Myra’s Big Mistake – Chapter 1

The alarm blares and wakes me from the sleep of the dead.

“Ugh. Is it six already?” I pull my left hand from under the pillow and wave it over the clock. The room falls into silence. Sigh. I was really enjoying that sleep, the kind where I’m three levels of dreams deep and my right arm lost sensation hours ago. That kind. That’s the kind of sleep I really need.

“It’s past six. You’ve already snoozed at least three times,” Mochi says, rolling over and pushing his snout into the back of my shirt. Thankfully, his nose is warm from being under the covers with me for the last three hours.

“You’re not making it easy to get up.” I yawn and push the eye mask up so I can see. The time projected on the wall is six thirty-five. Yep. I have snoozed too much, and as my mom would say, “You snooze, you lose.”

“Aw crap. We’re going to be late.”

The sun is setting on another glorious spring day, turning the sky red and purple. Too bad I spent it in bed.

But I spend most afternoons in bed because working the evening shift at Izakaya Tanaka means I’m usually up until three in the morning. I often wander home as the sun rises and sleep past when most people go to work. It’s the way of things in the hospitality business.

I close my eyes and sink into the bed. I would give anything for more than tonight off. Ever since the other line chef quit to work for the Interstellar Agency (lucky bastard), I’ve been working twice as many shifts. My boss pays well, but she needs to find someone new. Soon.

Mochi’s nose touches mine, and I jerk back with a deep inhale. Now, the clock reads six fifty-five. Crap. Ruby is going to be here any minute!

“I’m up!” I throw off the covers as Mochi dances to the side to circle and make his bed comfortable again. He curls into a tiny ball and lays his fluffy black-and-white striped tail over his snout. Who says skunks aren’t cute? He looks like a bowl of chocolate and vanilla swirl ice cream.

Mmmm, chocolate. That’s a great idea. I open the stash drawer in my desk where I keep all my sweets, find a chocolate bar, and pop a square into my mouth while pulling my wavy hair back into a loose ponytail. Tilting my head and looking in the mirror, I decide to wash my face first. Dried drool on my chin does not make me any prettier.

The doorbell rings, and I groan. Ruby is always on time. I’m always late.

Her smiling face beams out through my tablet, so I buzz her in and open the door to my studio apartment.

“Myra!” she calls up the stairs. “You better be ready when I walk in the door.”

I wince as I glance at my pajamas. She will not be happy.

“You’re not even dressed yet?” she asks, closing the door behind her. Her ferret, Nosh, chitters at me, an annoyed tone to his voice. But my animal translation chip only works with Mochi, so even though I’m sure he’s pissed at me, I don’t know the specifics. Thank the heavens. “Nosh says he wants to get to the festival early for chicken scraps.”

“Sorry!” I lean into Nosh. “Sorry, buddy. I’ve been working my tail off, and I just wanted a few more minutes of sleep.”

Nosh titters, and this time I’m sure it’s laughter.

“You don’t have a tail.” Ruby glances at my backside.

“Not anymore I don’t.”

Nosh leaps from Ruby’s shoulder onto the bed and pounces on Mochi. They play snarl as they roll around in the sheets. I’m so glad they get along. Nosh has been with Ruby for three years, but Mochi has been with me for less than a year.

At twenty-seven, I’m one of the last people I know to have paired with an animal. I should have known to seek out the nocturnal creatures since I am practically nocturnal myself, but skunks are not desirable pairings, for obvious reasons. My politician father doesn’t know about Mochi. He’s going to disown me when he finds out. Hopefully, Mom will keep the secret.

I hurry in the bathroom as fast as I can, brushing my teeth, washing my face, and changing my clothes for the evening. Nothing fancy. Outside of work, I wear bright colors and ripped denim (our town is famous for it). Tonight, though, I’ll forgo the jeans for a skirt and a pair of flats. With my cheeks awash in soft pink, a flick of mascara, and a coat of lip gloss, I’m ready. I grimace at my figure in the mirror as I pull out a few wayward tendrils of hair. Don’t look, Myra.

Ruby sighs when I emerge from the bathroom.

“Yes, yes, I know.”

She’s jealous of my wavy hair and height, whereas I adore her straight, midnight black hair and thin, petite figure.

“You’re so lucky your mom is a Terran.”

“We don’t call them that anymore,” I say with a laugh. “Terrans just want to be natives now. It’s been thirty years since landing on Orihimé and integrating with the native Japanese population here. Integration happened decades ago.”

She shrugs. “You know how it is.”

Do I ever. With a native father and a Terran mother, my childhood was difficult. My older brother and several sisters fared better than I did, but that’s not saying much. And with Dad now the mayor of Yamato, I get more attention than I care for. I hate being the center of attention.

Ruby stops by my desk to shuffle through the papers there. I’ve been drawing in pencil for the last few months, mostly animals I’ve come across while working at the izakaya.

“This is good, Myra!” Ruby lifts a piece of paper. “Is this Butch?”

The head chef’s dog is a waif toy breed who looks mean enough to take off your ankle if you cross her. Yes, her name is Butch. My face heats with the compliment, but I brush it aside. She’s my best friend. Of course, she’s going to love it.

“The very same. Come on, boys. Let’s go,” I call out to our furry monsters.

Mochi’s head pops up. “Me? Dare I ask if I’m invited?”

“He’s invited?” Ruby asks, not knowing that Mochi asked the same thing. She glances back and forth between us because she knows this is a sensitive topic. I’ve kept Mochi hidden from everyone but Ruby and my workmates at the restaurant.

“Yes, my love. It’s time to go meet Mom.”

—-

Under the cover of blessed darkness, we make our way to the town square. Mochi and I are used to being out at night together. He’s a nighttime creature and spends the daytime in my bed or on my desk chair. At night, he keeps up behind me, in and out of the shadows, protecting himself from callous and unkind people. Because people are still biased against creatures like him, despite all we’ve learned about the animals on this world.

Ruby inhales and hums. “Mmmm, smell that?”

I raise my eyebrows. “Fried dough. I love fried dough.”

Fried dough, elephant ears, funnel cake, doughnuts — yes. I want it all.

But even the smell of sweet doughnuts can’t keep my stomach settled. Introducing your mom to your new love is never easy, and this one will be complicated. She’s never understood the bond between humans and their paired animals since she was too old to get the animal translation chip when her ship landed here. Mom would rather I bring home a boyfriend or girlfriend. Neither of which is a possibility for someone like me.

I smile and nod at people who acknowledge me as we walk. Because of my father, many people in town know who I am, even if I don’t know them. Another thing I hate.

“I wonder…” Ruby’s voice trails off as we reach the town square, packed with people and food and game booths. She rises to her toes, and her eyes scan the crowd before she grasps my arm. “He’s here.”

The giddiness of her voice tells me everything. Ruby’s on the hunt tonight for Aki. She’s had a crush on him for over a year now, and I suspect he likes her too, but their schedules are never in a good place for dates. They’re both employed by the Interstellar Agency on the Hikoboshi mission, like my older sister, Suri. Aki and Ruby are both engineers, though they work on different systems. The Interstellar Agency is a life commitment and that makes finding time for romance almost impossible.

“Aki’s been working on engines for the second wave,” Ruby whispers, her hand over her mouth.

“They promoted him?” I whistle. “That’s impressive.”

“It is!” She holds back the squeal. Nosh lifts to his hind legs and braces his upper body against her head to peer out over the crowd. “Nosh is smitten with Aki’s cat, Mirin.” After a moment, she tsks at Nosh. “You are so. Don’t deny your love.” She breaks down in laughter as Nosh buries his head in her collar. “He’s so embarrassed.”

She rises to her tiptoes again to scan the crowd. “Ah, Nosuké is here, too.” She sighs as she settles back on her heels. “I suppose I should go say hi to him as well.”

I settle my hand on her arm. “He’s your ex. You don’t have to.”

She smiles. “We get along. It’s fine.”

Nosuké is with a crowd of people, drinking and talking on the other corner of the square. He sees me and briefly touches the beer bottle to his forehead in a salute. I lift my hand in a half wave. He looks good tonight, happy and at ease. I hope I’ll get the chance to talk to him later. I have never regretted spending time with him over the years, first with him as Ruby’s boyfriend and then on and off when he’s been around our group of friends. He’s kind and funny, never a bore. An excellent conversationalist.

But he’s also a busy and important man, and he doesn’t have a lot of time to socialize. I don’t see him as much as I used to.

“And now he’s definitely seen me,” Ruby says with a chuckle. “Looks like I’ll be busy tonight.”

A brush of fur calls my attention downward. Mochi looks up at me, his eyes pleading. He’s too polite to egg me onward, but he’s as excited as I am scared to move forward with this plan I’ve been avoiding now for months.

Is this a mistake, introducing him to my family? I gaze down into his soft, pleading eyes. No. I’ve kept him a secret long enough.

My nose is drawn to the sweet smell of chocolate cakes across the square.

“Mmmm,” I hum, instinctively turning towards it. Mochi chitters and jumps in front of me.

“No, Myra. Cakes later.”

A woman walking by catches sight of Mochi’s tail and squeaks as she leaps to the side.

“Ew, a skunk.” She hurries off before I can even open my mouth. My face heats with shame that I wasn’t quick enough to admonish her for her scorn.

I sink down to a squat, and Mochi lifts up to put his paws on my knees. “Sorry, buddy. I know this is tough for you.” I stroke my hand down his soft back and rub my nose against his.

“It’s fine,” he says, his voice as serene as always. “I’m used to it.”

“That doesn’t make it right. Sorry. The cake distracted me. Come on,” I encourage him. He jumps to my lap, then up to my shoulder, facing backwards with his luxurious tail down my chest.

Deep breaths, Myra. I need to calm my sense of embarrassment. I haven’t ever been out in public with Mochi like this, and it’s like revealing you’re dating someone that everyone disapproves of.

“Is he okay?” Ruby asks, reaching her fingers out to scratch Mochi’s head.

“You know skunks. Polite and deferential, as always.” I rest my cheek on Mochi’s body. “He’s doing just fine.”

My nerves are on edge as we cross the square. I grew up in this small town, and I’ve lived nowhere else, so there are always embarrassing memories I have to navigate each time I’m in public. Breaths fly through my chest like angry butterflies. Standing next to the dog and cat statue, a raucous group is making a scene, and it’s filled with people I know but don’t want to talk to, of course. They’re the ‘popular’ kids… or they used to be. They gossip about me behind my back or pretend they don’t know me when I walk by.

I flash back to about a decade ago… I asked this guy, Davide, to our senior formal dance, and he huffed and laughed when he turned me down. I’d had a crush on him forever, and we’d been friendly. But our friendship ended at that moment.

My memory replays the rumors — how undesirable I was, how I was failing all of my Interstellar Agency entrance exams, how I was too chubby and fond of cookies and bread and chocolate. I remember the evening spent at home while everyone else had a great time at the dance.

Davide looks away as I pass. Good. Just pretend he’s not there, Myra.

Lucky Ruby gets to see all the people she wants to see. Me? Not so much.

Blissfully unaware of my internal turmoil, she grasps my arm for a moment. “I’m going to go say hi to Aki and Nosuké. Be right back.”

I reach out to her as she shuffles away. “Wait —” But she’s swallowed up by the crowd.

Sigh.

I guess I’ll do the family introductions all by myself.

I close my eyes, take a deep breath, and walk across the square to my family crowded near the stage.

Here goes nothing.