chapter 1

Some people think change is good: It's a sign of growth; progress.

I always hated change: It makes things more complicated; you have to plan and re-organise. But I do also know that it's inevitable. Necessary. Sometimes I feel like the one constant in my life has been conflict, but I suppose that's to be expected when you're a commander's daughter growing up in a war zone.

I've moved from one country to another; made new friends and found a new family.

I suppose some changes can be good. But a change of schools at the end of the summer holidays wasn't something I was looking forward to. But, everyone who would turn ten within the next year was required to move up to a higher education and it technically wasn't changing schools. We'd still be in the same building, just a different area. Still, I wasn't looking forward to the holidays coming to an end and it wasn't made any easier by the fact that my sister had also had to go back home to her own school. She had made sure we gave each other our phone numbers before she left. "There. We've got no excuse now." She'd said with a smile. I spent the last week of summer reminiscing about all the fun we'd had while she was here.

To begin with, she said she just wanted to stay to watch us start the video games we'd bought, since she helped us buy them.

Before we'd even started playing with kingdom hearts, we got talking about whether or not any of us had played any of them before.

"No but I know a lot of the theme songs from it." I'd said. Riku's theme was always my favourite."

On qué, Tiana started singing the familiar, soft, slightly sombre tune. I began to join in but let her sing the bridge on her own. It didn't stop there. From that, we began to play all the kingdom hearts themes, and then even going on to other video games songs such as from League of legends, singing along to those we knew best.

Even just starting the game caused banter between her and Jay over the kingdom hearts collections. Jay had said he'd made sure to buy the complete collection, which included the very first game but Tiana has insisted that there must've been some sort of remake since it first came out…"Because, there's no way the animation was that good back."

And Jay had snickered. "Ooo, look at me, I studied animation. I know quality when I see it." He imitated, teasingly.

That brief moment of sass earned him a slap on the head, between the ears.

It was the small moments like that that reminded me she was his half sister too, even though me and him had no relation to each other, other than being best friends.

Before she'd left, we had made sure to exchange numbers so we could keep in contact.

("There you go. You've got no excuse now.")

The memories fading, I lay back on the sofa with a sigh. The new school term was starting tomorrow. I shouldn't be wasting my time with stuff like this. I should be preparing. Getting all my school things ready for the morning. But I really didn't wanna. I would gladly have just stayed there and played one of the new games with Jay and the others. But recently I hadn't even felt like doing that. It just wasn't as fun without Tiana. It didn't feel right.

It was right when I was wondering if Jay felt the same which was why he also hadn't touched the games since she'd left, that I heard the *beep* of the playstation turning on. I opened my eyes. I'd been so caught up in my thoughts that I hadn't heard him come in.

He looked at me and shrugged. "What? One of us had to start somewhere."

I sighed and rolled my eyes. Of course he was right. This time.

Nationally, watching him play made me want to join in. This was often his own way of helping me do something I wasn't sure about.

Feeling a little more cheerful after playing, I soon felt ready to get ready for school the next day. Jay, of course, didn't much care about that. He wasn't really the academic type. Besides, he often liked to leave things to the last minute.

"You'll be sorry about it tomorrow." I warned him after getting up, stretching and noticing he'd stayed put.

"Dad?" I called, opening the door to our apartment. "You here?" The living area was empty and there was no sound from his room. He must still have been working.

I felt the familiar feeling of pity. A part of me just wanted reassurance from him but I also felt sorry for him. It can't be easy being a base commander, especially in a war. Trying to distract myself by heading to my room and beginning to gather my school things.

It was getting dark by the time I heard him come in. Almost on instinct, I jumped up and headed out of my room "Dad!"

We both stopped when we saw each other. All of a sudden, now that I was facing him after everything he did on a daily basis, my own school concerns seemed pretty and childish.

"You're still up." He spoke first.

"I was just…sorting out things for tomorrow."

He made towards the sofa and beckoned me to join him. "Are you nervous?"

I made to follow suit. "A little." Honestly, after being reminded of what we'd been through due to the war, anything else seemed rather trivial.

I sat up on the couch, hugging my knees, and leaned against him.

He didn't even need to say anything. Just put his arms around me and let me snuggle there. It wouldn't have been the first time I'd fallen asleep in his arms and woken up after he'd carried me to bed.

I turned onto my side, looking towards the door.

My father was a truly incredible man.

(Jay's pov)

I would consider myself a reasonable guy. Sure, I can be a bit of a reckless rascal but everyone needs to have a little fun every now and then. And yeah, I never liked going to school but, what's the point of it really? The most important lessons in life you have to learn for yourself. I still go of course, not because it's a rule or because someone says I have to but to be with my friends.

And it's not like I try to make enemies but it is true that I can be a bit of an envious person. So when I see someone who looks like me but is clearly older, quite a bit taller, paler, with longer and lighter hair and slightly darker eyes…it's only natural that I feel a little resentment.

To make matters worse, even our names were similar. He was one of the Jeckelson boys: The father was a well respected doctor with a large family, well known and easily recognisable. What his real name was I didn't know but everyone called him JJ.

Still, it wasn't all bad. He was three years above us so there was no way we would be in the same class. But it was outside of class that was the problem, since now we'd been moved up, we shared a playground with the older kids.

It wasn't until someone called his name and I mistook it for mine that I snapped. He must've seen me react to hearing it because he looked my way and I swear to god, he smirked at me. So I chased him. And he ran. He was pretty quick but it was in my nature to be quicker. I could've caught him but I stopped when up ahead I saw Thia walking by, holding a pile of books. He kept going though, not even paying attention to where he was going…

(Thias pov)

Right when I was starting to get used to the new area - thinking it wasn't so bad after getting some new books - when I briefly noticed Jay running after one of the older kids before they bumped into me at high speed, knocking the books out of my hands. I was vaguely aware of them turning to apologise as I went to pick them back up. He soon crouched down in front of me to help and I looked up at him. I had to do a double take, because for a second I thought it was Jay.

We made eye contact. I could see the look in his eyes. It wasn't a look I hadn't seen before. A lot of people used to look at me that way. It as good as told me what he was thinking. It also told me he didn't know who I was.

After a moment with us just staring at each other, he smiled slightly. "Hi."

I offered a shy smile then went back to pick up my books.

He pointed over his shoulder. "I was running from…"

"I saw."

"Yeah, that kid, Jay doesn't like me."

"That kid, Jay is my best friend."

"Oh."

One simple word but said that way, has a lot of meaning.

Like 'Oh, you already have a best friend who's a boy.'

Or 'Oh, I was hoping we could say some bad things about him behind his back together.'

But 'Oh, I don't want to sound too disappointed because I wanna give a good impression.'

I wasn't sure which bothered me more. I wanted nothing more than to walk away but politeness told me to stay put for now.

He appeared to be trying to change the subject. "A-I guess that would make sense, you're both in the same year after all. Just got moved up today, right?"

I nodded.

"Well, trust me, it's all as bad as it seems. I know it's a little scary to begin with but it's actually easier than you'd think."

Of course, he was older than us so he would've been through this year already. "Well, thank you for the encouragement." I said, genuinely grateful.

"Don't mention it. I have seven younger brothers, so I gotta be kinda good at encouraging."

"Do you, now." I said, and then I came to a realisation. "Oh. You're one of the Jeckelsons."

He shrugged in a way that said, 'what can I say.' "You're looking at the eldest Jeckelson son, known around as JJ."

The Jeckelsons didn't actually live in Nabula. They lived just outside of town in a larger city where their dad worked as a doctor in a big hospital. I had no idea they went to school here.

"It's a nice little town that's been getting a lot of attention lately." He said, after I mentioned that with a slight chuckle and we started walking together. "A good change from the busy city where no one looks at you twice. My sisters especially always liked to be in the middle of the action."

"I met one of your sisters once" I told him, the memory still pretty fresh in my mind "and some of your brothers I think."

"Yes, they told me the story. How you saved them from the kidnappers."

I laughed. "I wouldn't put it quite like that." Truth was, I was as much a victim as they were in that situation. It was my father and Jay who saved us in the end.

"No." JJ seemed to agree. "No I guess not. You all did your bit…princess."

I made a face at him, before we had to split up and head our next respective classes.

Perhaps it wouldn't be so bad there after all.

(Jays pov)

I'd listened to the whole thing, hiding behind a wall. My hearing was good enough that even when they started to move away, I could still hear them without having to move, that familiar feeling of envy burning in my chest. How dare he! Talking to her as if they were old friends.

I didn't want to start anything with Thia so I stayed there for a few minutes to try to calm this feeling.

I was her oldest and closest friend. She was only being polite. That's just how she was with everyone.

The thought made me smirk and I made my way into class five minutes late.