Country Plains & City Streets

Chapter 2: City Streets

"Daddy, you forgot your lunch"

"Oh thank you Elizabeth, but where's your lunch?"

"It's in my bag, now come one, I'm late for school and you're late for that meeting"

"Alright, alright I'll meet you at the car, just give me a minute to find my keys"

"Ok"

it's not easy being a single father, it kills me to miss her dance rehearsals and school plays, her volleyball, soccer and baseball games, her school activities, well everything, but working as a full time Music Producer has its needs also and how else am I going to care for my little girl?

"Daddy what's taking so long?"

"Coming Elizabeth" boy for an 8 year old she sure has a big mouth

I drive Elizabeth to her school, kiss her goodbye and wish her luck on her test, I head down the road to the office building, and as if I wasn't late enough traffic got in my way, for the 5th time. "Great" I said to myself, I called Magi my assistant to tell her that I'll be running late.

"Music Stars Production, Mr. Duncan's Office"

"Magi it's me"

"Oh Mr. Duncan, how may I help you?"

"I'm stuck at traffic again, has Jack started the meeting yet?"

"Ah no, Mr. Vials is running late also, so the meeting is on hold"

"Oh well that's great, I'll be there let's say 10 maybe 15 minutes"

"Ok, I'll just put all the done paper work on your desk"

"Great and thank you"

Traffic lasted for a good 10 minutes and I got to the office and headed to my desk, and to my luck Mr. Vials still hasn't arrived yet. So I decided to do small paper work things and look through some of the pictures I had in my office, of Elizabeth and me. I don't have any pictures of her mother since she wanted nothing to do with her; she looks like her but with my violet eyes and magenta hair of cores. Sometimes I ask myself what did I ever saw in her mother, she was cold and spite full, no heart just like her sisters, but I'll have to live with the fact that Darcy is my daughters mother, weather she cares about her or not. I'm just glad that she's nothing like her mother, Elizabeth is sweet, funny and she means the world to me.

"Mr. Duncan, Mr. Vials has arrived so I suggest you head over to the meeting room"

"I will and thank you Magi"

I head over to the meeting room and catch up with a few of the guys, Sky, Timmy, Nabu, Brandon and Helia.

"Hello boys, sorry for the delay, traffic caught up to me"

"Traffic caught up to all of us Mr. Vials"

"I'm sure it did Brandon, I just wish I didn't live to far from Magix, anyways on with the meetings"

"So what's the meeting about sir?"

"Well Timmy if you must ask this meeting is about Music Stars Production setting out to find Natural Talents"

"Meaning?" I asked, Mr. Vials was a chubby guy in his 50's

"Meaning that you boys will have a week to different locations to find people with Natural Talents, not those people that can make DJ with computers, I'm talking about you guys out in the world drinking café and all of a sudden a girl or a boy has an amazing voice or knows how to dance…"

"But sir isn't that what we always do?"

"Yes Sky, but it's not the same thing as a person that knows how to sing and dance because they have gone to school to learn it than to find a person that has never went to a music or dance school and the talent come out naturally"

"So you telling us that we to find a person who knows how to sing or dance and has never attended an art school for to have such high levels of talents?"

"That's right Riven, and since you caught up so quickly you'll be looking for Country Talents"

"Wait I have to go to the country side of Magix?"

"Yes"

"But why can't Helia get that one, he loves nature"

"Because I said so… don't tell me that you're questioning me?"

"No sir"

"Good… Now boys come so I can sassing the place you shall be going, and Riven if I were you I'd get going I wouldn't want to miss a school play"

My eyes widen, it totally forgot about Elizabeth's school play. I rushed out of the office and headed to my car, I drove as fast as I could to the school.

AT THE SCHOOL

I was already dressed in my costume, I took a peek at the crowd and my dad was nowhere to be found, I get that he works very hard but a promise is a promise, he can't break that.

"Is everything alright Elizabeth?"

I looked up to find Miss Layla Tides looking down at me. She's out Liberal Arts teacher, but I call her by her last, well my entire teacher kind of think of it.

"Oh Miss Tides daddy's not here, and her promised he would be here"

"Hey don't be sad besides you'll do great, and speaking of the devil looked who just arrived"

When I looked over at the crowd again, and I saw my dad, he made it, breathless gasping for air but he made it

"He's here… he's actually here Miss Tides"

"Now that your frown is upside down get ready cause you guys are on"

RIVEN'S POV

I finally caught my breath and the play started, I smiled when I say Elizabeth dancing in her Ballet costume as Little Red. About an hour had passed from the play and it was over, I went back stage to pick up my little princess.

"Hey you were great kiddo"

"Daddy I was so scared I thought you weren't coming"

"Hey a promise is a promise and I can't break that, plus better late than never right?"

"Right… so what's up for today?"

"How's about some ice cream, you deserve it kiddo"

"Oh can it be Cold Stone ice cream, I like to add different things to it"

"Anything you like"

"Alright, let me go say goodbye to the girls"

Elizabeth said her goodbyes and we got in the car and drove to Cold Stone. It didn't took long for Elizabeth to pop out questions about the meeting.

"So how was the meeting daddy?"

"It was good but I'm going to be gone for a week"

"Why?"

"Its part of the job sweat heart, I have to go to Country Plains to see if there's any people with Natural Talents for me to sing a Record Label, and if I do that I'll get promoted and be the manager and assistant of the lucky person"

"Wow that sounds fun, can I come?"

"Sorry sport but you have school that week"

"No fair, you get to go to places and the only place I ever get to go is to the school"

"Listen you'll be staying with Aunt Stella for the week, I'm pretty sure she'll take you shopping"

"Well ok, but promise me that we'll go on this winter vacation to Alaska in Earth"

"I'm not sure if I can promise that but I'll see what I can do ok?"

"Deal… hey dad what's it like?"

"What's what like?"

"The country life… how's it any different from us City People?"

"Well in the country you don't go to a cold air conditioned supermarket, most of the markets are out doors and some people don't even go since they have a farm with crops, some raise animals, and their houses are made of wood, which I tend to like more than concrete walls"

"Wow, so everything is like old fashioned like?"

"Yup and if Stella were to be there she would lose her mind"

"Can't argue with that, how are the people like over there?"

"I don't know, but my guess is that there free caring people, if not then a bunch of drunks"

"Like in the movies?"

"Like in the movies"

"Hey speaking of movies, yesterday I watched this film in Miss Tides class about a City Girl that went to see her dad for the first time, he lived in the country part of the town, as time went by she fell in love with a Country Boy, do you think you'll find true love over there daddy?"

"I don't know about that sweet face, I stopped believing in love a long time ago"

"Daddy"

"Yeah"

"Don't ever say that, every person finds love, you just… can't give up… promise me you won't ok?"

I stared at Elizabeth for a moment… where did those words came from? She's only 8… but I can't break a promise, nor watch her sad.

"Ok… I promise I won't give up on finding love… better now?"

"Mmmjmm"