Chapter One: The House in The Burbs

"Ahh, home sweet home." I heard my Dad say happily. I just rolled my eyes. I was sitting on a boulder outside our brand new house in the burbs of some new city. New city; new school, new job for Dad. New playgrounds for my half brother, Ichijo and sister Rukia. New sewing groups for my stepmother Hitomi. Me? I just wanted to go home...my real home.

Dad and Hitomi were as cheery as ever, infuriatingly enough. Hitomi was standing on the little dirt path next to the boulder, three year old Ichijo perched on her hip. She had all the glow of a woman seven months pregnant, alright. Dad was holding on to six year old Rukia's hand. "Look at the gardens, sweetie. Aren't they pretty? You, Mommy, and Ai can tend to them." I groaned, and looked away.

Ai Takumi, that's me. Sleek black hair, falling down in a fluffy cloud to my waist, intent brown eyes that like to take a focus on everything around me. In one hand, I clutched tightly my notebook. I was nothing more or less than your typical high school loner; preferring solitary confinement to spending time with the others in my family.

I would have gladly just stayed with my mother in Toyko, but Dad was appalled at the suggestion of his oldest darling daughter living with a lesbian!

Yes, my mother happens to be a lesbian. (If you didn't catch the hint up there.) Her and Dad used to be married, up until eight years ago when Mom came out of the closet. And my father...you can say he's a bit of a homophobe. Okay, he is a homophobe. Long story short? The end of the marriage wasn't very pretty. Dad immediately moved me and my little brother (who was about four at the time.) to an apartment a few blocks away. But, now with a one man salary and trying to raise two small kids on his own, Dad was having a rough time spending as much time with us, as he did before he and Mom hit Splitsville.

What's worse is that Zora was a big Momma's boy, and practically went through withdrawal when we moved out. He stopped eating, and sleeping. He refused to go to daycare. And, that put a lot of stress on Dad. So, eventually he had to do something before Zora had to be admitted into a hospital.

Since Mom had gotten laid off recently, Dad hired her as a nanny for me and Zora. It was nice, seeing Mom on a regular basis again after those few months when we thought she had disappeared. Her and Dad still didn't talk much, but at least they were at a agreement that we needed both our parents. But Zora, being a four year old, thought this meant Dad and Mom were going to get back together. Unfortunately, that was not the case...

Mom had...moved on...a lot quicker than Dad. Maybe it was the fact she just wasn't physically or emotionally attracted to his gender or what, Mom found a girlfriend a few months after she started being our Nanny. Her name was Ninia, I remember that much. I remember her coming over when Mom was over once, bringing some board games for us all to play together.

She was pretty, and she'd brought candy for me and Zora. She never tried to touch me, or hurt me in a bad way. She was just like an aunt or something, playing with us. After that first time she came with Mom more often. She didn't have any kids of her own. I guess she was once of those women who outed before they got married to a man.

Boy, was Dad pissed when he found out Ninia was coming over! He yelled at Mom for a whole hour; calling her a worthless whore. I remember holding poor Ichijo under the sheets of our room, eyes burning with tears. Ninia seemed so nice...what could she have done so wrong? "Zukio, I don't think you're giving her a chance." Mom pleaded. "If you just met her-"

"No buts, Sazukia!" He roared. "Just keep your lesbian whore from my baby girl! Stay away from my kids!" I remember how Mom cried that day. I remember how Dad shoved her and Ninia out of the house.

Dad moved straight out of our apartment and into a new place in a smaller city. Zora went into even more of a 'Mom' withdrawal. He went to the point of hospitalization, having to be there for a whole week before Dad even called Mom to come see him. You'd think that having a child that was in that situation would change the way they felt about each other? Nope. After a long argument, they shipped Zora off to Tokyo with Mom, and then Dad and me moved to a slightly bigger city.

Of course, I still hated it there like very other city before that. And then, of course Dad met that damn Hitomi...and they fell in love. Now, they've been married for six years...and where does that leave me? The solitary child from a previous marriage Dad would like to forget ever happened...

"Ai?" I looked up to see Dad sticking his head out of the house. I hadn't even realized they had gone in. "Are you planning to sit out here like a bump on a log all night? Come on, join us for dinner. I picked up some of those California rolls you like so much!"

"We bought out?" I asked quietly. Dad smiled.

"Don't get too used to it...I figured it'd be only best. After all, I wouldn't want Hitomi stressing herself too much on the first night in a new place. It's not very becoming of a gentleman." I just scowled. "Come on...Hitomi and the others are waiting for you to join, you know." I got to my feet, clutching my notebook in one hand. The other was curled into a tight fist.

Inside, Hitomi and Dad set up a blanket as a table, and the cartons for the take out were sitting on top of it. The others were seated around it. "There you are, Ai!" Hitomi beamed. "Here-I saved you a seat next to me." I groaned, and sat cross legged on her right. Rukia beamed as she passed me my plate, which I ate in silence as everyone chatted around me.

"What does everyone think of the house?" asked Dad, smiling. Naturally, headstrong Rukia was the first to answer.

"I like it! The gardens are nice and pretty, and the house is plenty big for the baby and us, too!"

"Will we have pet squirrels in the trees?" Ichijo inquired, sucking on his juice noisily. Hitomi and Dad laughed airily.

"What about you, Ai?" Hitomi smiled brightly at me. I just shrugged.

"Same as every other damn house we moved into." I noted, softly. "And stop smiling at me all the time-you're starting to creep me out."

"Ai..." Dad warned, but Hitomi waved him off.

"She'll just need some time to get used to the place." She assured him, smiling. "Don't you worry, you'll fit right in, in just about no time at all!" I pushed my plate away.

"I've lost my appetite. I'm just going upstairs to claim my room..." I got up and went upstairs alone. No one really worried about me taking advantage of being up there alone; I always picked the smallest room in the house for myself. Why? Because, it reminded me of home. Home in Tokyo, with Mom and Zora. Just thinking about it made my eyes burn. Ah, damn it all...

Later that night, Dad and Hitomi were putting the kids down to sleep for the night. I was sitting on my bed, laptop open wide. Online, trudging through all my contacts on the internet. I didn't have very many 'friends' on Facebook...I was very cautious to who I added online. Don't ask me why...it''s too long of a story to tell.

My best friend, Haruhi, was online. Haruhi had met in preschool, pre-divorce and actually pre-Zora. She's been with me through a whole hell of a lot in the last fourteen years...

Haruhi: hey! R u guys in the new house yet?
Yours Truly: yes, and I HATE it here.
H: poor baby.
YT: I wish dad would stop being such an asshole and move back to toyko already!
H: amen...
H: God knows he doesn't have a huge reason for moving u all so much in the first place. I mean, damn.
YT: ikr?
YT: but homophobe daddy dearest will always be the same, no matter how many times I beg and plead to go home. man...just b/c mom's gay...i hate it!
H: not all ppl take their parents/spouses being gay very well...hell, I almost threw up when uncle shiromi outed. Aunt nania left him that freaking second. But you and zora took it well.
YT: I was eight. She was still my mommy, dammit. Why can't dad c that?
H: b/c he's an idiot?
YT: thank you!
H: lol. Speaking of ur dad, however...hows the baby coming along?
YT: UGH I don't even want to talk about the baby right now, im so pissed.
H: okay, okay, okay...jeeezzz...
H: so what about school? U think there r any hot guys there?
YT: haruhi! DX
H: I know, I know, I know. Touchy subject...but do u think?
YT: ….
YT: honestly?
YT: I don't know. All I know is that i'd like to finish hs without all the guy drama, ty very much. DX
H: ai...
YT: haruhi...
H: look, I dont want to say anything to upset you, n u know that. I luv u with all my heart, but someone's got 2 tell u.
H: ai...that was that one incident. 4Give my insensitivity, but u cant let him ruin ur life.
YT:...
H: ai?
YT...
H: ur ignoring me now?
H: okay, fine. Get pissed at me and leave. See if I give half a shit. Im just trying to help u, u know. I mean, damn.
YT: I know. Im sorry.
H: me too...i guess I can be a bit of a prissy bitch, eh? O.O
YT: no, no, no...let's just...not talk about this anymore, mmkay? I just want to enjoy a regular afternoon before starting out at a brand new monkey high tomorrow.
H: true dat! U deserve it...pop in a flick, eat some popcorn and enjoy urself, alright sissy? 4 me?
YT: ;) ya got it.
H: good. G2g, uncle is calling me downstairs 4 dinner...
YT: have fun with the grls. Lol.
H: HAVE FUN WITH THE MONKEYS. GOSH. Lol byez!

I shut my laptop and flopped against the bed. My mind was reeling, almost in a horror movie flick sort of way. All the bad crap that happened in the life of Ai Takumi...in one film roll. It's really despicable. To be perfectly honest. In fact, so is everything else around here. Oh, well. I burrowed under the covers. I guess not everything is daisies and sunshine...I learned that at a very young age...

"Ai, honey?" I blinked and turned to look at Hitomi, standing at the doorway. One hand rested casually on her swollen, pregnant belly. "Looks like you're all set up. You did that rather quick." I just sort of shrugged, and turned on my side. "You know...I always wondered why you picked the smallest room in the houses we moved into."

"It reminds me of home." I informed her bitterly. "You know, when my parents were together and you weren't around?" I heard her stumble a little bit. The horrors of bringing up the ex. I knew how much it hurt her.

Of course, she does know that Mom is 100% lesbian. But, part of her knows that Mom was Dad's first love. He fell in love with Mom first. Not only that, he brought kids from before mentioned marriage. Even Hitomi was bound to be stung by that.

But, that was exactly my intention.

"Well then." I saw her blinking back tears. "I guess I'll let you sleep...you do have a big day tomorrow..."

"I do, don't I?" I replied, sourly. "So, I guess you should."

"Sweet dreams..." she muttered, heading down the hall.

I should feel satisfied. I finally got that leech off me-to stop trying to be my freaking friend. I should feel great. But instead, I felt empty. Cold. Numb. Is this how I was doomed to feel forever?