Okay, I admit, this chapter is boring. There's no Kai in it, well, he doesn't appear physically, but I promise, more Kai stuff in the next chapter. This is the turning point in Cosmo G, stay tuned.

Chapter 36

Champagne, Cherie and the Surprise

Ray and I were walking down the street, watching the sunset, when –

My vision turned white from the side, and I stumbled blindly for a split moment or so, almost crashing into the bush beside me. Ray held me up before I fell though. "You okay?"

"Yeah."

It turned white again. I squeezed my eyes shut and groaned, then opened them. Ray, in front of me was blurry and looking worryingly at me. The white was gone.

"Yeah, I'm fine." I mumbled. "…. Did you see that?"

"…. What?"

"Nothing…"

What was that?

……………..

Mum and dad are coming back tomorrow.

Who cares?

"Nuo! How could you say that?"

"I don't care at the moment, honest! Well, not know – Listen, I've not finished in telling you what happened – "

"Whatever…"

"Don't give me that! Well anyway, I've never felt so happy before in my life! Okay, I am lying, maybe it wasn't exactly the 'so happy' in my life as I had experienced other better things too, but it was still as awesome. Just Ray and I – at the ice cream parlour, mucking about and throwing ice cold desserts at each other that we were practically falling off our sugar pink seats and onto the checkered-floor tiles, laughing. And then we went to the park and I sat on the swings, and asked Ray to swing me higher as it seemed I couldn't really get much progress (Because of my weight, ne?) and Ray didn't mind until he tried to push my swing but found it quite hard (yeah, its definitely my weight). Eventually we got tired of the swing park and just hopped onto the roundabout, but then I began to sick and dizzy so I hobbled off, and then Ray and I went for a short walk – All the way to Lee's, where he had held his birthday party – ironically we began talking about it again, I just remembered that no-one had really caught the culprits behind the dastardly deed but I had a good hunch that it was Danny; I'll straighten it out with her until she gets back, grr. Then we went to our 'secret' place at the school; where we watched the boys playing football at the court. We just sat at the top of the hill, underneath that large oak tree, and just stared, and stared, and stared – "

"…. Are you done yet?" Eurydice moaned, struggling to keep her eyes open. I chucked a teaspoon of powdered hot chocolate over her. She screamed and momentarily ducked behind Nana at the bench. "Oi!!!"

"Nuo(!)." Nana shouted, waving the chopstick at me threateningly, before replacing it back into her saltwater (A/N: Apparently that helps you go to sleep, but don't put too much in!).

"Nana… she wasn't listening." I whined.

"It's almost midnight, Nuo." Nana sighed, and then shrugged. "Shh, you might wake them up."

I've bored Eurydice and Nana with my ranting and raving, my exaggerated tales of our 'date' that by the time I came back home, with Ray's shirt draped over my shoulder (given to me when I sneezed - ahh, he's such a gentleman) – which was around eight-ish. I pestered them both so much that even Eurydice has started to become half-asleep.

"Big deal." She said. "This wasn't your first date – that was the one where you went out with… er… Kai, was it?"

"NO." I said firmly, eyebrow twitching. "That wasn't a date - that was a nightmare. I never want that happening again – "

"Me neither." Nana added, "Or I'd have your parents to deal with. Look, they're coming back tomorrow, and – "

"Do you think Ray'll ask me out again?"

"…. Shut up, Nuo." Eurydice replied groggily, before letting her head drop to the counter, and she began snoring.

Nana sighed. "I'd better take her to her room. You too, Nuo, it's been a long day. Get some sleep."

"Aye, aye Nana!"

……………………..

My dreams were weirder than before; I guess stress really does affect your health in a way. I woke up about at about three am wondering what had just happened before going back to sleep. The dream - It was so strange though; first, it started off great, and then it got stranger and stranger – first, I was with Ray, and then suddenly Kai came into view, and he gave us this unusual look before marching away. And then I remember… I took off running after him.

"Kai… wait up!"

But he doesn't hear my voice, and continues to walk further away from me, his silk white scarf billowing behind him.

"Kai!" I try to keep up with him, but Ray's voice is constantly annoying me.

"Where are you going, Nuo?" He says, running up to me.

I ignore him for the moment and continue pursuing Kai's shadow.

"Don't leave me now, Nuo." He says this time.

I don't know why, but I am still ignoring him; Kai's silhouette is walking away from me further.

"Come back, Nuo!"

Then I stop running and turn round to face him. "Give me a minute, I'll be back soon, Ray, I promise!"

And I tear my gaze away from him and continue to follow the other.

…………………….

I woke up the next morning feeling completely groggy-like, which was normal, but today, it felt extra odd. The dream I had when I woke up at three… I had completely forgotten… something about flapjacks? I scratched my head and looked outside the window – sunny as always. I got dressed in a plain shirt and dress trousers, before slipping into my slippers, and shuffling my feet out of my bedroom door… I can hear Eurydice singing in the shower…. I'll use the bathroom downstairs. I said morning to Nana who was at the kitchen, and went past the boy-brats hitting each other with plastic swords, then Laney who was playing hide and seek with her toys (how is that even possible?), before I suddenly realise - it dawns to me that on our breakfast table, is champagne. The triplets have now taken great privilege in poking at the bottle and going 'oooh'.

"Uh, Nana. We don't drink." I said, pointing at the bottle.

She nodded faintly. "I know you don't, but your parents do – well, actually, I'm not so sure, but they said we should prepare some champagne when they come home."

"Which is…?"

"Um… somewhat this afternoon; said they shan't need me to pick them up."

"… Uh… okay?"

The doorbell rings, and I look back at the front door. "Meh… I'll get it."

"Ooh," Nana coos. "It's probably the postman with my luxury kitchen knives, double edged stainless steel 12" inch set."

"Oh, right…" I lumbered towards the door and opened it; the boy brats peered from behind me.

"G'morning." The postman says dully; seems he needs his coffee; man, I hate staring at dull people in the morning, like bus drivers, they're particularly edgy and rude then. "Parcel for Miss Nuo Yung."

I blinked. "Me?" I looked at the huge box – and I mean, it's really, really big. Even bigger than our door…. It's even got holes in it…. A sticker with 'Fragile' on it adorns the front of the box. I signed the form and handed it to the man, who waddled away back to his car and started it; he drives off to the other side of the road before getting out again. I tear my gaze away from him and back at the parcel.

"Wow, look at that, Nuo!" Jimmy said, poking at it carelessly.

"Who's it from?" Billy asked, glancing at the tag. "…'Fr-om Mum and dad. To Nuo'."

I sweatdroppd; yeah, mum and dad really are weird people…

"Go on, open it."

"… Okay…"

Eurydice stepped downstairs, in her dressing gown; a towel wrapped around her newly washed hair and glanced at my parcel. "Whoa, what's that?"

"I dunno…. Just gonna check on it now."

"Wait, wait for me – " She quickly said, before scampering back upstairs, her shoes squeaking. Eurydice returned back to her room, before rushing back down in a few moments, all dressed up as she rejoined us. Even Nana has come over to us. They watched me cut open the taped edges with scissors Nana handed me, and I find myself suddenly getting all sweaty – well, Eurydice and Nana were breathing down my necks.

We were down to the last piece of duct tape…. The blades of the scissors slice through it quickly and I handed back the scissors to Nana, and I turned back to the parcel… a hand reaching out to pull back the lid flaps.

"SURPRISE!"

For a moment, everything is silent as the girl popped out from the box – confetti and polystyrene bits falling all over the floor.

We were all blown back for a split second or two, then -

"ARRRRGHHHHHH!"

Silence.

The girl blinked. "What?"

We just point and scream.

"ARRRGHHHH!"

"WHAT?" She demanded furiously

"W-Who are you?" Nana spluttered; not believing that a GIRL had just came out from a box. Addressed to me, ME! What the hell?(!)

The beautiful girl with long, tousled blonde locks and pretty cerulean eyes smiled widely, showing a neat row of glistening teeth. We all grace ourselves in her peculiar shining presence. Her clothes are all of designer – Giordano, Gucci - her wrists are adorned with sparkling, silver jewellery from Dior. She… looks like a stick insect in a way. We all stared at her with our mouths hanging open. "Ah, patience, dear family members of the Yung, my name is Cherie Dhaussy, I come from Bordeaux, a city en Francais, I am a supermodel, and I have a degree in – "

"Sheree…. Dossie?" The boy-brats stumbled out.

"Oui, I am Cherie Dhaussy." She said cheerfully, before she stepped out of the box, and we suddenly realise how tall she is – she is WAY taller than Eurydice, who is the tallest in the family.

We all seemed to cower as she strutted past us, inspecting us closely. "How strange, I expected the family members to be a lot… fashionable and… and…" She looked at me, and cocked her eyebrow, as if she was judging me – I frowned at her slightly. "… A lot less…. Bigger."

I bit down on my lip. Eurydice blinked and looked at herself, then went a bit pink.

"Who ARE you really?" Nana asked, as the triplets hid behind her.

The girl straightened herself. "Please excuse my bad manners, I have letter to show my official family member pass." She gave Nana a letter from her pocket.

"WHAT?" Eurydice said as she walked up to 'Cherie Dhaussy'. "Our parents sent you?"

"Of course, and who is this 'Nuo'? I've been assigned to assist her and be by her side."

"WHAT?" Now it was my turn. "Our parents sent you to look after me?(!)"

Cherie looked surprised. "You are Nuo?"

Her accent is really bugging me. "Yes, I am. So what of it?"

"I imagined you to be… a lot… " She put a carefully nail-polished fingernail to her lips, and then looked back at me. I groaned, I really didn't want to hear this… She looked thoughtful again. "… Less scruffier-looking and… plain."

"Hey, don't say that about my sister." Eurydice snapped. "Just who do you think you are?" She's almost as pissed off as me.

"I was told to come here and surprise you all and you were to let me into the house."

"No way." Eurydice and I said in unison.

"…. Girls, it's true." Nana said, looking slightly grim. "Your parents have sent her here to live with us for a time – she says, Cherie is her fashion-model, and now that they're coming home, they're taking Cherie with them."

"…. You've got to be kidding." Eurydice and I snatched the letter off from her hands and we both read down.

Dear Eurydice, Nuo, Billy, Jimmy, Laney…

We are glad to tell you that we will be arriving today at home! I hope you've been good and tidied up the house nice and neat. We hope you've taken good care of nana, too. In case you are wondering, we've given you a surprise - Cherie is your mother's designated model – they've just recently begun partnership and Cherie is basically advertising your mother's clothes out! We've asked her to stay with us for the while so our house won't be so lonely this year, hope you don't mind!

Love mum and dad. Xxxxxx

We looked away from the letter, gobsmacked. Cherie instantly glanced away from us and at the kitchen. "Is that champagne on the table? Can I have some?" She walked off into the kitchen, and we have no choice but to shut the door and give each other worrying looks.

She popped off the cork and poured out a glass for herself from the cup stand. "You don't mind, do you?"

Nana could only shake her head.

"Champagne?" Cherie asked, holding out some wine glasses. We all shake our heads in return.

We were still suspicious, and everyone gathered around in a mini circle, kinda like what Rugby players do before a match.

"Well…. What now?" Eurydice said.

"I'll stay at home and watch her, you two need to go," Nana replied. "Nuo, you take the triplets to school. Eurydice will give you a lift."

I nodded. "Yeah, okay, you three are coming with me." I grabbed them and quickly shoved them out of the door, with Eurydice behind us, taking out her car keys. "Wait – " I bumped into Eurydice; she began to curse at me for my short notice.

I handed Nana a spray. "Uh…. What?" She blinked, as she looked at it. "Pepper spray?"

"No, my deodorant - In case she's a murderer or something, use this."

Nana glowered. "Gee, Nuo, thanks."

"You're welcome." I said, managing a weak smile, but inside, as I watched Cherie pull out a slab of the brioche loaf from the bread cupboard, my innards were squirming. Her presence really bugs me. Why do I have such a bad idea about this..?