"Oh, Mom!", young teenage Becky Botsford groaned as she looked up from her book. "I don't wanna hang out with Tobey today."
"Well why not?", her mother asked. "After all, he came here to ask you, specifically, to come out and play with him."
"Cause this is Tobey.", she argued. "You know, evil boy genius that's destroyed the city and our home and threatened all our lives on a constant basis? I could set the clock by how often he wreaks havoc!"
Becky had been laying on the couch with book in hand, but now she sat up and was brushing back her hair from her face. Sally walked in front of her across the other side of the coffee table.
"Well I don't know about you, but I certainly haven't heard much robot activity in for quite some time!", her mother retorted. "And for a girl who's always cooped up inside on such a beautiful day, you could stand to get some fresh air. Besides, what would the harm really be? Wordgirl always arrives to save the day, you know."
"Yeah..", the teenager sighed. "Wordgirl always arrives in the nick of time..."
Without being able to argue her mother's reassurance while risking her secret identity, Becky saved her place in her book and came to the door.
Both of them had changed over the last four years. Becky's shoulder-length chocolate brown hair now cut short and curled slightly behind her ears with a red highlight running through. Gone of the green sweater and red skirt, now wearing a red tank top with a green belt and bell-bottom jeans. Yet she still retained the same round expression and good build of a body as being a super hero called for.
Tobey had possibly changed more so. Childhood's weight gone, now revealing a tall, gangly sort of teenager with grown out blond hair that shagged some around his neck. A more angular face which called for a different pair of frames for glasses. Instead of thick and round, now thin and rectangular. Matched with a dark blue polo shirt and slacks and newly acquired wrist watch which Becky's seen him use on numerous occasions to summon any robot needed. He smiled a bit, seeing her step out.
"So?", he asked. "Just for the day, will you accompany me?"
His British accent may have been more or less lost, but his speech patterns had barely changed. Becky sighed and rolled her eyes.
"Fine.", she said and stepped off the porch to begin the walk into town. "However."
She spun around. Tobey was already standing up but was somewhat startled by the stern glare in her eyes.
"No robots.", she said. "We're not kids anymore Tobey. I could call the cops on you."
His startle disappeared and a cool-temperament seemed to take over him as he returned her glare with a smirk of his own. Almost like he knew something.
"Mm-hmm..", he nodded. "Well I can assure you, there's nothing of that sort of entertainment on my agenda for the day."
He started to walk on ahead of her and she followed. She really didn't have anything else planned for the day, but walking through town with him was certainly not her first idea of fun. But if it was to keep the city at peace from another robot attack for an on-going record of 2 weeks, she knew what she had to do.
'Probably just wanna accuse me of being Wordgirl again..', she grumbled to herself.
Regardless, the day was actually rather quiet. Instead of ice cream or museums, they merely walked about. They looked around and what light conversation they did have it was kept to a minimum. Becky didn't really feel like opening up to a villain.
Eventually, at one point, they walked through a park. Their legs tired, they sat back on a bench for a while and simply watched other people enjoy the beautiful Summer day. Two hours had passed and not a word of Wordgirl or robots was said. Becky had started to get tense, anticipating it.
"...You know..", she said, wondering if she should even start up this conversation. "I'm surprised you wasted the whole day just walking around with me. What's this all about?"
"Well..", Tobey started, unsure. He looked at the ground and kicked it a little. "...I'm moving away."
The news fell on her like a ton of bricks. Becky's eyes widen and her shoulders dropped. It's like suddenly everything crumbled under her.
"..E-excuse me?", she was surprised how badly her voice cracked.
"I said I'm moving away.", Tobey restated. "I'm going to live with my father in England. Mother thinks it would be good for me."
"Whoa whoa whoa, wait. You're DAD?"
"YES, I have a dad.", he chuckled a little and looked back at her. He was smiling, but it was a sad one. Like he was trying to hide how much this actually hurt him to move away. "He's a scientist. You can see where I get it from. His business had him live in England, but wanting me to to have a wide horizon of education for so young an age, he wanted my mother and I to live in America. Now she wants me to go out and live with him. I leave in two days."
He looked back down at the dirt and she followed his gaze. Only one question still nagged at her.
"...Then why did you spend today with me?", she asked quietly.
"Cause you're Wordgirl."
The scentence nearly escaped her but she caught it and looked back at him in surprise. He smirked at her.
"And nothing you say will change my mind. Just deal with it.", he added before she could open her mouth. At least he kept his voice down. "I've kinda always known. But I'm not gonna tell anyone. I don't have reason to. I'm moving away."
That was that. The truth was uncovered. Becky sighed and leaned back onto the bench.
"...Welp.. Now you know..", she said, barely above a whisper.
"Indeed.", he agreed. "So I wanted to spend my last day before packing with someone I liked. Even if you don't like me back. If you really want to go home, it's okay. I understand."
He was rambling a bit, but stopped short when he noticed something even Becky didn't think of. Her mind suddenly became so wrapped around this news, it took a hand on her cheek and a thumb brushing off a tear to make her realize.
"...Hey..", he started, gentle. "Why are you crying?"
She looked up, staring back at his deep blue eyes. She could see her own tear-filled ones and Becky tried to quickly wipe them up.
"It's nothing.."
"And I'm not an evil genius.", Tobey retorted with half a smile.
"...Well..", she looked away and sighed deeply. "...Ever have one of those moments when..it's like everything is crazy and chaotic at first, and then it stops..and you look around and suddenly feel very very alone?"
Tobey thought about this a moment before answering, "In a sense. Not exactly the chaos.. What do you mean?"
"I mean I'm gonna be starting high-school next September and I'm having to cope with everything changing. I'm suddenly losing a lot of friends, even people I didn't really consider friends.", she wrapped her arms tightly around her, the words hurting more as they were said aloud, than in her own mind where she tried to keep them.
"Like?", Tobey urged, feeling necessary to help her vent. "What, the monkey isn't your friend anymore?"
"No. No.", she said quickly, shaking her head. "We're still friends but.. He's like a mentor, or a big brother to me.. It's not the same as opposed to when I have human friends."
"Well, what about your brother?"
"That's different. We're siblings, of course we're friends. But he's come out last week with Johnson and the two are always busy with each other."
"Ooh. Wow. Okay..", Tobey quickly back tracked, his eyebrows furrowed together. "...Wow.."
"Yeah. He told me. He didn't feel ready to tell Mom and Dad yet..", she explained a little.
"Well what about that girl. Um.. Violet?"
"She's been so deeply engrossed with her art and dating Scoops, I haven't seen much of her at all.", Becky sighed. "And Scoops is only really interested in reports and dating Violet. I'm...kinda just left behind."
Tobey had thought to say something rude about him, but decided against it. He simply shrugged it off.
"There are other guys."
"Yeah, but he was my friend. And he's disappearing about as fast as all the villains..."
She looked at the ground again and once more, depression fell upon her. Tobey took note and leaned a little closer.
"Becky?"
"...This is where I feel like even though I never considered someone my friend...it's sad they're gone...", she said quietly, her voice trembling a touch. "..Like you. You're moving. And it's gonna be lonely here without a familiar face."
Tobey paused a moment, a small blush forming on his cheeks. But he returned to subject and asked in all curiosity, "...Well what about Two-Brains? Prison can't keep him in for long.", he wasn't often in touch with the other villains anymore.
She grimaced at the name and turned away.
"He finally snapped.", she said. "We all knew it was a matter of time but.. He's in the asylum now.."
She had to blink back tears and choked on a sob. She tried to hide it but Tobey's hand on her shoulders confirmed she didn't do a good job of it.
"Sorry..", she uttered. "Do you know how hard that was to watch?"
She swallowed hard and tried to rub the tears away.
"I already lost Boxleitner. It's like I lost the same best friend twice now.. Twice! And Victoria's in there too.."
"Victoria?", Tobey repeated in surprise. "Wait.. You mean Victoria Best?"
"She had a nervous break down from the peer pressure of her parents..", Becky explained.
The tears had started and now wouldn't stop. Thinking now of the villains hurt all the worse than her friends. They were all gone.
"Chuck?", Tobey asked. "Where's he?"
"He moved in with his brother in a different city.", Becky sobbed.
"Butcher?"
"Kid Potato needed surgery and he's been by his side in the hospital ever since.", she finally managed to clear her throat enough to add. "And Granny May is DEAD."
"She's old, Becky. That's to be expected.", Tobey was blunt.
"I know! But..!", she tried to even her breathing, it was hard not to cry. "I just... I didn't expect it so soon.."
"Lady Redundant Woman?"
"Her copy-shop job made her move away to work on the other side of the country. Bigger stores and more copy machines..."
"Well what about Eileen?"
"She's in foster care in a different state.", she continued, drying her eyes in vain. "She moved out just earlier this month.."
"Mr. Big?"
"I ran him out of business and Leslie's gone on to other non-evil companies."
"What about Um.. Whammer?"
"He's gone into professional wrestling with Nocan back in Contraria."
"Wow..", Tobey frowned. "Weird.. What about Ms. Question?"
"She went on some weird self-discovering quest because Huggy asked why she had to ask so many questions.", Becky finally looked up now. "And The Coach went to Vegas to start up more evil. Big Left Hand Guy and Invisibill came out and went with Coach to get married."
"O-kaaaaaaaayyy...", Tobey said slowly, somewhat disturbed by the idea. "...Ew.."
"Yeah.", Becky rolled her eyes a little. "And Timmy Timbo dropped out of villainy...I don't really know what's going on in his life but I didn't really spend time with him anyway.."
"Hmm..", Tobey pondered. "I see what you mean.. This is pretty depressing. What about that Glen guy?"
"Same as Timmy. I just didn't really spend time and connect with him. I don't really have a friendship with anyone else..", Becky shrugged. "Things are so quiet now a days.. I'd jump a mile high if I suddenly a heard an alarm go off now.."
"Hm.. What about that Math Toddler?", Tobey asked.
"That's Math KID and he's gone too!", Becky snapped.
"Sorry!", Tobey quickly apologized. "Math Kid! Where's he?"
"He was at Hexagon for a long time training, but when he came back to Earth, we could only spend the day together. He found a life to live in a different city so he wouldn't feel like he was pressing in on my life and just..left.", she sighed and turned away, resting her head in her hand and her elbow on her knee. "Like everyone else.. I can't even stay in touch with him. He never told me where he was going. He said he'd write, he'd come back and let me know what city needed him when he found it. But...he never did.. And now you're moving away.."
"Wow..", Tobey sat back, unable to pick more names. "...Everything IS changing."
"Yeah.. And believe it or not, but I don't really wanna face high-school next September..", Becky sighed. "Teachers will be rough, I'll be friendless.."
"It's like everything in our childhood is just...gone."
They sat in silence for a long time. Tobey already didn't wanna leave for England, but this just felt even worse. He tried to think of something to say, but nothing can come to either's mind. Finally, silence was broke. Though it was still sad.
"It's getting late..", Becky said. "You gotta get home."
"...As always.. You're right.", Tobey sighed.
They stood up. The fireflies began to glitter in the park as they made their way home.
"...I don't suppose..", Tobey began. "...That you'd ever find any time to fly out to England and see me?"
She looked over and he tried to offer a smile.
"I know where my father lives. I can give you the address..", he continued. "You could drop by.. I'd unleash havoc and mayhem with even more impressive robots."
He smiled more and she couldn't help but laugh a little.
"I'd have to stop you. It'd be more business as usual than coming to see you.", she said.
"I'd consider it our thing. Like one of those people that are actually great together but they're always insulting one another for fun."
"Sounds weird.."
"We always have been.", he pointed out. "It'd be like old times.."
They looked at each other and smiled some more.
"...I'd like that.", she said quietly.
"Great then.", he replied. "Give me a month before you drop in though. I have unpacking and of course, I can't strike fear into the lives of my peers without an army of at least 10."
"Sure you'll have one in time?", she chuckled.
"With my father's inventing genetics that I've inherited, I've no doubt that he would have the equipment necessary to fend you off with 100 robots in the time.", he said smugly. "But.. England is a small country. I think I'll keep it to ten for a starter."
She laughed a little more and they had reached the street. They looked at the houses, only a small strip of road apart. Soon to be a whole ocean.
"...Thanks for listening.", she said finally.
"Thank you for giving me this last day.", he returned.
They smiled at each other again, paused, and then turned and walked to their own homes.
Life is always changing. From how people look, to how they act, to who they're with, to the enviroments they live in. Life is always changing.
But sometimes it's nice to stop. To look back. To relish the time you spent in the past. Then you move forward, shouldering whatever your future has in store. And ready to add memories to the past.
Laura: Please leave a review!