"Strahl! Ein! Stop showing off! If you try these theatrics during a game the other team's going to score!"
It was a normal soccer practice. It all began when Ares had to show off her new move, and just barely messed it up, but then Janua had to show off his new move, inspired by a cool jutsu that the hero of Ninja Star had done in the most recent episode, and sent a ball flying off the field. The two then fell into their daily pattern of trying to one up each other with failing tricks instead of doing their dribbling exercises.
And now Coach Baum was yelling at them…again.
"Laps, both of you!"
Practice went on water break while Ares and Janua raced each other around the track, neither wanting to be showed up by the other. Coach Baum sat on the bench next to Samejima while the team loaded up on water and orange slices.
"Why are you here?" the coach asked, "You don't even play, but you're at almost every practice."
"I am here to support my friend," Samejima said nobly.
"Ah, that makes sense," Coach Baum nodded, "Alright then, carry on."
Today Janua had finished his 10 laps just slightly before Ares, and was jumping and cheering and waving to Samejima from the finishing line, while Ares clenched her fist and was as animated as ever.
Alba fell onto his bed after getting home from school. Boxes were spread throughout his house, and he had so much unpacking to do, but the day really drained a lot out of him. He needed a nap.
Next thing he new, his mom was knocking on his bedroom door. A groggy glance to his clock revealed it was 5:47, over two hours since he lied down.
"It's almost time for dinner," his mom said as Alba sat up, "Your father really wants to know about your first day."
J( ＾◡＾)っ
Alba wiped his eyes and blinked a few times to wake himself up. His mom continued, "Just come downstairs when you're awake," before she retreated back downstairs.
Moments later, Alba grabbed his laptop off his nightstand and logged in. He had just wanted to check his email before heading downstairs, but while he was at it, he opened facebook, despite the fact that nothing normally happened. He didn't have very many friends after all. When the page loaded, he was surprised to find a little red notification indicating that he had TWO friend requests. Clicking the button revealed that Crea Crossfield and Janua Ein had requested to be his friend. Crea's profile picture was of himself laughing with an arm around a slightly annoyed but still half smiling Ross, while Janua's was a color pencil drawing of himself as a Ninja. Alba quickly accepted both requests before rushing downstairs to have dinner with his family.
Crea sprawled out on the top bunk, which was his. He was reading assigned chapter of The Catcher in the Rye somewhat absentmindedly. Personally, he didn't really get it. He was only on chapter 3, but already getting somewhat exhausted by how cynical Holden was being. He was thankful when Ross came into the room and plopped on the bottom bunk as he munched on an apple. Finally there was a distraction.
Ross was thinking about how he could approach Alba the next day. At the moment it seemed that the new student had started disliking him. Ross thought about maybe being slightly more helpful in history the next day. As he contemplated the idea, Crea's head suddenly popped down from the bunk above him.
"Shiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiion."
"What do you want Crea?"
"I'm bored!"
"Are you done reading that book for English?"
"No, I'm not getting it!" Crea whined.
"Do you want me to hit you over the head with it?" Ross asked.
"No thanks!" Crea quickly replied, sitting back up on the top bunk. Crea stared down at the cover for a minute before asking, "Shion, did you like reading The Catcher in the Rye?"
"I just used Sparknotes," Ross replied.
Crea sighed. The room was fairly quiet, except for the sound of Ross biting and chewing an apple. Since Ross wasn't being cooperative as far as distractions went, Crea decided to give up on that and pull out his netbook. Maybe someone online would be helpful! He logged onto Facebook and noticed a little red notification.
"Alba accepted my friend request!" Crea exclaimed.
This got Ross interested, and in moments he had climbed up and plopped down next to Crea. "Let's go through his profile," he suggested as Crea clicked on Alba's page.
"Wow he only has 21 facebook friends, so disappointing," Ross remarked.
"Don't be mean! He might just be selective about friending people!"
"Then why would he friend you?"
"Because I'm awesome," Crea smiled.
"No you aren't," Ross said, letting a laugh seep into his voice.
Crea elected to ignore him. "Hey look, he has some photos."
Ross switched his target back from Alba, "He still sleeps with a stuffed animal!" The image of Alba was taken fairly recently; he looked to be about the same age. He was in the backseat of a car curled up, arms wrapped tightly around a teddy bear, sleeping. It was posted by Midnight Fruhling with the subtitle "I love my son 3 Look at him nap!"
"His teddy bear is so cute!" Crea said before flipping through more of Alba's pictures.
Once they got back a few months in Alba's tagged photos, they discovered photo after photo of Alba, but with pink dyed hair and black clothes with metal clasps, rings, and zippers.
"He used to be scene," Ross practically snorted.
"Is it scene? Or is it more emo?" Crea asked.
"I don't know, but look at him!"
"His clothes look cool though," Crea said, "I wonder what I would look like dressed like that?"
Ross rolled his eyes, "Don't."
Crea looked back to the screen, "Ooooh, look! Alba's online now! Maybe we can chat!"
At this moment, Ross decided to climb back down and plop back down on his bunk. He had his own homework to be doing, after all. As he went through his list of homework, he started to regret taking two science classes, especially back to back. Alba was in his biology class though, and that had promise to be exciting.
Meanwhile Crea had early messaged Alba:
hello! ( ´ ▽ ` )ﾉ
Alba:
Hi Crea.
Crea:
what's up?
Alba:
I just finished eating with my family. How about you?
Crea:
i'm hanging out in my room
Crea paused then called down to Ross, "Should I tell Alba you say hi?"
"No."
Crea:
shion doesn't say hi…
Alba:
…
Why…?
Why would you even bring it up then?!
Crea:
do you want me to tell him you say hi?
Alba:
Why would I want to say hi to him?!
Crea:
so…no?
Alba:
NO!
Crea:
no as in don't or no as in no not no?
Alba:
No as in don't!
"Alba doesn't say hi either," Crea called down to Ross.
"Tell him I don't care."
Crea:
he said he doesn't care
he's kinda mean
Alba:
I noticed!
…
Is he in the same room as you?
Crea:
yeah
…
we're foster brothers!
Alba:
…
Oh
Really?
Crea:
yeah
Alba:
Like orphans or something?
Crea:
i am
shion doesn't like to talk about it
Alba:
Ah, sorry!
Crea:
it's ok~
i don't even remember my parents and everything
and i've been friends with shion since i can remember!
i can't really say much more though
Alba:
I don't want to pry or anything!
Crea:
ok~
Alba stared at his computer. He wasn't quite sure the details of Crea and Ross's situation, but he was being truthful when he said he didn't want to pry.
Alba and Crea managed to shift to more lighthearted friendly conversation, talking about their English class, and how Mr. Fruhling barely even remembered Coach Baum existed. They discovered they were both in the same gym class the next day, which excited Alba until
Crea:
yeah! shion's in our class too!
And then Alba wasn't sure he wanted to go to gym class the next day.