It's raining. Usually, I like the rain but it's my first day at a new school and I'd like to pretend I'm not a mess for at least another week.

"Jesus Christ, where is he? I can't be late for tryouts," Holden whines beside me. (You'd think us being twins would mean we'd share our endless patience but nope, he's very whinny) Holden pushes his floppy blond hair back. "I mean, seriously. It's so hard to get into the team." I sigh, holding my hood down over my head.

"He has to drive slower with the rain, asshole. The rain has probably means the coach is late," I look up the road and nudge him as Uncle Freddy drives towards us. "Told you," He stops the car and I get into the front seat while Holden gets into the back. "Hey Uncle Freddy, thanks for the ride." Uncle Freddy shrugs.

"No problem. We are going to the same place after all which reminds me," He reaches into his pocket and offers me a flyer. "There's auditions for the play this Friday. I think you'd like it." I look at the flyer, the downside of your uncle being a drama teacher is that he expects you to act in any play, especially since you like that sort of thing and can sing.

"Blades of Shadow: A Hero's Awakening...I don't think I know this one."

"This year, we thought it would be a good idea to have a student write the play and direct it. Unfortunately, the winner is a perfectionist and it won't be easy except for someone with endless patience." He gives a knowing side eye and I sigh.

"If I get a part, then I will try to help," I look out the window in time to see the school. It's a sunny yellow and oozes the idea of 'Everyone's special' and 'Tolerance!' "Better than the last one. No barbed wire, no graffiti and my personal favourite, no bars on the window." I swallow and Holden rests his chin on my shoulder as we park.

"Well, Dion, this is school. Let's go," I sigh, knowing that I'm going to be asked about an interesting fact about myself that has to be that my parents are English professors who decided to name me and my brother after fictional characters. "It's different this time. Tenure means they're here forever. We stay here." That's the problem, if I mess up here, it stays with me until graduation. I get out and hurry inside as the rain becomes a downpour. Holden follows me, fixing his hair as I take off my coat.

"You know caring about your hair makes people think you might be narcissistic, right?"

"You better not die so I don't get cursed into staring at my reflection until I die."

"You two are weird," We jump as your typical blonde cheerleader walks past us and stops. "I hope you can sit with us at lunch," She points at the name stitched on her uniform; Richards. "I'm Rain Richards. My parents didn't like me as much as my brother River." Holden gives her a smile that makes me subtly pull him back and smile at Rain.

"I'm Dion Wolfe, he's my twin Holden who is about to be late for tryouts," He starts down the hall and I grin at him. "Don't break anything," I turn, expecting Rain to have left but she's still there. "Hi." She grins at me, hooking her arm through mine.

"I'm going to help you to find your locker," She gives me a once over, taking in my black denim shirt, Wicked tee and green skirt with spotty tights. "Wait, Wolfe as in Mr Wolfe, the drama teacher?" I sigh, rubbing the back of my neck.

"He's my uncle. Don't tell anyone. I don't want everyone to know yet," I stop, looking at what I know is my locker. "Well, this is me." Rain nods and hurries away, untangling herself from me. Well, at least she doesn't think I'm a mess.

***

I stand at the front of class with Holden beside me. Miss Graham gestures at us.

"We have two new students, Holden and Dion Wolfe," She pretends to be happy about having two more names to remember. "Why don't you tell us a little about yourselves?" I look at Holden who steps up easily.

"Well, if you couldn't tell, we're twins, paternal not maternal. Our birth parents were both blonde with blue eyes," I try not to roll my eyes as he continues. "Our adopted parents are English tenure professors at the college and named us after fictional characters." He gives me a nudge which makes me sigh.

"I'm named after Dion from A Winter's Tale and he's named after Holden from Catcher In The Rye." Miss Graham frowns, gesturing at an empty desk at the front and another at the back.

"Huh, I thought you would've mentioned that Mr Wolfe is your uncle," I hurry to the back as Holden sits in the front with two guys who are clearly basketball guys. "Just going to mark you all in. Talk amongst yourselves." I put my head down against the desk and hope nobody talks to me. I love Uncle Freddy but I know people are going to pretend they like me so they can ask me which team he plays for. Someone taps my shoulder and I look at the boy with curly brown hair beside me with a raised eyebrow.

"Sorry to disturb your obvious annoyance at that lovely violation of privacy," He says, fiddling with his pen...Which is a fountain pen(Who has a fountain pen?) I lift up my eyebrows and tilt my head, the universal sign of 'well duh'. "I'm guessing you're going to audition too?" I nod, wondering if it was this boy's weird way of trying to make a friend. "Then I'll see you there on Friday. You can go back to your annoyance now, Dion."

"I'm not sure if I can without knowing who to look out for at the auditions."

"Lawson James." He gives me a self-conscious smile as Miss Graham walks up to the board and writes Frankenstein on the board.

"Who can tell me about Frankenstein?" Holden and I's hands are first up. "Mr Wolfe?"

"First off, Frankenstein is the doctor, not the creature. Although it can be argued that the creature is a Frankenstein if Victor Frankenstein is his father figure..."

***

Classes go be quickly, starting with us standing introducing ourselves and ending with Holden having at least two friends and me alone. I follow Holden into the 'dining hall' (They actually call it that, it's kinda weird) and stare at the sea of people. This is always the worst part of changing schools, I have nowhere to sit while Holden has a seat at every single table.

"Holden! Over here, man!" A tall boy with no hair waved him over.

"I guess I'll see you in class." I nudge him gently and look for an empty seat. Someone takes my arm.

"Hey Dion, come sit," Rain giggles as she almost drags me over to her table full of typical cheerleaders and football players. "Maybe we can talk about your uncle." I yank my arm out of her grip and someone stands beside me, resting their arm on my shoulder.

"Sorry Rain but since she's Mr Wolfe's niece, she's with us," I glance at the person with short blue hair and gender neutral clothes. "Bye cuz," They lead me over to their table where Lawson sits with a diverse enough group to be only one group, drama people. "I managed to save her from the cult of Rain. I'm Charlie, BTW. Prefered pronoun they and them." I set down my tray in the empty spot between Charlie and someone who looked enough like Rain to make me suspicious.

"Dion, like-" Charlie interrupts me.

"Like from A Winter's Tale? That's so cool," I frown at them as I stab my fruit salad with my fork. "It's one of my favourite Shakespeare plays. You must be great at English with your parents and all," I nod, not wanting to go into too much detail. "As a person with extensive knowledge of English and drama, settle the debate. Wicked or Hamilton with the original cast?" I gesture at my shirt.

"Obviously Wicked, hands down. Kristin Chenoweth and Idina Menzel singing For Good," I kiss my fingers and raise my hands at the surprised looks. "I know it's not the popular choice but..." Lawson and guy who looks like Rain nod, neither of them disagreeing. Charlie nudges me with a grin.

"Good thing we saved you from Rain."

"Can you please stop talking about my sister's cult? If you say her name again she'll appear with her coven of bleach," The guy who looks like Rain who must be River gives me a smile as I eat a grape. "I'm her brother River. She is occasionally nice but I think she wants to get with your brother this time." I swallow, finding my brother looking at Rain the way he always does when he thinks a girl is attractive.

"She doesn't have to be friendly with me, he's ready when she is," River looks at Holden looking at his sister, food missing his mouth. "Which one do you think is going to break the other's heart?" He sighs, lifting up his pizza.

"Probably my sister. Her collection needs some new blood," I chew on a piece of apple. "She isn't always that cruel." I nod and look at Rain to see her looking at Holden the way he had been looking at her before noticing River giving me the same look.

***

The day mercifully ends after people start asking about Uncle Freddy and his sexuality. Apparently they don't understand asexuality and think I've been lying. The drama people don't care about his sexuality, just his ability to teach (I'm pretty sure this is the fastest I've ever made friends). Uncle Freddy meets up with me and Holden at my locker.

"Well, H, you on the team?" Holden doesn't answer, staring at Rain as we walk away from my locker. "Holden, take your mind away from the pretty girl and answer me please." He snatches his gaze from Rain and focuses on Uncle Freddy.

"The coach is posting the list tomorrow so I should know then," His eyes wander over to Rain as he slams into a door. "Shit," He ducks behind me as Rain glances over at us with a frown. "Did she notice?" I awkwardly pat his arm.

"She did notice the noise but she has no idea it was you," He looks at me and I wince. "She might tomorrow," He touches his face gingerly and winces. "Tell people that I accidentally got too rough when we were practicing my stage combat. It's wooden swords and people get hurt all the time." He sighs and gets into the front of the car while I throw myself into the back. Uncle Freddy smiles at me.

"You make friends?"

"Maybe, the drama people have accepted me as one of their own." Holden snorts, still gingerly touching his face.

"One of which seems to be interested in more than friendship. Rain's brother." Uncle Freddy nods thoughtfully.

"River's a good kid. You'd be picking a good one." I rub my eyes, regretting telling Holden about the look.

"He gave me a look that I think was a little like the one Holden's been giving Rain all day that's all I said and besides I don't think of him like that," Uncle Freddy pulls into the driveway and I frown at the blond man standing, talking to our parents, everyone clearly agitated. Something about him strange in its familiarity. "Uncle Freddy, who is that?" I whisper, not sure why I'm whispering. The man turns and I suck in a breath with Holden as I feel the blood rush from my face. Our birth father smiles at us and I sink down as he waves.