Strings Attached

Prologue

Rhine

When I first met them, I was fourteen, at my aunt Zena's best friend's wedding. It was just around the time my aunt adopted me and took full custody of me, taking me back to the US with her after I was handed over to her. At the wedding reception, I was nervous, being in a different country I was barely accustomed to, with different faces I did not know, and being without my parents, I felt alone. I sat by the fish pond which had a flowing fountain, my dress surely getting dirty on the rocks, but I would rather sit there, than around people I knew nothing about, who looked at me like an abandoned stray puppy, which I was technically speaking, abandoned, not stray. 

"Your singing is loud!" a rather deep voice muttered, in a way that insinuated they were annoyed. Pinching my eyes closed, I took a deep breath and then looked towards the asshole who ruined my peace, sitting on the other side of the fountain, his clothed arm resting on the stone seat he was occupying, his head resting on the said arm. My eyes met his and I inwardly gasped, I had never seen such striking eyes before, brown eyes looked right at me, his eyebrow arched and I realized I was staring. I rolled my eyes squaring my shoulders, "I was going to leave, but I won't, I was here first, so you can leave. I don't see where it's written 'though shalt not sing in this perimeter'!" "What are you? Reincarnated William Shakespeare?" he mocked my wording. Folding my hands to form fists, I stood, "I have no more words to say to you!" "Relax, your singing isn't that bad. And your accent is funny, you're not from here." He stated, not asked. Snickering, I gathered my skirt to my knees and got my feet from the pond. Sitting back down, I bent my upper half and slipped my wet feet into my sandals, tying them at the ankles. Already scolding myself for doing something so unclassy, knowing my aunt would throw a fit if she saw me in this state.

A shadow befell me, and I already knew who it was. "Listen I don't-" looking back up while standing so abruptly, my body brushed his, I stumbled back, arms wrapped around my arms, "Woah there, ariel!" Steady enough, I pushed his hands away, glaring at very different eyes, honey-glazed eyes that shone when they met mine. I almost took another step back. He was huge. Tall and built as a brick. What made me at ease were his eyes.  "Ariel?" I snickered. His face flushed, taking a step back, with one hand going behind his head and scratching the hair at the back of his head. "Uh I didn't- I wasn't trying to insult you. Your hair is red, and you were in the water...." His face and neck flushed even harder. "Just stop!" I said, very tempted to smile at just how uncomfortable he was. I turned and saw guy number one from a few minutes before walking towards us, with a wide grin set on his face. 

"Apologize!" the big guy grunted, his eyes trained on the other guy. Guy number one rolled his eyes and then looked at me, "I apologize." I crossed my arms across my chest, leveling my stare with his, standing he was tall, taller than me, but not as much as the other guy, "what for?" "I thought you'd laugh it off, but I guess you're kinda up tight like him," he gestured to the guy next to me. I let one breath out in a laugh, "just save it." I went to walk away and the other silent guy asked if he could walk back to the ceremony with me, as we were a bit far back. I nodded, tired of everything. He held the crook of his arm towards me, and I looked at him wondering what he wanted. I raised my eyebrow, and he blushed, yet again. "You put your hand in mine," he explained. This time, I blushed with embarrassment, feeling my neck and ears getting warmer. I put my hand in his and we slowly made our way back. Halfway across the garden, he spoke, "uh, for what it's worth. I think you have a beautiful voice, don't mind my brother." Turning my head slightly, I looked at him and smiled, he was looking ahead, but his eyes were red with blush. 

"Is it hard?" he asked. "Adjusting to a different country, I mean." "I guess so, but there is nothing I can do about it, can I?" I signed, my shoulders slumping. "Maybe try making new friends and new memories. I can not guarantee it'll be easy, but you'll be happier."  Subconsciously, I squeezed the bulge of his tricep, in thanks, "I'll keep that in mind." Closer to the crowd, I scanned with my eyes to see my aunt. "She's by the wall flower arrangement," Big guy said. I turned and looked at him, smiling, "so your height has its perks. Thanks, big guy!" I waved at him, and hurried to my aunt. She put her hands out and I put mine in them, in the affectionate way she always did, she looked behind me and smiled, "I see you're already getting to know people. That's good, Rhy. This is your new home,so embrace it," she fixed the flower crown on my head. "Let's go? Or you want to stay longer?" she asked. "I'd race you to the car but it's unladylike," I grinned, mimicking her voice in the last part. She rolled her eyes, "you know it!" We walked hand in hand to the waiting vehicle, after saying goodbye to a few other guests.

A week later, I was enrolled in high school. To say I was nervous was an understatement, but seeing the familiar faces of Zion and his brother, Noah, who was still an ass,  in the big masses made me at ease. We'd met again at my aunt's birthday celebration, I had eventually thought that it would be just us two, but I should have known better, considering her status. She had guests over in the room set aside for functions. Zion had said no more than ten sentences to me the whole night, but we spent most of the party together. He'd raised a brow when I took a whole bottle of wine from one of the waiters and drank from it, in the library, "you're ot eighteen." "And you're not about to butt in my business," I took another gulp just to prove it. He snatched the bottle from me and drank from it then put it away on the top shelf, "you've had enough fun for one night." I stuck my tongue at him and he answered that with, "real mature of you, Rhine!" That was the first time he said my name the whole night. Or at all really.

 I settled down and picked up a book I was reading earlier that day. He played a game on his phone, and we stayed in that comfortable silence for the rest of the night. And that marked the start of our friendship.