Yoshimitsu
Former Moderator
{Tentative title. Very tentative, in fact. Anyway, this is my new story. Chapters 1 and 2 have been beta'd, but chapter 3 has not.}
Chapter One - Tec's Distaste
It was the typical Monday morning for the city of Manchester. While the sun had risen, it was obscured by the thick, dark grey clouds that threatened to open a flood on the urban area relentlessly. The cars in the city were locked in place in the roads: a normal traffic jam at this time in the morning, the engines growling at each other like lions ready to fight over the last scrap of food. Already tensions were running high as the cars trapped in the one-way-system refused to budge, so the people inside were already setting themselves up for a bad day despite the fact that it was only nine in the morning.
There was one individual who was not bothered at all by the gridlocked cars as he walked along the pavement with easy grace. His footsteps were concealed by the roar of the engines, but even had they not been his movement would by undetectable by ear. The boy's hair was perfectly styled: a vivid red colour on the top that met a striking black underneath, falling into a graceful side fringe with the top messed up but somehow looking perfect. His skin was unusually pale - as white as snow and seemed to glow even in the bleak weather. There was something unusual about his movement, something almost catlike. His clothes clung to his body attractively, the pale blue v-neck jumper hinting at a toned body with muscular forearms exposed from the rolled-up sleeves. The jeans he wore, somehow not baggy but not tight, lightly gripped his hips as he walked, not falling down but exposing his black boxer shorts slightly, a faded grey denim that reached his pristine black skate shoes.
Somehow, no one seemed to mind stepping aside for him as he strolled casually down the road, hands in his pockets his iPod headphones in his ears, and he seemed to understand that he could simply walk without breaking stride at all. There was the occasional person, only a few, that stopped to look at his eyes as he passed. An unusual, golden colour that, like his skin, seemed to glow. Even though his face looked kind and friendly, his eyes looked slightly intimidating. However, on the whole, they just added to his appearence. Despite the fact that people seemed perfectly willing to let him do as he wished he was constantly courteous, stopping to allow prams or wheelchairs to pass him without complaint.
As he was walking, two more individuals seemed to come from nowhere to walk alongside him. Again, they were just as attractive as he was, but in slightly different ways. The girl walking to his left was a fair few inches shorter than he, but the way she walked seemed more like she was floating along, her feet barely touching the ground. Her hair has a similar style to the boy's, a long side fringe that concealed one of her eyes. Her eyes were a different colour, a vibrant brown but they, too, seemed to glow. The hair was completely black, such a sharp contrast to her pale skin, and stretched past her shoulders, impossibly straight. She wore a simple outfit, an off-the-shoulder vibrant red t-shirt showing the smallest amount of her slender stomach, a short black skirt, and shin-high black heel-less boots.
The other individual walking to his right was male. The way he walked was unlike both the other male and the female, mildly more aggressive and losing some of the grace, but he had boundeless confidence without being arrogant. His hair was short, spiked perfectly into rough points, dark blonde. While his skin was just as pale as his companions, his eyes was not a soft colour, instead a violent crimson, and, while his companions were fairly slender, his physique was much broader and more well-built. His shirt, plain white but sleeveless and with the top few buttons undone, showed his very muscled arms and the top of his powerfully built chest. His jeans were much baggier, but even their roominess could not hide that his lower half was just as strongly built, ending finally with his white trainers.
"Somethimes I think we do draw too much attention to ourselves," the first boy said, his voice soft and melodious but carrying easily.
"If you say so, Tec," the second male replied, shaking his head slightly. His voice, like his walk, was slightly rougher but he sounded amused. "It's not our fault people stop and stare."
"Maybe not, Shane," the first male, Tec, agreed. "But we don't have to flaunt ourselves."
"But we're not flaunting ourselves," the girl disagreed thoughtfully. Her voice, like Tec's, was soft and melodious but sounded like it belonged in a choir of angels. "I dress like any other person would."
"I suppose... Maybe we should just stop going out in public altogether," Tec suggested, a hint of a smile playing at his lips. "What do you think, Emily?" Shane pulled a face of disgust, while Emily appeared to consider it for a moment. Tec knew already that she did not agree, but then again, neither did he.
"I don't think so," she said pointedly. "I think we'd attract more attention if we suddenly vanished and stopped attending classes."
"Oh, of course," Tec replied. "I suppose we must suffer anyway. Are we even enrolled for this year?"
"I already did it," Shane chipped in. "You know I can't resist appearing around other people."
"You just like to show off," Emily stage-whispered, but she was grinning. Tec, too, smiled as they turned a corner and approached their college.
"I always feel awkward on the first day," Tec admitted. "When they ask us to introduce ourselves with a random face. I can hardly stand up and say 'I'm Tec, and everyone in the room finds me attractive' can I?"
"Why not?" Shane replied, smirking slightly. "Though it's not technically true. I don't find you attractive at all."
"No, well, you wouldn't," Emily commented, slipping between Tec and Shane as they walked so that she was in the middle. She punched Shane's shoulder playfully. "But I agree with Tec, what exactly is there to say?"
"I just use my stock phrase," Shane declared. "I like sports."
"We all know what kind of sport you like, Shane," Tec said slyly, though his voice indicated that he was not altogether pleased with the statement. Shane did not have time to retort, however, as the three of them passed through the entrance doors and Emily lead them to their form room. Both boys knew already that Emily had memorised everything she could do so far about the college, including the room locations, so they chose to just go along with what she said. In just a few minutes, the three of them had found their form room and chosen three seats at the back of the room.
After only five minutes, the room was full. Everyone who was supposed to be in that form had arrived and found seats, some looking excited and some highly nervous. Tec noted that some of the people, the ones who had come in alone, were sat looking around anxiously, slightly eargerly at other people. A small smile formed on his face, but he quickly rearranged his features to hide it in case Shane saw. As his gaze wandered around the classroom, he noticed that the fourth seat on his row had been left vacant and several of the people in the room kept on glancing back at the three of them. He noticed several different emotions in those looks. Some people looked interested, some flirty, some shocked and some slightly resentful. Immediately he knew that Emily would have noticed the same as him, though he doubted Shane would have.
"Always nice to have a bit of peace and quiet," he muttered to Emily and Shane. One boy a few rows ahead had looked back at him with disgust, so he shot a violent look back. That look was enough to make the boy recoil and continue talking animatedly to his friend.
"It's always like this, you know that," Shane replied, his voice just as low. With his voice so quiet, he sounded like he was growling.
"You know that Anna and Samuel want us to go to college," Emily commented. Even with her voice quiet she sounded angelic. Tec was used to her voice and had stopped having visions of her sprouting pure white wings and a harp. "Do you really want to disappoint them?"
"You know I don't," Tec sighed. "Maybe this year will be interesting."
"Only one way to find out, I guess," Shane commented in a matter-of-factly tone that ended the conversation. Just as he finished, an older looking man walked into the room. He was not elderly, but he was definitely getting to the end of his prime, with streaks of grey hair lining the dark and a few wrinkles etched into his face. As soon as he reached his desk, silence filled the room. Shane obviously considered the introduction to be a complete waste of his time and stared out the window instead. Similarly, Emily had taken out a nail file from her small bag and was examining her nails. Tec sighed quickly and looked up, choosing to count the ceiling tiles of the room. However, all three of them were still listening, just putting up a facade of disinterest.
"Well, you're all here to study for your A-Levels," the tutor said, opening his briefcase and taking out a drywipe pen to write on the whiteboard behind him. Simultaneously, all three pairs of eyes flickered to the board to see what he was writing, then flickered back to where they had been. All he had written was his name, Mr Cunningham, which they all knew already thanks to Emily. As quietly as he could, Tec spoke again.
"Is there any need to be here right now?" He muttered to Emily.
"We need to get timetables," Emily explained, her voice just as quiet. "Other than that, not really."
"Why wont he just give us the frickin' things already?" Shane complained. None of them had looked away from what they had been doing, and their conversation went entirely unnoticed. However, something else caused their eyes to flicker again as the door opened quietly and another boy walked in.
"Sorry, I'm late," he apologised. His voice was rough, rougher than Shane's, and very low. Tec was reminded strongly of a dog's growl and had to fight from expressing his distaste. The boy had a certain wild look to him, his hair messy, carefree and medium length, a dark brown colour like the bark of a tree. His eyes were an unusual shape, slightly more rounded than they should be but not enough to detract from his appearence. Whoever this boy was, Tec did not think very much of him. Glancing at Emily and Shane, he realised that they had similar thoughts. Tec turned his attention back to the boy to try to figure out just what was irking him so much. His figure was bulkier than Tec but not as bulky as Shane; his muscles looked more earned than Shane's sculpted physique. His clothes were fairly baggy, a dark grey t-shirt with the sleeves ripped off and slightly tighter jeans that showed powerful leg muscles.
"Not at all, Mr...?" Mr Cunningham asked, looking at the latecomer.
"Just Liam, sir," the boy, Liam, replied.
"Very well, Liam. If you'd like to take a seat..."
Tec immediately looked around the room for the empty seats, almost daring this Liam to sit on their row. However, the boy who was attracting so much dislike from the trio chose, instead, to sit on the second row, next to the girl who had thrown Tec a look of such longing that he had almost recoiled.
"What d'you reckon?" He muttered to Emily and Shane.
"I don't know. There's something about him," Shane replied.
"I don't think it's worth opening hostilities yet," Emily commented fairly. Tec sighed again. Already the year was shaping up to be a long one.
Chapter Two - Liam's Discomfort
Liam cursed his own bad luck as he sprinted down the road. Only he could manage to oversleep on the first day of term. His bag, hanging loosely from his shoulder, flew behind him like a cape as he swung round a corner and dangerously ran across a busy road. Ignoring the angry yells, he tried to weave around the bystanders. Mostly, though, he just ended up barging into them and knocking them aside like bowling pins. He considered, vaguely, apologising but then he decided against it. All these people were strangers and he doubted he would ever see them again. Ducking into an alleyway he knew to be a shortcut, he picked up his pace to a sprint that would have earned him a gold medal at the Olympics.
Finally, he was through the college gates, through the front doors and racing through the corridors. He stopped outside of his form room to take a deep breath. Curiously, despite his slightly frantic run to college, there was not a single drop of sweat on him. After composing himself, he turned the door handle and stepped into the room.
"Sorry I'm late," he apologised in his low voice, looking at the tutor as he spoke. As soon as the words were out, he let his gaze wander around the rest of the room, lingering only on a strange trio at the back of the room. He registered that they seemed almost unhealthily pale. They were beautiful, that was a fact. There was also something else about them, something much more sinister. He noted that their eyes were unusual colours, before the tutor spoke again.
"Not at all, Mr..?" He asked. Liam's gaze snapped back to him.
"Just Liam, sir," he replied.
"Very well, Liam. If you'd like to take a seat..." The tutor suggested, gesturing to the room vaguely. Not wanting to sit next to the three pale figures at the back, Liam instead chose a seat on the second row. As soon as he sat down, the girl seated to his side visibly shifted her body language and turned her attention to him. He had to hold in an annoyed sigh. One glance at the girl told him everything he needed to know. She was a fickle attention seeker who would lose interest as soon as another pretty male walked past her. Skin a sickly orange, bleached blonde hair and a skirt that may as well have been a belt. As much as he wanted to make friends, this girl was not someone that appealed to him at all. Making a mental note to find a new seat as soon as possible, he leaned back in his seat and waited for his timetable, thoroughly ignoring the girl.
Form period passed without incident, thankfully. The girl had lost interest after a few minutes of non-commital answers and silence. Scanning down his timetable, Liam saw that he was in chemistry first period. After briefly checking the map supplied with his timetable, he entered the traffic in the hallways and slowly made his way to the chemistry lab. Moving through the corridors was dull, frustrating, and infuriating beyond belief for the active teenager. Given his way, he would have sprinted towards his room as if he was trying to set some kind of record. He hid his annoyance fairly well - only the slightest of creases on his brow. Even though it felt like so much longer for him, he was at the lab within minutes. Not many people had arrived yet. Liam considered that it was probably due to the slowest-human-traffic-ever. He decided on a seat close to the back of the room. Slowly, the class started to file in. Liam noticed that the seat next to him was left empty, and several people were shooting glances at him. Some curious, some hesitant.
"Settle down, settle down," the teacher said as she walked in. There was little need to; her entry alone was enough to silence the class. Every eye was on her as she opened her laptop, ready to take the register. Just as she opened her mouth, the door opened silently and one of the pale trio walked in. The teacher seemed to be the one apologising, despite the fact that the red-and-black haired boy was late. Liam frowned, there was definitely something unusual about that. He watched carefully as the latecomer glanced around the room for a seat, then made his way to the only empty one - next to Liam. The expression of distaste on his face was barely concealed, but Liam supposed that he must have been wearing a similar look. He only just managed to look impassive when the teacher, Doctor Robinson, announced that whoever they were sat next to would be their lab partner for the year. Inside, Liam felt a surge of discomfort that made his stomach twist uncomfortably. She then asked everyone to find out three facts about their neighbour. Liam already had three in mind: 'his eyes are weird', 'he looks like he hasn't ever seen the sun' and 'I don't like him'.
"My name is Tec," the pale boy informed Liam, catching him by surprise. "Though I doubt that will count as a fact."
"Liam," Liam replied impassively, glancing at the boy beside him. Tec was apparently staring at him, his face torn between curiosity and revulsion. "Though you probably already know that."
"Yes, it was difficult to miss your entrance this morning," Tec commented quietly, his voice only containing traces of mocking. "My first fact, I suppose, would be that my eyes are naturally this colour."
"They don't make contacts that colour anyway," Liam said, glancing at Tec again. His expression hadn't changed at all. It was as though his face had been made that way. "My first fact is... I overslept this morning, I guess. That counts as a fact."
"I suppose it does, yes," Tec agreed. "My second fact would be... I have a brother and a sister in this year group."
"Is that possible?" Liam asked, his voice disbelieving.
"We are adopted. Our parents, Anna and Samuel, adopted us years ago," Tec explained briefly. He closed his eyes for a moment, then enquired, "Your next fact?"
"Hmm. I like sports," Liam admitted for a moment. He was surprised when Tec chuckled. "Something funny?"
"You reminded me of my brother. That's his stock phrase when asked to introduce himself," Tec explained briefly. "But that is a fact. For my third one... I don't like sunlight."
"You don't like sunlight?" Liam asked. There was a certain awkwardness to the conversation. His feelings on Tec had not changed, he still thought there was something sinister and just not right about him. He highly doubted that Tec thought otherwise.
"No, not really," Tec said indifferently. "Your third fact?"
"Well, I don't like it when a field gets waterlogged," Liam said, deciding not to reveal much more about himself. "It makes it awkward to do anything."
"Very well," Tec said, with a touch of finality in his voice. The conversation, Liam realised, was over and he was not at all sorry. With Tec as his lab partner, he considered just trying to swap to a different class. It was highly tempting, but then it would seem like he was running away. He would not allow this pasty-skinned boy to scare him off, no matter how abnormal he appeared to be. Doctor Robinson asked each student to stand up in turn and tell the rest of the class their partner's facts. There was a definite awkwardness when Tec and Liam had to say theirs. Neither boy looked anywhere near each other; Tec was staring out of the window and Liam was looking directly up. As they sat down, one girl sat near the front glanced back at them and Liam realised that she was glad they were both sat at the same desk. There was ill-concealed lust in her eyes. Rolling his own eyes, Liam settled down for a boring lesson. Course overviews were never fun.
Partway through the lesson, Tec spoke again.
"You smell... unusual," he commented. Liam raised an eyebrow. Of all the things he expected to hear, that was not it. Just as he was about to retort, he noticed something. A strange scent had reached him, one that simultaneously reminded him of a forest and... blood, he decided. It had a certain rusty component he could smell in blood, and the same earthy feel of the forest. He also realised that it was not remotely unpleasent, just highly unusual.
"So do you," Liam replied, no trace of the venom in his voice he had intended. He glanced up at Tec to find him staring at him, frowning as though he was trying to work something out. "Quit staring at me like that," Liam added, muttering. Tec obliged, but the expression did not leave his face. It was almost a relief when the class ended and he could get free of the lab. However, even as he checked where his next lesson was, he could not get that strange smell out of his head.
Chapter Three - Scent Turmoil
Tec was not impressed. Due to Shane's inability to control himself when showing off, Tec and Emily both had to reel their brother in and force him to calm down. This ultimately resulted in all three of them, not to mention the various bystanders, to be late for their lessons. Shane was in psychology, Emily in music, and Tec was in chemistry. As soon as he opened the door to the chemistry lab, his eyes automatically scanned the room for an available seat. Swearing internally, the only seat he could see was next to the boy he already disliked. As inconspicuously as he could he approached their teacher and said a quick word of apology, flashing his perfectly white teeth. Amused by the teacher's almost flustered reply, his eyes flickered around the room again. There was definitely no other seat. However, he put an indifferent face as he strode across the room and took his seat. It was difficult to refrain from expressing his feelings, though, and his expression hardened into one of distaste.
When the teacher announced that they would be spending the entire year with whoever they were sat next to, Tec had to try very hard to refrain from swearing. The idea of a year with this boy who repulsed him so was barely tolerable. However, the need to keep up an appearence was too great and he knew he had to stay in this class, at least for a few weeks. As the teacher continued to speak, Tec noticed something. There was a strange scent in the air. He could not pinpoint its location, nor could he decide exactly what it was reminding him of. Considering it was a chemistry lab, however, he decided not to dwell on it for long. Focusing his attention on the teacher again, he was just in time to hear about a task. Find three facts out about their partner. Undoubtedly some attempt for everyone to get acquainted. Tec had no desire to discuss this with this Liam boy. However, he took the initiative and opened the conversation; he highly doubted that Liam would.
"My name is Tec," he said in his soft voice, slightly amused by Liam's reaction. Fixing his gaze on the other boy, he continued, "Though I doubt that will count as a fact."
"Liam," Liam replied. Their eyes locked for a split second as Liam glanced at him. Tec noticed the shape of his eyes again, the slight roundness to them. "Though you probably already know that."
"Yes, it was difficult to miss your entrance this morning," Tec commented, lowering his voice very slightly. He could not resist taking one verbal shot. "My first face, I suppose, would be that my eyes are naturally this colour."
"They don't make contacts that colour anyway," Liam said. He glanced again, and Tec knew that he was looking at the strange golden colour. Tec did not change his face. He already knew that he had conflicting emotions at this point, there was no point trying to change how he portrayed them. There were equal parts of interest and dislike in him. "My first fact is... I overslept this morning, I guess. That counts as a fact."
"I suppose it does, yes," Tec agreed. That much was obvious, though Tec considered that he may have stopped off for breakfast somewhere. "My second fact would be... I have a brother and a sister in this year group."
"Is that possible?" Liam asked. Tec was not surprised by the boy's doubt. He decided on a half-truth.
"We are adopted. Our parents, Anna and Samuel, adopted us years ago," Tec explained. Then he realised that such detail was completely unecessary, and closed his eyes while he thought of a way to divert attention. "Your next fact?"
"Hmm. I like sports," Liam admitted. Tec chuckled. Between the physique and the comment, he had been reminded forcefully of Shane. If he, Emily and Shane did not already dislike Liam, Shane would probably have been his friend. "Something funny?" Tec decided on the truth this time.
"You reminded me of my brother. That's hisstock phrase when asked to introduce himself," Tec explained, a smile playing at his lips. He looked slightly less intimidating when he smiled. "But that is a fact. For my third one... I don't like sunlight."
"You don't like sunlight?" Liam asked. Tec wondered, briefly, if that had been the wrong thing to say. Sunlight was generally liked by the population. Then he decided that there was nothing wrong with not liking sunlight, as there were plenty of people who detested feeling hot and sweaty.
"No, not really," he replied indifferently. Time to change the subject again, he thought. "Your third fact?"
"Well, I don't like it when a field gets waterlogged," Liam said. Tec pulled a strange face, pulling in his lips and looking like he was concentrating. He could tell that Liam felt uneasy now. "It makes it awkward to do anything."
"Very well," Tec said, eager to end the conversation there. As the teacher took control of the lesson again, he pondered on just what he'd admitted to Liam. Normally, Tec was very good at concealing things. Their family was mostly unknown with only the three students usually seen often, and even that was because they attended college. However, he had let two important details slip out, the first of which was that they were adopted. Technically speaking, it was true. While he was not biologically linked to anyone else in the family, there was a relationship between them all. That was what made them a family. The second fact was that he disliked sunlight. His entire family did. They could venture out in sunlight if they so wished, but they very rarely did. It was unecessarily uncomfortable. He became aware of the fact that they had to declare the facts of their partners, and that it was their turn. Standing up, he fixed his gaze out the window. The tone of Liam's voice told him that Liam had not bothered to think about the facts very much. A rush of relief swept through him, and they settled down to start the lesson.
Part way through, he realised what the scent was.
"You smell... unusual," he said, without thinking, to Liam. The source of the scent was definitely Liam. It smelled aggressive yet docile, reminding him of a field, of the fur of an animal and of dry, worn out earth. No one else in the room had such a unique or strong scent. His first impression had been right; there was something else about this boy. Now he was suddenly eager for the lesson to end so that he could find Emily and Shane. His gaze did not leave Liam for a second as he considered what he could smell.
"So do you," Liam replied, taking Tec by surprise. Tec's gaze, already firmly in place, intensified. Now that was interesting. Liam should not have been able to detect any scent coming from Tec, except perhaps his choice of body spray. There was something else about this boy, something that went past surface level. "Quit staring at me like that," Liam added, surprising the red-and-black haired teenager. Tec promptly lowered his gaze, but he was still thinking intently. The need for the lesson to end was much greater now. He rushed his work, finishing it with plenty of time to spare, hoping that he would be permitted to leave the lesson early. Doctor Robinson clearly followed the rules perfectly and did not allow anyone to leave her lessons early. When the bell went, Tec was out of the door before it had finished sounding. As soon as he was in the corridor, he reached out to his siblings with his mind and tried to communicate to them, through the mayhem of the corridor, to meet him as soon as possible.
All three of them consented to skip their second lessons for the day, instead meeting at the rather ornate fountain in the courtyard. Staring in opposite directions to each other, Tec broke the silence first.
"Liam," he said simply, ready to gauge Shane's and Emily's reactions carefully.
"What about him?" Emily asked pleasently. Shane's eyes narrowed slightly.
"He has a scent. It's stronger than anyone else's here so far," Tec explained. "And he could smell my scent too."
"Is he..?" Shane started, but Emily cut across him.
"No, I'm sure we'd know if he was," she said confidently. "I couldn't hear him this morning. Could you in chemistry, Tec?"
"No. He's a mystery," Tec replied, frowning slightly. He had long since stopped trying to figure out how Emily seemed to know exactly where he was at any given time, but sometimes it could get annoying. "He doesn't smell the same. He smells more like... dead earth. And animals, a bit."
"Animals?" Shane asked, clearly confused. "I've never met anyone who smells like animals. That's weird."
"I know. I couldn't smell blood. There was something aggressive about it too," Tec continued. Emily and Shane were both silent for a moment. All three were considering this strange development, and none of them had a suitable answer.
"Samuel might know something," Shane said finally. Tec nodded slowly, but Emily seemed slightly doubtful. In truth, Tec was not as sure as Shane either.
"Samuel and Anna aren't that old, though," Emily replied, voicing Tec's concerns. "They might not know anything about it."
"Is there anyone else who might know?" Tec asked, his gaze flickering to Emily.
"There's that guy in Liverpool," Emily replied thoughtfully, watching the water gush out of the fountain and into the pool as though it was the only thing in the world. "He's older than Samuel and Anna. But you'd have to wait until the weekend."
"If I have another lesson with him, I'll decide how important it is then," Tec decided. Shane nodded with approval, though Emily looked unsure. "I'll run it by Samuel and Anna later today as well. I have an early finish, what about you two?"
"Full day," Shane replied, grimacing.
"Same," Emily agreed.
"I guess I'll see you two at home, then," Tec said. "I can leave after my next lesson. Speaking of, it wouldn't do to miss a second lesson today and it seems the bell has gone."
It was easy enough for them to slip into the crowds in the corridor unnoticed. No doubt someone would check their attendance and try to deliver a suitable punishment, but Tec was confident that he, Emily and Shane could avoid trouble. Despite the fact that he wanted to focus on the mystery of Liam and his scent, he knew that no amount of dwelling on the matter would give him a suitable answer. Instead he focused on his lesson, English literature and language, where his teacher was suitably impressed with his grasp on literary terms and extracting meaning from a piece of prose. Because of his clear understanding of the subject, he was allowed to leave the lesson early.
Most of the roads were clear and there were very few people out shopping, which suited Tec as he strode out of college and through the city. Even though he tried not to, he kept on considering reasons behind Liam's scent and awareness. The boy had seemed clueless enough. He had not, at any rate, made any accusations or assumptions. Perhaps he was not as perceptive as he initially appeared, though it would be a smarter idea to try to avoid the boy from now on. However, he interested Tec. That scent was still with him, as though it had latched itself to his nose and was forcing him to constantly smell it. It was not unpleasent, though it was not something Tec would choose to smell if he had the choice. It was just unusual. No one he had ever encountered had a scent as strong or as unique as this one. For a wild moment, he wondered if Liam lived on a farm. Then he realised that it would have no bearing on his scent at all, and Tec was secretly ashamed of himself for thinking that could be the reason.
"Hello Tec, dear," Anna said as Tec walked through the front door of the house. Anna was older than he was, though apparently not that much older. She looked as though she was in her mid-twenties. Her long, auburn hair had a slight curl to it, framing her face perfectly and highlighting her golden eyes. Like Emily's, it stretched down her back and stopped at the same place, but Tec knew that if it was straight then it would be much longer. Her skin was as pale as his, but her the skin around her eyes had a slight purple tinge to them, as though she had not slept in a long time. Her figure was lithe and slim, much like Emily's, but she was slightly taller. Tec noticed that her attire was slightly different to how it usually was. She was wearing a light blue blouse that highlighted her figure slightly with the first two buttons unfastened, drawing attention to the pendant around her neck. It was a simple silver 's'. On her legs, she wore a knee-length, darker blue skirt with a small slit up the side to allow for movement. Her outfit was completed by sensible black shoes with a small heel. As soon as he had taken his shoes off, Anna pulled him into a hug.
"Hey Anna," Tec replied. "Is Samuel home?"
"Of course," Anna confirmed. Her voice, like Emily's, was much softer and sweeter than Tec's, sounding like it belonged in a choir of angels. Sometimes Tec wondered why his family sounded more musical than him, but ultimately it was not a big concern. "He's just in his room, if you want to just go up."
"Is he busy?" Tec asked. If Samuel was busy, the last thing he wanted to do was disturb him. Not because Samuel would get mad. Samuel never got mad. It was just common courtesy.
"No, he was just reorganising his documents," Anna replied, moving through to the lounge area. It was called the lounge, but it was nothing like a typical living room. In fact, most of the bottom floor was one big room. Samuel and Anna had decided on that. The back wall had been replaced by a series of glass doors that folded away easily, and showed the surrounding scenery clearly. There was no furniture that particularly stood out. The walls were all painted a light blue colour and the floor was wooden laminate, but the simplicity had a certain elegance to it. In the corner there was a drum kit, a guitar, a keyboard and a microphone for when Tec, Shane and Emily decided they wanted to make noise. Apart from that, the room was bare. Tec glanced at the instruments, but decided not to play any of them. Talking to Samuel was more important. Anna gave him a long, searching look before he ascended the stairs. Tec knew immediately that Anna was slightly worried about him. He would explain later. For now, he was concentrating on what he wanted to say to Samuel. After taking a deep breath, he knocked on the door to Samuel's study and entered when he received the say so.
Samuel, like Anna, looked older than Tec but not old enough to be their parent. He looked barely twenty five, his light brown hair slightly messy and fairly short. Again like Anna, his skin was pale with his eyes tinged purple, but it was much more vivid in him. The purple tinge, however, highlighted his silver eyes that glowed slightly. He was dressed, as ever, in a suit. This time it was a pale grey suit with a white shirt, no tie and the top button of his shirt unfastened. Even when he was wearing casual clothes, Tec knew, he still looked more professional than the rest of the family. As Tec entered, Samuel did not move from his desk. The older man was sorting through paperwork that was spread across the entire of the large mahogany desk, shifting papers from pile to pile.
"Tec, it's good to see you," Samuel said, finally placing a paper down on a pile and turning to face his son. His voice was calm and steady, and somehow soothing. It was not melodious like Emily's or Tec's, nor rough like Shane's. It was the perfect, calm voice. "How was college?"
"Same as ever," Tec replied indifferently. "Course overviews, target grades, the usual. My English teacher loves me already."
"English always was your best subject," Samuel commented, nodding approvingly. "I'm sure your day was more interesting than mine. It's basically been this all day."
"Interesting is a word for it," Tec agreed, scratching the back of his head. The movement was not missed, and Samuel's expression changed to one of interest.
"I take it something out of the ordinary happened?" He enquired. That was one thing Tec appreciated. Samuel always seemed to understand things before they were said, making it so much easier to discuss.
"Out of the ordinary is right. There's someone in our form, and my chemistry class," Tec explained. "His name's Liam. As soon as he came in, all three of us could tell there was something different about him but none of us knew what. I have to sit next to him in chemistry, and he has a scent." Samuel's expression shifted subtley to one of mild confusion.
"He has a scent? Is he..?" Samuel started, but Tec interrupted. He knew what the question would be.
"No. His scent is different. It's kinda like dead earth, and a bit like an animal," Tec said, trying to find the best words to describe the scent that was still so vividly in his memory. "It smells kind of... aggressive and fierce. It's a bit unnerving."
"Is that all about this boy?" Samuel asked, as though he knew it was not.
"No. He could smell my scent too," Tec replied. Again, Samuel's expression shifted but Tec could not read the emotion this time. "I don't know what he could smell, but he said he could smell me. Do you know why? Is he different?"
"I can't be sure," Samuel admitted. "I will go to Liverpool tonight and ask Thomas whether he can tell us anything."
"Okay, thank you," Tec said. That eased him slightly, knowing that the mystery may soon be unravelled. He turned to go. "I'll leave you to your paperwork."
"I wouldn't make a bigger deal of this than it is, though, Tec," Samuel said as Tec reached the door. "I doubt it will be anything major. Thomas should know something."
"I know. I wont do anything, don't worry," Tec reassured his adoptive father, before exiting the room.
Chapter One - Tec's Distaste
It was the typical Monday morning for the city of Manchester. While the sun had risen, it was obscured by the thick, dark grey clouds that threatened to open a flood on the urban area relentlessly. The cars in the city were locked in place in the roads: a normal traffic jam at this time in the morning, the engines growling at each other like lions ready to fight over the last scrap of food. Already tensions were running high as the cars trapped in the one-way-system refused to budge, so the people inside were already setting themselves up for a bad day despite the fact that it was only nine in the morning.
There was one individual who was not bothered at all by the gridlocked cars as he walked along the pavement with easy grace. His footsteps were concealed by the roar of the engines, but even had they not been his movement would by undetectable by ear. The boy's hair was perfectly styled: a vivid red colour on the top that met a striking black underneath, falling into a graceful side fringe with the top messed up but somehow looking perfect. His skin was unusually pale - as white as snow and seemed to glow even in the bleak weather. There was something unusual about his movement, something almost catlike. His clothes clung to his body attractively, the pale blue v-neck jumper hinting at a toned body with muscular forearms exposed from the rolled-up sleeves. The jeans he wore, somehow not baggy but not tight, lightly gripped his hips as he walked, not falling down but exposing his black boxer shorts slightly, a faded grey denim that reached his pristine black skate shoes.
Somehow, no one seemed to mind stepping aside for him as he strolled casually down the road, hands in his pockets his iPod headphones in his ears, and he seemed to understand that he could simply walk without breaking stride at all. There was the occasional person, only a few, that stopped to look at his eyes as he passed. An unusual, golden colour that, like his skin, seemed to glow. Even though his face looked kind and friendly, his eyes looked slightly intimidating. However, on the whole, they just added to his appearence. Despite the fact that people seemed perfectly willing to let him do as he wished he was constantly courteous, stopping to allow prams or wheelchairs to pass him without complaint.
As he was walking, two more individuals seemed to come from nowhere to walk alongside him. Again, they were just as attractive as he was, but in slightly different ways. The girl walking to his left was a fair few inches shorter than he, but the way she walked seemed more like she was floating along, her feet barely touching the ground. Her hair has a similar style to the boy's, a long side fringe that concealed one of her eyes. Her eyes were a different colour, a vibrant brown but they, too, seemed to glow. The hair was completely black, such a sharp contrast to her pale skin, and stretched past her shoulders, impossibly straight. She wore a simple outfit, an off-the-shoulder vibrant red t-shirt showing the smallest amount of her slender stomach, a short black skirt, and shin-high black heel-less boots.
The other individual walking to his right was male. The way he walked was unlike both the other male and the female, mildly more aggressive and losing some of the grace, but he had boundeless confidence without being arrogant. His hair was short, spiked perfectly into rough points, dark blonde. While his skin was just as pale as his companions, his eyes was not a soft colour, instead a violent crimson, and, while his companions were fairly slender, his physique was much broader and more well-built. His shirt, plain white but sleeveless and with the top few buttons undone, showed his very muscled arms and the top of his powerfully built chest. His jeans were much baggier, but even their roominess could not hide that his lower half was just as strongly built, ending finally with his white trainers.
"Somethimes I think we do draw too much attention to ourselves," the first boy said, his voice soft and melodious but carrying easily.
"If you say so, Tec," the second male replied, shaking his head slightly. His voice, like his walk, was slightly rougher but he sounded amused. "It's not our fault people stop and stare."
"Maybe not, Shane," the first male, Tec, agreed. "But we don't have to flaunt ourselves."
"But we're not flaunting ourselves," the girl disagreed thoughtfully. Her voice, like Tec's, was soft and melodious but sounded like it belonged in a choir of angels. "I dress like any other person would."
"I suppose... Maybe we should just stop going out in public altogether," Tec suggested, a hint of a smile playing at his lips. "What do you think, Emily?" Shane pulled a face of disgust, while Emily appeared to consider it for a moment. Tec knew already that she did not agree, but then again, neither did he.
"I don't think so," she said pointedly. "I think we'd attract more attention if we suddenly vanished and stopped attending classes."
"Oh, of course," Tec replied. "I suppose we must suffer anyway. Are we even enrolled for this year?"
"I already did it," Shane chipped in. "You know I can't resist appearing around other people."
"You just like to show off," Emily stage-whispered, but she was grinning. Tec, too, smiled as they turned a corner and approached their college.
"I always feel awkward on the first day," Tec admitted. "When they ask us to introduce ourselves with a random face. I can hardly stand up and say 'I'm Tec, and everyone in the room finds me attractive' can I?"
"Why not?" Shane replied, smirking slightly. "Though it's not technically true. I don't find you attractive at all."
"No, well, you wouldn't," Emily commented, slipping between Tec and Shane as they walked so that she was in the middle. She punched Shane's shoulder playfully. "But I agree with Tec, what exactly is there to say?"
"I just use my stock phrase," Shane declared. "I like sports."
"We all know what kind of sport you like, Shane," Tec said slyly, though his voice indicated that he was not altogether pleased with the statement. Shane did not have time to retort, however, as the three of them passed through the entrance doors and Emily lead them to their form room. Both boys knew already that Emily had memorised everything she could do so far about the college, including the room locations, so they chose to just go along with what she said. In just a few minutes, the three of them had found their form room and chosen three seats at the back of the room.
After only five minutes, the room was full. Everyone who was supposed to be in that form had arrived and found seats, some looking excited and some highly nervous. Tec noted that some of the people, the ones who had come in alone, were sat looking around anxiously, slightly eargerly at other people. A small smile formed on his face, but he quickly rearranged his features to hide it in case Shane saw. As his gaze wandered around the classroom, he noticed that the fourth seat on his row had been left vacant and several of the people in the room kept on glancing back at the three of them. He noticed several different emotions in those looks. Some people looked interested, some flirty, some shocked and some slightly resentful. Immediately he knew that Emily would have noticed the same as him, though he doubted Shane would have.
"Always nice to have a bit of peace and quiet," he muttered to Emily and Shane. One boy a few rows ahead had looked back at him with disgust, so he shot a violent look back. That look was enough to make the boy recoil and continue talking animatedly to his friend.
"It's always like this, you know that," Shane replied, his voice just as low. With his voice so quiet, he sounded like he was growling.
"You know that Anna and Samuel want us to go to college," Emily commented. Even with her voice quiet she sounded angelic. Tec was used to her voice and had stopped having visions of her sprouting pure white wings and a harp. "Do you really want to disappoint them?"
"You know I don't," Tec sighed. "Maybe this year will be interesting."
"Only one way to find out, I guess," Shane commented in a matter-of-factly tone that ended the conversation. Just as he finished, an older looking man walked into the room. He was not elderly, but he was definitely getting to the end of his prime, with streaks of grey hair lining the dark and a few wrinkles etched into his face. As soon as he reached his desk, silence filled the room. Shane obviously considered the introduction to be a complete waste of his time and stared out the window instead. Similarly, Emily had taken out a nail file from her small bag and was examining her nails. Tec sighed quickly and looked up, choosing to count the ceiling tiles of the room. However, all three of them were still listening, just putting up a facade of disinterest.
"Well, you're all here to study for your A-Levels," the tutor said, opening his briefcase and taking out a drywipe pen to write on the whiteboard behind him. Simultaneously, all three pairs of eyes flickered to the board to see what he was writing, then flickered back to where they had been. All he had written was his name, Mr Cunningham, which they all knew already thanks to Emily. As quietly as he could, Tec spoke again.
"Is there any need to be here right now?" He muttered to Emily.
"We need to get timetables," Emily explained, her voice just as quiet. "Other than that, not really."
"Why wont he just give us the frickin' things already?" Shane complained. None of them had looked away from what they had been doing, and their conversation went entirely unnoticed. However, something else caused their eyes to flicker again as the door opened quietly and another boy walked in.
"Sorry, I'm late," he apologised. His voice was rough, rougher than Shane's, and very low. Tec was reminded strongly of a dog's growl and had to fight from expressing his distaste. The boy had a certain wild look to him, his hair messy, carefree and medium length, a dark brown colour like the bark of a tree. His eyes were an unusual shape, slightly more rounded than they should be but not enough to detract from his appearence. Whoever this boy was, Tec did not think very much of him. Glancing at Emily and Shane, he realised that they had similar thoughts. Tec turned his attention back to the boy to try to figure out just what was irking him so much. His figure was bulkier than Tec but not as bulky as Shane; his muscles looked more earned than Shane's sculpted physique. His clothes were fairly baggy, a dark grey t-shirt with the sleeves ripped off and slightly tighter jeans that showed powerful leg muscles.
"Not at all, Mr...?" Mr Cunningham asked, looking at the latecomer.
"Just Liam, sir," the boy, Liam, replied.
"Very well, Liam. If you'd like to take a seat..."
Tec immediately looked around the room for the empty seats, almost daring this Liam to sit on their row. However, the boy who was attracting so much dislike from the trio chose, instead, to sit on the second row, next to the girl who had thrown Tec a look of such longing that he had almost recoiled.
"What d'you reckon?" He muttered to Emily and Shane.
"I don't know. There's something about him," Shane replied.
"I don't think it's worth opening hostilities yet," Emily commented fairly. Tec sighed again. Already the year was shaping up to be a long one.
Chapter Two - Liam's Discomfort
Liam cursed his own bad luck as he sprinted down the road. Only he could manage to oversleep on the first day of term. His bag, hanging loosely from his shoulder, flew behind him like a cape as he swung round a corner and dangerously ran across a busy road. Ignoring the angry yells, he tried to weave around the bystanders. Mostly, though, he just ended up barging into them and knocking them aside like bowling pins. He considered, vaguely, apologising but then he decided against it. All these people were strangers and he doubted he would ever see them again. Ducking into an alleyway he knew to be a shortcut, he picked up his pace to a sprint that would have earned him a gold medal at the Olympics.
Finally, he was through the college gates, through the front doors and racing through the corridors. He stopped outside of his form room to take a deep breath. Curiously, despite his slightly frantic run to college, there was not a single drop of sweat on him. After composing himself, he turned the door handle and stepped into the room.
"Sorry I'm late," he apologised in his low voice, looking at the tutor as he spoke. As soon as the words were out, he let his gaze wander around the rest of the room, lingering only on a strange trio at the back of the room. He registered that they seemed almost unhealthily pale. They were beautiful, that was a fact. There was also something else about them, something much more sinister. He noted that their eyes were unusual colours, before the tutor spoke again.
"Not at all, Mr..?" He asked. Liam's gaze snapped back to him.
"Just Liam, sir," he replied.
"Very well, Liam. If you'd like to take a seat..." The tutor suggested, gesturing to the room vaguely. Not wanting to sit next to the three pale figures at the back, Liam instead chose a seat on the second row. As soon as he sat down, the girl seated to his side visibly shifted her body language and turned her attention to him. He had to hold in an annoyed sigh. One glance at the girl told him everything he needed to know. She was a fickle attention seeker who would lose interest as soon as another pretty male walked past her. Skin a sickly orange, bleached blonde hair and a skirt that may as well have been a belt. As much as he wanted to make friends, this girl was not someone that appealed to him at all. Making a mental note to find a new seat as soon as possible, he leaned back in his seat and waited for his timetable, thoroughly ignoring the girl.
Form period passed without incident, thankfully. The girl had lost interest after a few minutes of non-commital answers and silence. Scanning down his timetable, Liam saw that he was in chemistry first period. After briefly checking the map supplied with his timetable, he entered the traffic in the hallways and slowly made his way to the chemistry lab. Moving through the corridors was dull, frustrating, and infuriating beyond belief for the active teenager. Given his way, he would have sprinted towards his room as if he was trying to set some kind of record. He hid his annoyance fairly well - only the slightest of creases on his brow. Even though it felt like so much longer for him, he was at the lab within minutes. Not many people had arrived yet. Liam considered that it was probably due to the slowest-human-traffic-ever. He decided on a seat close to the back of the room. Slowly, the class started to file in. Liam noticed that the seat next to him was left empty, and several people were shooting glances at him. Some curious, some hesitant.
"Settle down, settle down," the teacher said as she walked in. There was little need to; her entry alone was enough to silence the class. Every eye was on her as she opened her laptop, ready to take the register. Just as she opened her mouth, the door opened silently and one of the pale trio walked in. The teacher seemed to be the one apologising, despite the fact that the red-and-black haired boy was late. Liam frowned, there was definitely something unusual about that. He watched carefully as the latecomer glanced around the room for a seat, then made his way to the only empty one - next to Liam. The expression of distaste on his face was barely concealed, but Liam supposed that he must have been wearing a similar look. He only just managed to look impassive when the teacher, Doctor Robinson, announced that whoever they were sat next to would be their lab partner for the year. Inside, Liam felt a surge of discomfort that made his stomach twist uncomfortably. She then asked everyone to find out three facts about their neighbour. Liam already had three in mind: 'his eyes are weird', 'he looks like he hasn't ever seen the sun' and 'I don't like him'.
"My name is Tec," the pale boy informed Liam, catching him by surprise. "Though I doubt that will count as a fact."
"Liam," Liam replied impassively, glancing at the boy beside him. Tec was apparently staring at him, his face torn between curiosity and revulsion. "Though you probably already know that."
"Yes, it was difficult to miss your entrance this morning," Tec commented quietly, his voice only containing traces of mocking. "My first fact, I suppose, would be that my eyes are naturally this colour."
"They don't make contacts that colour anyway," Liam said, glancing at Tec again. His expression hadn't changed at all. It was as though his face had been made that way. "My first fact is... I overslept this morning, I guess. That counts as a fact."
"I suppose it does, yes," Tec agreed. "My second fact would be... I have a brother and a sister in this year group."
"Is that possible?" Liam asked, his voice disbelieving.
"We are adopted. Our parents, Anna and Samuel, adopted us years ago," Tec explained briefly. He closed his eyes for a moment, then enquired, "Your next fact?"
"Hmm. I like sports," Liam admitted for a moment. He was surprised when Tec chuckled. "Something funny?"
"You reminded me of my brother. That's his stock phrase when asked to introduce himself," Tec explained briefly. "But that is a fact. For my third one... I don't like sunlight."
"You don't like sunlight?" Liam asked. There was a certain awkwardness to the conversation. His feelings on Tec had not changed, he still thought there was something sinister and just not right about him. He highly doubted that Tec thought otherwise.
"No, not really," Tec said indifferently. "Your third fact?"
"Well, I don't like it when a field gets waterlogged," Liam said, deciding not to reveal much more about himself. "It makes it awkward to do anything."
"Very well," Tec said, with a touch of finality in his voice. The conversation, Liam realised, was over and he was not at all sorry. With Tec as his lab partner, he considered just trying to swap to a different class. It was highly tempting, but then it would seem like he was running away. He would not allow this pasty-skinned boy to scare him off, no matter how abnormal he appeared to be. Doctor Robinson asked each student to stand up in turn and tell the rest of the class their partner's facts. There was a definite awkwardness when Tec and Liam had to say theirs. Neither boy looked anywhere near each other; Tec was staring out of the window and Liam was looking directly up. As they sat down, one girl sat near the front glanced back at them and Liam realised that she was glad they were both sat at the same desk. There was ill-concealed lust in her eyes. Rolling his own eyes, Liam settled down for a boring lesson. Course overviews were never fun.
Partway through the lesson, Tec spoke again.
"You smell... unusual," he commented. Liam raised an eyebrow. Of all the things he expected to hear, that was not it. Just as he was about to retort, he noticed something. A strange scent had reached him, one that simultaneously reminded him of a forest and... blood, he decided. It had a certain rusty component he could smell in blood, and the same earthy feel of the forest. He also realised that it was not remotely unpleasent, just highly unusual.
"So do you," Liam replied, no trace of the venom in his voice he had intended. He glanced up at Tec to find him staring at him, frowning as though he was trying to work something out. "Quit staring at me like that," Liam added, muttering. Tec obliged, but the expression did not leave his face. It was almost a relief when the class ended and he could get free of the lab. However, even as he checked where his next lesson was, he could not get that strange smell out of his head.
Chapter Three - Scent Turmoil
Tec was not impressed. Due to Shane's inability to control himself when showing off, Tec and Emily both had to reel their brother in and force him to calm down. This ultimately resulted in all three of them, not to mention the various bystanders, to be late for their lessons. Shane was in psychology, Emily in music, and Tec was in chemistry. As soon as he opened the door to the chemistry lab, his eyes automatically scanned the room for an available seat. Swearing internally, the only seat he could see was next to the boy he already disliked. As inconspicuously as he could he approached their teacher and said a quick word of apology, flashing his perfectly white teeth. Amused by the teacher's almost flustered reply, his eyes flickered around the room again. There was definitely no other seat. However, he put an indifferent face as he strode across the room and took his seat. It was difficult to refrain from expressing his feelings, though, and his expression hardened into one of distaste.
When the teacher announced that they would be spending the entire year with whoever they were sat next to, Tec had to try very hard to refrain from swearing. The idea of a year with this boy who repulsed him so was barely tolerable. However, the need to keep up an appearence was too great and he knew he had to stay in this class, at least for a few weeks. As the teacher continued to speak, Tec noticed something. There was a strange scent in the air. He could not pinpoint its location, nor could he decide exactly what it was reminding him of. Considering it was a chemistry lab, however, he decided not to dwell on it for long. Focusing his attention on the teacher again, he was just in time to hear about a task. Find three facts out about their partner. Undoubtedly some attempt for everyone to get acquainted. Tec had no desire to discuss this with this Liam boy. However, he took the initiative and opened the conversation; he highly doubted that Liam would.
"My name is Tec," he said in his soft voice, slightly amused by Liam's reaction. Fixing his gaze on the other boy, he continued, "Though I doubt that will count as a fact."
"Liam," Liam replied. Their eyes locked for a split second as Liam glanced at him. Tec noticed the shape of his eyes again, the slight roundness to them. "Though you probably already know that."
"Yes, it was difficult to miss your entrance this morning," Tec commented, lowering his voice very slightly. He could not resist taking one verbal shot. "My first face, I suppose, would be that my eyes are naturally this colour."
"They don't make contacts that colour anyway," Liam said. He glanced again, and Tec knew that he was looking at the strange golden colour. Tec did not change his face. He already knew that he had conflicting emotions at this point, there was no point trying to change how he portrayed them. There were equal parts of interest and dislike in him. "My first fact is... I overslept this morning, I guess. That counts as a fact."
"I suppose it does, yes," Tec agreed. That much was obvious, though Tec considered that he may have stopped off for breakfast somewhere. "My second fact would be... I have a brother and a sister in this year group."
"Is that possible?" Liam asked. Tec was not surprised by the boy's doubt. He decided on a half-truth.
"We are adopted. Our parents, Anna and Samuel, adopted us years ago," Tec explained. Then he realised that such detail was completely unecessary, and closed his eyes while he thought of a way to divert attention. "Your next fact?"
"Hmm. I like sports," Liam admitted. Tec chuckled. Between the physique and the comment, he had been reminded forcefully of Shane. If he, Emily and Shane did not already dislike Liam, Shane would probably have been his friend. "Something funny?" Tec decided on the truth this time.
"You reminded me of my brother. That's hisstock phrase when asked to introduce himself," Tec explained, a smile playing at his lips. He looked slightly less intimidating when he smiled. "But that is a fact. For my third one... I don't like sunlight."
"You don't like sunlight?" Liam asked. Tec wondered, briefly, if that had been the wrong thing to say. Sunlight was generally liked by the population. Then he decided that there was nothing wrong with not liking sunlight, as there were plenty of people who detested feeling hot and sweaty.
"No, not really," he replied indifferently. Time to change the subject again, he thought. "Your third fact?"
"Well, I don't like it when a field gets waterlogged," Liam said. Tec pulled a strange face, pulling in his lips and looking like he was concentrating. He could tell that Liam felt uneasy now. "It makes it awkward to do anything."
"Very well," Tec said, eager to end the conversation there. As the teacher took control of the lesson again, he pondered on just what he'd admitted to Liam. Normally, Tec was very good at concealing things. Their family was mostly unknown with only the three students usually seen often, and even that was because they attended college. However, he had let two important details slip out, the first of which was that they were adopted. Technically speaking, it was true. While he was not biologically linked to anyone else in the family, there was a relationship between them all. That was what made them a family. The second fact was that he disliked sunlight. His entire family did. They could venture out in sunlight if they so wished, but they very rarely did. It was unecessarily uncomfortable. He became aware of the fact that they had to declare the facts of their partners, and that it was their turn. Standing up, he fixed his gaze out the window. The tone of Liam's voice told him that Liam had not bothered to think about the facts very much. A rush of relief swept through him, and they settled down to start the lesson.
Part way through, he realised what the scent was.
"You smell... unusual," he said, without thinking, to Liam. The source of the scent was definitely Liam. It smelled aggressive yet docile, reminding him of a field, of the fur of an animal and of dry, worn out earth. No one else in the room had such a unique or strong scent. His first impression had been right; there was something else about this boy. Now he was suddenly eager for the lesson to end so that he could find Emily and Shane. His gaze did not leave Liam for a second as he considered what he could smell.
"So do you," Liam replied, taking Tec by surprise. Tec's gaze, already firmly in place, intensified. Now that was interesting. Liam should not have been able to detect any scent coming from Tec, except perhaps his choice of body spray. There was something else about this boy, something that went past surface level. "Quit staring at me like that," Liam added, surprising the red-and-black haired teenager. Tec promptly lowered his gaze, but he was still thinking intently. The need for the lesson to end was much greater now. He rushed his work, finishing it with plenty of time to spare, hoping that he would be permitted to leave the lesson early. Doctor Robinson clearly followed the rules perfectly and did not allow anyone to leave her lessons early. When the bell went, Tec was out of the door before it had finished sounding. As soon as he was in the corridor, he reached out to his siblings with his mind and tried to communicate to them, through the mayhem of the corridor, to meet him as soon as possible.
All three of them consented to skip their second lessons for the day, instead meeting at the rather ornate fountain in the courtyard. Staring in opposite directions to each other, Tec broke the silence first.
"Liam," he said simply, ready to gauge Shane's and Emily's reactions carefully.
"What about him?" Emily asked pleasently. Shane's eyes narrowed slightly.
"He has a scent. It's stronger than anyone else's here so far," Tec explained. "And he could smell my scent too."
"Is he..?" Shane started, but Emily cut across him.
"No, I'm sure we'd know if he was," she said confidently. "I couldn't hear him this morning. Could you in chemistry, Tec?"
"No. He's a mystery," Tec replied, frowning slightly. He had long since stopped trying to figure out how Emily seemed to know exactly where he was at any given time, but sometimes it could get annoying. "He doesn't smell the same. He smells more like... dead earth. And animals, a bit."
"Animals?" Shane asked, clearly confused. "I've never met anyone who smells like animals. That's weird."
"I know. I couldn't smell blood. There was something aggressive about it too," Tec continued. Emily and Shane were both silent for a moment. All three were considering this strange development, and none of them had a suitable answer.
"Samuel might know something," Shane said finally. Tec nodded slowly, but Emily seemed slightly doubtful. In truth, Tec was not as sure as Shane either.
"Samuel and Anna aren't that old, though," Emily replied, voicing Tec's concerns. "They might not know anything about it."
"Is there anyone else who might know?" Tec asked, his gaze flickering to Emily.
"There's that guy in Liverpool," Emily replied thoughtfully, watching the water gush out of the fountain and into the pool as though it was the only thing in the world. "He's older than Samuel and Anna. But you'd have to wait until the weekend."
"If I have another lesson with him, I'll decide how important it is then," Tec decided. Shane nodded with approval, though Emily looked unsure. "I'll run it by Samuel and Anna later today as well. I have an early finish, what about you two?"
"Full day," Shane replied, grimacing.
"Same," Emily agreed.
"I guess I'll see you two at home, then," Tec said. "I can leave after my next lesson. Speaking of, it wouldn't do to miss a second lesson today and it seems the bell has gone."
It was easy enough for them to slip into the crowds in the corridor unnoticed. No doubt someone would check their attendance and try to deliver a suitable punishment, but Tec was confident that he, Emily and Shane could avoid trouble. Despite the fact that he wanted to focus on the mystery of Liam and his scent, he knew that no amount of dwelling on the matter would give him a suitable answer. Instead he focused on his lesson, English literature and language, where his teacher was suitably impressed with his grasp on literary terms and extracting meaning from a piece of prose. Because of his clear understanding of the subject, he was allowed to leave the lesson early.
Most of the roads were clear and there were very few people out shopping, which suited Tec as he strode out of college and through the city. Even though he tried not to, he kept on considering reasons behind Liam's scent and awareness. The boy had seemed clueless enough. He had not, at any rate, made any accusations or assumptions. Perhaps he was not as perceptive as he initially appeared, though it would be a smarter idea to try to avoid the boy from now on. However, he interested Tec. That scent was still with him, as though it had latched itself to his nose and was forcing him to constantly smell it. It was not unpleasent, though it was not something Tec would choose to smell if he had the choice. It was just unusual. No one he had ever encountered had a scent as strong or as unique as this one. For a wild moment, he wondered if Liam lived on a farm. Then he realised that it would have no bearing on his scent at all, and Tec was secretly ashamed of himself for thinking that could be the reason.
"Hello Tec, dear," Anna said as Tec walked through the front door of the house. Anna was older than he was, though apparently not that much older. She looked as though she was in her mid-twenties. Her long, auburn hair had a slight curl to it, framing her face perfectly and highlighting her golden eyes. Like Emily's, it stretched down her back and stopped at the same place, but Tec knew that if it was straight then it would be much longer. Her skin was as pale as his, but her the skin around her eyes had a slight purple tinge to them, as though she had not slept in a long time. Her figure was lithe and slim, much like Emily's, but she was slightly taller. Tec noticed that her attire was slightly different to how it usually was. She was wearing a light blue blouse that highlighted her figure slightly with the first two buttons unfastened, drawing attention to the pendant around her neck. It was a simple silver 's'. On her legs, she wore a knee-length, darker blue skirt with a small slit up the side to allow for movement. Her outfit was completed by sensible black shoes with a small heel. As soon as he had taken his shoes off, Anna pulled him into a hug.
"Hey Anna," Tec replied. "Is Samuel home?"
"Of course," Anna confirmed. Her voice, like Emily's, was much softer and sweeter than Tec's, sounding like it belonged in a choir of angels. Sometimes Tec wondered why his family sounded more musical than him, but ultimately it was not a big concern. "He's just in his room, if you want to just go up."
"Is he busy?" Tec asked. If Samuel was busy, the last thing he wanted to do was disturb him. Not because Samuel would get mad. Samuel never got mad. It was just common courtesy.
"No, he was just reorganising his documents," Anna replied, moving through to the lounge area. It was called the lounge, but it was nothing like a typical living room. In fact, most of the bottom floor was one big room. Samuel and Anna had decided on that. The back wall had been replaced by a series of glass doors that folded away easily, and showed the surrounding scenery clearly. There was no furniture that particularly stood out. The walls were all painted a light blue colour and the floor was wooden laminate, but the simplicity had a certain elegance to it. In the corner there was a drum kit, a guitar, a keyboard and a microphone for when Tec, Shane and Emily decided they wanted to make noise. Apart from that, the room was bare. Tec glanced at the instruments, but decided not to play any of them. Talking to Samuel was more important. Anna gave him a long, searching look before he ascended the stairs. Tec knew immediately that Anna was slightly worried about him. He would explain later. For now, he was concentrating on what he wanted to say to Samuel. After taking a deep breath, he knocked on the door to Samuel's study and entered when he received the say so.
Samuel, like Anna, looked older than Tec but not old enough to be their parent. He looked barely twenty five, his light brown hair slightly messy and fairly short. Again like Anna, his skin was pale with his eyes tinged purple, but it was much more vivid in him. The purple tinge, however, highlighted his silver eyes that glowed slightly. He was dressed, as ever, in a suit. This time it was a pale grey suit with a white shirt, no tie and the top button of his shirt unfastened. Even when he was wearing casual clothes, Tec knew, he still looked more professional than the rest of the family. As Tec entered, Samuel did not move from his desk. The older man was sorting through paperwork that was spread across the entire of the large mahogany desk, shifting papers from pile to pile.
"Tec, it's good to see you," Samuel said, finally placing a paper down on a pile and turning to face his son. His voice was calm and steady, and somehow soothing. It was not melodious like Emily's or Tec's, nor rough like Shane's. It was the perfect, calm voice. "How was college?"
"Same as ever," Tec replied indifferently. "Course overviews, target grades, the usual. My English teacher loves me already."
"English always was your best subject," Samuel commented, nodding approvingly. "I'm sure your day was more interesting than mine. It's basically been this all day."
"Interesting is a word for it," Tec agreed, scratching the back of his head. The movement was not missed, and Samuel's expression changed to one of interest.
"I take it something out of the ordinary happened?" He enquired. That was one thing Tec appreciated. Samuel always seemed to understand things before they were said, making it so much easier to discuss.
"Out of the ordinary is right. There's someone in our form, and my chemistry class," Tec explained. "His name's Liam. As soon as he came in, all three of us could tell there was something different about him but none of us knew what. I have to sit next to him in chemistry, and he has a scent." Samuel's expression shifted subtley to one of mild confusion.
"He has a scent? Is he..?" Samuel started, but Tec interrupted. He knew what the question would be.
"No. His scent is different. It's kinda like dead earth, and a bit like an animal," Tec said, trying to find the best words to describe the scent that was still so vividly in his memory. "It smells kind of... aggressive and fierce. It's a bit unnerving."
"Is that all about this boy?" Samuel asked, as though he knew it was not.
"No. He could smell my scent too," Tec replied. Again, Samuel's expression shifted but Tec could not read the emotion this time. "I don't know what he could smell, but he said he could smell me. Do you know why? Is he different?"
"I can't be sure," Samuel admitted. "I will go to Liverpool tonight and ask Thomas whether he can tell us anything."
"Okay, thank you," Tec said. That eased him slightly, knowing that the mystery may soon be unravelled. He turned to go. "I'll leave you to your paperwork."
"I wouldn't make a bigger deal of this than it is, though, Tec," Samuel said as Tec reached the door. "I doubt it will be anything major. Thomas should know something."
"I know. I wont do anything, don't worry," Tec reassured his adoptive father, before exiting the room.
