Chapter 53: Get a Job, Alura
For those living in the Dark Manor, it has been an...interesting two weeks of adjusting to their new arrangements. New clothes, new furniture, more food, all of that had to be ordered and arranged by Julius while Joe Dark and Alura spent their time checking out all the manor had to offer.
There were so many new things for Alura to learn about that it was quite overwhelming...for Joe Dark, who had to answer her questions.
Eventually, at Julius' behest, they decided to provide Alura with the most powerful connection to knowledge the world over...A computer tablet.
Her eyes were lit aglow with wonder the day she took this tablet in hand and started fiddling through the internet. Every day since she's been seen either laying down on the living room couch or on her bed, eyes glued to the tablet.
Present Day...
"I love my tablet." She whispered with a hint of delight.
Her small finger tapped the search bar and when she talked into it, it always gave her an answer, "I'm learning so much about Joe Dark's world now..."
The only time she hasn't been laying down was when, after learning more about what it means to be "sexy", she had Julius give her a hair cut. She had made the back of her hair shoulder length and the bangs were combed partially over her right eye, just like the girl in the magazine where she first learned of that word.
She wasn't sure why she wanted to look that way, but it felt good at the time. The newer clothes were nice too. She got to go on a "shopping spree", which meant buying a lot of clothes for herself. There were a lot of them in Joe Dark's style, which according to the internet is called "Gothic". Lots of dark colors with the occasional skull or demonic imagery stuck onto the shirt.
What she had on now was called a "low cut shirt". Apparently it helps emphasize something on a girl's body. It had a bleeding skull and crossbones on the back.
She also learned about "jeans". They were what she had been forced to wear when she had torn up her old dress. At the time they were loose, but these current ones felt snug around her legs and butt.
This is apparently all a part of being "sexy", but she didn't know if she felt like that yet.
"Hmmm..." She lazily squinted at the tablet and went to a site called "YouTube" to see if she could find out more.
"Oh!" Her gaze immediately darted towards a video in right below the search bar called "My cute doggo chases a raccoon!" Curiously though in the thumbnail she saw a Dog that looked no different from one she saw in the city.
"What's a Doggo?" She murmured while tapping the thumbnail to pop the video up.
She watched a small dog speed after a raccoon while barking like crazy. The camera managed to keep after the dog as the raccoon scurried over a fence and the dog nearly bit its tail to drag it back down. Then the dog just kept leaping at the fence and barking some more.
"Heh heh," She laughed softly, "Doggo's are funny."
A shadow fell on her and she pulled her head back to find Joe Dark peering over with a dry smile, "Haaaa, I knew I'd find you here."
Alura tapped on the tablet and stated with a hint of excitement, "Joe Dark, I want to get a Doggo next."
"Alura..." He sighed and shook his head, "You know we can't afford that."
"Why not?" She tilted her head, "We have so much money."
"That's NOT for us to get frivolous with." He started to reach out for her tablet and, feeling doom, she squeezed it tightly in her hands, only for him to pull it right out.
"Noooo...!" She moaned, and began flailing her hands and feet around.
As Joe Dark began to lift the tablet up she turned around, got on her knees, and stretched her arms so high her belly got exposed.
His height advantage couldn't be overcome. She puffed her cheeks slightly and huffed at him, "Jerk Dark...!"
"H-Hey...!" He spat back.
She noticed that he seemed a little different. His hair was shinier and he had this flowery aroma floating around him. His clothes weren't too different, but now they were all patched up and he had gotten a belt around his waist.
"What appears to be the problem?" Said Julius as he entered the living room.
Joe Dark veered over his shoulder and sighed, "Oh nothing, Alura's being a brat."
"Says you, Jerk Dark!" While he was distracted she leaped for the tablet, only for her feet to snag on the couch's arm and send her plummeting face first into the carpet.
"Mmmrrr...!" She grunted for a while.
In a few seconds she was lifted up by Joe Dark and sat upon the couch's arm. There she firmly crossed her arms and puffed her cheeks slightly.
Julius meanwhile sighed and murmured, "Master Joseph..."
Alura smirked. Now Joe Dark was in big trouble.
Joe Dark looked over his shoulder again and stated, "I-I only came to get her to go job hunting with me."
"Job...hunting?" Alura tilted her head in interest.
He bit his teeth down and grunted, "As I was TRYING to say before you jumped me like a cougar..."
He relaxed and pointed towards the second floor, "The rest of the money in that vault's for important things, like paying for this manor, replacing broken appliances, food..."
"But you bought a computer. And a bike. And-"
"Those are important for us. I'd love a dog, but we don't need one." Joe Dark was "laying down the law" as they say online.
"I need one, Joe Dark." So Alura decided to do the same, and pressed her arms even more firmly against her chest.
"Then get a job, Alura." Joe Dark crossed his arms in a slant.
She stared long into his eyes and then tilted her head the other way, "Give me my tablet back, I need to know what a job is."
He turned his body to the side to hide the tablet then stated bluntly, "No. I'm taking away your tablet privileges. You've done nothing but stare at it for the past week."
He reached out and poked her exposed belly with a chuckle, "You're already putting on pounds."
"Mmm...!" Alura felt a jolt in her heart and the sudden want to slap Joe Dark across the face.
"Haaaa, Master Joseph..." Julius intervened, "Please step aside for a moment."
"Uhhh..." Joe Dark responded with a blank look on his face, "Ok?"
Julius stepped up before her and stared straight into her eyes, "Ever heard the phrase, 'Bring home the bacon' Miss Alura?"
"No," Her eyes nevertheless lit up with interest, "But I love bacon."
"Well, just replace bacon with money, and that's what a job is." He says with a smile.
"...So you...eat money?" She replied.
"Julius be straightforward with her." Joe Dark said in a soft, reprimanding tone.
Julius glared over his shoulder and then resumed speaking, "Simply put, you do jobs to earn money."
"Oh...!" Her eyes lit up with interest, "So if I get a job, I can get a Doggo."
"Yes, you can get a Doggo." He said softly.
She hopped off the couch and declared, "I will get a job."
"Atta girl." Julius patted her on the shoulder and stood up facing Joe Dark.
"Its not going to be easy Alura. We'll have to pass an interview to get hired."
"Interview...?" She inquired.
"Yes," Replied Julius, "You'll be stuck in a one-on-one conversation with another person. You'll need to answer all their questions while following certain guidelines."
"I see." She slowly nodded.
"...Actually, I wonder if it would be a good idea to bring her along." Joe Dark murmured.
Julius sharply turned to face him and remarked, "Worry about yourself Master Joseph."
When Joe Dark flinched Julius stamped his foot down, stiffening him upright, "Lets review the guidelines from the top."
Joe Dark widened his eyes and stared forward, with Julius glancing aside at Alura for a moment to say, "Watch and learn Miss Alura."
Joe Dark started speaking unprompted, stiffening his body upright, "Look them in the eyes, don't slouch, don't swear, and make sure you look nice!"
"Bravo!" Julius gave a light clap.
Joe Dark breathed out and fell into a slump, "This is going to be torture..."
"It comes naturally to you over time." Julius assured him.
"Guess you're right." Joe Dark murmured.
"The first step is always the hardest, Master Joseph. Remember that."
Joe Dark then faced Alura and asked her, "Did you get all that?"
Uh huh, She nodded, her eyes alight as she gave a tiny smile, 鏑ook them in the eyes, don't slouch, don't swear, and make sure you look nice.
She laid a hand over her chest and remarked, "I look better than nice. I look 'sexy'."
Joe Dark slanted his brows and groaned, "W-Will you quit using that damn word...?"
"Master Joseph...!" Julius grunted angrily.
Joe Dark put up a scowl and grunted, "Darn word...!"
"Better," Julius sighed and reached into his suit, pulling out a piece of note paper, "Here are all the available job listings I could find in the area."
Joe Dark took a look at it and said, "Not bad. Thanks Julius."
"Don't be dismayed if you don't get a job today. You're getting experience, and that matters more."
"Right, well..." Joe Dark tucked the list into his pocket and turned away, "We're off!"
As Alura began to follow him to the door Julius roughed them up with "Ahem!", stopping them in place.
"Aren't you forgetting something?" He said, coolly withdrawing two wallets from his jacket pocket.
"O-Oh. Yeah..." Joe Dark and Alura returned to pick up their separate wallets. Hers was leather with a nice glossy rose painted on the front. Inside was the identification Julius forged using his CIA experience...whatever that meant.
"Alura Rose..." She whispered.
Joe Dark had been renamed to Joseph Black. How was that any different?
Nevertheless these would prove valuable for their every day lives now, so she tucked hers deep into her pockets. Finally they were allowed to leave, and took the bus down the hill to a quieter city than the norm.
Alura missed riding through the darkness. It wasn't smelly, or noisy, and wasn't uncomfortable to sit in. For some reason when people get older, they start to smell more.
Eventually they made it to their destination. None of the buildings here were more than two stories high and the streets were quiet, welcomingly quiet.
Joe Dark pulled out the job list and stood at the bus bench looking it over for a while, "Julius said it might be easier in a quiet town. Hope he's right...Hmmm..."
He looked up and pointed his hand out, towards a place called "Safeway", "They're hiring cashiers there. So...yeah. Lets go."
He led her inside the store, giving her time to repeat Julius' advice in her head, "Look them in the eyes, don't slouch, don't swear, and make sure you look nice."
On their way through the entrance Joe Dark was fiddling around with his shirt, tugging on the collar in particular. Alura looked at her shirt and decided to tug the collar down a little more. If it helped him prepare, it'd help her too.
They were guided to the back of the store, where they keep a lot of the food packed away. There they had to find the office. There were a couple people around their age sitting down outside the door. Both of them were shaking and didn't really have the best clothes on.
Alura smiled slightly and felt good about their chances.
The first person was called in right as they sat down. While they waited for their turn Joe Dark chatted with the guy next to him. There was a few words at a time and it ended shortly. Joe Dark then sighed and looked at himself again.
The first person came out the door with a sigh of relief. But his skin looked paler than hers and his face was sweaty.
He walked out into the storage room and the next person was called in.
Joe Dark scooted closer to the door and leaned in. Alura followed, doing the same.
"What are you doing?" She whispered.
Joe Dark jolted upright and pressed a lip to his mouth and made a hiss. That's known as saying "Be quiet", she's come to realize.
He then leaned back in. A few minutes later, that person walked out with the same expression. Now it was Joe Dark's turn.
"You can do it, Joe Dark!" Alura whispered as he walked in, leering over his shoulder with a spit-swallowing scowl.
Alura nudged up towards the door and waited. Her heart began to flutter. This was a feeling of "anticipation", they say.
"I'll get to have a job and earn money." She closed her eyes and imagined piles of dollar bills slowly raining down onto her. A bit of drool slipped out, "So much money..."
Suddenly the door opened, and Joe Dark wandered out. Same expression. Same sweat.
He looked back and said "Thank you for your time" to the person inside, then closed the door and took a couple dragging steps away.
"How'd it go?" Alura inquired.
He weakly turned his head and sighed, "They said they'd call me later."
"Is that good...?"
"I guess?" He had never sounded so tired before. Do interviews hold a terrifying power?
He looked her in the eyes and remarked, "Are you ready?"
Alura nodded and hopped off the chair, heading for the door, "I'm going to get a job, Joe Dark."
All she heard was him sighing as she entered the room. She froze up. The room was smaller than their bathroom. It had a desk, some weird metal cabinet, and a middle-aged man sitting in a chair overlooking some documents. He had a bit of extra weight on his chin and stomach, and prickly hairs around his face.
"Another interviewee..." He sighed, then waved his hand at the chair opposite his, "Take your seat young lady."
Alura sat in the chair and tried to remain upright, but the seat was hard as a rock and her legs began to squirm on their own.
"Who would make uncomfortable seats like this? I want a cushion..." She tucked her hands between her legs and tried again to follow Julius' advice.
She gave the man a wide stare directly at his eyes and forced herself upright. The man flinched and looked down at his documents some more.
"What is your name?"
"I am...Alura Rose," When she said that he started writing on his paper, "What...is he doing?"
Was this good? Was this bad? Alura found her body stiffening up in her chest region and moving out towards her arms.
"-bring to us?"
"Huh?" She muttered, raising her head to the man's tired expression.
"What can you bring to us?" He repeated in a slightly firmer tone.
"Ummm..." She looked him in the eyes but started to lower her head, "Don't you need a cashier?"
"Yes..." The man folded his arms under his two layers of chins and remarked, "What can you bring to us as a cashier?"
"I know how to handle cash." She remarked.
"And...?"
She tilted her head and said, "That's all I need right?"
"..." He closed his eyes and wrote more in his paper.
Staring at the lead grinding against the paper made her feel sick to her stomach. What did it all mean?
He looked at her again and said, "What do you hope to get out of this job?"
"Oh!" This was a simple answer, "Money."
"Money...?" He remarked, and she gave a nod.
"Do you intend to pursue further goals in the future?" He asked in an insisting tone.
"Can I earn more money if I do?" She said with a plain smile.
Once more, he put his pencil to paper and let out a sigh. Alura's heart was beating extra hard now. Why is this paper so important?!
She leaned out of her chair preparing to take a peek when the man closed the folder shut and remarked, "We'll call you later."
"H-Huh...?" It was over? But she had just gotten in...
She slowly got out of the chair, staring at the man while she left the door. The feeling in her chest wouldn't stop, and when she shut the door blood started rushing through her entire body.
She fell into a cold slump against the door and started to slide to the ground, panting slowly.
"So I'm guessing it didn't go so well?" Inquired Joe Dark, standing by.
Alura swallowed deep and tried to pull herself up. Her eyes were wobbling and she felt like she had to gasp for air, "T-Terror..."
She clutched her heart against her chest and murmured, "I've never known...such terror...!"
Joe Dark frowned and lifted himself off the chair, stiffly raising his arms over his head, "What did he say?"
She raised her head slightly and said, "We'll call you later."
"Really...?" He responded.
"T-That's good...right?" She stared deep into his eyes and he did everything in his power to avoid doing the same.
"W-Well I guess so..." He then reached into his pocket and pulled that list, "Alright, on to the next interview."
Alura felt a cold sting in the back of her neck and jolted upright with a gasp, "N-Next...interview?"
He looked over his shoulder and said, "Yeah? Julius told me we should stretch our influence as much as we can...or something."
Despair. This was true despair...
"If you don't think you can handle it..."
"I'll get a job, Joe Dark...!" She found her voice raising slightly. He flinched.
She then puffed her cheeks into a fine pout and refused to look or speak to him the whole time they walked to the next job interview.
McDonalds (Cook)
"We'll call you later." Is what Alura heard after a couple tortuous minutes inside of a cramped room.
Wal-Mart (Cart Handler)
"We'll call you later." The same four words, in the same emotionless tone.
Some Garden Place
"We'll call you later." Was this another "conspiracy" planned between these companies? Couldn't they say something else?
Chuck E. Cheese (Mascot)
"Sorry, but you're too short for the costume."
Alura blacked out for two minutes, waking up to find Joe Dark dragging her out of the facility with some of her fingernails chipped.
She had been banned from Chuck E. Cheese for life.
Some...place.
"We'll call you later."
Alura dragged herself out of that uncomfortable room with her head hung and her arms feeling like spaghetti noodles.
"So...tired..." She limply followed Joe Dark out of the building, and then fell back against the brick wall hoping the sun would just burn her alive right here...
Joe Dark looked at his list with a slight pout and then huffed a sigh, "Julius was right, this is rough..."
"Mmmrr..." Alura slowly lifted her head up and saw an ice cream truck driving through the street and playing a pleasant, inviting jingle.
"Ice creeeeeeam..." She stretched her hand out and wobbled out towards her one and only comfort in these dreadful times.
"No Alura, you'll ruin your appetite." Joe Dark grabbed her by the neck of her shirt and she immediately flailed her arms around.
"Noooooooooo..." She moaned tiredly.
"Haaaa, come on, I'll buy us something to eat." He dragged her away to a nearby food stand, where they got two big meaty burritos to go.
She nibbled it down. It was fine. It was food.
Joe Dark stood tall as they walked down the crosswalk. The weather was ok. It was sunny.
"I wonder if I said the right things in those interviews. Ugh, Mew makes conversations seem so easy..." After he muted himself to take a large bite of his burrito, Alura sank into her mind for a bit.
"I want a job. I want money..." She didn't know what made her want these things so badly. IS it even necessary to have them? Joe Dark could get them plenty of money on his own...
She looked at his back and imagined him working inside one of those stores...and her chest suddenly felt...strange. Not warm. Not cold. Hollow...empty...Because she imagined him being...happy?
She had rarely seen him be optimistic about what he's doing. Getting a job was important to him. So why...why does she feel this way? It didn't feel right. It hurt...
She tried to fill this emptiness in her chest with hamburger and cheese wrapped in a tortilla. It seemed to help, a little.
Joe Dark kept eating away at his burrito as they walked past some stores.
Alura raised her head on a whim and saw something behind a nearby window. It was made of wood, round on the bottom and more narrow towards the top. There were metal looking strings along its length, some of it going over a round hole.
"Ooooh..." She dropped the burrito and pressed her hands and face against the glass. It was calling to her...whatever it was.
With her heart racing she ran inside through the nearby door and looked around.
There were racks filled with many, many small, square glass cases. Below them were boxes with more glass cases. Tucked away in the right corner was ANOTHER box with thin cardboard envelopes contained big black discs.
She heard some noise playing throughout the building. It sounded like...a song.
"What is this place?" She turned her head and her heart skipped a beat when she saw that strange object from before, just within reach.
She walked on up to it and stared.
Meanwhile, up at the cashier stand, two guys sat in their steel folding chairs with their dirty sneakers on the counter.
One had a ring piercing in his nose and messy, dirty blonde hair. He wore a black shirt that said "Metalnomics" in sharp, jagged text with a hole under his left armpit, and had two different colored socks on. Just for some sense of normalcy, he wore jeans.
The guy next to him had the same shirt on but in blue, and much cleaner auburn hair. He had a spike bracelet on one wrist and a watch on the other. There were NO holes in his clothes and both his socks were black.
The guy with the piercing perked up and nudged his friend in the shoulder playfully, "Heeey check it out."
The cleaner guy sat up and looked out towards the only other person in the store at the moment, staring at their guitar.
"Cutie at 12 o'clock." Said the piercing wearer, continuing to lightly jab his friend's ribs.
With a sigh the clean guy fell back into his chair and put his hand behind his head, "Dude she looks young. Like...call the cops on us young."
"Jeff. Dude. Buddy," The piercing guy plopped his hands by his knees and leaned towards his friend, "Remember that tiny bombshell with the tight ass that walked by us the other day...?"
"The one whose boyfriend gave you that ugly bruise on your stomach?"
The guy swung his hands around and remarked, "Forget that. She was 17. Totally within legal limits."
"Stewart..." Jeff groaned and began to sit back up.
"Dude. Seriously. Listen. To. Me," Stewart swayed his hands down and then pointed at each of their chests, "I'm hot. You're...not as hot. But man, single ladies are out there waiting for a ride on the Jeff Express and you're here stuck in the station."
"Mmmrr..." Jeff sucked his lips in and sat up.
"If you won't go for her..." Stewart began to rise.
"I'll Rock Paper Scissors you for it." Jeff held his fist out, and Stewart pumped his by his chest.
The two shook their hands in the air and Jeff won out with paper.
"Fuck...!" Stewart shouted. He then pushed his chair back and brushed his hand out forcefully. Jeff walked around the counter and looked at the girl. She was picking up the guitar.
"H-Hey...!" He sprinted over to her.
"Hmmm?" Alura turned around with this curious new object held against her chest.
Seconds later this strange boy was grabbing onto it and trying to pull it away. Alura grunt with all her might but the boy overpowered her.
"Gimme!" With one last burst of strength she pushed instead of pulled.
"Wait, what...?!" The boy uttered loudly as he fell onto his back and the object slid down beside him. Alura fell down too, pressing both her hands upon the boy's arms while her knees jabbed the space between his legs.
"OW! My nuts...!" Hissed the boy.
Alura stared at the boy's reddening face and saw his pupils shrink. He whispered, "I...wasn't...prepared...for this...!"
Alura blinked a couple times and then peeled herself off the boy to grab onto that strange object.
"Huh...?" The boy quickly stood up and Alura hugged this object tightly against herself.
The boy reached out and said, "You can't be playing with that little girl. Its display only."
Alura puffed her cheeks and stated, "I'm not little...! I'm 16 years old!"
The boy's eyes widened and he stuttered around, "Oh shit I thought...But you look so..."
He shook his head some more and took one step forward, so she took one step back, "But for real, you can't touch that."
"Why not? Is it...important?"
"No, but the boss will take a cut from my check if it gets damaged." The boy chuckled.
Alura stared at the object and wondered, "What is this anyways?"
"You've...never seen a guitar before?" The boy responded.
Alura looked at his wide-eyed expression and then back at this..."guitar", "Guitar..."
She reached for one of the strings and plucked it. It made an echoing, vibration-like sound that faded over time.
"...!" She recoiled, leaving the vibration to echo in her heart, "That's a nice sound..."
"...Here, can I have the guitar for a moment?" The boy asked quietly.
Alura faced him and hugged the guitar against her body. He gently extended his hand out some more and said, "I'm not going to take it away. Promise."
"Promise...?" Mew used that word a lot, so maybe its a good one?
Slowly Alura handed the guitar over to the boy, who held it from shoulder to hip via a strap hidden on the back. He then hovered his fingers over the strings and murmured, "Haven't done this in a while..."
His fingers danced along the strings, creating a unified series of sounds over the next few seconds. Alura's eyes and mouth slowly widened and she felt a gasp free itself from within.
"Wow..."
The boy stopped and shook his hand in the air, "You're supposed to use a pick not your fingernails though..."
Alura gently grabbed onto the bottom of the guitar and stared at her face reflecting off the wooden sheen, "This is beautiful."
The boy unstrapped the guitar and dropped it into her hands, "I'll be right back."
He hurried over the other side of the store, leaving Alura alone with the guitar. She blinked a few times and then put the strap over her shoulders. The guitar felt a little heavy, but comfortable. She plucked a couple strings but couldn't replicate the relaxing melody the boy made.
"How did he do that...?" She turned to face the boy and his seeming friend and decided to walk closer.
She started to hear the two talking to each other.
"So flounder face, how'd it go?" The guy with strange hair said.
"She's 16 dude." Said the boy.
"16?" The guy's eyes widened for a moment and then he rubbed his chin, "Well if we wait a couple years she might..."
"Can you stop thinking with your dick for one second Stewart!" The boy shouted and swung his arms down, then lowered his voice, "The girl doesn't know what a guitar is dude."
"What no way, who on God's rockin' rollin' Earth's never heard of a guitar?"
"Dude, there's something weird going on here. I really think we should call the police." The boy said.
"Oh yeah get the boys in blue involved..." Stewart bobbed his head and then slapped the boy across the shoulder with the back of his hand, "You crazy man? After what happened last time?!"
"How was I supposed to know that vinyl contained cocaine?!"
"Ummmm..." Alura tried to speak up from just a few feet behind them.
The boy turned around and muttered, "Whoa! You...snuck up on us."
Alura raised the guitar and said, "How did you make that sound with this?"
The boy looked at Stewart then back to her, then back at Stewart, who raised two thumbs-up and whispered, "This is your chance man. Destiny's calling and she's got lovely violet hair!"
"Sometimes I think I'm the only thing keeping you from appearing on America's Most Wanted dude..." The boy closed his eyes and slowly peeled his hand off the counter.
"What's your name girl?"
Alura tilted her head and said, "Alura Rose."
"Alura huh...?" The boy clapped his knee and then waved out beside his head, "I'm Jeff Montoya."
He scowled while gesturing a thumb back to the guy waving his hand high over the counter, "Screwball over there's my 'friend'..."
"Stewart Bolt!" The guy pointed outward and pressed his thumb down, "Certified ladykiller and lover of all things rock'n'roll!"
"I see..." Alura closed her eyes and thought, "So there are other strange people like Mew out in the world."
"Do you like music, Alura?" Jeff asked.
"Music's what's playing in the room right now, correct?" She replied.
"Its the freedom of our souls!" Shouted Stewart.
Alura nodded, "I like music too."
Jeff tapped his toes and then gestured to his right, "Put down the guitar for a moment, I want you to try something."
"What're you up to...?" Stewart said with a grin.
"Just watch." He said.
After Alura had placed the guitar down on the ground Jeff pulled out headphones from atop an electronic device and handed them over to her.
"Here, put these on."
She did, and then Jeff reached for the machine and pressed a button.
Powerful, banging sounds assaulted her eardrums and made her heartbeat hasten. After a long string of this there was a sharp tearing sound, many of them in fact, followed by a blood curling scream. Then somebody started shouting random words that didn't seem to flow well together at all.
Her eyes were wide open and she clasped onto the sides of the headphones feeling her body in a rush, "This is also music? I didn't know it could be so loud!"
"Do you like this?!" Jeff shouted over the music.
"Uh huh!" Alura nodded.
"Alright..." He reached for the button, "How about this one?"
The music got quieter. A sound similar to a guitar started to play out. The person's voice was clearer, but now they had some kind of strange accent. Overall this was slower and not as good as the previous one.
"Lets try number three..." Jeff pressed the button again.
A guitar slowly played in the headphones, then was joined by another. The person singing was a woman. Her voice was soft and heavenly. Hearing it made Alura envision a meadow under the sun, where she was laying in the grass on a familiar lap...
Her eyes began to water and she trembled, murmuring, "M-Mama..."
"Dude jesus christ what the FUCK!" Shouted Stewart.
Jeff quickly ripped the headphones off and hastily started saying, "Oh my god I'm so so sorry I didn't mean to bring up any bad memories...!"
Alura pressed her fingertips to her damp cheeks and sniffled. She then shook her head and said, "I-It wasn't a bad memory..."
She stared at the wall of glass cases before her. There were so many of them. And they all contained music.
"Music is...beautiful. It makes me feel happy."
She turned to Jeff and bobbed her head, "Thank you Jeff Montoya, Stewart Bolt...I feel better now. I can go back to getting a job."
As she started to turn Jeff shouted "WAIT!" and she looked back.
"You're looking for a job? W-We're hiring!"
Alura's eyes widened and she let out a gasp.
Stewart stood up and slapped the counter down, "What, no we're-"
"Shush!" Jeff turned around and whispered, "The boss said we were last week, you weren't paying attention. Again."
Stewart blinked twice and then smirked, "Oh I see, you're just trying to earn 'nice guy' points with the new girl on the block."
Jeff crossed his arms and grunted, "The world doesn't revolve around our penises dude."
Alura ignored their strange manner of speaking and rolled on up to Jeff's leg, staring up straight into his face with all the energy of a thousand batteries in her eyes, "You want to hire me?!"
Jeff backed away slowly but she kept glued to him, "Y-Yeah...I mean, we'd have to train you a bit but..."
"I have a job...!" Alura pulled away and felt like her heart was fluttering like one of those butterflies. She started hopping up and down in place with her fists curled against her chest, "I have a job! I have a job! I have a job!"
Jeff stared at her with his mouth partially agape and muttered, "Talk about a 180..."
The front door opened and suddenly they heard, "THERE you are Alura!"
Alura stopped her celebration and saw Joe Dark running into the building covered in sweat.
"Joe Dark!"
When she got closer to him he grabbed her by the shoulders and shouted, "D-Don't go running off like that you idiot!"
Alura stared wide-eyed at him and murmured, "Oops."
"Hey!" Shouted Jeff, snapping his fingers as he walked up to the two and rubbed faces with Joe Dark, "Where do you get off roughing up a girl like that buddy?"
Joe Dark squinted his eyes and then looked down at Alura, "Whose this bozo with the bad taste in clothes?"
"B-Bad...?!" Jeff recoiled while Stewart stewed in his own laughter.
Alura turned around and pointed at the two, "This is Jeff Montoya and Stewart Bolt. They hired me to work here."
Suddenly the atmosphere grew tense, and Joe Dark's face twisted into a scowl, "Did they now...?"
Jeff retreated one slow step at a time and threw his hands up, "Y-You got the wrong idea dude! We're just a humble music store!"
Joe Dark was about to make a move, probably of the violent variety, on these two poor souls, "Really? Your place smells like shit and your walls look like ass...!"
Stewart leaned in and whispered, "I told you we should've sprung for the new wallpaper."
"Wrong time dude!" Jeff shouted. He then quickly scrambled for the counter and pulled out a small paper card to flash at Joe Dark's face.
"S-See! We're certified!"
Joe Dark snatched the card up and while he was distracted Alura ran up and socked him in the butt.
"Jerk Dark!" She grunted.
"Ow...!" He turned and stared right in her wide eyes. She felt very warm in her chest and face and puffed her cheeks at him, "These nice people taught me about guitars! Don't be a jerk to them!"
"..." Joe Dark stared at the card again, then looked over his shoulder at the two shaking men. He tucked the card away and then crossed his arms firmly upon his chest.
"How much are you paying her?"
"U-Uhhh...Well, minimum wage is 20 dollars an hour so..."
"21 dollars." Joe Dark bluntly remarked.
"I-I mean, she'll be getting a cut of the stuff we sell so like..."
"You'll be giving her time for lunch too."
"Dude like...we run a pretty lax ship here so why-"
"And if you teach her anything inappropriate..." Joe Dark pointed down between their legs, and then squeezed his hand firmly into a fist.
Jeff squirmed, but not as much as Stewart.
"Y-You're the boss sir, dude, like...dude sir!" Stewart raised his hand in a salute.
The atmosphere settled down and Joe Dark smiled, "Good. Thanks for hiring her then. This'll be a good learning experience for her."
He then turned around, patting her on the back to guide her towards the door, "C'mon Alura. We're out of here."
Jeff stepped forward and shouted, "Alura! We open at 10 AM tomorrow, so just come in then!"
"Ok." She replied, unsure of what the heck just happened here. Only that Jeff looked more scared than some of her father's victims...
As they walked out of the store Joe Dark tucked his hands in his pockets and pulled his head back with a sigh.
She looked at him and asked, "Did you manage to get a job, Joe Dark?"
He glanced beside himself and said, "I was too busy trying to find you to do anymore interviews. I'll have to wait and hear from the others..."
Alura paused and felt her lips rising in a tiny smile. This must be what it feels like to be proud.
"I got a job," She said with a small snicker, "It was easy."
Joe Dark strained out a grin and said, "Good for yoooou..."
"Ah..." She had read about this sensation he was experiencing before on the internet, "Joe Dark are you...frustrated?"
He immediately faced her and stuttered, "W-What? No! I'm...I'm very happy for you Alura!"
He resumed gritting his teeth and looking forward. Alura snickered some more and remarked, "You're mad. Irrationally devastated. Butthurt."
"WHERE are you picking up this language?!" He exclaimed.
She closed her eyes and said, "Looks like I'll be the one 'bringing home the bacon', Joe Dark."
His scowl was now so tight that his teeth looked like they were going to break. With a sinister tone of voice he said, "You know...I think I'm going to hold onto your tablet for a little while longer."
Alura flinched and started flailing her fists at Joe Dark's hip, "Noooooooo! Its mine, give it back!"
Joe Dark paraded down the crosswalk with his head held high in the air, "Yep, I think the first thing I'm going to do is eat some peanut butter over it. Get my hands all niiiice and sticky..."
"Jerk Dark!" And they continued like this all the way back home...
Next Time: Humility and Determination