"Kids time for breakfast " Helen called. Dash and Violet raced downstairs from their respective rooms and went to the table to enjoy eggs bacon and toast.

"So, New school year huh, I bet it's pretty exciting…" Bob said as he served his wife and children

"It's the same every year, nothings gonna change around here…" Violet moaned as she devoured her toast

"Oh don't be such a Debby downer…" Helen lightly scolded.

"Yeah...it won't be too bad...Plus every school year is exciting…" Dash added, wolfing down his meal.

"That's right….Hey, speaking of which there's the bus...Don't forget your books…"

Violet and Dash ram toward the incoming bus and the bus drove them off to school

Violet and her friend were chatting it up when her friend nudged her and pointed ahead. Violet looked and saw Tony talking to another girl.

She has short curly honey blonde hair with a bow on her right side and brown skin. She wore a mauve sweater, a dark blue skirt, and black low-top sneakers.

"I hope she's not trying to steal Tony from you…"

"I hope so too…" then Violet began to approach the laughing kids

"Hey Tony...you ready for the new school year…" Violet butted in

"Oh hey, there hun bun… I didn't see you Tony and I were just talking about how school is the same every year and they need to change it up some y'know" the girl spoke. Her bubbly Cajun accent translated into her energy

"Violet I want you to meet Ellie Mae, She's new here…" Tony pointed to the blonde girl

"Heya Vi Vi nice to meet ya…" Ellie Mae shook Violet's hand happily but roughly at the same time, making Violet uncomfortable. "Maybe we got off on the wrong foot...I'm just very excited to be here...I've been homeschooled my whole life and ooh ooh that reminds me...Do you know where this room is…"

Ellie Mae shoved her schedule in Violet's face.

"Oh Um it's down the hallway to your right…" Violet slowly pointed

"Thank you so much, Violet...Oh, one more thing…" Ellie Mae took out a card and handed it to the three kids.

"What's this Ellie…" Tony asked.

"It's a jazz club I play in. My daddy runs it...Would be nice to see some kids my age watch me perform...Anyway nice to meet y'all see ya in class…" Ellie Mae raced off in the direction of where Violet told her to go

"Is it me or is she crazy…" Violet turned to Tony

"Oh, Vi she's just excited…" Tony reassured his girlfriend then Ellie Mae peeked out from the hallway.

"By the way, if you hear a piano playing in the music room at lunchtime it's me…" then she disappeared again

When lunchtime arrived, Violet was on her way to the cafeteria when she heard a piano playing. She peeked in and saw Ellie Mae with her fingers flying on the keys. Then she waved her fingers around and a guitar started playing on its own and then she waved her finger again and a trumpet and the drums played on their own accord

Violet silently gasped at what she was witnessing but she couldn't be too sure.

"I guess she's a one-man-band...I'll ask her about this tomorrow…" then she left to join her friends at lunch.

After school, she waited for her mom to pick her up and a car zoomed by and a black puppy was in the middle of the street. Ellie Mae came out and saw it racing toward the whimpering pup and she stared hard at the driver, making him freeze dead in his tracks, and picked up the crying dog

"Shh Shh Shh...that's a good boy, let's see who you belong to…" Ellie Mae observed the dog and didn't see a tag. "Zuzu's gonna like you…" She secretly snapped her fingers and the driver was out of the trance and drove off

"Ellie...what was that…" Violet interrogated.

"What was what?"

"What you just did…"

"I didn't do nothin"

"Oh really…"

"Listen honey bun I gotta go...I gotta pick up my baby sister from preschool...and maybe Biscuit can come with me…" Ellie Mae placed the dog down and it walked beside her as she left the school

Violet gave a suspicious look at Ellie Mae as the girl left. Then she heard a honk

"Come on Violet…" then she raced to her mother's car

Ellie Mae then approached the large building and waited as a bunch of little kids zoomed out. Then a pale-skinned blonde toddler appeared. She was chubby and she wore a pink shirt under a white and pink floral dress and pink ballet flats

"Ellie…" the girl rushed to Ellie Mae, who picked her up and rubbed her nose against the girl's nose.

"Hi, Zoey...How was school"

"Good Ellie…" then Zoey heard barking. "A puppy…" She jumped from her arms and hugged it.

"I think Biscuit likes you" then Biscuit licked the toddler's face as the girl giggled.

"Come on we should get home."

The two girls got home to a jazz club where they saw a white man with brown hair and clothed in neutral tweed who was managing the music notes and setting up the tables

"Hi Daddy, we're back," both girls called.

"Ah Ellie Mae I see you brought Zoey home once again without fail…" the man said picking up his toddler daughter

"Aww shucks it was nothin-"

"Yet I don't know what takes you so long…"

Ellie Mae sheepishly chuckled. "Alrighty then…"

Then Biscuit barked. "What's that dirty dog doing here?"

"Ellie got me a puppy…"

"Now daddy forgive me...She's been a good girl these past few weeks and her birthday's coming up so I found this fella…"

"You can keep the dog, as long as it doesn't pee all over the place you hear…" a blonde woman came in shaking a finger at Ellie Mae

"Yes, mam…"

"Now run along…the band is waiting for you…" Ellie went to the stage where 3 African American men were waiting for her

"Hey Piano Keys…" the man on double bass

"Hey, y'all…Hey Slow Drag...Got any stories today…"

"Hoo girl you know I do...but first the fellas and I saved you some lunch…" Slow Drag handed her a box. She opened it and found some fish and chips.

"Thank y'all so much I was starving…" Ellie Mae began to devour the fish.

"So, you remember my nephew Sylvester…" the guy on the trumpet asked.

"Mmhmm"

"Turns out he's going to your school…"

"That's awesome…" Ellie Mae spoke with her mouth full.

"Hey hey speed it up will you...it's almost time…" the man carrying Zoey yelled

"Now hold on Luther...Piano Keys is still eating…"

"Speed it up Elizabeth…" Ellie Mae nodded and ate the rest of her food. "You should get changed while you at it and it's time for Zoey's nap

"Right away sir…" Ellie Mae took Zoey and ran off with biscuit following behind them. The bandmates looked at Luther and shook their heads sadly.

Later that night, Ellie Mae was putting Zoey to bed. She tucked in her sister and she yawned.

"Ellie, can you do your magic…Pretty please" Zoey requested. Ellie Mae nodded and shut the bedroom door behind her. She clamped her hands together and a rainbow butterfly came out.

"Wow…"

"Ya ready…" Zoey nodded wildly and then Ellie Mae released thousands of them. They flew around Zoey's head. The child tried to catch them but she couldn't.

"You should get some sleep now Zuzu…" Ellie Mae caught all of the butterflies in her hands and kissed her little sister on the forehead. Zoey fell fast asleep and Ellie Mae saw her chance to slip away and get some sleep herself.