The bitter air of late fall nipped at my skin as it pierced through my sweater. hands shoved in my pockets I shuffled down the uneven road of the back alley. I just wanted to get home. It had been almost a month since we moved to Squirrel Cove,  and things hadn't gotten "better" as my mother said they would. I wasn't sure if it was a self-delusion or that highschool really was just as simple as it was twenty years ago. You couldn't just pack your kid up their senior year and expect everything to be just peachy.

That hardest part wasn't the fact most kids had already formed their clicks for years, or even that I started a month late. It was the fact, I was almost twenty and still a senior. I know what your thinking how on earth can a nineteen almost twenty-year-old still be in high school. It was something I called a chain of unfavourable events. 

 Which all began when I was five years old, and my parents thought it would be best to homeschool me... which in turn it wasn't. I was almost seven when they finally enrolled me in school. being almost two years older wasn't that bad in school. Then came the joys of middles school, the eighth grade or as I called it the year of satan. My older sister got pregnant at nineteen by a man she didn't know, which was soon followed by my mother and father's divorce and the months of battles that soon followed. Needless to say, repeating the eight grade wasn't a surprise to my teachers.

Now here  I was, almost twenty, a highschool student with average grades that just wanted to finish school. Not gossip about the Kardashians, or the newest viral video trend. I just wanted to graduate. My mother on the other hand just wanted me to get out of the house and make friends. Instead of spying on our strange neighbours all night, there was something up in that house and I knew it.  Why else would nine guys and one girl live in the same house,  that made strange noises in the night?

There was a few things I knew for sure about them. They were not all related. Five of the boys attended school with me, three of them were seniors, one was a Junior and the other a sophomore. They were all pretty different, even the ones that were brothers. A  wannabe Troy Bolton, who was on the football team and the lead of the school musical. His younger brother the brainiac with a camera. The Sophmore giant who was obsessed with Dinosaurs who's older brother who spent more time in detention then actual classes. And the athlete who I'd witnessed eat double his weight in fries every french fry Friday. Despite there differences, there was one thing they all had in common. If there was trouble the others came running. 

It was the other occupants I had a hard time trying to decode.  There was only two I saw much of. The only girl, who from her interactions, I assumed was the older sister of the delinquent and overgrown child. She seemed to spend most of her time in the small house like a shack in the back of their property close to the road I was known walking along.  Every time I saw her,  paint-splattered her clothes or speckled her fair skin, matting in her soft brown hair.

My body hit a solid warm mass, breaking my line of thought as I tumbled backwards flat onto my ass on the cold hard ground.  A slight grumble of pain escaped my lips as I tilted my head up to the dull grey sky to see what I had run into, or who I should say. standing there with a half awkward smile as he dropped his modified mountain bike was yet another member of the strange house. The one I saw most, the mechanic.

"Shit, I'm sorry my bad" he apologies stretching his hand out as he leaned over to help me up.


I hesitated for a moment before taking his outstretched hand. With steady movements, he lifted me to my feet with ease. His hand wrapped around my wrist as I gripped his I could tell he was being gentle. Dropping my hand from his, he did a once over of me his head moving slightly as if he was checking a car after a fender bender.


"All good?" he quizzed as he unclipped his helmet revealing his normally unkempt dark espresso locks pulled messily back behind his head. 

"Yeah, it's my bad. I should of paying more attention." I admitted sheepishly.


"No, no It's totally my fault.  I'm the one that came strolling out like I owned the place.  You're the one that moved in across the street right? with your mom?" He assured before changing the subject suddenly. 

"yeah, that's me" I informed doing everything I could to avoid his deep brown orbs.



"I'm-" he started to speak


"The bed head who yells at inanimate objects from his garage" I sassily blurting out.

I could feel my eyes grow into saucers as I realized my internal monologue had become external. I watched mortified as a slow side smirk formed on his lips, a slight snickering escaping as they parted. Tucking a few flyaway strands behind his ear he nodded at me with pursuing glips. 



"Alright, you got me. I am the crazy guy who yells at his wrenches" He chuckled "but you can call me Theo if you want"  He grinned holding his hand out.



"Nova Lune. but just Nova is fine" I  replied cautiously taking his hand.




The sound of wood slamming against wood turned both Theo and I into statues for a moment as we turned to see the commotion, my mother bursting through our back gate onto the road grinning ear to ear. I could feel skin starting to burn as embarrassment festered inside me, I could only imagine what was about to escape her lips.



"Nova-Lune! Who is this Tan glass of cold water" my mother chimed sliding between the two of us,  While A look of amusement spread across Theos faces my flinched as I cringed away.


"Nova, you didn't mention you had an older sister" Theo charmed, my face instantly dropped with un-amusement.


"I do. that's not her.  mom. Theo our neighbour that yells at his car. Theo, the god of embarrassment my mother."  I introduced them opening my hands' motion to both of them. 


"Well it's nice to meet you, im so glad Nova is finally getting out and meeting people, especially handsome young men such as yourself" My mom cooed placing gently squeezing Theos arm before giving me a suggestive look. 



"And that is our cue to leave" I spat out quickly, unable to bare my mothers' unsuitable behaviours. "I'm pretty sure you have to get ready for work anyways. and you back to yelling at wrenches, don't you?" I  blurted quickly.


My mother attempted to argue stumbling out words as I dragged her away. A small chuckle escaped Theo as he watched me pull her away pushing her back into the yard before she could do any more damage than she already had.


"See you around, Nova Lune" Theo smirked with a wave as a closed the gate.

Letting out a breath I didn't realize I had been holding in I leaned back against the gate. Looking up towards the house, my mother stood in the backdoor a slightly confused look on her face. Rolling my eyes I pushed off from the fence making my way up the small hill toward the house. my mother's eyes watching me the entire time.


"You are singly handily going to be the death of me woman" I informed slipping past her into the laundry room.

"What do you mean. I thought I was being an excellent wing-woman" She chimed stopping dead in my tracks I froze.


"First off no. Second, of Nooo and third EW", I  cringed shaking my head at her before storming off.



"Just you wait for sweetie, I'll  match make you with someone perfect one of these days!" She called after me.


"Just stop!" I cried out pleading with her as I dragged myself up the stairs.

Walking down the hallway I made my way to my room closing the door behind me as I tossed my school bag to one side before faceplanting down onto my bed. I swear one day someone would find me dead the cause. Embarrassment.