Chapter 1

Kylie brushed away the snow blanket from the tombstone before her. When she was done, she placed a small bouquet of flowers before it. As she did every year, she silently read the words engraved on the slab.

Sidus Griffin

1971 - 1991

The day he left this world

was the day the United

States was robbed of a

good man.

America had only been robbed of a good man.

She had been robbed of her only brother, the only one who had loved her for who she was for the first eleven years of her life. Grandma Rose had loved her too, but the pain of loss was not as strong.

Kylie had so many questions in her heart, but she would always thirst for those answers.

Finally, she just got up and left.

For some reason, she couldn't shake the feeling that she was being watched.

From the bushes, a pair of brown almond-shaped eyes followed her every step.

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#OC POV#

I watch the Girl as she leaves the graveyard before I pad out from my hiding place, noticing how my coat shines with its entire luster in the setting sun.

Call me vain. I don't care.

What was the Girl called again? I think it was......Kylie? Oh yeah.....Kylie.

Amazing how eight years can make one so absurdly absent-minded.

I stop in front of the stone block and study the offering. The Girl - Kylie, I mean - left peonies again. I think I had a soft spot for peonies, once......

What am I saying?

After making my stop, I follow the G - sorry, Kylie - again. There's no big need for this. I know where she's going, anyway. But someone has to keep an eye on her, to make sure she reaches her destination safely. For what reason, I'm not too sure anymore.

Kylie finally walks to a tall red building, and enters through the door.

I slink over to a window and continue watching from there. Good thing no one really notices me.

Kylie takes out some papers - the Two-Legs call them assignments - and starts to write.

If I could, I would have smiled with overwhelming pride. Kylie has always been the clever one, with the potential of becoming a leader. For yet another reason I cannot remember, I love little Ky.

Dang! What am I saying?! I'm not that close to her.......Or am I?

Damn my memory.

As I watch, Kylie looks up in the direction of the kitchen. The Loud One emerges on his squeaky metal chair with big wheels, desperately mopping green stuff off his shirt and using a wide range of colorful vocabulary. The Green One is close behind him, once again cramming food down its 'black hole' in mid-flight.

Sigh......

The Loud One will never learn.

There were so many chances when the Two-Leg could just let the Green One have what it was after, and his shirt would remain intact. That's otherwise known as Peaceful Coexistence.

But no, the Loud One must, and will always, defend what he can't keep, and pay the price for it.

The Black One will not be in the house. The Black One will be with the Fatherly One in the next building.

I think they call it the garage. Whatever.

The Motherly One will not be present at all. She had left in her Box-On-Wheels the past morning, and had not come back yet.

The Stupid One comes down the stairs, sits on the couch, and turns on the Flashy-Box. About time he made his entrance.

Little Ky - oops, meant Kylie - isn't a tad happy to see him. Or the dancing bunnies in the Flashy-Box.

The Stupid One pretends not to notice. I can't believe that horrendous slacker. Not only is he stupid like I mentioned, he's suicidal.

Kylie throws a book at the Stupid One. Perfect hit.

Kylie - 1.

Stupid One - 0.

If I were a Two-leg, I'd be cheering and dancing around with furry colored balls. I'm just so proud of my little Ky.

Now where did that come from?

Slip of the tongue. So help me.

Kylie, the Loud One and the Green One go further into the kitchen, out of sight. The Stupid One is alone.

Time for Operation Grand Entrance.

Slipping through the open window they never bother to shut, I make my way towards the couch with the stealth of a predator stalking its prey.

I leap onto the seat directly beside the Stupid One.

The Stupid One yelps like an immature female and runs into the kitchen. I have the satisfaction of watching him go.

Kylie - 1

Me - 1

Stupid One - -1

Result of Operation Grand Entrance: 100% Success.

#END OF OC POV#

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Garrett cleaned off the rest of the slime and dumped the paper towels into the trash bin. "Whacking Goat Boy with your Math Book isn't going to improve his algebra any."

Kylie was once again bent over her History paper. "I was hoping it would make him stupid enough to forget how to turn anything on."

Garrett shrugged and snatched his donut out of reach as Slimer came zipping up again.

"Maybe you should just give it to him." Kylie advised.

"But I want to eat this!"

"Which would you rather have: a slimed shirt or a clean one?"

Before Garrett could give her a proper answer, a loud yell filled the air. Slimer saw his chance and stole the donut from the unprepared hand.

Eduardo ran in, arms flapping and eyes wide with terror. Garrett and Kylie watched him babble incoherently with some amusement.

"I bet a Jumbo-sized box of chocolates he saw a zombie in a horror flick."

"Joy. He screamed like a girl."

"I did NOT!" Eduardo tried to shout back. It came out as a pathetic squeak, and Slimer got the giggles.

Scratch it. Slimer got a LOT of giggles. Enough to land him into the pot of cold coffee. Splat.

"So....what DID you see?"

"Look for yourself...."

Garrett and Kylie looked in each other's direction, shrugged and went to take a look.

They found a large black furry creature lying on the couch where Eduardo had first planted his butt. It raised its massive dark head and stared at them.

"........So a dog got in. I'm horrified."

The dog defiantly fired a man-are-you-dumb look at Garrett. Kylie found it vaguely familiar.

Then she saw the dog's medallion on chain-collar.

It was the shape of a star, twinkling gently in the lamp light like a real one. Inscribed in black letters on it was, presumably, the dog's name: Sidus.

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