Althena Book 2

27. My Mom

By Wednesday, I've completely forgotten about the interview. I'm more than a little shocked when the boys take me to school in the helicopter.

"Why are you coming today?"

"The reporter was from your school. Penn may want it. Maybe she can get some extra credit or something. We're going to ask."

"She did a good job."

"She did."

"Also." Conner fiddles his fingers and stares at the ground.

"What, Conner?"

"Well, the pictures. At the end."

"Yea."

Mike smiles at me. "My mom contacted your old school and got the pictures from when you went there. We found quite a few with you in them. They're going to play as well. Plus the ones your mom had stored in the house when you were a baby."

"Why did you wait until now to tell me? I want to see them."

"I finished editing them 20 minutes ago. It was a lot to sort through. We'll figure it out. I promise."

Drogon puts his arm around me. "We'll pull you out of school for the day if we have to. You'll see them as soon as possible. You can see them all. Not just the ones in the slideshow."

Tears fall out of my eyes. "You have pictures of me as a baby?"

Cyrus smiles at me. "Have you ever seen them?"

I shake my head. "She must have hid them to keep them safe."

We get in the door and Drogon kisses my head. "Go to class. You're right on time. We'll talk to Penn and try to get you out of tutoring today."

"Thank you. I love you."

"I love you, babygirl."

The teacher glances at me, then brings me some tissues to my seat. "Are you ok?"

I wipe my eyes. I can't talk or I'll cry.

She goes back up to the front of the room. The announcements come on, and it's normal for a minute. Then Haddy comes on and says she's doing an interview with me. The clip is of me and her laughing. A few questions. Nothing major. It shuts off and everyone looks at me.

Akmae turns around. "What's wrong?"

"The boys found baby pictures of me." I lay my head down and cry.

The teacher runs over and rubs my hair. "It'll be ok."

"Attention teachers." Penn's voice is very loud and throughout the whole school. "Haddy's interview of the queen is breaking on every major news channel. This is global breaking news. We are going to watch it here. The bells have been disabled. Students will remain in their first period class until instructed otherwise." Something beeps.

"What did she say?"

"They found baby pictures of her."

Drogon comes through the door. "Come here."

I run and jump. I wrap around him and cry.

"What happened?" The teacher is confused.

"We found pictures of when she was a little girl. Some of them will air on the news. I'm taking her with me."

"Ok."

The TV flips back on. "Hi, I'm Lead Investigative Reporter Haddy from the Green Valley High Morning News. Today I will be interviewing our Queen, Althena Sage. Let's start at the beginning. Where were you born?"

Drogon carries me and I cry all the way down the hallway. We go into a room I've never been in. It has a big TV and couches in it. "What is this place?"

"Teachers lounge. Penn said we can use it to watch the pictures. They're on disks. Mike's mom had to scan everything to get it here in time."

Mike takes me from Drogon. "And everything is what she scanned. You're not in all the school photos, but we got them anyway. Let's start with the ones that were at your mom's house and my mom's house." He puts me on the couch.

I stare at the TV. I'm afraid to blink. The first picture pops up.

"THAT'S MY MOM. PAUSE IT." I jump up and run over to the TV, pointing. "That's me?"

Mike smiles. "That's when you were born. You and your mom."

"Wow." I sit on my knees in front of the TV and try to memorize her. "She was so happy and young. My mom." The picture changes. "I WASN'T DONE."

"Sorry, baby." He puts it back.

A few minutes later, Cyrus sits beside me on the floor. "That's my mom, Cyrus."

"She's amazing."

"She really was."

"There are more pictures of her on the disk. And you can look at these whenever you want. I want to see you grow up."

I wipe a tear away. "Save this one but you can go to the next one."

Mike smiles. "We're saving them all. We even made a backup for the backup's backup."

There's a couple of me as a baby. Then I'm sitting between Mike and Miles on the couch. "PAUSE."

Mike cracks up laughing. "You were about 6 months old. You finally got some hair, woman."

"See my pink bow? And look at you. You were little too."

He smiles and keeps going. There aren't a lot of pictures. But it's enough. I was the happiest child. Covered in dirt or snow or with a messy face, I was always smiling. My mom makes an appearance in some of the pictures and I make them stop, so I can stare at her. I miss her so much.

As I grow in the pictures, I can tell we had no money. I guess I never noticed it as a young child. My clothes were old or handmade. One year, I wore a coat that was way too big in the snow. On my first day of school, I wore a plain brown handmade dress. Brown shoes that looked too big. My hair was in a ponytail. I carried a pencil and notebook with my sack lunch. But my face had the biggest smile. I was excited to play with kids my age and be a big kid.

They go through the pictures with me. There were a lot of school pictures, and I wasn't in most of them. But it was amazing to see my classmates. There are a few more as I get older with my mom. Mostly, we would be gardening or playing in the snow. But then she was gone.

The pictures start back up after Mike gave me my first phone. I can't believe he still had the pictures I sent him. I had a few pictures of myself. Some of my apartment when it was new. Then the shop and a few crystal balls. Me and Conner sitting behind the counter. Chris and I making bread. It's amazing to see this again. Then there's like 500 of me and Chris doing everything and nothing. "I guess Chris sent you some too?"

The boys crack up laughing. "Yep."

Then we get to Darkburn. Granny's house. I laugh so hard. "I was like, I can get a room somewhere. I don't want to impose."

The boys laugh and keep going. We see my room.

Then Chris shows up, so there are a lot more pictures. Chris takes pictures of everything. There are some of the warriors with no shirts on. I lay on the floor and laugh.

"What exactly were you looking at, woman?"

"Scenery, Conner. We like trees."

"Of course." He tickles me and kisses my cheek.

Then the pictures of me start to get fancy at times. When we got dressed up at Safiri for the first time in Darkburn. When I was all dressed up, meeting Drogon. I point at it and jump into his lap. "Mine."

"All yours."

Then there's a short video of when I was given the title of princess. I was very fancy for that. The guy says, "I present to you, the Princess of Darkburn." Everyone claps and that's the end of the video.

Then I'm sitting on Drogon's lap when we got caught drunk and making out. We laugh and Mike rolls his eyes.

The videos and pictures keep coming. When I met Cyrus. All the royal events that were close together right there.

The boys playing volleyball on the beach, shirtless. "WOOOO." I throw my hands up. "Scenery, Conner. We like the beach."

"Of course." He shakes his head and laughs.

Then to recent events. Some are with the cheerleaders. Lila and I have quite a few together. Then there are a few from the concert last weekend. From the dance, there's one of me standing alone outside. Cyrus has a few inside with me. Me, Lila, Amber, and Lauren took a few together. The last picture is me and Clayton looking like we're about to murder someone. We all laugh at that one.

"And that's the last picture you've taken, woman."

"We took a lot at the dance. I needed a break after that."

"We can tell."

Cyrus walks me back to class. The other 3 go to the office.

"THAT'S MY MOM."

Cyrus grabs me before I grab the TV. He holds me sideways. "I'm taking her to lunch. Akmae, can you grab her stuff when you leave?"

"Sure."

Cyrus puts me on my feet in the office. "That was a very long interview."

Penn nods without looking away from the TV. "We had to give them breaks. We can't lock kids in rooms for 3 hours. We're sending them to lunch when the pictures are done. You can go there if you want."

Drogon picks me up. "Let's go. There's only 15 minutes of pictures. Those kids are going to make a mad dash for the lunchroom."

I show Cyrus and Mike how everything works. Then I make them get food and sit with me.

Drogon sits by me. "So, this is the popular table this year?"

Conner laughs. "Yes, we're popular."

A bell rings and people run from the hallway to the food. It's a crazy disaster. Drogon wasn't wrong.

Cyrus watches everything. "Is this normal?"

"No. They all let out at exactly the same time. Some classes will let kids out early, so it staggers the lunch line a little."

"I always get out early. And my classroom is right there. Lila and I are always first."

"I bet that's nice."

"It is." I lay my head on Drogon's shoulder. "Drogon got detention last time he was here. He grabbed my butt."

He smiles. "I didn't make it to detention though."

"Conner gets one at least once a week."

He winks. "It's because you get handsy with me."

"I can't help it."

"Be careful sitting there, Cyrus. She'll get touchy when she's full."

Cyrus smirks. Then he shakes his head and cracks up laughing.

"You better not say a word." Mike rolls his eyes.

"I didn't."

Lila hugs my head. "You were the cutest baby."

"Did you see my mom?"

"I did. She was so pretty."

I nod, and she takes off running for the food.

Amber sits beside Conner. "If you touch me, I'll scream."

"I'm not going to touch you."

"You get detentions constantly. You can never keep your hands to yourself."

"That's because she's all touchy first."

Amber nods and looks at Cyrus. "You're in his normal spot. Keep your eyes open for roaming hands."

"I'm not that bad."

Lauren loses it. "Yea, ok."

Kristen nods. "He's always complaining about not being able to walk out of here."

Conner laughs. "Somehow she never gets in trouble though."

"I'm too sweet and innocent." I push my tray away as the boys lose it.

Drogon kisses my head. "I love you."

"I love you too."

Akmae sits my stuff in front of me.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome. This place is a disaster today. I'll be back."

10 minutes later, we're together. Matt stands up. "Since Jenna is not here today. I have an announcement. Party at my house next Saturday. Not this weekend but the next one. You're all invited. Lots of alcohol. I don't care if Jenna comes, but do not tell her about it until she is already there."

We laugh and Cyrus grabs my hand. Oops. At least I was only rubbing his leg and not his d**k.

Drogon shakes his head. "You can't tell us that."

I put my elbows back on the table.

Matt sits down and laughs. "I don't care if you come. Clayton and Conner will be there. Someone has to pick up the girls."

Mike smirks. "No, that's me and Cyrus. Conner will attempt to get them, then accidentally get drunk too."

Conner nods. "It happens."

"Only to you."

Cyrus grabs my hand again. Damn it. I try to pull it away, and he holds it tighter. Then he rubs my fingers. I get tingles running up my arm from him.

"Time to go to class." Lila stands up.

We grumble and move around.