The Pentelements *SLOW UPDATES*

Ch. 26 Goodbye

"Okay."

"Scott, we are not taking no for an answer." Lindsey argued.

"Okay."

"I don't know why you have to be so stubborn! We're trying to help you and all you're doing is... wait, what?"

"I said okay. I'm still not sure about joining them, but if everyone wants me to go, then I'll go." I assured her, and Lindsey sighed and hugged me.

"Oh my gosh, finally! I thought I was gonna have to go on a huge rant to convince you." She admitted, laughing with relief.

"You know, if you're uncomfortable with the idea, then you don't have to join them right away." Lauren suggested.

"What do you mean?" I asked as Lindsey stood up and grabbed the letter again.

"You can meet up with them and do whatever, but you don't have to join right away."

"What if they tell me I have to join right away?"

"Then you tell them no. And if that doesn't work, just knock them out." Robert suggested with a smile.

"I try to not use my strength like that against people. I'm a lover, not a fighter."

"Oh don't listen to him. If they say you have to join them right away, which I highly doubt, then you could always just come back. Tell them that's not your lifestyle." Lauren explained.

"I still don't know."

"Okay, let's put it this way. Imagine you're going to buy a car from a dealership. You don't just walk in and immediately purchase a car do you?" She asked, and I shook my head. "Exactly, you gotta look around first, talk to people, figure out what you want."

"Based on this letter, and what you've told us, it seems like you've already talked to the people, and now you're figuring out what you want." Lindsey cut in.

"Yeah, so what do you do next? Do you see a random car and immediately sign the papers? No. You gotta test drive it first." Lauren continued. "See how it runs. And if anything happens while you're test driving the car that you don't like, you don't have to buy the car. You can look at something different, or even go to another place."

"So you're saying, I can go see what it's like to be in the group for a little while, and if there's anything that happens that I don't like-"

"Then you don't have to join, and can come back home." Lindsey finished for me.

"How long do you think I should give them a try?" I questioned, and everyone thought for a moment.

"A couple of months." Dad spoke up.

"What?! That's way too long!" I argued.

"Actually, I think a couple of months would be perfect." Mom agreed. "Think about it. You'd be in a new place surrounded by people you don't know. A few days is too short to get to know someone, a couple of weeks is better but still too short when you start thinking about your powers. Leaving after a month would be bad because it might be just when you're really starting to get to know these people, and maybe even get some help with controlling your strength."

"She's right you know." Dad chimed in.

"A couple months would be perfect. You'd know the people in the group pretty well, and you could see if there's any improvement on how you're controlling your strength. If not, then there's really not much you could lose by leaving."

"Also, you need to remember that this is just a suggestion. If you're really not comfortable and want to come home early, then you can. Plus, if you want to stay longer than a couple of months, you can do that too." Lindsey assured.