The next morning Jig walked out of her room, tied her bathrobe tighter around her waist, and walked into the kitchen. It was Friday, and that afternoon brought Spirited Away. Jig was so excited. She and Orrie had watched Princess Mononoke the night before, kind of a hype for this afternoon. Jig removed a bowl from the cupboard and placed it on the counter. She looked over just in time to see Ein jump up onto the counter next to her. Jig sighed.
"How the Hell did you get in here?" she asked him. He blinked in response. Suddenly the creature was captured inside a pillowcase by Irv. He held the top tightly and placed the struggling pillowcase into a dog carrier. He closed it.
"What are you going to do with him?" Jig asked him.
"Just taking him to the vet. If he's going to follow you we just want to make sure he doesn't have rabies or anything," Irv reassured her. Jig's eyes widened in surprise.
"Rabies?" she asked him. It hadn't occurred to her that the raccoon could actually be dangerous.
"Yea. He hasn't bitten you or licked you, has he?" Irv asked her. Jig shook her head.
"No."
"And Ephram?"
"No. No Ein usually just follows me," Jig said. Irv nodded.
"Well, you better get ready for school. Don't worry, we'll take care of him," Irv told her. Jig nodded and walked out of the room.
Delia and Murasaki sat in their art class, moving brushes along the paper on the table in front of them. Delia was painting, well, nothing. She was just moving the brush. It was kind of looking like a horse, actually.
"What do you think?" Murasaki asked her holding up her paper. Murasaki had painted on it several black symbols with purple flowers around them. It was pretty, but Delia didn't get it.
"What does it mean?" Delia asked her.
"It's my name. Kasshoku, and Murasaki," Murasaki said pointing to several symbols. Delia nodded.
"It's pretty."
"Thanks. What are you painting?"
"I don't know. I think it's a horse…" Delia told her.
"I like it. It's very post impressionist," Murasaki said and Delia looked at her. Then they both started laughing. Neither of them understood what exactly Murasaki had just said.
Ephram opened his locker to find his scarf hanging on the hook. He sighed as he took it down and placed it in the safety of his bag. How did Jig know what his combination was? He had changed it tons of times since the last time she got in. She probably watched him spin the dial yesterday. How she knew she would get the chance to use his locker combination, he didn't know. Suddenly Ephram was shoved into his locker. He might have actually gone in but his shoulders hit the frame. He turned his head and watched Bright walking away from him, laughing with his friends. Ephram scoffed and continued pulling out the books he needed.
"The men in that family, I swear…" Ephram heard. He looked over and saw Desi standing there, watching Bright walk away, shaking her head.
"Yea, they'll all pretty nuts," Ephram agreed.
"Amy said her parents went to go see your aunt the other day," Desi told him and Ephram started laughing.
"I bet that went well…"
"Dr. Abbott is thinking of suing," Desi said and Ephram laughed again.
"Wouldn't be the first time she's been sued."
"You know, your aunt's a little-"
"I know. Believe me, I know," Ephram reassured her. Desi smiled.
"She was the one who told me to kiss you," Desi said to his surprise.
"You talked to her?" Ephram asked in either utter or complete shock. Desi raised her hand to stop any other ideas that might come to him.
"Once, and never again," she reassured him. He smiled and she smiled too. 'And his heart grew three sizes that day.'
"I'm glad. I wonder who else she's told to kiss me."
"Has Jig gone to see her?" Desi asked. Ephram shook his head.
"They've met, but not professionally."
"Good. She'd probably tell her to kiss you too," Desi mentioned.
"I don't think even Star would tell the girl dating her son to kiss another guy," Ephram told her. Desi started laughing at herself.
"Oh you're right. I completely forgot about that!" Desi said.
"Forgot about it? We saw them yesterday!"
"I know! I just! Well, I'm gone. My mind, it's, gone," Desi said and laughed again. Ephram smiled as a thought occurred to him.
"Desi, what are you doing this afternoon?"
Cory sat on the ledge of a sink in the boy's bathroom. He balled a piece of toilet paper in his fingers, ran it under the faucet in the sink next to him, and threw it up at the ceiling. One more and he'd finish the "y." His name would be complete. And it'd be up there forever too. Cory Cather's spitballs never fell. His secret was, don't use spit. Actually, there was one bathroom in Buffalo, where an entire "c" fell and hit a kid. That was funny. Cory checked his watch. He should be in History now. Ephram and that friend girl of his were probably discussing Sailor Moon's hair or something equally foolish. Dating his brother and best friends with his cousin. Didn't anybody care that she was crazy? No, no of course they didn't. Why? Because it was him that she kicked the crap out of. Had it been anyone else his mom would have written her a ticket to the crazy farm. Cory had to admit, though, that hurt. He had gotten into his fair share, well, probably more than fair, but he had gotten into a lot of fights in his time. Most of the time the guys were at least twice the size of the girl. But her, that really freaking hurt! Evidently she's had practice too. There was some big football jock guy who still had his nose bandaged from when she broke it. And he was her cousin too. Everwood was more violent than Buffalo was. Why the Hell did Cory have to live here? This was beyond unfair. Just because he broke one little law, his mom moved them out here. Sure… she says it's so she can take care of Uncle Andy, but it's not. Cory's mom moved them to this "Leave it to Beaver" town because he broke into one little house. It hadn't even been his idea! Mackie talked him into it. Star didn't know how persuasive Mackie could be. Mackie could talk Resident Bush into declaring peace for crying out loud! And it was only Cory's first offense too. Moving out here was an outlandish overreaction. Like his mom didn't have a criminal past. Star didn't know it, but Cory knew all about is mother's "minor indiscretions." There was her, acting all high and mighty, but he knew. She was just as rebellious as he was. She says Cory gets his behavior from his dad, but no, he gets it from her. That's why she likes Orrie better. It's not that he's 17 and Cory's only 15, it's not that Orrie's the first born, it's the fact that Orrie isn't Star. Orrie is a lot like his father. Rabbi Raymond Jackson. A freaking rabbi, how could Orrie be anything but kind and likable.
Cory had to admit. There was some jealousy between him and his brother. Orrie was likable, and beloved, and Cory was, well, not. Star pretty much ignored Cory, okay, she pretty much ignored both of them, but she seemed to show a preference for Orrie. And then there were their fathers. Neither of them were around very much, but Orrie's father called a lot and wrote, sent Orrie gifts for Chanukah every year, sometimes he even sent Cory a gift. Cory's father was, well, a father of four. Cory was the second oldest and the other three were just like him. He doubted if Curt Cather paid any of them any mind. So, Cory had two older half brothers, and two younger half sisters. Of them all, Marshall Cather was the oldest. He was twenty one and living in England. Then there was Orrie. Then Cory himself. And then Cory had twin sisters in France from one of his father's affairs. Amanda and Francie Jevaine were five. Cute too, they were adorable. Cory didn't understand a word they said though. He took Spanish. Marshall could talk with them. He was educated and charming, but, despite that, not a bad guy. Cory generally liked his siblings. They were certainly, different…
"Well your little friend here is perfectly fine. He seems to be one of the lucky few to have gotten that wide range rabies vaccine they did a few years back. I gave him some other vaccines, a flea path, brushed his teeth, and he seems like a pretty friendly little guy. He also seems to like you. So, if you'd like, I could trim his nails a little and you could keep him as a pet," the veterinarian said placing the inhabited dog cage in front of Irv and Edna. School was just over so they had taken Ein to be checked out. Edna and Irv looked worriedly at each other.
"I… I don't think we can keep him…" Edna said almost regretfully. Then, before the doctor could respond, Wendell walked into the room. He hung his coat up and placed on a smock. He was about to walk behind the counter when he spotted Edna and Irv there. He smiled and walked over to them.
"How are you fine people doing this afternoon. Beautiful day, isn't it?" Wendell said in the slippery way he talked to the guardians of his affection. Edna sighed and was about ready to tell him to "get lost," but he spotted the raccoon.
"Ew! A raccoon! I hate raccoons!" Wendell said taking a few steps from them. Edna turned quickly back to the veterinarian.
"We'll keep him!"
"Are you sure this is okay with your parents?" Jig asked turning around in her seat to see Ephram and Desi in the back. Desi laughed.
"I could go to Alaska for the weekend and they wouldn't care," Desi informed her.
"Well I assure you this will be more enjoyable than a weekend in Alaska," Orrie informed her from the driver's seat. The four of them were on their way to Denver to see Spirited Away. Each of them quite eager.
"Have you seen Princess Mononoke?" Ephram asked Desi. She shook her head.
"No, but I heard it's great," Desi said and the other three agreed with the gossip.
"You'll have to borrow Ephram's copy one day," Jig told her and she nodded.
"But only if you don't have a weak stomach. Mononoke has a few gruesome scenes. A few decapitations, some mauling, some infectious diseases," Orrie warned her and Jig and Ephram laughed.
"That was really nasty looking, wasn't it?" Ephram asked. Desi looked a little worried.
"Is there going to be a lot of violence in this?" she asked.
"I don't know. Is there Orrie?" Jig asked him. He shook his head.
"No, this one is a bit more child orientated. It's like a really cool fairy tale. There's also a lot more comedy too," he informed them.
"Oh I don't know Orrie. The Tatara women were pretty funny," Ephram informed him.
"Yea well, Spirited Away has an eight feet tall baby," Orrie said and the debate ended there.
Ephram was gone until at least nine, and Delia was spending the night at the Kasshoku household. Dr. Brown had given Delia a little potted violet plant to give to Murasaki as a present for being so nice. Delia didn't understand why a violet plant should be the gift, but Murasaki would. Anyway, with both of the children away, Dr. Brown had the house to himself. He hadn't been alone for so long, he intended to enjoy this night. He poured himself a glass of wine and called out from Gino's. Waiting for the food to get there he walked around their house. It was so silent and peaceful. Who would have known that two children lived within these walls? Dr. Brown walked over to the fireplace and examined all of the pictures on the mantel. One of Ephram as a baby, one of Delia. The picture right in the middle was of Dr. Brown and Julia, at their wedding. She looked so beautiful even the picture of her took his breath away. It shouldn't be possible to miss one person so much. Of course he wasn't the same person he was in New York City, a chunk of his heart was gone. He could never be the same. He had a giant void and two children. Of course he wasn't the same.
