The girls and I were in Ada's hideaway, and Ada had a tool that was connected to a computer. After applying a warm substance on my belly, she used the tool and moved it across and up and down.

"I cannot believe that you are giving me an ultrasound," I commented. "Plus, I was hit in the chest, not in the stomach."

"I know, I know," Ada said, scanning the tool across. "I am checking and double-checking to see if whatever hit you spread."

Mary Sue held up a camera to her face. "Say cheese, Caleb!" Click! She lowered the camera. "This will be good for blackmail."

"Whose side are you on?!" Joan shouted at her.

Cindy was sitting on a stool and next to me. She was holding my hand and rubbing her thumb on it. Her other hand was being used for her chin, for she was tired and yawning every minute.

"You can go to sleep, Cindy," I said. "The others and I will watch over you."

She shook her head frantically. "No. I will not go to sleep. Not until you and I transport back to Forlot safe and sound."

"Please, Cindy. Get some rest." It was my turn to yawn. "Great. I am tired too."

"Go to sleep, Caleb. Go to sleep." She slowly crawled onto the single bed and lied next to me. She cuddled with me, and her eyelids shut. "Night, night...my love."

I smiled a little. I love whenever she calls me her love. I stroked her bangs and relaxed my body, resting my head on hers.

"Aw," I heard Joan. "Whoever does not ship them does not know what true love really is."

"I do not ship them," Ava stated.

"Why not?" I heard Ada ask. "They are adorable together."

Ava snorted. "You did not let me finish. I would probably - okay, not really - ship Caleb and Cindy if you and Caleb had not met, Ada."

"Me? What do I have to do with their relationship?"

Crub. Here goes Ava causing mischief.

"Knock it off, Ava," I ordered. "Do not mess with Ada's head. And Ada, do not listen to a word that Ava tells you. She is lying."

"In all honesty..." Ava continued lying, ignoring me. "...you, Ada, are interfering with their relationship. You are getting too close to Caleb."

"Too close to a friend of mine? Whatever do you mean?"

"He is not your friend. It is much more than that. At least, that is what you desire it to be."

"I am not in love with Caleb. I am not!"

Ava was silent. Then her tongue clicked, and she said, "I suppose that you are correct. You are not in love with Caleb because you cannot be. It would be quite the disturbance because—"

The door to the hideout swung open, making a clang! sound when it hit the wall. In came two couples. My parents and Cindy's.

Mr. Banks had short, black hair and a thin, black beard. He was wearing a a white, long-sleeved shirt with a collar and a grey suit with a red tie. He also wore matching slacks and blue shoes.

Mrs. Banks had long, blonde hair and wore different kinds of makeup, such as eyeliner and red lipstick. For clothes, she was wearing a a blue, short-sleeved dress that touched her knees and matching heels.

Mr. Banks and Mrs. Banks are an interracial couple. He is black, and she is white. When Cindy first introduced me to them, it took me a while to discover why they disliked - no, hated - me. I am a white male who is straight and a Christian. They did not even consider how much of a gentleman I was, and that stunk.

Mom and Dad rushed up to Joan and pulled her away from me.

"You need to keep your distance from that stranger on the bed," Dad remarked. "He is a monster."

Joan escaped from their grasps. "You are terrible parents. Absolutely terrible!"

"We are anything but," Mom denied. "We gave you what every child needs. A home. Food."

"You were not thinking about that when you abandoned your son! My brother! You and Dad forgot about him and allowed him to be homeless!"

Dad held out his arms. "It is not our fault, Princess. He was born a white male, and you know how they are."

"Do. Not. Call. Me. Your. Princess. And Caleb is not the monster. You are."

While that was happening, Cindy's folks hurried up to the bed - and pushed me!

I cried out and rolled off the bed. Mrs. Banks held her daughter in her arms, but Cindy did not wake up.

Ada jumped. "Whoa!" She set the tool by the computer and helped me up. "No broken bones, Caleb?"

"I hope not, Ada."

I was in a daze, and when my view came into focus, I saw Mr. Banks staring at me. Of course, he was mad at me. He grasped my shirt and hoisted me up.

"No!" Joan protested. "Caleb!"

"Why were you and my daughter lying on the same bed?!"

I did not know how to respond. I was so petrified that I could not speak!

"There seems to be a misunderstanding here," Ada said.

"Ya think?" Mary Sue added.

Mr. Banks released his grip on my shirt, and I landed on my bottom. "I am done dealing with you, Caleb. You are nothing but a problem."

"Sir, may I beg—" my sister started, however, he interrupted.

"You may not beg. And you need to stay out of this. My wife and I have already made up our minds. Caleb will no longer live at our mansion."

"No, sir!" I declined. "Please. I do not want to deal with all this drama anymore."

He quirked an eyebrow. "You will leave tonight."

I gasped. I was taken aback...and outraged. And I did not keep my anger in.

Big mistake.