Chapter One

Kai's Pov

"Can someone please help me with these boxes please? It would be awesome." I said in the most sarcastic way possible.

"Boy, get sarcastic again and see what happens." My mom said getting out of the car, alongside my dad and my little brother Marcus.

"My bad mom." I said.

"Natalie, stop giving Kai a hard time, it's his first day of college." My dad said, getting a box out the car.

"Sorry it's just...My baby boy is leaving me, and I can't handle it." Mom said wiping the small tears that were coming out of her hazel brown eyes. I put my box down on the ground and walked over to my mom and hugged her tight.

"I love you mom, thank you for always supporting me in everything I do, thank you for all the whoopins I got to teach me a lesson when I was younger, but you do know I have to leave the nest sometime. You got Marcus and my little sister that's growing inside you. The nest is far from being empty." I said looking into her eyes. Next thing you know she started to cry. I looked at my dad for help.

"Ok, you and Marcus go head and go in the house and put your boxes in there while I get your mother under control." He said.

I slowly leave moms grip and grabbed one of my boxes as me and Marcus walked into the house that's close to campus.

I heard that I was gonna have a roommate. He must still be in school since it's the morning. I hope he's fun to talk to and not an asshole.

I hate assholes.

"So I was thinking about turning your room into a game room." Marcus said, putting my box on the living room coffee table.

Whoever lives here really keeps a clean house because not a single thing is messy around here.

"Uh, you do know know I'll be coming home for holidays right?" I said tilting my head.

"Yeah, that's why we have a guest room so you could just sleep in there." He said.

I walked up to him and picked him up to hug him.

"Aw c'mon little bro, you know you're gonna miss me." I began to spin him around as he told me to put him down.

"Admit that you'll miss me!" I said. I tackled him to the couch and tickled him to death.

"Admit it!" I said. Marcus laughed like crazy.

"Fine, fine! I will miss you. I'll miss you like crazy!" He said. I stopped and just like mom, he began to cry.

My thirteen year old brother began crying because I was leaving. He usually never cries. I grab him and gave him the biggest bear hug.

"Promise me you'll call every other day." He said. I wiped the tears from his flushed cheeks.

"I promise, as long as you promise to take care of our little sister Normani when she's born and be the big brother I know you can be." I said. He nodded. He went in for another hug until our parents walked in with the rest of my stuff.

"Your mother is ok now, she just needed to let out all that emotion." Dad said. My mom began to look around the house.

"Wow, this house is surprisingly clean, you must have a lucky roommate." Mom said.

"Yeah mom, I hope he's not a douche." I said.

"Trust me, your last name is Jackson..you can handle a asshole believe me." Mom said.

"We're sorry that you had to start so late son." Dad said.

"Don't even sweat it pop. I didn't mind taking a few months off. I had time to clear my head and actually be alone while my friends went to college. Everything happens for a reason right?" Dad hugged me real tight and patted my back.

"That's right son. We taught you well." He said. I saw one tear come out of his eye. "Oh my god, first mom, then Marcus, and now you? I bet Normani is crying too." I said.

"Well I mean she is moving a lot." Mom said, which made us all laugh.

"Can I talk to her?" I asked.

"Of course." She said. I walked over to mom and got on my knees and touched her stomach.

"Hey there sis. I'm gonna be gone for several months, but I'll be back on holidays. I know that you're gonna be a major blessing to this family. Now when you are born you'll have your brother Marcus as the big brother, but always remember I'm always top dog. Can't wait to finally meet you, I love you." I said and got back on my feet. I looked at my family and we all went in for a group hug.

In case you didn't know, I'm adopted. I was taken in by a family who was African American when I was 2 months old. My mom Natalie couldn't have a baby. My parents tried and tried until they gave up and decided to adopt me. When I was six years old that's when my little brother Marcus came into the picture.

My parents decided to try once again and they finally had him. Several years later my mom is pregnant with my baby sister. As I grew up I realized that I wasn't like my family color wise. I began to feel insecure, because when we would go to family reunions, I was "that white boy over there" and a lot of my cousins would turn their backs to me. My parents said that God put me in this family for a reason, and I truly believe that.

When me and my parents would go to the mall or the store together, security had to stop them and ask if I was their child. That had to be the most ignorant situation I've ever been in, because it felt like I didn't belong. Now, I feel like I'm secure with myself and know that this is the family I was meant to be in.

"Alright, I guess we'll be heading out then." My mom said. As they all began to exit the house. "Ok, see you guys on thanksgiving." I said. "Make sure you call us, and not act like a stranger boy." She said as they all walked to the car. "Bye bro! Have a good time!" Marcus said. "Will do little bro." I said. They all got in the car and started to drive off, then I hear my dad yell out something...

"Make sure you bring a nice boy home!" He said waving his hand out the window before I could no longer see the car anymore.

"Will do pop." I said to myself smiling.

***

After six hours of fixing my room up and dancing to Ariana Grande's recent album "Sweetener" which by the way you should go buy it and stream it. I plopped on my bed and just stared at the ceiling.

I'm in college. I'm in California going to college! This has always been a dream of mine because I always been in New York my whole life so coming to a place where it's sunny everyday and it's warm out is a complete game changer for me.

I wonder what my two friends are doing right now. Julia is probably prepping for a show she has at Juilliard and Connor is probably having the best frat party in the history of frat parties. I miss them so much. They both left right after graduation. I was in our town alone, which I liked being alone but still, because I never went anywhere without those two. We met in kindergarten and hit it off automatically. I'm probably gonna take two small trips to just see them for the weekend, who knows.

I hope I make new friends here, I believe that I'm a good catch. Don't mean to toot my own horn. I decided to take a shower and listen to Trip by Ella Mai. I swear that song gets me in my feelings. After a hot shower I climbed into bed, then I heard a door being closed. I immediately got out of bed with nothing but my pajama bottoms on. I walked in the hallway and was blasted with sweat and odor. I looked downstairs and I saw a tall muscular man with a perfect shade of blonde hair.

I decided to go downstairs and introduce myself.

"Um hi, you must be my roommate. I'm Kai Jackson, and you are?" I said extending my hand out to shake it. He turns around and my heart literally skipped a beat. He was extremely taller than me and his skin was glossy from all the sweat.

It was lowkey turning me on.

"My name is Payton James." He said shaking my hand, smirking at me.

Holy shit, this guy is gorgeous.

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