Okay, this is a new idea I'm sketching out. I'm totally excited about it.

But I'd still love some thoughts, of course. So tell me what you think!

More to come shortly. Enjoy!

"No way, Mom."

"Jonah, Hayden, you have no choice."

"You can't make me!" Jonah tried to run for it. Dad caught him.

"Mom, you aren't serious." I pushed the thing away. Mom threw it back against me.

"You kids..." Dad sighed.

"You two act like they'll kill you." Mom agreed.

"They will!" My twin brother Jonah and I argued right back.

"No." Mom said, holding up a threatening finger, "Those are standard. Everyone wears them." And with that, she snapped the door to our bedroom shut, signaling we'd best change into the accursed Ashland High School uniforms.

"I can feel my individuality dying." Jonah said loudly, his angular green eyes (which we shared) going to slits.

"You two are only seventeen, you have your whole lives to be individuals." Mom's voice carried from under the door. I smiled, but I dropped it when my almond eyes met the gray wool uniform. I looked over to my brother.

"We have to try, Jonesy." I said to him, trying not to look too defeated. He wouldn't react well if he thought I didn't really mean it. He has a defiant nature.

"What, try to get out of it?" Jonah asked, shaking his shaggy dark hair out of his eyes, but picking up his jacket anyway. I smirked.

"No, Jonesy." I said, laughing, but then taking a more serious tone as I tied my striped school tie, "We have to try to like it here. For mom and dad." He looked at me as he straightened his tie into place. It was a look that told me he understood, and that he'd try too.

I sighed and buttoned up my skirt while walking to the mirror in our otherwise barren room. We had our beds, we had two closets, we had the mirror, but the homey feel was missing. It would take a while to adjust to the move. It was another world here. My bright eyes reflected worry and uncertainty, but I looked past it to my violet-red hair. I pulled the upper layers into a messy bun; a few strands promptly fell back down to scrape just below my shoulders.

"We'll learn to like it here, Hayden." Jonah said quietly, stopping to stand next to me. He tucked my side swept bangs across my forehead and behind my ear in a concerned, brotherly way, "Don't worry." He said.

~*~

We were at the school now, and neither of us was impressed. It wasn't so much a step down from our last school, but it wasn't a step up either. We were instantly pegged as new kids; I guess not many students arrived with a roar. Jonah wanted to make an entrance, so he drove us today on his motorcycle. He certainly wasn't disappointed. So much for easing our way in. But we were seniors, so we were allotted some allowances.

I guess Jonah felt like a super hot bad boy, sliding off his slick black helmet and shaking his loose brown curls in the wind. I don't think he was feeling those vibes anymore when the damned thing wouldn't fit in his locker, though.

"Jonah, you're dumber than a box of hammers." I informed him with a laugh, leaning against the wall of lockers. He just glared at me and dropped his helmet over my head. When I scrambled to pull it off, my helmet, previously balanced on my hip, fell to the floor.

"Jonah!" I yelled, slightly muffled, through the visor. My bun flopped back against my head as I got the helmet off. I shoved it against his chest and turned to find mine, which had rolled off into the busy hallway. A girl my age stopped by me.

"Nice hair." The girl said, smiling in the corners of her mouth. I smoothed it down, thinking she was being sarcastic, until I noted her hair.

"You too, Blue." I replied, pointing briefly at her very blue head.

"New, huh?" She asked.

"Yeah." Jonah and I said at the same time.

"And twins, then?" Blue asked, smiling again.

"Yeah." We repeated, laughing.

"He's Jonah Keller." I introduced my brother, "And I'm Hayden Keller." I held out my hand.

"Coraline Jones." Blue returned, shaking my hand firmly.

"It's nice to meet you, Coraline."

"It's actually Cor-aline." She articulated. I exchanged a look with Jonah.

"That's what we said." We said. The girl looked a little surprised, but pleasantly so.

"Probably a force of habit?" I asked as she shook my brother's hand. She nodded and laughed.

Just then a boy with wildly curly brown hair approached us, my helmet clasped between his gloved hands. I nodded appreciatively.

"Nice gloves." I smiled at the boy, who gave me a surprised look, "And thanks for getting my helmet." I held my hands out for it and he quickly passed it off. He nervously wrung his hands once they were free. Coraline seemed to notice him now too.

"And this is Wyborne... Lovat." She said with a quick second's thought, "But call him Wybie." She added before he could even open his mouth. Jonah introduced himself and shook Wybie's hand maybe a bit harder than he had with Coraline.

"And I'm Hayden." I said quietly, shaking Wybie's hand delicately. I found it hard to break the gaze between my dark green eyes and the light, muted green of his. And we may have shook hands a slight moment longer than with the others.

Maybe it wouldn't be so hard adjusting, after all. I was interested to find out.