A Ginger On The Run

Home (always a bust)

As I walked to my small family home on a secluded road, I listened to the birds and squirrels in the trees. My ginger tail swished back and forth as I walked slowly. Here I don't hide my ears and tail as I know I can. It's not needed. Everyone here knows my family. My step father is the most influential man in the entire town. Speaking of my "dad", as I walk up our long road of a driveway, I remember that he has to work late tonight. Something about paperwork? Hell if I know; he's a complete mystery to me.

My mother on the other hand is absolutely amazing. She, like me and some of my siblings, is a neko. She has the most beautiful pale blonde hair and blue eyes. It's surprises me sometimes when I see her hair growing in a much brighter golden and then the next day it's pale again. I for some reason have bright ginger fur and hair where as the rest of my family has either dark hair or very pale colors.

Something that comes as a shock to most people is just how many siblings I have. Fun fact the true number is ten. Yes, ten. But honestly that's somewhat normal for nekos. We happen to have more kids in twins, triplets, and quadruplets.

I'm the third oldest, I have an older brother and sister respectfully; Ren and Sanya. Then after me come the twins, Johnnie and Jack. Then Harper. Then another set of twins, Isaac and Casey. Then another Sage and August. And finally little Quinn.

Ok, I know what you're thinking. That can't be easy to keep track of. Trust me there's more. Ren, Sanya, Casey, Sage, August, and Quinn are not nekos thanks to my dad. The rest of us as you can guess are in fact nekos, or...cat people.

Please never call a neko a cat person to their face. Yes that's what we are but it's just impolite.

My ears flick towards the house as I hear crashing. I shake my head and start jogging towards the house. When I got to the door I took out my key and unlocked it. I slipped the Orange painted key back into my pocket and walked inside, making sure to wipe and take off my shoes before getting to far into the house. I do this so the floors are easier to clean.

My mom alway cleans on Wednesday. And as it is Tuesday the house is still a bit of a reck but I don't blame my mom. Twelve kids isn't the easiest thing to keep up with. Luckily I'm about to turn seventeen. Ren is twenty already and Sanya just turned nineteen a few weeks ago. Which means we help her keep track of everything going on. I'm the oldest sibling living in the house though. Ren went off to go to a fancy secondary education and Sanya moved out to live with her boyfriend.

I don't mind being the oldest. I don't have to share a room, and I get the most freedom. Yeah I got school. Plus I have a job. But hey, you've got to take the ups with the downs.

I walk into the kitchen to find pots and pans, along with a few dishes, on the floor. Isaac and Casey look up from picking them off the floor guiltily; like they didn't expect someone to come running.

"Oh! Valia! We didn't think you were home yet." Isaac laughs nervously. Casey flicks her brother on the back of his neck, "Hey!" Isaac complains "Shush. Val, we'll clean it up we swear. We were just grabbing a pot to start dinner for mom." I nod "Alright. Just clean it up."

I looked around the room as if I could see the whole house from this room. I couldn't. But my ears were searching. "Where is mom anyway?" Isaac speaks up "Oh she's upstairs sewing up a small hole in Jacks uniform." Casey butts in "Oh and mom told us to mention that Ren, Sanya, and Mark are coming for dinner." I nod already inching my way towards the stairs, which are back in the entrance hall.

After Casey and Isaac turn back to continue picking up the dishes I walk upstairs. "Mom?" I call. "In here Val" she responds from Quinn's room. I walk in and am instantly attacked by the small five year old. "Hey Quinny!" I pick her up and spin her around before sitting her on my hip. She was only 42 pounds so it wasn't to difficult considering I'm used to it.

"Hi Val! How was work? Did you boss be mean to you again?" I laughed nervously. My mom looks up. "Your boss? Mr. Kamiya is such a nice man." She sounded slightly disappointed. "Yeah, he is. For a short amount of time. But he seems so fascinated in my ears and tail, unless I hide them"

She nods "That's normal honey. We are quite rare." "And he seems especially fascinated with the color of my hair, ears, and tail" My mom's eyes snap up to my face "What?" I nod carefully. "He asks if I dye it and if anyone else in my family has such a bright color."

My mom squinted at me like she was scrutinizing me. "And what do you say" "Well the truth of course. That it's a natural color and that I have the bright color in the family." My mom stands quickly. "I'm sorry Honey. Could you get dinner ready? I need to go see your father at his office. I had Casey and Isaac start the water. We're having Penne and Meatloaf. You know how to make it." she says this as she quickly cleans up her sewing and rushes out of the room.

She has a tendency to call my step dad my actual dad. I think she's trying to make me feel included since my actual father had not been a nice man. My mom says I was an amazing thing to have happened to her; but I think I'm more of a reminder of what happened.

I look at Quinn and she looks at me; we both shrug. Our mom is a little over protective of us. Especially us nekos. It makes sense considering we're more likely to get kidnapped. I can just hide my ears and tail but the others can't so mom has to go with them most places. That's why the town see the others out and about while we're shut in the house.

I carry Quinn downstairs. Casey and Isaac looked over from the stove where the boiling water was. Johnnie and Jack were doing homework at the dining room table. Johnnie was helping his twin with what he wasn't understanding. "Hey, Johnnie? could you grab me the pasta? I'm still to short." Johnnie looks up at his name and nods "Try this problem real quick. I'll be right back" he stands up. "Thanks Jo" Johnnie nods.

Johnnie and Jack are identical twins, the only in the family, and they got a random tall gene. They're 6'2". Just to give reference, I'm 5'0".

My family is quite diverse, minus race because both my parents are quite pale. But we have nekos and humans, hair colors from black to pale blonde. Then there's the eyes which range from green to blue to brown.

Johnnie quickly got the pasta down from the top shelf of the pantry. And being the affectionate guy he is he gave Quinn and I each a peck on our heads. He leaned in and murmurs to me "Mr. Kamiya give you any more trouble?". I nodded slightly "A little" I murmur back. "My offer still stands. We'll take care of him, just give the word." I nod. "Thanks Jo."

I open the pasta and pour it into the pot. Time to get dinner rolling.

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Hey this is my first long story. I'd really love some feedback. My other stories are just small ship things that I wanted to share. Thank you so much for reading.