With a start, I pushed into a sitting position and looked around. The room was unfamiliar at first, but my memory gradually returned, and I recognized the nooks and crannies of my new Coos Bay room. Groaning, I sank into the covers. My mom must have set up my bed while I was at school the day before. But what about last night? Had all the adventures with Octavius been a dream? I caught the scent of my hair. It smelled of sea salt. What happened? I remember Octavius, and the beach, and... nothing. I must have fainted. It was the only explanation. Everything was so beautiful and perfect that I had passed out, and Octavius was kind enough to bring me home. After all, I only felt a little sore from fighting the surf and a headache, probably from the fainting. Carefully, I dressed in the bathroom, and I headed down to breakfast. I had no idea what I would find, but my growling stomach drove me onward. Not that I'd need much – a piece of toast was probably enough to keep me the rest of the day – but I'd have to face the music eventually, and better now than at a time I could be with Octavius.
