Chapter Seven:

Electro

Salem was giving tours at the zoo, teaching the visitors about each of the animals, and keeping some children at a safe distance with gentle guidance. Vince watched as she handled the most current group of children on a trip. Each child staring wide eyed at her stories, completely enraptured by the tales of the animals and her experiences with them.

The children followed her like ducklings, patiently waiting for the next story she would tell. Vince chuckled at the site and set off to find Howard.

Howard was stuck in a jazz trance, moving sporadically to the musical beat. Vince tried calmly to get his attention, but ended up slapping him across the face. This action broke Howards trance and almost caused him to have a heart attack.

"Don't do that again. I was in a jazz trance, you could have given me a heart attack." Howard scolded him. Vince just laughed it off.

"You call that music? Try this." Vince said, popping a cassette tape into the stereo. Electro music began playing as Howard scrunched up his face. That's when the music debate started. Salem had just finished the tour with the children, when two women walked in wearing some brightly colored outfits.

"Excuse me ladies?" Salem said with a smile. The two women looked in her direction, but didn't smile. Salem didn't falter.

"I love your outfits! The colors are amazing!" She said with a small squeal of excitement. The girls looked at her as if she were crazy and struck an odd pose. Salem was a bit put off by their strange behavior, but continued to smile. The girls scoffed in annoyance.

"Why don't you go stuff a sock in it, useless wannabe." One of the girls scoffed at her. Salem backed away a bit.

"I'm sorry, I meant no offense-" She tried to apologize.

"Then why are you still here? You waste of space." The other girl said, smirking as Salem backed away more. Salem was about to turn away when she backed into Vince and Howards arms, each of the men put an arm around her protectively and Salem shrank back.

Salem managed to shrink back behind the men as they distracted the girls from her. She started towards the reptile house, knowing there was sure to be some documentation that needed to be done.

Vince sat on a bench, in awe that the girls had asked him to join there band as a front man. Howard came by looking for the girls.

"You just missed them." Vince said.

"Well what did they want? What did they say?" Howard rushed.

"They asked me to join their band." Vince said, his ego starting to inflate, and the fight between the two started.

Salem knocked on the door of Howard and Vinces apartment, a bag of freshly baked banana muffins in her hand. She heard Howard telling a story from his past. It was about selling his soul to some supernatural entity, so he would be able to be a jazz star. Salem sighed as she heard them arguing, and walked in.

"Vince? Howard?" She called. She followed the sounds of the fight to a the side room.

"What about the animals, Vince?" Howard asked. Vince scoffed.

"What about Salem then, hmm?" Howard continued trying to make Vince see reason, but it wasn't happening.

"F*** the zoo, F*** the animals and F*** Salem. They're all a bunch of W***s." Vince said, unaware of her presence. Howard had noticed her coming into the room. Both men watched her with cautious eyes.

"Salem?" Howard asked, standing to greet the girl. Salem stared at him, eyes blank and unusually calm.

"Salem, I-" Vince started, but she held up her free hand to stop him. Calmly she sat the bag of treats down on the table and began walking out of the apartment calmly, slamming the door shut as she left the dwelling. Vince stood there in shock, not knowing what to do.

Howard ran after her to do damage control on the situation. Finally catching up to her as she was at her apartment door. He reached out to her, patting her shoulder as she stared up at him, her eyes were red and puffed from holding back her tears.

"Salem." Howard said, compassion clearly written on his face.

"He's and idiot!" Salem said, sniffing and leaning against her door. Howard sighed and nodded as the girl cried silently.

The day had gone on, with Vince in his inflated ego taking over the band. Howard beside himself, fighting the entity that threatened to take control of him over playing instruments, and Salem, visiting Naboo for some good advice.

"Naboo, what should I do?" She asked, sitting on the couch across from him. Naboo shook his head with amusement.

"You want to forgive him." Naboo said as serious as he could.

"Are you high?" She asked, a curious look on her face. Naboo nodded and exhaled some smoke.

"But you know what I say is true." He countered her. She hung her head and nodded.

"Then go be there for him and Howard at their concert tonight." Naboo said with a smile. The girl amused him to no ends. She smiled at him and nodded.

"Thanks Naboo, you always know what to say to get my head in order." She thanked him, leaving through the beaded curtains.

Right after Salem had exited the small booth, Howard walked in, needing something to get rid of the entity threatening to take him over.

Salem waited outside for Howard, already dressed in neon green skin tight jumper with a halter like top half. A sheer green skirt hung from her hips down to the tops of her thighs. Knee high, silver, chrome, high healed boots adorned her feet with thin, clear plastic for the heals, matching her cropped jacket. Various brightly colored pieces of jewelry could be seen in her ears, on her neck and around her wrists.

Howard exited the booth, with Salem in tow as they rushed to the show.

Salem walked through the backstage doors with Howard. He took off to the dressing room to quickly prepare himself while she walked around looking for Vince. Salem heard the familiar voices of the girls from the zoo and a thud. She quickly sprinted towards the sound.

Her heart thumped in her ears as she drew out both the knifes she had concealed in her jacket and held one at each of the girls throats.

"He may be an ass, but NO ONE touches my Vince." Salem said in a deadly and dark tone of voice, making both the girls back up, and the brunette drop her weapon, just as Howard entered the hall with a cloud of smoke around him. Vince stood in awe for a moment as the band set up for the show. Salem stood in the shadows of the side stage watching them.

"Salem." He called, she turned her head towards the man. A strange feeling starting to bubble up inside of her.

"Yes?" She answered curtly. Vince approached her and threw his arms around the girls smaller frame, setting his head on top of hers.

"I'm sorry... I was an idiot." He said. Salem wrapped her arms around him and hugged him back, looking up at him and smiled. Vince felt his heart fluttering as they released one another, and he took the stage.

Salem watched the show, enjoying the performance her friends were giving. That's when she heard the sound of a hoover from somewhere behind the stage. She turned her head and watched as the cleaning device began moving towards the back stage. She ran back and grabbed the handle.

She tried to keep it pulled back, away from her friend as the hose attachment went for Howards bum. She pulled hard, fighting the possessed device until it jerked forward.

Howard hit Vince, pushing him off stage, as he pulled out his trumpet and began playing a jazz solo. Salem watched with wide eyes as Howards clothes ripped on there own and flew back off of him. She blushed at the sight and giggled pulling out phone and taking a snap shot from the side stage. That's when the blonde girl hit him over the head with a key-tar.

The next day, apologies were exchanged between all the friends, as Salem helped bandage up the mens heads.

"Well, this will be an interesting story to tell some day." Salem said giggling at the horrified looks on the mens faces.