Chapter 1

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School hadn't started yet and the dew on the morning grass would reflect that. Normally Jullian wouldn't be at school until well after first period had started but today was different, there was something in the air. He was perched in the lower branch of the old cherry tree to the right of the main entrance near the parking lot. He had his ukulele in his hands mindlessly strumming out a few melodic chords. The morning clouds drifted by with a slight chill but he seemed not to care with only a white button down, blue jeans, and a cross necklace on.

Being one of the early risers, Genesis was already there. Her short skirt fluttered out behind her, and she fought to keep her sweater below her waistband. That was until she heard the music coming from the tree outside the main entrance. Putting a brake on her small scooter, she looked up into the tree and gave a smile, lowering the handle to her scooter until it was laying on the ground just off the main walk as she wandered under the trees, both arms flung out as she spun in time with the chords, her sweater arms long where the torso was short.

A red Chevrolet Impala pulled into the parking lot of the school, and a tall, redhead climbed out, before turning around again and grabbing a small bag from the passenger seat and flinging it over her shoulder. Being tattooed and looking like a trouble maker, as usual, Astelle shut her door and locked it with a happy little beep coming from her car. She lumbered up to the school, looking bored out of her mind. The doors were locked this early in the morning, but she merely wanted to get to the theater. "Damn..."

"Oh you like that do you?" Jullian chuckled a bit as the new arrival swayed to his chords. "Whats your name miss beautiful?" He asked flashing her his trade mark blindingly white smile and blue eyes. He slowed the pace of the song and switched over to some where over the rainbow so it was a little more enjoyable and relatable.

Stella normally wouldn't be awake at this time but her uncle insisted that she get a early start at her new school. She glanced at the sky as she walked down the side walk. "Oh, Please rain, or snow...do something to cancel class." she muttered to the sky. she noticed the other early raisers, she couldn't understand how they could function properly, let alone dance and play music.

Not answering his question as to her name, Genesis simply started singing along as well as dancing. Her voice was deep and soulful, like her father's, but clear and beautiful, like her mother's. Her eyes twinkled a little as she looked up and positioned herself almost directly below Jullian with a smile.

Astelle looked at the few people that had started to gather there. There was no one she knew, and that was expected since she had changed schools. She was going to finish school a year behind due to the rehab she put herself through, and the paperwork it took to change schools. She walked up the steps quickly and decided to test the door. It was locked, as expected since it was such a nice day out, the teachers were probably getting everything ready all inside. With a soft sigh, she hopped up onto the wall and stretched out her legs along it, stretching out her arms to touch her toes.

Well she is a bit of a confined one but she inst afraid to make a spectacle of herself in public, shes interesting. Jullian continued his melody, as the cold started to turn his cheeks a rosy color. He started the second round of Over the rainbow since the girl seemed to enjoy it so much. He leaned back against the tree trunk his gaze shifting out to the grey sky, her voicing filling the air along his ukulele. She was quite good.

'Really, somewhere over the rainbow? Gah what an annoying, childish song to choice' Stella thought to herself bitterly as she walked past the singing girl as if she didn't exist.

Although her eyes traveled over to Stella as she passed by, Genesis didn't pay her any mind. She was accustomed to people treating her as less. It didn't affect her any. She continued smiling and swaying, finally looking up at Jullian with a nod. "I am Genesis," she said before picking up the song again.

Hmm The newer one has an air of authority to her, if not a tad stuck up. The boy finished up his song before speaking. "Jullian." He said simply before flashing her another smile. He started out with a song that he had learned from a college friend and his exploits, Wonderwall.

Astelle listened to the music being played and shook her head. So sweet and cutesy, it made her feel like she was going to be sick. Going into her bag and digging through it a bit, she pulled out her iPod and shuffled so she was leaning against the school's brickwork while she was up on the wall, about three feet off the ground. She put the headphones in her ears and started blasting Five Finger Death Punch's song Coming Down in her ears. She was usually more active than this, usually more upbeat and crazy. However, it was too damn early in the morning for all that crap just yet. She hadn't even snuck into the teacher's lounge to make coffee yet.

Stella glanced at the girl on the wall, now she wished she brought her Mp3 player. She stopped as sat on the bottom step. Since she didn't have music she just started humming Dark side by Kelly Clarkson, she was keeping it relatively quiet.

A red 1990 Honda Accord pulled up into the parking lot closest to the auditorium. Katrina Marco stepped out the driver's side as she continued talking animatedly to her daughter in the passenger seat. "I mean it, Baylee! There has to be a dance team! Not only would it be a boon to the annual school musical (hello~ back-up dancers~), it would do wonders for your fellow students. I always say, 'music is emotion', and why not let them emote? To move with the music, to feel the spotlight upon your skin, to hear the drumming of your heartbeat in your ears as you await that elusive applause...And then...It happens! The roars, the cheers, the cries of 'encore'~"

"Mom, nobody yells 'encore' to a high school dance team."

A 2012 Tesla Model S came to a stop in the parking lot and an older gentlemen stepped out from the passenger's seat to open the door adjacent to his. an American Japanese teen with black straight hair running down his face got out and smiled to the older man as he spoke, "You didn't need to get out Berthold we could've got out by ourselves.

Berthold simply nodded in response and another teen with black hair down to her shoulders stepped out from behind him, "You know Berthold can't help it," she said with a bright smile, "He's so used to doing it for our father."

The teen boy shrugged and smirked, "Well, have a good day Berthold and we'll see you after school." Xavier carefully walked away from the vehicle adjusting his jacket over his black Diablo 3 shirt. He reached into the side pocket of his tan khakis and pulled out his phone. As soon as he loaded the game he was working on he become immediately immersed in it.

Iris gave a small hug to Berthold. "We hope you have a great day Berthold," she said then caught up to her twin brother after adjusting her own jacket over her aqua shirt. She looked at what he was doing on his phone, "Ah, you've improved the graphic design again." She carefully reached down into her white khaki pocket and pulled out an almost identical phone to her brothers and took a quick photo of herself and him. She quickly sent it to their mother who was back at the estate knowing she would want a picture of their first day in their sophomore year.

Berthold watched the two teens before getting back into the vehicle, "They grow up so fast," he said to himself as the driver put the vehicle in drive pulling out of the parking lot of the school.

Although Genesis didn't recognize the new song, she kept right on dancing, a laugh leaving her as she looked at the boy in the tree, mostly ignoring the others who were arriving. If they wanted to speak to her, they would make it known. And as soon as Genesis recognized it, she would give them the same smile and welcome them.

A dark car pulled up and an upright man in complete suit stepped out, walking around the car so he could open the door for the boy inside. When Killian stepped out, he let out a sigh and looked at the driver with a frown. "Return when classes are ended," he said, his accent noticeable in comparison. The driver nodded before shutting the door again and taking off, leaving Killian standing on the sidewalk, looking at the school. His mind raced with everything from thoughts about the building, ideas about the people present, and questioning as to why they were all gathered thusly. It didn't take him long to lose interest in that as he hitched his messenger bag a bit higher, straightened his clothes, and started towards the doors to wait for them to be unlocked.

Sarah sighed slightly as she stopped halfway to the school, she looked at all of the students already gathered there and began to feel anxious as she tried to flatten out her wrinkle free black skirt with a red hem that went down to the top of her knees. She readjusted her dark red jacket and made sure her white button up shirt was wrinkle free and her red tie was straight before she continued walking. "G-Good morning." She said with a shy smile as she saw Genesis.

Hmm i have one on the hook, but man are there some early risers among the fresh meat. Jullian continued to play his uke to the sway of Genesis and apparent dislike of Stella and Astelle. So far there was no one he recognized, well one of the girls was a teacher he though he remembered, but that didn't mean she was off limits. He smiled a bit to himself at the though. Wouldn't that be scandalous? His smile wandered to his current prey. "Do you know wonderwall? Perhaps something a bit slower?" He stopped mid song and started John Mayer's Your body's a wonderland softy singing along though not loud enough for anyone away form the tree to hear.

Sarah blinked at the voice and got closer to the tree and looked up to see Jullian sitting on a branch playing the ukulele, "You have a nice voice." She stated simply with a small smile.

Just as everyone was about to get friendly and all talking talking with one another, A tall man inside walked up to the doors and unlocked them, opening it up. "Come on in, everyone." he said with a smile. "Sorry for the late opening, one of the science teachers lost their pet lizard. Finally found him in the cafeteria." This man was the principle, Mr. Hartnall. He was wearing jeans, sneakers, a suit grey suit jacket, a white button down underneath, and a nice red tie. The jeans and sneakers really threw off the professional look.

Astelle's attention threw straight to the door as it opened up. A sudden wide grin crawled across her face as she hopped off the wall and took her music out of her ears. "Thanks." she said sincerely to the principle as she was the first to walk in. They had maps laid out on the check in desk for the new students since the school had quite a few of them.

"Matthias, darling!" The click-clack of high heels on pavement could be heard as Katrina approached Mr. Hartnall with a wide grin on her red-painted lips. "I would have been here earlier, but the Honda had a flat tire, poor thing. Anyways~ I've been meaning to talk to you about the school's fundraising festival. What do you think of my kids doing a production of 'You Know the Old Slaying'~? It's a little-known murder mystery in which the audience not only participates, but actually decides who the murderer is! Doesn't that sound like fun? If we can set up two different stages, one on either side of the grounds (Now, don't worry about the production costs or anything, the staging should be very simple, shoddily done, even!) we can even put it on twice at once so everyone can experience it without anyone thinking they could spoil the end! And if we're lucky, we could put on two endings at once (You know what's unique about this play is that it actually has five different endings~), doesn't that sound like a brilliant plan~? It should draw in a large crowd, I think. Now, about the dance team...You did receive that email, right? I believe that it would be a significant boon to our theatrical department, since we always need back-up dancers and extras for the annual musical, anyways, and during the rest of the year they could perform for pep rallies~"

Baylee made a point of keeping a distance from her over-exuberant mother, opting to instead lean tiredly against the car.

Genesis was completely unfazed by the change in song or the newcomer approaching. Her smile was ear to ear as she held out her hands to the girl, gesturing for her to join under the tree. The girl missed the doors opening, not that it really interested her, and instead just swayed to the music waiting for the other girl to chose to join or avoid.

No sooner had the doors open than Killian centered his gaze on the teacher, his keen eyes missing nothing. Although he was eager to get inside, he did not want to have to pass the over exuberant woman talking to him. Blinking a few times, he decided to move silently past the teachers, keeping his opinions to himself as he entered the school ahead of most everyone else.

Sarah looked at the front door and then back at Genesis, she hesitated for a brief second before moving forward and taking her hands to join her in dance.

"Finally." Stella muttered as she shoot up and headed into the hopefully more quiet school.

Finishing up his song Jullian stowed his uke in his pack with a quick tuck and zip. He leaned back, letting his legs catch the limb as he fell doing a complete flip and landing firmly on his feet below next to Genesis. "I guess school is in session miss Genesis, and......" He motioned to her and the new girl with a slight bow and a hand sweep, slightly implying he was asking for Sarah.

Xavier glanced up from his game and noticed that the doors were open to the school. He quickly saved his progress and put his phone away before walking past the two faculty members with a slight shrug before heading inside.

Iris watched her brother save the game and put her phone away as well and never taking her eyes off of him as she followed him into the school building.

Sarah stopped dancing to look at Jullian, "My name's Sarah." She said with a shy smile and a small bow of greeting.

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