December twenty fourth, two days before Chiyu's thirteenth birthday, Christamas eve, the family sat around Gamps and Gram's Christmas tree, looking over new toys or game ot video, whatever happened to be there. Little Patty, our youngest cousin, played with her brand new remote control helicopter, while her mom pleaded with her to take it outside to play, or at least out of the over crowded room. Of course, Patty ignored these pleas. She still hasn't learned manners. Chiyu sat against the wall, watching the scene as stroaking Garm's Jack Russel Terrier, Jack..
Jack was quite a bit jumpy, he'd bitten almost eveyoine in the family, excluding Grams and Chi. It wasn't really that he was mean, he was just jumpy, very jumpy, and he bit people he didn't trust when they tried to come near Grams. He wasn't quite as protective over Chi, but when she got upset, so did he.
Anyway, as the whole family expected, Patty lost control of her helicopter, and it hit Chi in the back of her head, making her let out a yell, and bend over, the copter made Jack nervous in the first place, then Chi's head coming at him... He bit her, hard, and she screamed. Dad grabbed Jack by the back of his neck and yanked him away from Chi, further scratching her nose, Jack letting out a loud yelp.
"Dad, stoppit! Let him go!" Chi held her nose, trying, though to no use, to cover the fact that she was bleeding badly. "He didn't mean ta hurt me!" Tears stream down her face and mix with the blood.
Dad shook his head. "Jason, take care of your sister." He walked out the back door without another look.
I took Chi's shoulder before she could follow. Dad wouldn't let the dog live much longer, and Chi really didn't need to see it. I led her into the bathroom, to nurse her nose and to try and calm her down. "Chi, you've gota calm down, dad's just gonna... gonna teach Jack a lesson... nothing too bad..."
"Don't lie ta me!" She pulled her hands away from her nose, flinging the blood at me. "You know exactly what he's gonna do!" Her eyes bored into me. I'll never forget that angry look, though it was quite obveous she wasn't angry with me, or even Dad, she was angry with herself. "He's gonna kill Jackie, and it's all my fault..."
"Stop that, Chi... You can't blame yourself for this, it's that dog..."
"Don't you blame him! Jackie was just defending himself! You know how touchy he is! And I betrayed his trust..."
"I"m
sorry, but..." I sighed, giving up. I knew I couldn't win the
arguement. I pulled her into my chest and stroaked her hair. "It's
alright, Chi." I felt her blood soaking through my shirt, I knew I had
to calm her down quickly, so I could nurse the nose, I knew she
wouldn't let me touch it until she calmed. A sudden white glow came
from her... I couldn't figure it out. Then I noticed that the blood
stopped. I pulled back, to wipe her tears away, and the blood was gone,
there weren't even any scars... just light scratches. She's a mutant...
Of
course, I couldn't tell anyone... I had to keep it quiet, Chi had
enough problems making friends, if people knew, she'd be a complete
outcast.
I knocked on her door later that night, once we got home, after waiting at least a full minute, I opened the door. She sat on her bed, hugging her knees, and staring out the window. "Jack's fine, Chi Chi... Dad just sent him to obiedience school..."
"I keep asking you not to lie to me. I'm not five years old, any more, Jay Jay."
I let out a sigh. "Sorry, sis. Dad thought it was worth a try." I heard her weeping softly and sat by her, and held her. "Sorry."
She burried her face in my chest. I dimly noticed the scars from Jack's attack had completely disappeared.
