Elements: Four Me (Book 4)

Summer Homework (Chapter 20)

Despite the fact that the teens improve more when they're in the Magic World, Ku makes sure that all of them are ready to go.

"Okay, we will leave after breakfast, Jamil is supposed to arrive at noon with Xian," Ku announces as soon as the teens get up.

"I didn't hear a thing," Brenton yawns loudly, stretching his arms out and purposefully pushing Sasha.

"Dude," Sasha stretches her arm and pushes him back. "Anyway, I call bathroom!"

"Oh heck no!" Owen jumps up, grabbing his toothbrush from under his pillow and dashing for the door.

"No you don't!" Alex and Ava have their own toothbrushes in hand and speed past Owen. Ava reaches the bathroom first, grinning at the boys before shutting the door.

"This ain't fair!" Owen grumbles.

"All's fair in love and war. Going to the bathroom first is war," Urana laughs. "You try everyday."

"One of these days," Owen promises.

"Good luck with that," Alex grins.

"Well, you both can't keep on using your speed for claiming the bathroom," Owen shrugs.

"Anyway, Ava, please hurry up," Sasha knocks on the door.

"Wait. The master room bathroom," Urana darts in the direction of Ku's room.

"You know I can beat you to the bathroom!" Owen sprints after her.

"But I can beat the both of you!" Alex grins as he passes by them with ease, slowing down from the speed last run.

"I'm not gonna even bother," Brenton rubs his eyes.

"Why? You're a Cross Country runner," Sasha questions.

"What's the point? Alex's gonna beat me down there anyway," Brenton says, stretching his arms out. "Oh yeah, that felt good."

"Stretches in the morning are the best," Sasha agrees, stretching out her legs. "So...um, can we keep the fact that I hugged you between us?"

"Sasha, literally everyone has a picture of it. You can't keep it a secret."

"What?" Sasha, now wide awake, stops stretching. Brenton nods, a smile on his face due to Sasha's surprise at the fact. "No way! Those little..."

"Those little are really good at catching each other at the right moment, but don't worry, at most it'll just be on Sensei's wall of memories," Brenton says.

"Does he actually call it that?"

"No, I just call that because I have no idea what else to call it."

"Oh gosh...I don't want it on there!" Sasha groans and Brenton chuckles. "Anyway, who's Abuela? You mentioned someone with that name..."

Brenton's laughter ceases and a sad smile appears on his face. "She was like my grandma," he answers. "Abuela means grandma in Spanish and she would never let us call her anything else. Or talk or listen to us unless we were speaking Spanish." He turns misty eyed. "She taught me whatever she could when she found out I was half-Hispanic. Taught me life lessons that I wished I listened to..."

Sasha could feel the amount of will power it's taking him to not cry.

"Abuela wished that I could learn about the Korean culture too, and the language," Brenton sighs as he sits down. "But Abuela was the one who I loved who wasn't under the Orphanage's name. She'd come by often enough, duh, but I just..." his voice cracks and he buries his face into his hands. "I wish I had more time with them."