Another family reunion favorite, the egg race was great for a big group. They had everyone choose a partner, face each other, and then stand about thirty feet apart.

All players had to put spoons in their mouths.

The first player placed an egg on the spoon and ran it to their teammate across the way. They then must transfer the egg from their spoon to their teammate's spoon, without letting it fall. The teammate then has to run the egg back to the other side to win. Everyone was racing against each other, and if someone drop the egg, their team was out. After that, there was the family talent show. Each family member performed a talent in front of the whole family.

Even people who thought they didn't have talents were able to come up with something.

This was one of Jay's favorite activities. They either sang a song, recited a poem from memory, performed a skit with one or more family members, juggled, played an instrument, or danced. Many parents were recording with a video camera to watch at future reunions. After the talent show Jay, with the help of Zane, Nya, and Pixal created a family trivia game. They sent a questionnaire to all family members at the start of the reunion so they could collect information.

This would help them compile the list of trivia questions to ask during the reunion.

During the gathering, the family had split the group into several teams. With Jay in charge, they each took turns asking each team questions like in traditional trivial pursuit. They created categories such as love and marriage, work-life, history, and middle names. Now it was time for the last activity before the barbeque and the fireworks Harumi brought. Unfortunately, the werewolves wouldn't be around for that. But that didn't mean they couldn't take part in the scavenger hunt which was arranged by Ed and Edna.

Some family members were playing individually and some were playing in teams of two or more.

Some of the items they were looking for included a flower that was native to the area, one of Edna's earrings, Ed's watch, and a signature from the oldest person at the reunion. They had created clues that the family members had to solve along the way. Jay barely managed the contain a growl in frustration as he came to another dead end. It was a little ironic for him. He had lived in this junkyard for his entire life yet for this scavenger hunt he was completely lost in his own home.

Because all the trash had moved for the reunion Jay felt like he was in a foreign country but a quick sniff told him that he was close to his full moon den.

Unfortunately, that was not all his senses told him. There was someone, a human, inside the den. That caused a chilling sense of fear to flood Jay's body and he ran to the entrance to the den. The entrance to the den was safely hidden behind the door of a broken refrigerator. Jay threw the door open and ran into the den, only to freeze again when he saw Unagami standing in the center.

"Did you guys get a dog?" The boy asked as he held up one of Jay's favorite chew toys for the full moon.

"N-No! I-It's just sometimes we get f-few stray dogs and cats in the junkyard so Mom and Dad made this space to keep them until the animal shelter comes to get them." Jay quickly lied, trying to look as calm as possible.

"Are there any stays around now!" Unagami gasped as he started looking around the space excitedly.

"Sorry buddy, but the strays have been scarce and with how many people there are around here and the fireworks later, I doubt there'll be any for a while." Replied the werewolf, trying to conceal a relieved smile at knowing that his lie had worked. Unagami looked a little disappointed, but he didn't have time to dwell on it as Jay's phone started to buzz. The teen checked and sighed in frustration.

"What's wrong?"

"Looks like the scavenger hunt's over." He replied as he extended his hand to lead the boy out. "Come on, let's get some dinner before the fireworks start." He smiled and Unagami nodded as he followed his cousin out. What the freckled teen failed to see was the younger bay snuffing the chewed-up squeaky dog toy in his backpack...