I stand next to the boiling pot of yasai suppu, somehow entranced by the dancing bubbles and jiggling pieces of vegetable. Daisy, Violet, and Lily were over setting the table giggling to themselves about something. This definitely was a strange night. Lily was making such a fuss about Ash coming over. Daisy was worried about the food. Violet was just being herself for once and being nice to everybody. I didn't know how things were going to turn out, so I was worried about everything.

            Things, to my surprise, were starting out pretty well. Lily wasn't picking on me as much as she usually does. I think it had something to do with my invitation to Hatsu. I couldn't help but smirk. She isn't the only one who can get a guy to accept requests. I'm stronger than she thinks. It was the littlest thing and I still felt a twinge of evilness coming over me. I felt like laughing under my breath. Where's my little red pitchfork when I need it?

            I stir the soup and turn the stove down to simmer. My mind wasn't in the kitchen; I couldn't keep it there. It was back in the living room with Ash and Hatsu. I wonder what they're talking about. Hatsu must have made Ash mad earlier. He swore quiet loudly. I hope Hatsu didn't give away how I felt about Ash. That boy is so wily in so many different ways. He might as well be king of the Kitsune clan back in the wearing states age.

            I take six bowls out of the cupboard and start ladling yasai suppu into each. I put them next to each plate on the table and wait for more instructions from Daisy. I didn't know why, but since everything was getting ready, my heart began to beat faster. I could feel it pounding against my ribcage. Why in the world? What was I so afraid of? My sisters were treating me like a human being and I had my best friend over for support. There is no sane reason why I should be so nervous. The bad thing was , I could think of many insane reasons. And I agreed with them.

            Daisy went into the living room to retrieve the two men and sit them down at the table. I sat down next to Hatsu and looked across into Lily's eyes. She gave me this smile; one that clearly stated if I screwed anything up for her, I wouldn't see the light of day. I smile back, in a more friendly fashion, and hers fades. I could tell she didn't expect me to do that.

            Daisy and Violet sit down at either end of the table and we say a quick grace. Dinner was underway. Everything would soon be over. Little did I know that this would be the beginning of the most troublesome summer vacation of my life.

            "Everything looks great, Daisy." Hatsu says.

            Daisy puts on a motherly smile. "Thank you."

            "Daisy did get the talent from Mother." Lily suddenly says.

            Daisy and I give her a subtle look of rage. We promised each other that we wouldn't mention Mother or Father. Ash looked confused, but Hatsu looked down at his plate. He knew about our parents.

            When I was in the sixth grade, my father left us. We didn't know where he went. Mother was equally dazed. Two months later, we got a letter in the mail from him. Inside was a short note attached to a wedding photo of him and some American blonde. We were all so shocked, I'm sure that none of us knew how to react.

            The rest of that year went idly and dimly by. My first year of junior high, Mother fell sick. Daisy, Violet, Lily and I did all we could. One day when we were cleaning the house, we found that photo Father sent us. We all thought Mother threw it away. We didn't know she had been dwelling on it.

            Three months passed away, and at the end, so did Mother. Devastation shrouded my sisters and myself. That was when my normally bad relationship with them reached the all-time low. And it stayed there.

             After my flashback, I look over at Hatsu and he looks back with those warm, cream-brown eyes. It was after my mother's death that we became friends. He was there to comfort me. He seemed to be the only person who truly knew what was going through my mind. It was also then when he started with the nicknames. He called me Chibi Tenshi because I was the daughter of an angel.

            Violet cleared her throat quietly and picked up her chopsticks. She obviously wanted to end the memories and the tension. The worst part about what just happened was the fact that Lily didn't look like she felt sorry at all. She was looking around at everybody as if waiting for us to start laughing.

            "The niku dango is excellent." Said Ash. No one had noticed that he started to eat.

            Daisy smiled again. "It's only the second time I've made it."

            "Tastes like you've been making it your whole life."

            Daisy puts a hand on her cheek. "You're too kind, Ash."

            I just raise my eyebrows and pop some rice in my mouth.

            "Oishii." Mumbled Hatsu to himself as he shoved maabo tofu into his mouth. He looked like a little kid that was just handed an ice cream cone.

            "So, Misty,"

            My head perks up. Ash was actually talking to me. "Yes?"

            "Are you working at KawaiiYuki only for the summer?" He asks.

            "I'm not sure." I reply, looking around for some inexistent approval. "I haven't even got my first paycheck."

            Hatsu swallows and points at me. "Omocha."

            I could feel my eyebrow begin to twitch. "Yurasai."

            Everyone laughs.

            I felt this tickling sensation in my throat. I wanted to laugh too. My mouth opened and I did, along with my family and friends. It felt weird. It felt good.

            I was surprised how well the evening went. My sisters didn't pick on me at all. I had Hatsu there to distract me whenever Lily and Ash caught my attention. I didn't feel so alone. It all made me realize that maybe I was wanted. It was possible that people liked it when I was around. It was nice.

            After dinner we had coffee and cake. After that, we separated into three teams of two to play this new, weird game called Scrabble. I got the hang of it after a while. Hatsu and I were beating everyone pretty bad in the beginning. In the game, you get points for using certain combinations of letters to form words. We came up with good ones like youkai, yasashia, shinjitsu, and natsuyasumi.

            Around nine o'clock, the men left the house. I had to work tomorrow, so I'd see Hatsu then anyways. Lily was off in her own little world with Ash. It pained me to see the look on his face. He truly had no idea that Lily was faking it almost the entire time. If I tried to tell him, he wouldn't listen. It was no use. I could see that Ash thought that Lily loved him back. She did. She loved the fact that he got a healthy paycheck every two weeks.

            "Misty, would you like to go on a walk with me?" Hatsu asks before he leaves.

            "Um, sure," I reply. "I guess so. What about your car?"

            "I'll pick it up when we get back."

            So, Hatsu and I started to walk down Watercrest. I couldn't help but wonder why he asked me to do this. He's not the kind of person to want to talk. Maybe he thought I'd want to talk. Even though we were silent, I liked just walking with him. It was comfortable.

            "I'm sorry about Lily." Hatsu says.

            Oh, I see now. This was about Mother. "It's really okay. I'm sure Daisy and Violet are giving her hell."

            "I'm sure she didn't mean anything bad by it."

            "I know." I sigh. "But she was the first person to even say a thing about her since she died."

            "So you and your sisters were more shocked than angry?" Hatsu asks.

            "Well, of course I was shocked, but I was also pretty mad." I reply. "I was sad too."

            "'Cause you miss her?"

            I shrug. "She was the only person who loved me."

            "Misty, don't think that way." Hatsu says desperately. "It's not healthy. You're loved by a lot of people."

            "Yes, Hatsu, but I want people to love me for who I am, not who I'm trying to be."

            "I love you for who you are."

            "Thank you." I reply. "I know you do, and I'm grateful. I only wish for others to."

            "Then don't give up."

            The sides of my mouth twinge into a smile. Hatsu opens his arms and I go in, wrapping my own around him. He rubbed my back with his hand as I rested my head on his chest. We both pull away and he gives me this smirk.

            "You're half way there."

            "What? I don't get it." I say.

            "To getting Ash to realize the truth." Hatsu replies and continues to walk down the street. "He talked about you when you were helping Daisy with dinner."

            "Honto?!"

            Hatsu nods. "Something about a dick-less bag of shit, Misty?"

            "Oh…that…" I mumble.

            Hatsu laughs and clamps a hand on my shoulder. "You got moxy, kid."

            "You didn't tell him anything bad about me, did you?"

            He shakes his head. "No. Wouldn't think of it. I just warned him, that's all."

            "Warned him?" I question.

            "That if he does anything to hurt you that I'd personally make sure he wished he were six feet under."

            I giggle. "Arigatou, Hatsu."

            "Anytime, watashi wa Chibi Tenshi."

            I scowl a bit. "I'm not your little angel."

            Hatsu sighs. "Fine. We'll leave it at Tenshi."

            "That's better."