The day went by in a blur, first days had always been like that, trying to memorize the layout of the school and where his classes were located. He had, had members of Elise’s friend group in every one of his classes if not Elise herself, so most of the day he was passed back and forth between his foster sister and one of her senior friends, Analise, who shared two classes with him and spent her free period in a third class that her cousin was also in.

Analise was…

Well, Analise was one of the prettiest women he had ever seen, and she was just as sweet in person as she had always seemed on social media. It made him shy in a way he hadn’t really ever found himself feeling before, at least twice he had found himself flushed when she’d caught him daydreaming in her direction.

To say that he spent a lot of his social time flirting was an understatement, it was easier to treat his foster sister’s friends like they were potential one night stands than it was to acknowledge that these were people he might come to rely on or grow near. Ana was one of four people he’d gotten to know best over the course of the day and she had filled him in on some information about the others he got to know.

Esmerelda Cardinal had been the one to initiate his first ‘social’ encounter of the day; when Elise had paraded him around her massive group of friends, she’d whistled at him as they’d approached, looking him up and down. “Damn, you’re a tree I’d like to climb.” She’d said it with so much excitement like he was fresh meat for her to examine, it certainly had caught his attention.

He’d given her a once over in return, a gentle flush to his cheeks, a grin spread across his lips as he’d responded to her. “You’d have to discuss it with my boyfriend, but I’d be down.” He’d winked at her too, acutely aware of the eyes on him, taking in his every word.

“Essie.” Was how she had introduced herself, Ana had filled him in later that she was newer to the friend group as well, she had spent the last couple of years dealing with the big C but had received a bone marrow transplant from another member of the friend group, Lucian. After this, her family had disowned her, which seemed pretty harsh given that she’d only just recovered from cancer, but she wasn’t without found family for sure. It had apparently been a rarity to see her at school before the second period since she apparently spent most days working on her adopted father’s farm till at least ten.

Silas Burke had been the second person he’d flirted with, cutting in as Essie tried to figure out if it had been an invitation or a warning. “If we’re forming lines in that regard, I’d like to be next.” He’d leaned his head on Essie’s shoulder as he’d taken his turn to check out the new kid and Lucky had taken his own time assessing the long dark hair, the black marks on his arms, the big dark eyes full of invitation and interest.

Silas was in his own right quite beautiful and in one class he’d jokingly asked if Silas’ whole family were that beautiful, Ana had informed him they had been. Silas’s mother had been an exchange student from Singapore and allegedly the story was that his father would ask to draw her all around campus. Apparently, she didn’t speak English very well and his accent was so strong she never knew what he was doing, until one day she finally asked. They had laughed together for a long time and they went to lunch together so she could look at all his drawings of her. The rest was history as they say. Everyone in their friend group loved how romantic it was. They’d passed away a couple of years ago in a car accident along with his older brother, Andre, who’d been close friends with Heather’s daughter Olive.

Matthew Jordan was the last of them, coming in with a cheesy dad joke and a dorky wink that really helped break Lucky’s anxiety about the whole social situation. “I’d say I’m lucky if I get added to your little list.” Apparently, his father was incredibly homophobic and when his little sister Mikey had come out to him, Matt had taken it upon himself to draw their father’s abusive behaviour onto himself by being the biggest disappointment humanly possible. One of the ways he had done exactly that was by being an absolute bisexual nightmare and both Essie and Silas were a couple of those that Matt maintained casual relations with.

Matt and Silas were on the football team together along with several other members of the friend group, it was a strange amalgamation of people and Lucky was sure he’d never see a group of people so diverse in interest anywhere else.

When the classes finally ended for the day it was a relief to finally return back to the house, he couldn’t think of it as home even if he tried, it didn’t feel like it would last, but he’d stay as long as Heather would allow. With the house all to himself for the evening, Elise was gone to Destiny’s to give him space, he decided he’d take a shower and change into something a little more comfortable for the evening.