CHAPTER TWO

The Arrival

The boys stared at the big loft that was their new home. It was the size of a house, and four or five times bigger than their old home on the beach. IT was big true, but inside it was cold and looked as if no body lived there. True there was furniture and old magazines, but it was so bland. There was no life to the apartment, no photos, no color, just white.

In their bed room there were two twin beds, two dressers, two computers, one TV, one window one closet one bathroom and a minnie fridge. Shade shuttered. He started taking out old crafts that they had made over the years with their mother and brought to New York with them. He hung up hand made wind chimes made of old and useless junk, small painted mirrors to ketch the light, and dream catchers as well. He began to hang up posters of their favorite bands and actors, and blown up photos that they had taken of the ocean and the surfers riding the waves. He put out hand made blankets their mother had made them in bright tie-dye colors.

"I don't think Gabe would like you spray painting his walls." Shade informed his brother who was in the process of painting very large eyes on an empty wall, in the eyes was the ocean and their old house, and a face that seamed to be their mothers.

"Screw him." Acon muttered. He pulled out a thin tip paint brush to get the face features right. Shade put a hand on his brothers shoulder.

"Hey, I'm going to miss her to. And he's not that bad of a guy."

Acon shrugged his hand off of his shoulder and continued to paint the wall. Shade sighed and left the room going to the fridge. He got out a tub of double chocolate fug brownie ice cream and two spoons then went back into the room. He took a big scoop of it and waved it in front of his brother. Acon whimpered.

"That's not fair."

Shade smirked. "You get it when you tell me why your having a supreme melt down."

Acon glared at him. Shade took a bite and made an "Mmmm," sound to torture him. If there was one thing Acon couldn't resist it was chocolate. Acon groaned and sat on the bed, Shade sat next to him.

"I'm scared." Acon mumbled.

"Why?"

"I don't know this place or these people. Or Gabe. I don't know how to act or respond to any thing. It's so weird here. It's so crowded and there no ocean for miles. People are living on top of each other-literately."

Shade reworded him with a spoon. "I know it's different here. But Culver City is pretty unique. Not many city's are like that and we were lucky to live there for as long as we did. But now we have to go out into the real world. Understand?"

Acon nodded and nibbled his ice cream delicately. "I still don't like it."

Shade smiled. "I know."

Acon let his head rest on Shades shoulder and continued to eat. "What's school here going to be like?"

Shade shrugged. "Nothing like Rollin High, I guarantee that. That was a school for the hippies of the city aka," he smirked, "Every one including us."

"We're hippies?"

"To these people I guess it seems like we are. Do you care if we are? Do you care what people think?"

"Course not!" He growled. "People are mindless ants scurrying to an ant whole." He grumbled.

"What's the ant whole?" Shade asked.

"Death."

"Are we ants?"

"No. We're ravens, always expanding our wings to fly. Nothing can hold us down."

"Then since we're twins we have to be the wings to the same bird."

"Of course." He agreed.

Shade smiled again and ate the cold ice cream from his spoon, only to have some of it fall down his chin and into his lap. Acon reached over and grabbed it, putting it in his mouth, then with out thinking leaned over and licked the mess from Shade. Shades eyes went wide with shock, Acon licked Shades lower lip gently.

"Big brother what are you doing?" Shade asked.

"Hugh?" He asked innocently. Shade sighed, Acon may have been the bigger of the two, but at times like these he wasn't the smartest.

"Never mind." He muttered.

XxXxX

They stared at the people swirling around them trying to get to their classes. Shade held Acon's hand tightly, afraid they would get lost.

"Come on I think it might be over here." Acon said checking their schedule again. They walked across the campus and finally found their homeroom.

"This place is so big." Shade mumbled under his breath. Acon squeezed his hand gently and then let it drop as they walked in. People stared at their baggy, pants and tight brightly colored shirts with button up shirts over them and left open. They stared at their shell necklaces and bracelets and their long hair.

"Like totally dude." Some one mocked from the back. The twins ignored them and went to the teacher and set down their schedules.

""Hello, I'm Mr. Ryan." The older man said with a smile. He was in his forties and looked easy going. "It's nice to have you," He glanced at the paper, "Nightshade and Aconite. Interesting names." He grinned.

"My names Acon and this is shade." Acon muttered.

"Very well." Mr. Ryan said, his eyes resting on Shade, making the boy blush. "We have two seats open in the back." He informed them.

The boys nodded and went to the indicated seats. People stared at them as they went past, and the bell rang.

"Acon, I don't like it here." Shade whispered.

"I know." Acon whispered back.

"Ok first things first, attendance, then the announcements. You know the drill, say here when I call your name."

Mr. Ryan went down the list of names and when he came to the twin's names, people snickered.

Shade glanced at his brother to make sure that his temper hadn't gotten ready to flare. Acon was bent over a paper, drawing, and seemingly not paying attention to anything. Shade leaned over and took his brothers sweat shirt and balled it up so that he could rest his head on it. Acon glanced at him and smiled gently, Shade smiled back. Acon went back to his paper and continued to work on it.

"I'll right, I have to run off some papers really quick." Mr. Ryan said after the announcements. "Can I trust you all to behave?'

There was a course of "yes's" and then he left. The class of twenty turned to stare at the twins. Shades eyes went wide at all the attention. He shrunk back from them slightly. Acon didn't seem to notice them.

"Acon." He whispered. Acon glanced over at him. "The ants are watching me."

Acon looked around the room and saw that it was true. He laughed quietly. "What do you all want?" He asked. "You guys do get transfer students don't you?"

"Yes." A girl said. "But you're wired."

"Why?"

"You look like a cross between a hippie and a surfer." A boy said. "Where did you come from?"

"Culver City." Shade said.

"Never heard of it."

"It's over between California and Oregon. It's on the ocean, and it's really small, so I wouldn't doubt you've never heard of it." Acon said. "Now stop staring at us like were aliens.

Shade was hiding his face halfway in the yellow hoodie, and peeking out over it. A girl with blond hair was staring at him with round eyes.

"Oh he's so cute!" She squealed, causing Shade to jump, and his knees hit the desk. He winced.

"Ouch." He muttered.

"Jesus woman, stop scaring them." A guy growled. "He's not a Barbie."

"But look, there so cute and tinny." She argued, making the class laugh.

Shade sunk back into his chair and began to eat some M&M's. Acon gave him puppy eyes, and he held out his hand. With a sigh, he poured a little into his hand and continued eating. Acon held out his hand again, and Shade glared at him.

"Mine."

"Your mean." He whined.

"You always eat my candy." Shade argued but gave him some more. Them he tossed the remaining candy into his mouth.

Acon grinned. He always won.

XxXxX

"Has every thing been ok?" Shade asked at lunch.

"Yeah. Everything's fine. You ok to?"

Shade shrugged. "I miss home."

Acon smiled at him softly. "I know." He put his arm around his shoulder and gave him a small squeeze. "It'll be fine."

Shade nodded. "I know."

They went through the day of class's being stared at and trying to ketch up to the rest of the student's studies. Then they went home and shade changed into his swim trunks.

"There's a swim park around here somewhere. Let's go."

Acon rolled his eyes and got undressed as Shade packed a tote bag.

"Isn't Gabe ever home?" Shade asked.

"Doesn't look like it, and I'm fine with that."

Shade gave him a disapproving look. "I wish you could be nicer."

"Shut up already. Your good deeds and loving attitude is making me sick."

Shades eyes watered and tears fell down his cheek, he turned his back on his brother, but not before Acon saw the tears.

"Oh god, Shade, I'm sorry." He rapped his arms around his brother in a hug. Shade tried to hide his smirk. Acon had no idea he was being played.

"I-I just wanted to m-make things better." He whimpered and stuttered threw his fake tears.

"I know, I'm sorry. It's just hard you know? I'm just an angry person right now. I didn't mean to hurt your feelings."

Shade turned around in his brother's arms and buried his face in Acon's neck and continued to fake cry.

"Shade please doesn't cry." Acon whimpered.

Shades ears perked at the new sound his brother was making. Acon was always the big brother, the stone in the relationship they had. Now he was whimpering. Shade nuzzled his neck gently, as if trying to figure out if the sound really came from his brother.

Some one cleared their throat and the boys jumped to find their father looking really embarrassed. A deep blush stained his cheeks. "Uh, I'm home."

The boys stared at the floor also embarrassed.

"Can I talk to you both a moment?" Gabe asked and showed them to the living room." I know your mother was a… free soul, and she allowed many things most wouldn't think of." He cleared his throat again. "But now that you are living here, I have to say that any unnecessary touching will not be tolerated."

Shade squeaked and his eyes went wide. Acon snorted and laughed.

"You think me and Shade are…?" Then he burst out laughing again. "Are you really that sick? Do you get off on twincest?"

"Acon!" Shade squeaked again, and his wide eyes stared at him.

"You walked in on me apologizing for being an ass to Shade, not us getting ready to-"

Shade clasped a hand over Acon's mouth. "Quiet!" He hissed. "Don't be so rude!"

Gabe's eyes were wide with fear and embarrassment.

"Please forgive him, he's upset." Shade said. "He doesn't mean it."

Acon pushed Shades hands away. "Like hell I didn't."

"Acon please don't make things difficult." Shade whimpered.

Acon stared at him a moment. "Grab your stuff, let's get to the pool." He growled and turned away.

Shade stared at the floor. "I'm sorry, for every thing he said. It's not what you think- a-about us."

Gabe smiled. "How did a sweet boy like you end up with such a monster of a brother?"

Shade shot a look at him. "He's not a monster. He's the nicest person I know. He takes care of me."

Gabe put a palm on his cheek. Shade shuttered. "Well now I can take care of you. It's my job now." He smiled. "At least one of my son's has a heart." His thumb stroked Shades cheek gently.

Suddenly Acon pulled Shade away, and into himself wrapping his arms around his waist. "Don't touch my brother." He said coldly. His eyes stared at Gabe with a severe angst. Even Shade trembled slightly at the gaze. Acon kissed his cheek and smirked. "Come on." Shade nodded and turned around, ready to put distance between himself and his father.

In the cab Shade and Acon leaned against each other.

"You ok?" Acon asked nudging him gently.

"Y-you were right." He whispered.

"What?"

"You didn't like him from the beginning. He doesn't like you. He called you a monster. He said I didn't need you now because he would take care of me now. He touched my face and called me sweet. He said you had no heart."

Acon took his hand and pressed it flat against his chest. "Feel that? It's my heart."

Shade nodded. He let his head fall to Acon's lap. "You're not a monster Acon." He mumbled. "You're the best brother in the world." He closed his eyes.

Acon smiled gently. "Thanks kid." He stroked his hair gently. "I love you."

Shade didn't hear him. He was already asleep.