With dinner finished, Nyx felt that taking a leisurely walk through the surrounding town would help put everyone at ease.
"So," Aaron asked. "How worried should we be about your grandpa?"
Nyx paused, gazing at Aaron, Haley, and Ikuro. She had never seen apprehension on a tigress, kintaro, or kitsune face before. Needless to say, she didn't like it.
"I..I...think we'll be okay," Ny replied sheepishly. "Grandpa really doesn't like to go to the mortal realm anymore."
"Because humans killed his wife," Haley stated bluntly.
Everyone paused, raising an eyebrow as they gawked at the Amazonian jade tigress.
"What?" Haley asked. "I mean that's what happened. Then he went all murdery with the pikes and the I vant to suck your blood bla bla bla."
"Yeah, but we're not trying to say that Haley," Aaron replied. "I mean what the hell, it's not like we want to say it out loud!"
"Why though?" Haley asked. "Aren't our moms always telling us to speak the truth?"
"You know what," Aaron said, holding his hands up in exasperation. "You're right. I'm not touching this one. Just...try not to say that one too loud okay?"
Haley simply shrugged, the tigress attention now drawn to a garden of blood orchids. Excitedly she now dragged Ikuro forward as she began to smell the flowers.
"Haley certainly is....unfiltered," Nyx chuckled.
"Yeah she's always full of surprises," Aaron smirked. "Gave our moms headaches, but she's always had a heart of gold."
Nyx nodded as the couple watched Ikuro and Haley. The serious kitsune remained stoic, taking time to observe everything Haley pointed out as the tigress randomly sprinted between flower gardens. Nyx couldn't help but smirk as she watched the tigress antics. There was something so innocent yet so chaotic at the same time when it came to Haley. The tigress was a conundrum. One moment it seemed like she couldn't hold a thought in her head if you gave her a safe. The next, she would say something profound or empathic that would absolutely astound you.
As the quartet now turned the corner, Haley paused as she noticed a group of vampires children at play. The vampiric children appeared young, 10 years old or younger. The group appeared to have been playing catch before two older ones began playing keep away. Haley's jade fur now stood on end, a low growl emanated from the tigress as the younger one cried.
"Ah shit," Aaron groaned.
"What?" Nyx asked.
"Haley hates bullies," Aaron sighed. "And I mean REALLY hates them. The amount of times she got sent to the principal's office as a kid drove my moms nuts."
Not wanting an interdimensional incident to take place, Aaron moved to restrain his sister. Before they could act though, the quartet watched as another vampire ran around the corner. This vampire, while still a child, began yelling at the two older vampires. Startled the pair of bullies sprinted off as the older one approached the younger. Apparently the pair were siblings, the younger brother thanking his older brother as they began walking in the opposite direction.
"Guess everything worked out," Nyx said.
"Looks like it," Aaron said in relief.
The couple immediately saw Haley relax, her expression changing from anger to enthusiasm as she pulled Ikuro forward. Apparently the tigress once more found something of interest as she excitedly pointed to a statue.
"I always find it amazing how Haley can go from enraged to happy in the blink if an eye," Aaron said softly, a small smile forming on his vulpine face.
"I guess she just wants to see the positive in the world," Nyx shrugged. "Must have made for an entertaining childhood."
"You have no idea," Aaron chuckled as he now explained one of the more memorable events from the Harris families past.
**************************************
2031
Mika grunted in frustration, throwing her car in park. Taking a moment, she now tiredly gazed at Beaverbrook Elementary School.
The year was, for the most part, quiet. The twins were in fifth grade and getting ready to go to middle school as Mason was preparing to finish kindergarten. All they needed to do was finish the last few weeks before summer vacation. Then the principal called.
Exiting the car, Mika's shoulders slumped as she noticed Claudia exit her car.
"Teresa called you too?" she asked, her voice sounding exhausted.
"Yeah," Claudia sighed. "Haley's in the office again."
Mika could do little more than groan on annoyance. Haley was the child who gave them fits. While the girl could be sweet, her impulsive nature often landed her in hot water. So much so that the Harris women were on a first name basis with the principal Teresa Jacobson.
"Haley took her medicine this morning right?" Mika asked.
"Of course she did," Claudia replied. "I gave them to her myself."
Claudia grunted in frustration as they approached the school. All Haley needed to do was mind her business for a few more weeks. Then, they could finally stop meeting the principal like this.
"I swear," Claudia grumbled. "I can't freaking wait for the school year to end. I feel like such an asshole everytime I sit in Teresa's office."
"I know," Mika sighed. "Let's go find out how bad this is."
Approaching the door, the couple nodded towards the secretary Kristin West. The middle aged woman sighed, already knowing why they were here after so many years.
"Hi ladies," she said. "Haley again?"
"Yeah," they replied wearily.
"Good luck," Kristin stated. "Teresa is in her office."
Buzzing the pair in Mika and Claudia entered the school. Already they had a bad feeling as they gazed at the cafeteria.
Three janitors were in the process of cleaning up a huge mess. Food stains, overturned garbage cans, and even a smashed table littered the room. It looked like a bomb had gone off. Already the pair dreaded what Teresa had to say. Things only got worse as they glanced at the nurses office.
At least a dozen fifth grade boys now sat outside, sporting icepacks or nursing cuts and scrapes. What had Haley gotten herself into?
As they entered the principals office, they could see the principal sitting behind her desk.
"Hi Teresa," Mika and Claudia groaned. "What did she do?"
Teresa sighed, adjusting her blouse as she motioned for the mother's to take a seat.
"Thank you for coming," she said. "We have a bit of a problem."
"I noticed the carnage when we came in," Claudia grumbled. "Who did Haley beat up?"
"Every boy in the fifth grade."
Mika and Claudia gawked, trying to process what Teresa said.
"I'm sorry did you say every boy?!" Mika asked in astonishment.
"Allow me to explain," Teresa stated. "You see, we found out that the fifth grade boys were planning a prank. That prank involved stuffing one of the kindergarteners into a garbage can. That kindergartener happened to be Mason."
"Mason!!!"
Mika and Claudia now began to fire off questions. Was their youngest okay? Why did this happen? Where was he? Teresa now tried to calm the pair before she spoke.
"Mason is fine," Teresa stated. "A little dirty and a little frightened but he's okay. Haley is with him, she's been calming him down."
"Okay, so what happened?" Mika asked.
Teresa now explained the entire series of events. Apparently the fifth grade boys came up with the idea to pull off a prank on one of the younger students. The boys wanted to exit fifth grade in a memorable, if not foolish manner. They decided that this prank would involve stuffing a kindergartener into a trash can at lunch, head first.
"It was an incredibly stupid idea," Teresa sighed. "One that has gotten all of them suspended for the remainder of the year."
"I would hope the fuck so," Claudia exclaimed. "What the fuck were these kids thinking?"
"Claudia relax," Mika said softly.
"Relax my ASS," Claudia exclaimed. "My baby boy gets stuffed into a trash can and you want me to relax?! I should grab each and every one of their mothers and swing them by their fucking ponytails in the god damn parking lot!!"
"Not helping the situation," Mika groaned. "Can you please sit down."
"Fine," Claudia grumbled, snorting in annoyance as she folded her arms across her chest. Teresa now cleared her throat, nervously glancing at Claudia as she continued.
"As I was saying," she said. "These boys acted incredibly stupid. They've already been suspended and their parents are on the way to pick them up. Unfortunately though, these boys decided to pull this prank on Mason when Haley was in the cafeteria as well."
Mika felt her stomach churning as Teresa now explained the carnage that ensued. Upon seeing and hearing her little brother being picked on, Haley flew into a rage. The 11 year old girl lept from her lunch table, delivering a clothesline to two of the boys as if she were a professional wrestler.
"The third and fourth boy began arguing with Haley," Teresa said. "And um....Haley cold cocked the two of them with an uppercut that would've made Mike Tyson proud. After that the other fifth grade boys jumped in. Needless to say, they didn't fare much better."
"Where are Haley and Mason now?" Mika asked.
"In the vice principal's office," Teresa stated. "Haley was still on the warpath so I couldn't send her to the nurse's office. She lost one of her baby teeth but she's fine. In fact, she's all smiles now trying to cheer Mason up."
"Can we see them?" Claudia asked.
"Of course," Teresa stated. "But, there is just one more thing. You do realize Haley is going to get suspended for this too. Haley's disciplinary record isn't exactly stellar, even if I admire her sticking up for her baby brother."
"I get that," Mika sighed. "But what about Mason? Is he going to be okay?"
Teresa smirked as she leaned closer to both Mika and Claudia.
"I think after today no one will ever mess with Mason again."
*********************************
"So let me get this straight," Nyx said in astonishment. "Your sister beat up the entire fifth grade class for messing with Mason?!"
"Pretty much yeah," Aaron shrugged. "Me and like two other boys were the only ones not involved. Made for a very quiet last couple weeks of fifth grade. It was just us and a classroom of like ten girls. "
"So what happened when you went home?"
"My mom's actually took us out for ice cream," Aaron laughed. "Yeah they were mad that Haley was fighting at school, but she did it for a good cause. I guess it kinda evened itself out."
"Remind me not to piss her off," Nyx laughed.
Aaron chuckled, agreeing with Nyx as the pair watched Haley continue down the road. One thing was for certain, as long as Haley was around the family would be safe.