Chapter 10: Family Dinner “Ugh, he is impossible!” Yume growled upon returning to her dorm room after practice to clean up before dinner. She knew she had resolved to give Mikhail a little more time to warm up to her, but the Ice Prince was seriously trying her patience. Not only was he unfriendly, whenever he did deign to talk to her, the only thing he had to say to her was criticism. Yume knew that her throw jumps were not fully consistent yet, but rolling his eyes every time she fell or two-footed a jump was not constructive. She even suspected he was insulting her whenever she heard him muttering something in his native language, although she couldn’t be certain. May must have been lying when she said Mikhail had wanted her to be his new partner. By all appearances, he couldn’t stand Yume. The committee must have forced him to partner with her, and that had to be the reason why he was treating her so terribly. No other explanation made sense. But Yume wasn’t ready to throw in the towel just yet. They were set to headline Kaleido Stage’s next show, so somehow or another, they had to learn to get along. How they were going to do that, she had no idea. Sora had invited Yume over to her house for dinner with their parents, so putting Mikhail out of her mind for the moment, she stripped out of her practice clothes and headed to the bathroom to take a quick shower. Just as she was about to step under the water, however, Fool -- rather predictably -- made a reappearance. Not wanting a repeat performance of last night‘s conversation with Pilar, Yume quickly grabbed a large towel to cover herself and hissed, “Fool, get out of here!” “You’re such a spoilsport.” “I don’t care. Out. Now.” “You know, I’m beginning to think --” He didn’t have a chance to finish his sentence before Yume grabbed Fool and threw him out of the bathroom. She didn’t know whether or not he had the ability to walk through walls like a ghost, but she made certain to lock the door behind her anyway before resuming her shower. When she had finished, Yume securely wrapped the towel around herself and took a cautious look outside the door. Fool was still there, much to her irritation. “Do you mind? I need to get dressed.” “No, go right on ahead,” he said, outstretching his arm in a gallant fashion. Yume again grabbed him by the midsection and looked around her bedroom as he struggled to break free of her grasp. Her eyes landed on her desk. “That’ll do,” she said, dumping the perverted doll in the bottom drawer and locking it for good measure. Ignoring Fool’s pounding and shouting from inside the desk drawer, she quickly got dressed. Though she was tempted to leave without releasing him, Yume reluctantly unlocked the drawer and pulled it out. “That was not nice,” Fool said, glaring at Yume as he floated up out of the drawer. “I could have died in there!” “You don’t look like you are gasping for breath.” “Well, that’s because I don’t actually need to breathe. You weren’t aware of that, though.” Yume rolled her eyes and stood back up from her kneeling position. “Whatever. I released you, so go bug somebody else for a change. I don’t have time for this. I’m having dinner with my family tonight, and I‘m already running late.” “A family dinner, huh?” Fool rubbed at his chin. “I wonder if your sister still has the ability to see me. It would be nice to see her again…” “If that is your none-too-subtle way of asking if you can come with me, the answer is no.” “Why not? It‘s not like anyone else will be able to see me.” “Because -- Because…” “See, you can’t even come up with a reason why I shouldn’t go. It’s settled, then. I’m coming with you.” “Argh, fine!” Yume said, throwing her hands up in surrender. “It’s not like I can stop you anyway. Just don’t expect me to talk to you. I don’t want my parents to think I’m crazy, too.” ***** Sora and Ken’s house wasn’t far from Kaleido Stage, just a couple of blocks away, so Yume decided to walk, pointedly ignoring Fool whenever he tried to engage her in conversation since there were people around. When they reached the house about ten minutes later, Yume took a moment to remind Fool the condition behind his being allowed to come. “Remember, no talking to me unless we’re alone or with Sora.” “I know, I know. You don‘t have to worry. My lips are sealed.” Not exactly sure if she should believe him, Yume nevertheless pushed the button for the doorbell. It was Sora herself who answered the door. “Yume, there you are! We were --” Sora stopped short upon noticing Fool floating in the air behind Yume’s left shoulder, her eyes widening slightly. “Ah, I see you’ve brought a guest for dinner,” she said with a amused smile once she got over her surprise. Fool bowed. “Sora, always a pleasure to see you again, and may I just say you are looking positively luminescent?” “Please, I feel like I have a volleyball in my stomach.” She rubbed a hand over her rounded tummy. “Nonsense. I’ve always found the pregnant female body quite alluring.” “You find all female bodies alluring, Fool,” Sora said with a roll of her eyes. “I hope he hasn’t been bothering you too much, Yume.” “Who has been bothering Yume?” their father asked, frowning as he came up behind Sora. “A boy?” He didn’t seem too pleased with the idea. “It’s not like that, otou-san,” Yume said. She came in and gave her father a hug. “I’ve just been having some trouble getting along with my new partner, that’s all.” At least that part was true. “Sorry, I’m late, but practice ran a little long today.” “Your mother and I are just happy we get to see you at all. You’ve been so busy these last couple of days, we’ve barely had the chance to see you.” “I’m sorry,” she apologized again as the three of them -- four, counting Fool -- entered the living room where her mother and Hana were playing a card game. “Aunt Yume!” The moment Yume stepped into the room, Hana threw down her cards and ran over to hug her. “Come play with us!” she said, pulling on Yume’s arm. “We’re playing Go Fish! I learned it today at school.” “Hana, your father is almost finished preparing dinner, so why don’t you go wash up?” Sora gently suggested. “You can continue your card game after dinner.” “Do I hafta, Mama?” “Yes, you do.” “Okay…” Letting out a loud sigh, the little girl obediently trudged to the downstairs bathroom to wash up. “She’s been wanting to play Go Fish non-stop ever since she came home,” Sora said. “Be prepared for a Go Fish marathon after we eat.” “I’ll consider myself warned,” Yume said. “So Ken-san is cooking tonight?” “He wanted us to experience an authentic ’American-style barbeque’ while we were here,” their mother answered for Sora, coming over to greet Yume with a hug. “But, mainly, I think your big sister just had a craving for potato salad. She’s been sneaking into the kitchen every ten minutes or so to steal a bite out of the bowl.” “I have not!” Their mother smiled and reached over to wipe something away from the corner of Sora‘s mouth. “You might be more believable if you didn’t have a little piece of potato salad stuck on your face, dear.” “Well, I might have taken just a *few* bites for tasting…” Everyone, including Sora, laughed. A few minutes later, Ken, wearing a “Kiss The Cook” apron over his clothes, came inside to announce that dinner was ready, so they all followed him to the backyard. Though it was nearing evening, somebody had hung paper lanterns from the trees and placed candles on the wooden picnic table where they would be eating, giving them enough light to see. A slightly smoky, but pleasant, smell filled the air, and the table was covered in a variety of traditional barbeque foods. “Everything smells delicious, Ken-san,” Yume’s father said as they took their seats at the table. “Thank you. I hope everyone enjoys it.” On one side of the table, Yume sat between Sora and their mother. Hana insisted on sitting directly across from her aunt, leaving the men to take the seats in front of their respective wives. Fool, of course, remained floating in the air between Sora and Yume, silent, but drooling over the array of food. *Do Spirits of the Stage even need to eat?* Yume wondered, feeling a smidge bit guilty as she loaded up her plate. Normally, she was more selective about what she ate, but since it was a special occasion, she gave herself permission to indulge. Taking pity on Fool, Yume waited until everybody’s attention was elsewhere to tear off a piece of rib and throw it on the ground. “You are aware I am not a dog, are you not?” Fool said sardonically, speaking for the first time since they came inside the house. Yume couldn’t resist the urge to roll her eyes. “Well, excuse me for trying to be nice,” she muttered, hiding her mouth behind her napkin. “I can’t exactly hand a piece of food to somebody who isn’t there. Do you even eat?” “It’s not required, no, but I do enjoy having a taste every once in a while.” “Fine.” Yume tore off another piece of meat and discreetly moved her hand underneath the table to give it to Fool. “Here.” “Yume, how are things at Kaleido Stage?” her mother asked, startling Yume. “Are you getting along well with your new partner?” “Seems like they’ve been having a few problems,” her father said. “She mentioned it when she arrived.” “It’s nothing major, really.” The last thing Yume wanted was her parents to worry about her. “We just need to work out a few kinks, that’s all.” Not wanting to think about Mikhail, Yume changed the subject. “So, Sora, do you know if you’re having a boy or a girl yet?” Before Sora could answer, the ringtone on somebody’s cell phone went off. “Sorry, that’s me,” her father said, getting up from the table after checking the caller ID. “Excuse me, but I have to take this.” Yume‘s mother frowned. “Chikara, we’re having dinner. Can‘t it wait?” “It’s the office. It shouldn’t take too long.” Her father walked over to Hana’s swing set and took the call. After a short conversation with whoever was on the other line, he returned, letting out a loud sigh as he reclaimed his seat. “I’m sorry, Yume, but it looks like we’re going to have to cut out visit short,” he announced. “The company wants me to go to New York to meet with some potential investors.” “But you’re supposed to be on vacation, dear,” her mother said. “Can’t they send someone else in your place?” “I’m afraid not. The person originally scheduled to take the meetings was in a car accident and broke his leg, and I’m the only other person working on this account.” “I see. Well, when do you leave?” “As soon as possible. They’re working on getting us tickets on the next available flight to New York.” “Us?” “It’s the company’s way of apologizing for demanding I cut my vacation short. They’ve agreed to buy you a ticket as well, if you would like to come with me, and they’re going to set us up with a room at the Four Seasons.” “That’s generous of them,” Sora said. “Okaa-san, you should go. You’ve always dreamed of going to New York City, right?” “Well, yes, but we only just got here a few days ago…” “Oh, that reminds me!” Without explanation, Sora suddenly jumped up from the table and headed back inside the house. Everybody looked over at Ken, who shrugged his shoulders, just as confused about his wife’s behavior as the rest of them. A couple of minutes later, Sora returned, waving what appeared to be a pair of tickets in the air. “Layla-san sent these to me last Christmas. They’re tickets to the opening night performance of her new Broadway play, ‘Cleopatra‘. Ken and I were planning to go, but with the pregnancy and all, we decided it best not to.” She handed the tickets over to her mother. “You and otou-san should take them. The play opens tomorrow night.” “Oh, we couldn’t, Sora. They were a gift.” “They’re just going to go to waste if you don’t go. I’m sure Layla-san won’t mind me giving them to you, and with her headlining, it‘s sure to be a fantastic show. You can tell me all about it.” “I have always wanted to see a Broadway show…” their mother admitted, glancing across the table at their father. “Chikara, do you think you’ll be able to attend?” “It depends on how well the meetings go, but I don’t have anything currently scheduled for tomorrow night,” he said. “We should be able to make it.” “Then you should go,” Sora insisted. “Take the tickets, please.” “Well, if you insist…” their mother said. “Thank you.” ***** Since the two of them needed to get ready to leave, the barbeque ended shortly after. Yume’s parents headed upstairs to pack, while Ken helped Hana get ready for bedtime and Yume offered to help Sora with clean-up duty. Fool, of course, was thrilled to be able to talk freely again and took advantage of it the first chance he got. “Sora, you need to have a talk with your little sister,” he said the moment the rest of the family was out of sight. “She doesn’t respect me at all!” “Hmm, really?” Sora said with an air of disinterest as she gathered the dirty plates from around the table. Yume, who was wrapping up the leftovers, rolled her eyes. “That’s real mature, Fool -- tattling on me to my sister. Is that why you were so insistent on coming tonight?” Fool brought his hand to his forehead and let out a sigh. “See what I have to deal with? She‘s not cute at all.” “Well, excuse me for not living up to your standards, you perverted ghost doll.” “For your information, I am a spirit, not a ghost, and I am most certainly not a doll, despite how you treat me like some kind of unwanted plaything.” “So you don’t refute the ‘perverted’ part?” Sora giggled, breaking up the brewing argument between them. “You two seem to be getting along well,” she said, heading inside to the kitchen. Yume followed after her with the leftovers, Fool tagging along as well. “In what universe is this called ‘getting along well’?” she asked. After putting the food in the refrigerator, she began helping Sora at the sink with the dishes. “Seriously, how did you put up with him, Sora? He‘s always popping up at the most inconvenient times. If he doesn‘t stop, I‘m going to end up in the insane asylum.” She let out a sigh as she dried off the plate Sora handed her. “Sometimes I think I really am going crazy.” “I assure you that you’re not hallucinating him, Yume.” “Indeed, I’m as real as you and Sora,” Fool said. “Other people just can’t see me. You should be proud to be one of the chosen few who can. I don’t appear to just anybody, you know.” Yume frowned. “I just don’t understand, why me?” “Are you still insisting I made a mistake? Look, I proved it to you earlier today. I went right up to that Russian fellow’s face, and he didn’t even blink.” “I know, but…” “Is Yume going to perform the Legendary Maneuver?” Sora asked, changing the subject. “She is a gifted gymnast, but she’s never done trapeze… Then again, neither had I when you first appeared to me.” “No, her destiny is different from yours, Sora,” he replied. “She’s going to perform a maneuver that only one other couple has managed to pull off in the history of her sport.” “Wait, did you say a ‘couple’?” Yume asked. “Does that mean --?” Before she could finish her question, however, their parents and Ken had come back downstairs, suitcases in hand. Their mother popped her head in the kitchen, interrupting her. “Sora? Yume? We’re on our way to the airport. Ken-san has offered to drive us.” “So soon?” Sora pulled off her rubber gloves and walked over to tell them goodbye. “Have a good trip, Okaa-san,” she said, giving her mother a hug. “Remember, you have to tell me everything about Layla-san’s performance.” “I’ll call you as soon as we get back to the hotel,” she promised, placing a hand on Sora’s rounded stomach. “And you keep me up-to-date on the baby’s progress. Since you‘re due around the date of Yume‘s first performance, we‘ll come back for another visit. I can‘t wait to meet my new grandchild!” “I will.” “Sorry again for cutting our trip short, Yume,” their father said, embracing Yume, who had joined them in the living room. “Don’t worry about it, otou-san. I’ll be fine. Onee-chan and Ken-san are here if I need anything.” “If that partner of yours keeps giving you trouble, don’t hesitate to tell Ken-san. He’s a producer now, so I’m sure he can whipped that boy into shape.” The idea of her brother-in-law, known for his soft heart and kind nature, whipping anybody into shape was laughable at best, but Yume kept her chuckles to herself, not wanting to hurt Ken’s feelings. “I can handle Mikhail-san. We’ll be fine once we become more comfortable with each other.” *At least I hope so,* she added mentally in her head. “We should be going now, Naegino-san,” Ken announced. “You don’t want to miss your flight.” After a last round of good-byes, the three set off for the airport, Yume and Fool leaving a short time later. DISCLAIMER: Kaleido Star doesn’t belong to me. AUTHOR’S NOTES: Any comments and criticisms can be sent to me at ElysionDream@aol.com.