Standing in front of a well gardened duplex with a wooden sign sticking out of the front lawn that reads 'SOLD', Ethan breathes in the fresh air of the new town as he and his family get on with unloading their boxes from a van with the help of the paid movers.
Raking of leaves, trimming of hedges, cutting down of parts of overgrown trees, repainting of fences, thorough cleaning of the house and garage, modifying of the porch with flower plants, it takes the rest of the day for them to completely settle in. They become neighbors with the Holmes family.
The Mance kids are enrolled into CHHS - Cleave Hills High School. Eric and Elvis, the non identical twins, both freshmen. And Elena, their younger sister, an eight grader.
Elvis has an interest in sports, football especially. The social jock and Casanova - as he loves to see himself.
Eric, a mild contrast to his brother. The less noisy and less social fella who's all about the books but has a wide interest in art appreciation and music.
Elena, the friendly playful animal lover and parents' favorite.
Typical behavior of 60% of all highschool newbies, they try to blend in, drowned in the idea of being accepted by their peers and immediately gaining popularity, especially Elvis. He assumes that trying out for the school's football team would be a great headway so he urges Eric to join him in his quest. Just a day after their resumption, the two boys show up on the 100 yards pitch as scheduled practices are about to commence. During practices on certain occasions, about 20% of the students gather at the bleachers to watch because it can be fun, especially for the girls who are only there see their crushes.
But on this particular day the crowd is more than usual. There's a man who appears to be in his late forties. He's white, average height, a slightly protruding stomach and a greying blonde hair. He's dressed in a track suit, the colour and design correspondent to the jerseys on the teammates. He has a whistle hanging around his neck, a notepad in one hand where he records and monitors individual performances, and a water bottle in the other hand to quench his occasional thirst. He's standing next to the goalpost, calling orders.
The two boys approach him in order to try out. Obvious that they are newbies, he announces their presence, fixing them in the match and giving each of them a moment to impress him and prove that they're worthy of being a part of the team.
Eric is the first to be called upon, unfortunately. Stepping into the glare, a ball is tossed to him thrice to see how fast he can run, how good he can catch and how much stamina he has. He makes a fool of himself and gets kicked out almost immediately. He's laughed at and mocked by the students as he returns to the bleachers.
It's Elvis's turn to prove himself. As a sporty guy, he does really good and exhibits great skill. Coach Dominic is impressed and immediately signs him into the school team. This is quite unusual for a freshman.
It is almost dusk. At the Mance's place. Eric is unsure of his emotions, unsure if he should be angry and pissed or be sad and sulky. Elvis apologizes for his brother's unlucky day at school but Eric prefers to be left alone. He goes to sit in front his piano, closes his eyes, takes a deep breath, and begins to tap gently on the keys.
Meanwhile, from the next block, their neighbor, a girl of their age, hears the faint rhythmic sound of the piano coming from Eric's room while being in her room. She smiles, enjoying the beautiful music even though she can't trace where it's coming from. She is Bonnie.