Athena: The Elements

Episode three: Solemn Farewell

Previously: Ash is furious about the new school arrangements, but her brother accidentally gets some thoughts into her head. Rebecca calls and Ash finishes packing for her new school.

Brock's POV

"Brock! We have to leave if we want to make it on time!" said Dave, in his deep, low, voice.

"Yeah, be there in a second!" he called back, zipping up his luggage and marching down the hall and past his mothers room. "Wait, Brock!" called his mother.

He stopped in his tracks and walked back to her room, where his mother was putting down an old scrapbook. She looked almost in tears.

"Oh Brock, I'm afraid we're not going to see each other for a long time." she said, walking toward him with a wavering smile.

"I know, but I'll call you often." he said, wrapping his short chess nut-haired mother in a tight hug. He would miss her greatly, for he and his mom always had a dear connection.

"But it won't be the same as having you here." she said softly. Long silence followed.

He broke away from the lingering hug and she smiled slightly, whispering "Promise you'll always be my boy. Don't change." 

He looked gently into her pure green eyes, like the ones he had. Holding the gaze, he promised "I won't. I love you, mom."

"I love you too. Now you'd better go, those friends of yours don't seem like much of the waiting type." she laughed.

The two headed down the stairs to the living room, where three young husky boys stood, annoyed looks read on their faces. "Were you adjusting your tutu?" Jeremy teased. The others laughed.

His mother looked concerned, but he shot her a look that said 'Forget it', for he was used to teases from these boys. That was apparently second-nature to any other guy. He just played along, though they made him feel slightly bad.

"Come on, we got to go!" called Phillip. 

"Alright, alright. Bye, mom." he said with one last smile at her.

"Bye..." she said before he flew out the door and into a truck parked outside. "I call shotgun!" and "No way, I call front seat!" followed from two of the boys.

Brock took seat in the back, while the two others rustled around to get into the front seat first. And of coarse, seeing as it was Phillips truck, he was driving.

The sky was clear, and the air was clean. Nothing about today was less than bright and lovely. The perfect day for Brock to begin his new school-Athena.

Whereas some guys were pissed to even think they had to share halls with the other bender types, he didn't see how they were much different.

Then again, he was worried about beginning. Like anyone would on their first day, and it wasn't because of any students with other abilities. Athena would be surely much more advanced, and much bigger.

His whole life would change soon. His new life was just beginning. 

"Ahem!" coughed Dave loudly, from the front seat (apparently he won the match.) "I said, do you want any snacks?!"

"Oh yeah!" he said, snapping out of his thoughts, and remembering that he forgot his breakfast.

Dave handed him a bag of potato chips, and Brock took it slowly, smiling and nodding a thanks, though he didn't see how a bag of junk food would make for a good morning meal on a special occasion like this.

He took it anyway, and munched down the chips, as music blared, and the car took off for it's destination: The first day of his new life.