Like Chocolate Stars and the Sun

”Hey Frankie-Doodle"

I spun round, a little caught off guard by someone whispering in my ear, coming face to face with my wonderful neighbour.

“Hey yourself. And don’t call me 'Frankie-Doodle'” I laughed and lightly hit him on the arm.

“I didn't know you were going to be here tonight.” Jesse smiled and sit on the couch next to me. How he had managed to whisper in my ear without sitting down on the couch already, I don’t know. “How come you didn't say.”

“I didn't know my dads new boss was your uncle.” I shrugged and took a sip of my lemonade. Did you know, lemonade is flat over here? Its more like a fruit punch then a fizzy drink, but nice all the same.

“Fine then, were even.”

“So I asked my dad which school he was planning on sending us too.” I mentioned after a few minutes of silence. “He said that your uncle, his new boss, got both me and my brother a place at Tyler's school. Am I right in assuming that you go to that school too?”

“You assume right my dear.” Jesse smiled, “Hey where did Tyler go?”

“Oh so now you notice I'm gone?” I heard a voice laughing from somewhere and my eyes darted round the room looking for Tyler. I finally found him standing in the door way. “Dinners going to be ready soon.”

“Kids, dinner.”

“Or now.” Tyler smiled and rolled his hand round and then pointed it towards the door he was standing by as if to usher us in.

Dinner wasn't all that interesting itself. My dad and Tyler's dad/Jesse's uncle were discussing work, my mum and Tyler's mum were discussing god knows what. School most likely. Brandon was chatting away to Tyler and Jesse's dad about some random subject. So that left me and Jesse.

“So English girl.” Jesse elbowed me gently. “You excited about starting school over here.” I looked at him blankly.

“Come on Jesse, its school. How can I look forward to it?”

“Well you don't have to wear a uniform, thats a plus.” Jesse explained. “But there is a dress code. Girls cant wear hot pants or short shorts or extremely low cut tops.”

“Damn, that means I have nothing to wear.” I cut Jesse off, grinning a sarcastic smile. Jesse laughed and continued his list.

“You also cant wear really, really short skirts.”

“How come you know all these rules?” I asked as I stabbed my fork into my pasta.

“I'm not sure actually.” Jesse looked at me with his head tilted and bit his lip in mock confusion.

The rest of dinner was quite fun, me and Jesse got to know each other better. Also he made me laugh a lot as well. Well I was laughing until he told me when school started back from the summer holidays.

“Monday?” I asked, after almost choking on my lemonade. “This Monday?” Jesse just nodded in response. I sighed and muttered a few sarcastic “Well thats just bloody fantastic."

After dinner all the parents went into the living room, probably to drink more wine. Well everyone except my mum. She was the designated driver for my family. Anyway the parents ended up in the living room so us kids, meaning Brandon, Tyler, Jesse and I, scurried off to the basement.

“Who's up for a Guitar Hero competition?” Tyler asked as he stood up with a white guitar in his hands. I had never played guitar hero before in my life, but after seeing my brother get ninety-eight percent on a song I though I would give it a go. And it was my luck to be against Tyler, who happened to be extremely excellent at this game.

“You haven't played this before have you?” Tyler asked as I missed another large amount of notes. I shook my head, which only caused me to miss more.

When my song had finished I couldn't help but laugh. Even though I couldn't play the game to save my life, it was pretty damn fun. I collapsed onto the old couch that Tyler had in his basement and sighed as I watched Jesse and my brother get scores at least ten times more then what I had scored on the full song. It took me a while to realize that Tyler had sat down next to me.

“So your coming to same school as Jess and me?”

“Yep.” I nodded.

“Monday?”

“Yep.” I probably looked like a nodding dog.

“You worried.”

“Yep.” I sighed and turned my head so I was facing Tyler. He rolled his eyes at me.

“You will fit right in.” Tyler reassured me. Except I wasn't all that reassured. “The people at our school are just like you, except they are American. And slightly taller.”

“Oh your so funny Tyler.” I pretended to be practically wetting myself with laughter. “Thats right pick on the small people.” For the record, I am actually not that small. Tyler just happens to tower above me, hence making me look small.

Tyler was about to say something witty back when my mother appeared at the top of the stairs.

“Kids its time to go.”

- - -

Monday. The day I go back to normality. Well as normal as it can get for someone who has just moved. Jesse's dad gave Brandon, my mother and I a lift to school because my father had already set off for work.

As soon as we reached school Jesse showed us were the Administration Office was and then sped off somewhere. I have no idea where but he went. Half an hour later, after being asked question after question my brother was and I were sent off to our first class of the day. For Brandon, it was art. For me? Maths. I hate maths, it is the worst subject known to man. And to have it first on a Monday. Thats just child abuse.

I walked into the class room and suddenly everyones eyes were on me. Now I may be used to being stared at by thirty or so people, but for some reason today felt different. I scanned the classroom, wondering if I would see a familiar face. Tyler had told me on Saturday night that I would be coming into his year, I think he said something about being a sophomore. So really I was scanning around the room to see if he was there.

“Class we have a new student joining us this year, her name is Francesca Miller.” My math teacher, Mr Samsun, informed the class. Mr Samsun was quite old compared to some of the teachers at my school back home. Well his hair was white, so that gave the impression he was quite old. “Miss Miller there is a seat at the back of the class.”

I walked down the gaps between the desks everyones eyes followed me, it was slightly creepy. It felt like a lifetime before I finally reached my seat. I dropped my back down as quietly as I could and sat down.

“Psstt.” I glanced over in the direction of the voice and noticed Tyler was sat next to me. I suppose maths might be alright after all.

“Hey, I couldn't see you when I was stood at the front.” I smiled as a pulled out a notebook of mine to 'make notes' in.

“So do you like the school?” Tyler asked a few minutes later. I glanced over at him and nodded.

“Well what I have seen is nice.” I smiled and looked back at the blackboard. Mr Samsun had his back to the class so I took it as an opportunity to say something else to Tyler. “What do you have next?”

“English, Music and Art. What about you?”

“Erm...” I quickly looked at my timetable. “History, Music and Art.” I smiled

“Cool.” Tyler smiled back.

By the end of my maths lesson I was almost asleep. Maths and I first thing on a Monday is not a great mix.

“So I'll see you in Music?” Tyler smiled as we packed up our things. The bell had just gone and I had been waiting for it to do so since the lesson started.

“You will.” I smiled and headed off in the opposite direction.

By the time third period rolled round I was beyond bored. I walked into the music room, which for the record is so much cooler then any of the music rooms at my old schools, and looked round for Tyler. He saw me looking for him and waved me over to a desk he was sitting at.

“Do you like sitting at the back of classes or something?” I asked as I set my bag down on the floor.

“No, but the best keyboards are at the back of the room. Its easy access to them.” He winked and flicked some hair out of his eyes. Just so you know, this guys hair was absolutely awesome. It was just the right length, not too short and not too long, and was this amazing light brown. Anyway.

“Welcome back class.” A young looking woman stood at the front of the room addressing the whole class. “I hope you all had a wonderful summer.”

“Thats Mrs Reynolds” Tyler whispered to me, “The only teacher here who wont give you an automatic detention for talking in class.”

“Then why are you whispering?” I asked.

“Because I am a polite gentlemen.” Tyler smiled and directed his attention back to the front of the class.

“This semester we are going to be composing songs and learning different techniques used in different genres. This will help you fit your lyrics to your genre with ease.”

“For the first time today, I actually understood what a teacher said.” I shook my head as Tyler looked at me in confusion. Mrs Reynolds has finished talking about the 'semester objectives' and was now pairing people up. Lucky for me, I had been paired with Tyler.

“Really?” I nodded.

“So how come I keep getting stuck with you?” I laughed as I opened yet another new notebook.

“Because I am simply awesome?” Tyler asked and then laughed at his own joke, and I couldn't help but smile. “So what genre are we going to write a song for?”

“Not sure.” I shrugged my shoulders, “Maybe we should find out what instruments we can both play, it will help decide what song.”

“That sounded a bit confusing, but whatever. I play drums and guitar.”

“I could tell you were a guitar person.” I tapped my pencil absent-mindedly against my desk. “I play piano, and thats all.”

“Really. Piano is cool.”

“Yeah I suppose.” I looked down at my pencil, which was still being tapped against my desk.

“No really. You can read real music, with notes and everything.” Tyler said. “I just learned to play guitar by what my dad taught me.”

“Ive always wanted to play guitar,” I told Tyler, then I looked back up at him. “Maybe you could teach me.”

“That would be fun.”

By lunch I pretty much knew Tyler inside out. Well metaphorically anyway. Tyler said I could eat lunch with him and some of his friends until I make some of my own. I hope hes not trying to get rid of me. I queued for my lunch and followed Tyler to a table with two boys and a girl sat on it. I was quickly introduced to them and found out that the girl's name was Charlotte, and the guys names were Jake and Nick. Charlotte was younger then Jake and Nick, who were in the same year as my brother. She told me she was in my history class but she sat near the back where as I was forced to sit right at the front, but Tyler and her hung around with them because there parents were good friends and thats how they knew each other.

Halfway through my tuna pasta someone tapped me on the shoulder. I turned round and looked up, and I bet you cant guess who was there.

No seriously, guess.