Title: At the Beginning
Rating: FRT
Disclaimer: You know the drill, I don't own anything.
Summary: What if they knew each other long before County General, Chicago? What if their friendship had begun long before they became roomies? Reela fanfic. Complete AU.
Author's Note: I know Leven has just started a story like this on Ray and Neela in high school but I've always wanted to do one and this is not at all like hers. It is set in Baton Rouge and Neela and Ray are both around 16 years old. Also I know some people are waiting on me to continue with the other multi-chapter stories I have going and I'm really sorry but I'm on major writer's block with them. You may notice some hints to AWTR and BILB in this chapter but there very, very slight. Eg. Ray's car is the same as the one Landon drove in AWTR and Neela loves playing soccer like Jess in BILB. They're quite subtle though :P
Anyway enough of me talking. On with the story. : )
Chapter 1: Home Sweet Home
16 year old Neela Rasgotra pushed open her window curtain as she felt the plane beginning to descend.
"We ask you to please fasten your seatbelts; we will be arriving in Baton Rouge shortly." said the flight attendant in her overly cheesy voice.
She felt the grip on her hand tighten and she glanced up at her mother's eyes which were tightly squeezed shut. She smiled silently; she knew how much the older woman hated flying and had been dreading this day since Ajay Rasgotra had first announced that his company were transferring him to Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Or in other words America.
She, herself had not felt that much excitement after the news had been broken. After all she had grown up in England. It was her home. All her family and friends were there not to mention she was in the middle of completing her senior year. But Ajay had firmly stated and to quote; 'Unless we want to have this family broken up and all in different parts of the world this is the only option.' So she, her mother and her brother had to grudgingly agree.
She felt a slight bump as the plane touched down smoothly on the runway.
"Ladies and gentleman, we have reached our destination, the temperature in Baton Rouge is a warm 32 degrees centigrade. Please have your boarding cards with you and not to forget to take any important valuables behind. We thank you for flying British Airways. We hope to see you soon. Enjoy your stay and we wish you a safe journey ahead." The flight attendant returned in her nauseously sweet voice.
"Welcome to your new home." her father stated from next to her mother. Yeah, right, home.
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"Well, this is it." Ajay said pulling up in front of the massive two storey house.
"Not to shabby, aye?" he asked.
"It's nice." Neela replied tightly as she opened her car door. But it's not home.
"Gimme the keys, ma." Her overly rambunctious younger brother stated jumping out of the car. She watched as Jaya handed him the keys and as he flew up the path. She didn't get it. Back in England he had thrown tantrum after tantrum about coming here and now he was on cloud nine. But after all he was like their father, always ready for a new adventure.
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Neela was silent as she worked on putting her trophies and pictures of family and friends back in England, doing her best to make her new room feel homey.
"Hey, Neela, you wanna go and kick the ball around?" Ajeet - her brother – asked nodding his head in the direction of the field opposite her bedroom window.
She sighed.
"Yeah, sure why not." She replied following him down the stairs.
"Mum, we're going out to play some soccer." Neela called as they headed outside.
"I don't know why we even bother playing; I mean we all know I'm going to kick your ass." Neela teased as they reached the field.
"Neela! How could you! I always thought of you as the modest type." Ajeet said pretending to look hurt.
"Your sense of humour just kills me." she told him sarcastically.
"Well thank you. I do try." he said with a mock bow.
"Okay, quite stalling, chicken legs and let's play." she retorted.
Within minutes they had a game going. Neela – 7 Ajeet – 2.
"Care to please repeat the score?" Neela asked sticking her tongue out at him.
She was distracted as a bright orange car puttered down the street and parked in front of the house next door to hers. She became even more distracted as a guy roughly around her age got out. He had dark brown hair, was lanky and from where she stood he looked quite tall. She was so caught up in staring at him that she kicked the ball in the wrong direction and it rebounded off the street and hit the guy in question square in the back. Whoops.
"Sorry!" she called darting across the street as he whirled around.
He picked the ball up.
"It's S'OK. Though you might wanna practice on your aim a bit more." he smirked. "You new around here? Haven't seen you around before."
She nodded.
"Yeah, I'm Neela Rasgotra, that's my brother Ajeet, we just moved in next door."
He was silent for a minute, looking her up and down as if taking her in, before he spoke again.
"The name's Barnett. Ray Barnett."
She raised an eyebrow at him.
"You practising to be the next James Bond?"
He frowned.
"Huh?"
"You know the whole 'the name's Bond. James Bond – don't mind me, I ramble a lot." she said quickly.
This time he cracked a smile.
"Funny."
"Oi, Neela!" she heard Ajeet calling.
She spun around.
"Yeah?"
"What are you waiting for? The turn of the century?" he asked.
She glared at him.
"Ha-ha. Hilarious."
She turned back to Ray.
"Well I better go. I'll see you around I guess, nice meeting you, Ray Barnett." she said with a smile as she jogged back to her brother.
"Yeah. Likewise."
"Who was that?" Ajeet asked.
"He lives next door. His name's Ray Barnett."
"Well he looks like a dick." he stated.
"Ajeet!" Neela exclaimed.
"What!?! Can you blame me for saying? He pretty much looks like the standard description for dick." Ajeet said shrugging his shoulders.
"You should never judge a book by its cover." Neela scolded.
"Yeah and you should never start talking like mum." he retorted.
"Whatever. Let's go inside, dinner's probably ready." Neela told him.
As she followed her brother inside, she couldn't help but cast one more look in the direction of the Barnett house.
What do you think?
Reviews would really be appreciated!