I was nervous going to the Academy the first day. I didn’t know if all the kids were going to be like the ones I had met the first day. I was sure glad Anna was coming with me. At least I would have one ally. The bus pulled up and we both left 
I hesitated as we went through the front doors of the school.
“Are you okay?” Anna asked me.
I shrugged, not answering.
“Come on, it’s just the first day of a new school, not a big deal.”
“Yeah, I know…”
“You moved around enough, you should be used to it.”
“Some things you don’t get used to,” I said.
The bell rang and we went to our class. There weren’t many students yet, so only two actual classrooms. Everyone in my class knew who I was. They either avoided eye contact or just openly stared. Anna didn’t seem to care about the attention at all. I, other hand, hated it. And I was going to be heir? I hoped Uncle Kevin knew what he was doing.
At lunch I was going to go hide in a corner table but Anna quickly nudged me and nodded towards a girl sitting alone.
“Over there,” She said, “That girl looks nice.”
It was true that the girl did look just as nervous as me. I let Anna lead us over and took a seat. The girl looked up and smiled. She didn’t seem intimiated that we were the governor’s kids; just relieved that someone had actualy sat with her. I learned that her name was Phebe and her dad was also in the Government. So many not all the kids were as bad as the ones I had first met. After school I was about to immediately duck and run, but Anna grabbed my arm and dragged me down the hall.“What are you doing?” I asked.“Finding Phebe. Come on.”“But, why?” I tried to pull away. She wouldn’t let me.“Simple. You need a friend, and she needs a friend.”
“But-”
I couldn’t finish because we had caught up to Phebe. Anna asked her,”Do you want to come and hang out with us at our place?”
Phebe smiled, “Yeah, that would be fun!”
Anna nudged my arm and gave me a, “Told-you-so,” look. I was beginning to really be thankful Anna had come to live with us.
Phebe and I hit it off right away. I learned that Phebe was beginning to learn that guitar the same as I was. For the rest of the afternoon we took turns playing.
Hanging out with Phebe after school became a regualr routine, though I always made sure to have my homework done first. One evening Anna came into my room and stretched out on my bed.
“Why don’t you ask her out?” She said.
“What?”
“Phebe, why don’t you ask her out?”
“I can’t…”
“Why? You like her and she likes you. Come on, cous, stop being so shy!”
“You really think she likes me?” I tried not to grin too stupidly.
“It’s so obvious,” Anna laughed, “man, you’re blind. So ask her out!”
“It’s just…it’s not that simple. I’m the heir Anna, what I do..who I date, matters, because it’s going to affect the whole colony.”
“Okay, so the colony is based on equality and freedom…just not for the Govenor’s family?”
I didn’t asnwer her. What could I say? It was basically the truth. All eyes were on my Uncle and me. This colony’s success rested on our shoulders. It wasn’t something that was easy to forget.
“If I were you I’d do it anyway,” Anna said, “I wouldn’t anyone tell me who to love.” She rolled off my bed and left. I sighed and looked down at my homework. It just wasn’t that simple.
For the next week I thought of Phebe and what Anna had said. I did really want to ask Phebe out, but the future of the Colony rested on me. I finally went to talk to Uncle Kevin one evening. I found him working on the computer.
“Uncle Kevin? Can I Talk to you?”
Uncle Kevin looked up from the computer, “Sure pal. What’s up?”
“You know Phebe, right?”
“Of course. She’s here almost every afternoon.”
“Well that’s because…well, I like her Uncle Kevin. I mean, like like her, but…”
“But what Pal?”
“I just…look, can I ask her out?” I finally blurted.
“You mean on a date?”
I nodded. “I mean, I know I’m the heir and all, but why shouldn’t I be able to date?”
Uncle Kevin smiled then and laughed, “No one said you couldn’t. Go ahead and ask her out. You’re old enough to date.”
“So I can really ask her out?” I couldn’t hide the smile.
“Go for it pal.”
“Thanks!” I dashed back to my room and immediatly picked up the phone. My hands were almost shaking as I dialed. When phebe answered I almost hung up. I forced myself through though and asked her out, and she said yes!
The next day at school I was so nervous that I completely avoided her, then lay awake all night convicing myself that she wasn’t going to show the next day. But she did sho up and I took her to the colony beach.
We didn’t do much, just talked and played in the sand and I tried my hand at flirting a bit. I felt awkward doing it but she seemed to respond.
As we built a sandcastle together I looked over at her and realized that I really, really liked her, and I realized too that I wanted to kiss her. I had never kissed a girl before though. I considered chickening out but thought of Anna mocking me for bing so shy. I was the heir, I couldn’t afford to be shy. We finished the castle and stood up. I met her eyes, and I think she was thinking the same thing as me. We leaned in…and kissed.
That night I got home late and went to my room thinking everyone was asleep. Anna though, was sitting on bed reading.
“I wanted to know how it went,” she said.
I couldn’t stop from grinning and blushing.
“That good huh?” She laughed.
I nodded, and still couldn’t stop grinning.
“Well then, I think I have my answer. Goodnight Wolf boy.” She put the book away and started to leave.
“Hey Anna,” I called when she reached the door.
“Yeah?”
“Thanks. Really, thanks.”
“Yeah, well, I owed you. You did help me get into the Academy.”
“What else is family for?”
Anna smiled then, “It’s good to have you back in my life cous.”
“You too Anna.”
We said goodnight and Anna went back to her room. I went to bed that night feeling very posititve about the future.
Aww, such a nice cousin!