Lousie

Kaelia looked at her own hair in the mirror, an actual mess of curls and frizz staring back at her. Normally, her curls would be straightened, but today she hadn't had the time. Self consciously, she smoothed her hair down and exhaled.

"Well lets just get this over so we can go to the party," she concluded and grabbed her bag before waiting on Mia to do the same. Lately, she hadn't had much contact with Hideo or Haoyu. She didn't see a point to mend the relationships, Haoyu had made his opinions crystal clear.

---

"Kaelia? What are you doing here so late?" Haoyu asked, in his pajamas and some books in hand. It was past midnight, and Kaelia rarely slept here anymore, but hearing him actually ask what she was doing here hurt.

A box of clothes and trinkets on her hip, she paused, "um, I live here, and what the fuck are you doing here? I thought you and Hideo were doing your "we're just friends" bullshit."

Haoyu's face contorted into anger, "excuse you? You don't get to just pick and choose when you want to be a daughter. Hideo is distraught because of your poor behavior."

"My poor behavior? Like he was a good dad, forcing me to keep grades and being controlling as hell." She defended herself, confused as to why he was being so snappy.

He narrowed his eyes, "he was doing that because he loved you, and he loosened those roles. But look what happened, you turn into a failure. Barely going to class and hanging around the wrong crowd."

Kaelia laughed, "really, I'm a failure? It's not my fucking fault he can't parent for shit. And don't say the wrong crowd, it's better than being here with too gay fucks who won't admit it! When it's right in front of your stupid faces too!" She yelled she wasn't sure why she was saying such mean things, making him confrunt his sexuality she'd seen him dance around for years.

Maybe it's because she did too, eyeing Mia or other women who were clearly interesting in guys. Maybe it's because she did too, not want to admit it since queer people were so hated. Maybe it's because she did too, want to change that part of herself, so she'd finally be normal.

From pitying her, his face pivoted to furry once again, "get out of this house! Right now! You don't deserve anything Hideo gives you!"

Kaelia's face dropped, watching him pull the box out of her hands and throw it into her room. Her old awards fell to the floor, one for getting all A's the others musical awards. Sketchbooks with locks on them stumbled out, her old stickers she saved crumbled.

"I said get out!" He yelled again at her motionless face. His face once held warmth, the face she looked foward to seeing after school. Now it held fury she didn't recongnize.

Because of the commotion, Hideo left his room to find them arguing, "Hideo, Kaelia what is this about?"

Kaelia's face hardened, "nothing important." Tears brimmed her eyes, but she didn't let them see and slammed the front door behind her.

---

Again, he made himself clear. So she didn't bother answering the calls and texts. What was the point? Haoyu hated her, Hideo probably the same.

Mia looked at Kaelia checking her phone once more, "you need to stop checking those messages like it's gonna change anything. We need to focus on this run, and letting lose for this party."

Kaelie tensed up when Mia bushed her hand over her waist, she side eyed her crush for years that didn't know. Sighing, she put her phone in her bra and walked to the door, "I know lets go."

Mid-way into their walk, Kaelia got a phone call from the.. leader lets call him the leader of the Yakuza. Her lips pursed and she glanced at Mia, "this is weird, John's calling me."

Confused as well, Mia looked over, "did you do something?"

Thinking, Kaelia couldn't really find anything, "no.. I don't remember at least."

She turned away to answer it, "Kaelia.. Kurokage. You have your first important task."

"Oh." She breathed out, not realizing how nervous she was. The way she said her name, especially her last name threw her off. But he was most likely drunk, so she didn't think much if it.

"Okay, so do you want me to come over or..?" She asked, trying to figure out where this was going.

He smiled to himself, "oh yes. Let's hope you'll actually follow through."

Chuckling, she said, "what you mea-" He hung up and she started at the phone. Then after looking at Mia, she shrugged. So they went back to looking forward to party.

Like most parties, Mia and Kaelia got shit faced. Leading to them waking up in a stranger's house with headaches and a will to live holding onto a thread.

"Fuck.." Kaelia woke up first and winced as adjusted herself. Mia had already been up and was drinking the only thing that cured a hangover, so she reached into the fridge and grabbed a can.

Mia was sitting at the kitchen table with some cereal, "seriously, Kaelia? It's 9am."

She rolled her eyes in response, "I have that thing soon and I want to seem sober."

"Yeah... Drink more to seem sober, real good idea. What if he gives you an assignment immediately after? You'll be sloppy and stumbling through some museum hall or something." Mia berated her, genuinely concerned why she drank so much lately, the only time she was remotely sober was while she slept.

Taking a swing of the can, she scoffed, "I can handle my alcohol very well, thank you."

A few hours into the afternoon Kaelia had finally sobered up enough to walk back to her apartment and change clothes. Tripping on a pair of shoes she landed on her bed and groaned.

"Fuck," maybe Mia was right, she said to herself. She wasn't an alcoholic.. right? It wasn't like she got shitfaced everyday, just when she was invited to parties, and when she had a hangover, and when she felt emotional. And all of those had reasonable excuses, just worse consequences.

Staring at body in the mirror, she put on a shirt and jeans. She'd been losing weight.. rapidly. Maybe it was from the alcohol intake and the fact she didn't eat anything else? Either way she liked it, like the feeling of being skinny.

The shirt hugged her waist but showed nothing, the jeans hid the bruise she got from trying to get out of bed a few days ago, she was still too drunk that morning to stand. Thankfully, she didn't live far from John's house, his ominous response about her first mission.

"Hopefully you'll actually follow through."

"Kaelia... Kurokage.."