"Rika, aren't you going to eat the dinner Yuto has made us?" Rika glanced down at the quivering slop that her mom was referring to. It was the disgusting attempt at cuisine that her mother's new boy toy had cooked up in an ill-fated attempt to bond with the teenager.

" I don't eat meat," Rika said flatly, just barely narrowing her eyes at her mother. Rumiko laughed nervously, flipping her hair and rolling her shoulders in a way that told Rika that her mom was trying really, really hard not to leap across the table and throttle the breath out her daughter. This gave her some satisfaction, but it was fleeting as her grandmother's words wafted through her mind.

They had been sharing the bathroom mirror that day, right before her grandmother had taken off for some dinner date.

"Ruki," her grandmother had sighed as she applied red lipstick, " I know you hate your mother because you think that she has done you a great disservice- and I'm not she has or hasn't- but she has been trying like all heavens lately to give you a dad, so before you starting gunning off tonight at dinner about Tibet or cough suppressant abuse or the melting Ice Caps or some new cape-wearing band you're into, count to three and think of me. And I'll be dancing the night away with a very handsome ex-fireman and NOT worrying about you and your mother splattering each other's blood and guts all over whatever nice young man your mother has brought home to meet you."

"I'll try," Ruki had laughed, layering on thick black eyeliner, "Wow grams, you're quite a Betty." Her grandmother gave a little shimmy in the mirror, the layers of her polka dot dress swirling all around her.

"Yes I know. And don't wait up for me!"

Back at dinner, Ruki frowned faintly, counted to three, and refrained from commenting further. Her mother relaxed and laid a delicate hand over the man sitting to her left, giving him a slight nod.

"So Ruki," the man started, " I hear you're a musician of sorts."

"Yeah."

"You play…"

"Guitar, mostly."

"Ruki is actually in a band," Rumiko interjected, shooting venomous eyes at her daughter, "They're quite good."

"You'd know," Ruki muttered to herself, before answering louder, " Yeah, we're getting there." There was a long silence, with only the sounds of Ruki shifting around the spaghetti in front of her, twirling it together to give the illusion she had eaten more than she really had.

"So what do you guys sound like?" Yuto gave an earnest look. He's actually trying, Ruki thought glumly, Now I feel bad for the chump. Ruki considered the long line of boyfriends that had sat across from her at the same table. She mentally pasted the various faces of her mom's different 'phases'; foreigners, musicians, men with long hair, men with no hair, guys old enough to be her grandfather, guys old enough to be her babysitter,

men with facial tattoos, businessmen, lay-a-bouts, any type and every type imaginable had taken the fateful seat across from her. A few along the way had seemed plausible, but even less had turned out to be sustainable.

"More fish," her mom would always say, taking out a carton of ice cream, "More fish." In Ruki's opinion, her mother's love life was more like a sushi bar than a fish market.

But now, here was guy who might actually have staying power. He was okay looking, not ugly enough to be desperate but no good looking enough to be cocky about it. He was an okay cook, even if he did use copious amounts of animal. He was laidback, but he seemed a little nervous to meet his girlfriend's 16-year-old daughter with enough shrapnel dangling from her left ear to make a dirty bomb and enough eyeliner to star in a kabuki play. He had guts, so in Ruki's book, he merited a reply. Even if it was meant to throw him off his game.

"Well, we'd like to think the Misfits that write like Ted Leo, but right now we sound more like Bikini Kill mixed with early Green Day and Say Anything, with light touches of Saves the Day. We want to be kinda cool and wacky like All Girl Summer Fun Band, with out being campy or anything. But we look more like the Watson Twins than Danzig, and our shows are more ska than punk, so skanking but no circles of death or anything like that. Sometimes we can be sorta fun and pop-y like No Doubt and the Pink Spiders' love child. We want to have a message, but we don't want to be all 'rawr' and serious all the time." All this was said in one breath with a practiced nonchalantness that sent most guys reeling.

"Ah," he said, as if he had just totally comprehended everything she had uttered and agreed. "And what's your bandname?"

"The Pop-Sickles."

"Excellent name," Yuto grinned.

"So!" Rumiko jumped in, "You two seem to really be hitting it off then. Well, I'm glad you like Yuto, because we we're discussing earlier about him…" Ruki jumped in her seat. She knew what was coming. Her mother would suggest moving in and the guy would either back off immediately or move straight in. The domestic bliss would last a week or two, and then the guy would 'mysteriously' move out while Ruki was at school and her mom would be back to spooning with her two favorite rebound guys; Ben and Jerry. There was only so many rounds of musical roommates that Ruki could play before she went berserk on her mom, and that threshold was very close to be crossed.

"Look," Ruki said calmly, folding her hands in front of her like a schoolteacher poised to lecture, " I'm sure Yuto here is a very nice guy and all, but I've seen this since I was old enough to walk." Her mother winced at the dig. "Mom likes guy, guy moves in, guy moves out, Mom moves on. I don't want to see that happen ever again, because its very emotionally draining for everyone in this house. I especially don't want this to happen because, hell Yuto, you seem like a pretty cool dude and I don't want my mom just messing with your head." She stood and turned to leave.

"Ruki! Sit down and let me finish my sentence." Rumiko shot up in her seat, reaching across the table with a long arm to stop her daughter. "I am the mother here, and you are the daughter."

"Just keep telling yourself that, Rumiko."

"You never used to do this when you were younger. Why can't you just listen to me?"

"That's because I hadn't developed the capacity to challenge authority yet."

"Just sit down and finish your dinner, young lady." Ruki scoffed and stared at the plate in on the low, traditional table in front of her.

"I'm not that hungry. It was nice to meet you Yuto." She took two long strides towards the door and slammed the slider shut behind her. From inside she could her soft apologies coming from her mother and even softer affirmations from Yuto.

"I'm so sorry you had to see that."

"I understand. Every ones the same when they're teenagers."

"Oh Yuto…." Ruki gagged and started heading towards her room, slipping into it as quietly as she could. Let her wonder, she thought almost bitterly, Might as well throw her off the trail. Walking straight through the mess, Ruki slid open the door leading to the porch and cut across the garden. After jumping the fence with a little difficulty due to her skirt, she sprinted to the park, not really sure what the hell she was expecting out of the venture.

She was usually content with just winding her way through the trees, but tonight she was especially jumpy so as soon as she could, Ruki found an acceptable tree and shimmied her way up to a high branch. Just as she settled in, there was rustling above her and a sudden thump as someone or something jumped next to her.

"So," a voice said, "Come to this tree often?"

"Henry?" Ruki squinted in the twilight to make out the boy's face.

"In the flesh. Lovely night, eh?" She could hear the grin in his voice, but she wasn't in the mood tonight.

"What the hell are you doing on my branch?"

"What the hell are you doing in my tree," he countered mockingly.

"I am up here to escape the utter horrors of my home life," Ruki pouted, hating the fact that she was pouting.

"Ahh, mom's new boyfriend over for dinner?" He shifted a little, closing the gap between them considerably.

"Yes, and why are you in my bubble."

"For warmth."

"Liar, its like summertime." And it was, mostly. Everything was in bloom and even though it was pretty late, the sun was still hanging stubbornly on the horizon.

"Yeah… I guess you're right. So what's wrong with this one? Greasy hair, bad teeth, twin brother growing out of his neck…?"

"No…He…."

"Out with it!" Punch. "Ouch!"

"He… likes… the same music as I do."

"Oh no! The same music as yo- OUCH! Enough with the hitting." Henry rubbed his shoulder. "Is that all?"

"He seems like a cool guy."

"He's a great guy so you hate him."

"Yes…No. I don't my mom to break his heart."

"Ruki, they're adults. They're big kids and they can handle it. You're not your mother's keeper."

"She was going to ask him to move in!"

"Did she?"

"No, I sort of interrupted before she could."

"So maybe she wasn't going to. Maybe she was going to ask him to pass the salad bowl."

"We were eating spaghetti."

"So?"

"With meatballs."

"Oh. Well I'm sure it was an honest mistake."

"You're sooo positive. I wish I could be. Just. Like. You."

" I know." Henry sighed playfully, draping a friendly arm around her shoulder. "It's a hard lesson to learn." Instead of throwing off the arm, Ruki smiled weakly and laid her head on a very surprised Henry's shoulder.

"My grandma says she's trying to find me a dad."

"Your grandma's probably right."

"Then I just feel like such a bitch," she laughed weakly.

"You're not a bitch. You're just a teenager. If you don't want a dad, you don't want a dad. Maybe your mom wants a husband."

"Sometimes I forget my mom's a human."

"Its real easy sometimes," Henry sighed, letting the silence between the grow and grow before saying, " You want me to walk you home?"

"Why? So you can boost your reputation as a ladies man?"

"Everyone already knows I'm a playa. I meant so you could talk it out with your mom. Or your mom's boyfriend. Or both." Ruki inhaled deeply, letting the breath out as she made her decision.

"Yeah fine, whatever." She jumped down followed promptly by Henry. "Are you really going to walk me home?"

"Hells yes."

"Loser."

"Lover…Ouch! So violent!"

A/N Had to end that one quickly so I could start on another one. Its gonna be really short, but whatever.