Xander, 12, lives his life in fear, constantly worried about the next beating he'll receive for even the smallest of things. These fears become amplified when a wealthy man decides to adopt him, an event which causes significant changes in Xander's life. Though he's constantly afraid, Xander eventually begins to find hope that he's finally safe. S.G. "Sig", 13, is mostly ignored by his parents as long as his chores are done and he doesn't cause any problems. As a result, he's taken to doing small jobs such as babysitting, dog-walking, and yardwork to earn money to pay for the things he wants whether it be going bowling with his friends, buying souvenirs at the zoo, eating out at a restaurant, or even something as simple as buying food he wants to make for himself. The one thing that makes him happy in life are the friends who stick with him no matter what. Luke, 13, only wants to make friends and fit in, but he has a tendency to talk a lot no matter how much he tries to remember not to. On top of that, he's just started to figure out that he likes boys and feels confused and conflicted with himself as his family is an old and well-established one within the magical community. To make matters worse, he's not really sure about who he is. Greyson, 10, is Greyson. Posting Schedule: Every Friday. IMPORTANT NOTES: 1) This is not a story that will be filled with action, drama, or conflict between people. This is a slice-of-life/coming-of-age story that focuses on the characters' daily lives and and their internal struggles. 2) There will be some crushes early on but romance won't be much of a focus for the boys until later on, once they're a little bit older. This is especially true for Greyson, as he's younger than the rest of the cast. 3) Xander's PoV in the first volume involves a lot of panic, freaking out, and self-put-downs; he's traumatized and healing takes time. This can make it difficult to read. 4) The story's main focus is on the boys' lives and how they grow and develop into the young men they eventually become. It's fairly slow-burn for many parts of it so don't expect rapid character growth. Change takes time, especially for Xander. 5) Note the Multiple Lead Characters tag. There are multiple main characters and this story is told in first-person present with in-chapter point-of-view shifts. You will also receive the same events from different PoVs as a result of some shared encounters, resulting in different views of the same event. Each of the characters have their own plots in addition to their interconnected ones. 6) Most of the lead characters will be introduced slowly over time. Xander is the main focus, but the other boys all have equal weight to each other even if their PoV fades or disappears for a time and regardless of how soon they show up in the story. 7) This story will take the boys up to and through at least early adulthood; the Sexual Content mature content tag is on here preemptively because of that. There won't be any sex until the involved boys are 18+ years of age. It will also be with their respective boyfriends/husbands and will not be poly. Cover art is a commission made by FuzzyFlowers00; his little finger is hidden because of the way he's holding the cup.