Sloppy Joes and Reliable Hoes

"So when people work from home, doesn't that usually mean they work in their own home and not their friend's?" Yolei casually filed her nails.

"Why don't you find a job?" Tai snapped.

"Look, I get paid more to stay home than I do to find a job. Anyone else would do the same thing in my position," Yolei pointed her finger at him. "And besides, it's not like I haven't been productive! I cleaned Matt's apartment as a huge thank you, I'm brushing up on my cooking skills, thanks to RickRoll-"

"What the hell is RickRoll? Like that song that people trolled each other with on the internet for decades?" Tai interrupted.

"Actually, technically sort of! The guy who sings that song invented an app where you can make mini clips of you dancing or lip syncing to his song and send it to people when you want to trick them. Then people started dancing to snippets of other songs, then it progressed to original mini-skits, and now there's all kinds of videos, from how-to videos, life hacks, parodies, jokes, and the classic RickRoll that started it all," Yolei explained.

"Sounds stupid," Tai scoffed.

"Hey, don't knock it until you try it! Besides, thanks to RickRoll, I was finally able to boil the perfect egg AND I'm actually gonna help Mimi with her homework when she gets out from work! Poor girl should really consider changing careers...," Yolei whistled.

"So maybe Mimi might not be a chef any time soon, but you'd be an awesome stay-at-home mother," Tai smirked.

"Shut the hell up! Don't you ever joke like that!" Yolei grabbed a couch pillow and hit Tai with it.

"Hey! Cut it out! I almost lost my place here!" Tai placed his laptop on the coffee table.

"Oops, sorry!" Yolei bit her lip.

"It's fine. I was just flipping through any public records for Joe's baby mama and yeah...there's no way in hell the kid's going back to her. And I'm sorry, but I can't advocate for her to even stay in this country, not especially since they're considering me for a really good position at the UN," Tai sighed.

"Shut the hell up! No way! Does anyone else know yet?" Yolei gasped.

"No. You're the first person I told. I didn't even tell Sora," Tai shook his head.

"What about celiac- *ahem* Celia?" Yolei cleared her throat.

"Oh yeah. Didn't tell her either. I don't think I'm planning on it until a decision is made," Tai said.

"What do you mean?" Yolei asked.

"If I'm granted the position, I'll be doing a lot of travelling," Tai said.

"But isn't the headquarters here?" Yolei asked.

"They could send me anywhere though, and for weeks, months, maybe even years at a time. I haven't told anyone because it seems like everyone has their own stuff going on. Besides, it's not like anything has happened yet," Tai said.

"This sucks. This is just like high school again, except everyone is in the United States now. I don't like everyone separating! First Izzy, then possibly you! And Matt and TK are with Izzy and what if they like it in Philadelphia and they want to stay?" Yolei gasped.

"I don't think that's going to happen. What does Philadelphia have anyways?" Tai scoffed.

"Hot people! Look," Yolei pulled out her phone.

"Did you seriously take a screenshot of your FaceTime call with Matt? Who's that guy? Kinda looks like they could be boyfriends," Tai smirked.

"What's a piece of information you learned that feels illegal to know?"

"When you go to the emergency room-"

"Nope! I think I've been RickRolled out," Matt scrolled through his phone.

"Oh my goodness, you're not into that stupid crap, are you? What are you, 12?" Tess scoffed.

"Rickrolled? Like the song 'Never Gonna Give You Up?'" Izzy raised an eyebrow.

"Dude, for someone who's all into computers and the internet for a living, you need to get with the times. RickRoll, it's the new social media! Also, good way to discover music. As in, we should put our shit out there! A lot of people could see it!" Matt shook his phone.

"I don't mean to alarm you, but I think you sent kissy face emojis to a fifteen year old dancing in a way I'm pretty sure her parents wouldn't approve of and I don't think you meant to do it on purpose this time," TK winced.

"What the hell? I don't want any part of this!" Tess yelled.

"No, it's not that bad! And besides, Carly and Trixie Emiglio's parents are well aware of what they're doing, considering they're the most popular girls on RickRoll. I don't understand, I think Carly is boring and Trixie is even more boring- which I can't believe is even possible," Matt scoffed.

"These girls seriously get millions of hearts and followers for lip syncing and dancing to Never Gonna Give You Up?" Tess looked at his phone in disbelief.

"I had to click on the one where one of them is brushing her eyebrows with a tiny comb. Is that supposed to be funny? I don't understand this," Izzy grimaced.

"Hey Ginger Snap, stop playing on your phone. I need help with all of these Postmates orders. Speaking of, the rest of you really extended your welcome. This is delivery and carry-out only. Don't get me wrong, I like having you around, but I can't risk my business shutting down because I let you all stay," Duke said.

"Sorry about that, we'll head out. We'll just order some...hamburgers and a fresh pot of coffee for the road. Emphasis on the fresh," Matt grinned.

"Fine, you got me there," Duke grabbed the coffee pot and emptied it. "Come on Izzy, the faster we get these orders whipped up, the faster you go home with your friends."

"I still can't believe you help cook," TK remarked.

"Why? Does my food taste like crap?" Duke crossed his arms defensively.

"No, quite the opposite. You guys keep it simple, but it's good. Like this stuff is better than anything I've had in New York, and we have a lot of places to choose from," TK said.

"Yeah, it's pretty good. It's definitely easy on the palette, much like this town. I like it here a lot. Honestly, I'm debating whether I want to return back to the city," TK said.

"Whoa, seriously?" Matt looked shocked.

"Yeah? Who wouldn't like this kind of living? It's funny how in the city, everyone lives so close together but like you don't know your neighbors- and if you do, you don't want to know them, kinda like that old Polish guy who gave you all those porno magazines that Sora was on," TK looked to Matt.

"City folk," Duke whistled.

"But here, everyone has bigger houses and lawns but you know everyone's name," TK nodded.

"And their personal affairs," Izzy muttered.

"But you have a lawn. And you can have a house to yourself," TK said.

"If you have the money. I literally live in a garage," Tess smirked.

"And you're lucky you live there, you ungrateful prick," Duke shook his spatula.

"Sorry. I didn't mean it in a bad way. I just don't understand why anyone would trade city life for this. Nothing is open past 8 or on Sundays, the closest grocery store is called a 'general store', so we have to go to Philadelphia for anything else, there is no bar unless you consider Adelaide's hotel restaurant - and I don't, and I think the closest gas station is the next town over. In the city, you can do whatever you want whenever you want- with the exception of the pandemic I'm assuming," Tess said.

"There's that phrase, the grass is greener on the other side," Izzy shrugged.

*ding ding*

"Carry-out only!" Duke yelled.

"That's okay! We're not going to stay long! Me and Jane are just putting up flyers for our virtual talent show!" Tori held up signs.

"Virtual talent show?" TK asked.

"Yeah! We figured since we can't congregate in person at the fire hall, we could upload snippets with the hashtag Shimmer Falls- one word, no space- and post them on RickRoll!" a stocky, tan girl with colorful streaks in her hair said.

"It could also bring some positive exposure to our town. Miss Natty loves the idea, and surprisingly so does Mayor Mosey," Tori said.

"Talent show? There's like thirty people in this town. How many acts are you expecting to get?" Tess smirked.

"For your information, me and Jane are pretty optimistic," Tori pointed at herself and the stocky girl.

"Miss Natty and Burke are doing a dance routine, I have my band, and I heard you guys have a band as well," Jane said.

"So that's three submissions so far," Izzy said.

"Whoa, who said we were gonna be a part of their dumb thing?" Tess held up a finger.

"We're not limited to just musical and dancing acts. You could post anything that makes you stand out from the crowd. Maybe you could write a short comedy script, or Duke- you could teach people easy tips on how to cook better in the kitchen!" Tori exclaimed.

"I'm too old for this social media," Duke grumbled.

"It would be nice to have more people join in. We're trying to make the best of the circumstances here," Jane huffed.

"I don't have much talent, but I'll try to think of something," TK shrugged.

"You're the best!" Tori ran up to him and hugged him.

"Hey, social distancing!" Tess snapped his fingers.

"That's right. Everyone, six feet apart or get out," Duke threatened.

"Okay, leaving!" Jane raised her hands up.

"We'll see you around!" TK nodded.

"Sorry I've been a bit busy, some things have gotten a bit crazy," Joe spoke into his laptop.

"Like what? It's crazy everywhere. And hey, this whole thing will be temporary! We'll get back to our normal lives soon enough!" Madeleine said through her computer screen.

"Actually, I'm not sure about that. You see, I have a son...," Joe paused.

"Wait, what?" Madeleine's face changed.

"In my defense, I didn't know I had a son until a couple days ago!" Joe gasped.

"What do you mean you didn't know? Do you just stick your di-"

"That's not what it's like! Come on Madeleine! You know me!" Joe said.

"I'm not sure I do. We haven't really known each other that long. But Joe... I thought one of the many reasons I was smitten with you was because I thought you were reliable. Reliable people don't just go around throwing their sperm this way and that way! Whatever happened to the good old reliable Joe?" Madeleine moved her hands up and down.

"Maybe he can be both a sloppy Joe and a reliable hoe," Jax said in the background.

"You're not helping!" Madeleine yelled. "Look Joe, I think I have some thinking to do. I'll talk to you again when I'm ready."

"Okay," Joe looked wistfully at his screen.

"And as you might have figured, Madeleine never Skyped him back, which was probably for the best. She and her roommate were in the process of starting a pot cookie bakery and Joe is anti-weed and anti-junk food, so I don't think it would have worked out for much longer," Tai shook his head.

"I've had those- I mean, I have no idea what business this is," Tai's son is.

"Come off it. I know you have the stickers from their packaging on your skateboard. Madeleine and her friend did become successful and I do admire that they have good quality products. Sometimes you have two great people who seem right for each other, but they just weren't meant to be together in this timeline I guess. Maybe in an alternate universe. But Joe wasn't the only one going through a rough patch in his life. I guess you could say that this pandemic really did test boundaries," Tai whistled.

"Sora, are you okay?" Mimi knocked at the door.

"I'm fine...," Sora forced a smile.

"Whoa, what's going on here?" Mimi opened the door and slid inside.

"Just trying to keep busy," Sora took in a deep breath.

"It looks like a department store in here! Oh my goodness! Did you make these all yourself?" Mimi pulled a kimono out from a makeshift rack.

"Yeah, I did...," Sora bashfully said.

"This is beautiful! I love the detail on it!" Mimi gushed.

"Really? My professor and Michel both say they're too rudimentary. And the proportions are 'off' for the sample size because they don't fit a supermodel," Sora groaned.

"Did they really say that? I think they'll fit just fine!" Mimi put the kimono on. "See? Perfect!"

"You're pretty thin and it looks great, I don't know what they want from me then," Sora huffed.

"Ugh, this sucks that we literally have nowhere to go to show off these outfits- oh, and these are your school projects so we probably don't want to mess them up, but I would totally wear these out! They look expensive too!" Mimi gushed.

"Trust me, they were expensive to make," Sora whistled.

"You're spending this much on your designs, that means you must really believe in them! I believe in them!" Mimi nodded.

"So you're not mad at me for going to a fashion institute?" Sora awkwardly rubbed the back of her neck.

"Hey, don't worry about me! Some people like you were meant to do the designing, and others like me were meant to do the shopping!" Mimi grinned.

"You're so sweet, Meems. What about you? How's your school going?" Sora asked.

"I don't even want to talk about it. I feel like maybe I should have thought things through better. Maybe I wasn't meant to do anything other than food service, which is why I enrolled in Amadeus Stone's culinary school, so I could build other skills than just making coffee or sandwiches, but I don't know if I can do it. I'm definitely the worst student in the class," Mimi winced.

"Practice makes perfect. After all, you weren't an expert barista on your first day, were you?" Sora pointed out.

"I guess that's true but I hate how it's taking me much longer to catch on to things than everyone else. It's not fair, I'm tired of feeling like a huge dummy," Mimi pouted.

"You're not a dummy, you just learn differently than everyone else. Once you find a way that works for you, it will all click," Sora said.

"I hope I find it soon because I'm getting impatient," Mimi pouted.

"You'll find your way," Sora wrapped her arms around Mimi and gave her a big hug.

"And over here is our break room with complimentary coffee, a meal voucher, and two pastries for every shift. Just scan your badge at this kiosk and choose the item you'd like. I'm going to have a Nanaimo bar," a blond guy scanned his work badge in front of a vending machine.

*Snack Two of Two redeemed. See you on your next shift* the vending machine buzzed.

"Made your allotted trips to the snack machine already, Norstein?" a blonde woman smirked.

"Catherine," Tai gasped.

"Yagami, Deneuve, you've met?" the blond man asked.

"Thomas, how many times do I have to keep telling you my last name is Kamiya? And yeah, we've met before," Tai said.

"A couple of times," Catherine smirked.

"Really small world. Anyways, we're not trying to tie you up, right Tai?" the blond man, Thomas winked.

"If this was your attempt at being funny, you failed. I liked it better when you were Brooklyn Nine Nine with that Damon garçon. At least he was funny. Au revoir," Catherine waved flirtatiously and sauntered off.

"À demain," Thomas flicked his hand up dismissively. "So along with some slightly different job responsibilities than what you currently have, you do get some extra perks."

"After this tour, I see there are some perks, but I'm still not sure if it's the right move," Tai pressed his lips together.

"Did anyone mention the pay raise and moving compensation packages as well?" Thomas asked.

"No, that wasn't mentioned," Tai shook his head.

"Honestly, what's stopping you from taking a great opportunity, especially one that supplies you with unlimited coffee and free food? Now that I said it out loud, I sound like an old colleague of mine, but it's still one of many valid benefits," Thomas led Tai down a hallway.

"This job does have a lot to offer," Tai said.

"And if you're hesitant because you're suffering through imposter syndrome, you need to snap yourself out of it. We saw your qualifications and we thought you fit the bill," Thomas said.

"Well thanks," Tai shrugged. "So what's up with you and Catherine?"

"Oh Deneuve? Since the pandemic, it's been pretty empty in the building. We're probably the youngest French-speaking ones here, so we're more prone to gossiping in secret sometimes. Even then, I don't indulge too often because I have more important tasks at hand. But sometimes it's nice to just talk to someone in a langue other than English, don't you think?" Thomas yawned.

"Speaking of, your Japanese is flawless. Also, I appreciate you not sprinkling words like baka and sugoi oppai like seasoning on meat. Chef's kiss," Tai pinched his pointer finger and thumb together and stretched his other fingers out.

"Dear lord...well, I did live in Japan in my adolescence and it was a nice experience. I was stationed in Yokohama, so it was much tamer than downtown Tokyo I imagine," Thomas shrugged.

"Huh, like you said, small world. Who knows, maybe we only lived a driving distance apart and we didn't even know it," Tai said.

"Imagine all the things that happen concurrently, and if we knew about them, maybe our lives would be so much different, right?" Thomas raised an eyebrow. "Anyways, before we wrap up this tour, I want to show you where we keep the classified files on the Illuminati."

"So that's a real organization?" Tai looked at him in disbelief.

"And you're not going to believe who is the current head of it is. Or maybe you will. It's almost so obvious, it's hard to believe that they would make it so apparent. Come on," Thomas motioned Tai down a hallway.

"Well, it's nice to see you after all these years," Joe spoke into a pay phone and stared coldly into the distance.

"I can't believe you remember me," the cobalt-haired woman haughtily leaned in close across from him, the plexiglass separating the two of them.

*bang bang bang*

"SIT DOWN INMATE!" a security guard pounded against a wall.

"I'm sitting!" the woman growled, then faced back towards Joe.

"Coco, how could this happen? We only met once! I don't think we knew each other for more than an hour!" Joe cried.

"Yeah, that's all it takes, Two-Pump Chump," the woman jerked her thumb down. "Please tell me you're better than this."

"Well I-" Joe blushed.

"Whatever, you're probably gonna lie to me anyways. Which is fine, I'm happy you haven't slept with anyone else since me," Coco waved her hand in dismissal.

"Why would you assume that?" Joe gritted his teeth.

"Look at you," Coco smirked.

"I honestly don't know why I showed up. I'm leaving," Joe stood up from his chair.

"Wait, don't go! I need to talk about Jason!" Coco yelled.

"What is it?" Joe sat back down.

"Well, I don't know what you want to do about him. I want to take him home with me, but I've had a sketchy past and I don't have any close family here. It was just me and my granddad, and he's no longer alive. I don't have anyone else here and I'm looking to be deported soon. But I don't know what to do about Jason! I can't just take him to a whole different country where he doesn't know the language! He grew up here!" Coco said.

"He's my son too," Joe gulped.

"Please watch out for him. I miss him so much, it breaks my heart that I can't wake up to his little face, or go to sleep knowing he's next to me. He's my baby bear," Coco sobbed.

"Uh...okay?" Joe bit his lip.

"I would ask you if you could bring him here, but I don't want one of his memories of Mommy to be in an orange jumpsuit. I don't want him to think of me as a criminal," Coco sniffled.

"That's rich coming from you! He told us the little 'scavenger hunts' and card games you play with him. He told us you played craps! What kind of mother does that?!" Joe yelled.

"Hey! Don't judge me! I'm not a bad mother! Just so you know, I do my best to hide my business from my son! I don't want him picking up my habits! FYI, I never taught him craps! We play slaps! Slapjack! Which is a game I want to play with you right now, jackass!" Coco barked.

"Oh...so those scavenger hunts were...," Joe trailed off.

"Yes, innocent scavenger hunts. Look, you idiot. Maybe it's because you haven't been a real parent yet, but once you have a kid, if you're a semi-decent person, you want better for them than you have for yourself. If you want, I can see if I can reach my brother in Hackensack. I've never spoke to him, but maybe he can help raise the kid if you're not up for the challenge. I don't need any half-ass little bitches. I tried to do the right thing, I need my son to be around good people who are reliable and can also do the right thing, and if you're not up for the job, let me know now," Coco said.

"You're right. You're absolutely right," Joe somberly said.

"What's going on?" Mimi walked to the cafe to see Jonesy standing in front of the door.

"They're closed. For good," Jonesy pointed at the sign.

"What? Did they seriously just shut down the coffee shop without telling us?" Mimi gasped.

"I guess they thought a stupid sign saying 'Thanks for your previous patronage, but since not enough of you are showing up for coffee, we're closing down shop' was good enough notice," Jonesy took a picture of the storefront. "They're not going to get away with this."

"I don't think I've ever seen you so worked up. You're always so relaxed," Mimi said.

"It's hard to take it easy anymore. We're in a worldwide crisis and who gets screwed over? The little people like you and me! The management didn't even give us any courtesy or notice to not bother showing up tomorrow because we've been all forced out of our 'essential' jobs," Jonesy said.

"I hate it as much as you, but hopefully it's only temporary," Mimi bit her lip.

"I tried telling myself that, but between the corporate hell, and the hell I deal with when I get back home, I'm starting to wonder if I was a bad person in a past life and this present life is just a reincarnation," Jonesy said.

"That's right, you're living with Tai and Celia now, right?" Mimi winced.

"Tai's a nice guy but he needs to be more assertive. I mean it's not any of my business per se, but I'd like to use other areas of the apartment than just my bedroom without Celia's judgement. I pay for one-third of the floor space, it's only fair," Jonesy huffed.

"Well, why don't we head back to my place for a bit? We can sign up for unemployment, and then you can take a break from Celia too," Mimi smiled.

"I'd be up for that. Can we also make a day out of destroying our work uniforms too?" Jonesy tugged at his shirt.

"Actually, I think Sora can help us out with that! She's got some neat tricks up her sleeves," Mimi winked.

"For the first card, we have the hermit in the inverse position. Our second card, we have the fool-"

"I don't know if you're making a joke of me or not. I'm leaving," Izzy got up from the table.

"Sounds like those tarot cards struck a nerve," a tall, thin man whistled.

"No, stay!" a middle-aged woman dressed in a silk robe and turban jumped up from the table and chased after Izzy.

"Fine, Miss Natty. I'll stay but only for five more minutes. These tarot cards don't mean anything anyways," Izzy grudgingly walked back to the table.

"You must be a Virgo, aren't you?" Miss Natty scoffed.

"So what if I could be?" Izzy defensively said.

"Stop looking at things at face value. Give me a chance to break down the cards. The first card symbolizes your past and that is the hermit in the inverse position. You might have been withdrawing from the world but you need to get back out there. Or maybe you were avoiding doing some self-reflection as well. We have our second card that symbolizes the present, brought to you by the fool. We're looking at a lot of new beginnings and opportunities in all aspects of your life, but think before you leap. And our third card, the future, is the pair of lovers. How interesting-"

*knock knock knock*

"Who dares interrupt my tarot session?" Miss Natty dramatically said.

"Hey Miss Natty, can I steal Izzy for a second?" Matt gingerly said.

"Go, Burke and I have to get ready for our town hall meeting. Why don't you ever show up to those by the way? You're a local, wouldn't you say?" Miss Natty took off her turban.

"Eh, I thought it was more like a chamber of commerce meeting. I didn't know it was open to the public," Izzy turned red.

"Yes! All of the townspeople are encouraged to attend! It's a great way to get your grievances out in the open, and sometimes it's juicy! I don't want to be late!" Miss Natty excitedly said.

"We don't want to keep you waiting. Come on, Izzy, let's make a move," Matt ushered Izzy out of the door.

"Thanks again for that impromptu tarot reading?" Izzy bit his lip.

"It was my pleasure!" Miss Natty yelled.

"Tarot cards?" Matt smirked.

"It's nothing. Miss Natty pulled me to the side and asked if I was free for five minutes. Next thing I knew, she was dressed like a future teller and sat me down at a table," Izzy shrugged.

"Kinda makes sense. Just kinda," Matt tapped his chin.

"So what's up?" Izzy asked. "You look like something happened."

"Well something did happen...you know my job?" Matt whispered.

"That one none of us know you do?" Izzy raised an eyebrow.

"I've told you guys several times already, I'm an astronaut in training," Matt huffed.

"Okay fine. So what happened?" Izzy crossed his arms.

"So they actually want to send me out...to Florida! Isn't that crazy?" Matt gasped.

"It almost sounds too crazy to be true," Izzy pursed his lips.

"I don't know what to do. I don't think I'll be ready to leave the gang behind, and then there's TK. On one hand, I want to take him with me, but on the other hand, I don't think he wants to go. I don't think he wants to come back to New York either," Matt took in a deep breath.

"Maybe you should think about this. This is something your job expects from you. What's going to happen if you tell them no? Did they say when they expected you to go down there?" Izzy asked.

"It wouldn't be for another two months, but it's still so soon," Matt wrung his hands.

"Just think about it. These choices do affect your future," Izzy said.

"You're right. I think I might need to sit with Miss Natty for a tarot reading," Matt nodded.

"Not what I meant," Izzy huffed.

"Where's my mommy?" Jason looked up at Joe.

"You're not going to see her for a while," Joe frowned.

"I want my mommy!" Jason started to cry.

"Uh...," Joe looked at his phone, but he decided against it. He couldn't rely on Sora to act like the secondary parent, especially when it seemed like she took over most of the time. He needed to step up if he was going to be a good father. "It's okay, I'll be here. I'm going to be here until we're able to see your mom again. I will do my best."

"Can I get a Happy Meal?" Jason sniffled.

"How about once a week? Those are so bad for you," Joe said.

"I won't get the fries! I'll eat only apples!" Jason pleaded.

"You can have the fries, but only a little bit," Joe chuckled.

*knock knock knock*

"I say yes to fries, and that's probably Children's Aid at my door," Joe gulped to himself. "Jason, go play in my room, okay?"

"Okay," Jason shrugged and walked away.

"Who is it?" Joe cautiously put his face mask on and peered through the peephole.

"My name is Koji Minamoto. Coco is my sister," a man with piercing blue eyes and long cobalt hair tied in a ponytail stood in front of the door with an impatient look in his face.

"Uh okay. I'm coming out," Joe gulped and exited the apartment.

"Is the kid inside there by himself?" Koji crossed his arms.

"How is that your concern?" Joe asked.

"As his uncle, I think I should be concerned if my kindergarten-aged nephew is left unattended with so many potential hazards that could strike at any moment. Are you a dumbass or homicidal?" Koji made a face.

"Oh right... I guess come on in?" Joe whimpered.

"Also way to go to invite a complete stranger into your house when we've never met, especially considering the pandemic going on. Are you trying to spread germs? And how do you even know if I'm Coco's brother? I could be a complete stalker ready to kill both you and your son," Koji said as he entered the apartment.

"Oh god, what do you want?" Joe bit his lip.

"I want the father of my nephew to have some common sense. Figured you had to be a one night stand," Koji rolled his eyes.

"Okay seriously, why are you here? How are you related to Coco anyways?" Joe asked.

"I'm her brother, dumbass," Koji stood with his feet apart.

"You look like her brother, but don't you guys have different last names?" Joe asked.

"My parents slept around- apparently not with each other, which is why they divorced before I was born, but besides the point. I don't ask about your family's personal business, do I?" Koji said defensively.

"I guess not," Joe sheepishly rubbed his neck. "So anyways, why are you here?"

"Look, I didn't even know I had a sister until two weeks ago. If I find out I have any more secret siblings, I'll lose my damn mind. Anyways, I'm here to take the kid. Coco told me that the father was a shrimp," Koji said.

"That's not very nice," Joe frowned.

"But is she wrong? You strike me as the guy who's scared of his own shadow," Koji crossed his arms in contempt.

"I don't have to take this from you or her. If you don't have anything positive to contribute, please leave. I'm not going to have you talk shit in my own house," Joe grunted.

"Okay. Maybe I've pinned you wrong. If you do need any help, I live in Hackensack, it's a couple trains away. Here's my card," Koji handed him a business card.

"You own a martial arts studio?" Joe studied the card.

"Specialty is kendo, but we offer all types of classes including karate, tae-bo, capoeira, fencing, whatever," Koji shrugged.

"Nice," Joe nodded.

"Damn straight it is. I have to get going but my number's on the card. Hopefully, if you call, it won't be for anything bad. Adios," Koji saluted him and walked out of the door.

*knock knock knock*

"Who could be at the door?" Tai nervously gulped. Celia was peacefully napping, which was a rare occasion and Jonesy had been hanging out at Mimi's lately.

"It's me, Sora!"

"Sora?" Tai closed his laptop and walked to the door.

"Hey, hopefully I'm not bothering you right now but I could really use someone to talk to right now," Sora looked at him with glassy eyes.

"Come on in. Is everything okay?" Tai led her inside.

"This is probably ironic for me to be asking you this, but don't you feel like everyone's always depending on you and they never bother asking you if you're good? Like everyone assumes that you have your whole life together so they don't have to worry about you, but guess what? I have stuff on my plate too- but I can't let it show! Joe's calling me every time his kid speaks, Mimi cries every time she burns her microwaveable waffles, and my superficial boyfriend broke up with me because he hates what I 'did to my hair', but I can't talk about that because everyone else's issues are much more important," Sora rambled.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! One thought process at a time! First of all, you should never call that geriatric guy a boyfriend. He was your Hefner, or your sugar daddy. There's no other reason you could find an old man attractive, no other reason!" Tai said.

"I thought he looked sophisticated, but he has the taste of a 14-year-old boy. He said he didn't need me, because he already was talking to a girl with long, blonde hair. And she's supposedly a gymnast too, like that's supposed to make me feel jealous," Sora crossed her arms.

"Does he have a photo? I bet she's not better looking than you," Tai scoffed.

"That's not important, we're over and he's a jerk! I can't believe I wasted even a morsel of a second with that bastard!" Sora grunted.

"Hey, screw him. It's his loss. You're one of the most beautiful, smartest, most intelligent, loyal, beautiful girls in the world and he's missing out," Tai hugged Sora.

"Tai...you haven't told me anything like that in the longest time," Celia softly mumbled.

"I...uh," Tai paused.

"I'm sorry, I should go...," Sora got up from the couch.

"Oh my god! No! Stay! You're not going anywhere!" Celia growled.

"No, I have to be somewhere," Sora nervously said.

"I KNOW WHO YOU ARE! YOU'RE A PSYCHOPATH!" Celia lunged towards Sora.

"Hey! What's your problem?!" Tai pushed Celia back to the floor.

"I'm going to get her back the same way she got me! She's the bitch who ran me over and kept driving! She's the reason I'm crippled and can't do gymnastics anymore, and she's the reason I wasn't the centerfold for the Girls Who Love Sports issue of Busted Magazine! Let me at her! Let me at her...," Celia struggled under Tai's weight.

"I'm sorry, but no. I think this is over between the two of us," Tai said as he tried to keep Celia in control.

"Sora, you better leave!" Tai yelled.

"I'm already on it," Sora ran out of the apartment.

"Let me go," Celia started to cry.

"No! Not until I can trust that you can behave yourself," Tai said.

"I'll stay still...but what does she have that I don't? Why does everyone pick her over me?" Celia cried.

"Celia, when I first met you, I was infatuated with you. But my mistake was not getting to know the real you. I built an idealized picture of you in my mind and let it take control, and it screwed me over. Nobody's happy. Are you happy?" Tai asked.

"No," Celia stopped squirming and gained composure. "I haven't been happy in a long time."

"Maybe it was too soon. Maybe we should work on improving ourselves before we get invested in other people. I see potential for both of us to do great things in our lives, but not if we stay together," Tai said.

"What are you saying?" Celia looked at him pensively.

"I think deep down inside, you know what I mean," Tai looked back at her