Kitsune

“Yeah, yeah,” I said, a little annoyed. “Getting up.”

“You better!” A familiar voice resounded. “You got a full ride to the best technology college in the nation, and you’re going to miss orientation!”

“You’re right, Reina.” I mumbled. “Always right.”

“Of course I’m fucking right. You get to go to college, while I’m stuck in high school!” Reina tossed her blonde hair, parting it to her left side.

“Don’t let mom catch you talking like that,” I tossed my blanket on the floor. “You know how she gets.” Mom is the stereotypical helicopter mom, who screams at having toothbrushes in the wrong order.

“Only when she isn’t out with Jared…” she said, laughing through her hands.

“Not funny.” Mom had caused a divorce due to her unfaithfulness with my old French teacher. “Too soon.”

“Sorry.” She cleared her throat. “Food’s on the table.”

“Thanks. See you in five,” I stood up as she closed the door.

///

“Aww sweetie! It’s your first day of college!” Mom set my plate of blueberry waffles in front of me. “Can I drive you?”

“Umm,” I said through a bite, “I think I can drive-“

“Can I drive you?” She cut me off. This kind of pettiness only came after the divorce and her having to take on the role of a “single mother of two rowdy teenagers”.

“Yeah, fine.” I submitted. I’ve learned to choose what battles I want to fight, and this one really isn’t worth the trouble.

“We all can take my car!” She said happily.

“We all?” My sister put down her phone for a second. “You know, the school bus is free, and it will save you the gas money, plus-“

“Don’t worry, I called in and said you have a doctor’s appointment,” She interrupted Reina, “You don’t want to miss your big brother’s orientation, do you?”

“The orientation is during my lunch break. I thought we talked about-“

“If you weren’t on your phone so damn much, you’d want to spend some family time exploring the college with us!” She turned hostile like an oil truck in a wildfire. “Give me your phone!”

“Fine, Lorelai. Here you go.” She slid her phone across the table.

“Thank you for not arguing!” She turned bubbly again. “And I’m your mother, call me as so.”

“Ok…. Mom.” Reina said, grabbing her now empty plate plate and standing up. “Nick?” She held out her hand.

“Thanks, Rei.” I said as I handed her my plate as i shoveled the last bites into my mouth.

“Reina?” Mom said, lifting up her plate and turning it towards her direction.

“See you in a bit, Nick.” She flat out ignored her.

“Nickolai?”

“Sorry mom, I gotta go get ready” I said, already halfway up the stairs by the time she said my name. “See you in twenty.”

“Oh… ok.” I would’ve felt sorry for her, but she abused that sympathy two months ago when she fucked Mr. Cypress.

I opened my room door, and got a whiff of nasty body odor. After giving my armpits a sniff, my face cringed and I grabbed my clothes and headed for the shower.

As soon as the hot water hit my back, the door swung open. I knew instantly who it was.

“Hey Rei,”

“How’d you know it’s me?” She hit the curtain, spraying the cold, leftover water on me.

“Mom knocks, then bursts in.” I said after jumping from the cold water.

“Ahh”

“So what do you need?”

“I want to put on makeup,” That’s interesting, because she never usually puts makeup on. “I have an event to go to.”

“You never put on makeup.”

“I never need it. This face is beautiful as is!” That’s her high ego kicking in. I wish I had a high ego. That must be nice.

“You couldn’t use the other bathroom?” I kinda enjoy my privacy, and Rei was invading it. I began to rub soap on my face.

“No, because that one doesn’t have a sauna,” a small quip to me showering, “my makeup is in here, and mom’s in the other one.”

“That’s fair.” I said. After about ten minutes, she left, and I immediately hopped out of the shower. After putting on my clothes and straightened out my hair, I was ready.

///

“Got everything?” Mother called out, sitting in the driver’s seat of my SUV, even though she said we’d use her minivan. Whatever. Soon enough, we were on the road. About an hour and a half later, we arrived at DT University, and we met up with my admissions counselor.

“Welcome to DTU Tech Campus!” She said. She was a decently looking woman, probably in her late twenties. “I am Ms. Weissman. Unfortunately, I won’t be able to be leading this tour today-“

“Excuse me, but we came all of the way out here-” Mom started.

“Never mind that,” I shot a glare at mom, which I don’t do very often, “We are ok. Continue?”

“Anyways, I’m sorry that I can’t be leading this tour as I have other things…”

“Try that again and you’re grounded, young man.” Mom whispered, barely loud enough for me to hear.

“Ground me while you can,” I wasn’t about to ruin my non-existent reputation by having a helicopter mom decide what I want and don’t want.

“… So to lead this tour I have someone that you are familiar with. Ethan Volpe?” No way. My one friend from high school. He was the jock and I was the nerd. I don’t know how he pulled coming to this school off, but somehow, he’s here. She stepped aside, and there he was.

“Nickolai! Been waiting for you man!” I brought him in for a hug. “This your family?” He whispered, and I only nodded. I was too lost for words to even try to open my mouth. “Both your sister and your mom are bombshells. You hit that yet?”

“Ewww!!” I push off of him. One thing I don’t miss is his dirty jokes. “This is my mom Lorelai and my sister Reina.”

“Nice to met you, hope my son isn’t getting the wrong ideas from you,” My mom completely ruined the moment.

“No, Mrs Lionheart, not at all. Been on the straight and narrow.”

“Good. Glad to know he has some support.”

“My turn!” Rei stepped forward. “My name is Reina, but just call me Rei.”

“Nice to meet you Rei! What grade are you in?”

“I’m a senior in highschool. I’m planning on going to some sort of military while attending college. Probably going to major in mechanical engineering. I don’t know yet.”

“Well, it’s only winter term, so you don’t have to rush yourself too much. They don’t want me to tell you this, but make a decision that makes you happy, it doesn’t have to be DTU, just at the end of the day, it’s you who is going to college.” Sometimes I wonder how such a charismatic and widely known person picked someone like me. “Anyways, let’s get on with the tour.”

///

Most of the tour was meaningless. Our last stop was the dorms. The one thing I was most excited for, because I get a single bedroom to myself.

“Last stop, the dorms.” My mom was super entranced in everything this college had to offer, taking pictures like we were tourists, but my sister simply wasn’t having it. She was toying around on my phone, as mom still had Rei’s in her purse.

“These are the freshman dorms,” Ethan said as he stopped, pointing to it from the curb we were standing on, “but I saw your application and changed your living situation to be bunked with me in the senior dorms.