"What the- Hey, lady!"

***

Brendon arrived at Mona's karate studio, where she practised, in a yellow taxi. The rain was pouring down from the sky as he got out an umbrella and stepped out of the car to collect her. She was standing by the doorway, her blonde hair tied up in a ponytail. Mona wore a pink flowery coat over her karate getup.

As soon as she saw Brendon, she ran over, hugging his legs. "Hey, squirt!" His hand ruffled her hair as he led her back to the taxi. "How was karate?"

"I... I'm not sure about it." She mentioned. "My friend, Chloe, said that she's learning to play guitar. Can't I do that instead?"

He hesitated. "Maybe when you're a bit older, let's just stick with karate for a while longer."

"But you used to play it." Mona recalled. 

"Yeah, but only when I was in high school. Come on, let's get inside." He let her climb into the taxi as Brendon closed his umbrella. Before getting in himself, he shook some of the rain off of his umbrella and walked around to the other side of the car. As they both settled into the taxi, Brendon reached into his bag. "Hey, I got you something."

He took her present, encased in gold star patterned wrapping paper, and handed it to Mona. Her eyes lit, starting to unwrap it excitedly. However, her face dropped when she saw what it was. "A book?"

She didn't like it, he could tell from the disgust shown in her face. "Oh, come on. Don't give me that look. I know it's not that fairy tale book you wanted, but this is better." Brendon leaned over, opening up the book which was about famous women in history. "Look at this. See? Rosa Parks. Madame Curie." He pointed at two pages, showcasing two extraordinary women of their time. "She was a remarkable woman who dedicated her life to research... until she died from... radiation poisoning."

Mona's eyes widened. "She... died?"

His phone started to ring, interrupting their conversation. "I wonder who that is." He said, checking the Caller ID.

Sarah

Brendon smiled, answering and putting the phone up to his ear. "Yeah, hi. Tomorrow morning would be great. 7:30?" He glanced over at Mona who was flicking through the pages. "With her now?- Yes, let me call you later. All right. Bye-bye." He hung up, turning back to his niece. "That was Sarah."

She looked up, simpering slightly and nodding. "Mm-hmm." 

"She's a lot like the women in your book." He thought, although she seemed uninterested. It was time to spring it on her. "Sweetie... I'm going to ask her to marry me."

Her eyes widened, surprised. "What?"

"Yeah, you like her, don't you? We all get along." Brendon noted.

"Where's she going to live?"

"She's going to live with us."

"Do I have to give up my bedroom?" asked Mona.

He shook his head. "No, you don't have to give up your bedroom. No. Come on, it's going to be great. I promise." Brendon tried to assure her. "It's not like she's gonna try and be your mother."

"Step-mother." She corrected.

"Actually, she'll technically be your aunt. She's gonna take you to school tomorrow, just you and her, for some grown-up girl-bonding time." He explained.

"I'm only six." mentioned Mona.

He sighed. "You won't always be."

***

Giselle wandered along the streets, finding herself under a tree. The rain had become lighter, but it still didn't make her feel any better. That is until her eyes fluttered up to the cardboard cut-out of a pink castle above a casino, however, she thought it was real.

She grinned in relief, pulling up her dress to be able to sprint over to the billboard. Giselle used the cars in front to get to a ladder, in order to reach the castle. "Hello! It's me, Giselle, from Andalasia." 

Once she was up there, she began to knock on the fake doors. "Hello! Hello! Is there anybody home? Hello, please open the door." She pleaded.

Behind her in the distance was a distinct yellow taxi stopping nearby, waiting to turn the corner. Brendon was reading the book in the back while Mona was gazing outside. When they pulled up, she rolled her window down, noticing Giselle by the billboard. "Brendon, why is there a princess on the castle billboard?"

He quickly glanced up without taking in the fact a real girl was up there, his attention was too into Mona's book. "It's an advertisement. It's a mannequin."

That was no mannequin, even Mona could see that. "She's really there!"

"No, she's not." When Brendon looked back up, he saw Mona opening the door and running out. He leapt into action. "What are you doing? Get back in here! Stop!" He watched as she ran over to the closed casino, gazing up at the billboard. "Mona, come back!"

"Hey! Princess!" She yelled to Giselle but she didn't hear her.

"Mona!" Brendon caught up to her, grabbing her arms. "Don't you ever do that again!"

"Look! Look!" Mona pointed up at her, finally drawing his attention.

He gazed up at the billboard, discovering that it wasn't a mannequin at all and was in fact real. Mona was right. His eyes widened in horror as Giselle continued. "Is anybody there? Do you know Edward?"

Brendon turned back to his niece. "Stay here." He wandered forwards, questioning how she even got up there in the first place. "What the- Hey, lady!"

Giselle peered down at the ground, noticing Brendon and Mona below. "Oh, hello. I was wondering if maybe you... Whoa!" 

Abruptly, she lost her balance, falling back. "Hang on!" He shouted to her. She slipped off, only the railing she clung onto stopping her from falling. "Don't let go! Just hang on!" 

Her arms tired, weakening. Giselle couldn't hang on for much longer as her fingers began to slip. "Oh, no!" 

Then her strength failed her and she fell, Brendon immediately sprung into action. "Catch her, Brendon!" Mona shrieked.

She screamed as she tumbled to the ground, ultimately landing Brendon's arms but he could not hold her for long, falling to the ground himself. "Ow! Ow!" Giselle groaned as she and Brendon sat back up.

He scratched the back of his head, feeling a little sting of pain. "You OK?"

They both stumbled back onto their feet. "I'm fine."

Mona scurried up to them, fearful. "Are you ok?"

"I'm fine." She repeated.

"What were you doing up there?" She questioned.

"I was looking for some help. You see, I've been wandering very far and long tonight, and I'm afraid nobody's been nice to me." Giselle admitted.

Brendon moaned slightly whilst shaking his right arm, checking it wasn't broken. "Yeah, well, welcome to New York." He said sarcastically.

"Thank you." She smiled, thinking he was being nice.

He squinted, confused. "Right. Ok, you sure you're all right?"

"Oh, yes." She bobbed her head.

"You need me to call somebody for you?" wondered Brendon.

"Well, I don't think they'd hear you from here." Giselle remarked.

Brendon raised an eyebrow, weirded out by her response. "What?" Above them, the rain had started again as a flash of lightning went off in the sky, startling them.

Who was this girl?

***

This was a bit short but still had a lot to offer I think.

Also, if you haven't heard, Zack Cloud Hall needs to be fired because of sexual allegations. They probably are internally investigating the situation, so we do need to be patient. I just hope they sort this out because we don't need another K*NNY. There is a petition up so if you want to sign it then sign!

Stay tuned for more!

- Alice ❤