All Grown Up Chronicles

Chapter 3- Things Change

(A/N This technically takes place before Chapter 2.)

Tommy and Kimi looked at each other. They were eating their lunches in the school cafeteria and sitting with the rest of the gang like usual. Kimi looked concerned. Her face was pale, with bags under her eyes. She barely got any sleep last night, too filled with anxiety to be doing so.

"What seems to be the matter, Kimi?" asked Tommy

"We really want to know. You do not seem like yourself." said Lil

Kimi takes her time to speak to her friends, her brother, and her new boyfriend, as she bites into her sloppy joe.

"It's just that my biological father is currently moving to America from Japan, with my stepmom and my new sister. He wants to be closer to us." said Kimi,

"Oh. What's wrong with that? We all met your father, and he seems like a nice man." said Tommy

"There is nothing wrong with that. You see, I am a little nervous about this. I barely know him and even though we got into contact with each other recently, I do not see him much, and I also do not see him as my dad. As far as I am concerned, my mom's husband, Chas Finster, is my father. He adopted me as a baby. He cared for me like a dad should. Nothing against my bio father really, but it will feel very weird seeing my other dad living literally next door to us." said Kimi, "I barely got to go to sleep last night because of my anxiety."

"Kimi, there's nothing to really be afraid of here. Change can be challenging and hard but Hiro is a great man, and I am sure you will eventually get used to this sudden change." said Lil,

"Just be calm and everything will go well." said Phil,

"Chill." said Dil,

"Be lucky you have us." said Chuckie

"Yeah." said Tommy,

Kimi smiles.

"Thanks guys."

—-

Meanwhile, Angelica is just resting her back, on her locker, in the hallway. She closes her eyes and thinks to herself.

Over the years, Angelica Charlotte Pickles did nothing but torture her cousins and their friends. Tommy, Dil, Phil, Lil, Kimi and…Chuckie.

Chuckie Finster. The boy who she secretly had a crush on, who was always afraid. His biological mother passed on from cancer when he was just a newborn. He never got to know her very well. Truth be told, Angelica wanted to tell him as soon as he found out that the woman in his dreams was his deceased mother and apologize for the things she did to him, as well as her cousins Tommy & Dil. The rest of the gang.

She couldn't. She was downright insane. She kept seeing things. Seeing random characters. Villains from popular culture. The names Darth Vader, Doctor Eggman, The Shredder, etc, had been ingrained into her mind. She heard people talking about them, so she imagined they were all there and she was a part of an entire Villains Club with them.

When they kicked her out, and tried to sneak into the building, nobody was there. They were not real. Angelica realized it.

Since that day, she swore that she would protect her friends, including Chuckie & her cousins.

She couldn't. She kept making their lives a living hell. Bullying them for ten years and treating them like they are her slaves.

Things only got worse when her father, Drew Pickles, took a job far away from Cuspoville. She was heartbroken and felt abandoned by her dad. Because of all the changes occurring with her life, she started to slowly reform. She was becoming a nicer person.

While she still teased her friends a lot, and was rather cruel to them, it wasn't as bad as it used to be. She hung out with them at times, and although she would not admit it, she was a part of the group.

Angelica opened her eyes, ending the flashbacks that she was having of all what happened during her life. She was still in the halls of Jim Jr High School, sobbing, while being surrounded by all the popular girls.

"Oh, Angelica. Why do you keep associating yourself with these losers anyways? After I got around to inviting you, and started treating you with respect, I thought you would stop bothering with them. Sadly, I was mistaken. What do you see in them? I suggest you stop this now, or you will no longer be popular throughout the school." said Savannah.

Angelica's expression suddenly changed. She no longer was letting her tears out. Instead, gritted her teeth in anger.

She could not believe what she just heard. Savannah, the most popular girl in school, just prohibited her from seeing her friends after just recently being invited to one of her parties.

Angelica glared at her rival.

"How. Dare. You!" yelled Angelica

Savannah is taken back. She laughs.

"Angelica, acting tough are we? Do you want to not go to the party so badly?" asked Savannah.

Angelica growls.

"Listen here, bitch! You don't mess with me, and you do not especially mess with my friends. My friends happen to be great and nice people. Even my cousins. I have known them since we were all babies. You will not stop me from hanging out with them. Don't make me hurt you in ways I will regret!" said Angelica, in anger

Savannah suddenly begins to shake in fear. She's suddenly frightened of Angelica.

"B-but. How? How can you be friends with these losers?" asked Savannah

"Bitch. I happen to think teasing them is fun sometimes. I try not to go so far with my insults but you deserve all the shit much more. There's assholes in this world and you are one of them. I am ashamed that I even have to compete with you. You think I am foolish for simply associating myself with them? Is this what you think of Angelica Pickles?! If hanging out with them will cost me my popularity, so be it. I don't need to be popular to get by in my life and I will certainly not become like you. Who's the loser now? It's you!" yelled Angelica,

Angelica proceeds to beat up Savannah. Angelica brutally punches her in the face, and then she kicks her down. Savannah is screaming. She's bleeding a little.

"Why, Angelica?! Why?! Stop!" yelled Savannah

"Want more?!" yelled Angelica

Angelica kicks Savannah even more to the point where she can't get up.

"Oh yeah, and I am also skilled in martial arts." said Angelica, "Try again and you will suffer much worse."

Angelica walks off.

—-

A U-haul moving truck pulls into a house just a few blocks to the house of Stu Pickles. A Japanese man around his early 40s, his wife and baby daughter walk out with all the things, and suitcases.

Stu looks at the scene outside his window.

"Wow. New neighbors." Stu said,

Hiro Watanabe enters his new house, with his wife, who is holding their new baby daughter in her arms.

He does all the work in terms of moving everything in.

—

The kids have all arrived at home from school. Tommy walks inside, only to find Hiro and his family moving everything into their house next door outside his bedroom window.

Truth be told, he's feeling a little anxious too. Mainly for Kimi's sake. He doesn't know how she's going to react when she sees her biological father living at least a few blocks away from the Finster's house.

—

Kimi looks out her bedroom window. Her biological father, Hiro Watanabe, is seen moving everything inside the new house with his wife & baby daughter. She smiles and is happy to see him, but something bothers her inside about this.

Her big brother, Chuckie, knocks on her door.

Kimi walks up and opens it.

"Hey, Kimi, uh may I sit down and talk to you?" asked Chuckie

"Sure." said Kimi,

Chuckie sits down next to Kimi on her bed.

"Look, I know how you feel. Change is hard. I know, it's weird having your bio father living literally close to us but, trust me, he is a good man. He has not shown any signs of being abusive or anything bad like that. Just relax and breathe. Take things easy and we will see where things go from here. We will get through this together." said Chuckie,

Kimi nods

"Ok. I understand. Let's just see how this goes." said Kimi.

—

Over the weekend, Stu and Didi had planned a neighborhood barbecue to welcome Hiro and his family.

Tommy and Dil had come. Drew and Charlotte came with Angelica, Chas and Kira came with Chuckie and Kimi, and Betty and Howard came with Phil and Lil. Susie came on her own with Harold because her parents are too busy.

They all sat down. Hiro and his wife are talking to all the other adults.

Kimi is still nervous about the whole thing.

"I feel like there is something off about this. I love seeing both of my dad's here, and my whole family, don't get me wrong, but seeing Dad and Hiro here is just weird. Do you think my birth dad has a secret job either of us do not know about?" asked Kimi,

"Don't look at me. I have no idea." said Chuckie,

—

Kimi has a WTF look on her face, as she sees Hiro carrying what appears to be a suitcase filled with weapons. She sees a gun dropping out of the suitcase, but Hiro puts it back in.

"What the fuck?!" yelled Kimi, "Oh my god! Why does he have a gun?!"

"Kimi, you are aware that people can use weapons for self-defense right? Calm down." said Chuckie

Kimi is fuming.

"CHUCKIE! MY OWN FATHER IS POTENTIALLY A MURDERER! And you TELL ME TO CALM DOWN?!" yelled Kimi, infuriated

"Kimi. I know you are upset, but please, be calm. For all we know, maybe Hiro is perhaps in the U.S. military and that's why he moved here with his family." said Chuckie

Kimi sighs.

"That could be the case, but I don't know. I just hate it when people keep secrets from me. It's not right and I kind of want answers." said Kimi

"Then why don't you talk to him? I think talking to him would help you find some answers." said Chuckie

Kimi nods.

"That's a good idea." said Kimi

Kimi runs back outside, right in front of the backyard where Hiro is, talking to all the other adults.

Kimi walks in front of Hiro and confronts him.

"Dad! What in the living fuck did you hide from me?!" yelled Kimi, "The jig is up! I know your secret now!"

Hiro gasps. He is shocked that his daughter now knows his secret.

"Kimi, hon. How do you know?" asked Hiro

"Long story short, I eavesdropped on you and I saw you carrying a suitcase with a gun falling out of it. I want to know why you have it?! Are you a murderer or are you secretly in the army or something?" asked Kimi

Hiro nods.

"Kimi-chan. I am in the army. My title is the Oni Operator. I honestly do not want to talk about it. Not now anyways. Maybe another time. I am sorry I did not tell you or anyone else besides my wife about this fact, but I want to protect everyone, even my own children from harm. I hope you can understand that." explained Hiro

Kimi starts to shed tears.

"Uh? Kimi? Are you okay? Is something the matter?" asked Hiro

Kimi blushes red, while tears are dropping from her face.

She breathes.

"Dad. I still do not like it that you kept it a secret from us but I understand why you had to do that. For that, I forgive you." Kimi said

Kimi walks towards her father, Hiro, and hugs him.

"Awwww." everyone at the party all said

Chuckie appears outside to give Kimi a thumbs up. He is glad that Kimi and Hiro have reconciled.

Hiro hands over his newborn daughter to Kimi, and Kimi rocks her baby (half) sister in her arms. The baby girl coos.

Tommy walks over to Kimi and kisses her on the cheek, making Kimi blush.

"I am glad you reconciled with your biological dad." said Tommy, "I knew he was not all that bad."

Kimi giggles.

"Yeah. Me too. I was scared. I thought he was a murderer! Thank fuck that turned out not to be the case."

"Yeah. I love you, Kimi." said Tommy.

"I love you too, Tommy," said Kimi.

Kimi kisses Tommy back.

Now, all the Rats, Angelica, Susie, Harold and the adults are enjoying the barbecue party. Everyone is all smiling and having a good time.