After much consideration, I'm taking a short break to create a new story so that I don't succumb to writers block. I will be updating "Torque" very soon as well. I'm always getting new ideas for stories so I'm going to post this first then return to that story and just alternate between these two. I will not being discontinuing anything so please don't worry. So with that introduction done, it's time to let you all know our main character and then get you all the first chapter. I hope you all enjoy and review your opinions. No flames but constructive criticism is always welcome.

Character Info:

Liam Patterson: At the age of 5, he was separated from his parents in Florida in order to live with his uncle, who was less than thrilled to have to watch him. Over the years, Liam would find his childhood stolen as he was forced to be his uncle to be a glorified servant. Consider this, along with the fact that he constantly got into fights at school, and somehow, he accidentally found himself in an audition for Hollywood Arts. Dealing with his 'family' situation and schooling, he will soon find out all of that is the least of his problems.

Name: Liam Alexander Patterson
Nickname: none
Age: 17
Gender: Male
Appearance:
Height: 6'1"
Weight: 175 lb
Build: Athletic/Slender
Eyes: Emerald
Hair: Long dreadlocks (usually kept tied in a tail at the top with the sides cut)
Skin: Ebony skin
Any tattoos, piercings or scar: long diagonal scar on his back, His sister, Ahrya's name on his inner bicep, "fear no evil" tattoo on his left pectoral.
Clothing:
1st: Straight legged jeans, fitted black short sleeved shirt w/ earth kanji on the front in green, rosary bracelet on his left wrist.
2nd: Baggy camouflage pants tucked into black combat boots, Forest green fitted hoodie (sleeves rolled up past the elbows), rosary bracelet on his left wrist.
3rd: Dark red fitted t-shirt, black jacket, straight legged jeans, black and red sneakers
Pajamas: (Usually shirtless but will wear a wife beater at times) black and red basket ball shorts or grey sweat pants
Formal: dark colored short sleeved dress shirts (w/black tie), black slacks along with matching dress shoes. Sometimes will wear a suit jacket
Personal:
Personality: Typically carefree and friendly around but shy around his crush. He's a bit secretive when it comes to his home life. When something is bothering him, he prefers to remain aloof and can come off as mean or mysterious. He can be an enigma to those not willing to understand his complexities.
Race: African/Brazilian-American
History: He's loved music since he was a child and learned how to play music at the age of 10. It was then that he was labeled a prodigy with perfect pitch. His talents carried him through to a scholarship to Hollywood Arts after graduating middle school. His specialty would be piano and the guitar. Despite his negative home life, he
Odd Fact: He has a soft spot for puppies, especially huskies.
Habit/Flaws: Despite his demeanor, he's actually nice and will help someone in need almost instantly. He gets nervous whenever his crush is around by blushing and stammering during conversations.
Chat name: MetaliQFang_15
Talents: Singing/Musician (guitar and piano)
Clique: Loner (no official clique)
Deepest Secret: He's a real softy once you get to know him though he'll desperately try to hide it unless you're really close to him.
How he decorate his locker: pictures of various neo-soul and r&b album covers
Likes: Music, Motorcycles, Dogs, Anime, Reading, Food, and his secret crush.
Dislikes: Bullying, Liars, and Vegetables.
Dream: To make it big either as a singer or musician so he can take his sister away and provide her everything she could want and need.
Relationships: Heterosexual
Family:
Uncle: He never knew his dad considering he adopted him when he was three years old. However, he does hold a great deal of resentment towards him. In the end, his feelings towards his uncle are complex to say the least. There is a major rift between the two that usually ends up in some form of abusive behavior. Due to the fact he blames him for his parents passing, their interactions are either kept short and abrupt or drawn out with profane language. He carries many hidden scars on his back and upper arms from these altercations

Other: His relationship with his younger sister, Ahrya is the only positive relationship with his alternate family. She is actually his youngest cousin but after she was born, she immediately took to him positively and began calling him 'brother'. As they grew older, they were practically inseparable. Sometimes, it could appear inappropriate at times but they both know that their love is stemmed from the abuse they've witnessed and experienced. He would sacrifice his own life to ensure her happiness and safety. Despite his feelings towards his uncle, he only focuses on keeping her out of the cross hairs.

Demons Within

Prologue

Today was the day. The first day of school for Liam at his new school was pretty exciting for him despite the ungodly hour he had woken up to. His head was foggy as he rubbed his temples to alleviate the pressure. To his surprise, he heard the familiar shuffling of footsteps which brought a smile to his face. He slowly rose to his feet and stretched his limbs just as his door opened to reveal a short ebony girl yawning and rubbing her eyes.

"Hey there, Ahrya. What are you doing up so early?" he whispered softly. Her response was both predictable and adorable.

"I had a bad dream..." she whimpered. "...monsters were chasing me."

Liam did what any sensible and loving person would and scooped her in his arms and held her close. The two 'siblings' found themselves sharing their embrace for several minutes before she finally calmed down. Neither were alarmed at this as it would occur at least twice a week. Ahrya was prone to having nightmares and night terrors and he knew where the root was.

"Boy!" Both of their bodies tensed as the familiar thud of hard footsteps echoed throughout the small house. Liam fought the urge to grit his teeth as a rather imposing male entered his room. "Didn't you hear me calling you?" he hiccuped.

"Of course, Uncle." he responded politely only to narrowly duck a swift right hook.

"Then why didn't you respond the first time?" he yelled, causing both Liam and Ahrya to scowl in disgust. The level of alcohol in his system was practically dripping from his pores and it was overwhelming to say the least. "I need you to go down to the store and get some more food. The fridge is empty..."

As his sister shuffled behind him, Liam groaned inwardly while his left hand found itself raking through his dreadlocks.

"Are you kidding me?" frustration clear in his tone. "I just bought a months worth of food a couple of days ago!" His uncle scowled deeply before getting in Liam's face. His auburn eyes burned into his nephews emerald orbs, neither backing down. Only the soft whimper from Ahrya broke their glaring contest. The former licked his lips lustfully, the liquor clearly taking control of his entire system. Liam felt waves of fury welling up inside of him and sought an end to this. "Alright, we're going to the corner store and get some food. I'll pick up something for tonight after school." he stepped between the discernibly fearful Ahrya and the obviously intoxicated man before them.

Apparently, it was enough as the older man turned to leave but not before flashing a challenging glare to the equally determined Liam. They both listened as the footsteps faded down the hallway and a door slammed signalling this battle was won. Ahrya was the first to sigh in relief, though she didn't relinquish her grip on her 'brother's' t-shirt. He noticed this and realized what was about to happen. On cue, she found herself being sat down on his bed and hearing him hum her favorite song, "A Whole New World". Liam could feel her body shaking slightly but he continued to hum the song repeatedly until she was relaxed. Tears freely fell but for the most part, she was getting better. Soon, she found herself descending into dreamland, much to Liam's disdain.

He wasn't upset that she had fallen back asleep mere for that reason. It came back to his creepy uncle who always expressed a sick interest in his developing daughter. Over the years, they both grew up dealing with different forms of abuse from the man with whom they shared a home with. Truth be told, Liam absolutely hated leaving her alone with him for obvious reasons. In fact, her earlier episode was the direct result of her coping with her past. Ahrya would immediately have an internal anxiety attack while her body would seemingly shut down like a quadriplegic.

"Sleep tight. I'll be back..." he whispered as he pulled the covers over her prone form. She was lying peacefully and he would make sure to keep it that way. He scribbled something quickly and set it on the night stand next to the bed then locked the door. He made his way through the hall and, stepping into the morning twilight, dashed to the corner store to collect the necessary items needed to make breakfast.

'This is going to be a good day.' he mentally chanted every step of the way.

The morning traffic at Hollywood Arts was nothing new to Tori and her friends as they made their way towards their respective lockers. Among them, Jade made some snide comment about Tori's date the previous weekend ending disastrous when a spicy tuna ball landed in her hair. Beck and Andre rolled their eyes while Cat mentioned something about her brother eating a glue stick under the impression it was string cheese. Everyone stopped to stare at her with raised eyebrows.

"So, did you know we got some new students?" Tori broke the awkward silence. "This is pretty exciting, right?"

"Yeah. About as exciting as getting a root canal." Jade responded before taking a sip of her coffee.

The Latina simply stared at the brunette trying her hardest to figure out whether Jade West was being sarcastic or truly masochistic. Her answer came in the goth raising her eyebrows seductively which only served to confuse her even more.

"Well, Jade's comment aside, I can't wait to meet some of them. It'll be cool to meet the new blood's." Andre chimed in.

"Oh! My brother had to give blood one time. Unfortunately, he wound up being kicked out after he tried to drink it, thinking it was fruit punch."

Beck shook his head and asserted himself into the conversation. "I agree with Andre on this one. We should help the new kids feel at home here."

After a bit more chatter, they all agreed just as the bell began to ring, signalling their first period classes.

"Alright, so we'll meet at the black box after they complete orientation alright?" they murmured something before disappearing down the halls.

"So, I would like to welcome you all to Hollywood Arts and hope you all shoot for the stars!" An excited and balding man exclaimed before taking a sip of what appeared to be a coconut. His movements were erratic and borderline outrageous for a man his age, but the new recruits didn't bother to openly address it. "Now, if you happen to have any questions, you can find our school's guidance counselor, Lane's office down the hall from Principal Helen's office on the east wing. Feel free to drop in."

A bored Liam sat next to his sister who was practically stricken with fascination at the weird coconut man. This was the first time she was genuinely excited about something without having an episode and it was more than enough to bring a light grin to his lips. Her hazel eyes followed the man, who earlier introduced himself as Mr. Sikowitz, like a hawk while he concluded his explanations.

"Lastly, at the end of the month, you'll all be required to participate in the Kickback Showcase. This is your first chance at making an impression on your peers. Your talents and gifts will be on full display and your performance will be added to your first quarterly grade. I'm sure you all will do well. Now, considering this is your first day, you'll all start your classes tomorrow. Feel free to explore the campus, get to know your schedules, find electives that you'd like to be a part of, make some new friends, or whatever." he laughed before walking off stage, leaving them all to figure exactly what they wanted to do. Ahrya and Liam looked at one another before grabbing their bags and exiting the auditorium.

"I wonder what you'll do big bro." she nudged his ribs earning a grunt in response.

Liam simply rolled his eyes and scoffed. "Hell if I know." his humorless tone was enough to prompt her concern. Before she could inquire further, he opened his mouth to continue. "Remember, I just happened to get in the school purely by luck. I was in the right place at the right time... You're the one who wanted to join this school from the start. I'm just sort of winging it at this point..."

Letting out a pout, she grabbed his arm, causing him to stop dead in his tracks. Liam looked back only to find her shaking slightly. His eyes widened and he sighed and softened his gaze. Tears threatened to spill out but were held back as he hugged her and began humming. Fortunately, he only had to hum it once before she calmed down. He was relieved that they avoided her freaking out while at school. To say it would be difficult to explain that would be an understatement.

"I'm sorry." he whispered just as their bodies separated. It was evident that their concern and level of caring was off the charts as they were always able to tell what was wrong with the other, even without uttering a single word. Ahrya shook her head looked at her the boy she knew as her big brother.

"It's alright." she sighed. "I just freaked out because... you were so excited about being accepted here and it was kind of heartbreaking seeing you not believe in yourself."

Liam scratched the back of his neck sheepishly at her confession and felt severely crappy after hearing it. He took a deep breath and nodded at her, showing that he understood. "You're right. I'm just nervous about being here is all. But I promise you, I'm going to give me best here alright?" Ahrya smirked and held her fist out to him which he responded by bumping his own against hers. They then proceeded to find their respective classes first before making their way to the grub truck.

"It's going to be a good day." he muttered just out of range of his sister's hearing.

As lunch time commenced, Ahrya found herself going to the Black Box Theatre for an audition for an upcoming play. It was surprising just how much confidence she had when she wasn't worrying about their uncle or even him to a lesser extent. She was just like anyone else and it was a pleasant thought to know she was happy here. His thoughts were interrupted when he accidentally bumped into something... or rather someone.

"Oof!" he stumbled back a bit before noticing the pale skinned girl frowning across from him. He opened his mouth to apologize only to notice everyone nearby grew silent and were frozen like statues. "Sorry about that..."

Rolling her eyes, the girl simply turned around and began to walk away, much to everyone's relief. "Watch where you're going, loser!"

To the astonishment (or fear, depending on how you view the situation) of everyone, Liam spoke up. "Maybe you should watch where YOU'RE going.." he growled.

She stopped abruptly at the response from this no name student. shifting her body, she flashed her signature scowl and stormed back towards the boy who stood his ground. Her azure eyes flashed from annoyed to full out anger as she was now mere inches from what the other students believed to be her next victim. "I'm sorry. I don't think I heard you... You mind repeating that?"

"I think you heard me quite clearly. I was about to apologize until you started acting like a prick." he crossed his arms, his face unreadable.

This was a first for Jade. Normally, she was used to others cowering and/or running for the hills if they found themselves the unlucky soul to be caught in her warpath. Considering she'd never seen him around campus, she assumed (correctly) that he was one of the newbies to arrive and needed to be shown the ropes. It was truly her day as she scanned the area only to find no sign of Beck or the others around. She was free to show this guy what happens when you cross Jade West. With a sly grin, she reached behind her skirt and rushed at him only to find him mirror her actions.

"What are you two doing?!" a male voice broke though the sea of students. Taking their gazes from one another, they noticed the situation they were currently in. Liam could feel the sharpened tip of a rather long pair of scissors against his Adam's apple while Jade found an equally sharp hunters knife pressed against her jugular. "You both! Principal's office, NOW!"

'This was supposed to be a good day...' Liam mentally groaned.

Okay, I feel the need to clear up a few things before I officially end this chapter.

1. no there will not be any incest between Ahrya and Liam. They are cousins but grew up as siblings. Liam is the only one who knows the truth about their relation to one another. Their uncle is Ahrya's father biologically but adopted Liam after his parents death.

2. Ahrya's condition is triggered whenever she's under direct stress that could potentially lead to any form of abuse. This includes implied sexual abuse, physical assault to herself or Liam. She internally has seizures or panic attacks which shuts her body down completely on the outside. She will still know what is going on around her but can't actively react. This is how she handles the stress without freaking out. The only thing that seems to calm her is the song "A Whole New World" from Disney's Aladdin, her favorite movie. Outside of her uncle's abusive nature to her and Liam, or Liam's self inflicted psychological abuse, she is completely normal around others.

3. Despite her being the first, it is not confirmed that Jade and Liam will be a couple. I honestly, haven't thought about who he would paired with. The same thing applies to Ahrya. She was actually supposed to be a minor character who helps with Liam's development but I've grown fond of her character so I will keep her around for a bit. I may keep her for the entire story depending on how it goes further down the road but she'll be a main character for as long as she's around. The same thing applies to her being shipped as well...

4. As for the direction of the story, there will be supernatural powers in this fiction. No transformations or anything but definite powers will be utilized by Liam, Ahrya, and the others. If you want to know what powers they'll have, stay tuned to the next chapter and find out. Liam's will be revealed and the gangs as well. Ahrya having powers may or may not be a thing as, stated earlier, she wasn't originally intended to be a main character but a supporting one. Whether she's given powers or not, she'll still play a big role.

I believe this is all for this chapter. I've been working on spacing and setting a scene rather than pushing to get to the big parts and it's a WIP so bare with me on that. I'll get better as I continue to write this and my other project, Torque. Give that a read if you haven't and, like this, feel free to leave your reviews and constructive criticisms for that too. Have a good morning/night and see you guys and gals next time.