Chapter 1

Grahamville Heights wasn't a huge place, but it was a decent size for California. Located in the northernmost corner of Napa County, Grahamville Heights obviously had one of the most prosperous wineries in the county. Storm Vineyards and Winery employed half of the residents of the town in one way or another. Many people profited from the huge industry, making the town and its residents very wealthy.

Like any other town in the county, there were vineyards as far as the eye could see. Sweet smells of grapes and muscadines filled the warm air as they grew happily on their vines. They were towards the end of the growing season, making the air smell like a fresh pie that had just come out of the oven. Their quality was the best. Because they were the best, the people who cultivated, harvested, and made them into the various wines had to be the best. And being the best brought in copious amounts of fluidity with funds.

That's how the Esposito family ended up moving from Italy to Napa Valley, California. Giulio Esposito finished his oenology degree and had worked at a vineyard in Tuscany when he had received an offer from Roger Storm to come work at his vineyard. It had also come with an exponential raise that Giulio and his wife Francesca were going to need to raise their seven children. Their oldest, Franco, was staying in Italy to finish his archaeology degree, but the remaining six were traveling to the United States with their parents.

Wynn and his sister Helena sat in the office of Grahamville Heights High School as they prepared to check in to their new classes. Helena was going to be okay. At fifteen, she was able to blend in anywhere she went. Wynn was going to be the one who didn't fit in. Speaking with a lisp that often got him ridiculed, he found it hard to make friends.

He watched the many new students as they filled out their transfer paperwork and registered for their new classes. He didn't understand how they could do that. How were they so easy-going? How could they just make random decisions that would risk the rest of their lives? He knew some of them weren't even going to make it to college. As soon as he graduated high school, he was headed back to Italy to live with his brother as he attended college there. He hadn't wanted to come here, but his parents had insisted. Once he was done, in six months, he was going back to Tuscany.

Helena got up and went to the counselor to retrieve her paperwork. Wynn was next. He offered a fake smile and accepted the blue piece of paper that signified he was a senior. Now just to find his way to the fourth floor that was senior only. It was bad enough that he was wearing a uniform. He was segregated from everyone else as well. Not that it mattered. He wasn't going to make any friends anyway.

He nearly got trampled as he ascended the stairs. The kids here were all privileged and knew what they were going to get out of this school. Though his family wasn't poor, he had five younger siblings that also needed tuition paid, clothes bought, and the other miscellaneous items that went along with students. It was a slight blessing that he, Helena, and their brothers Matteo and Leo wore uniforms to school.

It left the rest of the money to go to Elena. She was only seven and currently in the second grade. She had field trips to go on. It also gave Francesca extra money to pay the babysitter for youngest child Guiliana. At four, she was the one who everyone wanted to grow up happy and healthy. She would be the one who would be completely fluent in English due to her young age.

Skirting around more running students, Wynn finally made it up to the fourth floor. He watched the numbers on the left side of the doors so he wouldn't miss his first period class. He didn't know how many would be in his AP courses but he figured no one would care. Though it was the beginning of the spring semester, he knew he had a lot to catch up on. Transferring during his senior year wasn't his family's best move, but he couldn't complain too much.

Wynn found room 4F and knocked on the door. The teacher opened it even as he continued talking to his homeroom. He didn't even pause when he read over Wynn's schedule and classes. He was explaining something about the next dance or something or other. Winter Formal it sounded like. Wynn didn't even know what a Winter Formal was.

"Artie, would you be kind enough to show Mr. Esposito around for the day? Make sure he doesn't get turned around. Just because the paper says the class is in room one room doesn't mean it is. You crazy kids have things changed all the time because of the way you study. Or lack thereof." Wynn frowned when the teacher looked pointedly at one boy. Said boy didn't seem fazed in the least.

The teacher pointed to the back. "Go to the far back of the room to the kid with light brown hair. He'll show you around. That will also be your seat."

Wynn frowned but he moved through the second row anyway. The kid he was supposed to sit next to smiled as he waved. His thick-rimmed glasses nestled on his chubby cheeks. He looked nice enough, but anyone could smile and still have devilish thoughts.

"Artie James," he offered as soon as Wynn took the empty seat.

Wynn nodded, pulling his bag over his head to wrap it around the back of his chair. "Wynn Esposito."

His face contorted a little. "Spanish?"

"Italian. I'm from Tuscany. My dad was offered a job at Storm Winery as the oenologist."

Artie nodded, pressing his face into his palm. "I knew the son of the previous oenologist that worked for Roger Storm. He said it was a fun time, but he worked so many hours that he missed all of his son's lacrosse games. His wife gave him an ultimatum so the family moved. Last I heard from Ryan, his family was doing better and he had a full ride to Oregon. How many siblings do you have?"

Wynn held up both hands. "Six; one older brother, two younger ones, and three younger sisters. My older brother is still in Italy." He fidgeted a little. "Is this homeroom or something?"

The other boy looked embarrassed. "Sorry. I'm part of the student council so I liked knowing where our new students come from. Yes, this is homeroom. This will also be where you have AP English. Mr. Wyatt also teaches that. Two rooms down the hall on this side will be where you meet Mrs. Steinman for AP History, and one room down will be Mr. Rodriguez's calculus class."

He took a moment to look over Wynn's schedule again. "Your dual credit courses are on the left side of the hallway. I don't know why they allowed you to take two English courses but that's where you'll go for those. The lunchroom is on the first floor, and the door to the gym is across from the coffee shop. The library is in the second building. Lucky for you your last class is your free period. You'll be able to do what you want."

Wynn suddenly felt like he had just been shoved into a compression and had his head squeezed. How was Artie in the student council if he couldn't even give clear instructions without running down a rabbit's trail? What was he? Alice's white rabbit?"

"Artie, I think you just confused the poor boy." The blond headed boy sitting next to him lifted his head and looked at both of them. "You've never been able to definitively tell someone how to do things. You talk around it more than tell how to do it."

"Well. if you feel so inclined, you tell him," Artie quipped.

The new boy got the sinking suspicion that these two were very good friends. He looked between them, eyeing them with a little bit of awe and wonder. He'd never really had any friends so he didn't know what the dynamic was like.

The two bickered back and forth until the bell rang. Both boys led Wynn around the school, showing him where all his classes were. The blond talked with the teachers and got permission to be late to the next class. Artie led him around by the cuff of his dress shirt, making sure he knew where all the classes were.

Wynn wasn't sure if he trusted them. He was new to the school. It was their responsibility to make sure all the new students knew where they were going.

"Why is the school separated by floors?" he blurted out. They stopped at the door to his next class. The other two looked at him. "My old school had the entire school body intermingled. Underclassmen could take upper division courses if they applied. Why are the underclassmen on the lower floors?"

"The families who founded this school thought it would be easier to keep the grades separated. We're just used to it by now. The other schools aren't separated. We think it's because we're older and almost adults," Artie explained.

Wynn nodded then walked into the classroom. Once again he sat through the lesson, having already had it in his previous school. Even this AP class was repetitive. He felt like he could teach his portion of the curriculum.

He started doodling in his notebook, first drawing flames then a dragon. The scales of the dragon were pearlescent, or at least he wanted them to be. He could see the beast clearly in his mind's eye. Its massive wings were spread wide, showing off its two hundred foot wingspan. Rearing back on its hind legs, its long horned head was tossed back as a threatening roar resonated from the depths of its chest. The long, spiky tail was wrapped securely around its feet, challenging anyone to attack the soft underbelly that was exposed with this stance. Amber eyes gleamed with a challenge. Anyone who dared challenge the great beast was going to get annihilated.

Wynn was never one to put much stock in myths. He knew of Roman Mythology because every good Italian should know their history. But he had never thought if any of them were correct. There was always some sort of truth in myths, but did dragons really exist? Komodo dragons did, but they were tiny lizards that had evolved over the eons. Had they been able to breathe fire? No one would know because many didn't think they existed.

A hand slapped down on his paper, making Wynn nearly jump out of his skin. He looked up into the face of a tanned boy. His smile was gentle but the gleam in his eye was all but. Wynn didn't know what to think about him. He didn't know his name nor did he really want to know it. Something about him made Wynn very uneasy. It was like the heaviness before a storm. It was so palpable he could taste it.

"You're the new kid right?" he asked. The smile never left his face, but his eyes told the true story. "I'm Jarrod, and you are…?"

"Wynn," he whispered. He just couldn't shake the feeling that there was something more to this guy. No one else had approached him without being told to do so. Why was he?

Jarrod took his response as an invitation to sit down. He picked at the edges of Wynn's notebook, like he itched to turn it around so he could see it. Wynn kept his arm firmly over it, hiding it as much as he could.

"Where are you from?"

"Tuscany," Wynn muttered. He was still shocked by this boy's sudden appearance.

The other boy smiled then sat on the edge of Wynn's desk. "I heard the wine is good. It probably beats the wine made here in Napa Valley."

"I wouldn't know. I just moved here. Besides, my parents don't let me drink wine."

He tried to get up but Jarrod held him down with a hand to his shoulder. Wynn froze and stared down at his desk. A shiver ran down his spine, and he fought the urge to let his muscles expel it. No one had ever touched him in such a way and it felt awkward and weird. Dirty. It felt like slime was working its way into his system to make his movements sluggish.

"Why don't you let the new kid go, Jarrod. It does no good to make him feel uncomfortable."

Jarrod's hand slid back from its hold, leaving that disgusting trail. Though his shirt and blazer covered his shoulder, Wynn could feel the uncomfortable line on his through it as it soaked down to his flesh.

Finally looking up, Wynn realized who had come to his rescue. She wasn't much taller than five foot five but her auburn hair gave her a fiery appearance. She walked straight up to Jarrod and squared her hips. Her right hand settled on her hip and she stared daggers through the other boy. Wynn could see some sort of flames dancing through her green eyes, but he thought his own were playing tricks on him.

"Where's your posse, Autumn? Shouldn't they be following your every move?" Jarrod taunted.

Autumn tossed her head back towards the door. Six or seven kids stood there, crammed in the little space to see what she was going to do. Wynn just stared at them, completely befuddled that she would have so many people following her around. He had never seen so many people around one person. Not that he saw many people. He mostly studied and kept to himself.

"How many know that you're just a sucker for the new freaks?" he continued.

"How many know that you're an ass? Oh, wait. Everyone already knows that. You're just a bully," Autumn fired back. She looked at Wynn. "Don't let him bully you. He gets off on that."

"What do you know about getting off? I bet a man has never touched you before. And what's your interest in this kid? It's obvious he's gay."

Wynn looked up at him. His first day at a new school and he was being called out. Jarrod continued talking -fighting- with Autumn, but Wynn's ears buzzed with embarrassment. It was like a million bees were living in his ears. He couldn't hear anything as he stared at his notebook. He had been picked on all his life for his lisp, but no one had ever messed with him due to sexuality. Probably because no one knew. He had always played soccer, and somehow that had covered it up. Now he was at a new school and he was being called out on the first day.

An arm slid around his shoulders, giving a comforting pressure that he didn't know existed. Wynn didn't want to look up because he didn't want to see the contempt even though he had the comfort pressing him into his chair.

"Does it really matter whether or not he's gay? It has nothing to do with you since you're straighter than a bent pin." That was Artie's voice. He wasn't the one holding Wynn's shoulder but he was close by.

Jarrod's face contorted in a smirk. "Are you saying that so your friend doesn't have to open his mouth? Come on, Gray. Tell everyone how you feel."

Wynn decided to look up then. Gray stood beside him, arm draped casually across his shoulders. The feel of his hand was completely different than Jarrod's. Instead of a slimy, thick, dark hold, his was light, airy, and peaceful. It was like he was protecting the emotions of the new kid because it was his duty. What Wynn couldn't figure out was how and why he was doing this. He had only known Wynn for three hours.

Gray's arm trailed off his shoulder as he walked to Jarrod. He stood toe to toe with him. They were the same height so they could stare each other in the eyes. The tension in the room could be tasted. It was heated and charged with a current that left a tangy sensation on the tongue, almost as if it was an orange.

Wynn didn't want them to fight but he didn't know how to stop it. Jarrod was clearly outnumbered in the room, but it wasn't going to stop him from fighting. Wynn looked down at his picture, noting that he could feel a sudden heat down his spine. It was like a fire was licking down every nerve ending along his back.

Gray turned his head, making sure his nose was right against Jarrod's ear. Jarrod didn't move. Instead he opted to turn his head slightly to keep anyone from seeing what he was saying.

"Do you really think outing someone is going to play into your hands?" Gray asked.

Jarrod laughed. "You know how this works. We play by different rules."

The younger man nodded. "You're right. So's it my duty to tell you to leave the new kids alone. All of them. I won't ask you nicely again."

This time Jarrod's laugh was humorless. "You're asking nicely? Since when? Since when does the orphan ask nicely?"

Autumn pushed Gray back, planting her much smaller frame in front of him. "Pick on someone who actually stands a chance of not caring about your words."

Jarrod held his hands up. Wynn frowned. Why would he back down from a girl he could easily harm? Jarrod was a bully, yet he stepped down when facing Autumn. So the new kid looked at the auburn haired girl. The longer he looked at her, the brighter she seemed to be. Almost like she absorbed the light around her and refracted it outwards.

"Go back to your own classroom," she ordered.

Smiling like he knew something, Jarrod backed slowly out of the classroom. Gray and Autumn had a quick whispered conversation before she too disappeared from the classroom. Artie sat on Wynn's desk as Gray walked over. He knelt in front of Wynn and inspected him as if Jarrod had struck him.

"You don't seem to be injured," he muttered.

Wynn's frown deepened, drawing his flat brow into a set a crinkles. "He didn't hit me."

"He means your emotions," Artie offered. "Jarrod has a bad habit of picking on people's weaknesses and secrets."

"My being gay isn't a secret."

"You didn't tell anyone though."

"It's my first day!"

"Don't tease him, Artie," Gray scolded. He looked Wynn in the face. "If he didn't hurt your feelings, then you'll be okay."

Wynn shook his head. "I don't care what he says."

The blond boy nodded. "Then you'll be okay." He then glanced at the clock. "Second period will end soon. Do you know your way around?"

"I'll be fine."

Gray smiled. "Okay. Artie, we have to be in history next. You should probably finish your homework."

With a slight curse, the other boy jumped up off Wynn's desk and ran back to his. He rummaged around his bag for his notebook and tossed it open. Wynn watched as he swore at the page before he began to write furiously. His gaze changing, Wynn watched the blond student as he sat patiently at his desk. He didn't know what was going on, but he was certain he was about to be tossed right in the middle of it.