Perfect School

"I failed my mission. That doesn't sit well with me. It would sit better with me if my failure was removed...or corrected." I knew I was needling her. Getting under her skin and forcing her to accept my disinterest. In the end I dropped the sickly sweet tone and continued in the same monotone I usually used, "Kyra do you have any idea why I might not want family? Imagine being an orphan. Imagine wishing, praying, hoping with every fiber of your being that your parents who love and adore you would come get you. That you could live a happy life, in a happy home, doing happy things. But as days turn to weeks then into years. They never come. No family shows up. So you have to let go of the wishes. Let go of your hopes and dreams. Find something new to believe in. Because this is reality. I am no poor girl in need of a family to make her whole. My family apparently didn't know I was alive, didn't know I existed. And yet I lived through all that hope and gave it up a long time ago. I dont want a family any more than I need one. Because at the end of the day Kyra. DNA shows who you are, but it also shows you just how much it doesn't matter. Nothing is going to change with this revelation and salvation you believe you are bringing me. It's time to grow up Kyra. Let go of the fairytail family you want to see. I doubt you'll let it be. I doubt you will even follow my wishes. You are probably going to force this upon me no matter what I feel. So would you kindly get the hell out of my room?"

Andrew:

And that was it. I stood up to take my sisters shoulders and steer her out of the room.

“What is wrong with you? How can you be this uncaring?" She didn't quite shout it, but her voice was raised and strained. "I never knew my mom, I grew up without her, but if I found out today that she was alive I sure as hell would want to be with her! I would want to know everything about her!" She was shouting now.

"Kyra, it's time to go," I said in her ear, attempting to pull her away. She was not to be budged.

"You have two living parents! Two incredibly wonderful and loving people! How con you not want that?"

"I've been without for so long Kyra. I wouldn't even know what to do with them in the first place. How do I walk up after sixteen years of life and just...say hi and build love where nothing exists..." The words were spoken softly. And for once the mask slipped from apathy to regret. "Get out of my room. Before I decide you need to be removed." I turned my back on Kyra then, returning to my bathroom where I gripped the sink.

Andrew:

I could feel the tension in her body slip away to helplessness and took the opportunity to pull her out of the room. There were a few students out in the hallway who had overheard us, but I walked past them and into Kyra's room. She fell apart once the door was closed. She sobbed out of anger, and frustration, and everything else that the confrontation with Kira had brought up. I sat on the bed with her and rubbed her back while her face was pressed into a pillow.

Jonah:

I had heard what happened, and pieced together what I could. Kira had been reserved about telling me what was going on with her and Kyra and Kyle. But after some digging I was able to find out for myself. Kyra's shouting had only confirmed it.

That night at practice, Kyra didn't show up.

Kira:

I didn't react to the door closing and I didn't even show up to lessons for the rest of the day. By the time our nightly practice came around I'd recovered my mask and was ready to train with the others as if nothing had changed.

Jonah:

I held off practice for a minuted waiting for Kyra but when I gave Andrew a questioning look he shook his head. I watched them all work. Kira was clearly shaken. Well, not clearly, but I could see it.

“What happened with you and Kyra?” I asked her after practice. Not only was I burning to know the details, but it was my responsibility to make sure their relationship wouldn't effect practice like this again. I could have Kyra skipping out. I would have to talk to her next.

"She gave me information that didn't matter, and got an answer she didn't want." I stated as I worked out a kink in my back. "According to her, Andrew, and Kyle. I am family. They went as far as checking DNA for it."

Jonah:

That wasn't anything I didn't already know. “So you are related to them. That's interesting I suppose. You do kind of have the same eyes,” I mused. “But I don't want this to affect training. You're going to have to sort things out with her. You can't ignore her like you have been.”

I could only shrug, my arms folding under my chest as I settled my hip against a table. "It wont affect things on my end. Nothing changes." I gave him a flat look before looking at the ground. "I have no qualms against Kyra, and I wont ignore her anymore. But if she tried to push the family thing then she does nothing but waste both our times."

Jonah:

I couldn't deny that I was pleased that she didn't want to know her family. They would have a greater tie to her than me if she did. But as it was, the function of my team mattered now.

“She will push it. I'll talk to her about this, but I don't think I can completely make her stop. You might just have to humor her. What harm could come from simply listening?” Kyra wouldn't be happy unless she thought Kira was giving in.

"Because Kyra will keep pushing. I listen now. Eventually down the line I end up dragged to a family get together for a holiday. Everyone is happy and cheerful and glad to see everyone. And then there is me. Like this." I gestured to my face absently, void of feeling. "She will never be satisfied until her picture perfect ideal is met."

Jonah:

“You don't have to go with her. You don't have to get friendly with the family. Just let her talk about them. I'm sure this will calm down after a couple weeks and it will go mostly back to the way it was,” I said, but it wasn't entirely true. Kyra was not on to let things go.

With a disbelieving stare I pushed off the table. "Right. I'll let her talk now then. Might as well get this over with. No training tonight for us."

Jonah:

I nodded in agreement but part of me was disappointed. I wanted to get at her while her walls were thin. There was more emotion in her eyes now than there had been in a long time. “Don't let her shout any more, the students here already know too much of your business for today,” I warned.

"If I can help it this will be quick and I'll be able to go for a swim. Good night Jonah." I waved over my shoulder while leaving for Kyra's room. I stared at her door once I had arrived before sighing and knocking loudly.

Kyra:

Kira was not who I had expected to come to my door. She had avoided me since this issue came up and she had all but thrown me out of her room this morning. There was no way she would be here of her own accord.

"Who sent you?" I asked, standing with the door wide open. It could have been Andrew, miraculously having said something to open her mind. But more likely it was Jonah, he was the only one with enough influence to make her do anything she disliked.

I could have lied, and i started too but my lips formed the truth instead. "Jonah.". I searched her face for a moment, and since truth seemed to be on the menu for me I just continued. "You look like hell. Not usual for you."

Kyra:

I crossed my arms, cocked a hip, and stared at her without comment. She came to me, there was no reason to help her out with what she had come to say. It was probably right from Jonah's mouth anyways, I couldn't trust it, I couldn't trust her. My eyes watered uncontrollably at the thought, not enough to spill over or cloud my vision, but enough to show weakness. To those who knew me, it was a sign that I cared, but to Kira, despite her being my cousin, it was weakness.

I saw the tears that threatens to spill down her cheeks, saw the feelings buried just below the surface. And i found I felt ill at ease though it wasn't going to show. If I was on a mission I would feel my hands drawn to my weapon. But here? Here i was defenseless. Making things right? How did I do that?

The longer we looked at each other the more that I'll feeling grew. In the end it was me who looked away first with a hand on my stomach. "Why?". I ended up asking. Why was I feeling like this, why did her buried tears hurt, why did I feel longing. Why, why, why. "I'm.....sorry...". The word felt foreign in my mouth. It even brought s grimace to my face.

Kyra:

A crease formed down the center of my forehead when she apologized. Something about it made me think it was genuine, but I didn't know what she was apologizing for. Kira was not one to feel remorse. I let out a heartfelt sigh and reached out to her. I had hugged her before, she had never liked it, but this time was different. I was hugging her out of love and devotion, letting her know what she meant to me.

I struggled to find the words to say after that, but it turned out the words didn't matter. She embraced me, drawing me into a hug. My mind drew back to younger years and the german shepard guard dogs Marie had around. They'd let you hug them, but after a time they made this kind of coughing whine to tell you to let go. That very same coughing whine came from me after the hug began to linger.

Kyra:

I let her go but I kept a hand on her shoulder. "Kira, I know this is so much to take in for you, and I know you're reluctant to it. All I ask is that you give us a chance. It doesn't have to be all at once. We can start with just you and me, and Andrew. You can talk to my dad if you want, but you don't have to right away. And Michael and Krissy -your parents- they don't even have to know until you're ready." My voice was throaty and strained though I managed to blink away the tears in my eyes.

"We will go slow, just give us a chance. We're your family, and we will always be your family no matter what you do. That will never change."

Kira's lips parted, every retort sitting on her tongue ready for use. Logic, arguments, reasoning, it all sat ready for her to deliver. But no matter how she tried, it wouldn't come out. Visibly subdued she nodded, "It wont be perfect...never think it will be perfect...this isn't what I wanted...but I'll try."

Andrew:

Over the next several weeks Kyra coerced me into helping her inform Kira about our family. Kira didn't ignore her anymore, but she wasn't enthusiastic about the information either. I tried to not over load Kira so as to maintain the comfortable bond we had formed. My feelings towards he didn't change when I found out that she was my cousin, I was just pleased that out of anyone it was her.

We went back to our house in July to continue individual training. A week after I received a few troubling messages from Zero that she was in trouble. There were dangerous people after her. Then, without warning, she disappeared. We didn't hear from her for a couple days and I finally brought the information she had given me forward. Jonah did some work to try to contact her but she had gone completely off the grid. With some convincing, I managed to get everyone on board to go find her, Kira leading the way.

I doubted Zero was in any danger. In the years I'd known her, she disappeared from the grid sometimes. Zero was brilliant with people, and could live and breath technology. But she was paranoid, suffered from insomnia, and struggled to maintain basic control over her well being. I assumed she had imagined some trouble and would return as if nothing had happened shortly. We were still under our training and rest period and so no new missions were going to be induced yet.

But after everyone struggled to find her, a small remark had everyone bullying me into leading the way. With how often I saw Andrew on his phone, with Zero I usually assumed, I was surprised he hadn't known where our tech expert lived. And so we purchased a flight to Nepal, first landing in Kathmandu, then a connecting flight to Mustang so we could make the trek up the mountain.