Treble Clef
By Silver Falcon
Chapter One
Pixus saw the Help Wanted sign on the door of the nightclub; it was bright yellow, and it stood out from the navy blue paint on the walls of the building. She bounced her book bag higher on her shoulder and walked closer to the sign.
"Must be able to play keyboard," she said, reading the fine print at the bottom of the poster. "Pays ten dollars an hour depending on how good you are. See clerk for more info."
Pixus smiled. Finally, a job offer she couldn't refuse, but would they refuse a seventeen year old? Her smile faded and her expression drooped.
"Well, only one way to find out," she said, grabbing the handle of the door and pulling it open.
It was a lot cooler inside than it was outside, and it was also a lot darker inside. The floor consisted of a tile area around the door and gray carpet, while the walls were blue. There were a few wall lamps around, and there was a cheaply made chandelier hanging overhead. There were chairs that lined the walls, some more comfortable than others. She looked at the lonely woman sitting at the desk reading a magazine. She had brown hair that was put up in a neat bun, and she wore a blue business suit. The woman put down the magazine when she heard the door close, her eyes glancing up at the newcomer. There were no words exchanged between them as Pixus neared the desk, but that was understandable. It wasn't everyday that someone saw a girl with pink hair.
"Can I help you?" she asked in a very confused tone.
"Yes, can you tell me more about the Help Wanted poster outside?"
The woman looked at her for a second like she was crazy. "Darlin', aren't you a little young to be working this hard? Where are your parents?"
She shook her head. "I don't have any."
The woman looked at the floor in shame. "Oh, sorry. Well, auditions are in the door to my right. If you have any questions, just ask me," she stated, smiling. "Good luck with your audition," she said, pointing to the door once again.
"Thanks," she said, disappearing into the audition room.
It was almost pitch black inside the room, but Pixus could see a light a good distance away. There wasn't anyone else around that she could see.
"Hello?" she called, her voice echoing through the large room.
She heard a distant crash, followed by a clang, and finally a very distinctive 'oomph!'
"Hold…ow…Be right there!" a man's voice yelled.
Pixus walked in the direction of the voice, and saw a man trying to make his way through a sea of musical instruments. She stood there in silence and watched him. After lifting an old tuba out of his way, he stood up and dusted himself off.
"Name's Jack Gallan. You here for an audition?" the large man asked.
"Yes, sir," she answered calmly.
The red-haired man reached behind him with his right arm and scratched his back. He wore a stained t-shirt and a worn pair of jeans with big, dark boots. He had a tiger tattoo on his arm and a skull on his neck.
"Well, what instrument do you play?" he asked, his voice deep but cheerful.
"Any one you give me," she said, waving her arm towards the sea behind him.
"Hmm. Well, that won't be necessary, but how good are you with a keyboard?" he said, tipping his baseball cap back a bit and bending down to look at her.
"Had it mastered at three," she said, smiling.
Jack also smiled. "Well, let's see what you got. Follow me."
He stood straight up and walked through the sea of instruments, muttering to himself on how big of a mess it was. He led her to another door and opened it for her. She walked through it and found herself nearly blinded by the well-lit area. Jack came in close behind her, put his hands on his hips, and laughed.
"This is the stage. No one's here yet, but the club opens at ten. So, I have plenty of time for you," he chuckled.
The room was mainly flat, but there were a few oddities that made the place stand out. For instance, a catwalk overhead was decorated with bright lights and pieces of crystal. The dance floor consisted of brightly colored pieces of tile that had been laid in a beautiful pattern on the floor. The stage was decorated with more shards of crystal hanging overhead and colored lights on the ceiling.
"Wow, this place is big."
"Yeah. Stay here and let me go get the keyboard," he said, walking off in the opposite direction. He disappeared into the darkness, and Pixus heard another commotion. "Damn it! Those stupid boys think they run the place…ah. Here it is." He came back with an electric keyboard tucked safely in his arms and a pad of music in his teeth. "Sorry, but I couldn't find the stand to it. I'll have to ask the boys where they put it."
Pixus smiled. "It's not a problem at all," she said, taking the keyboard out of his hands.
She sat down on the stage and held the keyboard in her lap. While she was setting it up just the right way, Jack made his way to the back of the room, sprinting the entire way.
"Okay!" he yelled from the back. "You know any songs in there?"
"Yeah, I've played most of them before," she yelled back.
"You know Smash Mouth?"
"Yeah."
"Play…uh… 'All Star!' I think it's on page 11."
Pixus laughed. "Page 11," she muttered, flipping through the music sheets.
Jack chucked. "Okay, whenever you're ready!"
Pixus pushed a key to adjust the volume. "You hear that?"
"Yeah, I heard it!"
She decided that she would play it in electric guitar first and try new instruments later if she got the job. She placed her hands on the keyboard and propped her music up on her feet. She began to hit the keys, glancing at her music few times during the excerpt from the song. She keyed the song with no flaws, but it seemed like a very long time before she finished.
Jack's applause in the back was a comfort. "Way to go, kid!" he yelled, coming back to the stage.
"Thanks."
He crawled on the stage and stood up. "This your first job?"
"Yeah, I don't have a resume or any money," she said, standing up with the keyboard under her arm.
Jack nodded and grinned impishly. "Well, you play like a pro, kid, so I'll pull a few strings. Come on. Let's go find Marcie."
"Marcie?"
"Yeah," he said, opening the door for her again. "The woman at the front desk. Did you see her when you came in?"
"Oh, her. Yeah."
Pixus followed him into the room with the sea of instruments and into the room where the woman was.
"How was your audition?" she asked, smiling.
"Marcie, she's gotten a front row seat to a new job. Kid's talented," Jack said, chuckling up a storm.
Marcie began to dig for something in her desk. She drew a clipboard from her desk drawer and handed it to Pixus.
"Okay, I need you to fill this out, and welcome to Night Sun."
Pixus took the clipboard and pencil that was offered to her and retired to one of the seats along the wall. The first line read: Full Name.
'Pixus Raise.'
Age.
'17.'
Gender.
'Female.'
Address.
'N/A.'
City.
'Bayville.'
Phone Number.
'N/A.'
When Pixus finally stood up, she noticed that Jack and Marcie were looking at her.
"Here," she said, handing the clipboard back to Marcie.
Jack walked past her and picked up the black bandana on the floor before handing it back for her. Pixus covered her forehead hurriedly. She looked at the floor and started to back towards the door.
"Where are you going?" Marcie asked.
Pixus stopped and turned around, holding her hand over the vertical, purple eye on her forehead. "Aren't you afraid?"
Jack laughed. "No. I have a little brother who is a mutant. It's not a big deal to us."
Pixus turned around. "Really?"
"Pixus Raise? You don't live anywhere?"
Pixus shook her head, her hair shaking from side to side. Jack curiously turned his head to look at the clipboard. He glanced up at Pixus with a confused expression.
"You're homeless?"
"Well, yeah."
Jack looked at Marcie and whispered something to her. "We might be able to fix you a place here, but you'd have to help us."
Pixus smiled. "No problem."
"So, Pixie, what's your power?"
"Foresight."
Jack pulled up a chair and sat down in it. "Well, girls, it's seven o'clock. Who wants a bite to eat?"
Pixus shook her head sadly. "I don't have any money."
"Hey, it's on the house. Think of it as a welcome present," he said, standing up and tipping his hat. "Welcome to the family."
"Who's for Chinese?" Marcie said happily. "Pixie, you for Chinese?"
"Sounds great."
Jack took a loop of keys out of his pocket. "Marcie, take her to the car. I'll lock up and be out in a sec."
Marcie nodded and touched Pixus' shoulder gently. Pixus followed her outside to a black Viper. Marcie hopped into the passenger seat, and Pixus found comfort in the back seat.
Marcie turned around and smiled at her. "You must be really good. He usually doesn't hire people that fast."
"Are you and him an item?" Pixus asked, before quickly adding, "if its okay for me to ask."
"Oh, yeah. Engaged for four months. Okay, my turn. What's with the eye?"
Pixus tied the bandana around her head. "I can't see much out of it, but I know stuff. I can see the future when it's opened and exposed. I keep it covered all the time because I don't like knowing the future."
"Why?"
"Well, imagine if you knew everything that would happen to you for the rest of your life. It wouldn't be worth living. I just use it to stay out of trouble."
"Is that your only power?"
"Well, no. I have a lot of talent with music, like I can make magical things happen if I play this," she said, digging into the pocket of her dark trench coat. She pulled out a blue flute that was shaped like a "Y."
"But…isn't that cheating?"
"No, I really can play instruments. Music is my life."
"That must be neat," Marcie said, glancing out of the window. "Oh look, Jack's coming."
Pixus looked out of the window and saw the spiky-haired man nearing the car. He opened the driver's door and got inside, sliding his keys into the ignition.
"Well, Chinese, right? We're off!" he roared.
It had been a long time since she had ridden in a car. Pixus stared at the midline in the road, counting the stripes as they went by. It was hard to ride in a car, especially for her. Would they notice that her coat was stretched a little? Hopefully not.
"Hey, Pixie, where are you from?" Marcie's chirping voice asked.
Pixie thought about it for a minute. What was she supposed to say?
"I don't know. I've been a wanderer ever since I was little. I just appeared one day."
Jack looked in the rear view mirror, adjusting it so he could see her. "You just appeared? You have amnesia?"
She looked at him and shrugged. "I really don't know."
Marcie's expression changed to one of concern. "And you don't have anywhere to live? You poor thing. Do you go to school?"
"Well, no, but I've always been intelligent."
"Have you ever gone to school?"
"Yes. I finished Junior High without people suspecting I was on my own, but, a few years ago, I was found out, so I was forced to run."
"Aww. That's horrible. Well, I would invite you to live with us, but we don't have a home, either. We live at Night Sun. It saves a lot of money, at least, until we get found out."
"Yeah, I told her that we would fix her a place. We can play her parents for a while too. Get her enrolled at Bayville High," Jack said, grinning at her through the mirror. "Would that be okay? You could live with us for a while."
"I have only known you for an hour, are you sure?" she asked squeamishly, rubbing her forehead.
"Oh, please! When you work at the Night Sun, we're all family. Even the boys are like a family to us, when they're actually around," she said, rolling her eyes.
"Well, if it's not going to be any trouble, I guess so. But I don't know anyone at the high school."
"Don't worry. You're bound to make new friends," Marcie said, laughing. "You're a very pretty girl."
"With pink hair and blue eyes," she groaned.
The car came to a stop. "We're here! Let's talk some more about this inside!" Jack cheered, opening his car door.
Pixus opened her car door and slid outside, making sure that no one would suspect anything unusual. She looked at the Chinese restaurant. It didn't look very flashy at all.
Jake noticed her estranged expression as she looked at the run down place. "Oh, don't worry. This place serves the best food for forty miles. It keeps all the rich, flashy folk away with the outside look, but inside, it's a dream."
Pixie nodded and followed the couple in. Inside, the place was covered in bright red carpet. The walls were hand carved with beautiful murals of dragons and temples. Round lanterns hung on the ceiling, making a long line down the halls.
"Wow, you were right," Pixie said, smiling.
Jack walked up to the hostess and left Marcie to talk to Pixie. "Well, my name is Marcie Dign, and his is Jack Gallan. I'm 35, and he's 39. We've been in the Night Sun for a few years now. He's a really sweet guy, but he usually puts on his tough guy impression to intimidate trouble makers from the club."
"Why were you surprised that he took so kindly to me?"
"Well, usually he's really rough on the newcomers, but he loves to clean, and that's exactly what he's been doing all day, so he was calm when he met you," she said. "Plus, you have good charisma."
"Thanks."
"Why do you travel alone? Why not band together with someone and go?"
"Because I only get people hurt," she whispered softly.
Marcie looked at her with wide eyes. "Darlin', what do you mean by that?"
"Nothing," she smiled. "Just some boy trouble."
"Ah," Marcie said, smiling. "I had some boy trouble too, when I was in school. I had to beat them off with a stick!"
Marcie laughed quietly and smiled.
"How did you meet him?" Pixie asked, nodding her head towards Jack.
"Oh, well… I used to work in a bar, and one day I got swamped by some drunk regulars who decided that they wanted a piece of my ass. He just happened to be a bouncer at a fancy restaurant across the street. He saw me and beat them off."
"How heroic."
"Yeah. It was like a fairy tale. You know. The damsel in distress gig."
"He seems like he really loves you."
"He does, although he doesn't say it very often. He's a sweet heart."
Jack motioned for them to come. They followed the hostess to their table, a beautiful wooden table made of mahogany and covered in a white table cloth. Pixie sat down and looked at the menu. The Korean woman that they followed turned around and took their drink orders. She hurried off to fulfill them, and left them alone.
"So, Marcie, can you enroll her sometime this week? Go by the school and talk to the principal? I'll see what I can do to put her room in next to ours."
"I don't know how to thank you enough. I really don't."
"Hey, don't worry. Marcie knows what it's like to be an orphan. We always open our doors to anyone who needs help."
Marcie smiled. "Yes, we'll just adopt you into the family! If the boys don't understand, well, we'll team up against them. Girl power, right?"
Pixus smiled. "Right."
By Silver Falcon
Chapter One
Pixus saw the Help Wanted sign on the door of the nightclub; it was bright yellow, and it stood out from the navy blue paint on the walls of the building. She bounced her book bag higher on her shoulder and walked closer to the sign.
"Must be able to play keyboard," she said, reading the fine print at the bottom of the poster. "Pays ten dollars an hour depending on how good you are. See clerk for more info."
Pixus smiled. Finally, a job offer she couldn't refuse, but would they refuse a seventeen year old? Her smile faded and her expression drooped.
"Well, only one way to find out," she said, grabbing the handle of the door and pulling it open.
It was a lot cooler inside than it was outside, and it was also a lot darker inside. The floor consisted of a tile area around the door and gray carpet, while the walls were blue. There were a few wall lamps around, and there was a cheaply made chandelier hanging overhead. There were chairs that lined the walls, some more comfortable than others. She looked at the lonely woman sitting at the desk reading a magazine. She had brown hair that was put up in a neat bun, and she wore a blue business suit. The woman put down the magazine when she heard the door close, her eyes glancing up at the newcomer. There were no words exchanged between them as Pixus neared the desk, but that was understandable. It wasn't everyday that someone saw a girl with pink hair.
"Can I help you?" she asked in a very confused tone.
"Yes, can you tell me more about the Help Wanted poster outside?"
The woman looked at her for a second like she was crazy. "Darlin', aren't you a little young to be working this hard? Where are your parents?"
She shook her head. "I don't have any."
The woman looked at the floor in shame. "Oh, sorry. Well, auditions are in the door to my right. If you have any questions, just ask me," she stated, smiling. "Good luck with your audition," she said, pointing to the door once again.
"Thanks," she said, disappearing into the audition room.
It was almost pitch black inside the room, but Pixus could see a light a good distance away. There wasn't anyone else around that she could see.
"Hello?" she called, her voice echoing through the large room.
She heard a distant crash, followed by a clang, and finally a very distinctive 'oomph!'
"Hold…ow…Be right there!" a man's voice yelled.
Pixus walked in the direction of the voice, and saw a man trying to make his way through a sea of musical instruments. She stood there in silence and watched him. After lifting an old tuba out of his way, he stood up and dusted himself off.
"Name's Jack Gallan. You here for an audition?" the large man asked.
"Yes, sir," she answered calmly.
The red-haired man reached behind him with his right arm and scratched his back. He wore a stained t-shirt and a worn pair of jeans with big, dark boots. He had a tiger tattoo on his arm and a skull on his neck.
"Well, what instrument do you play?" he asked, his voice deep but cheerful.
"Any one you give me," she said, waving her arm towards the sea behind him.
"Hmm. Well, that won't be necessary, but how good are you with a keyboard?" he said, tipping his baseball cap back a bit and bending down to look at her.
"Had it mastered at three," she said, smiling.
Jack also smiled. "Well, let's see what you got. Follow me."
He stood straight up and walked through the sea of instruments, muttering to himself on how big of a mess it was. He led her to another door and opened it for her. She walked through it and found herself nearly blinded by the well-lit area. Jack came in close behind her, put his hands on his hips, and laughed.
"This is the stage. No one's here yet, but the club opens at ten. So, I have plenty of time for you," he chuckled.
The room was mainly flat, but there were a few oddities that made the place stand out. For instance, a catwalk overhead was decorated with bright lights and pieces of crystal. The dance floor consisted of brightly colored pieces of tile that had been laid in a beautiful pattern on the floor. The stage was decorated with more shards of crystal hanging overhead and colored lights on the ceiling.
"Wow, this place is big."
"Yeah. Stay here and let me go get the keyboard," he said, walking off in the opposite direction. He disappeared into the darkness, and Pixus heard another commotion. "Damn it! Those stupid boys think they run the place…ah. Here it is." He came back with an electric keyboard tucked safely in his arms and a pad of music in his teeth. "Sorry, but I couldn't find the stand to it. I'll have to ask the boys where they put it."
Pixus smiled. "It's not a problem at all," she said, taking the keyboard out of his hands.
She sat down on the stage and held the keyboard in her lap. While she was setting it up just the right way, Jack made his way to the back of the room, sprinting the entire way.
"Okay!" he yelled from the back. "You know any songs in there?"
"Yeah, I've played most of them before," she yelled back.
"You know Smash Mouth?"
"Yeah."
"Play…uh… 'All Star!' I think it's on page 11."
Pixus laughed. "Page 11," she muttered, flipping through the music sheets.
Jack chucked. "Okay, whenever you're ready!"
Pixus pushed a key to adjust the volume. "You hear that?"
"Yeah, I heard it!"
She decided that she would play it in electric guitar first and try new instruments later if she got the job. She placed her hands on the keyboard and propped her music up on her feet. She began to hit the keys, glancing at her music few times during the excerpt from the song. She keyed the song with no flaws, but it seemed like a very long time before she finished.
Jack's applause in the back was a comfort. "Way to go, kid!" he yelled, coming back to the stage.
"Thanks."
He crawled on the stage and stood up. "This your first job?"
"Yeah, I don't have a resume or any money," she said, standing up with the keyboard under her arm.
Jack nodded and grinned impishly. "Well, you play like a pro, kid, so I'll pull a few strings. Come on. Let's go find Marcie."
"Marcie?"
"Yeah," he said, opening the door for her again. "The woman at the front desk. Did you see her when you came in?"
"Oh, her. Yeah."
Pixus followed him into the room with the sea of instruments and into the room where the woman was.
"How was your audition?" she asked, smiling.
"Marcie, she's gotten a front row seat to a new job. Kid's talented," Jack said, chuckling up a storm.
Marcie began to dig for something in her desk. She drew a clipboard from her desk drawer and handed it to Pixus.
"Okay, I need you to fill this out, and welcome to Night Sun."
Pixus took the clipboard and pencil that was offered to her and retired to one of the seats along the wall. The first line read: Full Name.
'Pixus Raise.'
Age.
'17.'
Gender.
'Female.'
Address.
'N/A.'
City.
'Bayville.'
Phone Number.
'N/A.'
When Pixus finally stood up, she noticed that Jack and Marcie were looking at her.
"Here," she said, handing the clipboard back to Marcie.
Jack walked past her and picked up the black bandana on the floor before handing it back for her. Pixus covered her forehead hurriedly. She looked at the floor and started to back towards the door.
"Where are you going?" Marcie asked.
Pixus stopped and turned around, holding her hand over the vertical, purple eye on her forehead. "Aren't you afraid?"
Jack laughed. "No. I have a little brother who is a mutant. It's not a big deal to us."
Pixus turned around. "Really?"
"Pixus Raise? You don't live anywhere?"
Pixus shook her head, her hair shaking from side to side. Jack curiously turned his head to look at the clipboard. He glanced up at Pixus with a confused expression.
"You're homeless?"
"Well, yeah."
Jack looked at Marcie and whispered something to her. "We might be able to fix you a place here, but you'd have to help us."
Pixus smiled. "No problem."
"So, Pixie, what's your power?"
"Foresight."
Jack pulled up a chair and sat down in it. "Well, girls, it's seven o'clock. Who wants a bite to eat?"
Pixus shook her head sadly. "I don't have any money."
"Hey, it's on the house. Think of it as a welcome present," he said, standing up and tipping his hat. "Welcome to the family."
"Who's for Chinese?" Marcie said happily. "Pixie, you for Chinese?"
"Sounds great."
Jack took a loop of keys out of his pocket. "Marcie, take her to the car. I'll lock up and be out in a sec."
Marcie nodded and touched Pixus' shoulder gently. Pixus followed her outside to a black Viper. Marcie hopped into the passenger seat, and Pixus found comfort in the back seat.
Marcie turned around and smiled at her. "You must be really good. He usually doesn't hire people that fast."
"Are you and him an item?" Pixus asked, before quickly adding, "if its okay for me to ask."
"Oh, yeah. Engaged for four months. Okay, my turn. What's with the eye?"
Pixus tied the bandana around her head. "I can't see much out of it, but I know stuff. I can see the future when it's opened and exposed. I keep it covered all the time because I don't like knowing the future."
"Why?"
"Well, imagine if you knew everything that would happen to you for the rest of your life. It wouldn't be worth living. I just use it to stay out of trouble."
"Is that your only power?"
"Well, no. I have a lot of talent with music, like I can make magical things happen if I play this," she said, digging into the pocket of her dark trench coat. She pulled out a blue flute that was shaped like a "Y."
"But…isn't that cheating?"
"No, I really can play instruments. Music is my life."
"That must be neat," Marcie said, glancing out of the window. "Oh look, Jack's coming."
Pixus looked out of the window and saw the spiky-haired man nearing the car. He opened the driver's door and got inside, sliding his keys into the ignition.
"Well, Chinese, right? We're off!" he roared.
It had been a long time since she had ridden in a car. Pixus stared at the midline in the road, counting the stripes as they went by. It was hard to ride in a car, especially for her. Would they notice that her coat was stretched a little? Hopefully not.
"Hey, Pixie, where are you from?" Marcie's chirping voice asked.
Pixie thought about it for a minute. What was she supposed to say?
"I don't know. I've been a wanderer ever since I was little. I just appeared one day."
Jack looked in the rear view mirror, adjusting it so he could see her. "You just appeared? You have amnesia?"
She looked at him and shrugged. "I really don't know."
Marcie's expression changed to one of concern. "And you don't have anywhere to live? You poor thing. Do you go to school?"
"Well, no, but I've always been intelligent."
"Have you ever gone to school?"
"Yes. I finished Junior High without people suspecting I was on my own, but, a few years ago, I was found out, so I was forced to run."
"Aww. That's horrible. Well, I would invite you to live with us, but we don't have a home, either. We live at Night Sun. It saves a lot of money, at least, until we get found out."
"Yeah, I told her that we would fix her a place. We can play her parents for a while too. Get her enrolled at Bayville High," Jack said, grinning at her through the mirror. "Would that be okay? You could live with us for a while."
"I have only known you for an hour, are you sure?" she asked squeamishly, rubbing her forehead.
"Oh, please! When you work at the Night Sun, we're all family. Even the boys are like a family to us, when they're actually around," she said, rolling her eyes.
"Well, if it's not going to be any trouble, I guess so. But I don't know anyone at the high school."
"Don't worry. You're bound to make new friends," Marcie said, laughing. "You're a very pretty girl."
"With pink hair and blue eyes," she groaned.
The car came to a stop. "We're here! Let's talk some more about this inside!" Jack cheered, opening his car door.
Pixus opened her car door and slid outside, making sure that no one would suspect anything unusual. She looked at the Chinese restaurant. It didn't look very flashy at all.
Jake noticed her estranged expression as she looked at the run down place. "Oh, don't worry. This place serves the best food for forty miles. It keeps all the rich, flashy folk away with the outside look, but inside, it's a dream."
Pixie nodded and followed the couple in. Inside, the place was covered in bright red carpet. The walls were hand carved with beautiful murals of dragons and temples. Round lanterns hung on the ceiling, making a long line down the halls.
"Wow, you were right," Pixie said, smiling.
Jack walked up to the hostess and left Marcie to talk to Pixie. "Well, my name is Marcie Dign, and his is Jack Gallan. I'm 35, and he's 39. We've been in the Night Sun for a few years now. He's a really sweet guy, but he usually puts on his tough guy impression to intimidate trouble makers from the club."
"Why were you surprised that he took so kindly to me?"
"Well, usually he's really rough on the newcomers, but he loves to clean, and that's exactly what he's been doing all day, so he was calm when he met you," she said. "Plus, you have good charisma."
"Thanks."
"Why do you travel alone? Why not band together with someone and go?"
"Because I only get people hurt," she whispered softly.
Marcie looked at her with wide eyes. "Darlin', what do you mean by that?"
"Nothing," she smiled. "Just some boy trouble."
"Ah," Marcie said, smiling. "I had some boy trouble too, when I was in school. I had to beat them off with a stick!"
Marcie laughed quietly and smiled.
"How did you meet him?" Pixie asked, nodding her head towards Jack.
"Oh, well… I used to work in a bar, and one day I got swamped by some drunk regulars who decided that they wanted a piece of my ass. He just happened to be a bouncer at a fancy restaurant across the street. He saw me and beat them off."
"How heroic."
"Yeah. It was like a fairy tale. You know. The damsel in distress gig."
"He seems like he really loves you."
"He does, although he doesn't say it very often. He's a sweet heart."
Jack motioned for them to come. They followed the hostess to their table, a beautiful wooden table made of mahogany and covered in a white table cloth. Pixie sat down and looked at the menu. The Korean woman that they followed turned around and took their drink orders. She hurried off to fulfill them, and left them alone.
"So, Marcie, can you enroll her sometime this week? Go by the school and talk to the principal? I'll see what I can do to put her room in next to ours."
"I don't know how to thank you enough. I really don't."
"Hey, don't worry. Marcie knows what it's like to be an orphan. We always open our doors to anyone who needs help."
Marcie smiled. "Yes, we'll just adopt you into the family! If the boys don't understand, well, we'll team up against them. Girl power, right?"
Pixus smiled. "Right."