PROLOGUE

This is the story of three boys, born as triplets to a still-blushing bride, Amaya Mendego, on All Hallow's Eve. What of their new father, you ask? Many could vouch for him as being at the local pub, "celebrating" the birth of his sons. You see, Gavin is a full-blooded Welsh man, and liked his liquor to never stop flowing if it could be helped. The petite Japanese woman, the sweat from her extensive labor slowly drying on her brow, thus took it upon herself to name the newborn children. The oldest was Akio; the middle son became Kane, and the youngest Hiroshi. Keeping true to her heritage, the names Amaya bestowed upon her sons that night would have a great effect on their young lives.

But the Mendego's happiness was to be short-lived, and their lives would no longer be as carefree and simple as they had once believed.

The years went by, and the triplets grew up well mannered and highly artistic, thanks to their mother's loving care. From Gavin, they gained a strong distaste for alcohol of any sort. During grade school, they were never referred to by their given names, just simply the Mendego triplets. At that point in their young lives, it wasn't such a big deal. But, upon reaching junior high, Akio felt like the big fish in the small pond; life as just a Mendego triplet was growing tiresome, and suddenly seemed so childish. Amaya had refused to cut their hair throughout their younger years, saying long hair was sophisticated, not that it mattered to the boys. Upon reaching this decision, Akio came to the second day of school with short hair, spiked in what was the never-ending fad. He gave all his old clothes to Kane and Hiro, claiming he had outgrown them all, so Amaya was forced to buy him new ones, thus further straining the Mendego budget. In the back of his mind, Akio felt bad for leaving his twin brothers to fend for themselves; but he refused to let his conscience alter his plans for success.

While Akio joined drama club, and worked his way through the ranks of popularity, Hiro and Kane kept to themselves, preferring the life of the social outcast. For those three years of junior high, things worked out well for the triplets. Hiro excelled in writing, while Kane was the artist of the family; Akio was the star actor of their small school, getting the lead in several of the plays. But, no one really expected any less from the Mendego family, though the father was a raging alcoholic. The Mendego bloodline was saturated with success and power, well represented by Gavin's younger sister, Lillian. She laid claim to the title of president of the Mendego law firm, and was also one of the most sought after lawyers in the state.

School and vacations began to blend into each other, until the summer before their junior year of high school. It was in those 3 months that the slight distance between Hiro and Kane, who seemed joined at the hip these days, and their elder brother, Akio, grew into a chasm. This came as a surprise to the sprawling town-turned-city who still believed the Mendego triplets were inseparable.

Amaya and Gavin announced one night at dinner that they had to return to Japan for Amaya's family needed some help keeping everything together as her mother was close to death. The boys were to stay home in the states for at least 2 months, and take care of themselves. Hiro and Kane quietly accepted this, but Akio protested, saying he had plans and couldn't baby-sit his siblings for the summer; never mind that they were all 15. In a no-nonsense tone, Amaya informed her oldest son that it wasn't necessary to baby his brothers, and if he had plans, that wasn't going to change just because Gavin and herself were gone. For a tradition-bound woman, she acted like an American more often then not, and it never failed to surprise her children, or her husband. Gavin stared at her, his drink-saturated mind trying to process what had just happened. He shrugged, and decided not to argue, sucking the whiskey down like it was nothing but water.

The rest of the week was spent shopping for groceries, laying down a few necessary rules, and packing. Kane and Hiro spent a lot of the time in their room, ignoring the hustle and bustle that was taking place in the spacious townhouse. Surprisingly, Akio was most helpful; going with his mother to various stores, and packing a suitcase for his father, who was currently struggling to return to a state of sobriety. His face slowly regained its' normal olive complexion, losing the harsh red tones that usually haunted his cheeks. Affection replaced the anger he prominently displayed, easing the tension that generally plagued the quiet family. Occasionally, even laughter was heard, and it made the hiding twins smile crookedly to each other, before returning to whatever projects occupied them.

On 14 June, the triplets stood on the sidewalk, bestowing a hug and gentle cheek-kisses on their mother, shaking hands with Gavin. They wished their parents a good trip, and promised to call once a week to ensure that they were still among the living. As the yellow cab turned the corner, Akio turned to his brothers, and smirked. It was going to be a very interesting summer in his mind, and he intended to make everything work out just the way he wanted.

He watched Hiro grab onto Kane's arm, the two whispering to each other as they climbed the steps, and his smirk widened. Yes, it was going to be an interesting summer indeed, he thought reassuringly, shoving his hands into his designer jeans and following his younger reflections into the townhouse.