I don't own Pinocchio
I think she likes you Mary's voice kept repeating itself in his mind. John slightly groaned as he put his paws on his head from the headache that he was getting. So what if Scarlette liked him? That didn't mean that John had to like her back. Or did it? During his visit with Scarlette that was hours ago, her image never left his mind. Her smooth, silky voice spoke in his mind and her lucious chocolate eyes kept appearing in front of him.
John didn't believe in love after what he had seen from his parents. His parents were both poor foxes who had no such luck in finding a job to support their family. With the lack of work, this led to a very bad turn of events. His mother stopped caring about the family and left because she had found another lover. John's father was thrown in jail for murder that he had committed. It was all because from the lack of money that they had. After his father's arrest, John had been alone but he had hope that his parents would one day return. The next day, after his father's arrest, news spread out that they killed him because of the crime.
This news did not sadden John, it infuriated him. He had thought about his mother leaving him because she hated him. His father was arrested and killed just to get away from him. At the end of his childhood, John had grown up unloved. One day when he was outside of his home and searching for food on the street. A large man that wore a red suit and black leather boots had approached him and taken him to his tavern. To John's childhood view, this man was a very scary to him. He hated the malicious smile that the man always had on his face when something unpleasant pleased him. That smile sent chills down John's spine, even to this day.
He kicked a small rock with his shoe and saw it tumbled away through the pavement. The hot sun grilled his fur as him and Giddy walked away from the hot sun and entered a cafe. "This is much better," John said as he took off his black tux and put it on the chair behind him. He and Giddy sat down on the chairs and listened to the people that were talking since there was nothing better for them to do.
"Did you hear?" a man with a white mustache said to one of his friends. "The Howards left for a month."
"Where?" a blond woman with fat curly hair asked as she sipped on her cup of coffee.
"Hawaii. They have a house there," the man told her.
"Some people have all the luck," the woman groaned, "they go on vacation and we are stuck here doing nothing," she added as she rolled her eyes.
"True," the man said as he folded his hands on the table, "they are the richest family in all of Diamond Street," the man added.
"Oh everyone knows that," the woman said as she swiped her hand in the air out of pure jealousy for the rich family.
Diamond Street? John thought at the word. That was the street that Richard had mentioned to him. Since the family was away for a whole month, John was going to use that house for his own advantage until the Coachman's plan was complete...if he managed to do it that is.
"Come on Giddy," John said to the cat as he took his black coat and put it on, "we have a rich house to find."
Giddy jumped up from his seat and the two conmen left the cafe, in search for the house.
John and Giddy had no trouble finding the street. Coincidentally, it was right across from the cafe. John and Giddy walked into the street. As they did, they saw more rich people that were more snootier than the ones on Moonlight Valley.
"Now where could that house be?" John asked as he looked at the houses that were around the street. He saw a rather chubby man walking down the street with his cane, enjoying the beautiful afternoon. "Excuse me my dear sir," John said as he walked up to the man and touched his arm to stop him, "can you tell me the number of the house where the Howards live in?"
The man looked at John and rubbed his chin with his hand. "Who might you be might I ask?" the man asked him as his small brown mustache twitched.
"I am a friend of his," John said as he tipped his hat to the man. "Alexander the Fourth," John said as he gave the man a sly smirk.
"So there were three Alexander's before you?" the man asked him.
"Yes siree," John said as he raised an eyebrow at his choice of words, "my great-grandfather was the first, my father the second, my uncle the third, and I am he fourth."
"So you are a fox named Alexander that happens to be the friend of Mr. Howard," the man said as he gathered all of the faux information that John had given him, "how come I have never heard of you before?"
"Because I don't live around here," John answered him.
"And you want to know where his house is because...?" the man continued to question him as if he was the police comissioner and he was the criminal.
"Because he gave me a job to keep it clean," John told him.
"But he has a maid."
"She got fired."
"How?"
"For trying to poison Mr. Howard and his family. Now," John said as he took a look at his pocket watch, "I am running behind scheduel from your constant questioning. Tell me the number to Mr. Howard's home," John said as he folded his arms across his chest and tapped his finger on his arm.
"Someone is a little impatient," the man said as he twirled his cane in his hand.
"Well the afternoon does not last forever now does it?" John said.
"Of course not," the man said as he shook his head, "his house number is house number-oops," the man said as he dropped his cane on the ground.
Giddy, who was standing right next to him, pulled the man's pocket with his cane and took out a handful of money and hid them within his clothes.
The man, who was too occupied to notice his money getting stolen, straightened his back and said, "thirteen."
"Thank you," John said as he tipped his hat to him again, "come along Giddy," he said to him as the two of them proceeded to find the house.
"Giddy?" the man said as he looked at the cat, "hmph! What a name." He walked away.
"There it is," John said as he pointed to a white Victorian style house. John walked up to the gate and opened it. Good thing that it was open because John didn't have any special objects to open up the lock. The two of them entered inside the property and Giddy shut the gate behind them.
The propety was well kept. The green grass was colored with a lot of flowers and there were vases of other flowers perching on the porch of the house. John ran up to the house and turned the knob. However, the door was locked. He tried to open the windows but they were locked too.
"Giddy," he said to him, "look around the house and see if there is a secret door somewhere."
Giddy enthusiastically nodded as he jumped off the porch and ran around the property to search for a secret door. There was a door behind the house itself, but that was locked too. Giddy scratched the top of his head. He took his cane and nudged it between the door. He wiggled the cane around and pushed it down. The cane shot upp from the ground and it hit Giddy on the stomach as he flew backwards and fell to the ground on his back. Giddy shook his head.
Suddenly, John walked to the back of the house and saw what had happened. "We are trying to get in the house, not to destroy it," John said as he took the cane away from the door and threw it at Giddy who caught it in his paws. John looked around for another door. Then he saw a blue-green door that was resting against the side of the house. John bent down and pulled on the door. Luckily, that door was open.
"Come on," John said to Giddy as he jumped inside and Giddy followed after him. This door led down to the basement. The basement was dark and Giddy did not like that very much. Once he entered the dark room, he clung himself onto John and didn't let go.
John stopped walking, let out a sigh, and rolled his eyes. "Giddy let go now," he said as he tried to pull Giddy off of him. Being frightened of the dark, Giddy clung himself onto John like glue. With one last pull, John managed to pull him off. John proceeded up the stairs and to a door. He opened the door and there was a whole new surrounding. John's jaw dropped as he looked at the luxurious furnitire that surrounded the home. The man at the cafe was not kidding. These Howard people were filthy rich.
When Giddy finally arrived to the top of the stairs, the shimmering objects caught his eyes. Those bright crystal menageries made him thirsty. He ran towards them with his paws out in front of him. "GIDDY!" John yelled and Giddy stopped before he could touch them.
"Don't touch anything," John warned him, "we'll get them later after we finish the Coachman's plan."
Giddy looked from John and then at the crystal menageries, giving them a small pout.
John collapsed on a leather sofa as he let out a sigh of relief. They had found a house, they had stolen money, and the lovely maiden had fallen in his trap. Speaking of the lovely maiden, his mind had been rewinding to their visit. John had never met anymore before who had a different opinion of her surroundings. A lady who wanted her parents to be proud of her. John took out the slip of paper that had the family's phone number on it. Maybe he should call her. Just to let her know where he was and all of that if she ever wanted to visit his "home."
He took the telephone in his paws and dialed her number. The operator spoke to him and connected him to the Vixington's. John waited for her voice to speak to him.
"Hello?" a breathless voice said.
"Scarlette?" John said as he raised an eyebrow at the sound of her breathless voice.
"John?" Scarlette asked as she tried to catch her breath.
"Are you alright?" John asked her, "you sound like you have seen a ghost."
"Oh no," Scarlette said as she added a laugh after, "I ran to my bedroom to catch the phone."
A slight smile formed on John's lips. "You knew that it was me."
"Oh I had a feeling that you were going to call me," she said.
"Well I had a great time meeting you," John told her.
"So did I," Scarlette said. She took a deep breath and then let it out. "I have to say, that when you left, I couldn't stop thinking about you."
John's eyes widened when she said that. He felt himself slightly blushing as if Scarlette was right in front of him. "Well...that's something new I have heard before."
"I am glad," Scarlette said, "I have never said such a thing to those other idiots before."
"Uh-huh," John nervously said. His hand was shaking as he tried his best to hold onto the phone. Now he hated himself for doing this. Why did she have to like him? He was going to feel guilty for killing her now!
"Look," Scarlette said, "I would like to come over and meet you again. Just the two of us with no parents and no sister around."
John let out a sigh. Good he thought. They made me feel really nervous. "Sure. You are welcome to come anytime."
"Okay," Scarlette said, "where do you live?"
"How about I come and pick you up?" John suggested, "that way, your parents will know where you're going and with whom you're going with."
"You don't have to be so overprotective," Scarlette told him. She had suffered enough of that from her parents.
"Sorry," John said as he held a paw in the air, "I just don't want your father's paws wrapped around my throat." He hit his head with his paw when he said that.
However, Scarlette only laughed. "My father's first impression has frightened you right?"
"Yes," John simply answered.
"He has been like that when he saw my first gentleman caller," Scarlette told him. "I don't think anything amuses father."
You think? John thought but he avoided saying that to her. At least Richard had no clue that it was John and Giddy who were on his porch during the nighttime about a day ago.
"Anyway," Scarlette continued, "thank you for letting me come and visit."
"You're welcome my dear," John said, "well until tomorrow then."
"Alright," Scarlette smiled, "see you tomorrow. Bye."
"Good bye," John said as he shut the phone. He rubbed his temple with his paws as he soothed the mild headache that was beginning to get worse and worse. Now he had to train Giddy to act like a proper butler to Scarlette so he could impress her some more. He pulled out the black gun from his pocket and looked at it.
It's not worth it he thought.
Scarlette smiled to herself when she put the phone back on the reciever. She liked hearing his smooth voice. It sounded sweet and it was music to her ears. He's the one for me she thought. Finally. A jumping feeling began to form in her stomach as it made her feel all happy and giddy on the inside. She put her paw on her stomach to try to control it but it was no use. That happy feeling rushed through her. At least someone loved her.
"Who were you talking to?" a deep voice asked as it opened her bedroom door.
Scarlette gaspd as she turned around and saw her father standing by the doorway. "Hello daddy," Scarlette said as she got up from her bed and looked at him, "I was only talking with John. He called and-"
Richard interrupted her as he held his paw in the air. "How many times have I told you that the longer you talk on the phone, the more money we have to pay on the bills."
Why not? We're rich aren't we? Scarlette thought at her father's words. "I am sorry," she said as she looked at her floor as if she was a child.
Richard walked up to her bed and confescated her phone from the night stand. "I am taking this downstairs, until you learn not to talk too much on the phone." As he was about to leave her room, he looked at her table where he saw pieces of white paper scattered upon her desk and a pencil resting on them. "What's this?" he asked as he picked up a piece of paper that had a picture of a rose that she had drawn.
"That's a rose," Scarlette said as she put her hands behind her back, "like the ones that John gave me. Do you like it?" she innocently asked.
"Hmph," Richard grunted as he kept looking at the paper. He threw it on the table as if it was a piece of rag. "Young ladies like you are sewing at hom or cooking for their husbands. They are not drawing stupid pictures like you're doing."
Scarlette took a step back when he said that. "But I don't have a husband," she said.
Richard stopped by the door way and his shoulders seemed to lift. He slowly turned around and appraoched his daughter. Scarlette took a couple of steps back until her back was pinned against the wall. She flinched as her father put his paw against the wall and glared at her. "Then find one," he said in a harsh voice, "you have embarassed you mother and me enough. We don't need anymore of your stupid nonesense from you girl," he said to her.
Scarlette's eyes looked down on the ground. "Look at me," his voice rang through her ears and she did. "Do you understand me?"
"Yes," Scarlette nodded at him. As Richard moved away from her Scarlette couldn't resist but ask this question. "Dad, do you hate me?"
Richard stopped in his tracks again. He turned around and glared at his daughter again.
"I'm sorry," Scarlette said as she folded her paws in front of her. "I didn't mean to make you mad." She gasped as she suddenly found herself on the ground. She looked up from the floor and then at her father who was towering over her, with the same angry expression on his face.
"Don't let me hear you say that again?" Richard told her as he finally left her bedroom, leaving her there.
Scarlette put a paw on her searing cheek as she tried to get up from the floor. She sat down on her bed and looked at the glass window that was allowing the sun's rays to enter through. Salty water filled up in her eyes and made its wat down her cheek. She put her hands on her eyes and weeped in silence.
