"Do I have to go?" Lovino whined during breakfast. "Gramps, you can just homeschool me. Don't you have the degree to do it?"
"What's homeschool?" Feliciano asked, finishing up his milk.
"It's school but at home."
"That sounds cool. I want to be homeschooled too!"
The brothers' grandfather sighed. "I'm sorry, but I can't home school you two. I have to work so I don't have time. Besides," he smiled, "don't you guys want to make friends? After all, being all by yourself is no fun."
Feliciano had friends, but he felt that sometimes they didn't pay attention to him or simply didn't want him around. His brother, on the other hand, didn't have any.
"What about your friends, Feli?" His grandfather asked.
"Huh?" He said before quickly answering. "Oh! Um...I have Ludwig and Kiku!"
Ludwig and Kiku had been Feliciano's friends for a year now. They both had an older brother. Ludwig's brother, Gilbert, was a grade above Lovino while Kiku's brother, Yao, was in high school.
"Why don't you invite them over?"
"Can..I?"
"Of course! And Lovi, you can invite yours!"
Lovino didn't answer. "It's time to go. Come on Feliciano, you're going to be late."
Feliciano gasped, looking over at the clock. "We need to go! Big brother, let's go!" The young Italian grabbed his bookbag and began dragging his brother by the arm.
"Wait, you idiot. I'm not done with my breakfast! "
"Come on brother!"
"Ah! Feliciano!"
"Ludwig! " Feliciano softly shouted, wrapping his arm around the taller youth. "Guess what?! Guess what!"
The blond 11 year old sighed. "What is it Feliciano."
"My grandpa said you and Kiku can come over to my house today! Isn't that great?!"
Right next to the two was Kiku. "Are you sure we can come over? I heard from my mother that your family is going through some hard times."
Feliciano nodded. "Of course! Grandpa said it was alright and I think my brother is bringing his friends too. We will have so much fun so please?"
Ludwig and Kiku sighed, but then again it been a while since they last saw their Italian friend smile.
"Alright Feliciano, I'll come over to your house. But we need to go to the middle school so I can tell my brother."
"I'll come over as well, Feliciano-kun. But I need to go to the high school and tell my older brother as well."
Feliciano couldn't help but grin. Oh! He couldn't wait!
The day had gone by fast by the time the bell rang and all the children walked out of the classroom. "Are you ready to go?" He asked.
His friends nodded as they made their way to the high school. Luckily, the three schools were not so far from each other as Kiku walked over to the cooking club and told his brother.
Next, the group headed over to the middle school where they saw Lovino and Gilbert along with another person that Feliciano didn't recognize. The man had a sunkissed tan, much like his grandfather, along with brown hair. His eyes were emerald, just like his older brother's. Was this his brother's friend? How come Lovino never mentioned him?
Gilbert noticed the younger trio and waved. "Hey, Ludwig!" He grinned.
Ludwig rolled his eyes. "Bruder is it alright if I went over to Feliciano's house?" He asked.
"Of course," Gilbert grinned. "I already called Dad and told him both of us are going."
"You're going too?" Feliciano asked in wonder.
His older brother snorted. "More like forced himself in. Francis and Antonio are coming as well."
Feliciano had met Francis once. He followed his brother home. Just like Gilbert, Francis was in his last year of middle school. In fact, they were in the same class. He didn't know much about Francis, but he knew that he cooked amazing food. He also knew that Francis had a little brother just a year younger than Feliciano. He couldn't remember the boy's name, but Feliciano strangely knew about Francis's dislike of someone younger than him named Arthur. Why? He didn't know when he asked Lovino, but he only replied with 'family problems'.
"Oh you must be Lovi's little brother. He talks a lot about you." The new person said. "My name is Antonio. I'm in the same year as Gilbert and Francis. I hope we can be friends."
Feliciano shyly nodded. "Nice to meet you too, big brother Antonio. "