The next three days seemed to fly by and I found myself watching my band family board their plane as we ran to catch ours. In Illinois, there was a chauffeur driver waiting for us. It became part of our lives that we would never really drive unless we moved out. We had our licenses but we were driven around almost everywhere. At the house we pulled up to was 4 acres of land. The three story house sat on a half acre of land. Mom was waiting at the door for us.

When she came out, she ran to us and embraced is tightly. "How'd you do?"

"Out of all the couple hundred bands, we took 15th," I smiled.

"Wow."

"Yeah, the house is amazing," I gasped studying the house.

"You and Dylan get the whole third floor. There's an indoor pool and a huge workout room. Out back is a skate area for you Dylan."

"Well I know I'll have no problem practicing my saber here..."

"About that... I checked with the school we got you in and the marching band has no color guard," the smile on her face disappeared.

"That won't matter, I have my own equipment," I smiled. "I will keep doing what I love."

"Okay, let me show you around."

We were given a full tour and I counted 15 servants working in the kitchen. On the third floor, I walked into my room and saw a king bed and a couple couches. Across the room was a set of double doors that led to a balcony. I walked in my closet and all my clothes were all ready hanging up and against the back wall of the walk in closet, were my 5 flags, 5 rifles and 7 sabers on the rack. Even though I hated rifle, I was good at them and kept a stash of them. I wandered downstairs as it was dinner time and as Jack came through the garage door.

"Leo, your back! How'd you do?" he smiled, shaking off his suit jacket.

"We took 15th," I smiled. "The place is great Jack."

"So you like it? This place has been in my family for generations."

"It's a great place but I'm not sure how well I'll fit in," I sighed.

"You were always an easy person to fit in," he smiled. "Is it dinner time?"

"Yes, sir," a maid came in. "Everything is set in the dining room."

"Thank you, Millie," Jack smiled then gestured me down a hall.

Dinner was quiet but not silent. Dylan kept up some small talk about the house and school with Jack. I pretended to not be interested but I listened in.

After dinner I ran upstairs, grabbed one of each of my guard equipment and hurried back down to the backyard where Dylan was trying out the skating area. I remembered every routine for every one of the equipment from the past two years and I practiced so that I wouldn't rust up. When Dylan decided he was done, he helped me carry the equipment back to my room.

"Leo?" mom knocked on the door and came in. "Jack wants to take you and Dylan over to the school in the morning personally and get you into your classes."

"Okay, what time should we wake up?" I looked at her.

"Jack wants to leave by 7:00. School starts at 8:00 and it takes 15 minutes to get there and he needs to get to work before 8:30."

"Okay, we'll be up," Dylan smiled and she closed the door. "It's crazy that we're already going to be going to school tomorrow."

"Well it is Sunday," I laughed. "Did you think that they'd let us stay home a few days when they've had everything already unpacked? Plus, Jack tends to spoil us because he wants us to like him."

"That's true," Dylan laughed. "Night Leo."

"Night Dyl," I smiled.

He left and I walked into my bathroom and hopped in the shower. I got into a tank top and shorts and blow dried my hair then crawled into bed, setting the alarm to 5:30am.

In the morning, I straightened my wavy hair and got dressed. I put on a pair black jeans and a dark blue Color guard graphic design t-shirt. I slid on a pair of flats and a black light jacket. I looked through my backpack and dumped out the old paper work. I grabbed my iPod that was charging, my wallet and my saber and walked out of my room around 6:40am. Jack was coming out of his room on the 2nd level and Dylan was a few seconds behind me.

"You are early risers," Jack commented.

"Mom said that you wanted to get us registered before you get to work," I smiled.

"Well, since we're all up early, let's go out to get breakfast," Jack smiled walking towards the garage.

Dylan suggested Denny's but I politely refused saying I had a craving for a sausage and egg biscuit from McDonalds. Dylan gave me a sour look and I stuck my tongue out at him. Jack took us to McDonalds and promised we'd go to Denny's another day. At the school, people stared at us as we followed our step-father, who was in military formal uniform, to the main office as the bell rang for first hour.

"Ah, Sergeant Wilkinson, are these the two you called about?"

"Yes, these are my children, Dylan and Leodora Taylor," Jack smiled.

"Miss Taylor, we don't allow weapons in school," the lady smiled tightly.

"It's not a weapon," I growled.

"Mrs. Bingle, she was an exceptional dancer with equipment like that saber. She was the color guard captain for the marching band in Alaska and to make her part from that is something I suggest you don't ever do," Jack warned coldly.

"Color guard?" she blinked.

"Dancers that dance with the marching band," I explained. "They dance with sabers like this, rifles, and flags. You wouldn't know since you don't even have a color guard."

"Leo, be nice," Dylan growled quietly to me. "This is our first day."

"I was just explaining it to her," I whispered back.

"Very well, Leodora..."

"I go by Leo," I interrupted.

"Very well, Leo, I will permit you to carry your saber, but use it against a student and we will have issues."

"Please, why would I do that?" I smiled, spinning the saber in my left hand.

"Mrs. Bingle, I must be getting on my way soon, is there any paper work I need to look over and fill out?"

"Yes, but I could have your kids bring back tomorrow," she smiled.

"Thank you. Leo, Dylan, be good, Xavier will pick you up at three," Jack smiled the left.

"Okay, we have schedules already from looking at your classes you took back at Alaska and adjusted it so you don't have any classes that you're taking over. Leo could you stop spinning that, it is a little distracting." I stopped the blade and held the hilt. "Thank you," she sighed. "Now even though you're in different grades, you have a few classes together like PE and math."

"Thanks," Dylan smiled as she handed us our schedules.

"If you follow me, I'll lead you to your first hour. Leo, if anyone gives you trouble about that blade, tell them I gave you permission."

"Okay," I spoke as we walked down the hall and I started to spin the blade again.

"Get to class!" Mrs. Bingle snapped at a few students and the scampered off. "Second trimester has just begun, so don't worry about being behind. Not like you would will all the Advanced Placement classes you have had."