"School?!"

Plum Kitaki knew well enough to stay out of this one.

"Dad, that's wack! Man, I'm almost twenty! I'm too old for high school!"

"Not high school, Wocky. College. I want you to get a proper educa--"

"Aw, hell no! I'd never make it! I bet those classes are like, all day long! That's worse than one a' mom's cookin' classes!"

The two of them could hear a sword being drawn from the next room--a sign they should probably lower their voices.

"...Wocky, please. If you get a college degree, maybe you could get somewhere in life--"

"Hell, don't try that one again! I coulda gotten somewhere, but you--"

"You know that's not an option."

"..."

"Wocky, the mob is no life. I want you to go and get an honest job, and gain respect--not fear. It's more than I could say for myself."

Wocky was silent. His father was right, wasn't he? Everything the Kitakis had, they got through fear. Not only that--Wocky knew he had to grow up sooner or later.

But he wasn't about to let anyone think he'd lost.

"Y'know what?... You're wack."

And he walked to his room and locked the door. Talk about a blow-off.

-

The traces of green ink left on Trucy's arm had finally begun to pique her father's attention. Those digits weren't there when she left for school that morning.

"Trucy, how come you never tell me about school?"

"But I do, Daddy."

"Yeah, just grades and projects. What about what you ireally/i do--like your friends, boys..."

"Daddy!" Trucy blushed she knew this was leading somewhere--with Phoenix, it always did. "Daddy, you know I'm your little girl."

"That's why I'm asking. I don't want my little angel to be taken away from me."

Trucy rolled her eyes and sighed annoyedly. "Before you ask, I don't have a boyfriend."

Phoenix raised and eyebrow.

"And I'm not looking!"

He laughed. "Good. You know you're not allowed to date until you're thirty."

"Okay, that's a little too pushy."

"You know I'm only kidding. Now get over here and give your dad a hug. I haven't seen you all day."

Trucy was trying her best to make it known that she was a young adult now, but she couldn't refuse a hug. She knew it would break her father's heart. So, she jumped up and hugged him.

Savor the moment, Phoenix thought. You never know when it might be the last.

That lovey-dovey moment didn't throw him off, though. As soon as Trucy left the room, Phoenix began programming the mystery number into his phone.

"Trucy, I'm going to the store. We're almost out of grape juice." It was a lie, of course, as Phoenix would never let the grape juice supply get even close to running out. He just needed an excuse to get out the door.

Once outside, he dialed the number. If it was just a friend from school, he'd let it go, but if it was a boy... Well, he'd probably have to file a restraining order.

Of course, what he got was the last thing he was expecting.

"Yo, G! It's Wocky! If ya got a message, leave it an' scram."

Oh my God.

He left a little less than 45 seconds of silence after the tone before he finally hang up. Is there something going on between my daughter and the son of the mob?! No, it was probably just a wrong number. Yeah, I mixed the numbers up. But then why didn't Trucy say something about it? She knows she can't get anything past me (except magic tricks), so it must have been something she was forced to hide...

He'd call again later, when his hands stopped shaking.