Two Ways to Escape - TPN

Ch.1

Some would say that Ray and Kiyoko were inseparable. He would nag her to study and Kiyoko would nag him to play. They were like magnets in which contrasted each other and yet fit the puzzle. And Mama Isabella secretly cherished it and while it was selfish, there was a part of her that wanted to be part of it. To just be a normal family. But she needed to survive. It was the desire that kept eating away at her but she needed to do it for Leslie. Or else his death would've been in vain. 

It's crazy how life turns into a full circle with unexpected twists...

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[Beginning-(11 years old)]

The sound of an orange peel's voice violently floated through the air, as Emma called everyone to wake up. Kiyoko just sleepily covered her ears as children jumped on her asking her if she could tie their shoes or help fix their hair. 

'How can she sleep through it?', sweat dropped Gilda smiling nervously. 

Kiyoko groaned as she woke up to see Emma personally coming into the room helping the kids get ready in a super speedish way. '

Geez, how does Emma have that much energy in the morning?' She thought as she got up from bed where kids continuously jumped on her like a pack of wolves.

It was the most defined similarity of her and Ray. Mornings was their weakness.

She heaved a sigh and got the kids ready along with herself and went downstairs, where Ray was doing his chores while simultaneously waiting for her. 

"Wow you look like a bed-ridden zombie." commented Ray as he held a tray full of dishes.

"I at least do the bare minimum and sleep. I'm pretty sure you're a vampire in disguise with your eyebags."

Ray grinned, placing the tray on the table. "Well, you know me, always burning the midnight oil," he joked, nudging her playfully. 

Kiyoko rolled her eyes, but a smile tugged at the corners of her lips. "More like burning books with how much you read them and despise them at the same time." 

As they bantered, the children gathered around the table, their energy matching Emma's and the said ginger raced down the wooden stairs with her hair looking like a bird's nest and Phil on her back.

"Good Mowning!" happily shouted Emma. 

"gOod MoWNing! What are you, a five year old?", mocked Ray lazily.

It was then that they started their daily bickering session with Norman nervously smiling with all the chaos. 

'it's too early for this. This is why Norman's better than them combined.' deadpanned Kiyoko as she munched on stolen bread from one of Ray's trays of food. While it was annoying at some point, Kiyoko and Norman just silently giggled as they watched Emma and Ray bicker back and forth.

An airily laugh came from Mama Isabella with her reassuring a whining Emma about her maturity. 

It was something Kiyoko just had to genuinely smile at. It was such a warm atmosphere that just tickled her heart the right way. 

Right at that moment, Don and Conny came down the stairs with everyone's attention on Conny because of her adoption announcement. 

Kiyoko just looked at it blankly.