Will stood by the side of the road, a duffel bag slung across his right shoulder as he waited for the hovercar that was to take him back to Helios Grove. He looked down at the bag to his right, wondering if he had brought enough of his personal belongings.
After the conversation he had with his parents the previous night, Will had contacted Varek to inform the elite of his decision. The older man was more than a little excited at the news, his enthusiasm conveyed through the BIC.
"And what about your accommodations? Staying with us, or your parents'?" Varek asked.
"I think it will be a good opportunity to stay in the city centre. I really hope I'm not imposing Varek, because if I am I can always find another place." Will said. He liked the idea of living in Helios Grove but couldn't help but feel that he was imposing, even if Varek was the one who invited him.
"Nonsense. We have the room and it's no bother at all."
"Thanks Varek. Is there anything I need to bring besides a change of clothes?"
"You don't even need those actually. If you're going to be an elite, you're going to dress like one. You can still bring some clothes if you prefer to slip into something more comfortable now and then, but other than that you'll have a brand new wardrobe."
Following Varek's advice, Will packed a few sets of his clothes, leaving the rest in his old room. That morning his mom had bid him a teary goodbye and Will had to remind her that he would be visiting often. She smiled but still continued to shed her tears. Will just laughed and shook his head, thinking that maybe this was just what mothers did.
So here he was, waiting by the side of the road. As he waited, he observed the street that he lived on for the past twenty-one years. Mostly a residential area, the place featured row after row of houses. The roads that ran along the streets were mostly empty of vehicles, unlike the city centre where you saw a hovercar every few feet. So when a shiny black hovercar came floating down the street towards Will, he knew immediately that it was his ride.
As the vehicle coasted to a smooth stop in front of Will, the door opened. Expecting everything to be the same as the previous day, Will didn't have a second thought before stepping into the car. This time however, the vehicle wasn't as empty as he had expected.
"What are you doing here?" Will asked, pausing halfway into the vehicle.
"Just get in. I'll explain later." Thane replied, not giving any further information. Will raised an eyebrow at him, trying to figure out the guy's motives. Still, confused as he might have been, Will stepped in, taking a seat beside Thane. The door closed behind him and the vehicle was off. "Nice to see you." Thane smiled.
"That makes one of us. I think I'm more confused than anything else." Thane simply laughed, taking a tablet out from the door compartment. He turned it on and tapped away onto the screen.
"We're just gonna have a slight detour before we head back to Helios." Thane mumbled, more to himself than anyone, as he tapped the screen. With a final keystroke, the driver bot spoke up.
"Route updated." It droned before quickly taking a left turn. Even though he had only traveled to Helios Grove once before, Will knew that the route they were supposed to take carried on straight ahead instead of taking a left turn.
"You hacked the robot?" Will asked.
"Hack is such a strong word. I like to think of it as re-programming." Thane's mischievous tone did nothing to ease Will's confusion.
"Something tells me that this isn't something your father would approve of."
"What he doesn't know won't hurt him." Will rolled his eyes, knowing that he had no choice but to just go with it. Wherever or whatever Thane had in mind, Will had no way to change it even if he wanted to.
"Where are we going anyway? I hope you're not bringing me somewhere so you can kill me." Will said, raising an eyebrow at the man next to him.
"Now why would I kill you? Look at that cute face." Thane cooed like he was speaking to a little kid.
"Wow you can be infuriating sometimes. You know you're kinda childish?"
"So I've heard."
"Really?" Will asked. From what Will could tell, Thane's interactions with everyone else he had seen was very professional, so different from the Thane that spoke to him. Hearing that someone else had said he was childish seemed unlikely what with the way he carried himself around others.
"Nope. Just you." Thane smirked making Will roll his eyes once again.
"I rest my case. So, are you going to tell me where we're going?" Will asked, turning to face Thane.
"You'll know when we get there. I'm certain you'll like it too so don't worry." At those words, Will knew exactly where they were headed.
"The forest? Why are we going there?" Will asked, making Thane whip his head to Will in surprise. "Don't look so surprised. Could you have been any more obvious?"
"You're one of those 'nothing gets by you' kind of person aren't you. Damn, takes the joy out of any kind of surprise."
"I have more than enough surprises in my life right now. Besides, you are in no obligation to surprise me with anything, or need I remind you that we aren't exactly friends yet? I've known you for three days, and I'm not exaggerating." Will stated. Seriously though, he could count the number of times he had met Thane on one hand.
"Ouch Harrison." Thane played, holding a hand over his heart in mock hurt. "I thought we shared something a little more special than that. You seemed to think so when you were sucking on my face."
"Shut up. Don't mention that, ever. It wasn't supposed to happen and you and I both know that."
"Fine, sorry. Just teasing." Thane said, turning to look out the window. Will shook his head, turning to face out the window as well, letting the silence between them take over. He didn't need it, being constantly reminded of his attraction to Thane. What Will wanted was to forget all about it, knowing that no good would come of it.
The sight of the green trees looming in the foreground was a sight for sore eyes for Will. What with everything that was suddenly being thrust upon him, he would have liked nothing more than an hour at the forest to relax and clear his head. The car turned down a road that Will never took whenever he visited by foot, the route leading towards the back of the dome, away from the main entrance that he frequented. As the car pulled into the complex from an entrance that Will never even knew existed, he found himself in a parking lot of sorts, coming to a conclusion that it was probably for visiting elites.
As the vehicle came to a stop, the doors popped open. Without a single word, Thane stepped out of the vehicle. Will followed behind, exiting the car only to notice that Thane was already walking away towards what looked liked the elevator. Frowning slightly, Will ran to catch up with the other man, slowing to match his pace once at his side.
"Did I say something wrong?" Will asked, knowing that Thane's silence and somewhat cold attitude had something to do with what he had said in the car.
"Nothing that I don't already know." Thane replied, not even giving Will a sideways glance.
"Then what's with you?" Will said as he stepped into the elevator with Thane.
"Nothing." He sighed, punching the button, causing the door to close. Will shook his head as the elevator ascended. If Thane wanted to be that way, he wasn't going to bother, so he decided to just keep quiet. The door opened and the smell of nature wafted into the elevator. Will closed his eyes, taking a deep breath, filling his lungs with fresh air. It had been nothing more than a few days since he last visited the forest, but already he missed the placed.
Cracking his eyes open, he noticed that Thane was off down the trail, heading towards the hill that the two had met previously. With hands in his pocket, Thane strode calmly through the slight undergrowth, listening to the crunching of leaves under his feet. Behind him, he heard Will trudging through the trail behind him, a few yards back.
Somehow the detour wasn't turning out as Thane had expected. It was supposed to be a simple picnic of sorts, something like the time they first met, except with a little food and drinks. Of course, after the conversation in the car, Thane figured that the plan was no longer a wise thing, hence leaving everything he brought along in the car. He knew he was being stupid, but he didn't know why he was giving in to it.
As Thane reached the spot on the hill where he had met Will, he looked out at the forest. After a moment, he sat down, circling his hands around his bent knees, locking them together. Will came and sat down beside him but not didn't say anything.
The two remained in silence for a good fifteen minutes, simply enjoying the peace of the forest. Of course, the silence had to be broken sometime and Will couldn't take it any longer. "So, care to explain why we are here?" He asked.
"I thought this was what you liked to do. Just come here to clear the mind." Thane replied, still not looking at Will.
"Yes I do, but I'm sure that wasn't the reason you brought us here."
"Forget it, it was a stupid idea anyway. Just pretend that I came here to clear my mind too."
