Samantha made her way through the crowded streets of the city, checking her hair with her phone camera for any last-minute fixes. Her mother, though loving, spotted imperfections with a sharp eye. It was an unusually cold day for the beginning of fall, the sky overhead crowded with gray clouds. Wind blew in gusts, sending fallen leaves and scraps of litter skidding across the asphalt.

She hoped Adrian wasn't too far behind; she had tried to wake him up this morning but he had only grumbled and shut the door. Their father, Ryden, never really paid attention to what they were up to, but Cela liked to check in on them every once in awhile.

The bells above the cafe doors jingled as she walked in, the scent of coffee and baked pastries surrounding her the moment she stepped through the door. The cafe was warm, a sharp contrast from the chilly breeze outside.

She shrugged out of her coat, folding it neatly over one arm as she scanned the cafe for her mother's signature silvery hair. She found Adrian first, sitting comfortably in a chair near the window, talking amicably with a silver-eyed woman across from him. Samantha had no idea how he had gotten here before she did, considering he was still in bed when she had walked out of the building, but who knew. It was Adrian.

She made her way over to them, careful not to bump any waiters as she did; her mother would definitely not approve of a gigantic coffee stain on her clothes. Adrian's back was to her, but Cela looked up as she approached, giving her a quick once-over.

"Samantha, honey, it's so good to see you," she said, rising to hug Sam tightly. Her mother's scent reminded her of Aeros, wind and clear air. She was wearing a dark blue blouse coupled with a scarf, her hair tied in a knot at the back of her head.

Samantha hugged her back with one arm, the other still holding her jacket. Over her mother's shoulder, she could see Adrian smirking at her, pleased with himself for getting there earlier than she had. Samantha stuck her tongue out at him.

Cela released her, gesturing at her to sit down in the chair beside Adrian. "Your brother was just telling me about school. How are you doing, Sam?"

A waitress came by, and Samantha ordered a coffee. Turning back to her mother, she shrugged. "School's school. How's Dad? And the kingdom?"

Her mother leaned back, crossing a leg over the other. "Absent-minded as always. Aeros is doing fine, honey. Stop worrying."

Adrian yawned beside Samantha, slouching even lower in his chair. "Are Luke and Mona living at the castle with you guys? Jared told me he was going to Laveau Hall this year." Luke and Mona was their aunt and uncle from their mother's side of the family. Mona was Aera's younger sister, but Jared, their cousin, was the same age as they were.

Her mother nodded. "It was just the two of them in the house, so your father and I invited them to stay with us. The castle has more than enough space."

"Sure, sure," Adrian muttered under his breath. He looked up. "I have this sudden, very certain feeling that I'll be too busy to go home during winter break. What about you, Sam?"

Her coffee had arrived, and she blew into it, feeling the hot air warm her face like a cloud. "Same," Samantha said at once. "Very busy."

Cela sighed. "I know the two of you don't like Mona and Luke, but at least come to see your father. He misses you."

Adrian hesitated, but Samantha shook her head vehemently. "No way in hell. Sorry, Mom." Cela's gaze slid to her brother, but he just shrugged.

"Fine." Her mother waved a hand. "I'm not going to force you to, but if Jared comes home then you will. Deal?" They both nodded and Cela stood up, slipping on her jacket. "Alright, I have to go. Good luck with school."

"Bye," Adrian returned and Samantha, taking a sip of her coffee, waved to their mother's receding back.

When she had fully disappeared, Samantha turned to her brother. "Lunch? Or back."

Adrian just shrugged. "Your choice."

"Okay, let's go back. I want to change into something warmer." She stood up, chair scraping against the floor, and made her way out of the store. Adrian followed close behind.

"Thank god she didn't ask what we'd been doing this time. I couldn't think of one good thing to say," Samantha continued as they exited the cafe and emerged into a crowded street overridden with cars and people.

"Actually, she did," Adrian corrected, pulling a fleece pullover over his head. His voice came out muffled when he added, "Before you got here. I had to make up some shit about a project we were doing on Aeros's history."

Samantha raised an eyebrow. "But you know nothing about Aeros's history."

Adrian shot her a hurt look. "Of course I do. I lived there too, you know. In fact, I'm older than you."

"Barely!" Samantha was indignant. "Fine, but she definitely didn't just let it go. There was no way she believed you."

Adrian shrugged. "I said something about the Aquilian Revolution and she started spouting off everything about it- when it happened, what led to it, who was involved, etc. - and then you came, late by the way."

"I was not late," Sam argued. "How'd you get there before me, anyway? Last I checked you were still snoring like a pig."

"Do pigs snore?" Adrian asked, just as the door of the academy loomed up before them. "What do animal snores sound like, anyway?"

Samantha shook her head at him. "You're hopeless."

They arrived at the top floor of the building, stepping out into the lounge. Valentino was there, feet propped up on the table as he lounged on the couch, popping cheerios into his mouth. He was scrolling through his phone, white earbuds sticking out of his ears.

"Val?" Adrian asked. "What are you doing out here?"

The other boy looked up, pulling out his earbuds. "James and Sophia are doing the Weapons Ceremony in the training room," he said, waving a cheerio in his hand as he talked. "So I can't train. I found a box of cheerios and as a result, here I am."

"Pigs snore, don't they?" Samantha said, ignoring Adrian's exasperated sigh.

Valentino looked confused. "Did I accidentally say pigs? I meant cheerios."

"Yes, you said cheerios," responded Samantha. "But do pigs snore?"

Valentino popped the cheerio he was holding into his mouth, crunching on it as he said, "I believe pigs do snore. Otherwise, where did they get 'snoring like a pig' from? Like, say pigs don't snore, and you tell someone 'Wow, you snore like a pig', meaning 'Wow, you snore really loudly', except now it means 'Wow, you don't snore'. That'd completely just defeat the whole purpose."

Both Samantha and Adrian stared at him for so long he paused. "That made sense, right?"

"Yes," Samantha said. "That makes very much sense. Wouldn't you agree, Adrian?"

He rolled his eyes. "I'm going to my room. See you later, Sam. Bye, Val."

"Bye," Valentino said. He rested his head against the couch, gaze flicking to Samantha. She had always thought that his eyes were odd, the gold brighter than irises usually were. Of all the people on the floor, Valentino was the one she was least familiar with. There was something about him that made her uncomfortable; he was too graceful, too beautiful, yet something in his past had closed him off to everyone but James, and sometimes Adrian. It wasn't that he was distant, or aloof- in fact, just the opposite; she wouldn't even have noticed if she hadn't lived with him for the past five years, but there was a way in which he guarded himself from becoming too close to people, holding everyone at arm's length, that made her feel as if she didn't really know him, even after all these years. Adrian had refused to say a word to her about it- he had said it wasn't his secret to tell- which was as good an excuse as any, she supposed.

It was a stark contrast from James, who Samantha had also met at twelve. Valentino was the one who spoke to her first- of course he was- but James was the first one who had really talked to her, asked her about her family, where she was from. He teased and mocked too, but he was also open and kind. Samantha knew he and Sophia had been good friends when they were younger, and she supposed they had influenced each other, as she had become quick friends with James after she had arrived. Something about him had seemed familiar, and she realized now that it had been the part of him molded by Sophia.

"Are you just planning on standing there?" Valentino asked, jolting her back into the present. He was looking at her, a handful of cheerios halfway to his mouth. The sky outside was darkening, the clouds turning a deeper shade of gray as a storm began to brew.

"I was thinking," she responded, walking over to the table in the kitchen and sitting down in one of the high chairs. She swiveled around to face him.

"About what?"

She hesitated. "About when I first came here."

He snickered. "You looked like a stick. A five-foot stick."

It was weird; in her five years here, she had never been alone with Valentino. There had always been someone else there- James, Adrian, even Loren or Kaly. "You weren't exactly tall either."

Either he didn't notice the awkward tension in the air, or he ignored it. "Taller than you," he said. "Besides, that's not even fair. I started my growth spurt at thirteen."

"Fine," she returned, hopping off the chair. "I'm going to go to my room. Let me know when they're done with the ceremony."

"Okay," he said, and she walked out of the kitchen, feeling the tension clear from her body as she returned to her room, shutting the door quietly behind her. 

A/N: thank you guys for reading! please let me know any feedback you have so that i can make this story more enjoyable for you!! and as always, vote and comment! 

this chapter's dedication goes to tagtammy! she is an absolutely amazing writer and person :) please go check out her story Make My Choice!