"When are they supposed to be here again?" J'baki and Benji were sitting at a pizza joint tucked in a shopping mall. He was getting restless waiting to meet Benji's aunt and sister.
"Something probably happened, they're never late." Benji leaned over the back of his seat to check the door.
J'baki killed the rest of his water on the table and leaned outside of the booth. "Benji I think that's them, that girl looks just like you."
Benji turned to see a young woman and a woman that didn't look a day over thirty.
"That's them alright." He replied, sliding out of the booth. He noticed J'baki playing with his hair trying to fix it up. "Oh relax would you. They're just people."
The two ladies made their way to the table and immediately sat down. The older woman sat next to J'baki, the younger one next to Benji.
"Benji, sorry we're late," the older woman said.
"No worries auntie."
Benji introduced J'baki to his sister, Anya and his Aunt Bena.
"Nice to meet you guys" he said excitedly.
For the most part, the lunch went on without a hitch. Benji had been talking about J'baki for the last five years and both were familiar with his story so far. However, Benji had neglected to tell them that he wanted J'baki to move in once he left the city. News that made Aunt Bena very excited. However, Anya was extremely apprehensive.
"Absolutely not!" Anya slammed her hand on the table. Everyone was watching. "You want this random person to be allowed in our home?"
"Anya please relax." Benji was turned to his sister. "J'bakis like a brother to me, I want him to be safe while I'm gone"
"Bump that. I don't know this kid. I'm not gonna feel comfortable with him here." Anya shot back.
The two went at it for a while over whether or not Jbaki would be allowed to stay. Jbaki got in his head about whether he should stay. He'd been getting along fine by himself on the streets and Benji had taught him so much he didn't want to be a burden. Suddenly. His train of thought was derailed by a sweet voice that spoke over every voice in his head.
"Hey, kid." It said.
"It's me, I'm right here."
J'baki turned to Aunt Bena, who gave him a wink and a smile.
"I know what you're thinking, and don't worry a bit. Benji will straighten her out." She chuckled. "he always does."
J'baki was speechless. Just who was this woman? How was she able to speak to him like this?
"At the end of the day Anya, you don't have any say, it's up to Aunt Bena." Benji relaxed and went back to sitting normally.
"How are you liking the pizza Auntie?"
"Oh, it's very good, nice pick nephew." Aunt Bena smiled with her slice. "Now I'm all for J'baki moving in. But what do you do besides run up and down the river and work out?"
"Well I uh, I know how to read and I can write a little." Jbaki answered. Putting his pizza on his plate.
"So no hobbies or anything?"
"Not really."
"Why don't you enroll in school?"
"What's school?"
"A prison" Anya answered coldly.
"And what's a prison?" Jbaki asked, puzzled.
"Anya's exaggerating." Benji chimed in "it's a place where you can take what I taught you, and actually use it. Think of it as part of your training."
"If it'll make me better, why not?" Jbaki agreed. Jbaki looked over at Anya. "Plus, I already have a friend."
Anya looked up to meet J'baki's eager eyes and replied coldly.
"I'm not your friend."
" You're Benji's sister so that means you're my friend." J'baki answered.
The table was silent for a minute as everyone finished eating their food. The server came and grabbed their plates off the table and shortly after they were saying their goodbyes at the door. Benji drove off leaving J'baki with his family, J'baki wouldn't see Benji on Earth ever again.
The car ride back to the house was filled with The Supremes playing from Aunt Bena's phone. Anya stared daggers through the mirror at J'baki the entire time.
Aunt Bena's house was a dream. It sat alone in a plot of land and the yard around it was filled with plants of all kinds, a jungle neatly placed on her lawn. The house was also filled with plants, but the ones that stood out were a giant Venus Flytrap and Pitcher plant side by side. Both of which were J'bakis height.
"So what do you think?" Aunt Bena placed her arm around J'baki's shoulder "welcome to the jungle J'baki. I can't wait to see what you learn." Aunt Bena started walking up the stairs. "Your room is between those two plants. I cleaned it out just the other day on a whim, the house must've known you were coming. I'm going to be in my room if you need anything."
J'baki hesitated as he began to walk towards the room. Getting a closer look at the plants, they were exactly as menacing as he thought, and it sounded like they were breathing. Just as he got past the plants and entered the hallway, Anya Snuck from the shadows.
"Oh, shit" J'baki dropped his bags. "Why are you in the hallway?"
Anya walked past him out of the hallway and into the living room. "Good things your bags are already down, you don't get to go in your room yet. Follow me."
Anya led him to the backyard. Once they were outside J'baki saw an outside Dojo surrounded by red and gold flowers. There was a raised platform in the middle and Anya was headed straight towards it.
"You may have Auntie on board, but not me." Anya climbed on the platform that barely had enough room for Jbaki to join. "My brother trained you, let's play a game, slap me in the face, and I'll accept you."
"Seriously? That's it?" J'baki scoffed. "Fine, I'll do it."
Jbaki climbed up on the platform and took a position. Looked Anya in her eyes and swung his open palm. Anya dodged it perfectly keeping her balance while J'baki almost fell.
"Oh yes, this is gonna be fun." Anya smirked.
J'baki wasn't allowed into his room for three days.