‘Well that was a train-wreck,’ thought Skye as she walked home with her two stepsisters.

Though the nice weather would usually brighten her mood, the confrontation with Finn earlier had soured it. By some miracle, they were able to complete the classroom project though the end product wasn’t to either of their liking.

‘Maybe I’ll take Diana for a walk later, that should brighten my mood. While I’m on it I might as well head to the library, the books I got awhile ago are almost overdue. Then I’ll head to the dojo’¹

Skye glanced at the library across the street as the three of them passed by it. She felt a prickle on the back of her neck, something didn’t feel right. She felt like she was being watched. When she looked around she found that no one was looking at the group as they traveled home. There were people sitting outside of the cafe and people driving by in cars, but none of them seemed concerned with the girls. She rubbed the back of her neck before she ran to catch up with her sisters who had continued walking.

********************

‘Juuusssttt Great. Wonderful in fact,’ thought Finn as he ran for his life.

‘Why couldn’t you just keep your mouth shut Finn? Why?’

Finn dodged to the left as a linebacker tried to grab the back of his red hoodie. There were three guys after him, the bully who had started this situation and his two lackeys. Finn knew that even if he somehow escaped this encounter, he would still have to somehow avoid them the next day at school.

All Finn wanted to do was to exit the school and head home, maybe he’d go to the library a bit later ,but no. The school bully and head quarterback, Bruce, had to spot him as he was leaving. The guy was was hanging out with two other football players and their girlfriends when he had called Finn over. Though every instinct in him told Finn to run at that moment, he came over anyway, because he’s a genius.

The things that followed were a slew of stereotypical statements about Asians and Bruce trying to make Finn do his math homework so that he could go out and party with his girlfriend and friends. It was so stereotypical² that Finn almost laughed. It was things like this that kept him from books and shows set completely in high schools.

Forgetting who he was talking to, he accidentally let lose some choice words about how Bruce was a mindless Neanderthal that could only understand the most carnal of sentiments who Finn was surprised was even in high school.³

Bruce’s girlfriend, Tiffany, had the nerve to laugh because of this. Tiffany actually was a rather nice girl ,but she had horrible taste in men which was how she ended up dating Bruce. Upon realizing because of her laugh that he had said that out loud, Finn immediately bolted.

‘I really hope Tiffany breaks up with him. A girl like her deserves better,’ thought Finn as he jumped over a large rock. ‘She’s just a bit misguided that’s all, after all, it was her friend Roxanne that convinced her to accept his invitation to his party⁴…….Wow, I really shouldn’t be focussed on this right now, I have to run for my life!’

Finn began to pick up speed. He had always been a rather fast runner. He believed he got it from his mom, she was a track star when she was younger.

Finn swerved to the right just as one of the football players attempted to tackle him. It was an impressive one and no doubt it was a move that could get the guy a scholarship ,but Finn was too agile for him.

Within a few seconds, Finn had lost his pursuers, and without loss of breath, jogged home.⁵

*******************

“We’re home!” called out Amy as the three entered the large two story home.

“Welcome home!” said a feminine voice from within the house.

A beautiful woman with light brown hair came into room. Her fashionable work clothes accentuated her appearance , making her look both professional and attractive. This was Skye’s stepmother, Helen.

She came up to the girls and gave them each a hug.

Skye wasn’t really comfortable hugging her stepmother,but when she stretched out her arms toward her she didn’t resist. It wasn’t like Helen was mean to her or anything ,but Skye didn’t quite think of her as mom. She only had one mom and that was Detective Christine Myer-Daniels.

Skye’s hand closed in a fist as she remembered her mother. In her mind she remembered her mother lying on the ground with blood pouring out of a gunshot wound with a gun in her hand.

Skye had been playing outside in their backyard with her mom watching her from the porch when her mother suddenly ran over to her with a pistol in her hand. Christine fired off a few shots into the woods. Just as she stepped in front of her daughter another shot was heard and she was shot in the stomach. As she fell, she pulled the trigger once more. Skye learned later that the bullet had hit its mark and Christine had killed her daughter’s would-be murderer. However, the cost of Skye’s life Christine had to pay with her own. Christine died in the emergency room.

Skye learned that one of the criminals that her mother had caught escaped and intended to take revenge by killing Skye.⁶

Skye had only been nine years old when her mother died. Her father was devastated. She remembered the months after her mother’s death when she had to stay with her grandparents and then the nights where she would wake up to the sound of her father sobbing. There also seemed to be a lot more wine in the house that there had before. Skye tried to console him the best she could, but she was just as hurt by the death as he was.

Skye let go of Helen who took a moment to step back and look and her as well as her two daughters.

She couldn’t find it in herself to hate them. Sure, they weren’t her ideal choices for step family, but her father meeting and falling in love with Helena was a sign that he had recovered. It was a good sign for Skye.

As Skye walked further into the house behind her stepfamily she heard loud barking coming towards them. A small smile came on her face.

Amy and Ally jumped out of the way as a fairly large German shepherd ran towards Skye. Skye opened her arms and allowed the dog to jump on her.

“Well hello there Diana!” said Skye.

The dog put her paws on Skye’s shoulders and began to lick her face. Skye let out a few giggles before giving the dog a hug. As she breathed in the scent of her brown and black fur, her mood automatically brightened. Diana was promised to Skye about three years back when an old friend of her mother’s dog had puppies and Skye took a liking to her. It took a bit of begging and promising ,but Skye’s dad finally agreed to let her have the pup.

Skye was glad she was able to keep her, the dog made her think of her mother. Even though Diana wasn’t trained to be a police dog, she looked very much like one, and Skye knew that if she was ever in danger, she could act like one too. The German shepherd also reminded her of her own dreams of law enforcement. Maybe one day she would sniff out criminals with her trusty K-9 unit or maybe she would become a detective like her mom.

Skye didn’t know, but either way, she would have liked to have Diana by her side, but she had to think realistically, by time she would be able to get into the field, Diana would be too old to be a police dog. Skye hated to think about it ,but that’s how real life was, you didn’t always get what you wanted, and no amount of wishing on a star or something silly like that could make it any different.

Skye let go Diana and walked further into the house with the dog at her heels.

“I don’t understand how you can like that dog so much ,Skye. She leaves fur all over the place, is so big, and always tries to lick you,” said Helen.

Skye shrugged. “She reminds me of my mom. Plus, that’s only to be expected when you have a German shepherd.”

Helen stopped and looked at Skye at the mention of her widowed husband’s dead wife. Whenever Skye connected anything to her mother it was almost impossible for her to say anything against it, especially considering the circumstances behind her mother’s death for fear of sounding cruel.

“Er, well, I just wish you had attached yourself to something that didn’t shed as much,” said Helen, picking a bit of dog fur off the couch. “Or was a bit smaller….” she added.

“What can I say? She’s been here almost three years now. She’s part of the family,” said Skye as she kneeled on the ground to hug the dog. “But if it makes you feel better, I’ll vacuum the couches twice a week instead of just once.”

Helen sighed to herself in defeat. After all, Jerome, Skye’s father was pretty fond of the dog as well and if both of them loved it, then it was here to stay.

Skye put her book bag on the ground and climbed up the stairs to her room. It was a fairly large room painted pale yellow. Her queen sized bed was neatly made. Skye walked past shelves that held her her trophies for karate and archery. She only had two archery trophies and four karate trophies so far, but she was proud of them all.7 She went into her walk-in closet, moved her bow and quiver of arrows to the left, and reached for her library bag. In it were five books from the realistic fiction section. She stuffed her karate clothes and anything else she’d need into the bag before heading back downstairs.

She went to the door and picked up Diana’s leash off the table.

“I’m going to take Diana on a walk!” she called out behind her.

“Have fun!” called out one of the twins (Skye couldn’t tell which one).

“I will! Come on Di,” said Skye as she clipped on the leash and went out.

********************

“Tadaima!”⁸

Finn stood in silence, waiting for a reply.

Nobody was home.

‘Well of course nobody’s home,’ he thought. ‘Mom and dad are still at work and Sis has a shift at the cafe.’

Finn put his bag on the ground by the door and walked into the kitchen. He looked on the counter.

“Tsk. Where is it?” he wondered out loud.

Eventually, he came to a folded up note from his sister. He unfolded the letter and began to read it.

Dear Finn,
Sorry, about your taiyaki. I hadn’t had lunch and was already running late. I promise to make it up to you.
Love, your sister, Akemi.

Finn gave a sigh of frustration and rubbed his head. His sister was always eating his food. He had made that taiyaki by hand.

“Does she have any idea how long it took me to be able to get the ingredients needed for them and the time to make it?” he murmured to himself angrily.

He then let out an exasperated sigh. He was already in a bad mood and was counting on the taiyaki to brighten it a bit.

He went to the fridge and pulled out a yogurt. He grabbed a spoon from the dishwasher and made his way to the living room.

He plopped down in the couch and took a spoonful of the yogurt.

‘Home alone. What to do, what to do? Netflix? Nah, don’t feel like it….. Maybe I’ll read….”

He got off the couch and climbed up the stairs to his bedroom. He opened the door to the light blue room and walked over to one of the two large book shelves in his room. He looked through a mixed assortment of manga and books. He picked up a volume of the Akatsuki no Yona⁹ manga before deciding to put it back. The manga was originally for girls ,but Finn found that the story was actually pretty good ,but as much as he liked the story and the characters, he didn’t feel like reading it right now. He looked through the rest of that bookshelf and through the next one, but couldn’t find anything to read. With a sigh, he plopped down on his neatly made bed.

‘I need to get some new books,’ he thought to himself ‘I’ve got nothing to read.’

Finn dug into the pocket of his red hoodie and pulled out his library card.

‘I guess I should head to the library. It’s been a week, they should have something new.’

He got up off of the bed, grabbed a bag, and headed back downstairs and out the door, locking it behind him.