Beyond: Snillotia Trilogy Book One by Donna Wagner (books you have to read TXT) 📕

the mood to deal with Jason right now. They needed to find out why Goldie had left. “Well, Jason, you didn’t talk to me at school Friday and you didn’t call me all weekend, either. What do you want?”

Jason’s face softened. “Aw, babe, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to get mad. I’m just pissed I had to waste the whole weekend reading that stupid kid’s book, for Mrs. MacDonald’s class. My dad said if I fail anything else this year, he’ll take my car away!”

“Apparently, the news hasn’t spread that far,” Tim said, under his breath.

Jason heard him anyway. “What news?” he asked, immediately suspicious again.

Anna shot Tim a look, realizing that Jason had English class first period. Mrs. McDonald hadn’t known about Tim’s mom yet to share the news with his class, as she had every class after theirs Friday afternoon. “Nothing important. Don’t worry about it,” Anna said leading him back towards the house, “Let me introduce you to my parents.”

However, as Anna was speaking, Retep also spoke. “The “stupid kid’s book” as you so eloquently called it, was written by Tim’s mother. His deceased mother. Show some respect!”

Tim groaned. His cousin’s haughty and sarcastic attitude was not going to go over big with Jason, but Tim was slightly touched his cousin was trying to stick up for his mom, even though he’d never actually met her. Jason turned and fully faced Retep for the first time. He stared at him for a moment, and then something in him seemed to deflate. He turned to Tim. “I’m sorry, Tim. I didn’t know it was your mom who wrote the book. It’s actually not that stupid. When I was a kid, I loved the later ones in the series- with all the fighting and stuff.”

Tim nodded, unsure of how to respond to Jason, who had never spoken to him nicely in all the time he’d known him, really, which, was longer than anyone else. He’d always been basically a jerk, even as a little kid. Suddenly, as Tim watched Jason walk into the house with Anna, a flicker of a memory entered Tim’s thoughts. He saw a small boy with sandy hair, the same shade as Jason’s, maybe five or six years old, in the corner of the playground, crying his eyes out, refusing to go with the older girl who was trying to get him to leave. The boy refused and said he wouldn’t leave until his mommy came to get him. At first, Tim remembered thinking the boy was getting a bit upset at having to leave the playground, but Tim’s mother had seen his staring and told him the boy’s mother was very sick. Tim remembered now that Jason’s mother had died not long after that. Tim had forgotten that, out of all people, Jason probably understood how Tim felt now, more than anyone.  Maybe Jason did have feelings for others inside after all.

He took his head and turned to face his cousin. “Now, tell me about Goldie.”

“Oh! It was this morning, shortly after I woke up. She was talking to the King and Queen, explaining that this world was affecting her in ways she hadn’t foreseen, even with her never leaving the rooms connected to Storage. She said she had to return, that she didn’t think she could stay here for extended periods of time. She did say she’d come back and check on everyone, though.”

Tim frowned. He understood why Goldie had left, but it still bothered him slightly that she hadn’t talked to him before she did. Frustrated that they’d have to wait for her to return before getting any more answers, Tim decided to skim his mother’s book again. It wouldn’t hurt to be prepared for class tomorrow, after all. Mrs. MacDonald would most likely be expecting him to be an active participant in her discussion. Tim sighed and told Retep he was going inside. They both walked to the house together. Retep stopped on the deck. “I’m going to sit out here for a while. It’s nice, you know. I never really got to go outside back home.”

Tim nodded and entered the house alone. He made his way to the living room, where he’d left his copy of the book, only to discover, it was standing room only. All the grandparents, Einna, Tre, Adam, and Myra were all scattered around the room while Anna and Jason sat in the middle. It seemed that Jason was getting the third degree.

All the adults were asking him question after question. What were his plans for the future? College? Careers? What type of people were his family? The questions were non-stop. Even Adam and Myra seemed a bit uncomfortable. His eyes locked with Anna’s. Help!

What can I do?

Tim leaned against the wall and watched Jason stammer the answers to everyone’s questions, the best he could. “First time meeting the parents, huh?”

Tim turned around to see Evan standing behind him, and with a shock, saw Ollie was with him. Tim smirked. “Parents, grandparents, and then some!”

Despite his brief connection with the guy, just a short while ago, Tim rather enjoyed seeing him squirm a bit. It was short lived. Only a few minutes after Tim entered the room a loud burst of electric guitar filled the room. Jason snatched his phone from his pocket, like it was a life preserver and he was drowning. “Hi, Dad!” he paused, “Yes. Okay. I’ll come home right now.”

He shoved his phone back in his pocket and practically few out of the house, saying he was so sorry, he had to go, on his way to the door. Once through, the door slammed shut behind him with a loud thud. They heard the car’s engine start and the tires squeal as Jason sped away. “Well, I guess we’ll be finding another away home!” Evan said, loudly.

Adam saw them standing there. “Hi, guys. I’ll give you a ride home.”

While Ollie barely looked at Adam, Evan gave him a high five. “Thanks, man!”

It