Metal Marks the Spot: Germany| Adventure Fiction | Adam Dalrymple | 6

this. You broke the rules, and I’m not going back on what I said.” After the horrible conversation, he told all of his friends that unfortunately there would be no birthday party and he was not expecting any gifts. Watson was infuriated, but he found relief when he thought of something amazing: “If I am not allowed to get any presents from my friends, then maybe I am getting something amazing, like a metal detector, from my parents!” Watson bombarded out of the house in excitement and joy after thinking of this far-fetched idea might actually come true! He knew he couldn’t talk about it to his parents or to his friends because he wanted it to be a surprise. After getting a car for his sixteenth birthday, which was really exciting, this was his runner-up gift. Watson laid down in his bed, stretched out, relaxed, and waited with eager anticipation for the next day to come. The next day, he jumped up out of bed and ran downstairs into the kitchen, knowing that this day was going to be an amazing day. Watson ate breakfast with his parents, and they cooked him his favorite food: waffles with strawberries and blueberries, whipped cream on top, and a cup of fresh orange juice. He scarfed down the provisions and jumped into his car (his best birthday present) to begin his day on campus. Sadly, he had a quiz and a test on his birthday, but he also got a lot of “Happy Birthday, Watson!” from his classmates, which is a bit embarrassing. After school, he drove home with hopes of see a metal detector on the kitchen counter. After parking his car, he walked inside to “Happy Birthday, Watson!” “Thank you so much, Mom and Dad. I can’t believe you still know today is my birthday!” Watson said to them as he hugged and kissed his parents. “How do we still know?” Watson’s mom said back in a confused voice. “How could we ever forget?” Watson’s dad said so they wouldn’t start to have a onversation about how Watson’s mom didn’t understand sarcasm. Watson’s parents stepped away from the kitchen counter, and there it was: the thing he had been waiting for the whole day… a new metal detector! “Thank you so much, Mom and Dad. Y’all are so generous!” “We think you will need this present a lot while you are still in college,” Watson’s dad added in a happy voice. Watson unwrapped the present, but as the gift inside emerged the smile faded from his face. His parents got him socks! Watson’s mood changed dramatically. “Thank you. I guess I needed socks. I’ve had a long day so I am now going to go to bed. After all, I need to sleep to be ready for weekend classes.” Watson walked upstairs, disappointed with the birthday present his parents gave him and disappointed in how his parents cancelled his party. As Watson walked into his bedroom, he kicked his belongings back and forth in frustration. That night, while Watson was lying in bed, he thought to himself that he had had enough. He deserved a good birthday present! Watson crept downstairs and found his mom’s purse laying on the kitchen counter. He walked towards it, pulled out the wallet, took the credit card, and went back upstairs into his dad’s office. Watson logged onto his dad’s computer and purchased a plane ticket and a metal detector that he would pick up in the morning. Then he got in his car and drove off in a rage. The next morning, his mom found out that her credit card had been taken so she went to her credit card statement to review the purchases. Immediately, she knew it was Watson. Watson had been asking for a plane ticket for his birthday for a whole year, but she didn’t think he was ready to fly alone. She immediately woke Watson’s dad and dashed to the airport to catch Watson in the act. Watson had picked up the metal detector on the way to the airport and packed it in his suitcase. It added a bit of a delay getting to the airport, but Watson thought he would still have plenty of time to board his flight. Watson’s mom was tracking down Watson’s phone, and his parents were hot on his tail. Watson put his car in valet so he wouldn’t have trouble with it. He checked his bag, so all he took on the plane was a bag of clothes, his passport, and a few other valuable essentials. Watson’s mom and dad got to the airport, dashed to the ticket counter, but the plane was gone...with Watson on board. “Where’s it headed?” asked Watson’s mom.