Chapter One
Life is never supposed to be easy, and to learn that at the tender age of fifteen really was an eye opener for a certain messy haired brunet. When his parents got a divorce, and his father walked out on the entire family, it was something he never thought he would recover from.
His twin sister, Rosa, also suffered from the onslaught, only her outrageous and loud nature made it easier for her to deal with. Nate however, was the opposite. He suffered in silence, went to school on a daily basis and decided to keep himself away from any family gatherings. Everything was shattered, too broken to be fixed, so why would he desire anymore heartbreak and anguish?
His young fragile mind believed that his mother was bound to suffer forever. The loss of her husband was a tidal wave of chaos that erupted through her life, and sent it spiralling into oblivion, but a few years later she managed to find love once more.
She met a man whilst working her job at the Pokemon Centre named Vaughn, and soon enough she was head over heels for the man. Nate and Rosa were distant at first, not desiring to get too attached to someone who might just be a fleeting moment in their lives, but after a few years they realised that this man was determined to stay.
Vaughn infiltrated their family home, and filled it with not only love and happiness, but an abyss of secrets and lies, things that he was ashamed to admit outright. His love for their mother was strong, and seeing her smile so sweetly after all those years of hurt filled the two teenagers with renewed hope. That perhaps their lives might actually be filled with joy and happiness once more. However, they soon figured that life is never supposed to be easy.
XXX
"Oh my gosh, Nate, have you heard the news?!" A high pitched voice attacked the young brunet's ears, as he winced and glanced up from his hunched position at his desk. Hazel eyes burned into the image of his younger sister, Rosa, who was positively glowing with energy. He had a feeling something was up.
"What news?" He asked, the tone of his voice giving away his apparent lack of enthusiasm for such a topic. A pair of azure eyes rolled playfully, before she bounded over to him, and sat down on the edge of the bed.
"Apparently there's going to be new people joining the Pokemon Trainer's School tomorrow! How exciting~!" Rosa always loved newbies. She got a thrill out of teaching the youngsters the basics of Pokemon training, and battling, even though she was just a beginner herself. Nate couldn't help but smile at the mental image of his baby sister trying to act all grown up.
"I'm sure you'll give them a warm welcome, no?"
"Well, duh~!" She chimed, grinning brightly. "It's my duty! Besides, I've heard they're not in our year, but older! How cool is that? We might make some new friends!" In Nate's mind he wasn't really concerned about being a social butterfly. He had one best friend who had been there for him since he was very young, and that was all he required. Yeah, he had various other acquaintances, but nothing compared to Rosa; who had a tendency to befriend every single person she met.
"I'm sure you will totally be in your element." He responded, a hint of sarcasm lacing his voice, but a charming smile accompanied the remark with little effort. "Oh, by the way...you done tomorrow's homework?" Her face altered from cheery, to deadpan within a matter of seconds.
"Wait...we had homework?!"
"See, this is why I pay attention in class...yeah it was to do some research about shiny encounter probability." She mentally winced. Yes, she remembered, but all this news had completed caught her off guard, and she had forgotten all about it. It was late evening now, so it was probably too late to even begin the research.
"Oh, shoot!"
"Eh, no sweat, you can copy my homework in the morning." She practically squealed in joy, as the brunette leapt to her feet and wrapped her arms tightly around her brothers neck.
"You're the best Nate!"
"Yeah, yeah...just don't copy word for word like last time." Rosa rolled her eyes, and pulled away from the embrace, grinning like a Meowth that got the cream. There were added benefits of having a brother who actually paid attention in class, and usually got top grades. She had the opportunity to copy his handiwork.
"Oh Nate, I'm not THAT stupid, sheesh!" The brunet couldn't help but smile. Even if his sister was sometimes an airhead, and a loud mouth, she was his rock and was there for him through everything. In fact, she was the one he always spoke to about any problems he faced. Always there to lend a supportive ear, and to keep a secret from suspecting parents. It was the perfect combination.
"Nate! Rosa! Can you come here for a moment please?" Their mother called up the stairs, and in unison the two teenagers shared glances with each other. It was rare to be called down in such a formal manner, unless they had guests over. They were not expecting anyone, especially this late in the evening.
"I wonder what she wants?" Rosa practically whispered, as the messy hair brunet got up from his desk chair, smoothing down his jeans just in case there was visitors.
"I have no idea...but let's go and check it out." And with that said, both of them left the room, and made their way downstairs.
For an odd reason, both of them felt slightly nervous. Perhaps it was because they didn't know why there were such formalities. Usually their mother was quite casual and down to Earth. Something was amiss, and taking the agonising steps down the stairs together was actually harder than they thought. They were treading into unknown territory, and they didn't like it.
"Ah, there you are!" Their mother, Lily chimed, greeting them both as they reached the foot of the stairs. "Oh Nate, why do you never brush your hair!" He cringed and flinched away as his fussing mother attempted to comb down the unruly bangs with her fingers.
"Mom! Cut it out!"
"Yeah, stop it Mom. He's not a kid!" She paused, and just stared at him, apparent sorrow in her eyes, before she shrugged it off and smiled softly.
"You know you'll always be my babies...even when you're old and grey like me." Rosa pulled a face, which didn't go unnoticed.
"Eww, Mom...stop that, it's embarrassing." Lily grinned, and watched as the two teenagers wandered into the living room, their nervous disposition clearly visible. They knew something was up, and what concerned them even more was the fact that their mother had not yet told them the reasons to why they were summoned. Was it serious? Had someone died? Nate mentally flinched. His brain really needed to learn when to switch off sometimes.
"Would you two like to sit down?" Another exchanged worried glance. Okay, something was definitely up. Rosa sat down quietly on the sofa, and watched as her brother took the seat beside her, wiping his palms on his jeans. He was anxious, it was so obvious.
"Mom...what is this all about?" She piped up, her eyebrow raising in suspicion. Lily sighed softly, before sitting in the arm chair opposite of their position, her brow furrowing in concentration. Perhaps she was attempting to word the situation properly so the point of view would clearly come across?
"Me and your Step Dad have some news..."
"Oh PLEASE tell me you're not pregnant!" Rosa yelled suddenly, and Nate almost fell off the sofa in shock at her sudden outburst. A laugh erupted into the atmosphere, calming it somewhat.
"Oh sweetie, of course I'm not!"
"So, what's the big secret? We know you're hiding something." Nate interjected calmly, hazel eyes staring intently at the slim figure of his mother, who still seemed a little on edge. Just what was going on?
"Do you remember a few years ago when I mentioned that your Step Dad had other children with his ex wife?" Both teenagers nodded in unison, somewhat dreading what was about to be unleashed into their world. Lily glanced away momentarily, and this sudden change in demeanour immediately got Nate's guard up.
"...he hasn't cheated on you, has he?"
"You're getting separated?!" Rosa added in, her loud voice taking complete control of the conversation once more.
"Oh, stop it you two! You're blowing things out of proportion! It's nothing like that!" They were running low on ideas, and frankly the idea terrified them. If this meant a drastic change to their lives as they knew it, that was something they did not sign up for. Yes, they wanted their mother to be happy, but that was where they drew the line.
"...so, what then?"
"Well, you see... the thing is-" The conversation was hastily cut short by the sound of the front door opening, and closing, and then the sound of feet approaching their destination. Both teenagers looked up, perceiving the tall figure of their Step Father, Vaughn.
"Ah, I see you're both here." Their bodies tensed upon reflex. Something was definitely up, and both Rosa and Nate were unsure if they wanted to hear the reason. He flashed a supportive smile across at Lily, who bowed her head, almost unwilling to tell them the reasons to why they were summoned.
"Please, don't look so worried..." He uttered calmly, standing beside their mother, and reaching out to gently clasp her hand in between his own. "It is nothing bad, we can assure you."
"Really? Because from where I'm sitting, you both look guilty as sin." Rosa piped up in her usual brash manner, crossing one leg over the other and narrowing her eyes in concentration. Something wasn't right, and either they were twisting the truth slightly, or bare face lying, both Nate and Rosa were unsure at this moment, but their gut instinct never proved wrong.
"Rosa, do not speak to Vaughn like that..." Lily scolded her daughter, but was quietened down by her husbands calm actions.
"It's okay...she makes a valid point. We do look guilty."
"Can we just cut to the chase now? I'm getting bored of this..." The messy haired brunet whined, sighing under his breath. The last thing he needed was more unnecessary stress.
Lily and Vaughn shared a sweet smile, before they both glanced at the two teenagers. It did little to calm their nerves.
"Things are going to change a little around here." Vaughn answered finally, his gaze drifting to the door, just in time as it swung open. All eyes followed his gaze, and everyone paused in their actions. Two figures stood at the doorway, silent and stoic. One, a girl, a few years older than Rosa. She too was a brunette, with her hair pulled into a ponytail, with piercing eyes. She didn't appear too friendly upon appearance.
The two other was a male, tall and tanned, with wild unkempt brown hair that fanned around his face. Mesmerising sienna eyes shimmered under dark eyelashes, as he surveyed the area curiously. His face was stern, no emotion scratching the surface, and yet when Nate laid eyes on him, he was certain he felt his stomach churn violently.
"Nate, Rosa...I'd like you to meet my children, Touko and Touya." Both sets of teenagers shared glances, neither of them saying a word. Even Rosa kept quiet given the circumstances. Usually she was the first to initiate a conversation. The girl called Touko walked over to where Nate and Rosa sat, pausing inches away from them.
"It's nice to meet you." She uttered plainly, before outstretching her hand for a handshake. Nate was the first to react, grasping the girls hand nervously and smiling shyly. Rosa just glared, more so out of habit than actual spite.
"So, I'm guessing they aren't here for a flying visit?" She blurted out to her parents, feeling jealous about the entire situation.
"She's a bright one." Vaughn mused, smiling softly. "I'm afraid you are correct. Touko and Touya's mother is seriously ill and has been taken into hospital. So, until she gets better we decided that it would be beneficial for them to stay with us." By now Rosa had shaken Touko's hand, and the girl had sat down beside the two teenagers.
Touya however didn't budge. He remained by the door, his eyes burning furiously into Nate's. The younger male felt nervous, his skin burning under his gaze. Rosa noticed the tension between the two boys.
"Err...rude! Aren't you going to say hello, or something?" Touya remained silent, his eyes continuing to burn deeper into Nate's soul, until Rosa's hand clasped supportively around his hand, pulling him back.
"Don't worry about Touya," Touko explained, glancing at her brother. "He comes across as quite aggressive sometimes, but deep down, he's a sweetheart." Only Nate wasn't filled with the confidence. The way Touya just stared at him, his eyes smouldering with both hatred and something that he couldn't decipher. He knew in his heart that something was amiss, and yet even though he had literally just met this mysterious boy, he couldn't stop his naïve heart from thundering powerfully against his ribcage.
