A/N: I originally wrote this in first person, I didn't remember that I changed it, so now the other part is in first person. So I'm changing this back. Why do I do this? (only a few things have changed I think). So this is chapter 1 again.

Leaning against the lockers, I stared blankly at a picture at the back, what I wouldn't give to return to that moment.

Six months in, daydreams rule my Sophomore year, how can they not? The past seems way better than the present when you compare which is the better. There are moments that made me want to turn back time and never look back, and at the same time there are experiences that made me want to stay in place.

I was caught off guard, when my whole body jumped as the loud echo of a bang continued to ring though my ears. I could hear movement, most likely, of items falling out of place, the locker had barley avoided smashing the tips of my fingers.

I quickly brushed off my moment of shock and sighed, I spoke as I pivoted anti-clockwise towards the expected culprits.

"Austin, Andrew, how so unexpected to see you guys here, were you in the neighborhood or just dropping by? Hey! You know who'd love to see you the principle." My tongue dripped with a fake cheery sarcasm, I didn't even catch a glimpse of the color of clothes the two figures wore before my face was smashed the locker.

I bit my lip as the newly gained red mark across my cheek gave off a tingling feeling, and brought a glassy film over my eye. "Okay, I admit not the best choice of words, but-"

"Would you just shut up" Andrew rudely interrupted, I rolled my eyes, wincing a bit as I continued rub the sore spot.

Austin scoffed "I don't think this kid knows how."

"Um I know how, but sometimes my awesomeness is too hard to contain, and just so you know we're the same age" I replied making sure to show my, famous, signature cheeky grin.

They both laughed though, "Look at him praising himself with no shame, probably been like this ever since he found he was adopted." Austin said completely disregarding my comment about our age. Kids these days.

"Couldn't agree more, he probably thinks he's so funny when people are only laughing out of pity."

"I'm not adopted" My voice seem to of forgotten all sense of the word happy, instead it had risen in volume but dropped in pitch, it was laced with anger because I am not adopted.

"Oh Andrew, have we perhaps struck a nerve"

"I don't see how we could, fish don't have feelings" It was a well known fact around school, that I, Gordon Tracy loved the water, and a fish was what they considered to be the best insult they could come up with, but I have to give them credit they knew what a fish was.

"Okay one, not a fish, two that can't be proven and three, that's the wrong-"

"Getting defensive of your kind are we?"

I held my breath because no I wasn't going to explode on them, I've been taught to ignore people like that. That, however does not make it any less frustrating when having to listen to them spout non-sense. On top of that luck seemed to be on the two culprits sides, a teacher walked from the left (so she was unable to see that mark that was so very conveniently located on the right), down the hall with a load of paperwork, she spotted us still standing in the should-be-empty hallway. Completely misreading the situation she told us friends need to meet outside of school or wait for tomorrow. Friends. How on earth could anyone be under the assumption that he was friends with them? No way. Not now, not ever I'd rather go to space and I don't want to go to space.

If the teacher wasn't there I would have punched them, I don't care about the consequences or the fact I'd of regretted it later it would of been totally worth it in the moment.

Outside few kids remained, waiting for their parents, the bright side of leaving was I was lucky enough to live in opposite directions of the two evil delinquent-looking twins, but that left me alone to fume inside my head.

Can't I catch a break? Why is it whenever I'm about to have a good day they suddenly appear? they must of been sent by life, always trying to ruin the day

My thoughts began to turn to rambles. For one I'm not adopted I completely deny being adopted, but that doesn't mean I sometimes question if they're right. I mean come on, if you were to look at the noticeable physical factors my mother had blond hair, my father had brown, Virgil has very dark brown hair Scott has light brown John and Alan have blonde. Yet I have this raging red hair, are any of them even remotely related to me. Next was to look at the lesser know parts. Father, was an engineer a pilot and astronaut, Virgil want-to-be engineer, Scott want-to-be pilot, John want-to-be astronaut Alan wants to be race car driver but also want-to-be astronaut. While I, Gordon, wants to be scuba diver or oceanographer.

You know thinking about it I could definitely see how people think I'm adopted just looking at the family I can tell I'm the misfit, oddball, among all of them, plus I've seen no real proof to say I'm not adopted.

"No I'm not!" I accidentally said aloud gaining a strange look from the old lady across the street, I smiled sheepishly rubbing the back of of my head, Wow nice going Gordon people are gonna think you're crazy now.

On the way home I stopped by the park, those words had really hurt, but that's why they go it I guess. My rambling thoughts finally ceased but only for a quick moment when I got a look of my face in the reflective surface of water. Please don't be as bad as I think, I stealthily made my way to the park toilets.

—

It's about quarter to five when the house was in sight, "oh crap" I said aloud, three expensive looking cars out front. I definitely did not forgot it was Alan's birthday this weekend and they're home from university. I wiped my face making sure there was no traces of the past fifteen minutes. "The window!" I again said to no one, but lucky me I forgot to lock mine this morning. Going around the house I managed to couch down under the windows to make sure I wouldn't be seen. Who would've guessed tree plus open window equals awesome avoiding/entrance technique. I should do that again sometime.

My feet landed softly on the oak planks, I had made it safely inside, savor the few cuts I gained from climbing. Lets be honest I probably looked like some super fancy spy breaking in to a house, check that off my bucket list.

I decided to wait, distracting myself with homework that needed some immediate attention before the day's end, at first I intended to spend fifteen to twenty minutes on it, but English essays are actually my weakness. I ended up staring at a blank piece of paper for eleven very painful minutes, and a additional forty to actually write it. I don't care what people say writing is mentally exhausting, I got up after I finished and sat at the end of my bed, gazing across the rest of the room I noticed the normally vacant bed, that isn't occupied for months at a time, had a bag placed neatly at the end. All my stuff had been pushed back to my side making a clear division between the two sides. "We're going to have so much fun aren't mister neat freak" I said, the end of the sentence had been distorted due to the jaw-splitting yawn, My eyes were grew heavy with sleep, greeting the brothers can wait, I just got a date with sleep not going to pass this up even if they are family.

—

The drowsiness remained in my vision when I woke up. I sat up noticing for the first time that a blanket was covering me. I did that right? Or did they know I was home? Not like it really mattered I just wanted the element of surprise, but based off of how tired I am, and these stairs I would of lost it anyway. The stairs weren't as welcoming as my floorboards had been, they creaked and groaned under my heavy steps, I can easily go down them quietly but I don't care right now. I walked into the TV room yawning once again I plopped down on the couch next to the nearest person closing my eyes.

"Look who's finally decided to join us" someone said

I opened my eyes to glare daggers at the voice

"Is this how you welcome home your brothers now?" Another voice asked across the room.

I was yet to speak, rubbing my eyes, still wondering why the people wouldn't focus.

By the time the third and forth voice spoke, I gave up going back to the peaceful bliss of darkness. After a while I felt my peaceful slumber come to a jolty end, as someone continued to shake me repeatedly.

"What!?" I snapped I didn't mean to be so loud, but I mean seriously who wakes someone up by shaking them, obviously they're on a death wish.

"Whoa, no need to bite my head off, it didn't seem like you'd ever wake up, dinner is ready by the way."

It took a couple minutes longer for me to open my eyes, what greeted me was my stupid immediate older brother who looked way to happy to have woken me up.

"Virgil."

"Yeah"

"Go away" I attempted to sound angry, but mixed with the tiredness it had come out more as a whine.

Virgil smiled, why he didn't understand "we can't start without you" he replied as he walked off.