YouChannell: 2012-2013

Chapter Twenty-Five: A Whole Fire Starts (December 6-7, 2012)

     "It's the end of the world as we know it," R.E.M. lead singer Michael Stipe sang in Anima's MP3 player as everyone in the YouChannell Home was walking home from school.

     "Hey, did you hear about Leandra Miller?" Kishi asked Anima.

     Anima paused her music. "Huh?"

     "Leandra Miller. Do you know her?" Kishi asked again.

     Anima thought long and hard. "I know of her. Why?"

     "Well, I met up with her on that playground last Saturday, and I asked where she's been the whole time since I hadn't seen her at school lately, and you know what she said?"

     "What?"

     "She said she's finally dropped out of middle school so that she can focus on her kid."

     "Damn, I really can't believe it took her this long for her to drop out of the eighth grade."

     Just then, Riley reared her ugly head towards Kishi and Anima. "Who the hell are you two talking about?"

     "Leandra Miller," Kishi and Anima answered in unison.

     "Leandra Miller?" Riley repeated, "Ain't that the bitch that got pregnant at fifteen in the eighth grade?!"

     "I guess so," Anima answered.

     "Man, that girl's a hoe!" Riley exclaimed.

     Anima shrugged and turned back to Kishi. "She said anything about getting a job?"

     "...I don't know..." Kishi finally answered.

     So, Kishi and Anima walked the rest of the way home and noticed Katja immensely staring at her phone screen in the living room.

     "What the fuck is going on?" Anima asked Kishi.

     Kishi shrugged, so they walked up towards Katja.

     "What are you looking at?" Kishi asked Katja.

     Katja sprung up and announced that Washington state had legalized same-sex marriage and wasn't that great news to hear? Both girls nodded and walked into the hallway where they noticed Greg packing his things. Usually when Greg or Katja packed their bags, it meant one thing- a new kid.

     "What's the new kid like?" Anima asked Greg.

     Greg turned around and looked at Anima like she didn't know what the hell she was talking about. "What new kid?" he asked.

     "You're packing your bag. That means you're getting a new kid," Anima explained.

     Greg lightly chuckled and said, "No, no. I'm going to a wedding in Washington state."

     It took a while for Kishi to take two and two together. "Oh, you're going to a gay-marriage wedding, right?"

     "What makes you say that?" Greg wondered.

     "Well, I heard Katja saying that gay marriage was legal in Washington state, and well... you're going to Washington state to go to a wedding, right?"