Hi guys! So this is my first fic written in second person and the idea came to me pretty quickly. Please read and review and let me know what you think/ whether you want to read more! I've got a lot in store for these characters in it gets a good reception so let me know what you think, good or bad. Thank you! ~ hereiamdestroya
"Mum, do we really have to go to this stupid summer school?" Katie Knight asked for what felt like the millionth time as her and her elder brother sat in the rusting people carrier.
Eighteen year old Kendall had similar feelings to his sixteen year old sister, but since their parents' split last year; he had been trying to make things easier. And by making things easier, he tried not to argue with his mother and with no male figure around them anymore, he tried his best to be a good role model for his little sister.
"Katie, it'll be fun. You'll make loads of friends. What else are you going to do with your summer?" He asked the brunette.
"I can think of a hundred things better than going to a summer music school. I don't even play an instrument. This isn't fucking Camp Rock!" She complained despite seeing the tiredness on her mother Jennifer's face which she often decided to ignore. Kendall knew she was acting out, just as he had done, just as he wanted to. But they couldn't both be troublesome to their mother.
"Katherine Knight! Do not use that language! Not in my car" Their mother shouted, keeping an eye on the road ahead. "You know exactly why you're going!"
And they both knew fully well – Katie's school grades had been drastically going down, resulting in plenty of after school meetings with teachers and detentions and groundings. Katie had once been an A star student but something wasn't working. Jennifer was hoping that going to Palmwoods Summer Music School would help Katie, encourage her to use her mind for something better like music, than the recreational drug use and partying she was using to not focus. She wanted good futures for both her children and thought this might be the best thing for them.
Kendall put his earphones in, refusing to listen to another of the females' arguments. There were so many at home that he couldn't wait to go to a place where he didn't need to listen to them. He also knew that they were spending the summer in the outskirts of Minnesota because his parents had unresolved business and neither of them wanted the kids to be around to go through the divorce with them – it was hard enough as it was. Jennifer wanted them to enjoy their summer.
After a solid twenty minutes of shouting the pair finally calmed down, enough so that Kendall could properly hear the music he'd been trying to listen to for the journey. Eventually, the car pulled up in a busy carpark, where teenagers were unloading their boots with all the things they would need for the next two months. He unplugged his earphones only to hear an array of music pounding out in a messy fashion from different rooms in the big concrete complex.
Katie slammed the door shut as the three of them got out of the car, finding a parking space near. She picked up her two suitcases out of the boot and stalked off without even a goodbye to their mum. Kendall grabbed his cased acoustic guitar and the suitcase he'd brought with him and gave his mother a quick hug.
"Look after her, ok" Jennifer sighed without need to even say who she meant.
"I'll do my best" Kendall said honestly. Katie was a live wire, nobody ever knew what she was up to.
"Love you" Jennifer said, kissing her son on the cheek, the stress of the divorce and Katie and just everything clear in her eyes.
"You too mum"
For Jo and James Diamond, coming to Palmwoods Summer Music School was nothing out of the ordinary. Ever since James' mother and Jo's father had gotten married when they were twelve, they had been sent every summer to bond over the one thing they both loved; music.
James Diamond loved music even more than himself, and that was a lot. But despite his vanity, Jo had come to love her step-brother. He was amazingly talented, with a voice of absolute power. She had no doubt that one day he would make it as a singer.
They had been driven there in a chauffeured car which was also a norm for the two – their parents were strict and always wanted them to have the best. Thought they had never cared for money all that much.
The two eighteen year olds knew this would be their last summer at the school before they headed off to college in the fall so despite feeling like they'd grown out of it a little, they decided to enjoy the nostalgia of it. It was an end of an era.
The car pulled up and they yanked their suitcases and Jo's guitar out of the car before saying thanks to the driver. He sped off, leaving the teens standing amongst the chaos of parents kissing their kids goodbye for the summer and wishing them a good time. Jo and James had never had that – their parents had always sent a car to take them. It was rare they saw either of them really. Jo's father was a Police Inspector always working late and James' mother owned her own cosmetics business, always flying around the country trying to make deals and open branches. They had found a sort of family in each other, even though they were very different. Where James was an extrovert, Jo was an introvert. James was loud, Jo was quiet. James wanted attention, Jo wanted to be unseen. Or so she thought.
"One last time" James smiled as they started walking across the cement courtyard, dragging their suitcases noisily over.
"One last time" Jo nodded in agreement. Before she had a chance to say anything else, she felt four arms wrap around her and when she turned around, the two people holding her screamed hellos. The two brunettes, one boy and one girl, at roughly the same height hugged both Jo and James. They were best friends, Camille with her long dark curling hair and Logan with big brown eyes. Jo couldn't remember a time when they hadn't been best friends; they'd grown up as next door neighbours, just down the road from Jo and James. And although the four of them had always played together, they went to different schools, catching up with one another every summer here, at PSMS.
"Did you guys drive here together?" James asked, looking around for either of the brunettes' parents.
"Hell yeah we did!" Logan laughed. "I finally got my driver's licence… that's my baby over there" He said pointing to an old dark red motor, sitting idly in the parking lot.
"Hey, I checked the schedule and we're room sharing again!" Camille smiled at Jo "I've already put all my stuff in. Come check it out. We've got a good view this year!"
The girls ran off in the direction of their room, Jo leading Camille through the crowd that started to thin out. James watched as the brunette's hair flowed delicately down her back. She moved swiftly and he couldn't seem to take his eyes off her. There'd always been something about Camille's confidence that had attracted James like nothing else.
"Dude, earth to James!" Logan waved his hand in front of his best friend's face and laughed. "Put your tongue back in. That's my best friend! At least I hope you were looking like that at Camille-"
"Ugh, shut up" James punched his friend hard enough for the smaller guy to lose his balance a little.
"I'm just messing with you dude! Come on, let's go find our room" Logan grinned before leading James off across the courtyard.
Carlos stood awkwardly right near the entrance of the Palmwoods, watching as Camille Roberts and Logan Mitchell from his high school wandered around, bumping into a tall brunette guy and a pretty blonde girl. He'd spoken to them only a couple of times around school but he tried not to draw too much attention to himself so he wasn't surprised when they walked right past him without saying a greeting.
It was Carlos' Aunt who suggested to his mother that he should go to the summer school, encouraging him to pursue the singing talent he had once opened up to her about. He had been singing around their house and she had overheard and basically forced his mother to send him there for the last summer before college or whatever it was Carlos was going to do in the fall.
Carlos was a quiet kid until you got to know him, and then he opened up into this fireball of fun.
He knew he should probably go to the dining hall and try and make some friends before classes started tomorrow so he at least would know someone, but he didn't move, just stood still near the front doors.
"Hey, do you know where you have to register?" Carlos looked up when the blonde guy in the tight black t-shirt and skinny jeans interrupted his train of thought.
"S-sorry, I've not been here before…I don't know" Carlos mumbled.
"Me either. My name's Kendall. Kendall Knight…do I know you from somewhere?" The blonde asked, studying the shorter boy, his brown eyes and tanned skin and short lock of dark hair.
"I'm Carlos Garcia. Yeah, I go to Minnesota High too…we're in the same tech class" Carlos answered, knowing the boy was familiar too.
"Oh yeah, so you are. Look, d'you want to go register together? I have no idea where to go" Kendall said, running a hand through his blonde hair, pushing it back.
"Sure". The two boys walked up to the Registration desk set up in the lobby of the building. All carpets bright orange and the walls painted in white. Sitting behind, there was two people a biggish man with a name badge reading 'Gus' and a good looking black woman, dressed nicely, with a name badge reading 'Kelly'.
"Hey fellas" Gus smiled. "What are your names? I'll let you know what rooms you're in"
The two said their names and after checking the sheets in front of them Kelly smiled and said "You guys are sharing room 2J. Let us know if there are any problems ok and we'll be having a welcome party later, down in the dining hall. Until then, just unpack and relax".
Kendall said thanks and took the two key cards, taking the lead across the lobby before stopping short when a young girl stood in front of him.
"Hey, have you got any cigarettes on you?" She asked. Carlos stood next to the pair who looked vaguely similar. He couldn't get over how pretty she was. Long brown hair and big brown eyes. She was just an inch smaller than Carlos and wore a simple navy t-shirt and ripped knee jeans, dark eye make-up too.
"You should've bought some before we go here" Kendall huffed as he quickly pulled out a pack of Marlboro, handing two to the girl.
"Only two?" She sighed but took them, nodding thanks before walking off.
"Who was that?" Carlos asked as he watched her walk away before realizing Kendall had already started walking towards the lift, carrying his guitar case and suitcase.
"That was Katie…my sister" Kendall said as the doors opened and they rushed in along with a couple of other kids. "She's a nightmare".
Lucy Stone was the last one to arrive at the Palmwoods. Her train had been late and it wasn't until half five when she finally reached the complex. She had hauled her suitcase and guitar case into the building and signed in at the front desk where a guy named Gus was sitting, eating some sugary snack behind the front desk.
"Oh hey! You must be Lucy? We've been waiting for you" He smiled kindly and when she nodded he started filing through the paperwork to find her information. "Ok, you're in room 2B. Your roommate's already up there".
She took the key card and clambered across to the lift, before riding it up to the second level. She hadn't even thought about whom she'd be sharing with but she'd hoped it would be someone cool at least. The wooden door swung open to reveal a young girl sitting on the window sill with her legs hanging over, long hair down her back and puffing smoke out into the evening's air.
Thinking it was a staff member she quickly put the cigarette out and jumped back inside, closing the window shut.
"It's ok, I'm not going to rat you out!" Lucy laughed as relief formed on the girl's face.
"Thanks…I'm Katie" The brunette girl smiled as she looked at the smaller but older girl with red streaks through her hair.
"Lucy" She smiled back before grabbing the packet of cigarettes in her leather jacket's pocket and putting one in her mouth "You got a light?"
Katie smirked and offered her the one that was in her hand. "Welcome to the Palmwoods"