“Finn, honey, it’s time to wake up.” Grace shook her son awake.

“No.” He groaned sleepily, pulling the blanket over his head.

She laughed. “Come on. We have to finish getting ready and say goodbye to the house.”

Finn remembered the significance behind the early rise now and felt even worse.

“Do we have to?” He asked as he sat up and rubbed his eyes.

Grace paused for a split second with sadness in her eyes before smiling again, grief gone as soon as it had come.

“Of course. It’ll be better.”

“How do you know?”

“I just do.”

“I hate it when you do that.”

“Too bad.” She smiled. “Come on, get up and get dressed. I think the movers are coming soon.”

With that, his mum left the room. Finn sat and stared around him for a minute, taking it all in one last time. He saw the cracks in the wall that had been there since construction. He saw the door with the rusty handles that he had gone through every day for fifteen years. He saw the window that he climbed out of every full moon the past year. He saw the desk where he had sat with Shaun every study session. He was going to miss it all.

He went to the desk and lifted the clothes that he had left out, all the rest in his boxes. He had decided to wear his black jeans and his band t-shirt, his favourite one. He couldn’t be bothered to put his hair in a ponytail so just left it hanging loose around his face in its overgrown mullet.

When he went downstairs the movers were already there.

“Excuse me son.” A burly man said as he walked past holding two boxes stacked in his hands.

“Sorry.” Finn jumped out of the way instinctively.

“Finn! The movers got here early so we’re going to get breakfast at a roadside cafe.” She looked unhappy, she did not enjoy roadside food businesses. “You can thank your father for the food choice.”

Finn could hardly watch the men careening around ruining the home that he had once felt safe and peaceful at. He hated the feeling that his childhood was being ripped away from him. There were so many good memories here; the first time that Shaun had come over, the first time he was allowed to stay up to watch the new years fireworks, the first time he had beat his parents at monopoly. All of it. It was gone just like that.

“You okay Finn?” Michael asked his son. He had noticed that Finn had been standing in one place staring at a wall for a while and was concerned.

“Yeah. Yeah, I’m fine.” Finn nodded.

“If you’re sure…” Michael looked at him for a second, thinking. “Why don’t you help me bring some boxes to the van?”

“Isn’t that why the movers are here?” Finn groaned.

“Yeah but there are a few little boxes that we could bring. We’ll leave the heavy stuff to them, don’t want to break our backs, eh?” His dad explained.

“Oh okay. Yeah, where are they?” Finn asked.

“Over here.” Michael led the way to the small boxes containing utensils and clothes and makeup and all sorts of other small things.

When all the boxes had been loaded into the vans Michael went off to talk to the movers again, just to let them know that they were off to get food and would be a bit later. While he did this Grace went over to talk to Finn.

“How are you holding up?” She asked him.

“I don’t know. I think I'm fine.” He said. He was looking to the floor while he said it, unable to meet his mothers eyes. Her eyes were too full of comfort and hope. He couldn’t lie to those eyes.

“You think?” She raised an eyebrow.

“Yeah. It’s just… hard… leaving behind so many things.” Finn admitted.

Grace understood what he meant immediately. She had been the one to say that they should move but she didn’t really want to. She had memories there as well as her son. This had been her and her husband's first home together. Where their son had taken his first steps. Where they had spent the past years together celebrating holidays.

“Are we ready to go now?” Grace asked. She had to go through with it now or she feared she would back out.

“I think so. What do you think, Finn?” Michael answered.

You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

“Yeah I’m ready to go.” Finn said nonchalantly but both parents noticed how he was looking at the house and knew better.

“Alright. Let’s go then.”

Gets sent out to make friends, sees James and Daniel, doesn’t approach

The first night in the new house hadn’t been terrible though it had been new in a way that Finn didn’t like. He hadn’t even got around to searching for a hideout for transformation nights. He thought the house was alright, it was bigger than the last house, it had a good view of the street from the windows and there was lots of space. He had found it hard to sleep though, surrounded by new stuff on new furniture. He had longed to be back home but knew he couldn’t. Still he couldn’t help it.

The morning rolled round and Finn lay in his bed until well past eleven o’clock. He just couldn’t bring himself to get up.

“Finn!” Grace called from downstairs when it reached twelve.

“Yeah?” He called back from his bed. He wondered if he would be heard through the closed door but decided that if he wasn’t he could just pretend he had been asleep.

“Come here please.” She yelled back.

Finn finally pulled himself out of bed and walked down his stairs, climbing over boxes and junk as he went. He found his mum and dad in the kitchen eating lunch on paper plates.

“Morning, son.” Michael greeted, scarcely looking up from his toast.

“Morning, dad.” He greeted back.

“Finn, honey, I had an idea.” She paused but decided to continue. “How about you go around town today? Meet some people who’ll be in your class?” Grace asked.

“Uh. I don’t know mum, I’ll meet them all tomorrow anyway.” Finn didn’t want to go out and meet people, it would just be awkward. He didn’t want to be known as the loser who hung around people that he didn’t know like a dog looking for scraps.

“Yeah… but I think it would be nice to meet some people before then. It’s already leaving it a bit late as it is.” She argued back softly. “You don’t want to have no one.”

“Yeah. I guess. I’ll do that after I get food.” He said with a sigh.

“Alright.” Grace smiled at her husband with her eyebrows raised.

“Have fun.” Michael grinned and nodded.

After breakfast Finn went back up to his room. He went to his wardrobe and pulled out jeans and a t-shirt, his usual attire. He decided on his denim jacket with his boots as well, to add a bit of ‘flair’.

“I’m going out now!” He called from the front door.

“Okay! Be good! Have fun! Be pleasant!” Grace yelled.

“Farewell!” Michael shouted.

Finn went outside and was filled with doubt and despair. He hated the new town, the way the buildings all seemed the same, the way the people spoke, the way that everything was strange and new. It was awful. He just wanted to go home.

He had been hanging around at the park for about an hour when he saw people about his age. They were two boys, one slightly taller with dark hair, the other shorter with light hair. He overheard them talking as they walked past.

“If we get Ollen for Chemistry I’m gonna kill myself.” The taller one said.

“Bit far mate.” The other laughed.

“Seriously though, he sucks. I would rather have Kellen.”

“Old man Kellen? I think I’d die then.”

The taller one laughed. “Yeah, fair. Let’s go to the shop, I want a drink.”

“Okay.”

Then Finn was left alone in the park again. He swung on the swings and climbed the climbing frame completely bored out of his mind. He couldn’t go back to the house for at least another hour though, then his parents would be upset. He was just thankful that no one was around to witness the new guy sitting alone at the park.

He decided to walk around the town again. He saw a couple of pretty girls standing around the grocery shop and a few boys walking around talking to each other and a few elderly people walking back from church services or shopping trips.

He had been out of the house for three hours and was bored to tears. He decided to go home, his parents would have to believe he had met someone after such a long time. If they didn’t he didn’t know what he would do.

“How was it Finn?” Grace asked when he came in through the door, as if she had been waiting for him.

“Good.” He answered.

“Meet any friends?” She asked anxiously.

“Yeah. There were these boys at the park that I talked to.” Finn lied.

“Really? What were their names?” She asked, eyes lighting up.

“Oh, there were so many that I didn’t get their names. But I think a few will be in my class.” He grinned.

“Awesome! Oh I’m so glad Finn!” She threw her arms around him in glee. Finally her son was making new friends.

“Yeah, me too!” He said. “I’m gonna go unpack more.”

“Of course. Do you need help?”

“No. I’m alright.”

“Okay. See you later.”

“Yeah, bye.” Finn went back upstairs and set about unpacking boxes. Unable to keep his mind calm, he thought about everything.

He wondered what the new school would be like, probably horrible. He wondered who Ollen and Kellen were and why those two boys didn't like them. He wondered if he’d like them. He wondered if those boys would be friends with him. He wondered what the work would be like. If he’d meet someone nice. He hoped so.

Finn quickly found himself crying. He dropped what he was doing and sat down on his bed. He looked out of the window without focusing and just cried. He wished he still had Shaun to talk to.