Catch Me, I'm Falling

August: Part I

Today was the day.

A fresh start. A new beginning!

Another hectic morning in the Woods-Pine household.

Aden had moved in with his Aunt Indra and Uncle Gustus at the end of the last school year, as his own parents were needed abroad for business, and didn't want to drag their children with them, away to a new environment with a language neither of them spoke.

Aden, of course, had been ecstatic at the prospect of moving in with his aunt and uncle, who were among his favorite people in the whole world, as well as Anya, who was, by his standards, the coolest cousin ever. His older sister, Lexa, however, had been much more reluctant for the change of pace. In her eyes, switching high schools meant that she would have to completely re-establish herself in the social hierarchy, and have to find chemistry with an entirely new football team. Aden knew that she was overreacting, because, from what Anya had said, everyone at Arkadia already adored his sister, and she would have no trouble whatsoever fitting in.

Either way, today marked a huge milestone for Aden.

His first day of high school.

Anya, of course, was completely befuddled as to why he was excited, citing that: "Aden, high school is four years of your own personal hell, why are you excited to go?" Aunt Indra had clipped her daughter on the head in passing reprimandingly, which only served to worsen the blonde's mood, but Aden continued on being as chirper as ever.

He'd had the day planned to a T.

But then Anya, being the bitter, exhausted teenage girl she was, had snuck into his room and changed the time on his alarm clock, resulting in the family waking up with only thirty minutes before school began.

It was a warzone.

Both Woods siblings wanted to make good first impressions, for different reasons, but good impressions all the same, and thirty minutes didn't allow enough time for the proper preparation.

Aden had barely escaped the clutches of death, leaping over the small brawl that was Lexa and Anya wrestling for the hairbrush—both of them conveniently forgetting that there were several others in the bathroom—silently thanking whatever higher forces of nature existed that his hair was easily tamed and naturally well-kept.

Within ten minutes, he had shimmied his way into black skinny jeans, which were about the only pants that fit his lithe frame, a white t-shirt, tying a flannel around his waist as he fixed his black beanie on just the way he liked it.

In his haste to make it out the door, he forgot a sneaker, which Anya threw at the back of his head, causing him to tumble forward and knock into Lexa, who was hopping on one foot, trying to lace up her combat boot while balancing. He scowled, rubbing the back of his head while Anya laughed heartily, doubled over at the garage door, snapping a picture of the two siblings sprawled out on the floor.

"You look ridiculous," she wheezed, clutching at her stomach, "oh, I'm going to cry—ow! Mom!"

"Stop harassing your cousins," Indra's voice was as low and commanding as ever, and Aden smiled cheerfully as she hoisted him up off of Lexa, who looked positively murderous, handing him his bookbag, which he'd left on the stairs.

"Thanks, Aunt Indra," he quipped, smiling radiantly back at the usually stoic woman when she graced him with a small smile of her own, "I'll make sure they don't kill one another during school."

"I trust you to do so," Indra responded gravely, clasping a hand on Lexa's shoulder as she pushed the two in the direction of Lexa's car, an expensive looking Audi A7 that Anya called "gaudy" and "too expensive for a senior in high school". Lexa knew her parents were particularly wealthy. She also knew it was a consolation prize, given to her as a meek apology for missing a year of her life, to be abroad on business. She still yearned to be like her parents. So formal, so exotic and important. The car seemed to be doing its duty of filling their roles in her life. And it looked damn good.