Chapter 5: Meeting the new family

Alexander POV:

Today we move. Dad told us earlier this year that he bought a house at Beacon Hills now that he and that women are officially together. Since their first date four years ago, they keep seeing each other in "secret" from her kid and us. It was easy to know when he was going to see her. He didn't sleep for the entire night before and would ride us to school, or when we didn't have to go, I would see him in the kitchen or the living room in the middle of the night when I went to eat or for a night walk.

They were not really keeping it a secret. Dad just doesn't like talking about his love life and would only tell us the bare minimum of what's happening in his relationship when we ask.

Raphael, having the gifted power to usually make everyone talk with his energy and genuine curiosity about other people, didn't get any details about her and what they were doing.

Today is also the first day we meet her and her son. While the moving company places the furniture in the house, we will have dinner at her place.

As I pack the things in my room, I come across the trophies on one of my room's shelves. All the other ones are full of training materials and books. I don't expose my awards to boost my ego but to rub it off on Raphael's face. He always brags about being the, oh, more fantastic big brother, so seeing this every time he enters my room brings him back to earth, and honestly, his face of pure disgust is pleasant to witness.

Swimming contests, mathematical contests, martial arts, archery, and piano, I have won in a bunch of categories. Each year I would take 2 or 3 different activities and train them until I am satisfied with my mastery. The idea of signing up for contests was my dad's idea. "Why not try to win some trophies since you already are training in it? Plus, you can improve by confronting other people." So I did it thinking it would make me better, but I was already better than everyone I was against.

The reason why is my shadow powers. Of course, I didn't use them to cheat, but it's more about the passive ability that it grants me. The more I train with it, that I go deeper in that intern pool, the more my body and senses strengthen.

Thinking about the pool, I don't know what will happen when I can completely immerse in it. When I notice that my body passes a bottleneck, I go into my inner self and dip my hand inside, absorbing more of the shadow until I feel my body complete. Then I enter a phase of assimilation that results in me getting stronger, faster, and better reflexes.

I hear Raphael walk down the hallway, and I call for him. When he enters the room and sees the trophy in my hands, he snickers.

-Did you really call me just to show off? You are becoming petty, Lexy.

I roll my eyes. Lexy is the new nickname he found for me together with Allison when I have too much "attitude" toward them.

-No, it's not. I'll have plenty of time later for it. I wanted to ask you how "deep" you are now.

With the same excited smile he has every time he is about to do something cool, he extends his hand palm up.

-Look at this! MACHIDIEL!

In his hand, a hilt made of golden color light materializes, and the cross guard curves up toward the long yellow light blade that extends 3 feet long.

-What are you doing, you bloody idiot?!

I scream quietly and rush past him, ensuring I don't impale myself on his light sword, pop my head outside the room to see if dad is near and could have heard, and then close the door.

-You could at least have checked if it was clear... but it was amazing. It was created so fast.

He chuckles and unsummons his weapon.

-I got the idea of making weapons since I can materialize my power. Still, I always had to model it, and in the heat of the action, I wouldn't have time or concentration to do it, so I trained my subconscious to make the weapon based on the name I gave it, just like a magic spell.

Ironically, Raphael wasn't the bright one in general. However, ever since we met the one that brought us here, and even after our awakening, he showed over and over again that in all this reincarnation and power, he is the smarter one.

-I have to give you this one.

-Of course, that's why I'm the big bro.

He winks at me and leaves me creeping on his horrible way of doing it. Even after all those years, he didn't improve.

I wrap the last trophy and put it in the box with "Alexander's trophies" written on it. Now that I think about it, I never took a break in the last four years. I was constantly training and improving myself in different disciplines, even studying ahead of my years.

Of course, I took time to enjoy myself. Play video games, watch tv, read, and go out with dad and Raph.

This year I will take more time for myself. It's tiring to always do something. So I will only go to school, basic training, and maybe get a part-time job. Even if we don't have any money problems, buying stuff my own will feel more right.

It will give me time to spend with my family, and my new one too. I wonder how they are.

I grab the box and walk down to place it with the other ones in the living room. It was the last one. Only the furniture is left, but the mover will take care of it. While they move the stuff, we will be eating at dad's girlfriend's house.

Now I wait until Raph is done packing, and then we will be off to Beacon Hills.

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The drive was not that long. The only time I went to Beacon Hills was for a Lacrosse game. A game that we won, of course. Brett wasn't with us. From junior to senior high school, he changed schools with his sister to a private one. He was happy because he was able to make his sister enters it along with him. He was offered a scholarship there for his Lacrosse talent. They tried to enroll my brother and me too, but we declined.

-Kids, before going to dinner, we will make a stop home so we can freshen up a bit and choose our rooms.

I keep looking out the window without wandering my dad. I am already ready for dinner, and we can choose our rooms after it. I suspect him to apprehend our meeting with his girlfriend and him, her son.

-Dibbs on the biggest room, hehe!

-No, you don't!

No way I'll let him get the biggest room.

-I need more space than you for my library and training tools.

-Sucks to be you. I called dibs!

-Boys, boys! You both know how we will solve this.

Raphael turns on his seat, and we lock eyes. We pull out our fists and shake them three times while reciting:

-Rock! Paper! Scissors!

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I enter my room, the biggest of the house after my father's.

I'll have plenty of place for all my stuff and the queen-size bed that dad bought us each. I was almost flustered when he said that since I was old enough to have place for more than one person in it.

I walk to the window and notice another big house next to ours for sale with an overlaying "sold" on the sign. I see that I have access to the roof from my window, so I open it and climb over. I sit on the top and look up at the sky. I often do it. I don't think about anything and look at the cloud roaming free in their territory. Doing that and letting myself float in water are the two things I do when I want to relax and clear my mind.

-what are you doing up there?

The shout of Raphael breaks my thoughts. He has his head out the window, his body bending forward, his hand out on the roof, and his body twisting to be able to look at me higher on the roof.

-You'll fall if you keep leaning like that.

-I know how to maintain myself. Thank you very much! Now get down. Dad finally decided to stop stressing out and is waiting for us in the car. Come before he changes his mind and tries to think of an excuse not to go.

I clearly can see him finding excuses not to go and still not making it look like one. He is genuinely good at that. At first, everybody thinks he is outgoing and social, but if he can find an excuse to stay home, he will do it, especially when he is nervous.

-Okay, I'm coming... think fast.

I throw him an aki ball I had in my pocket, and as I planned, he tries to catch it with the hand he's leading on, making him fall on the roof. Luckily, he is quick enough to grab the window's railing.

I step over him, giving him an "I told you so" look and head down. I hear him scream behind me that I could have killed him. I roll my eyes and scream back that a fall from this high could barely hurt him.

Even if he didn't train as much as me, he still did. So just like me, his power slowly made his body stronger.

In the car, dad was gripping the steering wheel hard and was fixing a distant point in front of him. Sitting in the car, I wake him up from his thoughts. Probably still thinking of a reason to dodge the dinner.

Not long after, Raphael enters the car and excitedly tells dad to go. After a deep but resigned sigh, the vehicle finally exits the driveway.

-----

We finally arrived. The car stops in the driveway, and Raphael speed outside even before it turns off. Dad still didn't let go of the steering wheel. I put my hand on his shoulder, trying to reassure him.

-Don't worry, dad, everything will be alright. Look how much Raphael is eager to meet them. Even I am a little looking to it

He gives me a sheepish smile and lightly taps my hand.

-I know, but I can't stop myself. It's my first relationship since... since your mother, and I don't want to fucked it up.

-it won't.

I squeeze his shoulder, let go, and exit the car. Not long after, he follows me and walks up to the door. Raphael already knocked at it, not allowing dad have a last-minute change of mind.

Inside the house, someone shouts to a certain Scott to go open the door. It opens on a teenage boy that looks around my age, with short brown hair and a noticeable fake smile on his face.

He stares at us, studying us longer than what decency would permit before stepping aside.

-Nice to meet you. I am Scott McCall. Please come in.

His words sounded robotic as if he had practiced before to make them seem more truthful for us and surely for him. On my end, I didn't believe it.

Raphael is the first one to move. He grabs Scott by the shoulder and pulls him into a hug, utterly oblivious to the feeling behind the words.

-Nice to meet you too, I am Raphael, but you can call me big bro.

He let go of a stun Scott and walk into the house, giving space for my father to introduce himself.

He opens his arm for a hug just like his son but is only met with the extended hand of Scott. He probably wasn't as comfortable with strangers as my brother.

-I am happy to meet you, Scott. My name is Stephane. Your mom talks excellently about you.

At the mention of his mom, Scott's polite smile twitch a bit, and he glares at my dad. Maybe remembering him that his mother is seeing someone and that this someone is the one rubbing it to his face isn't the best thing to do the first time you meet.

When it is my turn to enter the house, I just nod at him.

-Alexander.

He nods back, and I notice that he doesn't even extend his hand for a handshake. It was probably only a defense measure against my dad's embrace.

Inside the house, my brother is looking everywhere, absorbing all the information he can based on what he sees.

-So this is what a house with a woman living in looks like... Is that a natural plant?

I shake my head at my brother's antics as my father is just standing there awkwardly, probably overthinking his rejected hug of Scott.

We are saved by a small woman with curly hair walking in from what seems to be the kitchen.

-Hi, Don't stay in the lobby. Please sits at the table. The food is nearly done.

She moves aside to let us pass. Just like what happened with Scott, my brother gives her a hug while introducing himself. Hug that she retaliates, apparently surprised and happy. My dad gave her a brief hug. It would probably have been a longer one if he didn't provide Scott a side glance and saw him frowning.

As I walk to introduce myself, she opens her arms for a hug, but I use Scott's defense measure and extend my hand. I am not the hugging type. She gave me a knowing smile while giving me a firm shake.

-Hi, I am Melissa. It's a pleasure to be able to meet you.

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Author's note:

Well, now you should be used to the long wait, haha. I am using way more time reading books than writing this one, and while reading, I start having ideas of fanfiction about them. However, I have another chapter ready. I just need to edit it, so I will post it soon.

About what I was reading, did anyone read "The royal assassin" by Robin Hobb or the "Seven realms" by Cinda Williams Chima?

Shorter chapter than usual, around 2370 words.

Thank you for reading, and don't hesitate to leave comments other than the time it takes for me to upload a chapter thanks

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