Rising Shards

“No, it said to turn at Plum Avenue,” I said as Stella turned the opposite way.

“That’s a dead end, we can’t go that way,” Stella said, then groaned as we hit another dead end. “Are you sure you can’t just walk from here?”

“I have a bunch of stuff to carry…” I said.

“I’m kidding, I’m kidding,” Stella said. “Reload the map app, I don’t buy what it’s telling us here.”

As we passed through winding suburban streets on the way to Kalei’s house, it was strangely harder to navigate than the big city streets in LE.

“Wait, I see a bunch of cars!” I said.

"Where? I only see two cars up ahead." Stella said. "Or...three. Three cars."

"Three is a bunch!"

Sure enough, our parents and guardians all had pretty excellent timing for arrival even if Stella and I couldn’t figure out how to get past a knot of dead ends for a while. Kalei waited outside the front door. I said my goodbyes for the day to Stella after hefting a new sleeping bag, my backpack, and a few bags of treats and fun stuff I’d bought on a shopping trip earlier in the day (I had wanted to go during the library pen incident, but the chaotic bookstore visit delayed my plans). Oka waved at Stella as she drove off, then turned her attention to me as she excitedly showed off her sleeping bag.

“The last time I had a sleeping bag Lillia and I had to use school ones for that college theater trip,” Oka said, pointing out the cute little cat face on her sleeping bag. “So I wanted something that was more adorable and comfortable.”

“You are a pro at both.” I said.

“You think?” Oka asked. She blushed and turned away from me. “It…just hit me what you said there.”

While Oka recovered, we all approached Kalei who stood on the small stoop at her front door.

“Hey, took you guys long enough,” Kalei said.

“I was practically to the minute on the arrival time you requested.” Lillia said, checking the time on her phone.

“Yeah, that was the joke.” Kalei said.

“Ah…” Lillia said. “Well, I’m thoroughly embarrassed, shall we go inside?”

Kalei stopped before opening her front door. “Alright, before we go in, just be prepared for my dog to jump at you, and for my mom to jump at you. I told her to not be weird.”

“I wanna meet puppy…” Oka said.

Sure enough, as soon as Kalei opened the door a stocky Labrador with black fur with white blotches started excitedly barking as it hopped towards her.

“Hey Marshy!” Kalei said, petting her dog. “I’ve only been gone five minutes, did you miss me that much?”

“Aw, his name’s Marshy?!” Oka said, then yelped as the dog turned his attention to her and started barking and jumping. Oka did not know how to react and mostly just squealed when her attempts to pet were blocked by Marshy's excited laps around her.

“Yup, short for Marshmallow Smores, but we only say the full name when he’s in trouble.” Kalei said.

"Wait, I swear I've heard you say his name was Mishi before." I said.

"I say a lot of names, they're all still short for Marshmallow Smores," Kalei said. "Marshy, Mishi, Mishmash, Marshmarsh, Mar, Marmar, Smush, Smushypuppy, Marshmallow, Mellow, Mella, Mel...and that's just a few of them, heh."

Once Kalei’s dog had sniffed us out and deemed us worthy of entering the household, we took our shoes, coats, and other winter wear off. Kalei’s house had a small entryway with wooden furniture and a closet, and the room connected to a living room.

“Ma!” Kalei yelled. “We’re all here! Come get this over with!” She turned to us. “Like I said, I told her not to be weird, but sorry if she’s weird.”

I heard footsteps sprinting from below. They bounded up the stairs until a woman with long hair screeched to a halt before us. Kalei was in great shape, but her mom was another story entirely. My immediate reaction to seeing her was wondering if she was a fitness instructor or something. She had more abs than anyone I’d ever seen before in person, as well as well-defined muscles all over. She wore leggings and a sports bra, something Kalei pointed out right away.

“Mom, I thought I said to put some clothes on before they got here.” Kalei said.

“I am fully clothed, you dope.” Kalei’s mom said. She approached her daughter and playfully smushed her face. “Ah, it’s so nice to see a smile on that face again. My beam chasers star has been such a stick in the mud these past few weeks, it breaks her poor mother’s heart.”

When she had satisfactorily smushed Kalei’s face up, she approached us.

“Thank you for inviting us into your home, Mrs. Koridia.” Lillia said.

“Please just call me Mahina,” She said. She slapped Kalei’s back. “I only allow this one to call me motherly names. You can also refer to me as ‘General Koridia,’ if you’re so intent on giving me authority.”

“Please don’t call her that.” Kalei said.

Mahina strummed her chin as she looked us over.

“I’ve been given slim descriptions of you three.” Mahina said. “My Kalei’s no poet, after all. So let’s see here.”

I instinctively shot my hand out, as Stella had trained me for greetings. Mahina gripped my hand tightly and cranked it as she shook.

“Handshake girl. Zeta, right?”

I nodded.

“I hope my daughter hasn’t been too bad an influence on you.” She turned to Lillia. “I’ve heard your voice over the eGame, you must be Lillia. Kalei says you’re the smart one. Please help my daughter’s grades.”

Lillia chuckled softly.

Mahina then went to Oka.

“Which leaves Oka! The Kilander! Did you bring some cash?”

“I wish, they don’t let me see any of that, or tell me it’s all tied up in debts or loans or something.” Oka said.

“Of course, of course,” Mahina said. “Well, rich though you may hypothetically be past the Kilanders debts, you are always welcome in my home. The other Kilanders, case by case basis. I may need the check they bring to clear before I let them in.”

“Cool, we’re gonna go to the game room then—” Kalei said but Mahina stopped her.

“Oh! And the other bit of information about her friends Kalei actually decided to share with me!”

She smirked as held her hands out, framing us with her fingers, scanning the group back and forth. “Mhmmm…no, let me guess.”

“Mom, you said you wouldn’t do this.” Kalei said.

“What is she doing?” Oka asked.

“Trying to figure out…Ah! Got it. You two.” Mahina said as she framed Oka and I. “Eh? Does Mahina Koridia still have the gift?”

“Come on, Mom.” Kalei said.

“I’ll stop when I hear that I’m right!” Mahina said. “It’s you two, right?”

Oka and I laughed nervously, not sure if she was asking what we thought she was asking.

“Yes, it’s them, congratulations.” Kalei sighed.

Mahina let out a deep gut laugh. “So precious! You two radiate couple energy, how sweet!”

“Th-thank you?” I said.

Mahina patted both Oka and I on our backs. “Well, I’m sure you two are even more precious once you stop quaking in fear of the might of Big Mama Mahina. Although that quaking is precious in its own way, isn’t it?”

“I told her two of you were dating, but didn’t say which two,” Kalei said. She poked at her mom’s side. “And I told her not to be weird. But parents, right?”

“Ha! You’re one to talk there, Princess of Weirdness,” Mahina said. “Shall I show your friends the shrine you made to that ladder climbing horse movie when you were but a small lass?”

“You made a shrine for Ladder?” Lillia asked.

“Let’s not talk about that,” Kalei said. “Let’s mercifully end this conversation already, Mom? Please?”

Mahina winked at Oka and me. “I’m a heavy sleeper by the way, and the walls are thick here, so if you two need to let out that teenage energy, I’ll probably sleep through—"

“Mom!” Kalei said. “Oh my god!”

Oka and I each obviously had an immediate reaction to the idea of ‘letting out that teenage energy.’ Oka looked like she’d floated off to another planet while I felt like running for the front door to cool off outside.

“And how much growth my daughter has shown already that she doesn’t continue to gag at the mere mention of romance. It warms this old woman’s heart.” Mahina said.

“You’re not that old, mom.” Kalei said.

“OK, OK, enough teasing, let’s have dinner,” Mahina said, gesturing for us to follow her to the kitchen past the living room. The kitchen was really fancy; it had one of those island things with stools next to it. All of the countertops were a nice shiny stone that felt cold to the touch. “Kalei, didn’t you tell them we were having a traditional dinner of the Jecruible Islands tonight?” Mahina asked as she knocked on the top of the Koridia microwave. “Severed winged cow head with the eyes replaced with octopus, and a little jellyfish hat on the whole deal?”

Oka, Lillia, and I all froze in various states of discomfort. Kalei wasn’t pleased either.

“Don’t give me that look. Are you so out of touch with your culture that you’re repulsed by your mother upholding traditions?” Mahina said.

“Mom, shut up. That’s not a Jecruible Island meal, you just made it up.” Kalei said.

“Well, the looks on their faces were a lot better when I tried that joke on the twins.” Mahina laughed deeply again, opening the microwave door to reveal it was empty. “Fine, I’ll just order pizza. I was going to order earlier and have it ready when you got here, but I didn’t want to presume your friends’ tastes in toppings and junk. Everyone tell me what kind of pizza they want!”

After Mahina got out a laptop, we all relayed our pizza preferences, and she put an order in. She left the tracker up.

“I’m going to work out, sign for the pizza when it gets here.” Mahina said. “And make sure to tip well!”

Mahina jogged off down a hallway connected to the kitchen.

“We have a sweet home gym,” Kalei said. “I’d show you now, but my mom doesn’t wanna be bugged when she’s in there.”

None of us knew what to say for a few seconds. The sheer power of Mahina Koridia had us all a bit floored.

“I need to go splash some cold water on my face because that was a lot,” Kalei said, taking off presumably towards the nearest bathroom. Oka, Lillia, and I all exchanged glances.

“I think her snark powers are even stronger than Kalei’s…” I said quietly.

“At least we know where she gets them from now.” Oka said.

“I understand the ‘why’ of Kalei so much more after just about ten minutes.” Lillia said.

Kalei returned quickly, toweling her face off.

“You guys…wanna get your sleeping bags and stuff downstairs?” She asked.  She grabbed the laptop to keep an eye on the order tracker and showed us to some carpeted stairs that led to her basement game room, with Marshy following close behind her, tail wagging excitedly.