Chapter Twenty-One
"Her cousin?" Xander asked and stood up and joined Kellie by the counter. "She didn't tell us she had a cousin." He added.
Kellie shrugged. "Well, I don't really tell people she's my cousin either. She's sorta the odd-ball of the family." Kellie said.
Anya frowned, not sure that she liked their latest visitor. "Why do you need to talk to her so badly? And how did you know she was here?" Anya asked.
Kellie frowned and rolled her eyes. "Look, it's a family emergency alright. Do you know where she is or not?" Kellie asked and blew another bubble.
Anya looked over at Xander, who just shrugged. "Yeah, I know where she is." Anya answered.
Xander and Anya walked into the house with Kellie trailing slightly behind them. Willow was seated on the foldout bed, flipping through TV channels. When she heard the trio come in, she turned around. She was surprised to see that they had brought another guest with them.
"Do you know where Darry is?" Xander asked the redhead.
Willow nodded. "I'll go get her." She offered and left the living room.
Kellie looked around her, and then she turned her attention back to Xander and Anya. "Since when is Darry? She's always been Daralyn as far as I know." Kellie asked.
Xander shrugged. "She said she hated her name so she came up with the nickname." Xander said.
Kellie shrugged. "Whatever, that's her purgative." She muttered and flopped down on the foldout bed.
Willow returned seconds later, with Darry and Buffy trailing behind her. When they entered the room, Kellie looked up at them. She and Darry locked eyes, Kellie gave a smug smile.
"Hey Kellie." Darry muttered and walked over to her cousin.
"Hey Daralyn, when was the last time I saw you? When I was like, five?" Kellie asked and attempted to be friendly.
"Yeah, I guess." Darry said and sat down on the bed beside Kellie.
"Okay, I think some introductions are to be made." Buffy muttered, not loud enough to be rude but loud enough so Darry could hear her.
"Oh sorry, this is my cousin Kellie. Kellie, this is Buffy, Willow, Xander and Anya." Darry said and pointed to each one of her friends.
Kellie smiled at them. "Nice to meet you, I'm Kellie Kennedy as Daralyn just said." Kellie said.
"Call me Darry." Darry said and turned to face her cousin.
"Okay, whatever." Kellie muttered.
"Are you here for a reason?" Darry asked.
It was clear to Buffy and the others that Kellie and Darry didn't get along very well and hadn't even when they were little. The reason for that, however, Buffy didn't know and now was obviously not a good time to ask.
Kellie frowned. "As a matter of fact I am." She said, her voice suddenly changing tone. Darry couldn't help but notice then change in her voice.
"Look, Darry, I know we haven't been close at all. Which is okay because I don't really like you but I really need to ask you a favor." Kellie began.
Darry shrugged. "Your little pitch line worked really well." Darry muttered, her voice full of sarcasm.
Kellie ignored Darry's comment. "You know I'm related to you right? Even though I wish I wasn't and I have this theory that my mom's sister found your in a box of rabid raccoons so I'm not really related to you but you that I am right?" Kellie asked, speaking fast. Darry couldn't do anything but nod. Kellie continued. "So, this is why I'm asking this favor. You see, you're my only living relative so you're the only one I can ask." Kellie continued but Darry cut her off.
"Whoa, only living relative? Kellie, what happened?" She asked.
"My mom and dad died in a car accident last week and you are the only person I can come to. I have no money and the stupid government took the house away so I have no where to live." Kellie blurted.
Darry stared at her cousin. For some strange reason she couldn't be sad about the death of her Aunt Amanda and Uncle Scott because they had never really liked her either. Even though she was her sister's daughter, her Aunt Amanda always gave Darry the impression that she was never welcome in their house that she didn't like her, which was true. However, Darry couldn't help but feel sorry for her cousin, even though she wasn't exactly Mother Teresa when it came to being nice either. Even though Kellie was a year younger then herself, Kellie had almost constantly bullied Darry around. On the few occasions that Darry and her parents had gone to visit Kellie and her parents, Kellie had become ruling tyrant and bossed Darry around. One time, at Christmas, Kellie had taken Darry's Christmas present and switched it for her own, which was a toothbrush. However, Darry's Aunt Amanda didn't really care about her daughter's kleptoism and ignored it.
However, even if Kellie had stolen her only Christmas present, it wouldn't be 'right' if Darry were to turn her cousin away. However, it wouldn't be wrong is someone else did.
"Kellie, I'd help you but this isn't even my house. I'm a guest here as well." Darry said and pointed to Buffy.
Buffy looked at Kellie, who seemed a lot younger then nineteen at the moment and couldn't bring herself to turn Kellie away. After all, it wasn't as though Buffy didn't know how Kellie was feeling at the moment.
"She can stay here, everyone else does." Buffy said and shrugged. Kellie smiled and looked over at Darry.
"Thanks cous. I owe you one." Kellie said and for a second didn't appear as the thieving five-year-old.
"Whatever." Darry said and stood up. She walked out of the living room and into the kitchen.
Kellie didn't seem upset by Darry's leaving and didn't seem to care one way or another. Buffy sat down beside her guest.
"So, where are you from?" Buffy asked.
"Snowville. It's in Northern Cali." Kellie said and blew another bubble.
Anya sat down by Kellie's other side. "It's pretty bad isn't it?" Anya asked.
"What?" Kellie asked.
"What happened with your parents. And what happened with Darry's parents. I mean, high mortally rate." Anya answered.
Kellie looked slightly confused but Buffy broke in before she had a chance to say anything. "Yeah, I mean you were like five when it happened." Buffy said.
"What happened?" Kellie asked.
"Darry's parents getting killed." Xander put in.
Kellie looked confused and then she laughed. "No, Darry's parents didn't die." She laughed. "Well, I guess the sort of did. Her mom died when she was like six and then her dad left when she was eight or something. 'Disappeared' or whatever." Kellie said.
Buffy looked up at Willow with a look of confusion on her face. Willow's face matched Buffy's confusion. Either Kellie had her story crossed or something was wrong.
"Her cousin?" Xander asked and stood up and joined Kellie by the counter. "She didn't tell us she had a cousin." He added.
Kellie shrugged. "Well, I don't really tell people she's my cousin either. She's sorta the odd-ball of the family." Kellie said.
Anya frowned, not sure that she liked their latest visitor. "Why do you need to talk to her so badly? And how did you know she was here?" Anya asked.
Kellie frowned and rolled her eyes. "Look, it's a family emergency alright. Do you know where she is or not?" Kellie asked and blew another bubble.
Anya looked over at Xander, who just shrugged. "Yeah, I know where she is." Anya answered.
Xander and Anya walked into the house with Kellie trailing slightly behind them. Willow was seated on the foldout bed, flipping through TV channels. When she heard the trio come in, she turned around. She was surprised to see that they had brought another guest with them.
"Do you know where Darry is?" Xander asked the redhead.
Willow nodded. "I'll go get her." She offered and left the living room.
Kellie looked around her, and then she turned her attention back to Xander and Anya. "Since when is Darry? She's always been Daralyn as far as I know." Kellie asked.
Xander shrugged. "She said she hated her name so she came up with the nickname." Xander said.
Kellie shrugged. "Whatever, that's her purgative." She muttered and flopped down on the foldout bed.
Willow returned seconds later, with Darry and Buffy trailing behind her. When they entered the room, Kellie looked up at them. She and Darry locked eyes, Kellie gave a smug smile.
"Hey Kellie." Darry muttered and walked over to her cousin.
"Hey Daralyn, when was the last time I saw you? When I was like, five?" Kellie asked and attempted to be friendly.
"Yeah, I guess." Darry said and sat down on the bed beside Kellie.
"Okay, I think some introductions are to be made." Buffy muttered, not loud enough to be rude but loud enough so Darry could hear her.
"Oh sorry, this is my cousin Kellie. Kellie, this is Buffy, Willow, Xander and Anya." Darry said and pointed to each one of her friends.
Kellie smiled at them. "Nice to meet you, I'm Kellie Kennedy as Daralyn just said." Kellie said.
"Call me Darry." Darry said and turned to face her cousin.
"Okay, whatever." Kellie muttered.
"Are you here for a reason?" Darry asked.
It was clear to Buffy and the others that Kellie and Darry didn't get along very well and hadn't even when they were little. The reason for that, however, Buffy didn't know and now was obviously not a good time to ask.
Kellie frowned. "As a matter of fact I am." She said, her voice suddenly changing tone. Darry couldn't help but notice then change in her voice.
"Look, Darry, I know we haven't been close at all. Which is okay because I don't really like you but I really need to ask you a favor." Kellie began.
Darry shrugged. "Your little pitch line worked really well." Darry muttered, her voice full of sarcasm.
Kellie ignored Darry's comment. "You know I'm related to you right? Even though I wish I wasn't and I have this theory that my mom's sister found your in a box of rabid raccoons so I'm not really related to you but you that I am right?" Kellie asked, speaking fast. Darry couldn't do anything but nod. Kellie continued. "So, this is why I'm asking this favor. You see, you're my only living relative so you're the only one I can ask." Kellie continued but Darry cut her off.
"Whoa, only living relative? Kellie, what happened?" She asked.
"My mom and dad died in a car accident last week and you are the only person I can come to. I have no money and the stupid government took the house away so I have no where to live." Kellie blurted.
Darry stared at her cousin. For some strange reason she couldn't be sad about the death of her Aunt Amanda and Uncle Scott because they had never really liked her either. Even though she was her sister's daughter, her Aunt Amanda always gave Darry the impression that she was never welcome in their house that she didn't like her, which was true. However, Darry couldn't help but feel sorry for her cousin, even though she wasn't exactly Mother Teresa when it came to being nice either. Even though Kellie was a year younger then herself, Kellie had almost constantly bullied Darry around. On the few occasions that Darry and her parents had gone to visit Kellie and her parents, Kellie had become ruling tyrant and bossed Darry around. One time, at Christmas, Kellie had taken Darry's Christmas present and switched it for her own, which was a toothbrush. However, Darry's Aunt Amanda didn't really care about her daughter's kleptoism and ignored it.
However, even if Kellie had stolen her only Christmas present, it wouldn't be 'right' if Darry were to turn her cousin away. However, it wouldn't be wrong is someone else did.
"Kellie, I'd help you but this isn't even my house. I'm a guest here as well." Darry said and pointed to Buffy.
Buffy looked at Kellie, who seemed a lot younger then nineteen at the moment and couldn't bring herself to turn Kellie away. After all, it wasn't as though Buffy didn't know how Kellie was feeling at the moment.
"She can stay here, everyone else does." Buffy said and shrugged. Kellie smiled and looked over at Darry.
"Thanks cous. I owe you one." Kellie said and for a second didn't appear as the thieving five-year-old.
"Whatever." Darry said and stood up. She walked out of the living room and into the kitchen.
Kellie didn't seem upset by Darry's leaving and didn't seem to care one way or another. Buffy sat down beside her guest.
"So, where are you from?" Buffy asked.
"Snowville. It's in Northern Cali." Kellie said and blew another bubble.
Anya sat down by Kellie's other side. "It's pretty bad isn't it?" Anya asked.
"What?" Kellie asked.
"What happened with your parents. And what happened with Darry's parents. I mean, high mortally rate." Anya answered.
Kellie looked slightly confused but Buffy broke in before she had a chance to say anything. "Yeah, I mean you were like five when it happened." Buffy said.
"What happened?" Kellie asked.
"Darry's parents getting killed." Xander put in.
Kellie looked confused and then she laughed. "No, Darry's parents didn't die." She laughed. "Well, I guess the sort of did. Her mom died when she was like six and then her dad left when she was eight or something. 'Disappeared' or whatever." Kellie said.
Buffy looked up at Willow with a look of confusion on her face. Willow's face matched Buffy's confusion. Either Kellie had her story crossed or something was wrong.
