Mini's pov

Mini walked into the airport. The flight had just finished, and boy, was she exhausted. She texted Aru and Rudy a confirmation she reached, but got nothing back from her sister. Rudy did send a thumbs up emoji though. She got worried about Aru.

"Ah" Mini said, realizing. "She's probably sleeping right now"

After all, it was a 14 hour trip for Aru and for Mini it was a lot less. She scanned the place and found no one. No one to pick her up or anything. Her brother said he would try but then literally cried on the phone to Mini saying he couldn't.

Mini knew he really wanted to, but he got held up at work and that's okay. Her parents didn't even reply to her message of coming back.

Mini sighed at the thought of her parents. Up till she got into high school, their formula kept on repeating in her mind.

Study hard, get into a nice college, marry a nice doctor, study harder. (I actually don't know the exact one so if someone could tell me, that is much appreciated)

But then she started to let go. Aru and Brynne always made her forget about the formula and made her enjoy herself.

And then she met Rudy.

God, Rudy. Rudy always made her smile. Rudy, who kissed her in the hospital, when Aru was in a coma.

Rudy, her first ever boyfriend.

It sounded weird thinking of it like that. But it was true.

Mini used to think if someone actually took an interest in her, boring, germaphobe of a girl then they had to be mental.

Heck, when Aru was being nice to her for the first time, she offered to take her to a mental institution.

If they had a romantic interest, then they were definitely going insane.

She told Rudy this once. He replied: I guess I'm going insane then, but it's okay. I'll have you, so it's fine.

The thought of that made her involuntarily smile. It gave her hope to call her parents and inform them she arrived.

Mini: Hey, father

Dad: Yamini. Have you arrived?

Mini: Yeah, just got in the cab.

Dad: good. We need to talk.

And then he hung up.

Uh oh. We need to talk was never a good thing.

The first time he said that was when she was 6. It was the day he had drilled the formula into her.

Each time he did, he executed the next part of it. Which meant...

Double uh oh.

The next part was marry a nice doctor.

Mini's leg started bouncing quickly. This would be the most difficult part of the formula if her dad didn't understand she had someone she loved already.

Her mom was less strict. Maybe she'd understand?

"Ma'am we've reached. The ride would be $25.50" The driver informed her.

"Oh. Um, gimme a sec" Mini fumbled around her bag until she found her wallet. She got outside of the car and handed the driver the money, making sure their hands didn't touch. Too many germs.

The driver took the money and drove off. Mini turned to her house and sighed. She informed her brother of her arrival, and knocked on the door.

Her mom opened the door and hugged her. Mini hugged her back.

"Yamini! How are your studies?" Her mom asked.

'Always the studies' Mini thought dully. 'Never anything about how I'm doing'

"Going good" Mini responded, no longer being Mini but Yamini. Aru once made that joke.

"When you're being all formal and doctor-y you're Yamini. But when you're back to being our friend, you're our Mini!" Aru had grinned.

Mini was so enchanted. 'Their Mini' She always repeated. 'Friends'

"I have to talk formal to my parents. I can't say stuff like 'stupid' or 'idiot' or they'll yell at me" She explained to her. "They'll yell my name. Like this: YAMINI."

"Then when they do that, you yell: WHAT? Right back at them. Never show them they can walk you like that. Usually they should, since they're your parents and all, but the formula's too much" Aru explained.

The nickname of Mini was given to her by her brother. The only one who didn't care about the formula or her studies in the Kapoor-Mercado-Lopez household.

Mini sighed and looked around her house. She spotted her father, and she made her way over.

Her father stood up and met her halfway. For a second, it seemed like he was going to hug her. But no. He outstretched his hand for a handshake.

'Of course' Mini thought dryly. She shook his hand once and nodded at him. "Father"

"Yamini" Her father acknowledged her. "We have things to discuss of your future husband"

"Father, my apartment was wrecked. Perhaps we should address that matter first?"

"No, that can wait. Trivial matters such as your personal life shall be put aside while we deal with more important changes"

Mini was outraged. Personal life? Her life was put in danger!

Her mom's brows furrowed, as if she thought something along those lines as well.

"But Jaa-"

"No. This is more important" Her father interrupted. "Now, Yamini, I have found-"

"No." Mini said firmly. This was the first time she ever said this to her parents.

Silence.

"What did you just utter?" Dr. Kapoor-Mercado-Lopez took off his glasses and placed them on the table.

"I said no. I'm not gonna continue this conversation because my life is more important than the formula" She said, slightly less formal.

"I told you-"

"I don't care what you told me! I was literally put in danger! My friends were in danger! And Aru was in danger, too! Remember her?" Yelled Mini, kicking back to her normal characteristics. Welp, Yamini was no more.

Recognition flashed across her mom's face, but her dad stayed expressionless.

"You do not interrupt your parents, and I will not listen to you while you talk to me informally"

"Are you and your friends alright?" Her mom asked. But her father waved her off.

"I am talking right now, please, silence" He told her. Her mom's face fell.

"Excuse me, but mom can talk whenever she wants" Mini stood up for her mother. "And also, I don't care to talk to you formally. You barely listen to me that way anyway."

"Do not act like this, your future husband will not accept you, and we cannot execute the next part of the form-"

"I don't care about your stupid formula!" Mini yelled. Her mom gasped quietly.

"YAMINI!" Her father roared. Mini flinched, but didn't back down. She'd had enough of this. She was so mad, so furious. And that anger made her say the next thing.

"WHAT?" She yelled. Tears streamed down her face.

Her father was shocked to silence. He slammed his hand on the table. His glasses jerked up from the impact.

But before he could say anything, she spoke.

"I've had enough. Have you ever considered I didn't want to be a part of that formula? That I didn't want to study that hard? That I didn't want to memorize every single disease there was? Did you even congratulate me when I won the place of valedictorian?" She asked calmly.

Her father opened her mouth, but Mini cut him off.

"I don't want to hear it. It's my turn to speak" She said firmly. "I studied so hard to keep up with what you wanted. When I got a place in The Otherworld University, did you even know I got a scholarship to Harvard? No you didn't, because you were too wound up in the fact I got into TOU and not my brother. Yeah, don't think I didn't hear you say that it should've been him. And I bet you don't even know where I live over there. I bet you didn't know that I'm rooming with Aru and Brynne. Wait, do you even know Brynne? Do you remember Aru? Do you even know I have a boyfriend?"

For the first time, emotion displayed on her fathers face. He was confused and shocked. He didn't remember her friends.

"Of course you don't. Of course you don't know my bestest friends in the world. You don't know the one person who would cherish me and cry for me. No, actually" She thought of them cheering her on during this argument. "My sisters. My real family. A better family you could ever wish to be"

Her father looked taken aback. Her mother's eyes shone with tears.

Mini spun on her heel and dragged her suitcase to the door.

"Good bye, Mom, and Dr. Kapoor-Mercado-Lopez"

She walked along the streets, and looked at the sun setting.

She had finally opened her eyes.



So yes. A basic little parallel to the chapter called 'the daughter of death opens her eyes'. Pretty slick, if I do say so myself.

This chapter basically explains what happened when our prince, wifey and daughter of Indra were on their drive to Atlanta.

What do you think?

-Loife