“Hey, Rocket,” I hear them call across the grass, “you wanna come see that hornet bear by the greenhouses?”

Oh man, did I ever. Rumours had spread like wildfire about the beast; a terrible brute with claws to slice through logs, and a stinger to match. We’d planned to find it together, but my kid, Zack, and I were tied up in detention… undeserved, too, all he did was turn his chair into a tiny wooden horse. Sure, it galloped around the room and caused a few accidents, but we can’t be blamed for that, can we?

I could sneak away now with my dragon buddies Pop and Whizz, and enjoy safety in numbers, or… I could go with Zack later, in the dark, when it was even more dangerous and no-one would be around to help… The idea of it made my scales stand on end.

I knew then what my answer would be.

“No, thanks,” I call back, flashing my fangs in a dragon smile, “I gotta wait for Zack.”