2Chapter One
"God, you're so lucky! I can't believe your parents are allowing you to live on your own!"
I sigh and run a hand through my messy brown hair as I glance over at the boy next to me. With short neat black hair and a pair of glasses perched over his gray eyes, Dick doesn't look like the type of person someone would expect to talk so animately about well... just about anything.
"Well, it's not like they had much of a choice. After all, I am eighteen, now." even if my birthday was just a week ago. "And besides, I'm not actually living on my own."
"Yeah, but you get your own room. And having a couple roommates is still a step up."
"Five is hardly a couple."
"But most of them are girls. That can't be anything but good."
I turn to shoot my best friend a half hearted glare. He knows that one of the last things I want is any kind of drama. After nearly half a decade of fighting and commiting adultry, my parents are still no where near the inevitable divorce that this relationship will end in and I'm more than ready to get back to the quiet life I deserve. The last thing I need is to find myself in some sort of horrible harem type situation.
"How do you know most of them are girls?" I can't help but ask, replacing the glare with a perplexed look. "I haven't even met any of them yet. My first night isn't until tonight."
Dick shrugs, flashing me a wide grin. "Trying to remain optimistic. Two girls for you, three for me."
"I highly doubt they're all girls." honestly, why this guy is my best friend is beyond me.
"Don't ruin a guy's fun, Kai."
We've reached the front doors by that point, causing me to hastily pull up the hood of my sweater. It's the middle of December, which means that in our ever horrifying Minnesota weather it's almost five below zero. Still, being the stupid, never thinking ahead kind of guy I am, I sent away my winter coat to my new house last night, not once giving it to thought that I might have needed it for school today.
Luckily, Dick managed to get a parking spot that's close to the front doors, and offered to give me a ride to my car which is about as far away as it can be.
My large black truck stands out from the rest of the small cars that most of our classmates own. It's old, having belonged to my father before me, but it works well enough, which is good for me.
The generally small town of Wabasha, Minnesota which is where I have the general luck to call my home, isn't exactly known for it's wide aray of things to do. According to Grumpy Old Men, a movie that had come out back in the nineties that my elder sister loves, our entertainment options consist almost entirely of fishing, a Chuck E Cheese, maybe two bars, and a poor Italian resteraunt. Of course, in real life, there's more to do but not very much.
My knuckles turn white as they stretch around the large steering wheel. I'm generally a pretty confident person, but in this case I can't help but feel a bit nervous. For someone who wishes for nothing more than an uneventful life, I'm just unlucky enough to be a magnet for the eccentric.
The house comes into view after about fifteen minutes. It's rather large, more like a mansion made to house quite possibly a dozen people or so. Not quite what I had in mind when I decided to get my own apartment, but meals were provided so it's not like I'm going to complain.
At least, I didn't think I would. However, as I carefully manovered my giant clonker of a vehicle down the obnoxiously long driveway, surrounded by two rows of snowmen on both sides, each one positioned to look as if they were saluting me (and a good number of them carved as if to appear ehem... well endowed), I can't help but grow nervous.
The driveway leads to what looks to be about half a dozen garage doors. Mine is the forth one, if my mom is correct. I quickly pull right in front of it before hopping out and making my way to the front door, lifting my hand up to knock.
Nobody comes for the longest time. I purse my lips, counting the seconds down as I wait. Once I've gotten to three hundred, I reach my now trembling and tinged blue hand a second time to knock again, this time a bit louder. Still, nobody comes, which serves to irritate me to no end. I know it's rather early in the day, but I had been promised someone would be here to see me in. This really isn't looking good. What with this and the snowmen, I have a good feeling what type of people I'll be living with.
Somehow I have no doubt my parents planned it this way. They weren't too keen on me moving out, and the amount of excitement they'd had for this place should've been suspicious, but I'd been too eager to get away to notice. They were most definitely planning on me running back to them.
The sad thing is, it probably will work.
Finally, after the forth knock, the door squeaked open. I whip my head up, about a million remarks running through my head-
-only for all of them to go fleeing at the sight of who is standing on the other side.
It's a girl, who looks to be about fifteen or sixteen-however, if she's legally able to live on her own, she must be eighteen or so as well, probably even in my grade-with blonde hair that just barely passes her shoulders and a thick set of bangs covering her eyebrows, creating a light shadow over her sky blue eyes. She's wearing a neon orange shirt that falls just below her waist with sleeves stop at her elbows and a baggy hood.
I'm not one for love at first sight but if I were, I imagine this might be what it would feel like.
"Hi," I manage to breathe. "I'm Kai. I'm the new resident."
The slight frown on the girl's face lifts just the tiniest of centimeters as if she's trying to smile but can't quite work it up. "Reese." she replies bluntly, somehow I get the feeling that she isn't much of a social butterfly. "Come in."
I silently follow her, kicking my snow covered boots off at the front enterence and leave them on the dirty towel where another pair sits. Reese marches through an opening just to the left that leads to a large sitting area.
"I do apologize," her tone is slightly forced, as if she's struggling to keep up light conversation. Definitely not social. "But I honestly can't say I know where your room is. The boys were the ones who moved your stuff in for the most part."
"Ah, that's okay." I can't help but smile as I watch her figit nervously from where she's plopped on the couch. She clearly doesn't know how to give a proper tour-at least to a complete stranger-which I find totally adorable.
"The others should be home soon," she murmurs, nodding to a seat opposite her. "They should know."
"Awesome." I take a seat opposite her, biting my cheek against a chuckle.
Oh yes, this is going to be horrible.
I do apologize if Kai seems rather... off. New characters are always tough for me, especially guys, so please remain patient as I try to work this out!
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