A/N: Yep, you asked, I provided! I don't know how well this is going to go, but I've had this idea for a while now, so I suppose I should just go with it. It's set in the future, but I haven't done any future world shit, cos that's stupid. It's as though we're still in the present, even though it's 11 years ahead (2024). And if you didn't get the memo, the epilogue of WFR is only THREE years ahead, not ten (just so it works with this sequel). Lol to get this to work I made a timeline of the WFR story haha.
There's been a few changes in the Tomlinson household, and Sam and the boys are back for an all new adventure, this time with some...younger protagonists.
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
YEAR 2024...nine years after Sam last saw the boys.
The corridors flashed past me as I ran, heaving in breaths; if Louis agreed to turn me I wouldn't have this problem. I took one last look at my time table before skidding to a halt outside a blue door, SC2. I knocked lightly before grasping the handle and stepping into my new home room.
"Yes?" A pointy nosed woman looked over her spectacles suspiciously at me. She wore a frilly blouse and plain pencil skirt with stockings and black blocky heels. She was only just clinging to middle aged; her hair was greying and curled up in a bun, flyaway hairs sticking out in frizzy curls.
"Um, I'm new," I muttered and she looked down again, eyeing her roll call.
"Name?" She had a very high nasal voice, irritating like a buzzing insect.
"Adam Tomlinson," I puffed half heartedly, stuffing my timetable into my bookbag. The teacher looked at me like I was an idiot. Damn, Louis must have not changed my surname on the enrollment forms. "Adam Austin; my parents just separated so I didn't know whwich name they would have put on the enrollment forms," I explained to an uninterested teacher who was marking my name off now.
"You can sit over there, Mr Austin," She pointed a bony, manicured finger at a desk at the back of the classroom. As I made my way down the aisle I took a quick look at the students, a few of whom were glancing at me doubtfully as I passed. Most were texting or reading or doodling on their books in permanent marker.
I took my designated seat and snuck a quick peek at those around me. On my left, a nerd; the turtle-neck jumper, blocky glasses and science magazines said it all. On my right, the exact opposite; a blonde make-up covered slut filing her already perfect nails. Gosh, this school was so cliche.
The first few periods were fine, and I spent the morning break unpacking books into my locker, so now came the first challenge: lunch. I didin't want to get with the wrong crowd now, did I?
I sauntered into the cafeteria with a group of commoners, pausing in the doorway to assess the set-up: nerds mumbling in the far back corner, jocks and cheerleaders laughing by the windows, plastic bitches gossiping in the centre, but a different, less noticeable table caught my attention: I recognised a few people from my classes who looked nice enough.
They were a fairly quiet group, and one was strumming a guitar; they were probably the musos then, the Glee club, if you will. I approached the table and the gentle strumming immediately stopped. Five pairs of eyes were focused on me. "Hi...mind if I sit here? I'm new,"
"That's fine!" a pretty brunette smiled. She seemed a quirky figure: she wore a denim jacket and leather skirt with patterened stockings and white Doc Martens. "Hi, I'm Cher, you must be Adam. This is Brad, James, Tristan and Nina." Cher pointed at each of them in turn and they waved in response.
"Hi," I muttered happilly as I sat down opposite Brad.
"So Adam," Tristan intterupted, "What brings you to such a quiet place as this? Which town are you in?"
"Um...Ashville; I'm living with my older brother and he said we needed a 'change of scenery'," I air quoted sarcastically. It was Tristan playing the guitar when I first arrived, I realised. Maybe I could get along with these people; they seemed quiet enough, and wouldn't pry on my private issues.
"Oh! Have you lived here before?" Cher questioned enthusiastically until I gave her a questioning look. Well, it wasn't the most common question. "Um, it's just, a lot of people live in these small towns as a kid and then come back again later in life,"
"Well, yeah actually, I think my brother lived here for a while; went to this school, actually,"
"Wait." a shy voice peepd up from the end of that table; it was the quiet girl, Nina? "Why has your brother lived here but you haven't?" Well she was perceptive, maybe she would pick up on Louis and my...strange behaviour.
"Um, i-it's kind of hard to explain." I started because, really, it was difficult to explain. "Our Mum and Dad had us, then separated, and Dad took custody of me and Mum took custody of him. A few years later, not that I knew, Mum and her husband died in a house fire, and my brother and his sisters went to an orphanage, where the were later adopted. When my brother turned eighteen he left home and started looking for his birth father, who still had me. Our Dad was...not fit to look after me so my borther took custody, and we moved here,"
"Wow," Cher breathed a few minutes after I finished. We had been sitting in silence until then. "I'm so sorry Adam, you dind't have to tell us that,"
"It's okay, it's nothing to be ashamed of, really," I shrugged. I really hadn't put much detail into that, clearly avoiding the touchy details of what happened after Louis took me in. Hadn't that been a fun few months. The sarcasm is priceless.
Cher nodded solemnly in response and left me to eat my lasagne, which was now going cold in it's metal tray. Not in the mood to eat right now, I swirled the pasta around in the tin a bit, before standing to tip it in the bin near our table. I watched while the others ate, somtimes making small talk amongst each other, but mostly immersing themselves in a comfortable silence. After that intersting conversation I was almost relieved when the bell broke out its song into the cafeteria and everyone started bustling around, trying to get to class.
~~~
"Hi Lou!" I called down the hallway of the apartment Louis had bought for us here in Ashville.
"'Afternoon Adam!" he called from the kitchen. Oh no, what was he doing in there? I hung up my coat and slipped off my tattered red Converse in a rush before coming into the kitchen to see Louis attempting to cook...something. Really, it looked like a brown mess.
"Uh, Lou? What are you doing?" I peered over the sink where at least five eg shells were sitting, along with an array of bowls and utensils.
"Well, we've got guests coming over tonight so I thought maybe I should get a head start on the dinner,"
"Oh my gosh Louis, didn't we agree that I would do the cooking, no matter what?" I scolded, felling stupid seeing as this guy was quite a few years older than me. Louis paused for a moment, then placed the bowl he was currently mixing gloop in on the counter. "Okay, so who's coming over?"
"Zayn and Perrie, we haven't seen them in ages." Louis started wiping up spilt flour off the bench.
"Are they bringing Payten?" I asked enthusiastically, starting to help clean up the disaster area. I don't know hwy, but I always got exxcited if one of the boys brought over their kids. I had to admit, Payten was the cutest; the little three year old was always so happy to see Louis and I, and often ended up following me around the apartment while her parents chatted.
"Yeah, I think so," Louis thought, too preoccupied with cleaning to really dwell over it. "Will you do something for dinner? I don't want to push, but..." I sighed.
"What time are they coming?"
"Six, I think." Louis was now over at the kitchen door, smiling kindly, before he disappeared into the apartment, probably to clean up the livingroom or get changed. He wouldn't really want to be dressed in a t-shirt and sweats when Zayn arrived.
~~~
A/N: So, there you have it, the prologue of 'Breaking Banks'. This will be posted on my Previews and eventually (once I finally get around to it) will be accompanied by a couple more chapters in it's own book
I know the ages and dates don't really correspond and stuff, but there was nothing else I could do! Hope you liked it!
As always, vote, comment, fan, and KEEP READING!
Yours always writing,
~Eleanor xx