Where Loyalties Lie (boyxboy)

Chapter One

Sixteen Years Later

"Aldrian, we're moving." Never have words affected a teenager more.

"What? Why?" the teen asked completely crestfallen by the announcement. It was midway through senior year and they were moving? This was like every cheesy teen book ever. The kid moves and has to overcome obstacles while making friends (and enemies) at a new school. Why couldn't they wait until after he graduated? Then they could do whatever they wanted.

And it's not like he could just stay here... Sure he was eighteen, but he could far from support himself. As much as he hated to admit it, he was still very dependent on his parents.

"Well, sweetie, I got a new job," Janice began.

"You didn't have a job," her son countered.

Janice rolled her eyes. "Okay, I got a job. Better?"

Not really, Aldrian wanted to shout. He didn't want to move. Didn't want to leave his friends and be the new kid. "And since we only have one car and I need it to get to my job in the city, we're moving closer to your mom's work."

"I'm gonna walk to work everyday," his mother said excitedly swinging her arms back and forth in a way that was probably supposed to mimic a brisk walk.

Aldrian sighed realizing he had absolutely no say in this decision at all. It was obviously a done deal. Dejected he asked, "Where are we moving?"

"Oh, just to the more rural side of town," Janice chirped.

"Wait... we're not leaving this town? I'll still be at the same school? With my friends?"

"Of course you will kiddo," Frank assured. "We wouldn't make you go to a new school halfway through your senior year."

Okay, maybe this wouldn't be too bad. "When do we move in?" Aldrian asked assuming he had at least a week or two, maybe a couple months (how long did it take to move?) before he'd be in his new house.

"Wednesday!" his parents answered simultaneously. Well... you know what they say about assumptions.

Wednesday?" he repeated making sure he heard them right. When they nodded he cried, "That's in two days!"

Two Days and a Couple of Hours Later

Aldrian was exhausted. He had spent the last couple of days moving into their new house in addition to going to school. Today, Wednesday, his parents had cut him a break and let him stay home. And then made him unload boxes and move furniture all day... Now he was sitting on the back porch, utterly exhausted, staring off into the woods. He had to admit, there was something terribly enchanting about them and Aldrian knew he'd be exploring them before the day was over.

When he had first seen where they were living he had been skeptical on how this location could be closer to anything let alone his mom's new job, but then she pointed out her job as they passed. (Some daycare place) and their house was maybe a quarter of a mile away.

The house was quaint. It was a cape cod and pretty much the perfect size for two. Aldrian wondered if his parents were trying to tell him something. But he had been given the upstairs loft as his domain and, although some of the ceiling angles were uncomfortably sloped, it was a pretty decent space.

He got up from his seat and walked in the back door. "Mom," he called.

"Yes sweetie?" Janice called from somewhere in the house.

"I'm going to check out the woods."

"Alright, just be careful and make sure you're home for supper."