"Um. Hi," Karen says, getting in.

"Oh hello Karen!" I say, kindly.

Karen smiles and waves at me, then blushes as she remembers she already told me hi.

"Hi Ike," she says, kindly.

Ike straightens his back, his eyes flash with panic.

"Hi Kare!" Ike says.

"Yesterday you called me curry. Why am I Kare today?" Karen asks.

"Because I wanted to call you Kan to match Ken, but it's a society for alcoholics and thought it would have been very stupid of me to call you that. Unless you want me to call you that," Ike says.

"I like Kan," Karen says.

"Kan, Tri, Fri and Ike. We all want three letters!" Ike says.

"I didn't notice, that's so cool," Karen says.

I roll my eyes, looking at them, looking at the two with a very 'oh you'd be so cute together' look. The same look i've been giving Kyle and his friends for years now.

"Tri wanted to go to see the kittens," Ike says.

"Kittens?" Karen asks.

"The old cat mrs. Kissaihminen took in gave birth 10 weeks ago. Apparently we can go look at them with Tri because Tri's family is thinking about taking one as long as it doesn't kill Stripe," Ike says.

"Really? I'm a lizard person. Or turtle. Those as cute and a turtle might be with you your whole life," Karen says.

"Really? I mean, I'm a dog person, but cats are adorable," Ike says.

He smirks.

"You could say seeing the one you like is quite a, catch," he says.

"What?" Karen asks.

"Ooh. You made a pun. But grammatically that makes no sense. Puns need to make sense, Ike," Karen says.

"Ah, Kan. Are you not feline the purfect puns?" Ike asks.

"This is, why Frikle hates you," Karen says.

"Nah, not really. I like the same music, we do get along. Fri is really cool, you know?" Ike asks.

"He seems like a cool enough person. I mean, he did teach me about poetry and shit, so, he is cool in my book, though he is a little too emo," Karen says.

"You mean Goth," Ike says.

"Aw. Quick to defend your boyfriend?" Karen asks.

"He's not my boyfriend, yet," Ike says.

"Oh, the same situation I have with Tri?" Karen asks.

"Ooooh. Give me the details," Ike says.

"You first," Karen says.

"Fri and I? It's... complicated. He can't keep one opinion about me, he has to change it everyday and it annoys me to death. You have a sable opinion on me, right?" Ike asks.

"I think you're cool," Karen says.

"Yeah. He thinks that every other day, then other days I apparently don't understand anything at all. I mean, fuck, he should just make up his mind about everything, but nooo. He just has to be a pain in the ass and change his opinions everyday. I don't know his opinion on being gay! It changes as well and it's pissing me off so bad," Ike says.

"Ah, that's such a shame. If I know anything about him, he just needs you to make the first step," Karen says.

"I guess. But why do I have to do everything? I talked about becoming friends, I persisted that it would be cool to go on a 'date'. For fucks sake. Can he do something first?" Ike asks.

"Some people don't like making the first move, Ike. It's just the way some people work," I say.

"I know, mom. It's just so fucking annoying to do the first move over and over again and most of the time he doesn't even get it," Ike says.

"Well, food is ready," I say.

"Kyle is at Stan's tonight. Right?" Ike asks.

"Yup, they have something to talk to him about according to Stan," I say.

Ike nods.

"Well Kan. How is situation with Tri?" Ike asks.

"Well. We have the problem of the fact both of us like more than one person, would make it polyamory, but we want them to get together first," Karen says.

"Wait a minute," Ike says.

I go off to the kitchen to give them a moment of peace before putting the food on the table.

"Come eat," I say.

Karen nods, sitting in the chair closest to the wall, awkwardly. Ike sits next to her, keeping his eyes at the table

"Is Kan gonna sleep in my or Kyle's room?" I ask.

"Whit how often Kyle has friends over... We wouldn't have space in his room," I say.

"Yey. So. I'll just get my room in order. If you don't have clothes, I have some Kyle's old ones because you and him are both taller than me, he was taller, when those clothes fit him. They might fit you," Ike says, turning to Karen.

"Really kind of you to offer," Karen says.

"No worry, Kan, you're the guest, even, if you are here for a long while," Ike says.

Karen smiles at him.

"Water?" I ask.

"I thought we were waiting for da-oh," Ike says.

Gerald walks in, getting the snow off his clothes.

"Oh hello Karen," he says.

He sits down as well.

"How was work?" I ask.

"Today? I don't know. I've been working on this for three weeks and they just told me to move onto an another case because I knew the victim personally. Everything was thrown off the table because of all of it. Everything I've been working on," Gerald says.

"That's such a shame. Is that even legal? I don't understand, why it would be, that's terrible. If the evidence were valid you should have continued work," Karen says.

"I think so too, but yes, it is legal," Gerald says.

"Law always interested me," Karen says.

Ike rolls his eyes as Gerald starts explaining, getting into his food.