Bon Voyage! Volume 1: The Beginning

Chapter 1: The Departure

 In a little town known as Johnstown, Pennsylvania, there was a boy named Axel Roger Barley. Axel was finishing packing up for his big journey ahead of him. He applied to a College in Puebla, Mexico. It was called Prestigioso Colegio de Puebla. Axel applied 5 months ago and he was surprised he got in since it's the top rank University in the country. Cinco de Mayo was right around the corner and the school was hosting a huge celebration where the classmates get served food, party all night, and have a grand old time.

It was 10:29 am and Axel was just about packed but he just remembered that he forgot his parents were still in bed. So, Axel went downstairs and he found them still in their bed, still fast asleep until-

Beep Beep Beep

"Mom, Dad, get up!" Axel said while turning off their alarm clock.

His mom and dad just squirmed to life. "Mom, Dad, I'm going to be late." "It's 10:30 and my flight leaves in an hour," said Axel, trying to keep his parents awake but they kept falling asleep which wasn't helping him at all. Brock and Claire eventually woke up with a shock and they quickly made their bed, got dressed, and got ready for their son's departure. Axel brought his navy-blue suitcase downstairs and he hugged his Mom and Dad goodbye. "Have fun in The Big World Honey," Claire said, trying not to cry but she couldn't help herself. Axel also couldn't help himself. He was finally leaving home for a very long time and he didn't know when or if he would ever see his parents again.

"Now you stop that crying, you hear boy? "Oh, come on boy cheer up, we'll see each other again won't we Claire?" "That's right we will see each other again." responded Claire. "No, it's not that, it's just-." Axel started bawling. "I don't know when I'll see you guys again and what will you do without me?" "We'll be fine, I promise," Claire said, opening up for a hug. Axel ran into his Mom's arms and his Dad joined in on the hug. That might've been their last hug together. "I love you guys." Axel said crying. "We love you too." Claire said for the both of them.

The cab pulled over to the house, honking. Axel got out of the hug as he heard the cab honk. "Well, that's my ride, bye." Axel said, as he took his suit case out the front door and placed it in the trunk. Axel's parents waved goodbye and shut the brown, almost black, door. Brock realized his wife was crying the whole time of Axel's departure. "What is it Honey?" Brock asked. "It's just-he's gone." Claire said, crying. "I never thought after all this time, after 19 years have passed, that our son would be leaving for college; now he's out there, living his life, without us. "Oh, I know, we just have to hope that he gets to college safe and sound." Brock said, giving her a hug. "Yeah, you're absolutely right," Claire said, releasing herself from Brock's hug and then beginning to make coffee, crying while doing it. Axel's cab started leaving.

As Axel got settled into the cab, he looked out the rearview window and watched as his house, that he's lived in for 5 years, got farther and farther away into the distance looking like a tiny speck of dust the farther they went. Axel waved at his house goodbye. The traffic was atrocious; no one seemed to be in a hurry. When the taxi pulled over by the airport, Axel was approached by three gentlemen who were valet workers. They opened the door for Axel, got his suitcase out of the trunk, and greeted him on the way inside. "Thank you but I can take it from here." Axel said. The airport looked like it could hold about 50 planes; it was that big. Axel walked up the gray brick steps just like countless other people did and he pulled the door open ever so slightly, walking through security. Security wasn't that bad. Police officers were scattered all over the square room where they did a full security check down some man's pants and they found a gun. So, they gave that man a warning that time but if they caught him with a gun, again, without permission from a judge or the President, they would have no other choice but to arrest him.