War of The Elements

3

I leave for the Fire element in three days. My mother and I went shopping through the city before we left, and so now I have a whole new wardrobe for my adventure. I tightly fold all of my new clothes into a large suitcase until it is full, and then I grab another one, filling that with shoes, books, and customs from home that will remind me of my family. I am ecstatic for the competition, I've been reading up on all of the elements and practicing how to behave for the events.

My parents threw a large party at our house for my farewell, and all of my classmates came. We have a local band playing in our backyard, and tables filled with loads of snacks and drinks. I observe one of my classmates digging into the cheese and cracker table, and I walk over to her. "Hey Margaret." I smile. She finishes stuffing the rest of the cheese in her mouth. She chews while holding a finger to her mouth. I let out a giggle. "Hey Hazel, this party is so nice. I'm going to be sad once you leave." She pouts. Margaret is one of my closest friends. We've known eachother since we were babies, since our mothers are best friends. Margaret lives in a grand white mansion, with the biggest garden of magnolias I've ever seen. I haven't visited her since June, I've been busy with camp. We talk for a few minutes about how excited I am, and how we will miss each other.

I've talked to almost every person at this party. Everyone congratulates me, hugs me goodbye, and tells me how jealous they are. I appreciate the kindness everyone has given me, I've never felt so loved in my entire 16 years of living. My mother sneaks up to me and whispers in my ear. "Someone's here to see you." I perk up. Who would be here that I haven't already seen? I give her a questioning look, and she points towards a young man in tan jeans and a black tank top. I squint my eyes to get a better look at his face. "Is it Atlas?" I whisper back to her. She nods, as she pushes me towards him.

"Hi Hazel, your mom invited me to the party, it looks great." Atlas smiles.

"Thanks, she's so excited for this trip." I replied.

"Well, we should get to know each other before we leave. You know, cause we're not leaving each other's side." He added. Atlas' eyes are an enchanting light green, and I can't help but stare into them as he speaks to me. We walk side by side, as I show him around my house. I show him my small orchard behind the house, with four apple trees. I pick him one of the best looking apples, rub it clean, and hand it to him. "So, did you have a party?" I ask him. Atlas' eyes shift to the right, avoiding eye contact with me. Was he embarrassed? "No, nobody would've come anyway." He shrugs it off.

I learned that Atlas builds houses, and we had met before, when we were both young. We went to the same summer camp, and he was in the cabin next to mine. We weren't friends or anything, just coincidentally had met. Atlas was a year older than me, his birthday being in March. He had two brothers, Forrest and Trevor.

"What are you going to miss the most about home while you're away?" Atlas asked. I don't even have to think about it. "My parents." I answer. "What about you?" I look him in his eyes, his beautiful green eyes. He thinks for a moment. "Probably my brothers. I don't know what I'm going to do without them nagging me." He chuckles. We spend the next few hours of the party bonding, and towards the end I don't want him to leave. His energy is attractive in ways I can't explain, like  warm sand on the beach. He's sincere and gentle, he talks in a soft tone, calming my ears and warming my heart. "See you on the ship, Hazel." He hugs me goodbye. I'm startled at first, no boy has hugged me at a casual event. I eventually accepted the hug. "Goodbye Atlas, see you then."