BOND

1.

Nothing could keep us apart

You'll be the one I was meant to find

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.

Elena carefully unwrapped the photo frames from the bubble wraps and set them around the room. The whole house would take a lot of time to be as she wanted it to be but her room was at least done. Empty cardboard boxes were still strewn around the floor all the way through the staircase to the bottom floor.

The shifting definitely sucked, all the same, it was better there. Carrying three important long distance friendships all the way from London had been sapping her energy for some years now.

Taylor O'Connor, well known to be deafening, shouted from what seemed like just outside the door but could have easily been from the main gate. That's how loud her voice was. "Did you get the big, fat, ugly one out of the car?"

Elena refrained from the screaming and waited till she heard her best friend's footsteps trudging up the stairs. "It's not ugly, it's Chase's." Her brother.

Taylor noisily dropped a box half an inch from her feet and shot back, "Doesn't mean it cannot be ugly. That man might be a designer but his choices suck."

Elena kept quiet, not seeing the sense in arguing about the same thing for the hundredth time.

"And why are we unpacking? Just get somebody else to do it," Taylor groaned and dragged her feet along, kicking boxes out of her way instead of stepping around them and flopped down on the bed. 

She caught sight of a photo of the two of them and a couple of other friends from years past on the bedside table and gave it another glance, "That was a great trip." They'd gone to New York, one of their very first trips together.

"They'll be here in a couple of hours," Elena laid down next to her, finally letting her eyes close after a more than hectic week.

"You don't nearly take advantage of being a millionaire," Taylor said in a teasing voice. She propped her up on her hand to look at her, "I can't believe you're here."

Elena peaked through her hooded eyes and grinned, "Same city, same school. This is going to be fun. And try not to bring up my bank account. I don't trust Dad enough to not have bugged the place," She drawled out the last words. Her stomach rumbled and she frowned down at it as if it was its fault, "I'm starving."

"Food, here we come," Taylor declared, not moving an inch from her position. 

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.

"Keep up, man," Joey Parker calmly caught the ball just as it came through the basket.

Alex groaned and put his middle finger up from halfway down the court where he was doubled up.

They weren't even supposed to be practicing, their Coach had bailed out to take care of his pregnant wife and the rest of the team had taken it as an excuse to head out.

Joey grabbed the ball and went towards him, "You good, princess?" he teased.

Alex wheezed out a shut up and grabbed his sides as he straightened up, "This shit is hard, man. I can't hit the gym for two hours and then keep up with you! You're crazy fast!"

Joey bounced the ball around between his hands, tired, but nowhere near as winded as Alex, "We have inter-school matches coming up," he raked a hand through his hair. "I'm just a bit stressed, that's all." A huge understatement.