He was tall. He was strong. He was angry but sad at them same time. Skyler rode down the highway in the car with his father as the moved away from Ohio, which he has lived in for what seemed like centuries to him, to New York. It was snowing outside on that cold January day, Skyler's coat collar not doing much to cover his ears from the twenty-degree winds. The only thing that kept him warm was his anger. Anger at his father for bringing him to this cold, gray city. Anger at the sky for being harsh and uncaring. Anger at himself... If somebody, anybody, had spoken to him, Skyler might have lashed out to release his fury. He wanted to destroy a wall or the sky.

But something kept him from that. A sincere promise he made to a friend. He promised to make the best of what he can in the foreign city, as much as he despised it. Skyler continued to stare out the window of their mediocre car as the continued to the home his father had recently bought. The night before, Skyler's father confronted him about his new job promotion and how it required him to move to New York. So that meant they had to leave the place Skyler grew to enjoy and love since he was a little boy. The friends he made, the memories, everything he experienced in same urban area he stayed in were now just gonna be a thing of the past.

After another hour or two of their endless driving, they finally pulled up to a house. Skyler gazed up at it from the window. It was pretty okay, to his standards. The entire house was a peach color and a few shades of grey around the had a two car garage and a large backyard. There were 3 rooms, a room for his father, for Skyler, and a guest room. Each room had its own bathroom. The kitchen was big enough for his father's abnormal cooking dream.

" Skye?.." Zeke said concerned. He was worried about his son. He hadn't said anything since they left Ohio.

" Is everything okay?.."

" Yeah.." Skyler said softly. "... Just peachy.."

Sighing, Zeke placed a hand on his shoulder.

" Listen Skye... I know us moving feels wrong. Trust me, I didn't want to leave either.. But, with my promotion and all, I didn't have much of a choice."

Skyler scoffed and brushed his father's hand off him. He really wasn't in the mood to hear his father talk. Of all times he had to drop something on him it just had to be week before his 17th birthday.

" ... Weren't you the one who always said that no matter what happens, we always have a choice? " Skyler said, glancing at his dad.

" Yes but now it's different." Zeke replied and then sighed. " Can't believe you're using my own words against me..."

" Well, I guess we're both having some sudden realizations today. " Skyler shot at his father, harshly. " I can't believe you even brought me here..."

Before his father could respond back to him, Skyler took his bag from the back seat and exited the car. Slamming the door behind him, he walked to the house and went inside to his room, leaving his father out in the car all by himself.

" Dear god..." Zeke thought. " Sometimes I don't even know where he gets his attitude from... But then again... I do know..."

Zeke reached up and touched a ring he had on a chain around his neck. Clenching it tightly in his hand, Zeke let out a long, saddened sigh.

" Maria... I miss you..."

Since the day they arrived, Skyler had tried to adjust to his new life as the best as he could. Winter break was ending soon so that meant school would be starting back. Skyler's father already registered him into the nearest high school in walking distance from their new home. The snow was still out but it looked dirty than it's usual pure white. He remembered when he was a sophomore in high school when he first saw snow. It was everywhere. After school, all the little kids with runny noses would already have trampled all over it before he had his chance to have fun. Once, he had the afternoon on a clean slope of untouched snow. His father, however, didn't like snow that much. His responses to it would either be it's too messy or too cold. That it would get in his shoes and under his shirt.

A few days flew by and despising it, today was Skyler's first day back after Christmas vacation. The weather was cold - high about twenty, the weatherman said, and more snow was predicted. Skyler hoped it would snow all day and all night, enough to call school off. Not likely, he thought, but even after a two-week break, the prospect of an unexpected free day looked great. Slowly picking himself up from his bed and walking into his bathroom, he stood in front of his mirror for a moment and examined his physical appearance. Skyler was mixed, part Japanese ( His mother) and part African-American ( His father).He was 6'5, a bit taller than his dad's normal height of 6'1. Some of his family said he and his father resembled each other but his father knew that Skyler looked more like his mother. His long, jet black spiky-ish hair that reached to his shoulders. From what his father told him, his mother's hair stopped at her back. He had cerulean blue eyes just like she did and an average nose. Skyler had an average build for a teen his age. Skyler's skin tone wasn't dark, like his father, but then at the same time it wasn't light either, like his mother. It was more of a mixture between the two. Almost a caramel color.

After he brushed his teeth and washed his face, Skye walked in his room then went to his closet. He took out a grey thermal and put a turquoise shirt over it. Taking his black zipper hoodie out and putting it on, Skyler grabbed his backpack and went downstairs to eat some breakfast before he left. Once he made it downstairs, he found his father asleep on with his head down on the table. Skyler walked over to him and looked down to see a small picture in his hand. Examining it closely, he saw it was a picture of his dad and mom together. Sighing a bit, Skyler sat down beside him. Since he was little, Skyler always thought about her. His dad explained to him that she died in an accident. That while she walked home from her job, a drunk driver lost control of his car and pinned her against a tree. She was still alive when the ambulance came but they knew she couldn't help her. The car had split her in half and she was dying slowly. They were able to call his father and he immediately came to say his final goodbyes to his wife before she passed away slowly.

A loud snore brought him back to reality. Skyler looked over to see his father slowly waking up.

" Hmmm..." Zeke muttered before looking up. " ..M-Maria?..." he said groggily

" No, dad... It's me, Skye. I see you fell asleep at the table again." Skye joked, showing a sad smile.

" Oh.." He started, rubbing his eyes. " I was just.."

Looking down at his hand to see the picture, Zeke studied it a bit. Skyler sat there, gazing at his father. He looked as if he wanted to cry. That all the emotions he had that fateful day was clawing their way to the surface. Sighing sadly, Zeke put away the picture then looked at Skye.

" So.. I guess today's your first day, huh? " He asked.

" I suppose so. " Skye replied.

" Well, I hope you have a great day. " Zeke said

" I'll try..." Skye mumbled, looking down at the table.

" Skye..."

Skyler looked up at dad. " Yeah?.."

" ...She would be proud to see how much you've grown..."

Narrowing his eyes, Skye nodded before standing up.

" I know."

Zeke stood up and placed his hands on Skyler's shoulders.

" Please... try to make some new friends today. If not for me, but for your mom. She would want that for you. To make new friends, wherever you are."

Smiling a bit, Skyler hugged hi,. " Okay. I will, dad."

" Thank you, Skye. Now, get on outta here before your late for school. By the way, here's your schedule for your classes."

Zeke reached on the table and handed Skyler a piece of paper for him. Folding it up and putting it into his pocket, Skyler walked outside and locked the door behind him, then began his slow walk to school.