By Any Other Name Chapter 1 (Part A)
Title: By Any Other Name
Chapter: 1A/?
Author: Michikachan101
Genre: Au, High School, Romance
Story Rating: PG-13 (might increase in future)
Chapter Rating: PG-13
Story Warnings: slight angst, supernatural/sci-fi, BoyxBoy, swearing (mild), abandonment
Chapter warning: abandonment, slight angst, mild swearing
Summary: Four brothers were living the life, good in studies, awesome friends, life seemed perfect. Until one day they came home to find it empty; no pictures, no food, no memories. All that was there was their clothes, two beds and a note left on the kitchen counter-top. At the threat of being separated, they managed to lie their way into staying together, sacrificing their high school reputation to do so. So with great courage, the boys moved from their state to a small suburb in Northern Illinois and this is where their life began.
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the idols I have used as characters in the story. However, the story line and plot is mine.
The four boys stood crowded around the kitchen table, the oldest, Heechul held the letter in his hand while Jaejoong, the second oldest, had the two cards in his. Henry, the youngest was hugging Eunhyuk, the second youngest.
They stared speechless at the letter until a tear slipped from Heechul’s eye and a sniffle left Jaejoong. Henry squeezed Eunhyuk closer before starting to sob. The other two crowded around Henry despite the tear tracks glistening on their cheeks and the unshed tears remaining in their eyes.
“Hyungs*, we were abandoned again…why do we always get left behind? Are we going to lose each other too now?” Henry asked huddling closer to his three brothers as Eunhyuk tightened his grip on Henry and the other two moved closer.
Three. What a profound number. Neither too big nor too small.
Three was the age they all were when they were adopted (Heechul first, then Jaejoong, followed by Eunhyuk, lastly Henry)
Third Jan was the date Heechul was brought back home.
Three was the number of family members Jaejoong gained on his birthday.
Three was the number of smiling faces Eunhyuk saw when Woojin carried him into the house for the first time.
Three was the number of brothers Henry had ready to hug and cuddle him when he stepped into the house for the first time.
And now, three was the number of dates left before Christmas Break and that was the day they were abandoned once more.
The brothers moved towards their rooms; their steps slow and faces somber. They stepped into their shared bedrooms; Heechul and Henry in one and Jaejoong and Eunhyuk in the other. They changed from their jeans and t-shirts into comfortable clothes before stepping out into the hallway and drifting back into the kitchen.
They settled down on four chairs around the kitchen island and pulled out their wallets. They took out all the cash they had and counted. Combined, they barely had enough for dinner and lunch for the next three days.
Heechul sighed lightly. “We’ll have to order food for dinner. There’s no food to eat. We can’t order too much junk food though…and all of us have jobs so we will go through with them like normal. At least until this weekend, we will need to maintain -” As he was finishing up his sentence, the doorbell rang. His eyes opened wide and Heechul turned pale at the thought of a stranger trying to come in. Jaejoong sighed and stood up from his seat and let out a deep breath before patting Heechul lightly on the shoulder and walking towards the front door.
Jaejoong slowly opened the front door to find their two next door neighbors standing outside with a small-medium container of food each.
“Darling, we saw your parents move out this morning and you boys coming in after school…is everything alright? Oh and I figured that since it’s just the four of you, I’d better bring over some food.” Mrs. Collins said looking concerned. Jaejoong slowly stepped into the house wondering why Ms. Sinclair was also there as the two ladies followed him into the house. Eunhyuk peeped out of the kitchen and offered a gummy smile when he saw who it was. He walked out of the room with Henry padding in behind him and Heechul shuffling in at the end. Heechul looked at the floor, refusing to meet the two ladies eyes. When their neighbors were standing in the center of the living room, the boys accepted the two containers of food. Jaejoong took the Crockpot that Ms. Sinclair was carrying and placed it on the coffee table before opening the lid and allowing the delicious scent to waft around the room.
“Oh wow! Ms. Sinclair, it’s your famous soft chicken taco mix?” Henry exclaimed as he moved forward and tried sticking his finger into the pot, only to be held back by an annoyed Eunhyuk causing the whole group to laugh. The laughter continued when Ms. Sinclair pulled out a packet of tortillas from her purse and held them out to Henry, only to pull back and hand it to Jaejoong instead.
Heechul smiled shyly as he took the tray that Mrs. Collins was holding. She stopped cooing at Henry’s cuteness and smiled softly at the oldest and most timid boy of the lot.
“I brought some homemade lasagna. I figured that you could save some in the fridge for tomorrow as well…Actually boys, before I go, I was wondering why your parents left…” Mrs. Collins said as she sat down on the leather couch, patting a spot for Ms. Sinclair to sit down. Ms. Sinclair sat down as well with a small “Thank you” while the boys looked at each other in the eye; panicking. Jaejoong and Heechul knew they couldn’t say anything, they sucked at lying. Henry sucked in a deep breath before starting to speak.
“Y-you see Mrs. Collins…and Ms. Sinclair, we have some very sad news and very sudden news…” Henry started speaking before trailing of and looking at Eunhyuk for Help.
“Yes, it seems that our dad got a job transfer. So mom and dad decided to move first and let us stay here until winter break starts, then we have to follow them.” Eunhyuk said giving the two ladies his gummy smile. Ms. Sinclair blushed lightly as she was just four years older than Heechul and Jaejoong. Mrs. Collins returned his smile before asking another potent question.
“So, where will you boys be moving to?” She inquired gently, causing Ms. Sinclair to frown slightly and nod along. The four boys tensed up, unsure how to answer. Heechul looked around the room and noticed that Jaejoong was almost tearing up. He balled his fists, and squeezed his fist, trying to gather the courage to speak.
“Chicago…” he burst out trailing off as everyone looked at him “I-I that is…not Chicago as in the city but a suburb slightly north of it.” Heechul finished, ducking his head as a blush covered his face at his outburst. He looked up a couple of seconds later to see Ms. Sinclair involved in a deep conversation with Eunhyuk and Henry about Chicago while Mrs. Collins kept putting her two cents in. Jaejoong could be heard in moving about the kitchen putting the food away. Heechul stood by the couch unsure where he fit in. He felt a hand on his shoulder and jumped, slightly startled before looking towards his left to find Eunhyuk standing there. He looked towards the couch and found that Jaejoong had joined the conversation going on in the front room. He looked back at Eunhyuk to find him giving him a small smile.
“Hyung, you did well…saving us with that one. Jaejoong hyung might have burst and told the truth otherwise.” Eunhyuk said his smile kept sweet and his eyes showing concern. Heechul flushed a little and shook his head.
“No, I’m just glad that I remembered what Leeteuk hyung was telling me about where he lived. I can call up Leeteuk hyung and ask him if there are any small apartments located in his area that we can rent…because now, we can’t stay here after Winter Break starts.” Heechul mummers looking around the empty house that he called his home since he was three, knowing he was going to be leaving it soon.
“You and Jae hyung were completing your senior year and Henry and I, our junior. I guess you should be happy that Jae hyung and you both sent your applications in. You will have to change your return address once we move though…” Eunhyuk sighed as he leaned forward, resting his forearms on the head of the loveseat. Heechul hummed in agreement before returning his attention to the conversation going on in front of them.
As the clock struck seven, Mrs. Collins stood up.
“Come on Lizzie, we should probably return to our houses. We’ve been here for three hours already and I’m sure the boys want to eat.” She said as she moved towards the door. Eunhyuk and Heechul, who had moved to sit on the couch, giggled as Ms. Sinclair continued talking to Henry and Jaejoong obvious to Mrs. Collins’ leaving. Hearing the giggles, Mrs. Collins turned around and noticed the lack of movement from Ms. Sinclair.
“Ms Elizabeth Sinclair! I swear to god if you don’t move from the couch in the next five seconds, I will tell your mother all about your little summer fling this year, or my name isn’t Amoura Collins. Mrs. Collins yelled as she stood with her hands akimbo and her graying hair escaping her neatly styled ponytail. Her lilac colored knee-length dress flared slightly as she shifted her weight to her right leg.
Ms. Sinclair stood up, tucking her honey blonde hair behind one ear and her grey-blue eyes shone with mirth while she tugged her baby-blue tank-top slightly and brushed the invisible dirt off her skinny jeans. Then, with a sweet smile on her face she waved to the four boys. She then joined Mrs. Collins by the front door.
“Aww, come on abuela, don’t be so mean me just ‘cause you are jealous of my youth!” Ms. Sinclair said as she opened the door and stepped out. The boys laughed as they could hear the two ladies argue their way down the driveway and to the sidewalk. Henry went to the entrance and locked the door before returning.
The boys looked around the house and the other three came to the fully grasp the concept of the lie they had told earlier that day.
“So, we’ll really have to leave this place huh?” Jaejoong asked gently, running his fingers over the couch.
“We don’t have much of a choice…the state might separate the four of us. If we stay here any longer and they realize what is going on.” Eunhyuk said gripping onto a pillow. Sniffles were heard and both Henry and Eunhyuk turned to the loveseat to find the two oldest, Heechul and Jaejoong, clinging to each other as tears flowed down their cheeks. Henry felt tears starting to slide down his face as his shoulders shook with silent sobs.
“Why did it have to happen now? Jaejoong and I were just about to turn 18. We might be getting our soul tattoos. Why now? When Henry and Hyukkie were about to enter their final year in high school? Did we do something wrong to cause this?” Heechul asked as he hugged Jaejoong closer and reached an arm out for Henry and Eunhyuk. The two boys joined their brothers on the loveseat and snuggled into each other, looking for some comfort while offering some for the others.
The boys sat huddled there for five minutes before Eunhyuk moved, wiping his tears and standing up.
“It doesn’t matter how sad we are, we still need to eat, do our chores, finish our homework and go to school tomorrow with a smile. Otherwise, people will talk and that is the opposite of what we need…So I’ll start reheating the dinner, Henry and Jaejoong Hyung can go and take a shower and Heechul Hyung, can you please call up Leeteukkie hyung and see if he can help us?” Eunhyuk said as he dusted the seat of his pants and moved towards the kitchen. The other three remained frozen in place until they heard the familiar clang of the plates being taken out. The remaining brothers stood up and walked towards their destination a tinge of normalcy returning to the unnaturally silent house.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------Jaejoong slipped into his and Eunhyuk’s room, a towel draped around his neck to catch any stray droplets. He settled down at his study table and opened his laptop, running his hands across the smoothness of his white Mac book air. He smiled sadly and felt his eyes get watery as he remembered the fanfare with which his mom and dad Woojin and Jessica had presented it to him.
It dinged slightly as it turned on and he typed in his password before going to his closet and pulling on a wife-beater and sweatpants over the boxers that h was already wearing before sitting back down on his chair. He lightly toweled his semi-dry dirty blonde hair (dyed just a couple days ago).
He was tapping his fingers on the table as he bends down to get his homework. The sounds of Eunhyuk moving around the kitchen and Henry shuffling down the hallway kept the house feeling normal despite the gut-wrenching fact that the room at the end of the hallway was empty.
He was brought out of his thoughts when his computer started making the ‘ping’ sound produced by Facebook messenger. He looked at the screen and felt a relieved smile come on his face when Jaejoong saw the name.
Yunho ‘U-know- Jung flashed on the bottom right corner of the screen and he clicked on it allowing the chat box to pop-up.
Hey
Hi!So what’s new with you today?
Nothing muchSeriously? Ok! Anyway, today was my younger brother’s birthday…lots of cake…you jealous?
Not really…I bake better anyway.Hey, why the short replies and lack of smiles? Do you hate me now?
NO! It’s just that something big happened today.Then why respond with ‘nm’ earlier? Tell me what’s wrong.
My parents left us alone with two credit cards and told us to survive on our own and that they would put some amount of money in it monthly.You’re shitting me right? There’s no way parents can do that!
I didn't tell you? My brothers and I are adopted. None of us are related (by blood) to each other or to our parents.Oh wow! You know what; I think I want to see you right now. Let’s Skype ok?
Alright then
Jaejoong clicked on the Skype button from his toolbar and waited impatiently for it to open. Jaejoong had met Yunho last year when he was scrolling through me2day. He knew he was technically American, but it didn't mean he could read or write Korean! So when he saw another Korean-American online, he decided to send a ‘hi’ and soon their conversations went from writing messages on each other’s walls to multiple private messages. Both of them admitted that me2day was their ‘thought’ site and Facebook was their ‘school and social’ site. So they found each other on Facebook and their conversations continued, now about pictures posted, status updates and randomly ‘liked’ interests. Soon enough, it felt like they had known each other their whole lives and moved from Facebook to Skype. Video calls became a weekly thing and sometimes (most times) more often than that.
His Skype started ringing and Jaejoong broke out of his daze (again) and clicked the little video button. Yunho popped up on the screen, flicking his light brown fringes that slightly covered his left eye. His ward dark brown eyes showed concern as he adjusted himself on the chair.
“Hey Jae, I didn't know you were adopted…” Yunho said with a small, unsure smile. Jaejoong smiled softly and shook his head a little to ensure that his thoughts were coherent and sensible.
“Yeah, I don’t think any of us say it out loud. We’ve been a family, the four of us, since Henry was three. So it’s only in the state’s books that we aren’t related. For us, other than these past 13 years, we don’t have a history. It’s like our life started when we were adopted. So, as far as we care, we are family.” Jaejoong said with a soft smile coming onto his face. Yunho listened with his eyes closed.
“Then why would parents who chose you, abandon you? What kinds of people do that?” Yunho asked, opening his eyes and looking enraged on Jaejoong behalf.
“Th-they said…or rather they w-wrote that they were expecting a baby. It seems they c-couldn’t handle all f-five of us.” Jaejoong’s voice broke a few times as he spoke and his eyes shimmered with unshed tears. Yunho looked on from the other side of the screen as someone whom he considered to be his best friend try to keep his calm and hold back the tears.
“You can cry, trust me enough to let go in front of me…please.” Yunho pleaded from the other side of the screen. Those words seemed to be Jaejoong’s undoing.
Sobs wracked his body and tears flowed down his face. His nose turned red and his shoulders shook. He covered his face with his hands and cried and whimpered as the shock wore off and reality set in. He moved his hands from his tear-stained face and wrapped them around his waist and began to rock slightly back and forth.
“W-we didn’t do any-thing bad d-did w-we? W-we kept o-our g-grades up a-and made s-sure to keep our e-extra curricu-lars g-going as well…s-so why d-did they h-have to l-leave us alon….” Jaejoong was unable to complete his barely comprehensible sentence as he broke down into sobs. Yunho balled his fists on the other side of the computer screen to prevent all attempts to reach out. His eyes glistened lightly and two teardrops made their way down his cheeks as he watched Jaejoong, a normally cheerful and calm person, break down completely. He said nothing…he knew that it wasn’t needed. All Jaejoong needed right now was his presence.
After five to ten minutes of crying, Jaejoong’s sobs started quieting down and his tears reduced. He started breathing deeply as he closed his eyes and placed his interlaced fingers over them. Yunho watched quietly from his side of the screen, leaning forward slightly as he reached for a tissue to wipe away any remnants of his tears before starting to talk.
“Do you feel better now?” Yunho asked as he refocused on Jaejoong’s still frame. The hands moved away from his face and a red-nosed, puffy-eyed Jaejoong was visible to Yunho.
“Yeah…yeah I feel better now…not completely normal, but a lot better than before.” Jaejoong sniffled. Yunho smiled and Jaejoong felt the corners of his mouth lift up in an answering smile. Jaejoong grabbed the towel that was lying on his bed and patted his face to wipe away the stray tears.
“Sorry you had to see that. I guess I was at the edge already.” Jaejoong said finally looking back at the computer screen and the concerned Yunho.
“It’s alright…I really don’t mind. But honestly speaking, have you thought of what you guys are going to do? Do you plan on staying there or…”Yunho trailed off at the end of the sentence seeing the change in expression on Jaejoong’s face.
“We’re moving, we’ll have to. Our neighbors saw our parents move away and Hyukkie-ah told them that we’ll be following them during winter break. So yeah we’ll have to…move.” Jaejoong said, his face darkening even more as he recounted that lie.
“Do you know you switch to Korean when you are upset? And where will you be moving to?” Yunho asked with a small smile on his face as he noticed Jaejoong lightening up a little.
“Hmm….not just upset, also when I’m really angry or sad…basically all extreme emotions. And for your information, we’re moving to a suburb slightly north of Chicago.” Jaejoong stated as he smiled in response.
“Ay dios mios! I live in a suburb slightly north of Chicago! It would be amazing if you come here!” Yunho said, laughing and clapping his hands slightly.
“You sound so happy…I think I should be worried!” Jaejoong giggled. Yunho stopped clapping his hands and started talking again.
“Serious question though-ok maybe not really-, but are you the one who said Chicago? Did you want to meet me that bad?” Yunho finished his question with a wink. Jaejoong burst out laughing despite the light blush that covered his cheeks.
“Thanks! I needed that laugh. In all honesty though, it was Chul-hyung who said it. One of our older friends-from the orphanage- lives there so we can ask for his help.” Jaejoong explained, the mirth still shining in his eyes and the remains of laughter still audible in his voice and visible at the corner of his mouth.
“That’s cool! I thought he doesn’t like speaking much though…especially with other people around.” Yunho said smiling at the visible happiness radiating from Jaejoong.
“He doesn’t… not usually anyway. I guess he noticed how all of us froze when that question was asked. I’m glad he answered though. If he hadn’t I would have most likely caved and told the inquisitive neighbors the truth which would have landed us back in ‘The House’ which is the last thing any of us wanted...well, technically, Hyukkie and Henry would have ended up at the house for two more years..Heechul and I wouldn’t have been allowed to be with the though.” Jaejoong whispered as a soft smile lit his face.
“I’m glad he said that, now you are coming closer to me and we might get to meet! Who is your friend that lives in Chicago though?” Yunho asked curious to find out whether or not he knew the person…and whether or not it was someone in his town.
“Who knows, we might even be in the same town...or even if we aren’t, we can meet in Chicago! As for the friend, he is more like an older brother. His name is Park Jung-” Jaejoong was interrupted by the door being thrown open by a (surprisingly) clean Eunhyuk.
“Hey Yunho, Joongie-hyung has to go now, dinner is ready. So he can talk to you later alright…Bye Handsome hyung~” Eunhyuk had started talking as he walked into the room and by the end, was standing next to the computer with his hands on the touchpad, inching closer to the red ‘end call’ button. Yunho chuckled and waved to Eunhyuk and winked at Jaejoong before laughing and ending the call from his side. Eunhyuk and Jaejoong laughed while Eunhyuk moved backwards so that Jaejoong (closing the Skype window and the laptop) could get up. Jaejoong took his towel and hung it on the back of his chair.
“Hyung, do you feel better after crying it all out?” Eunhyuk asked, as he sat down at the edge of his bed. Jaejoong settled down on his own bed.
“Oh! You heard?” Jaejoong asked, answering the questions with a question, as he pulled his legs up and wrapped his hands around his knees. Once he asked the question, he buried his head into his knees to avoid Eunhyuk’s knowing look.
“Have you checked your body when you were taking a shower? Any tattoos appearing there?” Eunhyuk asked as a teasing smirk spread across his face. Jaejoong’s face flushed at the hinted meaning behind Eunhyuk’s words.
“Shut up…there aren’t any tattoos!” Jaejoong muttered throwing a throw cushion onto Eunhyuk. Eunhyuk giggled and caught it, throwing it back just as quickly before continuing the conversation.
“Which reminds me, I wanted to ask you how Project DBSJ is coming along. Are you still in contact with everybody?” Eunhyuk asked.
“I’m not really sure….HELL! I don’t know! All the information that I have comes from the news forum and it’s not being updated regularly. And since I was so busy with the application process for university, I haven’t contacted anyone personally either.” Jaejoong said with a pout as a pout pushed through his lips and he ran a hand through his wine red hair. Eunhyuk couldn’t help but giggle at Jaejoong’s visible agitation. Jaejoong liked secrets, always found them a mystery waiting to be solved, and was usually very patient, but certain things made him as patient as a child waiting at an ice-cream store.
“Don’t use hell so casually Jae.” came a hushed voice from the door. The two boys turned towards the door and found a slightly displeased Heechul looking into the room. They both giggled at Heechul’s words. None of the four were brought up religiously by their adoptive parents, but their orphanage had been. While the others had either distanced themselves or completely detached themselves from any religious institute, Heechul had grasped it in an attempt to explain what had happened to him in his childhood. Heechul tsked lightly at his two giggly brothers and left the sound of a door closing was heard within a couple seconds.
Jaejoong and Eunhyuk slowly calmed down from their laughter-induced high and quietly moved around straightening their room before heading out the door and towards the kitchen, turning off their room lights and closing the door on their way. They passed Heechul and Henry’s open door and openly gaped as they saw the piles of clothes and accessories that littered the floor. Shaking their heads, they walked on to the dining room, sitting down and waiting for Heechul and Henry to join them.
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Heechul sighed as Henry finally left the room for his shower amidst a series of whines and puppy eyes. He slowly sank down onto his bed and hugged Simba, the lion plushie lying next to him as he remembered the conversation he just had with Leeteuk.
Heechul left the living room and quietly slipped into the master bedroom, shedding a tear at the sight of a once cluttered bedside table now painfully empty. He sat down on the single mattress left on till he found the floor and pulled out his cell phone scrolling down the name ‘Fallen Angel’. Pressing the call button, he listened to the phone ring and took in some deep breaths as a method of preventing a break down on the phone.
He heard a click and a soft and pleasant “Hello” and that’s all he could handle before he began sobbing uncontrollably falling short of breath every once in awhile. Had the person on the other side been anyone other than Leeteuk, the call would have been cut, but it was Leeteuk and he would never hang up on a crying person.
“H-hyung….hyung-!” Heechul called out as he fell back onto the bed somewhere in between his fit.
“Heechul? Yah Heechul-ah...is that you? What’s wrong? Why are you crying? Is everything alright?” Leeteuk asked a small amount of panic seeping into his voice.
“Hyung, they left...why did they leave? I didn’t do anything wrong. I got good grades, took all my AP classes, never was a burden...I work for any spending money and I never even bothered them about any of the bullying...so why did they leave? Is God punishing me for anything?” Heechul asked as he grabbed a small throw pillow that had been left on the bed and hugged it to his chest.
“Sh-sh Heechul-ah. Calm down, hyung is right here so you can cry your heart out alright? None of your dongsaengs are around to hear your cries and see your tears or hear your fears. H-hyung won’t leave or hang up so just let it out.” Leeteuk said quietly.
Hearing his voice, Heechul let it all out-sobbing, heaving, crying and whimpering. About five minutes later, Heechul finally calmed down, taking a couple deep breaths to help him calm down a bit more.
“Hyung? Are you still there?” Heechul asked his voice rough and his tone hesitant at hearing the silence on the other side. Finally he heard a deep breath on the other side followed by a sigh before a croaky voice responded.
“Don’t worry Heechul-ah, hyung is still here. I was just upset too since it upsets me to hear you crying like that.” Leeteuk whispered, his voice soothing the distressed boy as he continued taking deep breaths.
“Hyung, we’re in trouble.” Heechul murmured into the phone.
“You know you can tell me. I’ll help you as much as I can.” Leeteuk said quietly, soothingly.
“Hyung, our parents…they abandoned all four of us and the neighbors saw them leaving leave so we have to leave too.” Heechul said in a quick breath as his hands tugged his black shoulder length hair.
“Wait…Heechul, I don’t understand. Can you explain everything to me…slowly?” Leeteuk asked as confusion colored his voice. Heechul sniffed slightly before telling the whole story. His story was filled with tears and sobs that made him pause every once in a while to regain control. When he finished, Leeteuk’s sigh on told him that he understood the situation-and didn’t like it one bit.
“So you want me to start looking for a place now? But Heechul-ah, to do that, I would need to know some things such as; price range…how much can you afford to spend on rent and whether or not you need to be close to a school…stuff like that.” Leeteuk gently started from the other side.
“I know hyung, I know. About the school, yes I would like something near a high school that way at least Eunhyuk and Henry can continue schooling even if Jae and I can’t.” Heechul whispered hoping not to upset Leeteuk further.
“Hmm…you and Jae are definitely continuing school if I can help it! I mean it Heechul! I’ll look for an apartment for you guys in a good neighborhood…that should cost about $1000-$2000 a month…” Leeteuk had started listing the things he felt compulsory and Heechul could feel his eyes widen.
“Hyung! Stop! We can’t afford that sort of thing! A lower or poorer area would be just as fine. I mean provided we can just finish high school. Then Jae and I can find full time jobs somewhere!” Heechul said hurriedly hoping to stop Leeteuk before he made wild plans that they couldn’t afford.
“WHAT! What the hell is this about you and Jae not going to college? You both have even sent in your applications!” Leeteuk shouted over the phone.
“Hyung, we’ll have to decline, we can’t leave Eunhyuk and Henry alone!” Heechul shouted, a slight panic causing his voice to rise above its normal pitch and sound. Leeteuk sighed on the other side of the phone.
“Heechul-ah, you listen to me alright! You are moving near me and I will ensure that none-and I mean none- of you will be deprived of the education that you would receive otherwise.” Leeteuk huffed over the line. Heechul momentarily heard gruff laughter in the background before it was abruptly stopped.
“And exactly how do you plan on doing that hyung? We can pay for high school by ourselves, but college would be a stretch even with scholarships to help us out.” Heechul exclaimed, now having a full blown panic attack.
“Just trust me alright Chul-ah, hmm? And if you four can send me a small resume each, I can try getting the four of you jobs as well.” Leeteuk said sounding cheerful on the other end. Heechul sighed quietly before acquitting to Leeteuk knowing that his hyung would be there for him, no matter what.
“Oh and Heechul-ah, I have an announcement to make when you guys get here…” Leeteuk said sounding really excited through the phone.
“Hyung…I can’t wait to find out.” Heechul said quietly, a small smile stretching his lips, and for once during that afternoon, not fake.
“He he he, I’m sure that you’re anxious…don’t even tell the others alright, I want it to be a complete surprise” Leeteuk said his voice bright with mirth. Heechul laughed quietly and said a small goodbye before hanging up.
Once the call was cut, Heechul sat up, still hugging the small pillow and ran his hands through his hair. He closed his eyes and remembered how the room had looked just last night and slowly opened his eyes, watching the picture disappear and reality take its place. The room he was in now was barely a skeletal outline of the room in his mind and it served as a firm reminder that his parents were gone.
He got up quietly and walked around the room once more, running his hands along the walls before opening the door. Standing at the doorway, he faced the room and took a steadying breath before speaking out-loud to the empty room.
“Well you left us alone…So we now we’re closing this chapter of our lives and the way you left us, we are moving on as well…” Heechul whispered before closing the door and moving away.
He buried his face in the plushie in his hand, letting a few stray tears escape from his eyes before quickly sitting up, rubbing his eyes to wipe any evidence of tears. He went to the closet and changed really fast since he had already showered before coming into the room and was wearing nothing but a towel wrapped around his waist…and he was starting to feel cold.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- All four brothers settled down at the table once again and began looking at the plates prepared by Eunhyuk. Eunhyuk looked around at the somber faces of the people that were eating at the table and closed his eyes, thinking of what a loud affair dinner usually was. He let out a sigh before speaking.
“Heechul hyung, did you manage to connect with Leeteuk hyung?” Eunhyuk asked quietly, poking his chicken with his fork. He watched as Heechul squirmed a little in his seat and started feeling like a parent interrogating his child.
“Hyung said he will find a place for us to stay near his house and will ensure that we have enough money to pay for it and for school…also, hyung told me to give him proper, up-to-date resumes. He knows places that might hire us.” Heechul whispered, playing around with his food. Once he finished talking, he put a piece of the chicken in his mouth and looked up to find that his brothers looked more relaxed and cheerful.
The boys finished their dinner quickly and then moved to their rooms leaving Henry to clean up (and whine loudly about it) and started on their homework. The night passed relatively normally compared to the afternoon and soon, the boys were deep asleep in the comfort of their beds.
The following two days passed in blur, each boy informing their respective teachers and their friends all while packing their individual boxes (they bought it just for this purpose). They occasionally cried at night and were very careful with their spending money, knowing that their financial situation was very different now. They also ensured that Jaejoong and Heechul’s car was at full tank and ready for them to set out early Saturday morning.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Eunhyuk walked down the hallway, looking downwards and ignoring the random fingers pointing at him for being alone and not happy and loud for once. The thought that he had just finished informing dance instructor about his transfer and had gotten the slip signed clouded his mind. As each day passed (completely ignoring the fact that it was yet to be 24 hours) Eunhyuk was starting to feel more and more depressed, the truth of the matter pressing against him as though there was a hand that was physically squeezing his heart.
He made his way to the cafeteria, waving at Henry as he passed by before heading to the lunch line and grabbing a tray. He moved down the line, grabbing his food and greeted the lunch ladies with a tired smile. Handing over the required money with a new found resistance, he walked over to where his friends were sitting.
“Hey you guys, what’s new with you?” Eunhyuk asked after ensuring that he had a smile plastered on his face. His friends looked at him and a couple of the girls had tears in their eyes causing him to panic and sit down quickly.
“What’s wrong? Minzy, Hara, Fei why are you three crying and Nichkhun, Taeyang and Junho who died? How come you all look so down?” Eunhyuk asked looking around the table. Nichkhun looked at him, his gaze slightly accusatory.
“We are upset because our best friend is moving away and instead of hearing it from him, I heard it from Victoria…” He said as his eyes changed from accusatory to hurt. Eunhyuk’s eyes widened and he sat there gaping at his friends, unsure how to continue this discussion. Fei looked at Eunhyuk, her eyes imploring him to give her answers He felt a tug on his left side and turned to find Jenny holding her hands out for a hug. He sighed and gave her a hug before looking around the table to all his friends.
“Mom and Dad moved and we have to follow them...It’s to Chicago so we aren’t even going to be in the same state. I know I’ll try to visit...maybe next year though, but it will be difficult since the drive is eight hours or so…” Eunhyuk said quietly looking down at the lunch-table, playing with the fries on his tray. He felt two pairs of arms wrap around him while a delicate hand landed on the hand that was playing with the fries. He looked up to find Nichkhun and Mark hugging him while Minzy had a hand over his. All his friends were offering him comforting smiles and he managed to give a small smile back before Taeyang looked around the table and clapped his hands.
“Alright, no more crying...whatever time we have left with our very own Eunjae….also known as diva Hyuk, we are going to rock out ok?” Taeyang stated and the entire table started laughing when Eunhyuk began protesting the weird girl names his friends kept throwing at him.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------Henry sighed as he walked to the orchestra room during lunch. Since today was his last orchestra practice-practice was cancelled Friday on account of it being the last school day- he had to take his violin back with him. Besides which, he enjoyed all the time he had spent in the orchestra chamber. He had seen Heechul put his violin in his locker earlier, while being surrounded by loud jocks. He knew his hyung was being bullied but he didn’t know how to help...especially since they hadn’t been told.
Amidst all his thoughts, he pushed open the door to the darkened orchestra room and walked across the room to the strings corner. He didn’t bother turning on the lights knowing that he could walk across the room with his eyes closed, but regretted it when he heard footfalls behind him and the occasional thud. He was just about to scream when a hand covered his eyes and another covered his mouth. He started struggling and heard a grunt before more hands grabbed him and began dragging him. He continued struggling hoping it wasn’t any of the football players known to give his hyung a hard time.
Soon enough, the dragging stopped and the hands around his eyes and mouth were gone. He blinked rapidly trying to adjust to the sudden change in light. When the black spots around his eyes cleared up, he realized he was in the choir room. He looked around and noticed that the room was crowded with his fellow orchestra students and friends.
“Our star violin player and head of the first string violins is leaving us and we find out by overhearing the teachers instead of from him! Why, I thought we were Friends Henry!” Nancy’s voice startled him as a pair of hands wrapped around him from the right side.
“Seriously! Our star orchestra prodigy is leaving...but we didn’t even know! If Heechul hadn’t come in here in the morning to take his violin and told the teachers, we wouldn’t even have known!” Another member, Jay said from the other side of the room. Nancy laughed as she moved away slightly and Henry couldn’t help but grin at the antics his friends were putting up. Two girls, known to e entire orchestra as the Jung sisters hugged Henry from either side while whining.
“Oppa~ don’t go!” They pouted and batted their eyelashes in an over dramatic manner making the entire room, Henry included, burst out in laughter.
“Alright, how about having my final lunch inside this room? We’ll all meet here tomorrow so that we can spend that much time together...I figure we are doing that today anyway.” Henry said looking around the room and offering a giant smile. The rest of the orchestra cheered and Henry sighed knowing he was going to miss playing with this crazy bunch.
-------------------------------------------------------------Jaejoong left the class hearing the bell ring and quickly pulled out his phone and texted his younger brothers to make sure they ate properly before walking towards his locker. He pulled out the books for his AP History lecture and was looking for his honors chemistry homework when his phone buzzed in his pocket. He sighed and dug the books out before pulling his phone out of his pocket and chuckled at his brothers’ childish response.
He smiled once more at his phone before looking back up to grab his elusive homework and upon finding it, started to close his locker, only to find a hand preventing him from doing so. He just sighed before turning around with a smile to see Victoria and Hellen standing on either sides of Kangta. He smiled at seeing his best friends, but the frowned when he saw that all three looked expressionless.
“What? Why are you guys looking at me like that?” Jaejoong asked pushing Kangta’s arm away so he could close your locker.
“It might have to do with the fact that I found yours-as well as your brothers- transfer certificates IN THE OFFICE when I was doing the morning shift…and they were made just minutes before I came in any explanations Jaejoong?” Victoria asked cocking her hips to one side in a traditional diva pose causing Jaejoong to sigh.
“There is nothing I can do about it Vic. My parents moved so obviously we have to go with them. You’re acting like I would want to leave for the last semester of my senior year…we leave tomorrow so till then…ugh! Let’s just survive till Pizza Friday!” Jaejoong said as a tired smile made its way across his face. The other three sighed wearily and nodded Jaejoong in walking down the hallway to their class. Kangta threw an arm around Jaejoong’s shoulder while Hellen hooked one arm to Jaejoong and another with Victoria and as Victoria said something that caused them all to burst into laughter, their world regained a temporary balance.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Heechul looked up as he heard his brother’s telltale laughter down the hallway and then quickly looked back down, hoping to avoid any of the bullies. He quietly took out a pen and placed it on his desk, right next to his open notebook while waiting for the teacher to come in. The chair next to his scraped as it was pulled out and he looked up out of the corner of his eyes and let out a smile when he realized it was just Sam (short for Samantha) and ahead of her was Ren. They both smiled at him and he smiled back before glancing at the door to make sure the teacher hadn’t come in yet. Once he was sure of that, he leant in towards them.
“Tomorrow is my last day at school…I’m transferring to a school near Chicago afterwards.” Heechul whispered, keeping his eyes down and his voice low. He heard a small gasp from Ren and a quick intake of breath from Sam causing him to look up. Sam had a hand over her mouth while Ren was just staring wide eyed at his desk.
“We’ll miss you, you know and we will definitely keep in touch.” Ren said letting a small, wavering smile appear on his lips as Sam looked at the table with her hands fisted.
“Hmm…you can come over to my house tomorrow. It’s a pizza and potluck sort of thing.” Heechul said looking up at them hopefully. Both Ren and Sam smiled at Heechul and turned to the front just as the teacher arrived. Heechul opened his textbook and quietly smiled at the thought of having his friends come over tomorrow.
---------------------------------------------------------It was finally Friday night and soon enough and the brothers’ bustled around the house ensuring that everything was in its proper place before the guests arrived. Soon the doorbell rand and Jaejoong opened it to find Nichkhun, Taeyang, Minzy, Fei and Jenny standing outside holding bags of soda, ice cream and chips. He laughed and allowed them inside, taking the bags from their hands and going to the kitchen to put them away. After that, the door seemed constantly open as other friends streamed inside.
Soon all eighteen people were settled around the living room, the lights dimmed and the glow of the TV screen their only light source as the movie started. The room was silent except for the occasional whisper as someone asked to pass the popcorn. However, by the time “After Earth’ hit the halfway mark, the room was full of laughter shouts and flying pillows. The movie, much like the rest of the night passed too quickly and soon, it was time for everyone to head home. With many hugs, some tears and lots of promises, the four brothers closed the door to the sight of the last car leaving the driveway.
All four of them stood at the entrance and looked at the house which seemed even emptier now than it had two days ago. They plugged their phones in for charging and collapsed on the couch - a part of the furniture that they opted to leave in the house rather than take with them. They adjusted their positions slightly before falling asleep with tears in their eyes and arms wrapped around each other for the last time in their childhood house.
(Part B)
Chapter: 1A/?
Author: Michikachan101
Genre: Au, High School, Romance
Story Rating: PG-13 (might increase in future)
Chapter Rating: PG-13
Story Warnings: slight angst, supernatural/sci-fi, BoyxBoy, swearing (mild), abandonment
Chapter warning: abandonment, slight angst, mild swearing
Summary: Four brothers were living the life, good in studies, awesome friends, life seemed perfect. Until one day they came home to find it empty; no pictures, no food, no memories. All that was there was their clothes, two beds and a note left on the kitchen counter-top. At the threat of being separated, they managed to lie their way into staying together, sacrificing their high school reputation to do so. So with great courage, the boys moved from their state to a small suburb in Northern Illinois and this is where their life began.
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the idols I have used as characters in the story. However, the story line and plot is mine.
The four boys stood crowded around the kitchen table, the oldest, Heechul held the letter in his hand while Jaejoong, the second oldest, had the two cards in his. Henry, the youngest was hugging Eunhyuk, the second youngest.
They stared speechless at the letter until a tear slipped from Heechul’s eye and a sniffle left Jaejoong. Henry squeezed Eunhyuk closer before starting to sob. The other two crowded around Henry despite the tear tracks glistening on their cheeks and the unshed tears remaining in their eyes.
“Hyungs*, we were abandoned again…why do we always get left behind? Are we going to lose each other too now?” Henry asked huddling closer to his three brothers as Eunhyuk tightened his grip on Henry and the other two moved closer.
Three. What a profound number. Neither too big nor too small.
Three was the age they all were when they were adopted (Heechul first, then Jaejoong, followed by Eunhyuk, lastly Henry)
Third Jan was the date Heechul was brought back home.
Three was the number of family members Jaejoong gained on his birthday.
Three was the number of smiling faces Eunhyuk saw when Woojin carried him into the house for the first time.
Three was the number of brothers Henry had ready to hug and cuddle him when he stepped into the house for the first time.
And now, three was the number of dates left before Christmas Break and that was the day they were abandoned once more.
The brothers moved towards their rooms; their steps slow and faces somber. They stepped into their shared bedrooms; Heechul and Henry in one and Jaejoong and Eunhyuk in the other. They changed from their jeans and t-shirts into comfortable clothes before stepping out into the hallway and drifting back into the kitchen.
They settled down on four chairs around the kitchen island and pulled out their wallets. They took out all the cash they had and counted. Combined, they barely had enough for dinner and lunch for the next three days.
Heechul sighed lightly. “We’ll have to order food for dinner. There’s no food to eat. We can’t order too much junk food though…and all of us have jobs so we will go through with them like normal. At least until this weekend, we will need to maintain -” As he was finishing up his sentence, the doorbell rang. His eyes opened wide and Heechul turned pale at the thought of a stranger trying to come in. Jaejoong sighed and stood up from his seat and let out a deep breath before patting Heechul lightly on the shoulder and walking towards the front door.
Jaejoong slowly opened the front door to find their two next door neighbors standing outside with a small-medium container of food each.
“Darling, we saw your parents move out this morning and you boys coming in after school…is everything alright? Oh and I figured that since it’s just the four of you, I’d better bring over some food.” Mrs. Collins said looking concerned. Jaejoong slowly stepped into the house wondering why Ms. Sinclair was also there as the two ladies followed him into the house. Eunhyuk peeped out of the kitchen and offered a gummy smile when he saw who it was. He walked out of the room with Henry padding in behind him and Heechul shuffling in at the end. Heechul looked at the floor, refusing to meet the two ladies eyes. When their neighbors were standing in the center of the living room, the boys accepted the two containers of food. Jaejoong took the Crockpot that Ms. Sinclair was carrying and placed it on the coffee table before opening the lid and allowing the delicious scent to waft around the room.
“Oh wow! Ms. Sinclair, it’s your famous soft chicken taco mix?” Henry exclaimed as he moved forward and tried sticking his finger into the pot, only to be held back by an annoyed Eunhyuk causing the whole group to laugh. The laughter continued when Ms. Sinclair pulled out a packet of tortillas from her purse and held them out to Henry, only to pull back and hand it to Jaejoong instead.
Heechul smiled shyly as he took the tray that Mrs. Collins was holding. She stopped cooing at Henry’s cuteness and smiled softly at the oldest and most timid boy of the lot.
“I brought some homemade lasagna. I figured that you could save some in the fridge for tomorrow as well…Actually boys, before I go, I was wondering why your parents left…” Mrs. Collins said as she sat down on the leather couch, patting a spot for Ms. Sinclair to sit down. Ms. Sinclair sat down as well with a small “Thank you” while the boys looked at each other in the eye; panicking. Jaejoong and Heechul knew they couldn’t say anything, they sucked at lying. Henry sucked in a deep breath before starting to speak.
“Y-you see Mrs. Collins…and Ms. Sinclair, we have some very sad news and very sudden news…” Henry started speaking before trailing of and looking at Eunhyuk for Help.
“Yes, it seems that our dad got a job transfer. So mom and dad decided to move first and let us stay here until winter break starts, then we have to follow them.” Eunhyuk said giving the two ladies his gummy smile. Ms. Sinclair blushed lightly as she was just four years older than Heechul and Jaejoong. Mrs. Collins returned his smile before asking another potent question.
“So, where will you boys be moving to?” She inquired gently, causing Ms. Sinclair to frown slightly and nod along. The four boys tensed up, unsure how to answer. Heechul looked around the room and noticed that Jaejoong was almost tearing up. He balled his fists, and squeezed his fist, trying to gather the courage to speak.
“Chicago…” he burst out trailing off as everyone looked at him “I-I that is…not Chicago as in the city but a suburb slightly north of it.” Heechul finished, ducking his head as a blush covered his face at his outburst. He looked up a couple of seconds later to see Ms. Sinclair involved in a deep conversation with Eunhyuk and Henry about Chicago while Mrs. Collins kept putting her two cents in. Jaejoong could be heard in moving about the kitchen putting the food away. Heechul stood by the couch unsure where he fit in. He felt a hand on his shoulder and jumped, slightly startled before looking towards his left to find Eunhyuk standing there. He looked towards the couch and found that Jaejoong had joined the conversation going on in the front room. He looked back at Eunhyuk to find him giving him a small smile.
“Hyung, you did well…saving us with that one. Jaejoong hyung might have burst and told the truth otherwise.” Eunhyuk said his smile kept sweet and his eyes showing concern. Heechul flushed a little and shook his head.
“No, I’m just glad that I remembered what Leeteuk hyung was telling me about where he lived. I can call up Leeteuk hyung and ask him if there are any small apartments located in his area that we can rent…because now, we can’t stay here after Winter Break starts.” Heechul mummers looking around the empty house that he called his home since he was three, knowing he was going to be leaving it soon.
“You and Jae hyung were completing your senior year and Henry and I, our junior. I guess you should be happy that Jae hyung and you both sent your applications in. You will have to change your return address once we move though…” Eunhyuk sighed as he leaned forward, resting his forearms on the head of the loveseat. Heechul hummed in agreement before returning his attention to the conversation going on in front of them.
As the clock struck seven, Mrs. Collins stood up.
“Come on Lizzie, we should probably return to our houses. We’ve been here for three hours already and I’m sure the boys want to eat.” She said as she moved towards the door. Eunhyuk and Heechul, who had moved to sit on the couch, giggled as Ms. Sinclair continued talking to Henry and Jaejoong obvious to Mrs. Collins’ leaving. Hearing the giggles, Mrs. Collins turned around and noticed the lack of movement from Ms. Sinclair.
“Ms Elizabeth Sinclair! I swear to god if you don’t move from the couch in the next five seconds, I will tell your mother all about your little summer fling this year, or my name isn’t Amoura Collins. Mrs. Collins yelled as she stood with her hands akimbo and her graying hair escaping her neatly styled ponytail. Her lilac colored knee-length dress flared slightly as she shifted her weight to her right leg.
Ms. Sinclair stood up, tucking her honey blonde hair behind one ear and her grey-blue eyes shone with mirth while she tugged her baby-blue tank-top slightly and brushed the invisible dirt off her skinny jeans. Then, with a sweet smile on her face she waved to the four boys. She then joined Mrs. Collins by the front door.
“Aww, come on abuela, don’t be so mean me just ‘cause you are jealous of my youth!” Ms. Sinclair said as she opened the door and stepped out. The boys laughed as they could hear the two ladies argue their way down the driveway and to the sidewalk. Henry went to the entrance and locked the door before returning.
The boys looked around the house and the other three came to the fully grasp the concept of the lie they had told earlier that day.
“So, we’ll really have to leave this place huh?” Jaejoong asked gently, running his fingers over the couch.
“We don’t have much of a choice…the state might separate the four of us. If we stay here any longer and they realize what is going on.” Eunhyuk said gripping onto a pillow. Sniffles were heard and both Henry and Eunhyuk turned to the loveseat to find the two oldest, Heechul and Jaejoong, clinging to each other as tears flowed down their cheeks. Henry felt tears starting to slide down his face as his shoulders shook with silent sobs.
“Why did it have to happen now? Jaejoong and I were just about to turn 18. We might be getting our soul tattoos. Why now? When Henry and Hyukkie were about to enter their final year in high school? Did we do something wrong to cause this?” Heechul asked as he hugged Jaejoong closer and reached an arm out for Henry and Eunhyuk. The two boys joined their brothers on the loveseat and snuggled into each other, looking for some comfort while offering some for the others.
The boys sat huddled there for five minutes before Eunhyuk moved, wiping his tears and standing up.
“It doesn’t matter how sad we are, we still need to eat, do our chores, finish our homework and go to school tomorrow with a smile. Otherwise, people will talk and that is the opposite of what we need…So I’ll start reheating the dinner, Henry and Jaejoong Hyung can go and take a shower and Heechul Hyung, can you please call up Leeteukkie hyung and see if he can help us?” Eunhyuk said as he dusted the seat of his pants and moved towards the kitchen. The other three remained frozen in place until they heard the familiar clang of the plates being taken out. The remaining brothers stood up and walked towards their destination a tinge of normalcy returning to the unnaturally silent house.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------Jaejoong slipped into his and Eunhyuk’s room, a towel draped around his neck to catch any stray droplets. He settled down at his study table and opened his laptop, running his hands across the smoothness of his white Mac book air. He smiled sadly and felt his eyes get watery as he remembered the fanfare with which his mom and dad Woojin and Jessica had presented it to him.
It dinged slightly as it turned on and he typed in his password before going to his closet and pulling on a wife-beater and sweatpants over the boxers that h was already wearing before sitting back down on his chair. He lightly toweled his semi-dry dirty blonde hair (dyed just a couple days ago).
He was tapping his fingers on the table as he bends down to get his homework. The sounds of Eunhyuk moving around the kitchen and Henry shuffling down the hallway kept the house feeling normal despite the gut-wrenching fact that the room at the end of the hallway was empty.
He was brought out of his thoughts when his computer started making the ‘ping’ sound produced by Facebook messenger. He looked at the screen and felt a relieved smile come on his face when Jaejoong saw the name.
Yunho ‘U-know- Jung flashed on the bottom right corner of the screen and he clicked on it allowing the chat box to pop-up.
Hey
Hi!So what’s new with you today?
Nothing muchSeriously? Ok! Anyway, today was my younger brother’s birthday…lots of cake…you jealous?
Not really…I bake better anyway.Hey, why the short replies and lack of smiles? Do you hate me now?
NO! It’s just that something big happened today.Then why respond with ‘nm’ earlier? Tell me what’s wrong.
My parents left us alone with two credit cards and told us to survive on our own and that they would put some amount of money in it monthly.You’re shitting me right? There’s no way parents can do that!
I didn't tell you? My brothers and I are adopted. None of us are related (by blood) to each other or to our parents.Oh wow! You know what; I think I want to see you right now. Let’s Skype ok?
Alright then
Jaejoong clicked on the Skype button from his toolbar and waited impatiently for it to open. Jaejoong had met Yunho last year when he was scrolling through me2day. He knew he was technically American, but it didn't mean he could read or write Korean! So when he saw another Korean-American online, he decided to send a ‘hi’ and soon their conversations went from writing messages on each other’s walls to multiple private messages. Both of them admitted that me2day was their ‘thought’ site and Facebook was their ‘school and social’ site. So they found each other on Facebook and their conversations continued, now about pictures posted, status updates and randomly ‘liked’ interests. Soon enough, it felt like they had known each other their whole lives and moved from Facebook to Skype. Video calls became a weekly thing and sometimes (most times) more often than that.
His Skype started ringing and Jaejoong broke out of his daze (again) and clicked the little video button. Yunho popped up on the screen, flicking his light brown fringes that slightly covered his left eye. His ward dark brown eyes showed concern as he adjusted himself on the chair.
“Hey Jae, I didn't know you were adopted…” Yunho said with a small, unsure smile. Jaejoong smiled softly and shook his head a little to ensure that his thoughts were coherent and sensible.
“Yeah, I don’t think any of us say it out loud. We’ve been a family, the four of us, since Henry was three. So it’s only in the state’s books that we aren’t related. For us, other than these past 13 years, we don’t have a history. It’s like our life started when we were adopted. So, as far as we care, we are family.” Jaejoong said with a soft smile coming onto his face. Yunho listened with his eyes closed.
“Then why would parents who chose you, abandon you? What kinds of people do that?” Yunho asked, opening his eyes and looking enraged on Jaejoong behalf.
“Th-they said…or rather they w-wrote that they were expecting a baby. It seems they c-couldn’t handle all f-five of us.” Jaejoong’s voice broke a few times as he spoke and his eyes shimmered with unshed tears. Yunho looked on from the other side of the screen as someone whom he considered to be his best friend try to keep his calm and hold back the tears.
“You can cry, trust me enough to let go in front of me…please.” Yunho pleaded from the other side of the screen. Those words seemed to be Jaejoong’s undoing.
Sobs wracked his body and tears flowed down his face. His nose turned red and his shoulders shook. He covered his face with his hands and cried and whimpered as the shock wore off and reality set in. He moved his hands from his tear-stained face and wrapped them around his waist and began to rock slightly back and forth.
“W-we didn’t do any-thing bad d-did w-we? W-we kept o-our g-grades up a-and made s-sure to keep our e-extra curricu-lars g-going as well…s-so why d-did they h-have to l-leave us alon….” Jaejoong was unable to complete his barely comprehensible sentence as he broke down into sobs. Yunho balled his fists on the other side of the computer screen to prevent all attempts to reach out. His eyes glistened lightly and two teardrops made their way down his cheeks as he watched Jaejoong, a normally cheerful and calm person, break down completely. He said nothing…he knew that it wasn’t needed. All Jaejoong needed right now was his presence.
After five to ten minutes of crying, Jaejoong’s sobs started quieting down and his tears reduced. He started breathing deeply as he closed his eyes and placed his interlaced fingers over them. Yunho watched quietly from his side of the screen, leaning forward slightly as he reached for a tissue to wipe away any remnants of his tears before starting to talk.
“Do you feel better now?” Yunho asked as he refocused on Jaejoong’s still frame. The hands moved away from his face and a red-nosed, puffy-eyed Jaejoong was visible to Yunho.
“Yeah…yeah I feel better now…not completely normal, but a lot better than before.” Jaejoong sniffled. Yunho smiled and Jaejoong felt the corners of his mouth lift up in an answering smile. Jaejoong grabbed the towel that was lying on his bed and patted his face to wipe away the stray tears.
“Sorry you had to see that. I guess I was at the edge already.” Jaejoong said finally looking back at the computer screen and the concerned Yunho.
“It’s alright…I really don’t mind. But honestly speaking, have you thought of what you guys are going to do? Do you plan on staying there or…”Yunho trailed off at the end of the sentence seeing the change in expression on Jaejoong’s face.
“We’re moving, we’ll have to. Our neighbors saw our parents move away and Hyukkie-ah told them that we’ll be following them during winter break. So yeah we’ll have to…move.” Jaejoong said, his face darkening even more as he recounted that lie.
“Do you know you switch to Korean when you are upset? And where will you be moving to?” Yunho asked with a small smile on his face as he noticed Jaejoong lightening up a little.
“Hmm….not just upset, also when I’m really angry or sad…basically all extreme emotions. And for your information, we’re moving to a suburb slightly north of Chicago.” Jaejoong stated as he smiled in response.
“Ay dios mios! I live in a suburb slightly north of Chicago! It would be amazing if you come here!” Yunho said, laughing and clapping his hands slightly.
“You sound so happy…I think I should be worried!” Jaejoong giggled. Yunho stopped clapping his hands and started talking again.
“Serious question though-ok maybe not really-, but are you the one who said Chicago? Did you want to meet me that bad?” Yunho finished his question with a wink. Jaejoong burst out laughing despite the light blush that covered his cheeks.
“Thanks! I needed that laugh. In all honesty though, it was Chul-hyung who said it. One of our older friends-from the orphanage- lives there so we can ask for his help.” Jaejoong explained, the mirth still shining in his eyes and the remains of laughter still audible in his voice and visible at the corner of his mouth.
“That’s cool! I thought he doesn’t like speaking much though…especially with other people around.” Yunho said smiling at the visible happiness radiating from Jaejoong.
“He doesn’t… not usually anyway. I guess he noticed how all of us froze when that question was asked. I’m glad he answered though. If he hadn’t I would have most likely caved and told the inquisitive neighbors the truth which would have landed us back in ‘The House’ which is the last thing any of us wanted...well, technically, Hyukkie and Henry would have ended up at the house for two more years..Heechul and I wouldn’t have been allowed to be with the though.” Jaejoong whispered as a soft smile lit his face.
“I’m glad he said that, now you are coming closer to me and we might get to meet! Who is your friend that lives in Chicago though?” Yunho asked curious to find out whether or not he knew the person…and whether or not it was someone in his town.
“Who knows, we might even be in the same town...or even if we aren’t, we can meet in Chicago! As for the friend, he is more like an older brother. His name is Park Jung-” Jaejoong was interrupted by the door being thrown open by a (surprisingly) clean Eunhyuk.
“Hey Yunho, Joongie-hyung has to go now, dinner is ready. So he can talk to you later alright…Bye Handsome hyung~” Eunhyuk had started talking as he walked into the room and by the end, was standing next to the computer with his hands on the touchpad, inching closer to the red ‘end call’ button. Yunho chuckled and waved to Eunhyuk and winked at Jaejoong before laughing and ending the call from his side. Eunhyuk and Jaejoong laughed while Eunhyuk moved backwards so that Jaejoong (closing the Skype window and the laptop) could get up. Jaejoong took his towel and hung it on the back of his chair.
“Hyung, do you feel better after crying it all out?” Eunhyuk asked, as he sat down at the edge of his bed. Jaejoong settled down on his own bed.
“Oh! You heard?” Jaejoong asked, answering the questions with a question, as he pulled his legs up and wrapped his hands around his knees. Once he asked the question, he buried his head into his knees to avoid Eunhyuk’s knowing look.
“Have you checked your body when you were taking a shower? Any tattoos appearing there?” Eunhyuk asked as a teasing smirk spread across his face. Jaejoong’s face flushed at the hinted meaning behind Eunhyuk’s words.
“Shut up…there aren’t any tattoos!” Jaejoong muttered throwing a throw cushion onto Eunhyuk. Eunhyuk giggled and caught it, throwing it back just as quickly before continuing the conversation.
“Which reminds me, I wanted to ask you how Project DBSJ is coming along. Are you still in contact with everybody?” Eunhyuk asked.
“I’m not really sure….HELL! I don’t know! All the information that I have comes from the news forum and it’s not being updated regularly. And since I was so busy with the application process for university, I haven’t contacted anyone personally either.” Jaejoong said with a pout as a pout pushed through his lips and he ran a hand through his wine red hair. Eunhyuk couldn’t help but giggle at Jaejoong’s visible agitation. Jaejoong liked secrets, always found them a mystery waiting to be solved, and was usually very patient, but certain things made him as patient as a child waiting at an ice-cream store.
“Don’t use hell so casually Jae.” came a hushed voice from the door. The two boys turned towards the door and found a slightly displeased Heechul looking into the room. They both giggled at Heechul’s words. None of the four were brought up religiously by their adoptive parents, but their orphanage had been. While the others had either distanced themselves or completely detached themselves from any religious institute, Heechul had grasped it in an attempt to explain what had happened to him in his childhood. Heechul tsked lightly at his two giggly brothers and left the sound of a door closing was heard within a couple seconds.
Jaejoong and Eunhyuk slowly calmed down from their laughter-induced high and quietly moved around straightening their room before heading out the door and towards the kitchen, turning off their room lights and closing the door on their way. They passed Heechul and Henry’s open door and openly gaped as they saw the piles of clothes and accessories that littered the floor. Shaking their heads, they walked on to the dining room, sitting down and waiting for Heechul and Henry to join them.
----------------------------------------------------------------
Heechul sighed as Henry finally left the room for his shower amidst a series of whines and puppy eyes. He slowly sank down onto his bed and hugged Simba, the lion plushie lying next to him as he remembered the conversation he just had with Leeteuk.
Heechul left the living room and quietly slipped into the master bedroom, shedding a tear at the sight of a once cluttered bedside table now painfully empty. He sat down on the single mattress left on till he found the floor and pulled out his cell phone scrolling down the name ‘Fallen Angel’. Pressing the call button, he listened to the phone ring and took in some deep breaths as a method of preventing a break down on the phone.
He heard a click and a soft and pleasant “Hello” and that’s all he could handle before he began sobbing uncontrollably falling short of breath every once in awhile. Had the person on the other side been anyone other than Leeteuk, the call would have been cut, but it was Leeteuk and he would never hang up on a crying person.
“H-hyung….hyung-!” Heechul called out as he fell back onto the bed somewhere in between his fit.
“Heechul? Yah Heechul-ah...is that you? What’s wrong? Why are you crying? Is everything alright?” Leeteuk asked a small amount of panic seeping into his voice.
“Hyung, they left...why did they leave? I didn’t do anything wrong. I got good grades, took all my AP classes, never was a burden...I work for any spending money and I never even bothered them about any of the bullying...so why did they leave? Is God punishing me for anything?” Heechul asked as he grabbed a small throw pillow that had been left on the bed and hugged it to his chest.
“Sh-sh Heechul-ah. Calm down, hyung is right here so you can cry your heart out alright? None of your dongsaengs are around to hear your cries and see your tears or hear your fears. H-hyung won’t leave or hang up so just let it out.” Leeteuk said quietly.
Hearing his voice, Heechul let it all out-sobbing, heaving, crying and whimpering. About five minutes later, Heechul finally calmed down, taking a couple deep breaths to help him calm down a bit more.
“Hyung? Are you still there?” Heechul asked his voice rough and his tone hesitant at hearing the silence on the other side. Finally he heard a deep breath on the other side followed by a sigh before a croaky voice responded.
“Don’t worry Heechul-ah, hyung is still here. I was just upset too since it upsets me to hear you crying like that.” Leeteuk whispered, his voice soothing the distressed boy as he continued taking deep breaths.
“Hyung, we’re in trouble.” Heechul murmured into the phone.
“You know you can tell me. I’ll help you as much as I can.” Leeteuk said quietly, soothingly.
“Hyung, our parents…they abandoned all four of us and the neighbors saw them leaving leave so we have to leave too.” Heechul said in a quick breath as his hands tugged his black shoulder length hair.
“Wait…Heechul, I don’t understand. Can you explain everything to me…slowly?” Leeteuk asked as confusion colored his voice. Heechul sniffed slightly before telling the whole story. His story was filled with tears and sobs that made him pause every once in a while to regain control. When he finished, Leeteuk’s sigh on told him that he understood the situation-and didn’t like it one bit.
“So you want me to start looking for a place now? But Heechul-ah, to do that, I would need to know some things such as; price range…how much can you afford to spend on rent and whether or not you need to be close to a school…stuff like that.” Leeteuk gently started from the other side.
“I know hyung, I know. About the school, yes I would like something near a high school that way at least Eunhyuk and Henry can continue schooling even if Jae and I can’t.” Heechul whispered hoping not to upset Leeteuk further.
“Hmm…you and Jae are definitely continuing school if I can help it! I mean it Heechul! I’ll look for an apartment for you guys in a good neighborhood…that should cost about $1000-$2000 a month…” Leeteuk had started listing the things he felt compulsory and Heechul could feel his eyes widen.
“Hyung! Stop! We can’t afford that sort of thing! A lower or poorer area would be just as fine. I mean provided we can just finish high school. Then Jae and I can find full time jobs somewhere!” Heechul said hurriedly hoping to stop Leeteuk before he made wild plans that they couldn’t afford.
“WHAT! What the hell is this about you and Jae not going to college? You both have even sent in your applications!” Leeteuk shouted over the phone.
“Hyung, we’ll have to decline, we can’t leave Eunhyuk and Henry alone!” Heechul shouted, a slight panic causing his voice to rise above its normal pitch and sound. Leeteuk sighed on the other side of the phone.
“Heechul-ah, you listen to me alright! You are moving near me and I will ensure that none-and I mean none- of you will be deprived of the education that you would receive otherwise.” Leeteuk huffed over the line. Heechul momentarily heard gruff laughter in the background before it was abruptly stopped.
“And exactly how do you plan on doing that hyung? We can pay for high school by ourselves, but college would be a stretch even with scholarships to help us out.” Heechul exclaimed, now having a full blown panic attack.
“Just trust me alright Chul-ah, hmm? And if you four can send me a small resume each, I can try getting the four of you jobs as well.” Leeteuk said sounding cheerful on the other end. Heechul sighed quietly before acquitting to Leeteuk knowing that his hyung would be there for him, no matter what.
“Oh and Heechul-ah, I have an announcement to make when you guys get here…” Leeteuk said sounding really excited through the phone.
“Hyung…I can’t wait to find out.” Heechul said quietly, a small smile stretching his lips, and for once during that afternoon, not fake.
“He he he, I’m sure that you’re anxious…don’t even tell the others alright, I want it to be a complete surprise” Leeteuk said his voice bright with mirth. Heechul laughed quietly and said a small goodbye before hanging up.
Once the call was cut, Heechul sat up, still hugging the small pillow and ran his hands through his hair. He closed his eyes and remembered how the room had looked just last night and slowly opened his eyes, watching the picture disappear and reality take its place. The room he was in now was barely a skeletal outline of the room in his mind and it served as a firm reminder that his parents were gone.
He got up quietly and walked around the room once more, running his hands along the walls before opening the door. Standing at the doorway, he faced the room and took a steadying breath before speaking out-loud to the empty room.
“Well you left us alone…So we now we’re closing this chapter of our lives and the way you left us, we are moving on as well…” Heechul whispered before closing the door and moving away.
He buried his face in the plushie in his hand, letting a few stray tears escape from his eyes before quickly sitting up, rubbing his eyes to wipe any evidence of tears. He went to the closet and changed really fast since he had already showered before coming into the room and was wearing nothing but a towel wrapped around his waist…and he was starting to feel cold.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- All four brothers settled down at the table once again and began looking at the plates prepared by Eunhyuk. Eunhyuk looked around at the somber faces of the people that were eating at the table and closed his eyes, thinking of what a loud affair dinner usually was. He let out a sigh before speaking.
“Heechul hyung, did you manage to connect with Leeteuk hyung?” Eunhyuk asked quietly, poking his chicken with his fork. He watched as Heechul squirmed a little in his seat and started feeling like a parent interrogating his child.
“Hyung said he will find a place for us to stay near his house and will ensure that we have enough money to pay for it and for school…also, hyung told me to give him proper, up-to-date resumes. He knows places that might hire us.” Heechul whispered, playing around with his food. Once he finished talking, he put a piece of the chicken in his mouth and looked up to find that his brothers looked more relaxed and cheerful.
The boys finished their dinner quickly and then moved to their rooms leaving Henry to clean up (and whine loudly about it) and started on their homework. The night passed relatively normally compared to the afternoon and soon, the boys were deep asleep in the comfort of their beds.
The following two days passed in blur, each boy informing their respective teachers and their friends all while packing their individual boxes (they bought it just for this purpose). They occasionally cried at night and were very careful with their spending money, knowing that their financial situation was very different now. They also ensured that Jaejoong and Heechul’s car was at full tank and ready for them to set out early Saturday morning.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Eunhyuk walked down the hallway, looking downwards and ignoring the random fingers pointing at him for being alone and not happy and loud for once. The thought that he had just finished informing dance instructor about his transfer and had gotten the slip signed clouded his mind. As each day passed (completely ignoring the fact that it was yet to be 24 hours) Eunhyuk was starting to feel more and more depressed, the truth of the matter pressing against him as though there was a hand that was physically squeezing his heart.
He made his way to the cafeteria, waving at Henry as he passed by before heading to the lunch line and grabbing a tray. He moved down the line, grabbing his food and greeted the lunch ladies with a tired smile. Handing over the required money with a new found resistance, he walked over to where his friends were sitting.
“Hey you guys, what’s new with you?” Eunhyuk asked after ensuring that he had a smile plastered on his face. His friends looked at him and a couple of the girls had tears in their eyes causing him to panic and sit down quickly.
“What’s wrong? Minzy, Hara, Fei why are you three crying and Nichkhun, Taeyang and Junho who died? How come you all look so down?” Eunhyuk asked looking around the table. Nichkhun looked at him, his gaze slightly accusatory.
“We are upset because our best friend is moving away and instead of hearing it from him, I heard it from Victoria…” He said as his eyes changed from accusatory to hurt. Eunhyuk’s eyes widened and he sat there gaping at his friends, unsure how to continue this discussion. Fei looked at Eunhyuk, her eyes imploring him to give her answers He felt a tug on his left side and turned to find Jenny holding her hands out for a hug. He sighed and gave her a hug before looking around the table to all his friends.
“Mom and Dad moved and we have to follow them...It’s to Chicago so we aren’t even going to be in the same state. I know I’ll try to visit...maybe next year though, but it will be difficult since the drive is eight hours or so…” Eunhyuk said quietly looking down at the lunch-table, playing with the fries on his tray. He felt two pairs of arms wrap around him while a delicate hand landed on the hand that was playing with the fries. He looked up to find Nichkhun and Mark hugging him while Minzy had a hand over his. All his friends were offering him comforting smiles and he managed to give a small smile back before Taeyang looked around the table and clapped his hands.
“Alright, no more crying...whatever time we have left with our very own Eunjae….also known as diva Hyuk, we are going to rock out ok?” Taeyang stated and the entire table started laughing when Eunhyuk began protesting the weird girl names his friends kept throwing at him.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------Henry sighed as he walked to the orchestra room during lunch. Since today was his last orchestra practice-practice was cancelled Friday on account of it being the last school day- he had to take his violin back with him. Besides which, he enjoyed all the time he had spent in the orchestra chamber. He had seen Heechul put his violin in his locker earlier, while being surrounded by loud jocks. He knew his hyung was being bullied but he didn’t know how to help...especially since they hadn’t been told.
Amidst all his thoughts, he pushed open the door to the darkened orchestra room and walked across the room to the strings corner. He didn’t bother turning on the lights knowing that he could walk across the room with his eyes closed, but regretted it when he heard footfalls behind him and the occasional thud. He was just about to scream when a hand covered his eyes and another covered his mouth. He started struggling and heard a grunt before more hands grabbed him and began dragging him. He continued struggling hoping it wasn’t any of the football players known to give his hyung a hard time.
Soon enough, the dragging stopped and the hands around his eyes and mouth were gone. He blinked rapidly trying to adjust to the sudden change in light. When the black spots around his eyes cleared up, he realized he was in the choir room. He looked around and noticed that the room was crowded with his fellow orchestra students and friends.
“Our star violin player and head of the first string violins is leaving us and we find out by overhearing the teachers instead of from him! Why, I thought we were Friends Henry!” Nancy’s voice startled him as a pair of hands wrapped around him from the right side.
“Seriously! Our star orchestra prodigy is leaving...but we didn’t even know! If Heechul hadn’t come in here in the morning to take his violin and told the teachers, we wouldn’t even have known!” Another member, Jay said from the other side of the room. Nancy laughed as she moved away slightly and Henry couldn’t help but grin at the antics his friends were putting up. Two girls, known to e entire orchestra as the Jung sisters hugged Henry from either side while whining.
“Oppa~ don’t go!” They pouted and batted their eyelashes in an over dramatic manner making the entire room, Henry included, burst out in laughter.
“Alright, how about having my final lunch inside this room? We’ll all meet here tomorrow so that we can spend that much time together...I figure we are doing that today anyway.” Henry said looking around the room and offering a giant smile. The rest of the orchestra cheered and Henry sighed knowing he was going to miss playing with this crazy bunch.
-------------------------------------------------------------Jaejoong left the class hearing the bell ring and quickly pulled out his phone and texted his younger brothers to make sure they ate properly before walking towards his locker. He pulled out the books for his AP History lecture and was looking for his honors chemistry homework when his phone buzzed in his pocket. He sighed and dug the books out before pulling his phone out of his pocket and chuckled at his brothers’ childish response.
He smiled once more at his phone before looking back up to grab his elusive homework and upon finding it, started to close his locker, only to find a hand preventing him from doing so. He just sighed before turning around with a smile to see Victoria and Hellen standing on either sides of Kangta. He smiled at seeing his best friends, but the frowned when he saw that all three looked expressionless.
“What? Why are you guys looking at me like that?” Jaejoong asked pushing Kangta’s arm away so he could close your locker.
“It might have to do with the fact that I found yours-as well as your brothers- transfer certificates IN THE OFFICE when I was doing the morning shift…and they were made just minutes before I came in any explanations Jaejoong?” Victoria asked cocking her hips to one side in a traditional diva pose causing Jaejoong to sigh.
“There is nothing I can do about it Vic. My parents moved so obviously we have to go with them. You’re acting like I would want to leave for the last semester of my senior year…we leave tomorrow so till then…ugh! Let’s just survive till Pizza Friday!” Jaejoong said as a tired smile made its way across his face. The other three sighed wearily and nodded Jaejoong in walking down the hallway to their class. Kangta threw an arm around Jaejoong’s shoulder while Hellen hooked one arm to Jaejoong and another with Victoria and as Victoria said something that caused them all to burst into laughter, their world regained a temporary balance.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Heechul looked up as he heard his brother’s telltale laughter down the hallway and then quickly looked back down, hoping to avoid any of the bullies. He quietly took out a pen and placed it on his desk, right next to his open notebook while waiting for the teacher to come in. The chair next to his scraped as it was pulled out and he looked up out of the corner of his eyes and let out a smile when he realized it was just Sam (short for Samantha) and ahead of her was Ren. They both smiled at him and he smiled back before glancing at the door to make sure the teacher hadn’t come in yet. Once he was sure of that, he leant in towards them.
“Tomorrow is my last day at school…I’m transferring to a school near Chicago afterwards.” Heechul whispered, keeping his eyes down and his voice low. He heard a small gasp from Ren and a quick intake of breath from Sam causing him to look up. Sam had a hand over her mouth while Ren was just staring wide eyed at his desk.
“We’ll miss you, you know and we will definitely keep in touch.” Ren said letting a small, wavering smile appear on his lips as Sam looked at the table with her hands fisted.
“Hmm…you can come over to my house tomorrow. It’s a pizza and potluck sort of thing.” Heechul said looking up at them hopefully. Both Ren and Sam smiled at Heechul and turned to the front just as the teacher arrived. Heechul opened his textbook and quietly smiled at the thought of having his friends come over tomorrow.
---------------------------------------------------------It was finally Friday night and soon enough and the brothers’ bustled around the house ensuring that everything was in its proper place before the guests arrived. Soon the doorbell rand and Jaejoong opened it to find Nichkhun, Taeyang, Minzy, Fei and Jenny standing outside holding bags of soda, ice cream and chips. He laughed and allowed them inside, taking the bags from their hands and going to the kitchen to put them away. After that, the door seemed constantly open as other friends streamed inside.
Soon all eighteen people were settled around the living room, the lights dimmed and the glow of the TV screen their only light source as the movie started. The room was silent except for the occasional whisper as someone asked to pass the popcorn. However, by the time “After Earth’ hit the halfway mark, the room was full of laughter shouts and flying pillows. The movie, much like the rest of the night passed too quickly and soon, it was time for everyone to head home. With many hugs, some tears and lots of promises, the four brothers closed the door to the sight of the last car leaving the driveway.
All four of them stood at the entrance and looked at the house which seemed even emptier now than it had two days ago. They plugged their phones in for charging and collapsed on the couch - a part of the furniture that they opted to leave in the house rather than take with them. They adjusted their positions slightly before falling asleep with tears in their eyes and arms wrapped around each other for the last time in their childhood house.
(Part B)