Second Chance

The Human Species

As Keefe got to the Forbidden Cities, he felt homesick like he already missed his friends. And Foster.

Gosh, he missed her so badly, but he couldn't risk hurting her again. He'd never forget the frozen look on her face as he yelled the deadly command.

But he had to go through this on his own. No more Foster to guide him through the world she grew up in. He'd have to do this alone.

Since he didn't know any of the landmarks, he decided to ask someone.

"Excuse me, where am I?" he politely asked a stranger walking by.

"You're in Balboa Park! You must be a tourist!" she said, excitedly.

"Yeah. I am," he said, hesitantly, "also... I know this must be a bit of a weird question but I meant, where, as in what city."

The stranger gave him a bit of a strange look, "Well, you're in San Diego, sweetheart. Is everything alright? Where are your parents?"

"Uhh, thanks," he said, avoiding the question.

San Diego. I've heard of that before, but where? It had something to do with Foster, I was sure of that. Oh, wait! That's where she grew up. And somewhere in Balboa Park was where the Fitzter and Foster met.

He decided to ask another question, this time to a different stranger.

"Excuse me, do you know where San Diego City College is?" Keefe asked.

"Yeah, honey, just follow the path forward and take a right at the intersect. It should be just around the corner," she said

"Thanks a lot."

He followed her instructions and ended up right there.

Now what?

Keefe decided to do what he did best. Lie.

"Hello," he said as he approached the front desk, "I'm a new student here and was wondering where to go?"

"Can I have your name and age?" the receptionist asked

"Uh."

Uh oh.

What was a human name?

He glanced at the books on the desk. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling and Everything But the Truth by Gillian McAllister.

"Uh. Harry McAllister, six-- uh, twenty-two" Keefe said with a confident smile.

The lady glanced over at the books with a suspicious air but continued on.

"Unfortunately, I don't have you under the list of new students," she said with a fake sympathetic look.

He hated to do this but he cleared his throat and whispered, "Believe" putting emphasis and power behind it.

Her eyes became glazed as she inserted the name in the 'new student database'.

Then he said in his normal voice, "You really should believe me. Check again. Please," he added, sweetly.

"Y-you made me," she half-whispered, stuttered.

Keefe laughed, "How would I do that? Anyways. Can I have my schedule?"

"But—"

"But what?" he asked raising an eyebrow with a slightly threatening look.

She shrank back and created a schedule for him as quickly as possible.

"Also, you have to pay—"

"Thank you," Keefe saw her name tag, "Karen." And gave his signature smirk.