"Minni, what were you thinking?" Peter asked, looking at his adoptive daughter, who was sitting on the other side of his desk.
Her wavy black hair, streaked with red, blanketed her shoulders and her full fringe hung over her forehead. She held an ice pack up to her swollen bottom lip.
Min Jee rolled her eyes, which were outlined and flicked with a layer of black eyeliner
They were highly color-deceiving, masked with icy blue contacts.
"My name is not Minni."
"Fine. Minzy." Replied her father.
"It isn't Minzy either," she growled.
Peter huffed.
"Minzy Bannings I will not tolerate your back talk! Why the hell did you get into that fight?"
The fight had happened on the night of Maggie's school play.
Min Jee had bumped into one of the performer's older brothers, a boy that was around seventeen, which was three years older than her, and he had been incredibly rude about it. It had started off as a minor argument and escalated into a full-scale fist-fight. She had escaped with a split lip, a few bruises and a busted up leg. The boy wasn't so lucky. Though seventeen, he was a bit scrawny. And small. And very, very unfit.
After years of getting into all sorts of fights, attending countless martial arts lessons and going through an unfathomable amount of self-defense courses, Min Jee was pro. The boy had ended up with a black eye, a broken nose, a broken finger and a fractured collarbone.
The Bannings family were lucky his parents were Christian.
"I won't tolerate your yelling. It irritates me," she said.
Peter threw his head into his hands.
"You know, it really pisses me off that you pulled this stunt the day before our flight to London, Chi-Chi-"
"My name is Min Jee, for God Sakes, get it right!" She snapped, almost throwing her ice pack down.
"If I had known you would grow up to be this, I would never have adopted you!"
Min Jee's eyes widened. For a second her stiff mask of no emotions dropped and she looked genuinely hurt.
Peter's mouth dropped open when he realized what he'd said, and he would have eaten the ice pack Min Jee threw at him if he hadn't started to ramble an apology.
"Screw this."
She stood up and kicked the desk, making Peter and the contents of it jump.
"Screw you," she growled
Turning around, she pushed the chair she had been sitting on a few seconds ago down.
"Minzy, get back here!" Peter yelled.
She kicked the door open, revealing Maggie, Jack and their mother in quite comical positions.
Jack and Maggie stared up at her, crouched on the ground besides the door frame, while their mother sat a few feet away, as if she had been leaning on the door a few seconds before Minjee kicked it open.
Minjee glared at them and stormed off.
"Something tells me this vacation is gonna be very eventful," muttered Peter, head in his hands.
(/:\\)
"Hello everyone this is your Captain speaking,sit back, relax and enjoy the remainder of the flight."
Min Jee rolled her eyes, which now sported green contacts.
She wore a black tank top, a leather jacket, a short pleated skirt, black fingerless gloves and black converse boots. Clipped into her hair was a big red rose, which was the work of her mother, who was trying to make her look 'more pleasant'. She had also straightened her hair.
"Yeah. Because this turbulence is really helping," she said sarcastically.
The person beside her, a man that looked Japanese, gave her a funny look.
"What?!" She snapped, turning away from the window to look at him.
He shrunk back into his seat.
"Minzy, stop being so rude," Peter said in a measured tone. After the incident the day before, he tried to be a bit more patient with her. Not that it was working. He sat behind her, clutching the arm rests and closing his eyes tightly.
"He was staring at me!" She snapped.
Her mother, who was on the other side of the man, face palmed.
Before Peter could reply, Maggie, who sat between her father and Jack, spoke.
"Daddy, daddy, look at what Jack drew!" Maggie yelled. Min Jee was tempted to grab the Japanese guy's drink and throw it at her sister. Her squeaky voice irritated her beyond relief.
Maggie showed Peter her drawing.
"That's nice dear. What is it?" He asked.
"Fire."
"Fire? That's lov- oh dear is that our plane?"
Min Jee dropped the idea of throwing the guy's drink at her sister and almost fell out of her chair. That was too funny.
"Yeah!"
Min Jee suppressed laughter as she tucked her head between the space in between her and the Japanese man's chair to watch the show.
"And -ermm- who are those people, dear?" He gestured to the group of stick figures floating down on parachutes.
"That's me, that's Jack, that's mom and that's Minjee! Can't you see her hair?"
Peter glared at Min Jee. Her hair was still a sore subject. The streaks were an act that had her grounded from allowance.
Minjee chose that exact moment to speak. Ever since she found out that they would be taking a plane to England, she'd been reading up on plane crashes. "You know, Mags, that reminds me of an incident in 19-"
"Minjee, please," Peter hissed through his teeth. "No more plane crash information."
Minjee grinned devilishly as Peter looked back to the picture. Score.
"Hold on...where's my parachute?" He asked.
Moira looked back.
"You're not going to die without your phone and fax machine."
"I'm halfway there. I've got my phone in my briefcase."
Moira ignored the comment and looked at Jack.
"You should talk to him."
Jack, who sat directly behind Min Jee looked downcast. Min Jee knew the feeling well. Her dad had come to none of her archery tournaments, which really sucked. He didn't even know she took martial arts, gymnastics and self defense classes. Despite this, she couldn't help but feel like her brother was being a bit dramatic. If Min Jee sulked after her dad missed something of importance for her, he would just tell her to grow up.
She watched as Jack bounced the ball up and made those air-face mask things drop down from the ceiling.
She turned back to the front, suppressing laughter.
This was gonna be an amusing vacation.
(/:\\)
"Minzy-"
"-It's Min Jee!" Min Jee snapped. They stood on the front steps of Wendy's house.
Peter ignored the interruption and carried on.
"What did I tell you about your clothes?"
He glared at a passing man who had just wolf-whistled at her.
Minjee rolled her eyes.
"You told me to be more modest. Aka look like a boring stick-up-the-ass," she replied.
"Minjee, watch your language!" Moira scolded.
"Didn't seem to mind Yesterday," she muttered.
Moira ignored her.
"And what about that eyeliner? Minzy-"
"It's Minjee!" She snapped.
"-I told you to take it off!"
Minjee rolled her eyes.
"Whatever!"
"Listen, I want you all on your best behaviors," Peter said, "Minzy-"
"IT'S MINJEE!" Minjee yelled, waving her arms around as if she was trying to call a ship.
"-I want you to act...pleasant. No fighting. No violence. No swearing. Not even in Korean!"
"Minjee? Pleasant?" Jack laughed. "As if!"
Minjee glared.
"Come here you little-"
Moira held her back.
"Jack, spit that gum out. Where did you get that from?" Asked Peter.
Jack pointed at Minjee. "She sold me a stick of gum for ten dollars."
"Minzy!"
"Jack!" Minjee yelled. "You promised not to tell!"
"Yeah, well dad promised to come to my baseball tournament, but he didn't come!"
Moira face palmed.
"Okay, when you meet grandma Wendy, you be polite." He stared pointedly at Minjee. "No cutting her off. Or rolling your eyes."
Minjee rolled her eyes.
"Mommy is Grandma Wendy the same Wendy from the play?" Asked Maggie innocently
"Of course it is, Maggie," Minjee replied in a sickly sweet voice and gestured to herself. "And I'm Cinderella, by the way."
Peter glared at Minjee. "Stop being sarcastic," he looked at Maggie, "No, she isn't."
"Actually, she kind of is," Moira pointed out.
Peter ignored Moira and turned to the door. "Remember, we are in England. Land of good- Minzy, stop strangling your brother!"
Minjee took her brother out of the headlock she held him in and awkwardly shuffled away.
Peter huffed.
"We are in the land of good manners. Got it?"
"Got it!"Three voices chorused back.
Peter nodded and bonked the door knocker on the door thrice.
Silence.
Suddenly, the door was thrown open.
"Uncle Toodles!" Exclaimed Peter, walking towards him with his arms spread out for a hug.
"It's snowing!"
The door slammed shut, narrowly missing Peter's nose.
Jack started laughing, but unfortunately began choking on his gum. Minjee pounded his back forcefully.
Again, the door was thrown open.
"AGGHH!"
Minjee and her siblings covered their ears as they were greeted by screaming.
"Hello, Ermmm..Li-Libby? Wait no, I'm sure it was Linda..." Peter clicked his fingers, to which Minjee face palmed. "No, it was Lisa!"
"Liza, dear!" Liza corrected cheerfully.
Minjee wondered how she could be so cheerful every second of the day.
"Oh dear, you two must be Maggie and Jack! And Minzy, I remember you! How long has it been? Ten years since they adopted you, isn't it! My, my Minzy, you were only-"
Minjee huffed in annoyance and pushed past the maid before she could finish her sentence. She was officially pissed off at her English name. Her name was Minjee.
Not Minzy.
Not Chi-Chi.
Minjee. That was her Korean name. Her real name. The only connection she had to her missing parents.
Minzy sounded stupid in comparison.
She took her shoes off at the door, a die-hard Korean tradition she couldn't get rid of, and dragged her suitcase to the living room.
She plopped down on the couch, leaving her suitcase at the living room doorway.
"Minzy!" Called her father, "get back here right now!"
Minjee rolled her eyes and stared at the Christmas tree as Jack and Maggie ran in.
"You are so in trouble!" Yelled Jack.
Him and Maggie began to run around and play.
Minjee could hear her dad's ominous footsteps approaching. She braced herself for the lecture of a life time as one of his feet peaked into the door, when suddenly-
"Oh Wendy!"
The foot disappeared and she heard her dad walking away.
She sighed in relief.
"It's been so long since we last visited!"
"Ten years, Peter! And that was when you adopted Minjee! Where is she, by the way?"
Minjee swore in Korean under her breath. Now she had to come out. Wendy may have been her favorite person in this family, but she had some really bad timing.
"Minjee, you are so in for it now!" Jack yelled as he passed by her. Minjee had half a mind to gouge his eyes out with her rose pin, but the other half had at least some self-control.
She stepped out into the hallway. With her socks and the carpet, she really felt like zapping her dad, but she didn't.
"Oh, dear! How my Minjee has grown!" Wendy said. She hugged Minjee.
Peter huffed. "Yup. She's a teenager now."
Translation: Minjee's a big troublemaker and she dresses like a biker these days.
"Annyeong, Halmeoni," Minjee greeted, with real emotion. (translation: Hello, Grandmother)
She hugged Wendy back.
"My, my, child you are even wearing makeup! And this skirt!" Wendy said, pulling away from the hug. Peter looked at Minjee pointedly, until Wendy said "Oh, I remember when I wore skirts like that!" She swung her hips a little. "When I was young. Ooh, it was wonderful!"
Minjee smirked at her dad, who gave her a 'We-are-so-talking-about-this- later' look.
And then, Jack and Maggie ran out into the hallway.
"Oh, and this must be Jack and Maggie!"
"Grandma Wendy! I played you in my school play!" Maggie exclaimed.
"Oh, dear you look the part!" Wendy replied, hugging Maggie.
After greeting Jack, she took on a serious tone.
"Now, I insist that there is one rule that must be obeyed while you're in my house," she paused, letting her words hang in the air.
Wendy had a knack for making good suspense. She was, after all, a storyteller.
"No growing up. Stop,this very instant!" She said, shattering the suspense. Jack and Maggie giggled, and even Minjee smiled slightly. "And that includes you Mr Chairman-of-the Board Banning" she shot a stern glare at Peter.
"Sorry,Gran, it's too late," Peter apologized, chuckling.
"And what is so terribly important about your terribly important business?" Wendy asked.
Jack decided this was his scene.
"Well,you see...when a big company is in trouble, Dad sails in and if there's ANY resistance-"
Peter swooped in, cutting him off, and attempted to explain what really happened.
"Well, he's exaggerating, of course," Peter said.
Jack cut him off again, adding his most favorite line. "Any resistance!And he BLOWS them right out of the water!"
Minjee rolled her eyes, and walked back to the living room, but still heard her Grandmother's last line.
"My, my Peter you've become a Pirate..."
(/:\\)
"PETER, DARLING!" Yelled a voice."BRAD'S CALLING!"
It was the day after they arrived. Minjee sat on her bed, today wearing purple contacts. She could hear her mother calling for her dad through her headphones, which meant a lot. She slid the headphones down so they rested around her neck.
Today, she had changed into a more modest set of clothing. A black Big Bang tee-shirt, black socks and a pair of jogging pants.
Rolling her eyes, she rushed down the stairs to see the commotion.
She came in time to see her mother handing her dad the phone.
The kids, seemingly attracted to the opportunity for trouble, ran in.
Minjee plopped down on the couch, pulled her head phones over her ears and scrolled through her iPod, stopping to type every once in a while.
Jack and Maggie made shooting sounds and played with the furniture, until-
"SHUT UP! I AM ON THE PHONE CALL OF MY LIFE HERE!" He yelled. Even Minjee could hear him through her head phones.
"I'm sorry!" Exclaimed Jack
"Minzy, please. Get them out of here!"
Minjee rolled her eyes. Her dad could get really cranky sometimes. She pulled her headphones down and around her neck and helped her mom herd the kids out the door. Wendy was waiting, a concerned look in her eye.
"I'll talk to him," she whispered, loud enough for only Minjee and Wendy to hear. They nodded and took the kids away.
"Come, come" Said Wendy. "I'll show you the very place where me and your father gazed upon the stars."
"Hey, I'm just going to...go to bed," lied Minjee. As if. They had passed by a club the night before, and Minjee had not neglected to bring her fake ID. Why would she miss out on the many wonders of England?
"Are you sure, dear?" Asked Wendy. There was a knowing look on her face.
Minjee nodded. She was a good -no, an excellent- liar, but Wendy was not one to cross swords with.
"Yes, I promise," she replied.
But as she walked down the hall, towards her room, she could only think about how that was what her father said to Jack every time he promised to come to a baseball game.
And we all know how that worked out.
(/:\\)
"I should have waited for that deal to be over," Peter said, shaking his head as Moira walked in. "I have to go back."
"Peter, you promised your kids some real time here," Moira replied.
"What are you talking about? We've only been here for a few days."
"How many more broken promises, Peter?"
Peter lowered his head in shame.
"Moira, I-"
He was cut off by a familiar ringing sound.
Moira looked down at her husband, an eyebrow arched.
His hand inched towards the device.
"Listen, Moira. I have to take the call. It's Brad. I really need to fix this," he mumbled, picking up the phone.
"No, you don't. Peter, you need to fix your family, first," she replied, voice stern.
Peter hesitated, then pressed the answer button.
"Hello? Brad, I-"
He was cut off when Moira snatched the phone away.
Before he or she knew what she was doing, the poor brick was flying out the window.
Peter looked out the window.
He chuckled. "Did you just- Moira-"
He stood up and ran to the window.
"I have to get that."
"No, Peter, listen to me first!" Moira sighed and leaned on the window. "We have a few special years with our children, Peter. Only a few. While they still care about what we think. How old is Minjee, Peter? Why do you think she turned out so screwed up? She wanted your attention. Now, look at her! Did you know she takes archery?"
"I-I-" Peter stuttered. It was obvious he didn't.
"No, you don't, do you?!" She cut him off. "Do you want Jack and Maggie to end up like that? Not caring if you come to their school play, or their important end-of-the-season baseball game?" She sighed and looked at her husband. "A few years. A few special years. And then we'll be chasing them for a bit of attention."
She turned and left the room.
(/:\\)
Minjee suited up for the best English party of her life.
She heard they were wild around here.
She dressed in a pleated back skirt, her netted fingerless gloves, a white tank top and a leather jacket.
She did a quick hair curling, slid on her black laced heels and fish net stockings and shouldered her bag, which held her pencil and liquid eyeliner, an extra set of clothes, a fraction of her assortment of eye contacts and her converse shoes.
She fit on her dark shades, slid her black rose headband on and unhooked the window.
Before she left, she locked the door, just as a precaution.
She put her hand on the railing, smiling at her excellent plan, and jumped over the side.
It wasn't an elegant landing in the snow, but it was a lot better than the fate that would befall her, had she stayed.