A guide for reading this book:
1. Don't become a ship psycho and stick to only one ship psychotically, it'll hurt you more than it'll hurt me, trust me.
2. There are a lot of characters, prepare yourself, write notes. Character sheets coming soon
3. Do not think my characters views are my views
4. This book is long, but the paragraphs are not. My ADD means I struggle with detailed writing, my writing is dialogue heavy and to the point.
5. The first few dozen chapters are very old and badly written, my writing definitely improves with time
--
When you think of moving house, what do you think of? For me it certainly wasn't moving in with 10 other young males while your mother and their father go off gallivanting in Hawaii somewhere. But, that was exactly what was happening to me. Right now.
I had really underestimated my mother this time; she'd manage to catch a big one. A rich company owner with a seemingly giant overpopulated family. Maybe he took the saying 'go forth and multiply' a bit too seriously.
Why was my mother leaving me to move in to a new home by myself? Well, they're on a really important - wait for it- 'honeymoon business trip'. Yep. Whatever that is supposed to be.
So now my highly anti-social self is going to have to deal with meeting a bunch of teenagers I've never met before - in their own house the same day I'm invading and moving in it. I guess this is my fault for refusing to travel to the wedding; I could have met them then.
"Riley? Get ready we are nearly there." A voice brought me out of my thoughts and I frowned in the back of the car driving me to said new home. I didn't really like it when employees I'd just met started calling me by my first name. It's not like they let me have the privilege of knowing theirs.
I sighed nervously before looking to the cage I was forced to keep my Peregrine Falcon - Anatara - in. The poor bird had hardly ever been confined, but the journey across several states was just too long for her to do on her own. Anatara was a good bird, a friend. I got her for my twelfth birthday after my cat died, and she'd been desperately loyal to me ever since.
Having Anatara as a substitute for any real friends will probably be a problem in upcoming months though. I have no experience befriending teen males, as I've only ever really had one human friend, and they were an older female.
And...also the fact that I'm gay wont help...
I sighed, the feeling of dread filling my stomach as the car pulled up outside of a gigantic forest mansion. It was a modern white building with vast glass walls in places, and looked really odd contrasting against the forest and the trees.
I ruffled my dark brown hair then stepped out of the car, putting ear plugs in my ears (just to feel less exposed, if you know what I mean) and looking around nervously.
It seemed quiet, but there were plenty of posh sports cars parked around the building and road areas. Anatara screeched as I let her out and soared upwards before perching on a gate post right by me. I smiled at her and stroked her head.
"You're not planning on keeping that animal inside, are you?" The driver asked sceptically as he slammed his car door shut and I frowned at him.
"She can survive inside or outside, it's not like it's any of your business anyway." I replied coldly and he rolled his eyes before getting my bags out from the car and trudging towards the front door.
I stepped back and glanced to Anatara nervously; I hate walking up to front doors, you never know who'll open them...
It opened despite my anxiety and I heard people talking before the driver started glaring at me. I sighed and started walking up to the door.
I looked into the door opening and saw a handsome blonde standing there. He had piercing green eyes and a tall muscular frame, I'm guessing about twenty years old. I gave him a polite smile before darting my blue eyes around nervously.
"There aren't any bears around here, don't worry." The young man smiled at me and I raised a brow with a slight smile. "So, you're Riley? I am Luca. I don't think any of the other brothers are at home right now, but to be honest, I haven't checked." He told me as he leaned against the door and I let out a breath of relief.
"Don't like meeting people?" He smiled as he noticed and I shook my head with a shy smile honestly. "Well there's only ten of us so it wont be that hard." He joked and I stared at him blankly.
Not in the mood to kid around like that, could be the totally new and possibly hostile environment I'm entering with no emotional support, I'm not completely sure.
"Sir, can I get passed? I'd really like to put these bags down." The driver asked with a strained voice and the blonde nodded before letting him pass.
"Come on, let me show you your room!" He said in an encouraging, friendly tone as he turned around and I took one desperate look at Anatara before entering the big, unfamiliar house.
Everything was modern in there. The floors and walls were a strange varnished plastic material with areas of plaster in the halls and the only other colour in the house seemed to be black and this dark shade of red. The large windows let in plenty of light, but the large trees surrounding the house seemed to stop any blinding light reflecting off of the white walls.
I sighed uncomfortably as I looked around the cold unlived in house and jumped when I saw another figure on one of what must have been the living room sofas as I walked passed.
He had brown hair and brown eyes that were intently staring at me as he lay spread out on the white couch. His smooth dark skin contrasting against the bright colour of the fabric. I gave a small, unsure smile before carrying on following Luca up the stairs.
When we reached what would be my room, I stepped inside and smiled brightly when I saw it had a balcony. "That was Nate by the way...he's a bit odd and..open...about his sexuality if you know what I mean?" He explained awkwardly and I inwardly frowned. Why!? I suppose with ten of them at least one has to be gay, statistically speaking.
"That's not a problem is it?" He asked with a worried frown when I gave no reaction. I shook my head and then spotted my bags in the corner of the room. I sighed gloomily then looked back up to Luca, who's startling green eyes were staring at me curiously.
"Are you sure?" He narrowed his eyes and I nodded again.
"Don't worry, I'm fine with it; it's not like I'd have a right to be upset...that would be stupid." I smirked to myself then turned away realising what I just said was kind of suspicious. I don't really want to come out to a house full of males...
"Alright then....I will be off to work shortly so just be careful around the house; some of my siblings are unfortunately a bit...well, not understanding of how you can't harass strangers like you do family!" He smiled before hesitating for a few moments, his eyes still watching me curiously before he then walked out of the room.
"Right...." I said to myself before walking up to the balcony and opening the door. Anatara was soaring above and dived down as soon as she spotted me. I smiled at her and stroked her as she perched on the balcony wall, which was a railing of some sort, matching the twenty-first century vibe the house had.
A car driving in from the road caught my attention and I watched as a young man with silver hair and wearing black stepped out of a red sports car. He had piercings on the top of one ear and tight black leather trousers. I rolled my eyes as I continued to watch him; I guessed there would of been at least one of them like that in the family.
Anatara watched him cautiously and I frowned. "Don't like him Ana? Or do you just not like it here, I know how you feel." She shuffled about and fidgeted her wings as she looked around nervously. Got to admit, this place does feel kind of...ominous. Or that could be just me.
...It's probably just me.
I took my earphones out of my ears that I had accidentally forgotten to do earlier, hope they didn't think I was being rude, and placed it on the white bed with a sigh - then clicked my tongue wondering what to do.
I decided I didn't want to meet him or any others just yet and quickly ran down the stairs, escaping out of the front door just as he walked into another room. Anatara joined me as soon as she saw me and I walked a tiny bit into the woods. Peace and quiet.
I spent the afternoon just sitting in woods leaning against a tree. It was quiet and peaceful with just me and Ana there and she seemed to like it too. She kept on making this small tweeting sound as I lightly stroked her head with my finger.
I looked over to my right and saw a car pull up as dusk hit. A figure about my size got out of the passenger seat. I watched it cautiously and groaned when it started walking my way as another figure got out of the car and walked straight inside.
When the figure came into focus I noticed he had light brownish hair and blue eyes. He was wearing typical jeans and t-shirt and walking in a typical teenager fashion.
Anatara took off quickly and I scowled at the fact she left me alone with a stranger; I guess she doesn't like them too. Or she simply spotted something interesting and isn't a socially awkward noob.
Probably the latter.
"Hi! You must be Riley? My name's Alex! What are you doing out here?" He said happily as he stood above me and I stood up.
"Not much of a people person." I explained truthfully with a small smile.
He smiled and looked me up and down. "You're pretty cute, I was expecting someone with glasses and overweight or something!" He exclaimed with a light hop of his feet and I raised my eyebrows.
Rude.
"Oh, sorry, I tend to blurt things out like that..." He said as he scratched the back of his head. Please don't say there's another one?!
"You're not homophobic are you?" He asked seriously and I smirked before shaking my head. "So the exact opposite!" He beamed and I frowned.
"Uh...what do you me-"
"Come on, don't be scared, I'll show you around if you haven't yet; you might want to know your way around before the others get back, then you'll know where to run!" He winked at me as he put his arm around my neck and dragged me towards the house.
"How old are you exactly?" He asked curiously.
"I am seventeen, how old are you?" I replied politely.
"You're seventeen!? You don't look it with that odd hoodie of yours! Who wears a blue-and-white-hoodie-with-the-number-15-on-it-anyway!? Do you like a sport or something??" he blurted out and I raised a verbally overwhelmed eyebrow at him.
"Oops, sorry, at it again!" He laughed and I smiled at him; he didn't seem that bad, but I can't expect the others to be like him.
"I like basketball." I answered simply.
"Oh...well, I am not really into team sports; I like stuff like Archery and equestrian!" He explained happily as we entered the house.
"I've always wanted to try archery, and I love equestrian. I used to have my own horse in England." I replied and he smiled brightly.
"I see you've already become friends with our new brother." A male's voice sounded and I looked over in its direction. There was the brown haired, dark skinned one from earlier, looking very sleepy.
"Yep! He is actually quite nice! And cute too!" he blurted out hyper actively and I refrained from blushing by thinking of something else (What? It sometimes works).
Sometimes things are just too embarrassing to stop yourself from morphing into a tomato though...
"You can say that again, where are you from?" The one who I remembered to be called Nate flirted, but with a much calmer voice than Alex and I inwardly groaned; it's going to be hard to be in a house with these two.
"I am from England, but I have been here for a while now." I explained as I smiled politely. They both smiled nicely as they started to calm down. Then Alex pulled me into the living room. All I could do was smile at a red haired man as I was pushed passed him and further into the house.
As in literally a vibrant red, hope that's not to reflect his temper...
Like someone would dye their hair to show that they have anger issues...
He had cute and kind looking brown eyes though, I'm sure he's fine.
-
After I had gone through all the rooms in this gigantic never ending mansion Alex started showing me all his medals. I was no where near interested and in fact it made me jealous of how he still gets to ride, so I just smiled politely at him as I sat on a sofa chair in his seriously over decorated room.
After a while of doing that a ginger man and the red haired one entered the room. I smiled politely even though they both looked pretty intimidating. The ginger had scruffy medium length hair with green eyes, he was wearing a black suit and stood tall and proud, some kind of CEO I bet. He seriously must work out though, maybe it's just genetics but the older ones in this house look really strong and fit...
The red haired guy as I'd remembered from earlier had brown eyes and was wearing skinny jeans and a tight black top, his hair was longer like he was trying to grow it out. He was also a bit younger, less stressed looking, like a college student.
"Hello, I am guessing you are Riley? I am Chester, and this is Aaron." The ginger man explained with a deep and serious voice, then pointed to Aaron. He smiled kindly then looked over to Alex.
"You aren't boring him with your 'trophies' are you?" He asked in a blunt tone and Alex pulled his tongue out. I smiled at them as they had an argument until Chester interrupted with a cough.
"I'm sure seeing you guys fight is highly amusing, but Riley here needs to meet the others, seeing as they are too scared to come see him." He smirked and I stood up.
"Um, well if they don't want to..." I smiled awkwardly and Alex rolled his highly expressive, darkish blue eyes.
"They won't bite and of course they want to meet you, Chester is lying" He gave Chester an unimpressed look and he crossed his arms.
"I am not lying;they find new people scary, I know they do. Besides we haven't had an unrelated person staying in this house....well, ever, so you are going to have to be careful about that." He smiled at me but it didn't seem to reach his eyes and I raised an eyebrow.
"My brothers are not the best with... personal space." Alex whispered as he walked past when they walked out and I frowned. That sounds highly dangerous.