(This is probably the second Kasal-centered fanfiction on the first being TCGeek's "Infidelity."

Note to everyone: Go read it! Like, stop reading this and go read that! It's amazing!

Anyways... I hope you enjoy this odd bit of surprisingly normal fanfiction!

Characters © Nintendo

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New Beginnings

Chapter One- Out of Town; Be Back Later

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"Greg, go and tell your brother to get down here, please..."

"Mom, you know he won't change his mind about whatever you were arguing about--"

"Yes he will! I know he will!"

Sixteen-year-old Greg Kasal sighed, refusing to argue with his stubborn mother.

What makes her think this time will be any different?

"Fine, I'll go get him..."

Traipsing up the stairs to the second floor, Greg stopped in front of the door to the bedroom that he shared with his younger twin, Sidney.

The door was closed, and Greg could tell that his stubborn brother was sitting against the door.

"Sidney, if you don't move, I'm going to kick the door," Greg announced clearly.

After five seconds of silence, Greg promptly kicked the door, about two feet up from the floor.

"Ow..."

The door opened, and Greg was greeted by the sight of his brother, who was rubbing the back of his head and looking rather bitter.

"That hurt, Greg," Sidney muttered as he fixed his glasses.

"Well, you were asking for it by just sitting there," Greg retorted. "Let me in."

Sidney muttered, slowly moving out of the doorway. Greg walked in, shutting the door behind him.

"Alright, what did you and Mom argue about this time?"

Sidney hesitated. "...Mom doesn't want me going out of state for college."

"...how did THAT come up, Sid?"

Sidney pulled a crumpled piece of paper out of his back pocket, handing it to his brother. Greg unfolded it and quickly glanced at it.

"Ohh..."

"Mom found that list of college choices on my computer desk while we were at school," Sidney explained. "I guess she got ticked off because there weren't any in-state colleges on the list."

"...why do you want to go out of state so bad that you're picking colleges as a sophomore?" Greg asked, checking over the list once again.

"I want to prepare myself for the future," Sidney replied, staring out the window. "But if I do that with Mom close by, we're just going to fight. Everything she tells me to do is pointless; that's why I don't do it. But of course, she just thinks I'm being stubborn."

"You've got a point about Mom, but you are kind of stubborn, Sidney," Greg grinned, handing the list back to his twin. "...but maybe out of state isn't a good choice."

"You're not changing my mind, Greg; you of all people should know that."

"Just hear me out, alright?"

Sidney listened to Greg's advice...

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Thirty minutes later, Greg and Sidney came down downstairs. Their mother was waiting, looking expectantly at Sidney. Sidney fixed his glasses and took a deep breath.

"Mom... I... I won't go out of state for college," Sidney announced to his mother. "...Greg offered some compelling evidence to not do that."

Needless to say, their mother's expression was nothing less than one of shock. But it quickly changed to one of joy as she hurried over to Sidney, wrapping him in a tight hug.

"Thank you, Sidney..." she breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you."

The Kasal twins glanced at each other, then rolled their eyes, fighting back grins...

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"Hey, Greg..."

"Yeah?"

It was a late-night tradition for Greg and Sidney; when they couldn't fall asleep, they would stay up late, talking to pass the time.

"What do you want to do for a living?"

Greg frowned, deep in thought.

"I think... I think I want to go into medicine. I want to be able to save people's lives"

"...yeah, I could see you doing that," Sidney commented, rubbing his eyes. "But there's other ways to save lives. Why not a police officer or a fireman?"

"Because you have to be strong to be those things... and look at me. Heck, look at us; we're not exactly on the varsity football team, are we?" Greg chuckled. "...what about you, Sid? What do you want to do?"

"Business."

Greg laughed.

"Hey, I didn't laugh when you said medicine!"

"S-sorry... but, what made you decide business?"

"You get job security in business."

"Ha! You sound like Dad did."

"Mm..."

There was silence.

"...hey, Greg?"

"Yeah, Sidney?"

"Thanks for your help earlier. About the whole college thing."

Greg smiled.

"Of course, Sidney."

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The first row stood up. Then moved towards the front of the auditorium.

"Please hold all applause until everybody's name has been called.

"Abigail Abbasi."

Graduation day for the class of 2001. All the students, dressed up in their graduation gowns, sat in chairs in the school auditorium, waiting for their names to be called so they could receive their diplomas.

Among that group of students were Greg and Sidney Kasal.

"Nervous, Sidney?" Greg whispered, as smile playing at his lips. He was too excited to be nervous.

Sidney fixed his glasses.

"Of course not."

"Jessica Bethard."

"Can't wait till we get out of here," Greg muttered, fingering his collar.

"I know," Sidney agreed. "Can't believe Mom made us wear shirts and ties... it's not like you can even tell."

"Sometimes it's best not to argue with her..."

A supervising teacher threw a pen cap at Greg. It hit him in the side of the head, effectively silencing the elder twin. Sidney fought back a snicker.

"Nerissa DeSoma."

"...have you decided where you're going?" Greg's voice was much quieter this time.

"...I'm thinking of Asia," Sidney responded.

"Meaning.. you've already been invited, and you accepted."

Sidney smiled.

"Jacob Frailey."

Greg and Sidney's row stood up, approaching the front of the auditorium.

"I need to talk to you about that after we get out of here," Sidney hissed, trying not to be noticed by one of the teachers.

"Alright."

"Erick Johnson.

"Greg Kasal."

In the audience, Greg and Sidney's mother felt tears of joy come to her eyes. She tried to fight them back...

"Sidney Kasal."

Her face was soon damp as she felt pride in her sons rising up from within.

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"Greg, you have to help me..."

"What, Mom?"

Greg had changed into something far more comfortable- a t-shirt and jeans were much less constraining than a shirt, a tie and slacks.

"Sidney's got this crazy idea in his head that he's leaving for Japan tonight... for school! Can you believe that?"

"...no, I can't."

"Well, could you please go and talk some sense into him?"

"Fine..."

Greg went up to the room he shared with his brother. The door was closed.

"Sidney, if you--"

"It's open, Greg."

He walked in.

Sidney was busy packing clothes into a very large suitcase, along with his books, beddings, and laptop. He still wore the clothes that his mother had forced him to wear that morning.

"Mom told you to come and talk sense into me. To not go to Japan."

"Yeah," Greg nodded.

"You're not going to," Sidney smiled as he closed his suitcase.

"What do you mean I'm not going to? Of course I am."

Sidney's smile vanished...

"You think Mom's going to let you go if you drag your suitcase out the front door? She'll lock you in the house."

Greg couldn't help but grin as a look of realization hit Sidney. Greg was right; their mom wasn't going to give in without a fight.

"I'm not a hypocrite, Sidney. If I told you to go and study abroad, it's because I think it would help you, so why would I try to stop you from doing that?"

"...thanks, Greg," Sidney nodded, standing his suitcase upright. "Now... what I wanted to talk to you about."

"Yeah?"

"...I need you to drive me to the airport. Mom took preemptive measures and took away my license."

"Alright... but we obviously can't go through the front door with your suitcase. ...here, I have an idea. Open the window."

As Sidney forced the window all the way open, Greg took the laptop out of the suitcase, re-closed it, then dragged the heavy bag of luggage over to the open window.

"Help me pick this up... jeez. Did you pack an elephant in here?"

"Mom's going to hear it when it hits the ground...!"

"Not if we throw it out far enough. C'mon, give me a hand here."

Through their combined efforts, they managed to throw the suitcase into the middle of the front yard.

"Alright," Greg dusted off his hands, then went and picked up Sidney's laptop. "Close the window, Sidney."

After the window was closed, they went downstairs, Greg still holding onto the laptop.

"Oh, hello, boys..."

Greg and Sidney froze at the bottom of the stairs... Sidney was the first to recover.

"Mom..." he began, fixing his glasses. "...I'm staying."

"Oh, are you now?" their mother's voice expressed doubt. "You were packing like a maniac just ten minutes ago."

"You can go upstairs and look," Greg nodded in agreement with Sidney. "His suitcase is gone."

She glanced at Greg doubtfully, noticing the laptop in is hands, before heading upstairs to see for herself if they spoke the truth.

"...c'mon, Sidney!" Greg grabbed the car keys as he and his twin ran for the front door.

Their mother was frozen to the floor, standing in their room. Sidney's drawers were empty... and Greg wasn't lying. Sidney's suitcase was gone...

She ran to the window.

Greg and Sidney had just thrown the suitcase into the trunk of the family car. Sidney was climbing into the shotgun seat as Greg closed the trunk.

She threw the window open.

"GREG!"

Greg forced himself not to look up as he got in the driver's seat. Their mother heard the engine start, then watched in disbelief as the car rolled out of the driveway and drove out of sight.

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"She's going to kill you when you get back home..."

"Whatever."

Sidney's flight was boarding.

"Are you sure you have your ticket?"

Sidney sighed, showing his plane ticket to Greg once again. "I swear, if she were more normal, you'd sound just like Mom."

Greg laughed.

"...I'll email you once I get set up over there," Sidney informed, fixing his glasses.

"I'll be waiting... assuming I'm still alive, that is," Greg replied.

Sidney cracked a small smile, then turned towards the boarding gate.

"See you later, Greg."

"Yeah..."

As Sidney got his ticket verified, Greg couldn't help himself.

"Have a safe flight!"

"Yes, Mother!"

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Greg laughed as Sidney boarded the plane, then stuck around long enough to watch his brother's plane take off.

(End chapter one!

These chapters are going to be a lot longer, most likely, than the chapters I wrote for Perfect Death. I mean, damn, this one's eight pages in Word!

And yes, I say that they're twins... how else do you explain that they're brothers, they look so much alike AND they're the same age? Not to mention that they think a lot alike...

Let me know what you think so far!)