"Can we finish this round? Please?" Michael asked, looking up at his mother with pleading eyes. His mother fixed her gaze on him, slight irritation leaking through her facade. She gave him a faintly pained smile, crossing her arms behind her back as she sighed.

"Okay, fine. But if you aren't finished in five more minutes, your time is up till after lunch," she responded sweetly, her tone near sickeningly faked. She turned on her heel and walked out of the game room, expensive black high heels clicking loudly against the mahogany floorboards. The cousins let out a collectively held breath as they listened to her walk back up the stairs, Kaz slumping back in the beanbag and fixing his gaze on the ceiling. Michael paused the game and rolled to his stomach, shark tooth necklace clicking quietly against the floor as he laid halfway off the beanbag.

"Okay Kazoo, spill," he said quietly, resting his head in the palms of his hands. Kaz rolled his eyes at the nickname, taking his glasses off for a moment as he rubbed at his eyes. He slipped them back on, the thin gold-colored metal already cold to the touch as he straightened them out.

"I was right," he began softly. "Your mom's trying to kick me out, and your dad's trying to keep her from doing it." He fixed his gaze on the floor, dull grey eyes speckled with flecks of violet as he traced the grain of its wooden surface. Michael's expression went from curious, to sad, to angry. He sat upright abruptly, something of indignation and rage evident on his face.

"Dad won't let her do it. Hell, I won't let her do it!" he exclaimed quietly, careful not to alert his parents upstairs that something might be wrong. Kaz chuckled darkly as he rubbed at the back of his neck.

"Don't worry ninja turtle, I'll be fine. She won't kick me out, not so close to graduation. Besides, the press would be all over that shit, and you know how your mom's a camera whore." Despite Kaz's confident tone, the way he stared down at the floor betrayed the faint threads of fear creeping into his chest.

He would be fine. Wouldn't he?