Chapter 1
"MAPLE!" was the first words that flew out of the now thirteen-years-old mouth when he first saw the letter in the mailbox that stood right next to the front door.
The letter was addressed towards Matthew W. Kirkland (which was him, obviously), and was from one of the high schools that Matthew really wanted to get in. It was no ordinary high school, however. It was from the international high school Matthew tried to join: Roma's International Academy!
Roma's International Academy (R.I.A)… a well-known world-wide boarding high school. It is said that this prestigious school that is also a feeder school to the top post secondary education both in this country and internationally. only accepts those with a total average of 90% on the entrance exams…or simply accepts the tuition fees for those not on scholarships, which can go up to $100 000 (or more). Of course, most would aim for the scholarship since it's better than paying a big chunk of money per year. They also offer different scholarships also, like sports scholarships, art scholarships, etc.
In Matthew's case, he has decided to try to get an Academic Scholarship. He has a pretty good chance of getting accepted, since he excels in both academics and sports. It's also a good distance from his house, since all he has to do is take a few buses and he'll be able to get to school in no time. Those who live further away (city or country-wise) are allowed to stay in the dorm that the school offers. This is the only international (and academic) high school that is near both him and his brother, Alfred.
Quickly, taking all the mail out of the box, Matthew escaped the chilly February morning wind into the warmth of his house. He quietly closed the door shut, not wanting to wake his father up, and took off his shoes and socks quietly before entering the main hall. He walked quietly and quickly towards the kitchen, placing all the bills and newspapers on the dining table, and plopping himself on one of the wooden chairs.
He looked at the letter with a mixture of excitement and frightening in his eyes. He's excited to see the results, but he's also scared that he didn't get in. Or, what's worse, he got in and Alfred didn't!
It took a minute for Matthew to finally work up the guts to open the letter…that is, it was then when he worked up the guts that a certain pet polar bear decided that the letter was a snack.
"Kumaj-" Matthew began, but stopped immediately, when realising that he doesn't remember his pet's name. It was on the tip of his tongue, but he can't seem to say it. "Kuma...? Kuma-a-a….Whatever! Kuma, give that back! That letter is really important!" Matthew tried tackling the bear, but the little cub was able to avoid getting captured. Kumajiro (the polar bear) looked at Matthew with wide eyes and a confused look.
"You know dang well who I am! Now, give it back!" Matthew yelled, attempting to capture the bear looking pet. After two tries, Matthew finally got the (now soggy) letter out of Kuma's mouth.
Looking at it in disgust, Matthew slowly opened the letter, making sure that he wasn't touching the bear's saliva. Somehow, the letter wasn't drenched or wet. Sitting down on the cold, marble floor, Matthew started to read the letter, skimming through it at first, and then reading slowly, making sure he read each line correctly.
He stared at the letter blankly, letting his wavy, blonde hair fall in front of his face. He suddenly heard footsteps walking down the staircases that led to the second floor, and halting at the entrance of the kitchen.
"Bon matin," said a voice with a thick French-accent. Matthew looked up to see a tall, lean man with fair skin, leaning on the door-way leading to the kitchen. The man has the same wavy blonde hair that Matthew has, but his is pulled back in a low ponytail. He seemed to have just woken up, and was still from his clothes from his night-shift at the bar. His shirt and pants were worn-out, and had many creases. He still had a pin on the left side of his shirt, with the name Francis Bonnefoy, carved into it. The man raises his right hand, and placed it on his chin. "Tu faisais beaucoup du bruit."
"Ah, Papa! Salut!" Matthew exclaimed, picking himself off the ground. He quickly dusted himself. "Je m'excuse. Est-ce je t'ai réveillé?"
"Ouais, mais c'est correct. Qu'est-ce que c'est ça dans ta main?"
"C'est just une lettre. Elle a été envoyé pare une école secondaire! Er, est-ce que c'est d'accord si je téléphone Dad et Alfred maintenant? You can read the letter now if you want!"
"Go ahead," he replied, moving out of Matthew's way. As Matthew called his Dad, Francis walked towards the kitchen counter, picking up a lost polar bear cub from the floor. Francis held the letter in one hand, and started to scan through it quickly. He finished by smiling to himself.
"Hello, Dad?" Said Matthew from the hallway. "No, wait, Alfred? ….Yeah, I'm SO sorry for waking you up at 9 in the morning…No, I'm not seriously sorry….Okay, calm down. I was just wondering, but did you receive any mail addressed to you? ….No? Can you check your mailbox? …C'mon Alfred, please? Can you also open it, too? …Why? Oh, well because I got a letter from R.I.A, and guess what? …Okay, okay, I'll let you open your letter first…So? ….You got in?! Oh, that's wonderful! I got accepted to the scholarship too! I guess we can finally go to the same school again!"
Translations:
"Tu faisais beaucoup du bruit." : You were making a lot of noise.
"Ah, Papa! Salut! Je m'excuse. Est-ce que je t'ai réveillé?" : Ah, Papa! Hi! I'm sorry. Did I wake you up?"
"Ouais, mais c'est correct. Qu'est-ce que c'est ça dans ta main?" : Yeah, but it's alright. What's that in your hand?
"C'est juste une lettre. Elle a été envoyé par une école secondaire! Er, est-ce que c'est correct si je téléphone Dad et Alfred maintenant? : It's just a letter. It was sent by a secondary school. Er, is it alright if I can call Dad and Alfred now?
A/N:...Yep, so that's really all there is. Sorry, guys, it was a pretty weak chapter. *Sigh* Oh well. Thank you for reading, and please review!
