With a few swift movements and a hop over our fence I was in our backyard.
Of course I was attempting to sneak back in.
I stood at the back door of the Rogers household, hand on the knob. Through the window blinds I could only see darkness, and a subtle glow of the oven light.
I turned the knob and stepped inside.
Immediately I saw the two waiting for me despite the time already reaching past 11:30 p
Mom glanced at me over her teacup, one eyebrow raised. "Of course he went for the kitchen first."
"I wasn't—" I started, then realized there was literally no other explanation for using the back door. "Okay, like, yeah. Fair point."
Colton Rogers set his phone down, arms crossing. He didn't seem angry—not yet at least but he had that look. The one that said I'm waiting for an explanation and it better be good.
"It's a school night, Norville," Mom said. Paula Rogers also seemed calm but much sterner.
"I know, I was just hanging with Fred," I said, which was technically true. "We lost track of time. It was my bad."
"Fred Jones?" Dad's expression shifted slightly.
I could see it happening the mental debate in his mind. The Rogers family had money, sure, but not Jones money. Fred was exactly the kind of friend they'd approve of. They did, unfortunately for me believe he was somewhat of a hooligan with his attempts to solve mysteries.
"That boy," Mom said, glancing at Dad. "Very polite boy, but"
"Super polite," I agreed. "We're actually working on this community service thing together. where making a club for it soon and Fred's running it, Daphne Blake's also helping out with funding,"
"The Blakes?" Mom sat up straighter. "How come we've never met your Blake friend? "
"Uh, no reason in particular" I said rubbing my hair, I guess the Blake's influence was more stellar than I thought.
Another look between my parents. They were having some kind of wordless conversation that I assume is natural after twenty-plus years of marriage.
Dad's posture relaxed. "A club's good. it'll be good for college applications."
"Just call next time," Mom added. "Let us know where you are."
"And Norville?" Dad's mouth twitched. "Front door. We know you're aiming for the fridge anyway."
I grinned. "Like, you got me."
Mom was already standing, moving toward the refrigerator. "There's leftover meatloaf. And I made potato salad."
Twenty minutes later I was in my room, stomach full, parents successfully handled and my door closed.
I dropped onto my bed and stared at the ceiling.
School was tomorrow, though the likelihood of it being canceled due to that incident is high.
But my brain wasn't cooperating.
The golden energy. The water pipe. The way Mr. Wickles had looked at me afterward.
What the hell was that?
I closed my eyes, but sleep didn't come easy from my actively firing brain.
But morning hit like a truck.
My alarm went off, it was some classic rock station Shaggy apparently loved, and I slapped it into silence. Sunlight streamed through the window. The house was quiet except for the TV downstairs, Dad probably watching the news before work.
I sat up slowly, rubbing my face.
It was clear to me with no weight at the foot of my bed, scooby had not been found yet. Scooby-Doo, the Great Dane who was supposed to be Shaggy's dynamic partner be he wasn't here.
Hmming I contemplated what to do. In every version of Scooby-Doo, they were a package deal. Inseparable.. My room didn't have dog toys or food bowls or any sign a Great Dane lived in this house.
It was strange, but also not worth panicking over.
Crystal Cove was a weird place. The show had made that clear. With all these Curses, supernatural stuff, ancient conspiracies under the tourist-traps surface. If this place had actual magic like the Black Knight armor pretty much proved it did—then running into Scooby felt inevitable, withthe curse of Crystal Cove.
I loved the Dane in the show but I didn't need to meet him immediately, besides for the novelty of seeing a real life talking dog.
For now, I had more pressing conserns.
I stood, stretched, and headed for the bathroom.
Luckily for me the shower was one of those high end rainfall types, all marble and heated floors. I started the water, let it heat up, and stepped under the spray.
The hot water felt incredible, washing away yesterday's fatigue. I closed my eyes, letting it run over my shoulders, my face—
Wait.
I opened my eyes, staring at the water pooling around my feet.
Last night. The golden glow. The pipe bursting when I touched it,, tearing apart the Black Knight piece by piece.
Hmm what exactlywas that?
I held up my hand, watching water cascade over it. My palm had healed completely, no scabs or scars, qll that was left was smooth skin like I'd never scraped it at all.
But I remember almost to clearly, my jojo friend, he mentioned something like this.
The Ripple.
My friend back home, back in my old life, with his obsessiveness with JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, tried explaining it once, going on about Stands and Hamon and parts one through eight. I'd only half-listened, more interested in whatever game we were playing.
But now the memories were back, unrealisticly detailed.
The Ripple. Hamon. Controlled breathing that produced energy mimicking sunlight. It flowed through liquids, through nonliving things. Could be used for healing, combat, or even enhancing physical abilities.
It moved through water.
I stared at my hand.
maybe Instead of getting a Stand id gotte something else entirely.
I took a slow breath. In through the nose, hold, out through the mouth. Controlleing the speed , and deliberating on each breath.
The Sanji knowledge had felt somewhat like this, in order to cook for a longer time Id need careful breaths. Maybe this was the same.
I breathed again, deeper, feeling my lungs and stomach expand. Focused on the water, on that energy I'd felt when everything was full of desperation, and I needed to think.
Still there was nothing.
Again. Breathe in. Hold. Breathe out.
Two minutes later still nothing.
"Like come on," I muttered. "I know you're in there."
Instead I tried focusing on the feeling of that moment when Fred got knocked into the lockers, when the girls were trapped, when my blood had been hot on my palm and I'd refused to let that be the end.
That crystallization of will.
There.
Just for a second. Warmth in my chest, spreading down my arm. The water running over my hand rippled, disturbed by something that wasn't the showerhead.
My eyes widened.
I focused harder, breathing deliberately. The warmth built, faint but real. A barely-visible golden shimmer spread across my palm.
The water droplets on my skin caught light that wasn't quite natural.
I lifted my hand slowly, and a thin stream from the showerhead curved toward my palm, defying gravity for just a heartbeat before splashing back down.
"Holy shit."
The glow vanished, as my concentration broke. Water returned to normal.
But I'd felt it.
Hamon. The Ripple. Whatever you wanted to call it.
I spent another ten minutes trying to recreate it, but the moment was gone in waves. Whatever I'd tapped into needed more than just wanting it needed focus, the right breathing, and maybe the right emotional state.
I'd have to practice to figure it out. Preferably before I accidentally destroyed more plumbing.
I got dressed in jeans, and a green t-shirt, habing already checked the weather app and headed downstairs.
Mom was already gone. Dad was in the living room with coffee, watching local news.
I grabbed a granola bar from the pantry and headed for the door seeing if I'd be stopped before leaving.
"Have a good day," Dad called.
"Like, you too."
Crystal Cove High looked completely normal in daylight. Just a regular school with regular students doing regular things. Well except being much richer than normal.
Not a place where we'd fought animated armor twelve hours ago and it seemed no staff actually cared about the destruction of the school let alone the students.
I continued my walk toward my locker fining a pile of the in the distance blocking off one of my classrooms but people where on the others side so I'm sure they'd just make us go around. There was no caution tape nor an investigation I could face palm a thousand times and still be justified.
That's when I spotted Fred nearby, hands in pockets, a bruise on his neck, scanning the crowd. He saw me the next second and his expression went serious unnatural for his usual expression.
Daphne who I hadn't noticed earlier stood next to him, red hair catching sunlight, wearing white again instead of purple. She smiled when she saw me, but something careful lingered in her eyes.
Velma appeared from the side, glasses reflecting morning light, thick textbook under one arm.
They were clearly waiting for me.
I walked in front of them"Like, hey guys," I said, "What's up?"
Fred glanced around, checking for listeners. "We need to talk."
"About Wickles?"
"About you, Shaggy," Daphne said gently.
"Me?" Right they want to know about Ripple, we'll we need to at least move away from the crowd first.
Velma's analytical gaze fixed on me. "You burst a water pipe with your hand and used it to destroy the Black Knight." She said conclusively.
"Ah maybe we should—"
"Your body was glowing," Fred said. "In some golden light, I was sure I saw it."
Daphne nodded. "Me too. It came from your palm, then spread through the water."
I looked at Velma, hoping she'd see the glaring issue of this confrontation being in public.
She frowned, looking at the two, "I didn't see a glow. Though I could have been at a wrong angle from the net. But the timing?" She shook her head. "The pipe bursting exactly when you touched the wall, and the water moving like that is fundamentally impossible so it couldn't be a coincidence."
"Maybe super strength?" Velma continued, clearly trying to rationalize the event. "Extreme stress can cause-"
"It wasn't strength," Daphne said quietly. "It was definitely some energy. Something happened to you, Shaggy."
We stood in a small circle, students flowing around us, and I realized I was at a crossroads.
I could lie so this blatant meeting with the two of the most popular students wouldn't be overheard
I assumed I could trust them without being sent to a lab, It's not like I had to explain reincarnation.
"Look," I said finally, meeting their eyes one by one. "Something weird happened. I don't understand it either. But like... can we table this for now at least? We'll, figure out this later I swear."
Fred looked ready to argue, but Daphne touched his arm.
"That's fair," she said. "But when you're ready to talk? We're here."
Relief washed through me. "Thanks, Daph."
Velma still frowned, "Fine Shaggy. but make it soon."
"Yup, it'll be the end of school you guys can come over my place," I said.
The bell rang.
Fred clapped my shoulder as we headed inside. "Still on for planning tonight? Daphne's funding is still processing through the school, but we can still work out some future plans for traps."
"Wouldn't miss it. I'll bring a pizza pie"
Now that this confrontations over I have my classes to attend, a cooking job starting this soon, and Hamon to practice in secret.
Life as Shaggy Rogers, from here on would definitely become more tough.