A Dazzling Trio

Chapter IX: Business as Usual

Hello, everyone! I hope you all are doing well! I've had a pretty stressful week, but regardless, I wanted to make a short and cute chapter to release before Valentine's Day comes up~ I've been hit with a lot of writer's block recently, which sucks because I won't really be able to write later in the month. Close to the end of February, I will be going on a trip to Japan for a little more than a week, so I won't be able to write any more of this story until early March. XD Maybe I will be able to write another short chapter before I leave, but if not, this is likely the last chapter I will upload for nearly a month. I hope everyone enjoys this installment, as short as it is!

Chapter IX: Business as Usual

"So, why did you want to meet me today, Miss Dazzle?" Fancy Pants asks me as soon as we're done exchanging pleasantries, cutting straight to the point. Even though Fancy is sometimes vague and plays around with conversation as if it is a game, he isn't so quick to do that this time. Probably because I asked to meet with him pretty much right before the studio closes. That way, everyone else is out of the studio, leaving just me and him.

"No time for chit-chat, Mr. Pants?" I ask him with a raised eyebrow, only slightly teasing my boss. "I suppose we're all dying to get out of here and go rest at home, huh?" Leaning back in my chair, I look around Fancy Pants' office, taking a deep breath in. "The last time we met formally, you told me you wanted to sell the music studio. That's why I'm here. Just like I told you then, I want to buy the studio." My eyes never leave his, making sure to let him know I am deathly serious about this. It's not some joke to me. So much rides on this and it all depends on if he will sell to me.

"I see," Fancy Pants tells me in an understanding tone, nodding his head slightly. "I take it that you finished your GED test?"

"You assume correctly," I answer calmly, pulling out a piece of paper from my bag. The contents of the page show that I now have the equivalent of a high school education, something I worked for a lot in the past month. I didn't want anyone else to have a chance to buy this place before I could put in an offer at least.

Fancy looks at the piece of paper closely, examining seemingly every aspect of it. It's understandable, but the silence kills me at points... I convinced Sunset to invest pretty much all our savings into this, so I would really like this to not be in vain. His eyebrow raises slightly, putting the piece of paper down on the desk. He nods his head in thought, prolonging the silence between us and only increasing my anxiety about the situation.

"I realize that you've been one of my most loyal employees, Miss Dazzle, but I must ask... Why should I sell to you?" he asks me without breaking eye contact. His question sounds so... idiosyncratic. Why would he ask me that...? "There are individuals who are better qualified than you with more experience. I want to know what makes you stand out." Every word that comes out of his mouth is infuriating. It's like he's interviewing me all over again when the value of my actions the last two and a half years should have said something.

"You really need to ask me these things, Fancy?" I ask him blatantly, standing up from my seated position. "You remember what you asked me when you hired me? You asked me to uphold the qualities of this studio by teaching everyone I can with no bias. I have done that. God, can't you see that I am the one who is the most attached to this studio?" Putting my hand down on his desk, I look down at him, not seeing my boss. I only see someone who seems to be backing down from his initial deal with me... Within a second, my hand feels numb and the sense of control in it begins to go away. No... I can handle this. Not her. "Fancy, I am the one who sees the potential of this place. The potential to give everyone a voice. Not even you see the lengths it can go..."

After a few moments of silence, Fancy chuckles to himself, leaning forward in his seat. Raising my eyebrow, I can't help but wonder what he thinks is humorous about this situation... "That's... all I wanted to hear," Fancy tells me with a smile, seemingly happy with my statement. "You're truly a dreamer like I once said about myself. While I don't have much hope for this establishment myself, I do wish for your own hopes to come to fruition. So, if you're still up for it, the studio is yours." Fancy pulls out a document from the drawer of his desk, a pen in one hand.