Just Like Family - 1. Chapter 1: Family Matters

1: Family Matters

A typical day in Melbourne during autumn consisted of frozen wind gushing through the streets. In one particular suburb, it brushed through a small portable classroom. Where students sat inside bundled up in warm clothes at the ends of their tables. Each had their own test at specific stages of completion before them.

In particular, a young man with a gentle face, and mid-length shaggy brown hair, sat with his hands placed on his head, his thumbs massaging his temples.

His name was Mike, he was not great at Math, and couldn't help but gaze down, perplexed at each problem. He ran a frusterated hand through his hair and sighed deeply. A girl glanced up from the other end of the table, smirking slightly at her friend's expression.

"What?" Mike mouthed silently at her.

She shook her head and went back to work. Brooke and Mike had known each other since they were little. Born two days apart. Their mothers had bonded whilst at hospital and people had often mistaken them for brother and sister; Brooke had the same colour hair, cut slightly below her ears flicking out the sides of her face.

He had soon long forgotten the test, flingling his pen down, and rocking backwards gazing out of his window. The bare trees' created a stark cold feel to the school. Not only that, but the iron gates that once been cleaned every day had begun to rust; and added to the unwelcoming aura that held the secondary college.

A sharp crack on Mike's table shook him back from daydreaming. His math teacher, Mr Foster, stood towering above him. Mike smiled sheepishly and sat up properly.

Mr Foster stalked off to harass another student, leaving Mike to stare around at everyone else. His eyes stopped on a teenager three tables away from him.

Jack Greeton was a typical bad boy. He drank, smoked, and drove recklessly. He stood tall at six foot, and had turned seventeen recently, he had been adored by many girls for his soft black curls and dark eyes, very rarely did he wear a school uniform enevitably getting him into suspensions.

Mike had known him for several years; they had been friends when they were younger. But when Jack had begun to rebel against his family and school, they both went their own ways at the fork in their friendship. Still, sometimes Mike could swear, his old self lingered behind.

He had always had strong feelings for Jack; he had for a long time. Something that many people knew through an unfortunate incident, one that not only revealed his feelings for Jack, and had ‘outed' himself to his school.

"Alright class, pens down." Mr Foster said gently, weaving inbetween desks collecting tests.

"You may continue your work from the text book." Squeaks and groans ensued as the students' pushed the tables back together to form a U-shape.

"You absolutely suck at surprise tests." Brooke stated laughing swiveling around to sit beside Mike. He shrugged his shoulders half-grinning.

"Heh, I Do, I really do." He agreed jokingly. They continued this back and forth until the end of the lesson.

Once the lunch break had begun, Mike and Brooke left the room and began the walk to the other side of the school; a congregation of people came strutting towards both Mike and Brooke, most of them men. Jack stood at the forefront of the group. Ignoring what was in his way, savagely pushing into Mike.

"Watch where you're walking fag!" Jack shouted, grinning wickedly. Brooke came upfront standing face to face with Jack.

"Don't you call him that!" she growled. Jack smirked and pushed past her with ease. Once they had left Brooke turned to Mike.

"What did you once say about his gentle side not being completely destroyed? Because I have plenty of evidence to support the argument against." She muttered.

"Brooke, I have to believe he's still in there." Mike replied, watching the retreating backs of the group.

"Whatever, c'mon, I'm hungry." She said over her shoulder. They walked together along the length of the school, travelling past several groups. Most people watched them pass with no interest. Everyone at the school kept to themselves.

A strangled yell came from somewhere to the pairs' left and Mike looked up, his eyes widening.

"Shit...," he grumbled. Brooke glanced at him quickly "What?" she asked.

She didn't have time to get his answer as a rugby ball flew out of nowhere, following it; a tank of a teenager came soaring for it crashing into them

The three bodies lay entangled on the concrete ground.

"Whoa, sorry guys, I got a little carried away with the game." The familiar smooth voice of Luke rang in their ears. He picked himself up and tossed the ball away, then helped the other two up. He was tall as Mike, his dark chestnut hair recently hacked down from its shoulderlength to a few centermeters short. Built physically strong, he was an unlikely friend of Brooke and Mike.

"Hey Lukey, how was your weekend?" Brooke asked gently. Luke grinned in response, showing just enough teeth coupled with the perfect amount of charm.

"It was great, sports have started up again, and AFL is back on television. All in all, life is good." He laughed at his own joke. He then stopped putting his hand to his chin thinking hard.

"Oh yeah, Erin's waiting at our table." He exclaimed suddenly.

Mike laughed inwardly. Luke had looked so surprised at remembering something. Luke left his game and continued with the other two.

"So Mike, whats new in gay land?" He asked bluntly. Brooke spun around from infront and slapped him.

"Luke! Can't you be a little less you?" She yelled glaring at him, her eyes full with anger. He shrunk back from her stare.

"Sorry, I... well, you know me." He laughed nervously.

"Don't worry about it, I like the bluntness. It makes you, who you are." Replied Mike. They rounded a corner coming into a small peaceful table. Large trees' created a canopy above the seats, with specks of sunlight hitting the table. Chemistry books were set across its surface, along with piles of loose sheets, with pens used as paperweights.

There was a lean figure with their head underneath one of the books. Luke lifted it cautiously, revealing a blonde haired boy dozing quietly. Mike bent down and picked up one the books that had fallen onto the ground. Held it high, and then slammed it down with heavy force.

"What!" Erin sat upright red-eyed his glasses sliding off his face. Brooke sat down next to him, reached around his face and fixed up his glasses and askew hair.

"Calm down Erin. The chemistry exam isn't for another three weeks." She reassured him.

He glanced around red-faced at the mess he had made, quickly pushing things aside for Luke and Mike.

Together they sat down pulling out their food, small talk ensued with Luke and Mike talking about sport, whilst Brooke helped Erin with his Chemistry work.

"Hey um excuse me guys." A feminine voice punctuated the comfortable reverie that everyone had fallen into. A bright blonde haired girl stood at the tables end, watching them with distaste.

"Um, look girls and boys you had better stop getting in my boys way." The group looked at eachother in disbelief.

"Because we are like, special to each-other and im not going to let a little fag and his rag-tag group get in my way."

Luke stood up, growling deep in his throat. Mike gently pulling down on his shirt.

"Uh, Sweetie, you're little speech just took two minutes of my life. I'll never get back, so unless you can turn back the hourglass; I'd take yourself and your powdered bottom and leave us." Brooke snapped, standing nose to nose. It was then Luke chimed in.

"Hey, aren't you like the twenty-fith special girl in Jack's life?" he quiered. The girl stared Luke down; he glared back smirking cheekily.

The girl huffed, spun around and stalked off.

"Man that would have been more intimidating. Had it been the first time that it's happened." Erin commeneted, Mike laughed, nodding slowly.

A low drone bell rang out through the yards signaling the end of lunch. Luke pulled Mike aside as the other two left the table.

"Can we skip next two periods; I have to talk to you about something." Luke whispered. Mike agreed and they darted into the library. Hiding behind shelves of books to where they unseen.

"What's up?" Mike quizzed an uneasy nervous Luke

Glancing around to make sure no one would hear him, Luke answered.

"My family is moving out of the state- Let me finish before you respond." He added quickly noting Mike's open mouth

"They said I can stay, but I have to pay for things myself. I don't know why their doing this, they expect me to up and leave my life." he fumed

"You know the reason why they want to leave. Because they feel, they are ready for a change. Go figure, It's for them, not us as a family. What am I going to do?" Luke finished talking more so to himself than Mike. They sat in silence, Luke staring out to the distance.

"I'm sorry, I don't know what to say." Mike muttered reching out gently to put his arm around Luke's shoulder.

Luke smiled leaning into Mike.

"I suppose I could board?' he suggested. Mike sat upright, his mind racing with an idea.

"Luke. What if you move in with me and my dad?" he grinned looking around at him. Luke scratched the stubble on his chin as he thought it over. A smile crept up onto his mouth.

"Do you reckon your dad would let me stay?" Luke asked.

Mike nodded feverously. "C'mon man he loves you, and this is a great idea." Luke pulled Mike into a bear hug.

"Mikey, you have no idea how much this means to me." He whispered. Mike started to poke Luke violently in his chest.

"Ow, what's that for?" he grimaced, pulling away. As Mike pulled out gasping for air.

"I can't ask my dad if im smothered to death." He joked still struggling to breathe. Luke pushed him to the side as the got up moving out into the open room. They sat down at one of the desks. Only three other people occupied the room with them.

One of whom was a petite Asian girl, with her headphones on and flipping violently through the pages of a magazine.

Another was a Hispanic boy who sat glued to one of the computers.

The only one who seemed social enough was sitting to the left of Luke. He had the look of a startled squirrel, his large grey eyes focused intently on the mobile phone between his fingers.

Luke had brought along his Phys. Ed workbook. Although, he sat in his seat modeling for Mike's portfolio.

"He's such a kid." Mike thought etching his short dark hair onto the page.

"Hey, Mike. I think that guy over there is checking you out." Luke whispered, disrupting his train of thought. He glanced up off the page, to catch the grey-eyed boy looking down quickly.

Mike smiled inwardly trying to forget about it, he had been engrossed in his work and wanted to try to catch the muse before it left,.but Luke would have none of it.

"Why don't you go talk to him?" he said, nudging Mike in the ribs. Mike shot him his own version of the evil eye, leaning over to reply.

"I'm not that kind of person, you know that." Mike retorted. Luke leaned back, an evil glint in his eyes.

He stood up, and moved over to the grey-eyed boy. Crouching down by his chair, then whispered to him inaudibly.

Mike scrambled to pack his things up. Luke was his best friend, but he was prepared to ditch him if the need arised; he bent down to pick up his shoulder bag and as he came back up the grey-eyed boy stood over him.

From closer inspection, he looked tired. His hair tousled as if he had woken up moments before. And he was thin, much too thin for Mike's liking.

"Hey, I'm Cole." He squeaked, his voice cracking in all the wrong places.

"Mike." He replied, shaking his hand. They were quiet for a few moments. Mike could see him stressing from his body language.

"Oh, um, what year are you in?" Mike asked, searching for more questions while Cole answered the one he had asked.

"I'm in your year; actually we're in the same Art class. Except you sit on your own." He replied.

"Oh, sorry, I sometimes get a bit lost when I draw." Mike explained. Cole smirked, then looked down at Mike's art book.

"Wow, your really good." He commented flipping through the pages. "Does he model for most of your pictures?" Cole asked indicating to Luke; who stood just within earshot, pretending to read a book.

"No not really." He replied standing up to see what Cole was seeing. He had stopped on a page filled with images of young men in different poses. He hadn't noticed it before but they all bore a striking resemblance to Luke.

"Hmm I never noticed that before." Mike thought out-loud. Cole looked sideways at him, and shut the book slowly.

"Well it was nice to meet you." Said Cole. They shook hands again, and Cole left. Mike exhaled as he sat down. With Luke slinking back into his seat.

"So, how did it go?" he asked.

Mike glared at him, picked up his pencil then kept drawing. Luke sighed. "Come on, I'm sorry, but don't you feel good?" he asked, trying to get Mike to look at him. He set his pencil down then spoke up.

"Look, it was fine okay, I wouldn't date him though, he's just lust struck so he doesn't really like me." He saw Luke about to open his mouth as a claw like hand gripped his shoulder, the elderly librarian stood over them, her short stature was compensated by her short temper.

"You both have not ceased talking since you walked in!" she growled. "Get out of here before I send you to your assistant principal." She stood there while they gathered there things and showed them outside.

The moment she left, they both began to laugh.

"So what now?" Luke asked. Mike hoisted his bag higher; as Luke fiddled with his sleeves. Both struggling for something to do.

"My dad's home, why don't we go talk to him about our idea?" suggested Mike. They agreed and Mike waited near the back fence while Luke hurried to his lockers. Inconveniently placed on the opposite side of the school from Mike's locker. He arrived puffing slightly.

"You didn't run did you?" Mike asked. Luke nodded in response.

"Why?" He asked, Mike just snickered in response.. They started down the path and after about twenty minutes of walking, they heard the school bell in the distance.

Another fifteen minutes of talking and walking, they arrived at a modern unit of three. The walls were grey-stonewashed and body-length windows were spaced evenly along the loungeroom, the only room viewable from the front.

They stood at the door for a moment while Mike fumbled with the key.

Before he could open the flywire, the door flung open for them. Mike's dad stood in the doorway.

"You two are home early aren't you?" he queried with raised eyebrows. The expression only drew notice to his balding hairline.

They both launched into an elaborate story involving many guest stars and at one point Mike could hear Luke mentioning something about a dangerous car accident. His dad held up a hand laughing.

"I don't care anymore; you're off the hook for that story." He said, moving aside to let them in. The two boys threw their bags into Mike's room.

"Hey pops, I need to talk to you about something." Mike called out to his dad, now in the kitchen.

"Oh god. Your not coming out again are you?" he joked.

Mike smiled to himself. "No, but it's pretty important." Luke followed him out into the small dining room where they sat down together. And he re-told what he had said to Mike earlier.

"So what do you want to ask me then?" He asked with steepled hands. Mike looked at Luke, who gritted his teeth and nodded.

"Can Luke live with us?" Mike asked quietly. His dad sat there quiet for a moment, and then looked from Mike, to Luke, then back to Mike. After a few minutes he gave up checking for the signs of a joke.

"You're serious aren't you?" he looked at Mike. Who nodded in response. He sighed gently.

"I don't see why not?" he said smiling. Luke jumped up and hugged Mike's dad.

"Thanks Mr Miller." He laughed.

"Luke, if you're living here you can't keep calling me that, its either dad or Murray." He said

Luke reached into his bag and pulled out his cellphone.

"I'm going to call my parents, let them know about this." He told them and he left the room.

"Thanks dad." Mike said.

His dad reached out and placed his hand on Mike's'.

"No problem, but are you going to be ok." He asked his brow creased by worry lines.

"Dad, we've lived together before, he spent over three months here with us at one point, I cant see why it would be any different." His dad shook his head.

"That's not what I meant." He said. Now it was Mike's turn to look confused. Before he could ask what he meant Luke came back.

"They actually don't mind, but they want to talk to Murray sometime tonight." He said excitedly.

"Great!' Murray and Mike whooped together.

"I think this calls for a special dinner, to celebrate our new roommie." His dad said flipping open the phonebook. The page stopped on Indian take-away.

"Everyone good with curry?" he asked, dialing the number.

Luke left after dinner. His family had picked him up so he could go and box his things up. They decided that he should move in the following Friday. That way his things would be all ready and so Mike could prepare his room for him.

"So Luke's moving in with you huh?" Brooke asked, sipping her coffee.

Mike and Brooke sat in the small courtyard of a café. They had been stopping here everyday after school but after Mike had called her to tell her the news she demanded that they meet there Saturday afternoon.

"Yeah, he is." Mike replied. Brooke grimaced over her cup.

"That should be fun." She said with eyebrows raised.

Mike shrugged. "Dunno why everyone is like that. We have lived together before."

"Yeah but this is different." She retorted. "This time its permanent, you will find things that you wont like in him."

"He's my best friend. I think I can handle it." Mike replied.

They finished their drinks mostly in silence, each enjoying what they had.

"I have to go; Erin wants my help with chemistry. I swear he won't stop panicking." She left her money with Mike and hurried off down the street.

"Will that be all?" asked a uninterested waitress at the counter.

"Yeah." Mike said holding out the money. He paid then left walking down the main street. People were everywhere, a lot of whom he knew from school looking for something to do on the weekend.

He was browsing through a clothes shop. Not paying much attention when he heard him

"Mike?" said the surprised voice. He spun around to see Cole standing with a bundle of clothes in one hand and his other holding price tags.

"Cole, hey. I didn't know you worked here" Mike said. Cole set his things down and came over to stand beside him.

"Yeah, it's only recent but I like it here. What are you up to?" he quiered.

"Not a lot. My friends are all busy so im just killing time." Mike replied. Cole nodded "anything planned for tomorrow?" he asked.

"Well, I think Luke is going to come over and help me clean out his room. He's going to be living with me now." Mike explained. Cole raised his eyebrows skeptically.

"Can I say something that is completely none of my business?" he asked.

"Yeah?" Mike said hesitantly.

Cole leant against one of the t-shirt racks as he spoke. "it's not really a smart idea to live with someone that doesn't return your feelings." He commented.

Mike scratched his head in confusion. "Wait, do you think that I like Luke more than a friend?" he laughed.

Cole grimaced nodding.

Mike shook his head snickering. "Nah, no way he's just a really good friend. We're really close."

Cole exhaled. "Oh ok, sorry I usually can pick it up easily. Must have been wrong." He said smiling. He glanced at the clock and back at Mike. "I'm off work in about ten minutes. Do you wanna do something?" he suggested.

Mike agreed and they arranged to meet out the front of the store.

Minutes later they sat eating hot-dogs in the shopping centre. It turned out he and Cole had a lot more in common than he originally thought. They both liked the same type of music and dressed similar. And he learned that Cole was a fan of photography.

"Some of my work has gotten into some small town exhibits. But I hope to get better at it." He finished telling Mike about some of the places he had gotten to show off some of his photography, whilst they both ate.

"What?" he asked referring to the look of disgust on Mike's face.

"Oh nothing, just seeing you eat is reminiscent to watching a lion feed on a gazelle." He commented.

Cole laughed. it was a nice sound; smooth and relaxed.

"I know im a bit messy and untrained in hot-dog etiquette." He reasoned. Mike shrugged. Seeing Cole out here made him seem a lot less unkempt. His hair was styled properly instead of looking like he had woken up. And he wasn't overly thin. He just wore second-hand uniforms that were two sizes too big.

A shrill ring broke their conversation.

"Shit sorry, that's my phone." He explained pulling out his mobile. The caller id read Dad. "Yeah?" he answered

"Hey. Sorry to call you, but your mum's here. She wants to see you." His dad said. Mike groaned inwardly. The last person he wanted to talk to was his mother.

"Ok. I'll be home as soon as possible." He replied. Hanging up.

Cole watched him expectantly.

"Sorry Cole. I gotta get home. Family stuff." He shook his head and grinned.

"Don't worry about it. I'll see you Monday yeah?" he asked. Mike nodded and after an awkward moment, they went their separate ways.

He felt bad about leaving Cole like that, especially to go see his Mother; someone who he felt didn't even care about him. He turned into his street with growing dread.

As he got within a few meters of his house, he noticed the black sedan parked in the driveway it stood out like a sore thumb in his quite ordinary neighborhood.

He groaned at the sight and pushed the door open muttering "Great."