🌸 Emery Leonard

• 18 years old

• 5'2

• Red hair

• Freckles

• Soft facial features

• Long eyelashes

• Pastel aesthetic

• Loves flowy tops and skirts

• Wears cute rings

• Wears hair clips

• Wears anklets

• Wears waist chains and belly chains

• Wants a belly button piercing

• Autistic

• Bubbly

• Shy

• Hyperactive

• Clingy

• Anxious

• Stutters when nervous

• Hums to himself

• Loves marshmallows and chocolate

• Lives in London (at the start of the story)

• Loves looking pretty

• Very affectionate

• Easily attached to people

• Wants everyone to like him

• Senior

🖤 Roman Moretti

• 18 years old

• 6'4

• Olive skin

• Jet black hair

• Handsome

• Athletic build

• Quarterback

• Popular

• Lip piercing

• Tattoos on his arms and back

• Italian-American

• Rich family

• Intimidating

• Brooding

• Nonchalant

• Playboy reputation

• Emotionally avoidant

• Doesn't like getting attached

• Keeps people at a distance

• Sarcastic

• Mysterious

• Protective (deep down)

• Senior

I can't seem to find any pictures that'll suit my babies so how about some details to let your imagination do all the work I'm sure it's better that way.🙃🙃

Don't forget to vote⭐️ and comment💋

Your gurll

Ivelisse❤️

*Enjoy!!*

Emery walked home like he always did.

Same streets. Same corners. Same little cracks in the pavement he avoided without really thinking about it. His bag kept slipping off his shoulder in that annoying way it always did, and he kept fixing it with small, impatient fingers like the strap had personally offended him.

The sky was that dull London grey that never really committed to rain or sun.

Just... there.

Not loud. Not soft. Just existing.

He hummed under his breath without noticing at first. A song he didn't even fully remember the words to, just fragments of melody that felt comfortable in his head.

School was over.

That part was nice.

He loved learning just not the place learning was held.

Mostly.

When he reached the front door, he paused for half a second before going inside. Not because he didn't want to go in he always liked home but because the transition between outside and inside always felt like stepping into a different version of himself. Like some Anime he stayed up watching last night

He pushed the door open.

Warmth.

Quiet footsteps in his head slowed a little.

"Emery?"

Rachel's voice.

He blinked and stepped in properly. "Hello."

Rachel was on the couch, legs tucked under her like she belonged there more than the furniture did. The moment she saw him, her face lit up in that way she always did like she had been waiting for him specifically.

"There you are," she said, smiling.

Emery smiled back a little. Small. Careful. "Hi." not knowing what else to say.

She stood up immediately and pulled him into a hug.

He froze for half a second, then slowly relaxed into it, hands hovering before settling lightly against her side like he was remembering how to do this.

"How was school?" she asked when she pulled back.

"Good," Emery said.

It came out too fast.

Rachel tilted her head. "That 'good' sounds suspicious."

"It was good," he repeated, softer this time, like repeating it made it more believable.

Rachel reached up and ruffled his hair without warning.

"Rachel—" Emery leaned away slightly, but not enough to actually stop her. His curls shifted messily into his eyes.

"You always say 'good' when it's not good," she said.

"It was fine," he corrected gently.

"Uh-huh."

Her eyes lingered on him for a second longer than necessary. Like she was checking something she couldn't see.

"Anyone bothering you again?" she asked.

The question always landed a little differently.

Emery paused.

Just long enough to feel it.

Then he shook his head quickly. "No."

Too quick.

But he added, "I was with Jackie."

That part was easy.

Rachel's expression softened immediately. Jackie was safe. Jackie made things make sense in a way school didn't.

"Oh good," Rachel said, letting out a small breath. "She keeping people in line?"

"She talks louder than them," Emery said, like that explained everything.

Rachel laughed.

Emery's shoulders loosened slightly at the sound.

Rachel knew the school. She had been there before him. She knew how people could be when they thought no one would stop them.

She stepped back and pointed lightly at him. "If anything happens, you tell me."

"I always tell you," Emery said.

"That's not true," she said immediately.

He opened his mouth.

Then closed it.

"...I try to," he corrected.

Rachel sighed like she was pretending to be annoyed, but her eyes were warm. Always warm with him.

"Mum went out," she said. "She said she has something important to tell us later."

Emery tilted his head slightly. "Important?"

"Apparently," Rachel said. "She didn't look stressed, so don't start overthinking."

"I don't overthink," Emery muttered.

Rachel gave him a look.

He looked away.

"Are you hungry?" she asked instead.

Emery thought about it properly.

Not really.

"No," he said.

Rachel squinted at him. "Marshmallows again?"

He hesitated.

"...Maybe."

She groaned. "You're going to turn into sugar."

"It's not sugar," Emery said quickly, almost defensive. "It's... nice."

Rachel laughed under her breath. "That's what sugar people say."

Emery ignored that.

Instead, he walked past her into the kitchen.

He opened the fridge himself, like he had done it a thousand times, scanning without much urgency until he found what he wanted.

Marshmallows.

Chocolate.

Comfort things.

He grabbed them carefully, like they might disappear if he moved too fast.

Rachel leaned on the counter behind him. "Eat proper food later."

"I will," Emery said.

"You won't."

"I will," he repeated, a little firmer.

Rachel hummed like she didn't believe him at all.

Emery shut the fridge and turned slightly.

"I'm going upstairs," he said.

"Of course you are," Rachel replied.

He paused.

"...That sounded like judgment." he said his nose scrunched up

"It was affection," she said immediately.

Emery accepted that without argument.

He went upstairs.

His room was always quiet in a way that felt chosen.

Baby blue walls. Soft pink bedding. Little pieces of him everywhere without it feeling crowded. A space that didn't ask too many questions.

He dropped his bag near the desk and let it fall sideways.

Then he sat on the bed.

Only then did his face relax properly.

He opened the marshmallows and ate one slowly, letting it melt without rushing it.

School replayed in his head in fragments.

Not in order.

Just pieces.

Words. Laughter. A look he didn't understand fully. Someone saying something and someone else laughing a second too long. It wasn't his fault he didn't understand some jokes or did things he thought was normal but obviously wasn't.

Normal things.

He was used to it.

Emery shifted slightly on the bed, pulling his knees closer. His fingers fidgeted with one of his rings, twisting it around and around.

He wasn't weird.

He knew that.

He just... didn't always fit into the way people expected things to be.

He always told himself it was fine.

Dad used to say he was special. Not like others. Not less. Just different in a good way

Emery liked that word better than most others.

He looked down at his feet.

Smiley face stickers on his toes.

He giggled softly, just a small sound that came out before he could stop it, remembering Jackie painting them there during their last slumber party like it was the most important thing in the world.

Jackie hadn't come to school today.

But he hadn't told Rachel that.

He didn't like when she worried too much.

Jackie was fine anyway. She was always fine. Just... not there today.

Connor had been there though.

Connor who knew him from forever ago. Connor who sometimes looked like he understood, and sometimes didn't, but still stayed anyway.

Emery didn't fully understand that kind of friendship sometimes. It was confusing to the point he had to space out and have some one on one conversations with his brain.

But he liked it.

He lay back on the bed, marshmallow still in hand, and opened Spotify.

Music filled the room softly.

Not loud. Never loud.

He changed into something more comfortable.

A loose pastel hoodie that slipped slightly off one shoulder, soft shorts underneath, and one of his flowy tops that didn't press too much against his skin. He liked clothes that didn't feel like they were holding him too tightly. He didn't like tight clothes when his brain feels loud.

Better.

Always better.

He curled slightly on the bed, one arm tucked under his head.

Then Rachel's voice called from downstairs.

"Emery!"

He sat up immediately. "Yeah?"

"Mum's home!"

Something shifted in the house.

Not loud.

Just different.

He stood up slowly and went downstairs.

Rachel was already there, arms folded.

Their mother stood in the living room.

She looked... happy.

Emery noticed that first.

Not nervous. Not tired. Not worn out from work like she usually was.

Happy.

"Hi sweetheart," she said when she saw him.

"Hi," Emery said softly.

Rachel didn't wait. "Okay, what's going on?"

Their mother smiled.

"I've been seeing someone," she said. "For a while."

Rachel blinked...

"And... he proposed so we're getting engaged"

Silence.

He looked at her face, and something in him softened immediately.

She deserved that.

After everything.

After nine years since their father passed, after all the quiet evenings and tired smiles and holding things together alone... she deserved happiness. She thought he didn't see her sitting on the sofa crying some nights after coming back from work whenever he came down to take something from the kitchen.

A small smile formed on Emery's face.

"That's... good," he said gently. "I'm happy for you."

Rachel looked at him quickly, then at their mum.

"Yeah... I mean, if you're happy, I'm happy."

Their mother looked relieved.

Then she hesitated.

"There's more."

Emery tilted his head.

"He has a son," she said.

Rachel straightened slightly.

"He's your age, Emery. A little older. They both live in America."

Emery blinked.

America.

Okay.

That was... far.

Their mum smiled slightly. "He lives in America."

Rachel straightened immediately. "Wait—America?"

"Yes."

"Okay, that's a detail you should've led with,"

Rachel said, pointing slightly.

Their mum laughed nervously. "I was getting there."

"We both met when he was on a business trip in London and ever since we just clicked y'know he might be the one" She said dreamily

"I see," he said softly already thinking of a whole new different schedule

Their mother continued. "We'll meet him tomorrow."

Rachel's voice shot up immediately. "Tomorrow?"

"Yes."

"And we're flying?"

"That soon?"

"Yes."

That part made everything feel suddenly real

Rachel groaned. "You could've started with that why are leaving the most important information for last" "She must really be in a hurry then" Rachel said so only Emery could hear.

Emery chuckled at that

Mum looked guilty. "I was getting there."

Rachel stared at her like she had just invented chaos.

Emery didn't speak.

He just absorbed it slowly.

New place.

New person.

New everything.

But... maybe it could be okay.

He wasn't sure yet.

The next day

The airport was loud.

Too loud.

Emery stayed close to Rachel without thinking about it, fingers brushing her sleeve sometimes just to check she was still there.

"It's fine," she said gently.

"I know," Emery whispered.

But his chest still felt tight.

Through the glass, a plane waited.

Big.

Real.

Mum came back with tickets. "Ready?"

Rachel said, "No."

Emery didn't answer.

He just nodded.

And they walked.

Toward the gate.

Toward the plane.

Toward somewhere far away.

Somewhere new.

Somewhere everything was about to change.

Hii Lovelies I hope you'll like this story this is my first time writing a gay romance and I have to say I can't wait to see how it'll unfold I'm just an audience my brain and my hands are the real creators. 🤭🙃🙃

If you do like it don't forget to vote⭐️ and comment

Your gurll

Ivelisse❤️

The moment the plane touched down, Emery's stomach did a weird little flip.

Not a bad flip.

A good one.

An excited one.

The kind that made him want to bounce in his seat and look out the window every three seconds.

America.

He was actually in America.

The thought kept repeating in his head as passengers stood up around them, reaching for bags and talking over each other.

Emery pressed his forehead lightly against the window.

Everything looked different.

The airport looked bigger.

The planes looked bigger.

Even the sky looked different somehow.

"Stop smiling like that."

Emery jumped.

Rachel was staring at him from the seat beside him.

"What?"

"That."

She pointed directly at his face.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"You do."

"I don't."

Rachel snorted.

"You look like a child on Christmas morning."

Emery immediately tried to make his expression normal.

Rachel burst out laughing.

"See? You tried to stop smiling."

"I did not."

"You literally did."

Emery looked away.

The corner of his mouth betrayed him by twitching upward again.

Unfortunately, Rachel noticed.

"You're excited."

"No."

"Emery."

"A little."

"A little?" Rachel repeated.

"A medium amount."

That made her laugh harder.

Before Emery could defend himself, their mother's phone rang.

She answered quickly.

"Hello?"

A pause.

Then her face softened into a smile.

"Alright. Thank you."

When she hung up, Rachel looked at her immediately.

"Was that him?"

Their mother nodded.

"Dimitri said his driver is already waiting for us."

----------

By the time they reached the pickup area, Emery had already looked at everything twice.

The signs.

The people.

The shops.

The giant windows.

Everything felt bright and busy and unfamiliar.

Then the driver arrived.

Emery stared.

The car looked expensive.

Not just expensive.

Very expensive.

It gleamed under the afternoon sunlight like it had never known dirt a single day in its life.

Rachel stared too.

"Okay," she said. "That's ridiculous."

Emery nodded immediately.

"Very shiny."

The driver opened the door for them.

Emery climbed inside carefully.

The seats were softer than expected.

Everything smelled clean.

Rich.

He wasn't entirely sure rich had a smell.

But this definitely smelled rich.

...

As the car moved through Seattle, Emery practically glued himself to the window.

Every few seconds he noticed something new.

Emery's head kept turning every few seconds.

Everything felt different. The signs looked different. The accents sounded different.

Even the air smelled different.

There were so many people.

So many voices.

So many announcements.

It was a little overwhelming.

But in an exciting way.

Mostly.

Tall buildings.

Different shops.

Roads that seemed wider than the ones back home.

He wanted to look at everything at once.

Eventually, he remembered something important.

Jackie.

His smile faded slightly.

He pulled out his phone.

Call.

Nothing.

Again.

Nothing.

He frowned.

That was weird.

He sent another text.

Still nothing.

Emery chewed lightly on his lower lip.

Maybe her phone was dead.

Maybe she was busy.

Maybe she lost it.

Maybe—

No.

He didn't like the maybe thoughts.

They always multiplied.

"Rachel?"

"Hm?"

"Can I borrow your phone?"

Rachel looked up from hers.

"Why?"

"I want to call Jackie."

Rachel's expression softened immediately.

"Still not answering?"

Emery shook his head.

A few moments later she handed over her phone.

He dialed.

Waited.

And waited.

And waited.

Nothing.

Straight to voicemail.

His stomach sank.

"Oh."

Rachel watched him carefully.

"She's probably busy."

"Maybe."

"Or sleeping."

"It's daytime."

Rachel rolled her eyes.

"You know what I mean."

Emery handed the phone back.

He nodded.

But he couldn't stop worrying.

Jackie was his bestest friend.

His favorite person.

She wouldn't just disappear.

Right?

...

Nearly an hour later, the car slowed.

Large black gates stood ahead.

Emery stared.

The gates slowly opened.

Then he saw the house.

And forgot how to blink.

"Oh."

Rachel's mouth dropped open.

"Oh."

The house was enormous.

Not a house.

A mansion.

A real mansion.

The kind people only saw in movies.

Emery held his bag tightly against his chest as the car rolled forward.

Everything suddenly felt very real.

They weren't visiting.

They lived here now.

Or at least they were supposed to.

The front door opened.

A tall man stepped outside.

Dark hair.

Sharp features.

Expensive-looking clothes.

And a smile that immediately made him seem approachable.

Their mother smiled before she even reached him.

The man leaned down and kissed her softly.

Something about that made Emery smile.

His mother looked happy.

Really happy.

That mattered.

"Kids," she said, turning toward them. "This is Dimitri Moretti."

"Mr. Moretti," Rachel greeted politely.

The man laughed.

"Oh no. Absolutely not."

Rachel blinked.

"Just Dimitri."

His attention shifted to Emery.

"So you're Emery."

Emery nodded.

"Yes."

" And you're Rachel right?"

Rachel nodded "yeah"

"I've heard a lot about the both of you."

Immediately, Emery felt his ears grow warm.

"Oh."

Dimitri smiled.

"All good things."

...

Later, after a tour and meeting several staff members, Emery found himself standing in his new bedroom.

It was huge.

Way bigger than the room he'd left behind in London.

The bed alone looked large enough to fit three people.

The butler brought in the last of his luggage.

Before leaving, Dimitri stopped by the doorway.

"My son should be home later."

Emery looked up immediately.

"Oh."

"You'll be attending the same school."

Emery brightened.

"Really?"

Dimitri nodded.

"He's a senior."

Emery smiled.

"I hope we can be friends."

The words escaped before he could stop them.

Immediately afterward, he felt heat crawl into his face.

That sounded childish.

Dimitri only laughed.

"I hope so too."

...

Dinner was peaceful.

Until the front door opened.

Footsteps echoed through the hallway.

A tall figure appeared.

Dark hair.

A lip piercing.

He looked like the kind of person who belonged on magazine covers.

The caretaker smiled. "Welcome home."

The boy nodded.

"Evening."

Broad shoulders.

Handsome enough to look unreal.

Emery blinked.

Then blinked again.

The boy barely glanced toward the dining room.

Without another word, he headed for the pantry.

Like nobody else existed.

Dimitri sighed.

"Roman."

The boy paused.

Barely.

"Did you not notice we had guests?"

A beat of silence.

Then Roman finally looked over his shoulder.

"I noticed."

Dimitri raised an eyebrow.

"And?"

Roman shrugged.

"Tired."

Then he grabbed a snack and a bottle of water.

Turned around.

And walked upstairs.

Just like that.

Gone.

The room fell silent.

Emery stared after him.

That might have been the prettiest person he'd ever seen.

Which was unfortunate.

Because he was also incredibly rude.

Still...

Maybe he had a bad day.

Everybody had bad days.

Tomorrow, Emery would introduce himself properly.

Dinner continued after that, though Emery found himself glancing toward the doorway every now and then.

Not because he was waiting for Roman to come back.

He wasn't.

Probably.

Maybe a little.

Just out of curiosity.

That was all.

When everyone finished eating, Emery automatically reached for his plate.

Before he could stand, Dimitri stopped him.

"Oh, don't worry about that."

Emery blinked.

"My plate?"

"The staff will take care of it."

"Oh."

Emery looked down at the plate.

Then at Dimitri.

Then back at the plate.

"But it's my plate."

Dimitri laughed.

"It'll be alright."

Emery wasn't completely convinced.

Leaving dishes behind felt wrong.

Like abandoning them.

Still, he slowly put it back down.

The plate would survive.

Hopefully.

He figured it was rich people way leave plates for the staff.

After saying goodnight, he followed Rachel upstairs.

The hallway seemed even bigger at night.

The lights were dimmer now, softer.

Everything felt quieter.

His room was near the end of the hall.

The room opposite his stood slightly open.

Just slightly.

Emery slowed.

Not intentionally.

His feet simply...

Did.

The room was dark except for a warm lamp glowing somewhere inside.

He could see part of a desk.

A chair.

The edge of a bed.

That was all.

Curiosity tugged at him.

Just a little.

Okay.

Maybe more than a little.

That was Roman's room.

The rude boy.

The pretty rude boy.

The really, really pretty rude boy.

Emery took one tiny step closer.

Then another.

Not enough to peek.

Just enough to—

The door suddenly swung shut.

Click.

Emery jumped so hard he nearly dropped his phone.

His heart launched itself into another dimension.

"Oh!"

He stared at the closed door.

The closed door stared back.

Well.

That was embarrassing.

He quickly turned around and hurried into his own room before anybody could witness his humiliation.

The second the door shut behind him, he pressed his forehead against it.

"Oh my God."

What was he doing?

Standing outside people's bedrooms like some weird little hallway creep?

Absolutely not.

He was better than this.

Probably.

After a moment he pushed himself away from the door and headed toward his suitcase.

A few minutes later he changed into his favorite pajamas.

A matching XO Kitty set covered in little bows and hearts.

Comfort clothes.

Safe clothes.

The kind that made everything feel a little easier.

He gathered his curls into a tiny scrunchie.

His hair wasn't really long enough to need one.

That wasn't the point.

He simply liked it.

It felt cute.

And Emery liked feeling cute.

After finishing, he wandered over to the mirror.

The oversized shirt hung loosely on him.

The scrunchie sat proudly on top of his curls.

His freckles stood out against his pale skin.

For a moment, he smiled at his reflection.

A real smile.

Small.

Soft.

Tomorrow would be scary.

New school.

New people.

A new city.

A new life.

And somewhere in this giant house was a future stepbrother who seemed allergic to conversations.

But maybe things would work out.

Maybe America would be good.

Maybe Roman wasn't always rude.

Maybe Jackie would answer tomorrow.

Hopefully.

Climbing into bed, Emery immediately sank into the mattress.

His eyes widened.

"Oh."

The bed felt like a cloud.

An actual cloud.

If clouds charged rent and belonged to rich people.

He pulled the blanket up to his chin.

The room was unfamiliar.

The house was unfamiliar.

Everything was unfamiliar.

Yet somehow, as sleep slowly pulled at him, he felt a tiny spark of excitement.

Tomorrow was a new beginning.

And for the first time in a long time...

Emery was looking forward to it.

Within minutes, he was asleep.

Hi there👋🏻 what do you think of this chapter

Drop your thoughts in the comment section.

Ideas, criticisms(constructive), favorite character anything at all.🙃💋

Your gurll

Ivelisse❤️

EMERY||

By Monday morning, Emery had decided America wasn't so bad.

The giant mansion was still a little scary. He was fairly certain there were rooms he hadn't discovered yet, and he suspected if he wandered around long enough he'd eventually find a secret passageway or a ghost. But overall? Not bad.

The biggest downside was that Jackie still hadn't answered any of his messages.

That thought lingered in the back of his mind as he stood in front of his closet.

Today was his first day at a new school.

A new school in a new country.

Which meant his outfit was very important.

After twenty minutes of changing his mind, he finally settled on a cream oversized sweater with tiny embroidered flowers around the cuffs, a light blue pleated skirt that swished around his knees when he moved, white sneakers decorated with colorful charms, and several rings spread across his fingers.

He clipped a pastel star-shaped hair clip into his curls and applied a tiny bit of lip gloss.

Not too much.

Just enough.

He smiled at his reflection.

"Pretty."

Then immediately felt embarrassed for saying it out loud.

Nobody was there.

Still.

The mirror knew.

When he got downstairs, Rachel looked up from her breakfast and groaned dramatically.

"You spent half an hour getting ready."

"It was twenty minutes."

"It was thirty-seven."

Emery gasped.

"You timed me?"

"Of course I timed you."

"That's creepy."

Rachel pointed at him with her fork.

"You're wearing lip gloss."

"It's moisturizing."

"Sure."

Their mother laughed from the other side of the table.

Before Emery could defend himself, footsteps echoed through the dining room.

Roman entered.

For a second, Emery forgot what he was about to say.

Roman looked annoyingly good for someone who acted like he hated everyone.

Black cargo pants.

White fitted T-shirt.

Black varsity jacket.

Dark hair slightly messy.

Lip piercing catching the morning light.

Emery immediately looked away before anyone noticed he was staring.

Roman grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge.

"Morning."

It sounded less like a greeting and more like an unfortunate observation.

"Good morning," their mother replied cheerfully.

Dimitri folded his newspaper.

"Roman, you'll be taking Emery to school today."

Roman paused.

"No."

The answer was immediate.

Dimitri sighed.

"Roman."

"No."

"You're going to the same school."

"I know."

"So you'll take him."

Roman took a sip of water.

"No."

Emery looked down at his cereal.

Maybe if he became invisible this conversation would stop.

Dimitri clearly disagreed.

"He's new."

Roman shrugged.

"Then he'll survive."

Their mother gave Roman a look.

Rachel looked like she was enjoying herself.

And Emery wanted to crawl under the table.

Dimitri finally set his newspaper down.

"Roman."

"What?"

"Take him."

Roman stared at his father.

His father stared back.

The silence stretched.

Then Roman muttered something under his breath.

"What was that?" Dimitri asked.

"I said fine."

Dimitri smiled immediately.

Roman looked annoyed enough to start a war.

Emery smiled nervously.

"Thank you."

Roman didn't answer.

A few minutes later they stepped outside.

Roman headed toward the driveway.

Emery followed.

And then stopped.

"Oh."

Parked outside was a black Porsche 911 Turbo S.

It gleamed in the morning sunlight.

Emery stared.

The car looked expensive enough to buy his entire street back in London.

"Your car is really pretty."

Roman unlocked it.

No response.

Emery's smile faltered slightly.

Maybe he didn't hear him.

That happened sometimes.

When Roman climbed into the driver's seat, Emery reached for the passenger door.

Nothing happened.

He tried again.

Still nothing.

The handle looked completely different from the ones he was used to.

Emery glanced at Roman.

Then looked away.

Then looked back.

"Um..."

Roman sighed.

"What?"

"How do I open it?"

The words came out so quietly Emery barely heard himself.

For a second he thought Roman might ignore him again.

Instead, Roman got out, walked around the car, and opened the door.

"Oh."

Emery's face warmed.

"Thank you."

Roman simply shut the door after him and returned to the driver's seat.

The inside of the car was even prettier than the outside.

Everything looked sleek and expensive.

Emery felt like he should ask permission before breathing on anything.

The engine roared to life.

Then they were moving.

Fast.

Very fast.

Very very fast.

Emery gripped the seat.

Trees blurred past the windows.

Buildings blurred past the windows.

His soul briefly blurred past the windows.

Then Roman suddenly spoke.

"Why aren't you wearing your seatbelt?"

Emery blinked.

His hands flew to his lap.

"Oh."

Right.

Seatbelt.

He'd forgotten.

His face immediately turned pink.

"Sorry. I forgot."

Roman sighed.

The car slowed slightly.

Then, using one hand, he reached over and clicked the seatbelt into place for him.

Emery stared.

"Thanks."

Roman nodded once.

Nothing more.

The silence returned.

Emery decided this was the perfect opportunity.

"My name is Emery."

Roman glanced at him.

"I know."

"Oh."

Emery fidgeted with one of his rings.

"I like drawing and listening to music and my favorite color changes depending on my mood and I used to have a goldfish named Pickles and—"

The school appeared.

Huge.

Massive.

Terrifying.

"Oh."

Roman pulled into the parking lot.

Emery stared at the building.

His old school suddenly seemed tiny.

Maybe everything really was bigger in America.

When they got out, heads immediately turned.

People waved.

Students called Roman's name.

A group of girls openly stared.

Emery looked around.

Oh.

Roman was famous.

Before he could say anything, Roman started walking.

Fast.

Emery hurried after him.

"Wait."

Roman didn't stop.

Emery finally caught up and lightly tapped his arm.

Roman looked down.

"What?"

"Could you maybe show me around?"

"No."

"Oh."

"Find somebody else."

Then Roman walked away with a group of friends.

Just like that.

Leaving Emery standing alone.

Surrounded by strangers.

For the first time all morning, nerves fluttered in his stomach.

America suddenly felt very far from home.

Leaving Emery standing there alone.

Wonderful. Fantastic. Amazing.

He definitely wasn't panicking.

A little later, after asking the school secretary for help, a cheerful girl with dark curly hair appeared.

"Hi! I'm Sam."

Emery smiled.

"I'm Emery."

Her eyes lit up immediately.

"Wait. Are you British?"

"...Yes."

"Your accent is adorable."

Emery's face warmed. "Oh thank you uhh I love your accent too"

Sam grinned. "Come on. I'll show you around."

For the first time that morning, Emery relaxed.

His first class went surprisingly well.

When the teacher introduced him, every pair of eyes landed on him at once.

His palms immediately started sweating.

Wonderful.

The teacher smiled.

"Would you like to introduce yourself?"

No.

Not really.

But saying no would be weird.

So Emery stood.

"My name is Emery. I'm from London. I like music and art and I moved here last week because my mum is getting married and I accidentally dyed my eyebrows pink when I was twelve." Maybe he overshared

The room exploded with laughter.

Emery froze.

Then realized they were laughing with him.

Not at him.

The difference felt strange.

But nice. Very nice.

At lunch, Sam invited him to sit with her friends.

There were five of them.

They immediately made room for him.

Nobody seemed bothered by his questions.

Nobody looked annoyed when he talked too much.

Nobody laughed when he missed a joke.

It felt...

Easy.

There was Olivia, who always looked like she was judging everyone but was secretly nice.

Noah, who made jokes every ten seconds.

Maya, who complimented Emery's hair clip within thirty seconds of meeting him.

Ethan, who somehow had enough energy for five people.

And Aiden.

Aiden smiled way too much. He was just weird

Emery wasn't sure how else to describe him. He was also weird he stared at him too much.

Lunch had barely started before Noah pointed at him.

"So."

Emery blinked. "So?"

"You're new."

"Yes."

"You have an accent."

"...I guess so..?"

"You dress cooler than everyone here."

Emery laughed.

"Thank you."

Maya leaned forward.

"I love your aesthetic."

"Aesthetic?"

"Your whole vibe."

Emery giggled.

"Oh."

Then Roman's name came up because apparently news travels fast around here and someone saw Emery coming out of his car.

"Wait," Sam said suddenly. "You live with Roman Moretti?"

Emery nodded.

"Sort of."

The table froze.

"Sort of?" Ethan repeated.

"What does sort of mean?"

"Our parents are getting married."

Silence.

Then chaos.

"WHAT?"

"No way."

"Roman Moretti?"

"The quarterback?"

"THE Roman Moretti?"

Emery laughed. "Yes?"

Noah looked intrigued "So does that mean we can get invites to his parties?"

"What parties?"

"Roman throws the best parties in the whole school but you have to be popular to get an invite elites only I guess" Maya said

"Oh" Emery was confused

"So what does that have to do with me"

Sam then decided to explain to him " What they are trying to say is since you're going to be his brother you practically live with him you'll get invited and that means as your friends they'll get invited too I don't like parties so nahh"

"I've never been to a party before maybe if he does throw one I'll let you know Noah"

Noah threw his fist in the air and said "Yes"

The table burst out laughing.

Emery giggled so hard his shoulders shook.

By the end of lunch, everyone except Aiden had already exchanged numbers with him.

As everyone stood up to leave, Aiden suddenly spoke.

"Hold on."

The group turned.

Aiden pointed at Emery.

"I don't have his number."

Noah groaned. "Dude."

"What?"

"You've known him for an hour and we all collected his number what was going through your head"

"Exactly."

"That's not helping your case."

Aiden ignored him and held out his phone.

"Number."

Emery giggled.

"Okay."

Aiden grinned victoriously.

"See? He likes me."

"No I don't." He really didn't but no one realized he was serious because the entire table laughed

anyway.

For the first time in a very long time, Emery felt something warm settle inside his chest.

Maybe this place wouldn't be so bad after all.

School ended much faster than Emery expected.

Sam walked with him towards the parking lot.

Roman's car was there but Roman wasn't.

"Where is he?" Emery asked

Sam looked confused "Who?"

"Roman"

"Ohh he's probably at football practice"

"Okay let's go there"

So they headed to the field.

When the got there Emery decided that the game made absolutely no sense. They called it football when they didn't even use their feet to play it. It clearly looked like rugby.

America was strange.

Finding Roman wasn't difficult. He was the tallest person on the field.

Emery grabbed Sam's hand and started walking towards them.

Sam immediately froze.

"We can for him here" Sam said obviously shy of going to a field full of hot men she was just a girl for crying out loud.

But Emery obviously didn't get it. "Why?"

"Because....."

That obviously wasn't an answer so he continued walking towards them.

When they reached the players, several heads turned.

One player blinked whispered to the person beside him.

"Who's the tiny colourful human"

Emery smiled at Roman to get his attention.

Roman was giving instructions when Emery tugged on his shirt.

Roman looked down already annoyed.

"What?"

"Isn't it time to go home?"

The field went silent.

Roman stared.

"So you walked to my practice field..."

Emery nodded.

"....to ask if it was time to leave?"

"Yes, why is there a problem"

Several players burst out laughing

Roman looked angry and annoyed and exhausted all together.

He inhaled as though he were mentally calming himself down. "As you can see, I'm practicing, so either you wait or find your way home yourself".

"But I came with you"

"Then wait"

One player grinned "Well hello there"

Emery waved a little dejected at the fact he's going to wait for Roman for God knows how long.

"Hi"

"Roman didn't tell us he had a cute new friend what's your name sweetie"

"I'm Emery"

Roman muttered under his breath. "Here we go again" already knowing Emery's going to launch in to introduce himself.

By the time practice ended, one of the players approached Emery.

"Hey give me your number so we can hangout sometime"

"Sure" Emery said.

He pulled out his phone.

Before he could unlock it, Roman suddenly grabbed the guy by the back of his shirt and dragged him away.

"What—"

The two disappeared a short distance away.

Emery couldn't hear much.

Only pieces.

".....fucking back off"

"..... seriously?"

A minute later Roman returned.

The other player looked annoyed.

Emery blinked.

That was strange. Very strange.

When Roman started walking towards the car, Emery followed him.

"Can Sam come with us?"

"No"

"But—"

"No that's final"

Sam laughed awkwardly. "It's okay Em Trevor can take me we kind of know each other"

She waved "See you tomorrow"

Inside the car Emery buckled himself immediately.

He had learned from this morning.

Then he remembered something.

"Oh"

Roman started the engine.

"I was making a new friend what did you tell him that made him leave?"

"No you weren't" Roman surprisingly answered him.

Emery frowned. "What do you mean?"

Roman sighed already tired of the conversation. "Not everyone who smiles at you wants to be your friend"

"... What?"

Roman rubbed his face.

He looked tired from practice.

And no matter how many times Emery asked after that, he never answered.

When they got home, Roman went straight upstairs.

Emery's mother found Emery in the kitchen.

"There you are."

He smiled at her.

"Hi mom"

"How was your first day" his mom asked

And for the next ten minutes Emery told her every good thing that happened.

The new friends.

Sam.

The lunch table.

The class.

Everything.

And his mother looked happy to see that her baby boy is fitting in just fine.

If you liked this chapter don't forget to comment and vote⭐️🙃.

Your gurll

Ivelisse❤️