Chapter 1: Second-Chance Gamble
"I'M ON FI-YAHHHH!"
The screech came out off-key, his voice cracking - but as Kasey Manatos danced clumsily around his room, flicked his long, brown bangs off his sweaty forehead, and threw another folded pile of clothes into his suitcase, he didn't much care for technicalities. His veins were coursing with excitement, keeping him awake in spite of the early train he had to catch out to the countryside the next morning. "Light 'em up, up, up! Light 'em up, up, up!"
"Shut him up, up, up!" a teasing voice answered from his bedroom doorway, causing him to whip around and see his younger sister Angelica, dancing around in a playful imitation of her brother and flapping one of his t-shirts around. "Yeah, Kay-Kay, shake that booty!"
"Dammit, Angie! I just folded that!" he snapped, snatching the shirt out of her hands and re-folding it meticulously as she giggled. His face warmed a bit with embarrassment as he set the garment into his suitcase, turning the volume down on his stereo. "Shoo, you destructive little she-demon. Go mess with Nessa's stuff."
Plopping down onto Kasey's bed next to his suitcase, the petite twenty-year-old grinned and shook her head, heavy brown braid swinging about. "Naw, she'll still be here to strike back afterward! 'Sides, I think she was about to go to bed."
Clicking his stereo off, Kasey groaned, taking a spot on the other side of the suitcase as he lugged another one out from under his bed. "So, what if I change my mind about doing this, then?" When Angelica let out a loud guffaw, he scowled and raised his eyebrows. "Okay, what's that-" He imitated the noise in a falsetto, "-supposed to mean?"
She waved him off in what she intended to be a nonchalant manner, though her chuckling gave her away. "You, change your mind. That's adorable. You're adorable, Kase. I don't sound like that, by the way." Still smiling, her laughter died down as she reached over and squeezed her brother's arm. "So... nervous?"
Kasey nodded slightly, smirking and giving Angelica a light shove away. "A little. I mean, wouldn't you be?" Setting his jaw pensively, he leaned back and propped himself up on his elbows, looking over at her. "But, at least I've been on a field trip to a farm before, though. I... kiiiinda know what I'm getting into. A little. And the mayor sounded pretty cool in his letter."
"True, true." Nodding thoughtfully, Angelica swung her legs, looking around at the bare walls - autographed posters of rock singers and film stars had once been tacked up, now rolled and tucked neatly into a box in the far corner. She bit her lip thoughtfully, giving her brother a sideways glance. The long-overdue subject was bound to come up eventually - what better time to broach it?
"Soooo... you never told me what Danny-boy needed to talk to you about last week." When Kasey's face darkened at the mention of his boyfriend's name, her eyebrows shot up. "Ah, geez. Freaked out on you, huh? I figured as much."
Kasey shook his head, making a buzzing noise with his mouth. "Wrong, actually. He fucking jumped at the chance to dump me when I met up with him." With a bitter chuckle, he flumped backwards onto his bed, staring up at the unmoving ceiling fan with narrowed eyes. "All those times he said how much he loved me, and wham! 'Oh, sorry, I decided you're actually a loser, and I'm not moving out there with you after all!' Just like that."
He balled his right hand into a fist and punched the mattress. "But, you know what really killed me? He just went on and on about how he could never stand this about me, always hated that about me, only stuck around because he thought he could change me, blah blah blah... just this damn laundry list of why I suck." He swallowed a lump in his throat, blinking his vision clear. Like hell Danny was going to get the reaction he wanted - at least, not a second time - even if he wasn't there to see it. "So... good riddance. Lousy piece of shit."
Hearing her brother's feeble attempt at a dismissive tone break slightly, Angelica sighed, reaching around the suitcase and rubbing his shoulder. It was no wonder he'd taken so long to say something. Kasey hadn't had many friends in Twin Bluffs - no close ones at all, compared to the tight-knit circles Angelica and their baby sister Vanessa kept. Their mother had insisted he was just a late bloomer, having a tough time adjusting after coming out at sixteen, even with his family's immediate acceptance.
Kasey simply insisted he had high standards and was fine with them.
Nonetheless, he never did seem to mind much - at least that he explicitly stated. Whenever he went out about the town after his shift at the local supermarket, he tended to blur into the shadows of whichever co-workers had invited him along, until Danny - a seemingly gentle, quiet boy himself - noticed Kasey doing karaoke at a bar one night and asked him out. That had sparked a year-and-a-half of what Kasey had described as a "golden era" in his twenty-two years, much to the amusement of his family. The two had shared strong feelings for each other, even prompting Kasey to consider moving in with him.
"You wanna talk about it?"
Kasey shook his head bleakly, taking his time to sit back up. Clapping his hands on his knees, he shot her a wry smirk. "Nah. Mom pulled it out of me last week, and it... it was just exhausting. I just made her promise not to tell anyone. Nothing personal, Ange. I just wasn't ready to say anything." At her understanding nod, he continued, "Besides, you know what? I'm starting a new chapter of my life. As far as I'm concerned, at the end of the last chapter? Rocks fell, the fucker died. And the kingdom rejoiced."
Despite her anger at Danny - and her concern for her big brother, who she knew sure as anything was putting on a brave face for her sake - Angelica couldn't help but let out a burst of laughter at his words. "Hear, hear!" she crowed, getting up off the bed and pulling him with her. "He's history! Let it go, let i-"
A small pillow smacked her in the face in mid-song, falling to the ground and revealing her stunned expression.
"I was supporting you!" she cried in mock indignation, tossing her braid over her shoulder and sniffing disdainfully as her brother laughed.
"Support me with a song I don't ha-whoa!"
With a battle cry, Angelica tackled Kasey to the ground, the two laughing and wrestling on the floor.
A bemused, redheaded fifteen-year-old girl stood in the doorway, shaking her head and rolling her eyes. "God, you two. It's one in the morning. Get to sleep already! You're gonna wake Mom and Dad up, and Mom's gotta drive us all to the train station!"
"He's gotta pay for insulting me!" Angelica protested from beneath their brother, who currently had her pinned to the floor. "Ness, help your dear big sis!"
"No!" Kasey called out, grinning over his shoulder at their little sister. "Join me, my child, and you shall be rewarded!"
Vanessa simply twirled her index finger by the side of her head and muttered "I must've been adopted" as she shuffled back to her and Angelica's room. The bedroom light framed her against the dark hall as she added: "Alright, I'm dropping. Love you, Kase!"
"Love you too, Nessa!"
Wriggling out from her brother's grasp, Angelica stumbled to the doorway, waving at her sister. "Hey, what about me?!"
"I'll consider it when you move out," Vanessa called back, shutting the door behind her.
Angelica blew a raspberry at the bedroom door, before turning back to her brother and shrugging. "Sassy little brat. You can take her with you. I insist."
Scoffing, Kasey patted her on the head, plastering a giant, fake grin on his face. "Angie, that's so sweet! No."
"She's free," Angelica insisted, swatting his hand away and grinning. "And I'm pretty sure she's mostly housebroken!"
"She's not a dog, Ange. And don't even-" He pitched his voice higher once more, as Angelica opened her mouth to speak, "-'Oh, Kaaaaaseeeeey, but sheeeee can be quite a bitch, aw haw haw haw!'"
Angelica smiled and smacked Kasey on the shoulder, laughing. "I don't sound like that. Maybe you sound like that..."
"Your face sounds like that," he countered lamely, rumpling her hair. "Alright, brat. I'm gonna finish my packing and hit the hay." Drawing her into a tight hug, he mumbled, "Love you", smiling when he heard her return the sentiment. As they pulled apart, he kept his hands on her shoulders, smiling reassuringly at her. "And... like I said, Danny's... just... old news. I knew he was gonna back out of moving with me, anyway. So... screw him."
Nodding resolutely, Angelica bade her brother goodnight and padded down the hall to go to bed.
Shutting his bedroom door, Kasey slumped to the floor. His arms crossed around his knees as he stared listlessly at the half-packed suitcase resting by his feet. He had no illusions about finding another guy out in Castanet just as easily - the sleepy, Mediterranean-style seaside burg had a ridiculously small population, not even fifty people in total.
Aside from the stunning images in the brochure - wide fields, gorgeous ocean views, lush forests, and towering mountains - the small population had actually been part of the draw for Kasey. He could only be okay with being tantamount to a loner and fading into the shadows for so long. The farm had looked a bit dilapidated, sure, but there were other opportunities if that didn't work out... mining, fishing, apprenticing the local tailor, the jeweler, or the doctor. The Ocarina Inn boasted blue-ribbon cooking - perhaps he'd embrace the culinary arts? The town was small, but offered a startlingly diverse amount of exciting paths his life could take - and here he was, still at home!
One of those paths, something, had to lead him to his moment in the sun. And if Danny could cruelly cast off the dreams Kasey had excitedly talked about for the past four months, of them settling down blissfully in the small seaside town, then that was too damn bad. It was his loss. Kasey didn't need him around to flourish. Maybe he'd been dragged down by the bastard all along, anyway.
The Manatos family found themselves moving all too quickly through a lively, chatty breakfast the next morning. Before they knew it, the suitcases were loaded into the family van, rolling down Barber Avenue to the Twin Bluffs Rail Station.
"As soon as you have your phone service hooked up, call us," his mom reminded him tearfully, pulling him into a tight hug with the rest of the family after they'd finished loading his luggage into his compartment.
"Hell, if there's a phone anywhere else in town, use that first!" his dad added, ruffling Kasey's hair. "Or write. Whatever! Let us know how you are, and if you need anything."
"I will, Dad," Kasey murmured, sniffling. "But I'll visit, too!"
"Darn right, you will," his mom said firmly, smiling as she stroked his face. "And be sure to call Grandma and Grandpa, too. They're going to want to know everything. And if you ever feel like you need to come back-"
"Dibs on his room!" Vanessa cut in loudly, earning a playful smack on both arms and noises of protest from both Kasey and Angelica. "What? I'm taller, I need the space." Regardless, she sniffled slightly, the corners of her tightly-pressed lips turning upward just a hint. "But I guess I'll let him borrow it when he visits."
"Offer still stands," Angelica teased, grinning at Kasey, who shook his head and laughed. Vanessa looked between the two in confusion, before shrugging defeatedly.
Hearing the train whistle blow, Kasey waved his family together for one last, long hug, feeling his stomach flutter and his body tingle with a warm, yet slightly sorrowful feeling. "I love you guys."
"We love you, too," his dad responded, his voice tight with emotion, as the others echoed his sentiments.
"And you forget all about everything that jerk said to you," his mom added quietly, voice quivering, prompting a nod from Kasey. "You're going to do great, baby."
"I'll kick Danny's ass for you," Angelica whispered into Kasey's ear, making him smile and laugh slightly through his tears. "Hey, dillweed, don't cry! You'll make me cry!" In spite of her words, her eyes were shining.
He sniffled again and shook his head, wiping his own eyes. "No guarantees, butthead."
All-too-brief moments later, Kasey was alone on the train, craning his neck out of the window to watch his family grow smaller and smaller on the platform, returning his waves for as long as they could keep it up.
With a sigh, Kasey finally pulled his head back into his compartment as the train picked up speed, shutting the window against the rush of cool March air and slumping back against his seat. Eyes sliding shut pensively, he folded his hands in his lap, anxiously swinging his legs back and forth.
In the weak, dry spring breeze, she felt the presence nearing - even with her faded strength.
She couldn't do much from her current position. Even speaking was a great task, and her mind felt as brittle as a dead maple leaf. Nonetheless, she focused her thoughts into a projector reel of images, splashed across the boy's mind as he slipped into an uneasy slumber.
She couldn't guarantee he would believe, or even understand, when he woke up. Not yet. He still had a long way to go - but hope was scarce. Those closer by had lapsed into silent, bitter acceptance; perhaps a fresh perspective, a soul yearning to shine and prove himself, would pay off in the long run.
She certainly hoped so - his willingness to try was the only chance they had left by this point.
Author's Notes: Wow, am I actually stepping out of my Mineral Town comfort zone for a multi-chapter? I am. I do love Castanet, though. It has promise for the storylines I'm angling to try out, so we'll see how I navigate them in this lovely, troubled little town. I'll make no promises on how this will wind up playing out - but hopefully I'll do the ideas in my head justice. I'm certainly aiming to really grow as a writer with this one. I at least have a much clearer idea of where I want to go compared to past stories.
So, Kasey's on his way to Castanet, determined to make a fresh start and prove Danny wrong. What, exactly, did Danny tell him? We'll find that out in due time - more importantly, what will Kasey's first taste of rural life be like? How will he adjust, immediately, and as time goes on?
Feel free to leave a review, if you'd like! Constructive feedback is definitely welcome.