My Family

Chapter 7

Kipo stood at the door of the Berdacs' house with Troy. The twins are inside talking to their parents. Troy lightly eyed Kipo tapping at a watch on his wrist. Kipo nodded as she sighed out. They were meant to be at the park a few minutes ago to meet up with Doag, one of Troy's friends from school. She's in a dance group and wants to show Troy some of the moves. Doag is very uptight about people being late to meet her. The front door opened and Dahlia grinned with Asher behind her.

"Let's get going," Dahlia said as she walked out of the house.

Asher follows behind. The four of them started down the block to the park in this part of the neighborhood.
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They stood around the round-about watching as Doag was twisting herself in the middle as it slowly spun. Hoag, Doag's father, was the one keeping the round-about spinning at a slow pace. He occasionally praised her. She spun then stood in a small pose as the music from her speaker died down.

"How was it?" Doag asked only to be praised by her father. Everyone blocked him out by now.

"Yeah, it was great," Troy said

"Do think it needs anything to make it pop?" Doag asked. Her father again sang her praises.

"What about a kick, like Pow," Kipo flung her leg out.

"But you know, better." Troy reached out to Kipo, who lightly nodded.

"I love that Idea so much." Doag gleamed and started adding a high kick into some different parts.

"Now that that's settled, let's go swing," Dahlia said pulling on Kipo's and Asher's arms. Dragging them over to the swings as Troy followed.

"Have you made any friends yet?" Asher asked. The three of them have been asking Kipo the same question since they started talking again.

"Kinda, we talk a bit, but that's about it," Kipo said.

"Kipo's already forgetting about us," Dahlia whined latching onto Kipo. She grabbed her Friend's arms and hunched over, pulling Dahlia onto her back.

"Kipo put me down!" She yelled kicking out. She stood back up, letting Dahlia's feet touch the ground. Dahlia pulled from Kipo and backed into Troy.

"You good?"
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The four friends hung around the swings. They were only there for a few minutes before Troy got a call from his dad, beckoning him back. With that, they started going to Kipo's house. It's only two blocks from the park, so it wasn't a long walk. They were greeted by an over-excited Mandu, who almost tackled Kipo to the ground.

"Dad, can Troy get a ride home!" Kipo let her friends into the house, putting Mandu back on the ground. Leo stuck his head around the corner of the wall.

"Ask mom, I'm cooking tonight."

Kipo left her friends in the living room and went upstairs to the door across from her parent's bedroom. It's their home office. Dad has his corner to grade papers, and mom has the rest of the room to do research and run tests. She sat at her desk looking into a microscope, writing notes into her journal. Kipo walked into the room lightly knocking on the door. Song pulled from her work and turned to face her.

"Troy needs a ride home and dad's cooking." Song smiled as Kipo stood from her desk. She walked up to her, lightly kissing her forehead.

"I'll give him a ride. I owe his dad a baking pan anyway." She leads the way downstairs. Greeting the kids in the living room.

"Would you two like a ride home too?" Song looked at Asher and Dahlia. The twins looked at each other then shyly smiled.

"We were hoping that we could stay the night. For a 'girls' night." Dahlia spoke up. Song smiled at them then lightly nodded. Patting Troy's back.

"Without me?" Troy whined as he walked to the door.

Girls' night is just code for staying up all night watching anime, and moves and snacking on all the unhealthy things they have.

"We can do boys' night next weekend," Asher snapped their fingers.

Troy agreed and left the house with Song. Boys' night is code for playing video games and drowning in soda and chips.

"At you're place!" Kipo called out before the door fully closed. Dahlia lightly laughed and brought Kipo and Asher into a hug.

"Let's go upstairs," Dahlia jumped from the hug and scooped Mandu into her arms.

Then the three raced up the stairs. They barged into Kipo's room. Dahlia jumped on the bed with Mandu. Asher and Kipo jumped on after her. Mandu squealed out and scrubbed down the ramp.

"Let's watch something new." Dahlia sat up facing the small TV on Kipo's dresser.

"Kipo, get the snacks."

Kipo stood up at Asher's request and dug into her closet for her statch of snacks just for this occasion, as Dahlia searched through for something to watch. Kipo threw her guest two small bags of gummies each, then grabbed some for herself. Joining them on the bed. Mandu climbed back onto the bed and curled up on Kipo's lap.

"What about a horror movie?" Dahlia clicked on the movie before anyone could object. Asher launched themselves at their sister and grabbed for the remote.

"No, this is meant to be fun." Dahlia threw the remote away from her as the movie started in the background.

"It's okay. You can hold my hand if you get scared." Kipo offered with a grin. Dahlia smirked at Asher, who in return, pushed her head into the mattress.

"I'm not scared. I never get scared." Asher released their sister, then sat back on the bed.

Dahlia playfully poked at Asher, as she sat too. They all went quiet as the first scene started. True to their word, Asher wasn't scared. Horror movies never really got to them. Outside the jumpscares. But then it's only an arm twitch, or their spine straightening out for a second, before relaxing again.

Dahlia was on the edge of the bed carefully watching everything. She has some weird fascination with brutal murders. On a screen that is.

Kipo on the other hand was pushed up against the wall, hiding most of her face under a blanket ready to hide from whatever spook was waiting. Asher offered their hand as solace as Kipo did for them.
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Halfway through the second movie, Leo came in with a tray of three plates full of food. Kipo quickly gave him a hug goodnight then scarfed down the food.

When the movie finished Dahlia was already passed out on the edge of the bed. Asher was sprawled out across the foot end of the bed. Feet resting on their sister. And Kipo was curled up with Mandu with her back against the wall.

"Kipo,"

"Yeah?"

"When you go and make new friends, don't forget us."

Kipo lightly kicked Asher's side. "I could never forget you, dummy."

They lightly laughed "Goodnight Kipo."

"Night, Asher."