Now It's Always Once Upon a Time In New York City.../Domani, Nuka, And Waiting
"Okay, Annie B. *You're up*!"
From next to Mr. Romero's desk in his fifth-grade classroom in Harlem, New York, a pair of darkened yet still sweet large eyes as blue and bright as stars snapped over to a certain spunky little girl who was thin and somewhat short for her age with dark auburn curls of hair framing a round freckled face, big bright grey eyes, warm brown skin, a thousand-watt smile, a big heart, and a smart mouth dressed in a pink hoodie, gray leggings, and hot-pink sneakers cheerfully and confidently bounce to the front of the class to give her own year-end report on one of the Presidents of the United States. One *MAJOR difference* between 'Annie B.' and the rest of her classmates, though: she *wasn't* holding her assignment.
Fourteen-year-old Pinocchio Edward Benjamin Orfano (formerly Tommaso-Belmagio) sighed a bit under his breath yet was looking forward to the show. His technical foster-sister had never actually turned in a report, as far as he knew, -but she was *GREAT* at spoken representations.
"Where's your essay??" Mr. Romero also wanted to know.
"Up here," Annie chirruped, tapping her head. "It's more of a performance piece."
Wasn't it *ALWAYS*?? (Annie was an awful good singer, actress, and dancer- but given how sharp she was in matters of debate, Pinocchio felt that she would be a LAWYER or something when she grew up, being both smart and street-wise...)
"Okay- here we go!" Annie grinned. Then she began to speak loud and clear, with passion and feeling. "*MY chosen president* of the good ol' USA is Franklin Delano Roosevelt. He was elected in 1932 during the Great Depression, when almost *EVERYONE* was poor. -So just like NOW, only without the Internet."
The class laughed at that clever aside/quip. Even Mr. Romero's lips twitched upward as he fought a smile, and Pinocchio had to stifle a laugh of his own behind his fingerlessly-gloved hand. 'Mamma mia', but she was just as witty as Robin Williams, Eddie Murphy, Will Smith, Anne Hathaway, or Ellen deGeneres, this 'ragazza' was...!
"Everyone except the front row, you be the poor people. You're all HUNGRY and *MAD*- so *growl and stomp your feet*! Front row- *GOOD NEWS*! You're the *RICH people*! Laugh and beat your chests like you're better than everybody else!"
First one sound- then the other. Soon, the whole class was either stomping their feet and growling or mockingly/cockily going '*Ha-ha-ha*!!' while beating their chests save for Annie, who was still presenting. "But FDR didn't like that everyone was poor, so he gave them all jobs. He called it 'The New Deal': work hard, and you *get RICH*! He had people *build roads* and get paid- CUT DOWN TREES and get paid... He made it easy to buy a house, go to college; soon, the whole country was happy!"
Annie played FDR like this: when she tapped a 'poor person', then they turned 'rich' and began to laugh and beat their chest alongside their already-wealthy fellows. And once *EVERYONE* was 'rich', she finished off by grinning at the front row, "Don't worry, rich people! You're still better than everyone because you get even *rich-ER*!"
She of course received a *HUGE round of applause* ...and Pinocchio KNEW that she would be getting an A+ for presentation and effort. They might not be really close despite being 'stormbirds', but it was still awful nice to see Annie Aileen Bennett do well in class.
"-Good job, Annie," Mr. Romero uttered semi-weakly through a genuine smile.
*Bbrrrriiinnggg*!!!
At the sound of *THE Final* bell, everyone (even the teacher) cheered all over again. School was OUT, and not just for the day or even the weekend. No- it was now *officially summer vacation*!
Needless to say, Pinocchio was thrilled and relieved to have a nice long break from assignments and tests from now until near the middle of August. (In fact, it had technically begun a day early for him, since his own *HIGH school* had closed its doors then- AND he had graduated early! -Nobody had really come to see him off, but it still felt awful great to be dressed in his dark blue gown and tasseled cap, walk across the stage, and receive his diploma from the principal...)
And since it was simply *Friday*, then that meant watching and waiting in secret alongside Annie at a certain small Italian restaurant downtown as instructed by his foster caretaker/boss Miss Colleen Hannigan. Whether it was the start of summer vacation or no...
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Annie rushed out of the doors of her school with Pinocchio at her heels, her trademark dark curls with tinges of natural red in them bouncing as she pushed through the crowd of students until she found two of her foster sisters and friends July and Pepper. July was one of *the SWEETEST* girls ever while Pepper was basically a female Grumpy- a snarky curmudgeon with a not-so-hidden heart of gold (mostly).
"Gonna make it in time?" Pepper asked doubtfully.
Annie flashed her a bright smile. "I *ALWAYS do*!"
"We'll cover for you," July assured her before reaching out and exchanging a high-five with Annie. "*Good luck*!"
"Luck is *for SUCKERS*," Annie winked before turning and jogging down the busy NYC sidewalk, her bright purple backpack jingling with every step. Pinocchio nervously bit his lower lip and clutched at the strap of his own large green shoulder-bag as he continued to follow after her- making sure to *NOT be seen* by the younger 'orfano'.
Weaving around pedestrians, construction workers, and deliverymen, they finally made it to a bike rental kiosk. A nice couple was returning their own bicycles, but were stopped before they clicked them into the locks-
"E-Excuse me please, 'signore'. Do- Do you have any time on those left?"
"Mm... 'Bout ten minutes. Why? Need to be somewhere important?"
"Um- s-'si'. Yes."
"-Knock yourself out, kid. Just be sure and return them. Okay?"
"O-Okay. Th-Thanks- *thanks a lot*! 'Arrevideci'!"
Meanwhile, Annie turned on the charm and sad-puppy eyes (though still being just as polite as Pinocchio); then the moment the curly-headed ten-year-old and blue-eyed Italian male hopped on their respective borrowed bikes, they both pedaled off of the sidewalk and into the streets of Harlem. In and out of traffic until they made it to the 125th Street subway station...
Annie and Pinocchio clicked the bikes into another kiosk *JUST before* their alloted ten minutes left ran out- hurried up the stairs to catch the above-ground train, and pushed through the turnstile just as the train pulled into the station. *SHOOT*-! *Oh, bother- oh, blow- hang spring-cleaning*!! They *WEREN'T going to make it*...!
But Annie was NEVER one to give up easy. Pinocchio practically *saw* the gears turning in her head under her curls as she thought fast-
Then the next moment, she whipped off her backpack and threw it through the doors, blocking them from closing. Hence that way, she and her shadow could slide onto the train and sink down onto the seats. Annie smiled brightly while Pinocchio breathed a sigh of relief. NOW they were on their way downtown...!
Forty-five minutes later, Annie and a half-invisible Pinocchio climbed up the stairs at the Franklin Street subway station once the train stopped. They paused for just a moment to check out a billboard for Stacks' Cellular Phones. '*No one's EVER* dropped a call with Stacks!', it promised in big bold letters as though grinning and winking show-host-style on TV!
Anne just rolled her eyes and continued on her way. After all, there was NO WAY her foster caretaker mean old Miss Hannigan would *EVER* let her or any other of her foster sisters have a cellphone anytime soon...
(Pinocchio, on the other hand, had practically had one not just handed to him but *slapped into his palm* almost the very moment he was literally banged onto Signorina Colleen's doorstep four years ago, so that she and he could keep in touch and keep one another updated as needed since he was watching after the 'little rats'.)
Once they reached the top of the stairs, they sprinted down the sidewalk and turned onto White Street at a breakneck pace before finally skidding around a corner and stopping right in front of a small Italian restaurant known as 'Domani'. A tall broad muscular waiter of Tuscan lineage with long gray-streaked curly black hair and a matching whiskered beard, kind hazel-green eyes wrinkled at the corners, and a handsome weathered face wearing a black and white waiter's semi-formal uniform standing inside by the name of 'Vito Mangiafuoco' had just turned the sign on the door from 'CLOSED' to 'OPEN', and was now currently putting a chalkboard menu out front that boasted their Friday special of homemade cannoli- a very familiar waiter who looked up and smiled happily and fondly (if not a bit sadly, as well) at Annie and Pinocchio.
The latter gave him a Look and made a shushing gesture after smiling back and waving 'hello', reminding him that the semi-former puppet-boy *must NOT* be seen or heard by the former. Signor Vito very quickly gave 'Nocchi' an assuring wink in response before turning his attention back on Annie.
"Ahhh- 'Buono serra', Signorina Annie!"
"'Ciao', Vito. -Any reservations for *Bennett*??"
"So sorry, 'tesoro'; still *NO*. -But I am right in guessing that you are going to wait anyway?"
"*Yep*."
"-Don't fret, Annie 'cara'! If ANYONE I think could even *remotely* be your 'mamma e papa' walk in, I *will* let you know. I promise."
"Thanks. Cheers, Vito!"
"You are as always most welcome, 'quello piccola'. *Best of luck*-!"
The moment that Annie sat down on the curb in front of Domani, Vito snuck over to next chat a bit with his *OTHER favorite non-customer* who was now sitting beside Domani as HE usually did every single Friday since he'd come to America, the States, and NYC.
"'Buono serra', my dear little friend Pinocchio! And how *are YOU* this fine day turning into night??"
"H-Hello, Signor Vito. I'm- 'M fine, I guess. A-Annie's school let out today 's well as mine, so now it's *OFFICIALLY summer vacation* for everyone! Which- Which'll be pretty fun at times..."
"Ahhh... oh, *do I ever* remember those days when OUR school bell would merrily ring and signal The End of another school-year, and we would all stand up and cheer! Good times- good times... Last week, you told me that our little Annie's class had an end-of-year report on US presidents and that she had chosen Franklin Roosevelt. How did it go? Exciting, entertaining, *AND educational* as always, since her essays and reports are more often than not performance pieces?"
"Oh, 'SI'! Gosh, yes! I couldn't help clappin' my hands and/or tappin' my feet t' the rhythm of the 'poor people's' stomps and 'rich people's' laughs, it was that enthralling- and whenever 'FDR' tapped a poor person on the shoulder, then THEY beat their chests and laughed aloud!"
"'Santo cielo', but I wish I could have seen and heard it...! -Well, I should get to work. ...You will be alright waiting here, as well, 'bambolotto'?"
"I'll- I'll be fine, Signor Vito. But th-thanks for askin' anyway."
"Of course- *but OF COURSE*, 'dolce ragazzo'! -Oh; and by the way... '*"Oye"! MARIANO'S on his way*...! (Little Pinocchio), *your BOYFRIEND'S* here!'"
Pinocchio turned to look where a chortling twinkling-eyed Vito was semi-pointing- and then softly smiled at the sight of a tall lean lanky *anthropomorphic lion* about four or five years older than himself with a scraggly messy mane of pitch-black curls, a slight 'goatee', kinked curled whiskers, reddish-brown eyes, and sephia-fawn and cream fur. Slightly greasy and scruffy still, yes- but no longer *mangy*, infested with fleas or termites, or malnourished, and *CLEAN* from mane to body to semi-worn black leather jacket, Chicago T-shirt, slightly faded light blue jeans that were just a little baggy, white socks, and bright green sneakers now that he was no longer under Mommy Dearest's abusive claws or living in the dark oppressive shadow of his father...
His auburn eyes happily shone rather than maniacally flashed from his thin face, and he now truly had more of a reason to smile. And *especially* where not only his much nicer new family but *his SWEETHEART* was concerned-!
"J-'Jambo', Nuka," Pinocchio said quietly and happily.
Scar's and Zira's *TRUE son* -their birth-son- grinned wide yet softly over and waved at his sweet little friend and mate, his slightly-slanted naturally-dark-circled large hennaed eyes sparkling like enchanted garnets from his lean scruffy face. "'Ciao', 'Nocchi!"
Even though 'Nocchi's' heart was now heavy and tight within him, given *WHY* he and Annie were sitting outside of Domani and *waiting* as long as they were open, it didn't by any means stop him from gently and invitingly patting the empty space next to him. And of course, it -his sudden melancholy- didn't in the least *stop NUKA* from more than willingly joining his now-boyfriend of roughly two years...
They snuggled close enough for their opposite sides to touch- to *press*, Nuka wrapping one long lean arm tight yet gentle around Pinocchio's back and the paler shorter raven with blue eyes, rosy cheeks, and freckles mirroring him. 'Nocchi sighed softly and sadly as his head dropped onto Nuka's shoulder and he felt his eyes begin to heat, quiver, and grow wet while his broken splintered half-empty heart *hurt hurt HURT* as well as his shattered soul.
Nuka simply both gently nuzzled and dropped a tender kiss into Pinocchio's thick black shining soft sweet-smelling hair, not bothering to ask what was wrong. Because he *WELL knew*- and it wasn't just due to sadly watching Annie clutch the silver heart-shaped locket broken in half that she'd worn around her neck ever since he could remember. No...
Pinocchio was A Foundling. Same as Annie, yet not. As much a broken concrete angel as Nuka had been until the sickly abused timidly 'cowardly' other Lion Prince had been rescued and taken in by the Jackson family. -He had just as *TROUBLESOME* and DARK a past as that of King Simba, though nobody had really died.
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It was like this, you see:
Geppetto HAD once had a child of his own- *a WIFE*, even! (A girlfriend, too; but *she* had not been the one to marry him.) His name was 'Carlo'; hers' was 'Constanza'. And both had sadly passed away from a terrible illness. According to Geppetto, Carlo had been *the PERFECT* boy and son in looks and temperament!
*Pinocchio*, meanwhile...
Well, he was too flighty- too fidgety- too shy- too mischievous; not obedient or docile enough- 'ugly' and/or 'weird' compared to Carlo. How had Gothel so cruelly put it to Rapunzel during 'Mother Knows Best' in 'Tangled'?? Oh- right...
'Sloppy- under-dressed- immature- clumsy; gullible, naive, *positively GRUBBY*, ditsy, vague...' (Oh *SCREW YOU*, bitch-as-bad-as-Zira!!)
Pinocchio had been *REALLY hurt* when he'd heard his father angrily call out to the turquoise-shaded Wood Sprite for her to *take him back* because he was 'defective' and that he *DIDN'T want him* anymore ...but that was *minor* compared to Geppetto's next *SHATTERING* his heart and *CRUSHING his soul* when father and hidden son had come upon the village of Idyllia, where an absent-minded professor/mad scientist by the name of 'Professor Buonragazzo' by way of a magic machine made *PERFECT* boys and girls to any hopeful parent's *exact* specifications. -*Oh*!! AND having dear precious handsome perfect Carlo *practically come back from the dead*, the tall lean porcelain-skinned boy with longish slightly messy curly black hair, dark brown eyes, and *NO freckles* tumbling head-over-heels into a happy-crying Geppetto's arms and being held tight as tight, did he mention...??!
*And THEN* Pinocchio's semi-birth-mother *Ilaria Belmagio the Scarlet Faerie* had angrily flashed in and furiously berated/screamed at Geppetto for *courting, being betrothed to, wedding, and having a child or children with SOMEONE ELSE* while also tearing into Pinocchio for *breaking the Rules of Fae* by being a wooden puppet come to life- also cruelly saying that SHE HERSELF had *NEVER* wanted children of her own. Not only that, but he wasn't supposed to be *a CREATION* a la Baron Humbert von Gikkingen of 'The Cat Returns'!! Just a silly stupid naive foolish heartless empty-headed little wooden doll...!
-He'd frozen from head to foot as though he were a block of ice while hot tears welled up in his eyes and spilled down his cheeks or dripped off of his nose, his heart cracking and *splintering* in his chest as his soul forlornly and pleadingly cried out the words his lips couldn't form. THEN, if you please, he'd been magically tossed head-first as *FAR far away* as Ilaria could throw him, literally landing with a 'BANG' into the front door of a worn-down shabby-looking brownstone in Harlem, New York, USA, North America!
Colleen Hannigan *had NOT* been too pleased at all with having yet another mouth to feed and body to clothe once she'd opened the door and discovered him there heart-bruised (and *LITERALLY bruised*), soul-shattered, and tear-stained on the front stoop ...but she had been, however, very happy and relieved to NOT receive *yet another little girl*, at least. And Pinocchio had done his very best to make sure to help her out as much as possible with the cooking, laundry, and cleaning alongside the other 'rats'- otherwise known as her foster-daughters Pepper, Tessie, July, Molly, and Annie. -Unfortunately, while he had been fairly-well clothed, fed, warmed, clean, healthy, and even educated, he had still been STARVED for love and affection. Verbal and physical...
His foster-siblings all considered him to be Miss Hannigan's servile lackey, calling him 'Basher John' behind his back and to his face if not 'Edward Scissorhands' (especially Pepper). Signorina Colleen only seemed to think of him as *ANOTHER millstone around her neck* if not a simple scullion; certainly *NOTHING* like a nephew or godson, much less son! ...And though he LONGED to, he himself did not call Signorina Hannigan 'zia' (aunt) or any form of 'mother', or the other foster-kids 'cugina' (cousin) or 'sorella' (sister). Not even spritely plucky Annie, sweet July, or little adorable ray of sunshine Molly.
He didn't exactly have friends at school, either; being thought of as 'too weird' or 'freaky' due to his being autistic (if his schoolmates weren't just plain racist or homophobic to begin with). Certainly no pet of any kind... If not for Nuka, the Jacksons, Senor Lou (Miss Hannigan's former boyfriend who was still sweet on her), and Signor Vito, it would have been a fairly *MISERABLE* life as well as a hard-knock one, and he would have been possibly considering self-harm or SUICIDE by now-!
-Did he also mention that *his own personal 'Talking Cricket'* had jumped the shark as well? Sure, he may have wanted a wish granted- but he *was NOT* a nanny or a governess, thankyouverymuch! Not to mention that he had been QUITE RUDELY shaken and thrown out of his home while Geppetto had cut down that pine tree growing over his precious Carlo's grave; *his home* had been chopped down and crudely carved, hammered, nailed, and painted in order to become something other than *HIS house*...
So- *NOPE*. He wasn't having it! *Have a nice life and fend for yourself*, kid...
Bullied- shoved aside- only given cold hard looks and snickering smirks- called not-nice names- practically a servant in his own house, a home that wasn't a *HOME*. Yelled at- screamed at- laughed at- mocked- made fun of- ordered about ...except by some of his (now former)teachers, Mr. Lou, Signor Vito, dear kind *ALIVE* Nuka, Mrs. Sally, King Poseidon, Perseus 'Percy' Jackson, and his and Nuka's sweet five-year-old baby sister Leah. But just like any of the other foster-kids/orphans, he had The Dream. *Home- love- family*...
Two mamas. Two papas. One each. A poly 'couple'. Either just one sibling, two, or more than a couple. Aunt- uncle- cousin. He yearned to *BELONG*- not just exist and watch through the window all those years, outside looking in...!
This, meanwhile, was Annie's story...
Many years ago, when she was very small, her parents had for some reason or other left her outside a police station with a note written on a receipt from Domani. The receipt was simply for two cannoli, and the note on the back read:
'Please take good care of our darling baby. Her name is Annie, and we love her very much. She was born on October the twenty-eighth. We'll be back to get her soon. We've left half a silver locket around her neck, and are keeping the other half so that when we come for her, you'll know she's our girl.'
This sweet heartfelt note *PROMISED* that they would be back someday. And since Domani was *the ONLY* place Annie knew of that her parents had been to, she always hoped it would be HERE that they would find each other again. It was *ALL* she had to go on...
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Annie, Pinocchio, and Nuka watched every couple that walked in and out of the restaurant inbetween eating a meager but fairly filling dinner of peanut-butter and jam or ham-and-cheese sandwiches washed down with a bottle of water, the quiet boy/boy raven-haired couple cuddling and kissing a bit, and the younger one's spunky curly-haired foster sister otherwise passing the time by drawing her name on the sidewalk in pink chalk. Sometimes Nuka and 'Nocchi drew and sketched on the walk themselves...
-Nothing, as usual. *Not a one* were Annie's mom and dad. The Dream still hadn't yet come true; there was still a 'maybe'...
Finally, the stream of happy hungry patrons slowed a trickle- then stopped up completely. It was not only NIGHT, but Closing Time.
After cleaning up and locking up, Signor Vito walked out holding two single small to-go boxes in one large sugar-brown long-fingered callused hand and a full plastic Domani bag in the other- all filled with a savory and sweet cannoli. One box for Annie (of course)- one for Pinocchio; and *a BAG* for Nuka and his family. The kind gesture always made Pinocchio smile at least just a little.
"-Sorry, 'cara'," Signor Vito murmured sadly, ruffling Annie's dark auburn curls.
Annie stood up and brushed herself off. "It's okay," she said brightly with an extra-bright smile. "I just come here for the cannoli."
*Nose-growing leg-shortening lie complete with leaves, fruit blossoms, and a bird's nest*, of course.
"See you next Friday then?"
"*You know it*. 'Night, Signor Vito!"
"'Buono notte', Signorina Annie! -'Buono notte, piccolo' Pinocchio. 'Buono notte', Signorino Nuka."
"G-Goodnight, Signor Vito. Thanks for the cannoli. S-See you next Friday..."
"Yeah- 'til then, Signor Vito! 'Night. And thanks!"
*Eeeeekk*... It was *WAY past* curfew. Annie was gonna be IN FOR IT verbally- unless Miss Colleen was already asleep or drunkenly passed out on the couch on the living-room!
Mr. 'n Mrs. Jackson?? They WORRIED as good parents did- but they also knew via word of mouth of their son and his friend-turned-boyfriend *how very important* waiting at Domani's every Friday night was to Annie. So at least NUKA wouldn't be in for a repeat of Zira the Horrible, for all that *Pinocchio WOULDN'T* get in trouble...
They pressed a quick sweet kiss onto each other's lips and shared one more squeeze before Nuka darted away back to his own apartment building and Pinocchio prepared to follow after Annie in secret once more until they reached 'home sweet home'. He was tired both ways, and more than ready for bed...