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What She'd Been Missing	By : Trillhouse Category: +G through L > The Loud House Views: 8870 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own The Loud House, nor the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 11
- 12
- 13
For once, Bobby was in no particular rush to get home. The boy walked his bike down the sidewalk slowly, heart heavy and stomach twisting into knots at the thought of the scolding that awaited him. The sinking feeling was only exacerbated by the fact that it was Friday and, therefore, his mother would be home. His father was one thing… he could be strict when he needed to, but was always fair. But even a well-behaved boy like Bobby knew better than to make his mother angry, lest he find himself on the receiving end of la chancla. As he stopped to wait for a crossing light Bobby ran a hand through his hair, frowning as he felt a bit of rubbish still tangled within. He plucked it out and sighed as he looked at it to find an old, stale french fry. The boy grumbled under his breath and flicked it away. He hoped that was the last of it… the last thing he wanted now was to have to answer how he got garbage in his hair. He had enough to answer for as it was.
After what seemed like far, far too short of a walk, Bobby arrived home. He parked his bike in the garage and entered through the laundry room, as always. He paused at the door separating the laundry room from the rest of the house, taking a moment to collect himself and try to prepare for what was to come. The boy shut his eyes and took a deep breath, then exhaled and opened the door… only to immediately be met by the scowling face of his mother. Bobby yelped in surprise and stumbled, nearly falling onto his rear, while his mother simply stood before him with her arms crossed and fire in her eyes.
"There you are," The woman said in a low, harsh tone. "Well? What do you have to say for yourself?" Bobby couldn't find the words to answer her, and naught but a vague wheeze escaped his throat. "Well?" Ronnie asked again, louder this time.
"Honey, please." To Bobby's relief, his father came up behind his furious wife and placed a hand on her shoulder. "We don't need to jump down his throat." Ronnie met her husband's gaze with narrowed eyes and pursed lips before letting out a sigh and stepping back.
"Living room," She said to her son, pointing for emphasis. "Now." The boy gave a small, sheepish nod before shuffling past, through the dining room and into the living room with his parents close behind. He took off his backpack and set it on the ground, then sat down on the couch with his head hung low and hands folded in his lap. He could hear his parents whispering behind him… too quiet to make out, but it was clear that his mother was the more agitated of the two. After a brief conversation, she let out a sigh and the pair walked over to stand before their son.
"Alright, Bobby…" Lincoln said in a stern, yet even tone as he crossed his arms. "Explain yourself."
"U-um… I-I…"
"Robert," His mother chimed in, making her son flinch; she only used his full name when she was really upset. "Look at us." The timid boy tore his eyes from his lap to meet the disapproving gaze of his parents. "Good. Now, answer your father." Bobby swallowed and nodded.
"I, um… I-I didn't… do my homework," He mumbled.
"Yes, we know that. That's not what I asked," The man said. "Why didn't you do your homework?"
"I-I…" Bobby's gaze fell to his lap again as he anxiously wrung his hands, only to jump as his mother loudly snapped her fingers.
"Robert!" She barked. "I'm not going to say it agai-"
"Ronnie," Lincoln cut in. "Please. Shouting isn't going to help." Ronnie frowned, exchanging a glance with her husband before letting out a faint huff. Lincoln turned to his son with a sigh. "Bobby. Explain." The boy looked up at him wearing a guilty, shame-filled expression. It was hard to look his father in the eyes right now… heck, it was hard for him to look someone in the eyes in general. Still, the last thing he wanted was to dig himself even deeper.
"I… I forgot to do it..." He said.
"You forgot." The man repeated with a frown, to which his son gave a nod. "Then what, exactly, were you doing all night?"
"A-ah… I, um…" Bobby stammered. "Just… goofing off…" His parents exchanged another incredulous glance.
"You said you'd finished it, Robert." He said in a matter-of-fact tone. "Why did you lie?" Despite his best efforts Bobby averted his eyes again and shrunk back further into the sofa, giving a mumbled response that was too faint to hear. "Robert. Speak up."
"I…" Bobby muttered, "I… I wanted to p-play with Loan…" His voice trailed off into little more than a vague murmur, and Lincoln had to stop himself from snapping at the boy himself. Instead the man pinched the bridge of his nose and took a deep breath, then exhaled.
"So you lied. That is not acceptable, Robert," His mother scolded, taking the moment to speak her mind. "You know better than that."
"I'm sorry..." He said softly. "I-I was going t-to do it this morn-" His mother loudly cleared her throat.
"Excuse me, but that isn't acceptable either." The latina said in a pointed matter. "Homework is to be finished before bedtime, not the next morning. You know that, don't you?" Bobby's face scrunched up in remorse. "And, even if you had remembered, that doesn't change the fact that you lied not only to your father, but to your sister as well. What do you have to say for yourself?"
"Um… e-e-excuse me…?" Just as Bobby was about to respond, a quiet voice spoke out from behind him. He turned around to see Loan on the stairs, fidgeting in place slightly. A small smirk crossed his face for a moment before he remembered the situation at hand. "I, um… I-I was-"
"Loan…" Lincoln gently cut in. "I'm sorry, but can you please give us a moment?" Loan opened her mouth to reply before shutting it again and giving a small, sad nod. She gave her little brother an apologetic look before turning and slowly trudging back up the stairs. Their father sighed and returned to the matter at hand. "Robert, I'm sure it goes without saying, but your mother and I are very disappointed in you."
"...I know…" Bobby murmured. "...I-I'm sorry… it won't happen again, I promise…" His father drummed his fingers against his arm in thought, then gently took Ronnie's arm and led her a short distance away. They began whispering amongst themselves again, no doubt deciding upon the boy's fate. He hung his head as he waited for their decision; he couldn't remember the last time he'd felt so guilty, and he couldn't help but wonder if leaving him to dwell on it was part of his punishment as well. Soon enough, however, his parents appeared to have come to a decision.
"...Alright, Bobby," Lincoln said as he and Ronnie returned. "You know what you did wrong, correct?"
"...Y-yes…" Bobby said softly. "I… didn't do my homework… a-and I lied to you."
"And Loan," Ronnie reminded him.
"...A-and Loan," He added, another pang of guilt washing over him.
"That's right," Lincoln said with a nod. "And you know there need to be consequences, right?" The remorseful boy swallowed and nodded. Lincoln pursed his lips in thought. This was a rare situation for him and Ronnie alike… Bobby was usually a well-behaved kid, and he couldn't even remember the last time he'd gotten in trouble. And, despite her frustration, Ronnie had agreed that they should be at least somewhat lenient with the boy, especially since he clearly felt bad for what he'd done. He glanced over at his wife and she gestured towards their son, giving him her approval to go on. "...Alright, then. You're grounded for the weekend. No TV, no games, no leaving your room unless we say so… aside from the bathroom, of course."
"And you will be helping out with chores this weekend," Ronnie added. "Do you understand?"
"...Y-yes, mom…" Bobby agreed. Not being able to play for the entire weekend definitely stung, but he supposed he deserved that much. He only had to deal with it until Monday after all, and besides, he still had his books. For a few moments his mother said nothing, meeting his remorseful eyes with a hard, stern gaze. Finally, after exchanging one more glance with her husband, she took a deep breath and nodded.
"Good. Now, go to your room. We'll call you down for supper." Her son mumbled a quiet response and slid off the couch, picking up his backpack and heading for the stairs. "And apologize to Loan, too!"
"...I will." The couple watched as their son made his way upstairs, Ronnie shaking her head in disappointment.
"So unlike him," She grumbled.
"Well, I guess there's a first time for everything," Lincoln said with a small chuckle.
"Guess so…" Ronnie let out a huff of resignation, then headed towards the kitchen to continue preparing dinner.
Upstairs, Bobby skulked down the hallway, making a quick stop at his bedroom to set down his bag and take off his shoes and hoodie before going to Loan's room and knocking on the door.
"Come in…!" She called out, and Bobby opened the door.
"H-hi, Loan…"
"Oh… Bobby!" Loan's face brightened up as her little brother stepped inside, though only momentarily. She slid off her bed and shuffled over to him with an empathetic expression. "Um… a-are you okay…?" She asked; Bobby frowned and gave a small shake of his head.
"I'm grounded…" The boy muttered sadly. "So I won't be able to play this weekend."
"...Oh…" Loan said with a frown. She looked down, fidgeting in place. "I, um… I-I'm sorry… if it wasn't for me, you-"
"N-no, it's not your fault!" Bobby assured her. "I just… I got lazy…" He slumped his shoulders and sighed before looking back up at his sister. "I-I'm the one that needs to apologize. I… I lied to you."
"Bobby-"
"I'm sorry…" The boy pressed on. "It's my fault. S-so don't… blame yourself." Loan chewed her lip in thought, taking in his apology before giving a small nod.
"O-okay." She said softly, then looked back down at him with that gentle expression of hers. "But… I don't understand, Bobby… if you didn't do your homework, what were you doing…?" Bobby opened his mouth to reply, but hesitated; 'drawing', he'd been prepared to say, or 'goofing off'. But when she looked at him like that, he just couldn't bring himself to lie to her again.
"...Don't worry about it," Bobby muttered. Before she could get a word in edgewise, he continued. "A-anyway, um… I'm supposed to go to my room, so… I-I guess I'll see you at dinner, then." Loan didn't seem particularly satisfied by this, but thankfully it seemed she wasn't about to press the matter any further. She simply nodded in acceptance, and Bobby made for the door.
"...Bobby?"
"Yeah?"
"Um…" His sister mumbled, tearing her eyes from the floor to meet his gaze. "I know I've said it before, but… i-if you ever need to talk about something, I'm willing to listen, okay? Just because you're grounded doesn't mean we can't do that much, right…?" For a moment the boy didn't reply, but then a small smirk crossed his face.
"...Okay." He said before heading out the door. "See you later…" And with that, Bobby was gone, leaving his concerned sister in his wake.

Allie let out a loud yawn, her legs dangling freely as she sat perched on the edge of a building. Most people wouldn't dare put themselves in such a precarious position, especially when they were running on maybe two hours of sleep, but, well… Allie wasn't most people. Over the years she'd become quite adept at climbing, jumping, and maneuvering her way through the city in her own way, which of course had led to more than a few close calls. Still, no matter how many times she'd nearly met her end to a botched leap between rooftops, she just kept on trucking. She loved heights… the feeling of the wind rushing through her hair. The solitude. The risk. The thrill. Plus, it kept her away from prying eyes, and when she looked out upon the city from above she felt like she was on top of the world.
The girl was staring off to nowhere in particular, idly flicking her pocket knife open and shut. She'd been sitting there since early in the morning, waiting for her idol to come by as promised… whenever that may be. For all she knew, noon may have already come and gone. She took a deep breath and sighed.
"She ain't comin," Allie muttered. She was a street urchin, after all. Forgettable, and definitely not worth the time of a world-famous rock star. Even having had the chance to meet her had been far too good for her. She figured she should be grateful for that, at lea-
"...running for your life..." Allie's eyes widened slightly as a faint voice reached her ears; she bolted upright, scanning the alleyway below in search of the source. "...So you jump the fence outside…" Soon, a wide grin crossed the girl's face as she spotted none other than Luna Loud herself rounding the corner, hum-singing to herself as she approached the fenced-off shack Allie called home. "...Now that's the back alley blues, yeah, the back alley blues…" Stopping at the fence, Luna was about to knock on the door before thinking better of it… she'd almost certainly get a splinter from even touching the damn thing. "YO, Allie!" She called out. "You here?!" The woman waited, receiving no immediate response. Just as she was about to try again, a sudden metallic bang from a nearby storm drain nearly made her jump out of her skin.
"Heeeeyyy!" Allie cried as she slid down the pipe; midway down, however, her pant leg caught on one of the rivets and made her flip upside down with a yelp of surprise. Thankfully it held, leaving the girl dangling precariously from little more than her tattered pants. Nonetheless, she gave her idol a broad grin and excited wave. "Hey, hey! Was startin' t'think you forgot 'bout me!" Luna stared at the girl with a raised eyebrow.
"...Er… you, ah, need a hand there?" She asked. Allie simply scoffed and gave a dismissive wave of her hand.
"Nah, nah, I got this. Hold up a sec…" Allie managed to bend down-or, rather, up-with a grunt of effort, trying to free herself to no avail. "Dammit, hang on," She grumbled, reaching into her pocket. To her relief her pocket knife hadn't fallen out, and she flicked it open with a schwing.
"W-woah, hey," Luna stammered as the girl got to work cutting off the snagged bit of fabric. "That's really not a good-" Before she could finish there was a tearing sound as the rest of the snag gave way, causing Allie to fall to the ground with a cry… thankfully falling into a pile of trash below. "...Idea." She hurried to the fallen girl's side, looking down into the pile with evident concern. "H-hey, you alright?!"
"Mmyeah…!" Came the muffled response, to Luna's relief. Allie threw the now-torn bags of rubbish off of herself and took her idol's offered hand, letting the woman help her to her feet. "Thanks," She muttered as she brushed herself off. "Man, I been fallin' into a lotta garbage lately, huh?"
"Yeah… no kidding," Luna muttered before gesturing towards the girl's shoulder. "Hey, you still got a bit…" Allie furrowed her brow, glancing to the side to find a banana peel draped over her shoulder. She plucked it off and looked it over.
"Sweet, still yellow," She said with a grin… and with that, she took a bite out of it without hesitation. Luna watched her chew the discarded peel with disgust, and Allie swallowed before offering her the half-eaten rubbish. "Want some?"
"...No, I'm, uh… I'm good, thanks." The girl simply shrugged and scarfed down the rest of the peel.
"Tho," Allie mumbled through a mouthful of 'food', swallowing before continuing. "'Sup? What'd you wanna see me about?" Luna blinked, then shook off her befuddlement.
"Right, well…" The rocker cleared her throat. "I, uh, wanted to give you something." The woman reached into her jacket, fishing around for a moment before withdrawing what looked to be some sort of card attached to a black cord. Allie tilted her head in curiosity.
"Wuzzis?" She asked as she took the card, looking it over. It was made of a flexible plastic, not unlike a credit card and only slightly larger than such. The Velvet Lips logo was emblazoned across it in a shiny, holographic purple, and below that were the letters VIP in vibrant yellow. "Vip…? What's a vip?"
"V-I-P," Luna clarified. "It's a backstage pass, dude. For tonight's show." Allie stared at the pass in silence, her brow furrowing as she took in the woman's words. She glanced up at her idol, then back down to the pass, then back up at Luna again.
"A… a backstage pass…" The girl stammered. "...Me…?"
"Yeah, dude. I mean… if you want, anyway," The rocker said with a smirk. Allie bit her lip and once again stared at the pass in disbelief. Her hands were trembling, and Luna was almost certain that she could see tears in the corners of the girl's eyes. Then she smiled brighter than ever before and, before Luna could do anything to react, lunged forward and hugged her around the midsection.
"Thankyouthankyouthankyou!" Allie squealed.
"Er… y-yeah, no problem," Luna chuckled; she put her hands on the girl's shoulders and gently pushed her away, clearly none too keen about letting the filthy girl get that close. "So, you're in?"
"Fuck yeah I'm in!" Allie was practically bouncing with excitement, and Luna had to admit that her exuberance was nearly infectious.
"It starts at 9 PM," Luna said. "It's at the San Jose Arena-"
"That's that big buildin', right?! With all the glass an' stuff?!"
"Yeah, that… sounds about right," The rocker snickered. "Y'know how to get there?"
"Psh, c'mon!" The girl replied with a confident smirk and dismissive wave of her hand. "I know this city like the back'a my hand." Luna pursed her lips in thought, then gave a small nod; she had no reason to doubt the girl's boasts considering what she'd seen so far.
"You'll be entering around the back," She said. "There'll be a VIP entrance, should be pretty easy to spot. Just show the guard your lanyard, give him your name, and that should be that. I'd offer to just take you now, but I think our manager'd throw a fit at some kid hanging around during practice..."
"Sure, sure." Allie barely seemed to be listening anymore, simply staring at the laminated card in awe. Luna averted her eyes and scratched the back of her head.
"Sooo… I guess I'll see you then?"
"Yeah, yeah, you bet'cher ass! Oh… w-wait, there was somethin' else!" Allie managed to shake off her excitement and pocket the card. "Your phone's still all fucked up, right?"
"Yeah…" Luna cocked an eyebrow, fighting the urge to add 'no thanks to you'. "Why?"
"Well, I can fix that! Er… I mean, I know a place that can fix it. Real quick, too."
"You do?" The rocker asked incredulously. "I mean… it's really not a big deal, I can just-"
"C'mon, c'mon! It's the least I can do f'rya, after y'been so nice t' me an' all…" The girl muttered. "It's my fault the thing's broken, y'know…? B'sides, it's real close. Won't take no time at all, I promise." Luna hummed in thought; as much as she needed to get back and prepare for the show, she supposed there was no harm in a quick diversion. Besides, for the first time in weeks she felt genuinely confident for the show.
"...Y'know what? Sure," She said with a smirk. "But after that I should really get going." Allie beamed at her and nodded rapidly.
"Alright, alright! Oh, one sec tho, lemme jus' grab somethin' real quick." Before Luna could even get a word in Allie had scaled her fence and hopped down to the other side. It didn't take long for the girl to return, her pack seemingly heavier than it had been before. "C'mon, c'mon! Let's go!" She set off without another word, gesturing to her idol to follow. Luna shrugged and complied, following the excited young girl as she weaved her way through the winding alleyways. Allie blathered on as they walked, talking the woman's ear off about the show, her favorite song, etc… Luna just smiled and nodded, finding herself unable to keep up with the girl's train of thought. She was happy that she'd been able to put her in such a chipper mood, if nothing else.
True to her word, before long they'd arrived at a small store on the corner of a rather unassuming street: 'Duncan's Pawn Shop'. Luna couldn't help but study the seedy storefront with a measure of uncertainty. It ticked all the boxes, that's for sure… tiny, dirty, barred windows beset with dozens of neon signs bearing such messages as 'We're OPEN', 'We buy gold' and, of course, 'All sales are FINAL'.
"You, ah… sure about this place, Al'? Looks pretty sketch to me."
"Nah, s'all good, trust me. I come here all the time," Allie assured her. Thinking back, Luna was pretty sure the girl had mentioned selling things she scavenged from the trash. Without further ado Allie strode up to the door and opened it, gesturing for Luna to enter. The woman sighed and stepped inside, seeing little sense in backing out now.
"I'm tellin' ya, that's a genuine '77 B.C. Rich right there. My pa used to tour with-"
"Yeah, yeah, I'm sure." The first thing Luna saw as her eyes adjusted to the dim lighting were the unsorted rows of electronics packing the small space, ranging from a few years old to downright vintage, and not the good kind of vintage, either. Against the back wall were two men, one a lanky fellow wearing a trenchcoat and the other a portly, gruff-looking older man standing behind the counter. They were separated by a steel mesh, and the larger man was closely examining a stylish electric guitar while the prospective seller shifted in place. "...Yeah. No. It's fake."
"Fake?!" The skeevy-looking man spat. "The fuck're you on about?!"
"You heard me. Fake." The shopkeeper flipped the guitar around, pointing to the logo on the back. "Unless there's some B.G. Rich brand I ain't heard of, this is just a worthless hunk of junk and I ain't buyin' it for any price. Now stop wastin' my time and get outta my store." The man shoved the bootleg instrument back through the small opening at the bottom of the mesh and into his would-be customer's hands before sitting down with a grunt and burying his face in a magazine. The failed scammer stared down at the misprinted logo, gritting his teeth before grabbing the guitar roughly by the neck and storming off with a scowl. He angrily brushed past the two new arrivals, and Luna glanced over at the younger girl with a raised eyebrow; for her part, Allie seemed rather nonplussed.
"Yo, Dunc'!" She cheerfully greeted the shopkeeper. "Howsit goin'?" The man glanced up from behind his magazine, then back down again with an audible groan.
"Oh. You again," Duncan scoffed. "What d'you want this time?"
"Ah, c'mon. That ain't no way t'greet your favorite customer."
"You're barely a customer, and you sure as hell ain't my favorite," He grumbled. He sighed and set his magazine back down before looking at the girl with palpable irritation. "Now, do you need somethin' or are you just here to piss me off?"
"Alright, alright, chill," Allie said with a roll of her eyes. "Ain't here for me, actually. My friend here's got a busted phone, think you could fix it up for 'er?"
"..Friend?" Duncan glanced over at her companion with a raised eyebrow, studying her head-to-toe; for a moment Luna was worried she may have been recognized, but the man simply shrugged. "Depends what the damage is."
"Oh, uh… right…" Luna muttered. She reached into her jacket and withdrew her phone, setting it down on the counter so Duncan could reach it. He pulled it through the opening and studied the cracked screen closely before flipping the phone over to check the model number on the back. Finally, he set it down with a small nod.
"Yeah, I reckon I can fix that. It'll void the warranty though, that fine with you?"
"Yeah, sure. Pretty sure it's expired by now, anyway." With her approval. Duncan rolled his chair to one end of the counter and stooped down, searching the various drawers before pulling out a small plastic bin and setting it down. It was full of screens-or, rather, faceplates-identical to Lunas, in various colors to boot. He pulled out one of the black ones and glanced it over for scratches, holding it beside her phone to ensure it was the right size.
"Yeah, that oughta do the trick," He muttered. "A'right. I can do it for… hey. No funny business, kid." Luna looked over her shoulder to see Allie quickly take a step back from one of the racks of electronics, putting her arms behind her back and whistling innocently. Duncan sighed and shook his head before turning back to Luna. "I can do it for forty, that reasonable enough?"
"That all?" Luna let out a small laugh. "Go for it, dude. Way cheaper than buyin' a new one, that's for sure."
"The benefits of used parts," Duncan said as he got to work, opening another drawer to withdraw some tools. Allie wandered about the shop while Luna took in her surroundings with mild interest. It had been quite a long time since she'd set foot in a pawn shop… it had been common enough early on in her career, when money had been tight and brand new equipment had been a luxury she and Sam simply couldn't afford. Despite the claustrophobic atmosphere it was strangely nostalgic; it even bore a row of guitars mounted on the wall behind the counter, and Luna was almost tempted to snatch one up for old time's sake. Below that was a calendar sporting a scantily-clad model straddling a Harley-Davidson, and beside that hung a target from a gun range, head and chest riddled with holes as a warning to any would-be burglars. "So… friend, huh? How'dya get mixed up with a kid like that?" Duncan asked.
"Oh, uh… kind of a long story," Luna chuckled. "I guess you could say it just kind of happened." The man gave a vague grunt of acknowledgement. He ripped a short length of packing tape off its dispenser and layed it over the cracked screen to hold it together, then used a thin tool to carefully lift off the face of the phone.
"Pain in the ass, that one."
"Hey! I heard that!" Allie huffed, peeking out from behind one of the racks.
"I know," Duncan shot back. Luna couldn't help but snicker into her palm. Allie simply pouted and disappeared behind the rack once more, grumbling under her breath. "Anyway. Bit weird for a grown-ass woman to hang around some street urchin. You fostering or some shit?"
"N-no, nothin' like that…" Luna frowned and scratched at her cheek. She supposed it was a fair enough question, albeit one she didn't have a good answer to. "Just… I dunno. She'd an interestin' kid, I guess." Duncan glanced up, looking at her with a raised eyebrow before shrugging and returning to the task at hand.
"That should do it," He said as he snapped the new screen into place. "Here, give it a go." He passed the phone back to her through the opening and, to her relief, it powered on without issue. She swiped around a bit, finding it to be fully functional; granted, there were a few minor scuffs around the edges of the faceplate, but she supposed she was getting what she was paying for. Besides, the screen itself was just fine.
"Damn, thanks dude. Almost good as new," She said with a grin as she pocketed it. "How much again…? Forty, right?" The man leaned back in his chair, briefly pursing his lips in thought. He glanced at guitars lining the back wall, then back to Luna.
"..Tell ya what. Sign one of these and we'll call it even," He offered. Luna raised her eyebrows in surprise.
"You… you knew?"
"Have to be blind not to," The man said plainly. "Ain't my thing, personally, but I figure that should bump up the price nicely." Luna blinked, then sighed and slumped her shoulders. Clearly, she'd underestimated just how much she stood out amongst the common crowd. Maybe it was the hair.
"Guess it's time to get a hat…" She mumbled before shaking off her disappointment. "Er… sure, dude. Sounds fair to me." Duncan nodded and got to his feet, scanning the mounted instruments before picking a near-mint red-and-white Stratocaster. "Whoa… how old is that?" The rocker gasped.
"Old enough that I'll strangle ya if you much as scratch the thing." Rather than slip the guitar through the gap, he unlocked the nearby door and walked it out to her directly. "Got a pen?"
"Yeah, of course." Luna got out her silver sharpie and carefully signed the front of the guitar, letting Duncan hold it steady for her. "Alrighty, there ya go." The man flipped it over, examining the signature before the faintest hint of a smirk crossed his face. With that, he returned to his cage and put the guitar back in its proper spot.
"Pleasure doin' business with ya," He said as he sat back down. "Now, anythin' else?"
"Yeah, yeah!" Allie rushed up to the counter and took off her pack. "Got some stuff to sell!" The girl unzipped the bag and unceremoniously dumped the contents onto the counter in a clatter of plastic and metal. There was a clock radio that looked as though it were straight out of the late 80's, with yellowed plastic and years of dust and grime caked into the seams, a portable cassette player of all things, and other unsorted old electronics in the mix. She haphazardly shoved them through the opening, to Duncan's irritation. "Well, well?" She grinned. "Good stuff, right?" The man sighed and massaged his temples before leaning down for a better look, then glowered back up at the girl with an unimpressed expression.
"...Funny. This looks an awful lot like the stuff that mysteriously vanished from the store a few weeks back."
"Huh, how 'bout that," Allie said in as innocent of a tone as she could muster. Duncan rolled his eyes.
"I'll give ya a dollar for the lot. Take it or leave it."
"A dollar?!" The girl snapped. "C'mon, this is good-"
"A dollar," Duncan repeated. "And I won't check the security tapes. I'd say that's more than generous, wouldn't you?" Allie's protests died on her lips and she drew back, scratching the back of her head with a nervous laugh.
"Y-y'know what? A dollar's good."
"Smart kid," The gruff man mumbled. He didn't even bother opening the register, instead fishing out a badly crinkled $1 bill from his wallet and slipping it through the gap. Allie grumbled a vague 'thank you' as she pocketed the bill. Quite frankly, Luna was shocked that he'd given her anything for goods she'd clearly stolen from him… perhaps he felt more sympathy for the girl than he let on. "Now if there's nothing else-"
"Yeah, yeah, I'm goin'. Sheesh." Allie sighed and slung her bag over her shoulder. "Smell ya later, Dunc'!" With that, she headed for the door.
"Guess that's that, then," Luna said. "Thanks again, dude."
"Ain't nothin," Duncan grunted as he returned to his magazine. "...You keep an eye on that one. She got a knack for findin' trouble."
"Yeah, no kidding," Luna chuckled. "Well, seeya dude." She gave a wave before following Allie out. Duncan mumbled a vague response, not even looking up from his magazine as the star departed.
"There y'are," Allie said as her idol exited the store, flashing the woman a big grin. "Well, well? Told ya he could fix things up for ya."
"Yeah… thanks, Al'. Saved me a lotta trouble." Luna got out her phone and checked the time with a frown. "Shit… I gotta get back before Jerry chews my ear off."
"Right, I gotcha." Allie said with a wave of her hand. "S'all good. Be seeing you later, right?"
"Yeah… show starts at 9, but you're gonna want to get there before that."
"Sure, sure. Don't worry 'bout that…" The girl reached into her bag and, with a sly smirk, presented an old analog pocket watch. Luna groaned and buried her face in her palm.
"Fuck's sake, Al'..." The rocker muttered. Allie simply shrugged and spun the outdated device by its strap.
"C'mon, ain't like he's gonna sell this hunk'a junk." Luna couldn't exactly argue with that, and she let out a sigh of defeat.
"It's not even set right. Here, lemme see…" Luna took the ancient device and, after fumbling about with it for a minute, managed to set it to the current time. "There. You should probably get there around 8, at the latest… unless you wanna deal with the crowds, anyway."
"Sure, sure. Trust me, I ain't missin' this f'r nothin'," The girl assured her. With that she scurried off, muttering to herself excitedly as she made her leave. "Shit, I should probably wash up'r somethin'... eh, I'll figure it out. Man, this is gonna be so cool..." Luna watched her go with a small smile, chuckling under her breath before getting out her phone to call for an Uber.
The drive went without incident; if the driver had any inkling of her celebrity status he certainly didn't show it, sparing Luna from one of the awkward trips she had suffered far too many times before. He didn't bother with small talk either, though that may have been due to his shaky english. In any case, she would be sure to leave him a sizable tip as always.
"Luna, finally," Jerry groaned, running up to the woman as she entered the venue. "I was just about to call you… I told you we needed you here by-"
"Chill." Luna playfully flicked her manager's yellow sunglasses off his face, forcing him to fumble for them before shooting his client an annoyed glare. "I'm here, aren't I? We've got more than enough time before the show."
"There's never enough time, let alone more than enough." The man huffed and adjusted his glasses. "And considering your recent performance, I'd say you need all the prep time you can get." Luna frowned and scratched the back of her head.
"...Tonight's gonna be different, Jer'. I promise," She said. "I've been a bit off my groove lately, but tonight I'm gonna bring the thunder." Jerry raised an eyebrow, noting the determined look in the rocker's eyes.
"Well, for all our sakes I hope so," The man sighed. "Though I can't for the life of me understand why you'd invite some… hey! Careful with that!" Jerry shouted past Luna at two crewmen carrying a giant fiberglass skull with a prominent-and suggestively shaped-pair of lips, one blue and one purple in the leading duo's signature colors. It was a stage prop they'd had made for the tour, and needless to say they didn't have a backup if it were to get damaged. Luna chuckled as her manager stormed off to hassle the crew.
"Dude's gonna give himself a conniption at this rate," She mused as she headed towards the stage at the far end of the arena. As the name suggested, the San Jose Arena was generally used for sporting events… basketball, hockey and the like. Personally Luna preferred open-air venues, but she couldn't deny the benefits of having a roof over their heads.
"Whoops, sorry Mrs. Loud-Sharp," A roadie carrying several folding chairs apologized as he nearly walked into her. Luna just smirked and nodded, and the man hurried off. She never understood the point of the chairs, quite frankly… after all, who the hell sits down at a rock concert? Downright blasphemy.
"Hey, guys," Luna greeted as she climbed up the ramp and joined her bandmates, or two of them at least. Seated on an unplugged speaker was a man in dark sunglasses and a wide-brimmed cowboy hat, his face all but hidden by his shaggy sand-colored hair and a beard to match. He had earbuds in and his head hung low as he silently thumbed at his guitar, no doubt playing along with the band's setlist for the night. He glanced up at Luna and gave a small nod of acknowledgement before returning to his practice. Steve "Lone Ranger" McClean was a man of few words, but goddamn if he wasn't one of the best bass players Luna had ever met. It was a shame that he only joined them for tours, as on their albums they would either rotate their lineups or play the backing instruments themselves. Though she and Sam had discussed hiring permanent bandmates, Jerry had been adamant that they would work best as a solo act. Or duo, Luna supposed. Speaking of Sam, she was seated at the edge of the elevated platform intended for the drum set. She also seemed to be lost in her own world, intently focused on her phone, and didn't notice her wife's appearance until she took a seat beside her. "Lookin' kinda constipated there, luv."
"Huh? Oh… hey, babe," Sam said with a smile; she and her wife shared a kiss. "Hope Jerry didn't give you too hard of a time."
"Ah, y'know how he is." Luna leaned close and glanced at Sam's screen. "What'cha lookin' at, there?"
"Just… reading up on some stuff," She said quietly. Luna's brow furrowed as she took note of what she was reading.
"...Social services…?"
"Yeah… I was thinking about that Allie girl, trying to figure out something we can do for her." Sam let out a sigh. "Or who can do something for her, anyway."
"...So… have some suits haul her off, you mean," Luna said with a frown. "I don't think she'd like that idea."
"So, what, we're just supposed to ignore it?"
"I didn't say that, babe!" Luna countered. "I just… look, you haven't met her yet. She knows how to manage on her own, and she doesn't want help. She's-"
"She's a child," Sam cut in. "Just a kid. You can't think that leaving this alone is okay, Luna… you just can't." Luna tried to find a good argument, but in truth… well, she just didn't have one. She wasn't even sure why she would try to argue against it in the first place. "Look… I'm not saying you don't care. You wouldn't have gone through all this trouble if you didn't. But one memorable night isn't going to fix anything, you know that. And I don't know about you, but I'm not about to leave a child in the streets when there's something I can do about it." Luna lowered her head and ran a hand through her hair as she considered her wife's words. She was right, and Luna knew it… but she couldn't help but feel that turning Allie over to CPS would be betraying her trust.
But what else could she do?
"You're… I… I guess you're right." Luna muttered under her breath. Sam gave her wife an encouraging smile and put her arm around her.
"It's going to be okay, babe," She said softly. "I'll take care of it... you just focus on tonight's show. We're gonna give her the night of her life, remember?" Luna returned the woman's smile with a small one of her own and nodded.
"Yeah… damn right we are." Her wife gave a chuckle and leaned in for another kiss before getting up to find somewhere more quiet, phone in hand. Luna watched her walk away with a sense of trepidation.
"Everything alright?" Luna glanced up as Steven spoke in that low, gravelly voice of his, still strumming away at his bass. "Lookin' a bit tense."
"Er… yeah. Yeah, I'm alright."
"Trouble in paradise?" He asked; Luna let out a small laugh and shook her head.
"Nah, nothing like that," She assured him. "Just… had to make a tough call. The right call, but… y'know." The woman sighed. "...Tough."
"Mmm." The bassist grunted. "Y'wanna know what I think?"
"Shoot."
"Most of the time, the right thing ain't the easy thing."
"Yeah, no kidding…" Luna mumbled.
"But," The man pressed on, "Just 'cause it's the right thing don't mean it's the best thing. Ya dig?" Luna raised her eyebrows at his words.
"Never woulda took ya for a poet, Steve," She said with a smirk. The man shrugged, not looking up from his guitar for so much as a second.
"Nah. Just old." With that, Steven fell silent once more. Luna waited a moment for him to continue, but it seemed that he had nothing more to say. The woman chucked and shook her head before getting to her feet.
"Good talk, as always," Luna joked as she walked to her guitar case and opened it, getting out her trusty purple Gibson SG. "Anyway, I wanna run through a few practice songs once everyone's here, so… well, I'd say 'don't go too far' but I get the feeling that won't be a problem."
"Mmm."
"Well said, Steve," She snickered. "Well said."

Allie sat on the railing of a rusty fire escape, kicking her feet as she watched the crowd steadily growing in front of the Arena across the street. Her heart was racing, and she was so excited that she could barely even taste the hot dog she'd purchased from a nearby cart. In truth she wasn't even all that hungry, but she figured she needed to eat something before the show. Might as well put that dollar to good use, right?
Granted, it hadn't dawned on her that she could have just run off with it without paying, but as far as she was concerned obeying the law by accident still counted.
She'd spent most of the day preparing for the show, trying to make herself as presentable as possible… she'd dug through her pile of clothes for the cleanest ones she owned, picked the bugs and twigs out of her hair, and even managed to take a 'bath' in a courtyard fountain before security chased her off. All in all it was the cleanest she'd been in quite some time, though that wasn't exactly much of a statement in her case. Allie licked a bit of mustard off her hand before getting out her stolen watch. It was almost 7:20… early, but not that far off. Still, to the excited young girl each minute may as well have been an hour.
However, mere moments after the clock hit 7:30 she noticed a change. The crowd, while still growing, had started to move… the doors were open. Allie's eyes widened and a wide grin crossed her face. If they were letting people in up front, it stood to reason that the VIP entrance would be open too. Allie shoved the remaining half of her hot dog into her mouth, gulping it down before hopping over the railing. She caught herself on one of the ladders, then jumped to a light post on the other side of the sidewalk; she slid down, landing mere inches in front of a woman and making her jump back with a shriek.
"Hey!" The woman snapped. "Watch where you're going!"
"Ah, eat my ass ya bimbo!" Allie shot back before running off, leaving the flabbergasted woman in her wake. "It's showtime!"
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