It started small. First, our hours were cut. This was the beginning of the end for the employees of Pizza Hut. Then, we weren't allowed to cover anyone else's shifts anymore. Finally, one by one, we were called into the store manager's office. The night you were called into the office would be the last night any one would see you around the store. The company was laying off its workforce. The manager wouldn't tell us as much, but we knew what was happening all the same.

The first to go was a mousy girl with long, dull brown hair named Millie. She got down to four hours a week before our store manager, Bill, took her into the office and shut the door. We never saw her again. The next was her best friend, Chelsea; a red-head with a hot temper. She made lots of noise, complaining about the outrage, but her screams fell on deaf ears. After she left, they changed the code to the back door. When the third victim, a sixteen year old boy with a bad case of acne, got the pink slip, my friend turned to me, slightly terrified.

"What do you think, Kairi? Are we next?" she asked, shaking. I wanted to reassure her, but I just didn't have the heart to lie. Our store was not in a prime location, and we weren't getting a whole lot of business. I ran a hand through my red pony tail and sighed. She simply shook her head and walked away.

Two weeks before Thanksgiving, I was sitting around with my remaining work friends when Bill walked over to me, a solemn look on his face. I knew what was coming before he even called me into the office. I walked in silently, my head held high, and tried desperately to keep my face emotionless as he gave me the spiel.

"Listen, Kairi. Business hasn't been good recently, and due to budget cuts and poor profits, we've been forced to let certain people go." He sighed before continuing. "I was really hoping it wouldn't come to this, but your name has appeared on the list. Please turn in your apron and hat, and I will personally see to it that your paycheck for this pay period gets into your bank account."

I closed my eyes for a few moments, taking a deep breath and holding it. I needed something to hold onto. When I began to feel light-headed I released it, opening my eyes and smiling softly. I just couldn't be angry at poor Bill, who had to let so many dedicated employees go so quickly.

"I understand completely. Thank you for the opportunity—" My voice began to shake, and I swallowed to keep myself from crying. Taking another breath, I soldiered on. "Can I count on you to be a positive reference for future jobs?"

"Of course! Kairi, I'll do anything I can to help you get a new job. It may not be much, but I'll sing your praises from the heavens!" Bill really had always been a sweet man.

"Thank you," I said, taking off my apron and hat and setting them on the table. I turned to take my leave and opened the door to a group full of disappointed faces. I gave them my best attempt at a smile.

"Don't worry, guys! I'll come back to visit—promise!" I reassured them cheerfully. In the back of my mind, the same question kept repeating: What am I going to do now? I lived 45 minutes away from the college I attended, and I worked—used to work—30 minutes away from home. That was too much gas to burn to not have a job. I managed to keep myself calm until I knew my car was out of eye-shot, till I fell to pieces. I cried the whole way home, and then some in my mother's lap. My father sat glaring at the wall—even being the mayor's daughter didn't save me from the cruel reality of a failing business. After I had ended my pity party, I decided to spend the entire next day looking for a new job. This would not destroy me. I sat down with my twin sister, Namine, and we came up with a game plan. We would walk the streets, asking any business that would listen for a job. We both fell asleep feeling confident.

The next day—Saturday—destroyed that confidence. No one was hiring, and even if they were, they didn't seem to believe that I was just randomly laid off. We tried fast food restaurants, coffee shops, book stores…any place that would take a part-timer. They all had an excuse: All the positions are filled. We aren't hiring right now. We're only looking for full-time managers. By the end of the day, Namine and I were about ready to give up. She had to head off to her own job, so I said good bye to my sister and continued on my own. There had to be somewhere willing to speak to me. As I passed a small bar, I heard a huge commotion come from inside. I stopped and was about to open the front door when it swung wide open, almost smacking me in the face.

"I've had enough, Riku! I won't let any of those dogs you two call customers ogle me any longer!" a shrill voice yelled over her shoulder. She was a petite girl with orangeish-brown hair that flipped out at the bottom and pale green eyes, which glittered with anger.

"They may not ogle so much if you'd wear more clothing," I heard a bored voice call from inside. The girl wore a tight-fitting white tank top and skinny jeans—a heavy coat hanging off her shoulders—with cowboy boots. I had to admit, whoever the voice was (I assumed it was probably Riku), had a point. The girl made one of the most hilariously offended looks and turned on the ball of her foot, but didn't get a chance to take a step before someone grabbed her arm.

"Please, Selphie, don't go. We need you on stage tonight. You're our only female soloist, and you know that we need you more than you need us," a brown-haired man with pleading blue eyes reasoned. His words sounded too perfect—too rehearsed. I guessed Selphie walked out on this man a lot. It wasn't just his words that caught my attention, however. From the moment I laid eyes on this man, he fascinated me. He had spiky brown hair that stood up at all ends, yet swayed in the breeze, not locked into place by gel or hairspray. His skin was tanned and smooth, not a blemish in sight, and he had a baby-face, although his features were sharp and slender. If I had to guess, he couldn't have been a day over nineteen. He wore a black t-shirt with a slightly stretched collar (which clung to his well-defined torso) and a pair of faded blue jeans (which were slightly bagging on his skinny waist). He'd managed to throw on a light coat as he ran out the door. A silver crown hung from his neck on a chain. Black combat boots completed the look. To put it into simple terms, this man wasn't good-looking—he was gorgeous.

"Sora, if I've told you once I've told you a hundred times! Find yourself a new soloist. I don't want to be the only one anymore!" the girl's, Selphie's, voice broke my reverie and reminded me of the situation. My face lit up bright red and I looked down for a moment, relieved he hadn't seemed to have noticed me yet.

"Let her go, Sora. She'll be back," the voice from inside drawled. Selphie glared in his general direction.

"You're not helping, Riku!" Sora called back, loosening his grip on Selphie. She took her opportunity and yanked her arm from his grasp.

"I'm sorry, but I'm really leaving. Good luck, Sora. You're going to need it with him managing." With that, Selphie flicked her hair over her shoulder and strode off. Sora looked dejected at the ground for a moment before his face lit up, and he took off inside. In my shock I almost completely forgot I was still holding the door. Getting my bearings, I shook my head slightly and followed him inside. I felt kind of bad for thinking it, but Selphie leaving was actually really convenient for me, as it meant that they had a new job opening. I wasn't 100% sure what Selphie did, but I was sure I could learn how to do it pretty quickly.

The bar was a homey little place. It was filled with dark reds and bright blues; two colors you wouldn't think go together but somehow complement each other perfectly. There was a piano in the corner with a tiny stage, perfect for live acts. There was a long counter lined with alcohol on one side and stools on the other. Behind the alcohol was a mirrored wall, and in front of it, but behind the counter was a tall man with shoulder-length, layered silver hair and piercing teal eyes. He wore a long-sleeved shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. He was wiping down a beer glass and looking at Sora, who chattered on at an amazing rate. I wondered if the man was even listening. By how fast Sora was talking, I was inclined to think not.

I stepped a little farther into the bar and cleared my throat. Nothing happened. I cleared it a little louder. Still nothing. Not quite accustomed to being ignored, I went with a different approach.

"Excuse me," I said, trying to maintain my polite-company voice. I wasn't anything if not cordial. Neither man even glanced at me. I was getting severely annoyed. Losing the last ounce of my patience, I took a deep breath and just about bellowed, "HEY!"

Both men stopped to look at me in complete surprise. My face glowed red, and I kept waiting for one of them to glare or scold me, but the complete opposite happened. They broke out into a roar of laughter.

"All right, little lady, you have our attention," the silver-haired man, Riku, said, wiping a tear from his eye, "though you look a little young to be hanging out in a place like this. What can we do you for?" I cleared my throat and spoke in my best business voice.

"I seemed to have noticed one of your employees quit earlier, and was wondering if her position had already been filled." I reached into my tote bag, pulling out a slip of paper. "I have a resume already printed out if you would like to look at it—"

"This is perfect! Practically a god-send!" Sora shouted, interrupting me. Riku gave him a look.

"Sora…" he began, but his friend wasn't listening. He was focused completely on me.

"Come on, Riku, you know this is too perfect to pass up!"

"How old is she? Why is she looking in a bar for work? Does she have another job? These are things we need to know before hiring someone." Sora opened his mouth in a quick retort, but I spoke up before him.

"Eighteen, about to turn nineteen in a month and a half. No one else will hire me. I was laid off last night, so no." Both men fell silent before Sora erupted into more laughter.

"I told you, she's perfect! She'll fit in just fine." He turned to me. "Welcome to Songbird. I have two very important questions for you." He held up one finger. "Number one, can you sing?"

"Sure," I answered, not wanting to brag, and praying he wouldn't ask me to.

"Perfect. And two, when can you start?"

"As soon as you need me." Something flashed in Sora's eyes—a childish mischief—and he smirked at me.

"Great. Aerith! Yuffie! Get her to the dressing room. We have a soloist!" At that, a small, black-haired girl with a pixie cut and a tall, brown-haired girl with her hair in a ponytail took me to a back room and helped me get changed. As they chatted excitedly together all I could think was Oh god, what have I gotten myself into?

Hey, y'all! I'm back! I figured I'd try out a new fandom to write for, and this story just wouldn't leave my head. I'm going to see how you guys like it, and if you want to read more, I'll write more. Let me know, ok? Thanks a bunch, guys. :)