My Family

Chapter 3

"And don't start it up again, we have our hands full enough," Song said lightly smacking the back of his head. Hugo grabbed his head and turned to mom with an "ow".

"Alright, let's get going. Still want me to make that stop before going home?" Lio asked his wife as they made left the school.

"Yes. Please," Song said guiding the kids to her car. Lio climbed into his and drove off. Waving to his family as he went past. Everyone climbed into Song's car and she started home.

"Where's dad going?" Kipo asked sitting in the back of the van alone.

"Oh just making some runs," Song said.

They reached the house and pulled in.heading inside. Hugo pushed his sister away from the door and rushed inside. Kipo chased after him. She used her jaguar legs to jump at the older boy. The speed and the force pushed him onto his arse.

"You're not the only one with mutated genes," Hugo said whipping a pinkish substance on her face. She pushed herself off her brother and wiped away his sweat.

"I gotta take a shower," she cried running into her room grabbing her towel, and rubbing her face with it.

"It's so gross," she whined as she lightly pet the pig laying on her bed. Mandu looked up at her with a soft squeal and nuzzled into her touch. She smiled at her and scooped the pig into her arms.

"Come on Mandu, let's go get you some food," Kipo said.

Mandu squealed excitedly as she was brought downstairs and into the kitchen. Kipo put some of Mandu's special food into her bowl and gently pets her before leaving. She sat on the couch next to her mom.

The two start a conversation about the documentary her mother was watching. It's a nature documentary about the food chain. Mandu walked over to the pair rubbing against Kipo's leg. The pig isn't allowed on any furniture other than Kipo's bed. Lio walked into the house.

"Kipo, want to come to help me?" Lio called. Kipo jumped up from the couch and went up to her father. He leads the girl outside. Kipo walked up to the car and pulled open the back door.

"Dad there's nothing in here," Kipo said turning around. The girl faltered stepping back flabbergasted.

"Hi Kipo," Dahlia said with a small wave. Kipo rushed up to her three friends and wrapped them in a hug. They stood there for a few seconds. As soon as Kipo let go of them, Asher grabbed her face.

"I was so worried about you," they said scanning her face.

"We. we were worried about you," they pulled back. Dahlia walked up to Asher grabbing their arms and gently pulling them further away.

"You're parents and ours set up a sleepover this weekend," The slightly older twin said. Kipo smiled bringing the two into another hug.

"I missed you guys too. Come on inside." Kipo grabbed their hands and pulled the twins to the house.

Troy follows with Lio close behind. They went inside and were greeted by Song and Mandu. Kipo's friends waved at the two before being pulled up to Kipo's room. Troy carries Mandu up the stairs.

"How is it at you're new school?" Dahlia asked plopping down on the bed. Troy sat the pig on the bed next to her.

"It's weird being the new girl," Kipo said standing next to her desk. Asher in the desk chair with their feet resting on the top of it.

"Our school is so much more boring without you there," Troy said as he stood next to the door.

"Have any friends to replace us yet?" Dahlia asked with a smirk on her lips. She gently scratched Mandu's head.

"No one could ever replace you, and no I don't have any friends. I'm being monitored everywhere in that school," Kipo muttered the last bit. Asher heard it and pulled their feet from Kipo's desk.

"What does that mean?" They asked pulling everyone's attention. Kipo's face got hot and she backed up a bit. Pressing herself into the wooden desk, grasping it with her hands.

"I'm not allowed to be left alone in school, at least for now," she said. Her friends looked at her silently for a second letting it register.

"Wow dude," Troy spoke.

"Alright, let's forget school and just have some fun," Kipo said before anyone else could say anything. Kipo walked past Troy and opened her door, leaning out.

"Hugo, do you still have my cards?" She yelled out down the hall.

"Yeah, give me a second!" Kipo pulled herself back into her room and smiled at her friends. Once they got the deck of cards they all sat on Kipo's twin-sized bed and started a small game of go fish. Then played slapjack in pairs.
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Once their hands were red and stinging, they put the cards away. Just enjoying talking to each other after almost two months of nothing. Kipo missed her friends dearly. She missed talking to other people that aren't her family. The smile plastered on her face was genuine for the first time since the incident.

Dahlia made a jab at Kipo, who tackled the poor girl and started tickling her sides. Kipo demanded an apology.

"Help me or I'll tell," Dahlia cried out laughing. Asher instantly grabbed Kipo and pulled her off their twin.

"Accomplice!" Kipo attacked Asher's stomach with tickles. They kicked back onto the bed crying out for the girl to stop. Kipo's door opened and she finally stopped her attack looking over at her dad.

"I'm glad you're having fun, but don't be so loud," he said. Kipo forced her smile away and apologized to him. He smiled at her then left pulling the door closed. Kipo looked over at the pig sitting next to the door.

"I gotta take Mandu for her outside time," Kipo said jumping from the bed and picking the pig up.

She opened the door and urged her friends to follow. The four of them went downstairs and left out the sliding back door. Mandu raced off into the grassy yard. Kipo sat in one of the chairs surrounding the fire pit and her friends joined.

"She's so adorable," Asher said as the pig raced around the backyard. Kipo smiled at the sight and nodded.

"Remember when she was born?" Troy spoke up.

"Yeah, your dad was gonna let her die," Kipo said glaring at the boy pressing her lips together.

"I'm the one who said to give her to you." He threw his hands up in defense. Kipo kept glaring at him then slowly smiled.

"And now she's all grown up," Kipo gleamed.

The three friends smiled at her's. The main reason they're having a sleepover is that Kipo's parents were worried that she was spiraling into loneliness. Kipo isn't the type of person who can function without socializing for too long. Everyone who met her knew this.

"We have about an hour before dinner time, so what do you guys want to do?" Kipo changed the subject. The four went back inside leaving Mandu out to have her fun.

They crowded on the couch and started watching some horror movies. Being a traditional sleepover activity. It wasn't completely dark out, but the sun is setting. They got close to halfway through the movie before Song and Lio called everyone for dinner.

There weren't enough seats for all of Kip's friends so they got to eat in the living room. They didn't continue the movie. Instead invited Kipo's family to watch it after dinner. Rewinding it to the beginning.
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Once everyone was finished eating, Kipo rushed upstairs to change into washing Mandu's clothes, before grabbing the messy pig. Her friends joined her in the bathroom, watching and helping as Kipo cleaned Mandu. They all got wet, Kipo the most.

The friends took turns taking a shower and changing into fresh clothes. Kipo first because she was all dirty from Mandu, and Troy last because he was being a little gentleman.

Everyone crowded into the living room to watch and finish the horror movie.

The sleeping arrangements were fun to figure out. They all wanted to crowd on Kipo's bed like when they were younger, but they are too big to do that now. So instead they slept on the living room floor on blankets. All lined up side by side in front of the couch.