Beckett Fowl packed his bags uncertainly, a few scripts to read on the plane, his 3ds which Jake moaned over not getting to play, a hacky-sack (when he'd get to play with that? Who knew?) A heavy notebook with colored pencils and some actual clothes. He rummaged through his closet shelf to find more items to preoccupy him on the flight to Dublin, Ireland and started thinking about seeing Myles again.
There was once a time that Beckett had to strain to remember, when he and Myles were inseparable. They did everything together even if they didn't mean to. They kind of needed each other. That is, till they were actually separated; seemingly worlds away from each other. With the family visits to America becoming fewer and fewer; all that love they once had for each other kind of fizzled out.
Even though Beckett grew to resent all the genius talk his brother had gotten and not him; he still didn't want to hate him. He could settle for just hating how he was. He wondered if he should bring something for Myles, then found himself wondering if Myles even liked material objects like toys and games, and that caused him to start remembering being so close to Myles all over again.
There was a frantic knock at the door and Beckett opened it to a grimacing Jake. His red hair was messed up and he was breathing hard with flushed cheeks like he'd just ran from the practice field outside, all the way up the dormitory stairs and down the hall to Beckett's room without stopping.
" BECKETT FOWL!" The boy just about shrieked, pushing his way into Beckett's room and locking the door behind him.
" Why didn't you tell me you were leaving, huh!?" Jake said, setting the bad he was holding down and crouching down to pounce on Beckett. Beckett screamed, but was also trying not to laugh as Jake jumped on his back making him fall to the floor. " This is no time to be laughing Bucket! When were you going to tell me?" Jake asked, hysterical.
Beckett pushed Jake off, heaved himself up and told Jake, " I wasn't planning to be gone long, you knew my twin brother was calling around the school for me like, every fifteen minutes last night and he was getting upset." He turned back to his suitcase and shrugged. " It's just that he's coming to get me now and take me back to Ireland to, y'know, see the family."
Beckett was confused about hearing the teachers complain about Myles calling all throughout the night pleading to talk to my unassuming twin brother.
If there was a situation where Myles was begging to talk to Beckett then it was nothing so simple as seeing family; but what was Beckett really going to tell Jake?
Jake calmed down a little, but still seemed uncertain.
"You're twin's genius cut right?" He asked, taking Beckett's 3ds even though he was prohibited from playing it during the first week of Beckett having a new game. He saved up his money and bought the newest Kingdom Hearts game. He'd always enjoyed Disney but loved the fighting aspect of the game.
Beckett yanked it back immediately and nodded to Jake's question. He also shrugged the returning feeling of dislike off and went back to packing his bags.
The corner of Jake's mouth twitched a little and he tossed Beckett a Rubik's cube. " For your brother man."
It was thoroughly mixed up, to the point where it looked like someone chipped some pieces off; trying to stick the colors on other sides.
Beckett smiled and grabbed his suitcase to leave. Jake shifted; uncomfortable then stood and embraced Beckett with a meaningful hug. The shorter boy patted Beckett's back before clearing his throat and saying, " You better not decide to stay with your brother, you're the only best friend I've ever had."
Beckett smiled and broke the hug, he high-fived Jake and left the room with his stuff.
He knew Jake had never had any close friends and was often seen as immature by the rest of their peers; so he either stayed silent or kept far away enough away so no one would hear if he was saying anything. Beckett likes to think of himself as the one who broke Jake out of his shell.
He checked by the office a final time before going with a driver to the airport in which his brother waited.
. . .
It was hard pointing Myles out in the crowd, either it was because Beckett didn't really want to see him yet or because the place was extremely crowded; but even with panicked searching over a long period of time, Beckett couldn't find him.
The airport seemed to air out eventually as it got later and later, to the point where Beckett was the only person sitting on the bench looking out of the windows to the long runways on which the planes were leaving.
He was sure he missed the flight, but didn't mind so much since it was Myles' fault anyway. He was scared to go away from America, honestly afraid and would use any excuse he could not leave. He hadn't been on a plane since he was six and barely remembered the experience. Was he supposed to feel a pull to Ireland? It was his home yet all he could remember when he thought of a real home were the dormitory halls. The Fowl manor was a distant memory in his mind; long halls, gothic rooms and playing with Myles were apart of the past Beckett could have lived if only he'd had been a genius like his other brothers.
He sighed and pulled the Rubik's cube out of his suitcase, deciding to wait a little longer.
Over, down, switch sides, down, down, down, over- " You're supposed to move the middle row down twice, switch to the top side, move the top and bottom pieces left once and figure out how to move the bottom's middle row horizontally", a knowing voice with a thick Irish accent in compared to Beckett's ghost of one interrupted. Beckett looked back, not surprised at who it was already telling him things he didn't know or care to know.
Myles Fowl, straight posture, neat black hair (just a tad longer than Artemis' middle school pictures had shown his), and eyes boiling with intense confidence. He was lean and pale unlike Beckett who noticed his muscle definition and light tan in comparison. Beckett stood immediately.
" Beckett, we've missed our flight because you were late; I hope you know that", Myles said, arms crossed over a thin black turtleneck. Beckett ignored his remark and started straight away asking questions, " How's Artemis, you two are best buddies right?" Beckett thought his twin would have cocked an eyebrow at the term, 'best buddies', but at the mention of Artemis, Myles visibly deflated.
His posture no longer grand and confidence draining from his being, Beckett become instantaneously worried.
" Myles? Where's Artemis?" He asked again, changing his question ever so slightly.
Myles looked defeated, and Beckett remembered that they were only both just children and whatever happened must have really been horrible if Myles were to let that part of him show. There was no shaking or anything to that measure, but Beckett could tell Myles was afraid.
When he answered, it was quiet and controlled like he barely know how to speak, " Artemis, he's in bigger trouble than ever . . . h-he did something evil. Our brother killed millions- no thousands of people. It's all in his s-study."
Beckett helped Myles steady himself; he didn't let himself even think about what Myles had said. He couldn't until Myles got a grip on himself.
