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1
A half-deflated helium star balloon drifted across the backyard of the Taylor compound. No telling where it came from. The old Victorian house was miles away from anywhere there might be children—or other people. The house, gray and dirt-caked, with cracked windows and broken shutters, at night appeared beyond creepy. During the day, it was dreary, lonesome, like the lone balloon.
How far did a balloon have to go to get all the way out here? It was metallic gold on the outer shell. A gold star... for a birthday? The lackluster glide across the grass, it seemed lonely. Like the house.
Like how he felt too often lately.
Lucian Taylor’s palm pressed to his cheek, his head titled, blond locks of hair cutting into his vision. But he gazed out, unfocused on anything.
The star floated across the windowsill’s view. He blinked a few times. What was he thinking about before the star distracted him?
Probably about going to high school for the first time. A small knot formed in his stomach, the one he thought might be hunger, but it stayed no matter how much he ate. Did he have any reason to be nervous?
What would high school life be like? Real high school. Not just a crash course in what they needed to complete their basic high school exams.
There was so much the entire team missed out on skipping ahead.
Dances? Could they make time to go to at least one?
Sports... naw. Not for him, but the others never got to play on many team sports.
Girls? Most definitely.
The floating star outside distracted him. Could he get that balloon before it flew away? The guys would say get it and throw it away. Or just leave it alone.
What they thought mattered to him, however, he felt differently about many, many things. Perhaps it was because the same guys surrounded him every day. North, his brother. Uncle, they worked with on a nearly daily basis. The Academy team, lots of guys, the same guys. His only friends now.
He’d join the cheerleading team if it meant he just got to hang out with different people for a while. Maybe he would find someone that thought more like him.
The sweet smell of sugar sizzling in a frying pan brought him back to cooking pancakes. Did he add too much sugar? The recipe had said a tablespoon... the hollow part of his palm was tablespoon... ish... The syrup and chocolate chips on top would be a pleasant touch. Melted together. Perfect combo.
Luke checked his cooking once more, then as fast as he could, he dashed out of the kitchen, through the foyer filled with discarded house bits they still had to throw out, and out the door, jumping across the porch.
The balloon teased the edge of North’s trailer, ready to float underneath.
Luke raced for the balloon, and just before it was out of reach and at risk of getting stuck up under the trailer, he caught the thin white ribbon tied to the bottom. Luke carefully pulled it out from under. The foil material created a fizzling, scrunching sound with every movement of his fingers against the surface.
A gold star balloon. It was his now. When was the last time he’d even looked at balloons?
The front door to the trailer crashed open with a shuddering thwap against the siding. North appeared, looming with dark circles under his eyes and an overgrown chin of rough hair, glaring at him through irritated eyes. “What are you doing?”
The proximity sensor probably went wild and woke him up. Luke held up the balloon, half floating out from his hand. “Caught this.”
North lifted a dark brow. His brother was broad, muscled, dark hair, dark eyes, serious and often critical. Not one bit whimsical. Maybe they should have named Luke South instead, for as much as they were polar opposite in personality.
“What the hell is that?” North asked.
Luke grimaced at him. “Uh, just thought it was messing with the sensors by getting caught underneath the trailer,” he said. Not really. Luke wanted the balloon more than worrying about the sensors. It seemed lonely, forgotten, when it was a perfectly decent bit of décor. It would probably still float for weeks, even if all it could do was drift.
North raised a dark eyebrow and made that harrumphing sound, like he’d argue but didn’t have the energy at the moment. “Just go throw it away.”
“Sure thing,” Luke lied, though he smiled coyly at his brother. “Want some pancakes? I was just making some.”
North shook his head and went back into the trailer. Likely, he’d sleep longer. It wasn’t early at all, maybe just before noon? He had been out late.
North always stayed out late. Adjusting to the new high school job was going to make him cranky, with having to wake up early for school hours.
Luke ran back to the house, catching the smell of overcooked pancakes. He eased the food out of the pan.
With the burner off and everything safely out of the way, Luke rushed the balloon up the stairs, intending to go to his bedroom.
At the top step, his uncle, wearing only a pair of boxers, stood sleepy-eyed. He rubbed his shaved bald head. “What’s with all the ruckus? The thundering around?” Uncle slept in a lot, too. He was used to doing night shifts.
Luke stopped mid-step, instinctively tucking the balloon behind his back. “Sorry. Didn’t mean to wake you.”
Despite hiding it, Uncle sharply tilted his head to Luke’s angling body, peering around him. “What’cha got there? Not stolen from your brother, is it?”
“Nope! Why would I ever do that?” With a sheepish shrug of his shoulders, he revealed the balloon to him. “Just saw this floating around outside.”
Uncle raised his eyebrow. “Whose is it?”
He didn’t like the accusatory tone. “No one. Not that I can tell. It just drifted in on the wind.”
The older man said nothing for a moment, blinking and moving his lips like he did when he was thinking. In a motion, he waved Luke to get out of his way. “Did I smell breakfast?”
“Pancakes,” Luke said. “Save me some. I haven’t eaten yet.”
“Just pancakes? What are you, four? Where’s the bacon?” Uncle didn’t bother waiting for an answer and continued down the stairs, his footsteps shuffling off as he disappeared into the kitchen. For an older guy, he was strong built and nimble. Like a mix of both North and Luke combined, he noticed.
Uncle wasn’t bad. He wasn’t as grumpy once he got some breakfast into him. He was even funny.
His brother seemed always grumpy.
He still cared about them. They were golden on the inside, even with their tough exteriors.
The opposite of the balloon, gold on the outside...