Well kids it's that time of year again! time for me to dump all of my energy into a fanfic. The summary is a little lame but i think it'll get the job done. This story will cover high school through the events of XIII. It's also my first story focusing on an OC. Please tell me if it sucks, i just want it to get better.

Thanks for taking the time to read it.

"LIFT KEEP!" Coach shrieked in my ears. I grunted and lifted the 175 pound bench press up again. "COME ON YOUR SISTER CAN LIFT MORE THAN YOU!" He had to bring up her again. I grimaced and gave everything left in my body and did three more reps.

Coach finally allowed me to rack it and he congratulated me on my lifting. "Nice work today Keep, you're making real progress." I used my hand towel to wipe the sweat from my face and I nodded at him, still trying to catch my breath.

I wiped the matted black hair from my face and headed to the locker room. See my name is Lucas Keep. My parents died a few years ago when I was 10.

After that it was just me and my little sister Christina. With her being three years younger than me, I found myself suddenly thrown into more than just the big brother role. I had to be the man of our two person family.

Things were really rough until we finally asked some family friends for help. We showed up at the house of the Farron's and before my young mind could fully process what my sister and I had been through, we were living with them and their two daughters.

I was the same age as their youngest daughter Serah. Her older sister Claire was always really protective of her and it took a long time until she trusted my sister and I.

She's two years older than Serah and I. The four of us had grown very close over the years since mine sister's and I's arrival. Sighing, I went into the locker room shower and thought about the tragedy that hit the Farron's about a year after we moved in.

Their parents had died in a car accident. Their car stalled out on some train tracks and they weren't able to get out. After that Claire took the name Lightning. Since then, her and I have been working nonstop to support the four of us.

Through all of our tough experiences the four of us had bonded extremely well. Despite the fact that I'm always stuck in a house filled with nothing but estrogen, I make due with my family.

For the record the sister my coach was referencing was Lightning not Christina. Christina is a girl who is a bit small for her age and she's very quiet around everyone but Claire, Serah, and I.

Ah yes, Serah.

I started the water and reflected on my feelings for her. Sure we had bonded as brother and sister, but from the minute I met her I knew she had to be mine. When I finally had the courage to ask her out, she said that she couldn't right now. She promised me that it would happen eventually. A week later she was dating Snow.

Snow is a house of dude. Over six foot tall and having a massive frame, he was everything I wanted myself to be. He was strong, assertive, and passionate. He also had the one thing I couldn't see myself living without. Serah's affection.

Despite what she had done to me I still remained close with her. We laughed and smiled and attempted to move on. Deep down those feeling still existed though. Every time I saw Snow, I was reminded of it all.

Unfortunately for me, I was going to be seeing him a lot for the next two years until he graduated. We were both on the Bodhum High School basketball team.

That's why I was working with my coach, I was getting in off season workouts in before school started up and I became a freshman.

My teammate the past 3 years, Maqui, and I both made the team as freshman. We led the local middle school to a 40-5 record over the three years we played. But I digress.

Regardless of why I was going to be seeing Snow all the time, it sucked. Majorly. Such is the life of a slightly melodramatic teenaged boy. I exited the shower and threw on a clean set of clothing.

My trademark look of black jeans with an ungodly amount of zippers for pockets I never seem to use, bright red flannel with a black undershirt, and a black beanie that has a red skull plastered on the side of it.

Feeling refreshed I stepped outside of the gym and into the balmy Bodhum summer. I grabbed my skateboard from the locks and proceeded to skate towards my house.

After expertly dodging potholes, cars, and gravel, I managed to get home. Throwing my skateboard inside the garage, I went in the front door only to see Claire standing at the door staring at me.

"Hey Claire I'm back from lifting." I said as I entered the door. "Why didn't you bother telling anyone you would be home late? Christina has been worried sick!"

I grimaced as her cold remarks gashed into me. I ignored her and walked directly to Christina's room. Knowing I had majorly pissed off Claire I ducked into Christina's room as fast as I could.

"Hey there munchkin." I said as I casually plopped myself on the edge of her bed. She threw the covers off of her at the sound of my voice and pulled me into a death grip of a hug. "Hey, you don't have to worry about me. I'll be fine, I promise."

I hugged her back and wiped some of her black hair from her face. When she spoke her normally gentle voice was shaky. "I'm sorry Lucas, you didn't come home when you normally do and I got really worried. It made me think of mom and dad."

Sighing I pulled her into another hug. "I know, I know. You know your older brother is too stubborn to die on you." I smiled and wiped the tears from her eyes.

"He is right you know." Both of us turned to see Claire standing in her doorway. "Lightning." Christina couldn't finish her sentence looking at her so she just buried herself into me.

"I'm sorry for causing this. You think I would have learned." I said as I tilted my head towards the ceiling and closed my eyes. Sometimes I can be so stupid. I made both of them worry. If Serah hadn't been off with Snow all day I would've worried her too.

Claire came and patted my shoulder. "Well there's dinner whenever you two are ready to eat." She said as she walked down the stairs. I nodded and stood up. "Lucas?"

I looked down at my little sister to see her looking at me. I nodded for her to ask whatever she had on her mind. "Why do you still call Lightning Claire?" I paused looking for the words to express how I felt about it.

"I just don't like it. It feels like she's choosing to erase a part of her past instead of using her past to become stronger. Its like she's running away from herself." I said as I looked down to see how she would interpret what I had said.

"Does that mean I can call her Claire too?" I shook my head no and ruffled her hair. "She hates that I call her that. I don't think she would like having another person call her Claire." she just nodded and ran down the stairs.

I followed her out of her room and slid down the banister to find an irritated Claire. "Lucas." she paused and slapped me on the back of the head. "I've told you at least four hundred times to not slide down that thing."

I stuck my tongue out at her and walked by her into the kitchen. "Tacos! Hell yes!" I hastily made myself a plate and sat down at the table. Claire smirked at my antics while Christina giggled. "Lucas is in trouble, Lucas is in trouble." I frowned when I heard my little sister chanting like a kindergartner. "Oh yes he is."

I groaned when I heard Claire make her comment. "Would you two stop picking on him for once? Cut the kid some slack." I swore in my head. Serah had come home and she brought Snow with her. Now the gorilla was trying to defend me.

Why done you just leave? I thought to myself as he sat down next to me.

"After all, Bodhum High needs it's starting shooting guard ready for the season. He can't be ready for the season if he's in the doghouse now can he?" His tone was full of cockiness and he had a dumb grin on his face.

I grabbed the dew rag off of his head and threw it onto the couch. "No hats at the table Snow." He frowned and then nodded. "Right well I'll let you eat." After that crippling exchange he left the table and sat on the couch with Serah.

Christina had finished eating and went up to her room. That left just Claire and I in the kitchen. "I hate him so much." I said as I let my head fall onto the table. "So do I."

I looked up to see her glaring at the gorilla sitting in our living room. I finished my tacos and put my plate in the dishwasher. "Its been a long day. I think I'm gonna turn in early." I was about to go upstairs when I felt Claire wrap around me.

We sat there for a minute before one of us broke the silence.

"I know I act mad, but I really like that you still call me Claire." I tensed up. Before I could say anything back to her, she continued to speak. "No one else can though. Just my little brother like figure."

I smiled and turned around to face her. "Hey what's with this brother like figure shit? You know I'm basically your brother." I smiled and I felt proud of myself that I got her to smile too. I mumbled my thanks to her and bolted up the stairs into my room.

Bland gray walls covered with cheesy posters were the backdrop to a tidy room. My bass was sitting in the corner of my room next to my amp, and there was a stack of papers covering my desk. Other than that and my bed, my room was empty.

I opened my closet and found some clothes to change into. School would be starting here in a couple of days. I needed to start sleeping right, and make sure Christina is as well.

Sighing I threw on some mesh shorts and a white t-shirt. I flopped onto my bed back first so I could stare at my ceiling. I stifled a yawn and rubbed a hand through my hair.

"Man where did the summer go?" I asked to no one as I closed my eyes and tried to drift myself into a relaxing sleep.

Well how was that for an opening chapter? Things really pick up after this. Please share with me your thoughts and i'll do what i can to get back to you. Huge props goes to acidic wrath for betaing this for me and giving me the awesome title.
As always, Peace out Y'all