Even if you’re familiar with a certain place, something can always come along and create a disturbance. One day you could go about your normal routine, but the next something could be terribly wrong. Of course, disturbances aren’t always bad. They can be good things as well. Like moving. The day you finally finish can be the start of something awesome.

I closed my diary and looked out the window of my brother Michael’s truck. ‘Moving day…’ Today was that day for me. The day I officially moved in with Ayumi. And Edward. Frosting was moving in, too.

A soft meow broke into my thoughts from the carrier under my feet.

“We’re almost there, Frosting, don’t worry.” I was excited. Even though my dad disowned me, my mom and brothers still accepted me. Mom would put money into my account every week, and Michael was giving me his other truck as soon as the new transmission was put in. My other brother, Jacob (also older than me-I’m the baby), was keeping some of my things that wouldn’t go to Ayumi’s, like my winter clothes and some of my less-used books.

“I’m going to miss you around the house, Jess.” Michael smiled at me as we came to a red light. “You know if you ever need anything you can call me.”

Nodding, I jumped a bit as my phone (a super-cute blinged out pink T-Mobile Sidekick 3) vibrated in my pocket. I looked at the screen and smiled. It was Cheri, texting me.

‘Where r u?’?

I flipped it open and got AIM going with her.

‘Cherry and Princess, almost there.’

‘-Mrow- OK. I’m waiting.’

‘Yeah I know. Ayumi upset?’

‘Nah, out back smoking.’

My nose wrinkled. That was one of her habits I wasn’t fond of. She use to be worse, back when Josarian was real bad. But when he started to quit, Ayumi tried to. She was careful about smoking around him. Cheri would freak if he went back to his old ways.

Michael turned a corner and hummed. “So we’re taking it through the front?”

“Yeah, just park right here.” As soon as he did, I got out, waving to Cheri and Jo. They came over, Jo wielding a dolly.

Cheri grinned around her sucker. “So, let’s do this.”

Together we loaded the two dollies, letting the guys take them, while Cheri took my dance bag and I took Frosting carrier. Surprisingly that was all I brought. I already had stuff in the apartment from when I’d stay the night with Ayumi. She just stored it in her extra room, which also served as a family room and office. And momma said to keep some clothes with her, just in case. So I did. I wasn’t the kind of girl who disobeys her mom.

As we entered the building, the receptionist gave us all a dirty look. She still didn’t like me after the night I ran away. It was funny. Even when I would come back with Ayumi, that lady would greet her warmly, and then she’d say my name as if I was sludge and my name was a curse word. She was really entertaining, especially when I greeted her all bubbly and happy.

We piled into the elevator, Frosting trying to real Michael with his paw, while Cheri happily pushed the door close button and the fourteen button. Jo leaned against the wall, his eyes closed and a calm expression on his face. The four (five counting Frosting) of us rose up in comfortable silence. I looked around at the other three, smiling. I loved them more than my real family (Okay, well, Michael…).

Five minutes after that thought, we were in Ayumi’s (and now mine, too) apartment, my boxes piled in the extra room and Frosting loose and wandering around somewhere. Michael had left to get to work, leaving Ayumi, Cheri, Josarian, and I to our own whatevers.

I sighed, looking around the living room. This was now my home, even though about a quarter of my belongings were still at the house. It wasn’t that it was a bad place, no. I loved being here before all this. But this time I can’t just go home and do what I want. I can’t go sleep in Michael’s room when I can’t in my own. I can’t blare Spice Girls or random Dance Dance Revolution music and dance around in my underwear (okay, so the dancing part Ayumi won’t mind). My house was my sanctuary. But Ayumi’s was where I lived, and I’d have to do without.

My thought bubble popped as Cheri spoke up.

“Sorry to run out on you, too. But I’ve got to get to work.” She rolled her eyes. “Dark Angels needs me.”

I giggled. Cheri worked at a year-round costume shop called Dark Angels Quality Costume Boutique, and she was the reason we had a lot of our Wonderland gear (hurray for employee discount!).

“It’s okay. Work means money, and money means a better vacation this summer!”

We all laughed as her and Josarian laughed, leaving Ayumi and I alone.

She smiled over at me, leaning against the door. “So…shall we get your things put away, then?” Her hazel eyes sparkled and I couldn’t help but cheer up a little. I smiled in return. “I’ll take that as a yes.”

Together we started to unpack my belongings and get them into piles of what to do with them. We put my closet clothes on the couch of the spare room, my shoes just got thrown in, and my random other things (bathroom things, school books, Cuddles the stuffed bunny, etc…) went into their own areas. I joked and said we were isolating everything and Cuddles was put into quarantine. Ayumi laughed and threw my pink tights at me. That lead to me tackling her, which led to a tickle fight, and that progressed to a slight make-out session.

Which, I must say, was a lovely way to spend my Saturday morning.
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A while later I was folding a shirt to go into the dresser when I heard Frosting yowl and Ayumi shout for me. Dropping the shirt, I vaulted over the couch and ran out into the front room.

Frosting came running to me and I scooped him up into my arms. He curled close and growled.

“What happened?” I looked up at my Asian lover, concerned.

Ayumi was glaring at my cat while nursing a long scratch on her hand. “I stepped on that thing’s tail and it attacked me.” She studied her hand with a critical eye. The red line stood out against her pale skin angrily. “What is it, anyway?”

“This is Frosting.” I held him up by his…armpits? He grumbled but hung there, glaring at Ayumi. “I’ve told you about him, remember?”

She eyed the feline warily, not moving from her spot across the room. “Right…Your ‘baby.’ Now I remember.” Suddenly her eyes lit up and she grinned. “You’ve never met Edward, have you?”

“Edward?”

I was suddenly grabbed by my wrist and pulled towards the kitchen island. Normally I go around the other way, so I’ve never seen what was around this side. A glass tank came into view as we rounded the corner, and I blinked. Ayumi had a pet, too? Frosting made a sound of disapproval as she reached into the tank.

“Close your eyes.”

Doing as told, I hugged my cat to my chest, feeling him purr. I heard Ayumi say something softly to whatever Edward was.

She snickered a moment later. “Okay, you can look now.”

The first thing I saw when I opened my eyes was a really big, and I mean REALLY big, iguana, staring at me blankly. Its skin was all bumpy and wrinkled and the ugliest shade of grey-green I had ever seen in my entire life. In short, it was creepy.

I let out a shriek and took several large and very fast steps away from it. Frosting hissed at it while Ayumi smiled at the lizard fondly.

“That’s Edward?!” My heart was pounding. I was a little afraid of scaly things.

“Yup! I’ve had him since before I moved out of my parents’ house.” Ayumi held him like Dr. Evil held his naked cat in Austin Powers. “Isn’t that right, Edward?”

The iguana just blinked. I was under the impression he was emo or just apathetic. Or maybe both. You never know about something Ayumi considered a pet. Suddenly the lizard opened his mouth, and I backed away a little more. He could be rabid for all I know!

Ayumi went back around the corner again, and I timidly followed her, Frosting still in my arms. She gently set him back inside his tank before turning to us.

“Relax, he was just yawning. Besides, he’s too lazy to bite anyone.” Like that was suppose to make me feel better? “So, what about Fluffy there?”

Before I could answer, I heard my phone ringing in the bedroom. Frosting jumped out of my arms and onto the counter as I turned to go get it.

After a somewhat long conversation with my mom, which covered her discovery of Xianie, her file for divorce, my missing slippers finally being found, and a short chat with both of my brothers, I finally made it back into the kitchen.

Only to find Ayumi and Frosting staring at each other, neither blinking or moving. It was creepy to walk in on that.

I approached my lover cautiously. “Ayumi? What’re yo-”

She held up a hand. “Sh, not now.”

“What’re you doing?” I looked between her and the feline, confused.

“Staring contest. Now shush, I’m winning.”

Blinking, I tilted my head a little. “But he’s a cat…” Getting no response, I just watched, hoping one of them would crack soon.

Who knew my wish would be granted in the form of a meow? As soon as that sound came out of Frosting, Ayumi jumped, pointing a finger at him.

“Aha! I win!”

“But Ayumi, he just meowed…”

“I still win, though. A meow counts as a blink.”

I stared at her for a few seconds before turning around and walked back to the other room. Only I was really, really confused this time.
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That night as we were sitting on the couch, eating Chinese take-out from the boxes, I was hit by a wave of homesickness. I poked at my chow mien, remembering that Saturday nights were always take-out with Michael.

I sighed and put my carton on the table before laying down with my head in Ayumi’s lap. I say she has some sort of freaky Asian super powers, because she had to have read my mind.

“Next week you can go and have dinner with him. “I looked up at her and she smiled back. “Don’t worry, I was homesick, too, when I first moved out. It’ll pass in time.” She dangled a piece of chicken over my mouth with her chopsticks. “So don’t get sick over it, my little usagi.”

I accepted the meat and chewed thoughtfully. “Right…okay.”

Later on as I sat up in bed with my diary while Ayumi read her smut book, I had to think about the day’s happenings.

Just like in Wonderland, there’s no real clear path through life. We just have to do our best to pick the best one to get us where we want to go. It’s hard, but we have to do it. If we give up, then what was the point of being gifted with life? Even the weakest of us all can push on and succeed. Wonderland and life are full of the weak and the strong. But to distinguish between them is the work of the person’s will.