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It wasn’t the end of the charter season but it was the end of Brodie’s.

He had done what he could with the time he had to get the boat ready for the next trip but of course that wasn’t good enough for the Captain of Motor Yacht Excalibur...AKA his father Monty Driver. To his old man’s credit, he had detoured his ship to the Bay in order for Brodie to disembark and make his way to his yearly home of Marble Heights. Not that the guests minded since it an extra day on a trip they’d already paid a great deal of money for.

The fog was thick around the Bay Area as it often was so Brodie thought it best to leave MY Excalibur via his personal sailing boat The Avalon Sky. It was a small, rustic little thing that he insisted be tethered to his fathers yacht whenever he joined them on charter as a deckhand. Father Driver didn’t particularly care to fight with his only child about it so he did as was asked. Luckily, Brodie’s job at the OCSC sailing school meant that he could moor his boat at a marina that was literally a two minute walk from his school.

As he sat in the bow of his little sailboat, packing the last of his clothing into a waterproof duffel bag, the young Australian couldn’t help but feel a sense of elation. 

School was no fun and he could truly only count the amount of friends he had on one hand but that was his choice. The more friends he had the more chance there was for one or more of them to break his heart and he had spent a long long time trying to let go of all of his previous hurt. He didn’t need to be reminded of it again.

Still, since his first year attending up until now, Brodie thought of Marble Heights as an escape from reality. It was a world of beautiful sights and sounds and interesting histories and potential futures. It was a challenge but it was fun and he couldn’t wait to get back. He threw his singular bag of clothing into the cabin where his beloved surfboard already sat and turned to start loosening the knots that held his boat in place.

Glancing upwards towards the stern of MY Excalibur, a small part of Brodie hoped that his father would be standing there to say goodbye to him; instead there was only Robbo, the yacht's chef.

“We’ll miss you, Brode. I’ll keep a few beers in the esky for you”

[color=A4C0CF]”Laters Robbo, look after me ol’ fella eh?”[/color]With a final court nod; Brodie turned away from the larger boat and started up the engine on his own. The Avalon began to peel away into the fog leaving the charter yacht behind in its wake. 

The closer the small vessel got towards the land, the clearer it became. The handsome sailor had no problems navigating weather like this; he was raised on the water and had experienced every kind of hazardous condition there was. He had dealt with storms, heat waves, blistering winds and of course the worst; drunken guests. The irony was not lost on Brodie in that he loved the water and everything it had to offer yet it was that exact thing that drove his family to the point where it was. The communication between his parents wasn’t there if it wasn’t about the business and as he had always been, Brodie was essentially alone. He didn’t bother trying to get their attention any more; it just wasn’t worth it.

Arriving at the marina with time to spare; the sailor boy docked his boat, slung his duffel on his back and tucked his surfboard under his arm; it was time today to start another year at Hogwarts...Marble Heights. He joined the sea of faces as they began the journey towards San Francisco’s elite boarding school. Some of the faces he recognised from previous years, others he did not. As a minimalist anyway, Brodie was shocked by the sheer amount of things people seemed to be bringing with them compared to himself. He literally had a handful of clothes and his board; some of these other kids looked like they were bringing an entire household with them. He’d been coming to this place for three years now and yet the sheer amount of privilege still took him aback sometimes.

Walking into the lobby of the Oakland building was like walking into some fancy hotel; it was gorgeous. Brodie was so taken aback by the aesthetic that he nearly cleaned out some freshmen with his surfboard as he turned in awe.

[color=A4C0CF]”Sorry mate”[/color] 

He noted a few faces that he recognised as he moved around the new state of the art dormitory; the Callaghan siblings being two of the most obvious. Brodie had a few classes with Katie the previous year and immediately what stood out about her besides being beautiful was her sheer strength of will. She was forceful but not overbearing and didn’t take shit; it was quite refreshing. Jamie on the other hand was a year below so he didn’t know much of him, that said he did love reading the Golden Gate Gazette after his morning surf and yoga sessions. He also noted one Avery Rockhold making her way about the place; the saying “play with fire and you get burned” often sprung to mind when thoughts drifted the way of the Texan. She was wild, dangerous and most likely a little bit insane. She was a riot but not Brodie’s cup of tea that’s for sure. 

The handsome sailor boy made his way to the elevator and up towards the second floor and two zero five. Once in the room, Brodie was taken aback by how hella fancy it was; it was obvious that the school had left no penny unspent. As he absorbed the energies of his new surroundings, he felt a dampness in his shirt. It seemed like there must’ve been some rain inside that fog after all. He peeled off his top and wondered if this place had a washing machine.

Simple pleasures and all that.[/center]