Kyosei Zymelka
"No no no!" Her after school tutor rubbed her temples, acting like Kyosei had just ruined the entire piece. "Open your mouth wider, wider…" The teacher demenstrated by talking funny and opening her mouth overly wide. "See?"
Kyosei fought back laughter and tried singing the line again. Her voice rang out clearly through the empty hall. She finished the song and sighed as she knew what was coming.
"That was almost perfect but…" The teacher tore her performance apart.
As Kyosei left the music hall, finally getting to return to her home around 6 or 7 at night, she couldn't help remembering a Shel Silverstein poem. "Almost perfect…but not quite." She flung the door open with a vengeance and tossed her bag as hard as she could at the closet. "Almost perfect…but not quite! Damn her."
"Is that you Kyosei?" Her mother called. "Come and help me with dinner."
She sighed. "I'm going to change first mother." Thank you for noticing my discouragement as well. Yes I am having problems and I would like to talk about it. She changed into something drastically different from her uniform and ran back down the stairs to the kitchen. The Zymelka family was rather large with two parents, one grandparent, three daughter, and four sons all in the same house. Her father had a good job working with the university and their house represented his success. Many rooms that none of the children were allowed to use, many things that the children weren't allowed to touch, many children that nobody bothered noticing. One of Kyosei's many unknown siblings swung at her as she passed him in the hall. "Screw off." She murmured as she entered the kitchen and begun peeling potatoes.
"Have a good day at school sweetheart?" Her mother was a stay at home mom, always annoyingly cheerful and optimistic.
No, I'm leaning towards murdering my voice coach. "Fine. Nothing out of the ordinary happening." Kyosei refused to look at her mother.
"That's nice honey. Peel away from yourself, not towards."
Almost perfect…but not quite. "Okay mom." Kyosei disliked her family. She had practically everything and she hated it. "I'll be in my room." She dashed off before her mom could assign another chore. Once she got there she shut her door, locked it and turned her speakers on full blast.
"Kyosei!" Her eldest brother pounded on the door. "Turn that crap down!"
"What?" Kyosei turned the music up. "I can't hear you."
"Fuck you!" Her brother disappeared and Kyosei actually bothered to turn her music down. She sat down at her computer and logged on to ICQ. She quickly found Darien and began to chat with him. –So, how much do you bet that Jeremy's already weaseled Candy's costume out of her?-
-*grins* Nothing. Candy's stubborn. What's wrong?-
-If I say nothing will you go away?-
-Give them a chance Kyosei, they are your family.-
-I'm not related to any of them.-
-I gotta go love. Sorry. Working on my costume.-
Kyosei grinned. –You wouldn't tell me your costume, would you?-
-Never love. See ya.-
-Bye- Kyosei closed down the Internet and shut off her computer. She didn't feel like talking to anyone else. Darien thinks I'm selfish. She knew it, there wasn't any doubt. He thinks I have everything and that I'm a selfish little rich girl. Screw him. Kyosei through a pillow across her room as someone else pounded on her door.
"Kyosei. If the diva will deign herself to dine with us mere commoners, dinner's ready."
"Screw off!" Kyosei yelled over her music. She didn't turn off the music…and she didn't come down for dinner.
"Where are you going honey?" Her mother didn't even bother acknowledging the fact that Kyosei hadn't been seen since before dinner the night before. "It's a beautiful day. Why don't you take one of the dogs for a walk?"
"Sure." Kyosei sighed, grabbing her purse and a dog leash. "Why not?" She tracked down one of the many animals that lived in the Zymelka household and tied the leash around it. "C'mon dog."
She didn't really care for animals, but this particular mutt seemed pleasant enough. He walked her pace and didn't stop to sniff or mark too much. Kyosei almost liked it. "I wonder what one of my worthless siblings has named you." She pondered as the dog happily waged it's tail, glad to be getting some attention. The sibling that had begged her mother for the creature probably hadn't touched it in over a month. "You're kinda friendly."
She arrived at the mall and tied the creature outside, knowing that she was only going to be in for a few minutes. She had decided on her costume, an undead fighter, last night between dreams and needed a few things to create the costume from. Contrary to popular believe, Kyosei could sew and was planning on making her costume that afternoon. She grabbed some black material, red material and some white make-up. She charged it to her mother's account. She picked up the dog and headed for home.
"Doggy!" A small child ran up to Kyosei and began to stroke the dog's fur. "Pretty doggy! What's it's name?"
"Umm…." Kyosei stammered. "I dunno. I just found him. Why don't you name him?" Kyosei smiled kindly. She wasn't as mean a person as she lead her family to believe.
"Spot!" The child kissed the happy dog on the nose. "Spot!"
"That's a good name for a dog." Kyosei grinned knealing beside the kid. "Even if he doesn't have any spots."
"Does he do any tricks?" The kid asked Kyosei in wide-eyed amazement.
"I have no idea." She grinned. "Where's your mother?"
"At home. She said I could play outside."
"Where's your home?" Kyosei had never seen this child before and was beginning to realize why.
"I don't know." The kid didn't seem concerned with it. "I'm not going back. Can we go to the park and see if he knows tricks?"
"Sure." Kyosei smiled. "Why aren't you going back?" She took the child's hand and lead him towards the park.
"My mommy's mean. She makes me eat vegetables that I don't like and she doesn't care that I hate them. She doesn't do anything but work and she knows nothing about me." The ten year old grumbled. "Spot! Sit!"
The tan coloured canine panted and lay down. Kyosei grinned. "He was close. So you're leaving home over vegetables?"
"Yeah." The kid said, petting Spot's head. "She's mean."
"I bet." Kyosei agreed. "Just horrible. She doesn't by you little presents just because. She doesn't tuck you in at night. She doesn't hug you every night." She was taking a shot in the dark, but it just might work.
She got lucky. "What time is it?"
"About four or five." Kyosei rubbed his hair. "If you've been gone since morning she'd be awfully worried."
"Yeah." The kid agreed, tears coming to his eyes. "But I don't know where home is."
Kyosei reached into the kid's pocket and pulled out a small card. "Every kid in the town carries one of those, police make them. It's got your name, address and phone number. How 'bout me and Spot walk you home?" Kyosei wiped his tears away and took his hands.
"Okay." The kid sniffled as the teen lead him home.
"Robby!" A tearful woman ran down the steps to a small house and grabbed the boy. "I was so worried." She hugged him again then looked at Kyosei. "Thank you so much!"
"No problem." Kyosei grinned.
"This is Spot and his owner." Robby introduced them.
"It's a pleasure to meet you both. Thank you ever so much! I was worried sick!" The woman stood up, still keeping one hand on her son in case he decided to disappear again.
"Mommy can Spot stay with us?" Robby held his mother with one hand and the dog with the other.
"Spot belongs to this nice lady." The mother obviously wondered where the solid-coloured dog had gotten such a strange name.
"Keep him. You appreciate him more than my family does." Kyosei offered the leash to the woman. "If it's okay. If it's not I'll take him home with me."
"Thank you." The mother grinned happily. "For everything. It's getting chilly. Would you like to come in for a minute?"
"Naw I gotta get home." Kyosei turned and left before she was too tempted to stay.
"Kyosei! You're late! Where have you been?" Her bossy older sister demanded.
"Screw off." It was Kyosei's favourite saying when she was at home.
"You lost the dog?" The owner of the dog was now identified.
"The mutt ran off." Kyosei grabbed her bags and headed for her room.
"You're useless you know that Kyosei!" The older sister glared and ran off to tell her mother that Kyosei was an insult to the family.
"SCREW OFF!" Kyosei locked the door to her room and sat down at the sewing machine to finish her costume.
"You're so selfish!" The older sister wasn't completely gone yet.
Sure. Kyosei had learned to tune out her siblings.
"Where are you going dressed like…" Her mother struggled for a word. "…that."
"Party. I'll be back before dawn." Kyosei grabbed her purse and started out the door.
"Good bye sweet heart."
"See ya." Kyosei called, Screw off. She couldn't help thinking.
Off to the party...
Background from All Hallow's Eve Backgrounds.
Pictures from Evil Doll Dungeon.
