• Graduated Elementary School
  
• Graduated Junior High was all A’s
  
• Graduated High School as Valedictorian (one of them, anyway – though he didn’t have to give a speech), with a GPA of 4.63

• One year within the United States Air Force Academy
  
• BCT

• Walter Mason: 50: Father
  
• Immogene Mason: 47: Mother
  
• Adele Mason: 23: Sister
  

Both his mother and father were lost in some conversation about the upcoming weekend, while Adele created a whirlpool effect with her mashed potatoes. Leo silently watched as she slid the back of her fork into the fake-mashed-‘taters around..and around…and around. And suddenly it stopped. Leo frowned – raising his gaze to meet Adele’s, who was watching him with a grin.
“What?” he asked, as Adele shook her head slightly – still grinning.
“Look at your powdered mashed potatoes,” she whispered, motioning with the backside of her for – with small bits of potato still clinging to the engraved pattern.

Leo shot her a confused glance, before looking down at his own swirled potatoes – with his own fork-butt protruding from the once-powdered mix. The swirl quivered slightly, causing Leo’s head to lean to the side – Adele laughing under her breath. Eyes popped out from the depths of the potatoes – narrowing themselves at Leo. He jumped, dropping his fork – quickly halting Adele’s laughter.

“What…?” she whispered, kicking him slightly under the table, causing him to jump again.
“Potatoes grew an IQ,” he mouthed, causing both of Adele’s brows to rise, before she stifled a laugh with the back of her hand. She found some of Leo’s “problems” quite amusing at times. Especially when it involved anything “growing an IQ”. One time the TV was glaring at him. A book bit him. Socks had gone rabid and consumed one another. Each of these instances was sketched and was covering the pale blue walls of his room, which hadn’t been painted since he was a baby.

“—and Leo here—“ his father began, causing the boy to rise his gaze to his father beside him.
“Why yes – I am here,” Leo replied, picking his fork back up from beside the plate.
“Why yes you are,” his father replied, patting Leo atop the head, as his brows attempted to touch.
Why no, you’re not… a gravely voice in the back of his head grumbled, causing Leo’s jaw to tighten.
“…talking about me like I’m not here again?” he asked, slightly tenderizing his father’s arm with his fork.
He laughed, “I was just talking about how I think you should maybe…get into the Air Force Academy…”

Leo’s face instantly dropped – as did his fork again (this time landing on the floor instead of beside his plate), “Ummwhatdidyoujustsaynow?” he spurted, without pausing between words, as laughter began echoing from all sides of his head. Shooting a gaze down at his plate, his swirled potatoes were cracking up just as the voices in his head.

“It would be great! You can get on with your ‘manly’ side and experience another side of life!”
“Bu…but dad – Berkley, Stanford, Hale, Harvard, Oxford, Brown, Edin—”
“What was that? United States Air Force Academy? I know, I’m excited too. Government pays for it, you know,” he patted Leo’s head once again, as the boy puckered his lips – irritated.

“Mhm, so do I have a say in this?” he asked, leaning his head to the side, as he watched his fork run out of the room – chasing the dog, from the corner of his eye. That was definitely sketch-worthy.
“Of course you do, Leo,” he cooed, as his mother cut into her chicken, watching him behind her shiny green eyes – his father resting a hand on his shoulder.
“But…it’s Leo,” Adele shot back, her voice slightly frustrated.
“HEY – watch your tongue!”
Leo poked his own tongue out of his mouth, staring at the pink muscle, as the entire table paused – staring at him. Walter Mason cracked up, messing up Leo’s hair yet again, “You’ll make a great addition to their ranks. With your mind and lighthearted nature, you’ll be fine! Plus the Doctors love your body!”
“Peeeedoooo,” Adele sighed, “Creeper doctor if I ever heard one,” she sniffed, chewing her dinner.
“I…I guess I’m…I’m going off…”

And the fork fell over yet again where he dropped it - no longer chasing the dog.