'Well Roxas, say goodbye to your life and hello to your worst nightmare' the blond thought as he stared out of the small rectangular window at the tarmac beside him, watching the luggage buggies travel easily between airport and plane. Roxas sighed and turned to his brother when he felt the other rest his hand on his younger sibling's shoulder and squeeze it reassuringly, giving him an apologetic smile and Roxas smiled back weakly.
The blond was English born and bred, he liked his life in the small, northern town he lived in, he had friends who he trusted and his life was comfortable… So he wasn't prepared for everything to change the way it did, he at least wished his aunty and uncle had told him that they were going to travel around the world with enough time for him to prepare, but as it happened he walked into his house two days ago to find them dressed in shorts and outrageously colourful shirts, which confused the blond since it was raining outside, he thought the constant weather change had finally drove his aunty and uncle insane, but when he asked what was going on he received a simple answer "we're going travelling" Roxas' eyes widened and he hoped to god that 'we' didn't include him, but thankfully they explained it was only the two of them and that Roxas and his brother Cloud would be moving to America to live with their grandfather. That hit him hard, he didn't want to leave the home he loved so much, and in such short notice, but not even an outrageous hissy fit could change his keeper's minds and so here he was, sat in an aeroplane with no way of going back to his normal life.
Roxas sighed as he stared up to the baby blue sky, there were no clouds, just endless blue and the blond found himself wondering what the weather in America would be like, not like he cared for any reason, his skin was strangely pale for where he lived and he wouldn't tan even if he tried, but as it was Roxas usually covered almost every inch of his body in some sort of clothing or accessory anyway even in hot weather and because of that his friends would joke and tell him he had a heart of ice that gave him cold blood.
"Roxas" the blonde's brother said and Roxas turned to look up at his brother, they were very much alike when it came to looks, both had constant and uncontrollable bed head and their hair was a bright yellow contrasting against their ocean blue eyes "don't worry so much, you'll make new friends, you might even like it in America" Roxas just nodded to Cloud and his brother smiled encouragingly, it was that damn contagious smile and Roxas couldn't help but feel a little more positive "see kiddo, it doesn't hurt to smile" the older blond laughed and Roxas scoffed, damn Cloud and his outgoing personality, it was completely different to the young blondes. Roxas was quite reserved, he didn't like large groups and when it came to attitude problems you could always count on Roxas to have one, though he did care about the friends that he had dearly when he had them, his brother Cloud on the other hand almost had a split personality, he often pretended to be the shy 'innocent' guy in front of people - especially girls - when he first met them but really he was practically the opposite, a loudmouth outgoing moron who would do anything he was dared without a second thought -numerous times the older blond had arrived home covered in blood or being escorted by police for some reason or another, in one case it was streaking but Roxas really didn't want to think about that, Cloud's defence for the incident was a triumphant smirk and a declaration of 'it earned me fifty quid.'
Roxas smiled at Cloud who removed his hand from his brother's shoulder as the plane shuddered and slowly began moving alone the runway, the young blond sighed as he looked once again out of the window, taking in the scenery before closing the shutter and leaving his life behind.
******
"Hey grandad!" Roxas looked at his brother who was waving and smiling brightly then followed his brother's gaze towards a tall older man with long blond hair and orange eyes.
"Cloud my boy" the older man said in a deep, booming voice and hugged the taller of the two teens while Roxas looked at the older man curiously, he didn't remember his grandfather much, just that he was called Ansem, Roxas was young when the man had decided to move to America so his memory of the man was vague, Cloud though was a year older than Roxas and remembered the man better than Roxas did. Cloud moved away to stand beside Ansem and they both looked down at Roxas.
"It's nice to see you again grandad" Roxas smiled at the older man who smiled back and hugged his youngest grandson.
"Ah Roxas, you haven't changed much" Ansem laughed heartily as he let go of Roxas who smiled bashfully and wondered how his grandad remembered him acting as a child "come now, you'll both need time to unpack and settle in, school starts in a couple of days and you'll have to get your supplies" Roxas' heart sank, he hated the thought of starting a new school, he already missed his old friends and making new ones was never easy for him.
As the taxi pulled up to the outside of Ansem's house Roxas gawked in awe "well here we are" the old man smiled 'this is where we live?' The house was large and white, columns extended from the front of the porch up to the third floor where they supported a semi circle balcony, the drive was long and curved to the front of the house, and was surrounded by grass and wonderful colored flowers. The three walked up the porch as the taxi drove away and Ansem searched for his keys.
"Wow gramps you're house is huge" Cloud commented as he looked up towards the other floors and Roxas nodded his agreement.
"I'm glad you like it" Ansem laughed and entered the house holding the door open for his grandsons who walked in and further gawked at the interior of the house, the entrance itself was huge "I'll show you two to your rooms so you can unpack, dinner will be ready soon so once your things are properly placed come down to eat, the older man smiled at the two boys and lead them up the central staircase into a wide hallway, the two followed until they were each shown their rooms -which were directly across the landing from one another- before Ansem walked away saying he would prepare dinner for them.
Roxas closed his bedroom door and sighed, the day hadn't been as bad as he thought it would be, he looked at his large room for a moment before placing his bags onto his double bed 'what am I going to do with all this space?' Roxas though to himself and started rummaging through his bags, placing clothes in the wardrobe and other bits and pieces into different draws, finally he placed a photo album on top of his desk and he lay his guitar against the wall beside his small book case and looked around his room, gave it a nod of approval that everything was where it should be and walked back downstairs. He reached the entrance again and followed the voices of his brother and grandfather into the kitchen where they were chatting animatedly while Ansem chopped vegetables.
"Roxas, glad you could join us" the old man greeted as Roxas sat on a stool beside his brother "I hope you like your room."
"I do thank you grandad" Roxas said and smiled.
"We're going shopping tomorrow Rox" Cloud said and smiled, ruffling the younger blonde's hair before Roxas could dodge it.
"Yes, I'll give you both some money for your school supplies" Ansem said and grinned "and I have a surprise for each of you, but that will have to wait until after dinner" the two boys eyes lit up with curiosity and they smiled broadly.
"Thanks grandad" Roxas said "but what do we need for school?" the youngest blond ask curiously he never had to go out and buy things back in England, usually any books that they needed they would be lent or could buy from the school.
"I have your letters in the living room, you can take them in the morning when you go out" Ansem said before shooing the two into the dining room and soon bringing the food through.
"So what is it like in England?" Ansem asked once the three had started eating "it has been such a long time since I've been there."
"Dull" Cloud said and sighed, Roxas shot a glare at his brother which Cloud didn't notice 'how can he say that? It was our home' "aunty and uncle were great but, it's nice to have a change" Roxas slightly agreed though it pained him to think so, the town could get rather boring, but he would still defend his home.
"I agree my boy, that is why I moved here" Ansem smiled "I do hope both of you enjoy your time in America, it is a truly different world."
"How did you get this house gramps? It looks pretty expensive" Cloud asked as he glanced around the dining room, it was elegant, the walls were white and the table rich mahogany wood, there were two chandeliers hanging from the ceiling glimmering wonderfully and the room was very large.
"Hard work and plenty of it" their grandfather sighed contentedly "it took a while to buy this house but it was worth it in the end, I am very glad you boys like it, it thrills me that you will be living here now."
"But were you not lonely living in such a large house on your own?" Roxas asked and Ansem shook his head.
"I was often out of the house for one reason or another, but I am fortunate that the two of you came when I have just retired so I will not be lonely after all, though I understand what you mean Roxas, and when I did have time to myself I often found something to do so I wasn't reminded of how quiet it is here" The blond nodded his understanding, he would probably have done the same thing if this was his home.
"I think it's about time I gave you two your welcoming presents" Ansem said and stood from the table, the boys joined him and put their dishes in the dishwasher before walking into the living room, the older man stood in the center of the room as the other two sat down on a green and white striped couch "now I heard from my daughter about what you two like in terms of hobbies and such" he said and pulled out three wrapped boxes, two were square, one larger than the other "Roxas, this is for you" Ansem said and handed the blond the larger of the two square ones "I heard this is something you often enjoyed doing in England while you were there" Roxas began opening the paper carefully as his grandfather spoke and his eyes widened as he looked at the box "I hope you can make great memories and use that to keep them special" Roxas was stunned, his grandfather had bought him the most amazing camera he could think of buying "this is also for you because I didn't think it was fair just to buy you a camera compared to what Cloud will get, you understand I do not pick favorites but he is difficult to shop for" Roxas nodded that he understood and smiled at his grandfather before finding a laptop box under the wrapping paper and again he was stunned.
"Thank you very much grandad" the youngest blond said and Ansem chuckled as Roxas hugged him before sitting down again still wide eyed as he opened the boxes to look at the contents.
"Now Cloud, I understand you are capable of driving" the older blonde's eyes lit up, he knew what was coming next and Ansem laughed at the look on his oldest grandson's face "ok I can't really surprise you with this so why don't you come with me, Roxas you come too." The three left the living room and walked across the hall to a small door which Ansem opened and walked into before the other two, as the lights flickered on Cloud's face lit up with joy and complete astonishment "here" Ansem passed him a box which he rushed to open and found the keys to his new, silver Audi TT.
"Gramps, you're the best grandad a guy could ever have" Cloud said as he gawked at his new car then hugged the older man.
"I'm glad the two of you like your presents, Cloud you will be driving the two of you to the mall tomorrow for your supplies, now I think it's time you boys got some rest, it has been a long day today and tomorrow will be the same" Ansem said and ushered the two out of the room and to their rooms, they both said their good nights before closing their doors for the night.
Roxas walked over to his window and stared out after placing his presents somewhere suitable, there was a vast sea stretching to the horizon, twinkling in the moonlight and the blond opened his window slightly, he could hear the gentle waves as they lapped against the rocks and he sighed contentedly, 'so maybe I thought too bad of this place' the blond thought to himself as he closed the curtains and changed for bed 'maybe it won't be so bad after all' Roxas smiled to himself, though he couldn't help but be wary of his thoughts, after all it was only his first day in America and he had only met his grandfather 'I guess we'll find out' he sighed before slowly drifting off to sleep.
******
Roxas was woken by an unexpected and very heavy weight being pressed onto his torso, ultimately cutting off his ability to breath "rise and shine kiddo" Roxas' recognized his brother's voice calling directly into his ear and the youngest blond winced as he struggled against Cloud who finally moved from his brother and lay beside him laughing hysterically.
"Jesus Cloud you're heavy for someone so skinny" Roxas said as he rubbed his chest after recovering his breath again.
"Time to go shopping little bro" Cloud sang and ruffled his brother's untamed hair "get dressed and be downstairs in an hour" the older blond teen said before skipping out of Roxas' room, said boy laughed at Cloud and shook his head, he was such a morning person, it was like he was injected with caffeine while he slept every night.
Roxas climbed out of bed and headed for the bathroom to shower and get ready, he was glad Cloud was such a morning person because it left the bathroom free for his younger brother when he decided to heave himself out of bed for school. Once he was ready Roxas made his way downstairs and found Cloud and Ansem talking in the hall "good morning grandad" Roxas greeted the oldest man who smiled.
"Roxas, good morning, I hope you slept well" said blond nodded "here is your list for your supplies, I have given Cloud directions to the mall so you two should be just fine" Ansem smiled as the two walked through the small door leading to the garage "have a good day you two, and be home before dinner."
"We will" Cloud said from the car and started the engine, the two waved to their grandfather before Cloud drove away from the house and down the road.
Roxas stared out of the car window and at the passing scenery as his brother drove, singing loudly to a Foo Fighters album he'd brought with him from England, the young blond shook his head at his brother who winked while he sang.
Roxas awed at the world outside of his car window, the day was bright and hot and Roxas was glad he'd opted for a long sleeved shirt rather than a hoody, outside he saw a multitude of people making their way towards the beach, the sea mirrored the bright blue of the sky and the sand looked clean and soft, though partially covered by numerous beach towels, chairs and umbrellas which were occupied by the residents of America, Roxas vaguely wondered if he owned a pair of shorts but shrugged off the idea because if he showed any part of his body he was sure he'd blend in as much as a polar bear would in this weather.
The two finally reached a large complex which would have rivaled the largest hotel around in their old city and gawked at the mall they were going to be shopping in, both boys swapped concerned looks as they realized just what they were getting themselves into, Cloud was the first to speak "come on Rox, it'll be an adventure" he said and gave the smaller boy an unconvincing smile as he walked towards the monstrous building 'yeah' Roxas agreed internally 'like searching for treasure without a map' he thought and sighed as he followed his older brother.
If the mall looked big on the outside then it was masking itself well because on the inside… it was huge, Roxas internally cursed the high heavens for ever giving someone the idea of building something so big and thinking it would help the population, the blond wondered if they would get home for dinner, not because they wouldn't get their things but because they'd get lost on the way out at least "is this really a good idea?" Roxas asked as he looked straight up, losing count of how many floors there were in this place, he realized that they'd only stepped into the complex and they were already lost.
"I guess we'll find out" Cloud answered and they began to walk aimlessly through the mall.
The first shop they successfully found was a book shop, since the boys took English they were required to bring any reading material that they would need for the year "so" Roxas looked down his list of books, he had 4 to collect: 'An Inspector Calls', 'Romeo and Juliet', 'Lord of the Flies' and 'Animal Farm' he also had to pick up a text book about civilization in the 18-1900s for History.
"Ouch, Romeo and Juliet" Cloud said from over Roxas' shoulder startling the boy who shot a foot in the air before stumbling.
"Jesus Cloud, don't do that" Roxas said, trying to stop his heart from escaping out of his chest, and beating his brother senseless, with his hand.
The older blond laughed before striding dramatically and waving his arms as he said "Romeo, Romeo, where for art thou Romeo" and laughing again.
Roxas walked over and punched his brother on the arm "moron, you're such an embarrassment" he said before walking down the many rows of books, after finding the 4 that he needed and occasionally looking at a book that interested him, Roxas confusedly paid for the books as he tried to work out how to give change in dollars and cents.
"God Roxas, way to show you're not from around here" Cloud said as the two left the store and the younger blond blushed, he knew it was embarrassing since it was him it happened to him but his brother didn't have to point it out so bluntly.
"What next?" Roxas asked after his blush was gone.
"Um…" Cloud tapped his chin as he thought "how about your art stuff, all that's left after that is my things for Mechanics" Roxas nodded as they set off again, wandering blindly around the mall until they found a suitable art shop. The young blond sighed happily as he walked in and his eyes lit up as he looked around the shelves in front of him, he loved art in all forms, especially photography, and he hoped the lessons here would be as good as the ones at his old school "come on kiddo we ain't got all day" Cloud said snapping Roxas out of his gawking and the two walked around the shop picking up paints, pencils, sketch books and canvases when they found them. The two brothers walked out of the art shop carrying a multitude of bags, Cloud grimaced since he was forced to carry some things for his little brother.
"Ok so time to find a shop for you?" Roxas asked and his brother nodded.
"Yeah, but I saw one on the way in so there's no hurry, how about we grab some coffee I'm dying over here" Roxas nodded his agreement and the two found a small Starbucks to sit in, they walked in and the cooling of the air conditioning made them both sigh happily, it was like taking ice cream out of the sun.
"I'll go get the coffee, you go find a seat so we can put this crap down" Cloud said and the younger blond pouted as he walked away and to two vacant arm chairs 'my art stuff is not crap' Roxas thought to himself as he sat down, his legs immediately relaxing into a jelly like state, Cloud soon followed empty handed and the younger blond gave him a questioning look.
"Did you drink the coffee and eat the cups or something?" Roxas asked and smirked and Cloud lazily turned his head to look at him and with as little movement as he could, flipped off his younger brother.
"Nah, they're pretty busy with orders so someone's bringing it over for us when our order's up" the older boy said and smiled before resting more comfortably into the chair.
The two chatted until a boy about the blond duo's age walked over and set the coffee onto their table "is there anything else I can get you?" the boy asked, Roxas noticed he had unusually silver hair for someone so young but shrugged it off and shook his head before smiling at the other who walked away.
"Gramps is awesome huh?" Cloud said as he sipped his hot coffee and Roxas vaguely wondered why the two were drinking coffee on such a sunny day.
"Yeah, I hope he doesn't mind us living with him though, it looks like he spent a lot of money on us already, not to mention the extra food that has to be bought" Roxas looked rather guilty but Cloud shook his head.
"He doesn't mind, you'd be surprised at how much money grandad has but we're not going to ask him for money anyway, as soon as we've settled in school we'll go looking for jobs, deal?" the younger blond nodded and bumped fists with his brother to confirm the promise and the two laughed.
After a little while the brothers reluctantly decided to get the rest of their supplies and go home, Roxas and Cloud said goodbye to the silver haired boy as they passed him and left the coffee shop in search of Cloud's supplies and the correct exit, thankfully the mall was less packed than when the two had arrived and it was easier to get to the store, finally the two found a mechanics shop and Cloud purchased everything that he needed and the two dragged their bags back to the car, Roxas could have sworn his arms were going to fall off. Once everything was delicately rammed into the trunk Roxas and Cloud set off again towards Ansem's house, Roxas noticed that the beach was still packed as they drove past again, surfers were out now and Roxas scanned the group, his eyes flickered to some bright red hair just as it disappeared underwater the person's board following its owner and the blond chuckled as Cloud sped up and raced down the road.
"We're back grandad" Cloud called into the house as he and his brother walked through the garage door with their many bags.
"Ah good I was just about to start dinner" Ansem smiled in greeting to his grandsons and helped the two carry some bags up to their rooms, once everything was put away and packed for the morning Cloud and Roxas joined their grandfather for dinner.
"Hey gramps, after we settle in at school me and Roxas agreed to get jobs" the older blond teen said as the group ate.
"Well I'm very pleased to hear it; there is great self satisfaction when it comes to earning your own money" Ansem smiled "but if you ever need anything I am always here to give a helping hand" the two boys nodded their gratitude and they finally finished eating.
"Roxas, my daughter told me that you are very skilled at playing the guitar" the younger blond blushed, he hadn't realize she had heard him practice before "I'd like to hear a song if you would be willing to play something" Ansem smiled encouragingly at his bashful grandson who nodded and retrieved his guitar from his room before sitting back down.
"Hey Rox, play that song you wrote" Cloud smiled at his little brother then turned to his grandfather "seriously gramps I couldn't believe he wrote it himself" Roxas blushed in embarrassment before starting to play, his fingers strummed the delicate strings and Roxas lost himself in his music as he played. Finally the blond played the last chord and his grandfather clapped at the performance.
"That was splendid Roxas, there is a rather charming young man who lives just down the road who plays guitar" Ansem said and chuckled "but his music is not what you'd call my generation."
"No problem grandad, the oldies are always the best" Cloud smirked "Roxas, blast some of The Stones for us" the young blond laughed and complied as he played 'Paint it Black' and his brother and grandfather sang along, Cloud drumming on his knees "now those are what I call campfire songs" Cloud laughed as he and Roxas ascended the stairs to their rooms after bidding Ansem a good night "well we've got a long day tomorrow, night little dude" Cloud went to ruffle Roxas' hair but the blond dodged and punched his older brother lightly on the shoulder receiving a punch back.
"Night bro" Roxas laughed and entered his room closing his bedroom door behind him, he collapsed on his bed without changing and stared up at the dark ceiling, it had been a long and exhausting day but Roxas was looking forward to tomorrow albeit a little nervous, Roxas' eyes closed briefly and he quickly got up and changed for bed and walked to the bathroom to brush his teeth before climbing into bed, tomorrow would come all too soon.
---------
Chapter 1 finished, I'm just going to say here that I hope there's nothing that I've written that could have offended anyone, I've never been to America so I'm not sure how things work, also the way the next chapter is written schools probably don't work like that at all, but it's for story purposes also it can't totally be in real time anyway because they play blitz ball.
Anyway I hope everyone likes the story.