This is a story about Jojo from Horton hears a Who and a girl named Alyssa. It's like an outsider story from the movie. Read it, it looks like it's very long but I think it only took me about 30 to 40 minutes tops, maybe less. Trust me, you will love it!! It's only 17 chapters! (And just so you know Jojo's name is spelled 'Jojo' not 'Jo-Jo', I just don't feel like changing every single of is name in this story.) Enjoy!
Part 1
The doorbell didn’t normally ring at Jo-Jo’s house. In fact, he wasn’t sure he’d ever heard it ring this early in the day. He thought about just ignoring it and staying where he was; watching the TV in silence from the comfort of the floor, but the ring sounded once more and he decided against it. Pushing himself to his feet, Jo-Jo made his way toward the front door. He moved slowly; hoping one of his other family members would answer it for him.
His silent prayers were answered when he heard the ever peppy voice of his father wander its way to him. “I’ll get it!!!” Jo-Jo’s father was the Mayor of the town they called home. Actually, that was all he was. Mayor. Sure Jo-Jo and his sister’s called him dad and his mother called him a variety of pet names, but to everyone else he was just Mayor.
Jo-Jo moved to the railing of the stairs to look down at his father who was about to answer the door. He rolled his eyes as he watched his father attempt to fix himself up a bit before greeting his guest, but his attention was soon taken toward the figure standing in the doorway.
“Good morning Sir! I don’t believe we’ve met.” His dad extended his hand in introduction to the stranger in the doorway with a bright smile and Jo-Jo couldn’t help but crane his neck to see who it was that had come calling. Another hand reached out to take the Mayor’s in a firm handshake and it was easy to tell that this was most certainly a man; most likely older than Jo-Jo’s dad. He entered there home as the Mayor stepped aside and Jo-Jo stared at the large who in wonder. He was huge. Not huge as in overweight, but huge as in abnormally tall and wide.
Not to mention his bright red and grey hair. He was rather shaggy with a large brown jacket that seemed a bit small at the sleeves, quite unnecessary for the hot weather outside, and his eyes were small; glistening with a strange darkness that Jo-Jo couldn’t quite figure out. As the two men spoke, Jo-Jo managed to pick up a bit of what they said.
“We just moved here,” was the first thing that triggered something in his mind. New neighbors perhaps? Jo-Jo crept down the stairs trying to be as quiet as possible so his father wouldn’t notice him eavesdropping. As always though, Jo-Jo’s luck ran short. In mid-step, Jo-Jo’s foot missed the step and he was sent crashing and tumbling down the remaining stairs. “Jo-Jo! What a way to make an entrance,” the Mayor stated with a laugh. “Greg, this is my son. Son, this is Greg!”
The usual sarcastic look crossed over Jo-Jo’s face as he blew a strand of black hair from his eyes. The stranger, or Greg as his father now called him, placed a giant hand on Jo-Jo’s shoulder and lifted him to his feet. “Good to meet you lad. You know, I’ve got a kid about your age. Adorable little thing. You two would probably get along.” The man rambled on for a moment while Jo-Jo brushed himself off; uninterested in every way.
His dad, however, was the complete opposite. “That’s great! Why don’t you bring your family over tonight for dinner and we can all get to know each other.” The glare that the Mayor received from his son was one of pure hatred. Why did he always have to be the nice guy? Before he knew it, the two men had arranged for them to meet and have dinner that night.
Jo-Jo watched as his family hustled about the house; preparing for their dinner guests who would be arriving any minute. Like they didn’t have enough people to feed already. His sisters had dressed up, his parents had taken out the good dishes, and he was supposed to be cleaning up everything he could find. Jo-Jo saw no point in making a fuss though and sat in his chair in the kitchen with his arms crossed over his chest and a lollypop in his mouth. The sooner this dinner was over, the better. For the second time that day, Jo-Jo heard the gong of the doorbell.
“Jo-Jo! Get the door!” Definitely one of his sisters. Deciding it was better to do what they said in order to get through this evening, he got up from his chair and shuffled solemnly to the front door. As he opened the front door Jo-Jo’s eyes grew wide and his jaw fell slightly slack; causing his lollypop to fall and hit the ground. “You must be Jo-Jo. My name’s Alyssa.”

Part 2
Alyssa stood in the doorway with her dark green eyes sparkling like two tiny stars. Jo-Jo was absolutely stunned by her appearance and had to blink a few times to make sure what he was seeing was real. She wore an army green dress with two black lines along the bottom and a black beret over her pony-tailed chocolate and charcoal hair. All in all, she appeared to be just another innocent little who that would just end up getting on Jo-Jo’s nerves.
He was snapped from his thoughts when Alyssa waved her hand in front of his face. How long had he been staring at her like that? Stepping aside, Jo-Jo said nothing. Greg’s family was tiny compared to Jo-Jo’s; made up of only Greg, his wife, and Alyssa. All Jo-Jo could think of was how lucky they were.
As Alyssa’s parents entered the kitchen to the warm greeting of the rest of his family, Alyssa herself remained where she was; hands clasped behind her back and a smile crossing her slender mouth. Normally, Jo-Jo would have just glared at her and given her a line that told her he preferred to be alone, but there was something overly enchanting about those big green eyes that kept him quite. Without warning, Alyssa raised her hand and popped the lollypop back into his mouth. “You dropped this,” she stated before turning on heel to follow her parents. Jo-Jo stayed where he was for a moment, contemplating what had just happened, then closed the door and shuffled back into the dinning room.

Dinner went rather slow. Just like Jo-Jo, the Mayor hadn’t expected Greg’s child to be a girl and was trying to treat her like she was his own daughter; using the phrases he thought were cool. Alyssa took it much better than Jo-Jo, laughing every now and then, and she even seemed to be getting along with his sisters better than anyone could ever hope. Yet every now and then, Jo-Jo would catch her glancing across the table at him in the fashion a little girl would. What was with this girl?
“I’d like to propose a toast!” Both Jo-Jo and Alyssa seemed to jump at the sudden boom of Greg’s voice as the large man rose to his feet and held up his glass. Everyone else followed him (Jo-Jo being much more reluctant) and waited for the who to continue. “To good friends, good neighbors, and a fresh start!” Just as everyone raised their glasses to drink, Jo-Jo caught Alyssa making a face at the taste of her drink and then, with a quick glance to make sure no one was looking, turned the glass over to spill it’s contents and then dropped the glass. Her previously disgusted face changed to a look of shock as she looked down at the mess she had made.
“Oh my goodness! I am so sorry Mr. Mayor. I didn’t mean to….” Jo-Jo could see the makings of tears beginning to form in the corners of her eyes and couldn’t help but chuckle ever so slightly. She definitely had talent. As both Greg and Jo-Jo’s father scrambled to clean up the mess, Jo-Jo’s mother hustled over to comfort the half sobbing girl. This was certainly going to be one interesting dinner.
Throughout the rest of the evening, Alyssa’s antics continued without fail. She was extremely impressive when it came to getting away with things. Not once did she get caught. Jo-Jo would never have expected a girl who looked as innocent as Alyssa to be such an accomplished trouble maker. When dinner was over, Jo-Jo’s father suggested they all go upstairs while the adults cleaned up and got to know each other. While all of his sisters hurried off to do there own thing, Alyssa followed Jo-Jo up the stairs and into his room. She was almost like a little puppy; looking for attention and following any person who could give it, but why did she have to be following him?
As she wandered about his bedroom in an aimless fashion, Jo-Jo couldn’t help but wonder just who she really was. Was she the sweet and loveable girl her appearance suggested or the evasive trouble maker who made sure to never get caught? Perhaps this would be a good chance to find out. Just as Jo-Jo opened his mouth to ask her a question, Alyssa turned with amazing speed and approached him at a quick pace; backing him into one of the room’s corners and staring him down like a wild beast.
“Let’s get some things straight here Jo-Jo. The name’s Alyssa, nicknames aren’t excepted. If anyone asks I’m the sweetest girl you’ve ever met and I transferred here because of my dad’s job. If you cooperate, I’ll make sure to tell you everything later.” Her voice wasn’t stern nor commanding. In fact, it was more like she was simply asking him a favor instead of giving him direct orders. Alyssa was a force to be reckoned with.
Jo-Jo’s eyes narrowed as if to tell her to get away from him, but Alyssa simply smiled. “We’re a lot alike Jo-Jo. We’ll have to hang out again; maybe after school?”
There was no time for him to respond as Greg’s voice met them and called for Alyssa to hurry down so they could leave. Wasting no time, Alyssa ruffled Jo-Jo’s hair and rushed out the door; leaving a both shocked and somewhat annoyed Jo-Jo alone with his thoughts.

“So Jo…..Big J….You um, like that Alyssa girl?” Jo-Jo hated it when his dad tried to start a conversation with him. It was almost like talking to a tree stump (at least a semi-smart tree stump) He’d only been downstairs for a few minutes to get a snack before heading off to bed, but now it was turning into another father and son “bonding” session. Jo-Jo gave a shrug in reply but apparently didn’t put off his father for a minute. “Oh I get it. Big bad Jo-Jo doesn’t wanna show those feelings to his ole’ dad. I completely understand, but hey! If you ever wanna talk you know where to find me.”
Ignoring the majority of his father’s sentence, Jo-Jo escaped to his room as he always did. He just needed time to think as always. He sat on the windowsill with his gaze to the sky and sighed. Maybe he should give Alyssa a chance…
She was, after all, wanting to spend time with him and she did seem to have a little bit in common with him. But what if it was all just a game to her? Jo-Jo wished that things could be a bit simpler. As his dark and weary eyes scanned the sky, Jo-Jo caught a rare sight. A star that sparkled brightly just outside his window against the dark sky above. He’d never seen a star like that; so peaceful and so magical.
Quietly he uttered a wish. Maybe the stories about stars were true and you could make a wish on the brightest one. “I wish…..” No. This was insane. He wasn’t actually going to wish on something in the sky like some little kid, was he?
“I wish for one person to actually understand.”

Part 3

Sometimes Jo-Jo wished that school started later; that way he would have more time to try and avoid it. He sat in the back of the class room as always and stared out the window to his left. As always he was slouched in his seat and seemed to be ignoring everything that came his way. He hardly even responded when the teacher called his name for attendance. Then Alyssa arrived. The classroom door opened with a quiet squeak, catching everyone’s attention, and the green eyed who entered the room with the same smile she’d worn the night before. The teacher looked almost as stunned as the rest of the class. “Hello…..And you are?” Alyssa, now dressed in a candy orange sundress and a sparkling headband, gave a curtsey to her new teacher and then returned to full height to gaze out over her classmates. “My name is Alyssa Jean Who and I’m new here.” Everyone seemed to brighten up as she spoke. They didn’t get many new students to their school and this could be an interesting change of pace. But who would Alyssa turn to when it came to friends? To the surprise of everyone, she took a seat beside Jo-Jo and folded her hands neatly in front of her. The teacher’s look of surprise still hadn’t faded but nevertheless, she rose to her feet and approached the bored. “Alright class, get out your notebooks and we’ll start.” Jo-Jo drowned out the rest of the lesson as he always did. It wasn’t that he didn’t like school. He was an extremely smart kid and did well in school, but never felt the need to actually listen. Adults telling him what to do just didn’t settle right with him. Alyssa seemed to feel the same way; leaning her head on her hand and gazing off into space. When classes ended and lunch began, Alyssa was once again seated beside Jo-Jo as if she’d known him all her life. Jo-Jo continued to glance over at her as she finished off what appeared to be some form of sandwich but ate nothing himself. He would eat when he got home like he always did. The toil of waiting in line for school food or making the effort to prepare his own lunch was just to over the top for him. As he pondered over his thoughts, Jo-Jo suddenly felt himself jerked to his feet by the arm. After allowing himself to be dragged a few feet, he broke free and turned to glare at his captor. “What is wrong with you?” His forceful yell was met by the wide smile and bright eyes of Alyssa, but suddenly her expression changed. All that went through Jo-Jo’s head was “Oh….no.” Letting her firm grasp slip from his arm, Alyssa darted away; face hidden in her palms as she sobbed. Something told Jo-Jo that they weren’t fake tears. He watched her until she turned the corner and then sighed. “Smooth move Jo-Jo.” Feeling like he was the biggest bully in the world, Jo-Jo slinked back to his seat at the lunch table. For a few minutes, all was silent. Then he heard a familiar voice. “You ok Jo-Jo?” Mandy took a seat across from him; smoothing back her somewhat shaggy hair in the process. Mandy was kind of a regular for Jo-Jo during lunch. They didn’t have class together very often except for gym on certain occasions and Mandy lived rather far away but she always sat near him during lunch. “Fine…” Jo-Jo mumbled as he averted his gaze. Mandy was a lot like him but still not quite someone who understood him. She wore black like him though it normally came in the form of a skirt and tang-top and seemed to carry the same no-nonsense attitude, but she still had that cheerful side sometimes that made Jo-Jo pull away. Either way, she was someone for Jo-Jo to confide in when times got tough. “It’s about the Alyssa girl isn’t it?” she asked while taking a drink from her juice box. Jo-Jo’s eyes darted back to her as if suspicious of her knowledge. “How did you know….about Alyssa I mean?” Mandy shrugged while wiping her mouth on the back of her hand. Sometimes Jo-Jo just wished she would stay out of his head. “Some girls were talking about her. Did you hear about her dad?” Jo-Jo was certainly interested now. Alyssa had only been in town a couple days and already someone knew more about her than Jo-Jo. He waited for Mandy to finish her lunch (a mixture of cheese and pasta that seemed to have a mind of it’s own) and then gave her an expecting stare. “He’s a wanted criminal.”

Part 4
Jo-Jo eyes grew wide. How could Mandy stay so calm when she said that? And how could she be telling the truth? Sure Alyssa was a trouble maker who had a bit of a mysterious nature, but she couldn’t actually be the daughter of a convict…could she? “So what did her dad do?” Now Jo-Jo was really curious. He’d only just met Alyssa and already she was becoming a lot more than she had started out as.
Mandy looked at him with a slight smile; realizing that she’d roped him in without even having to try. “Apparently her dad’s a killer and not exactly nice to Alyssa herself. Abusive, ya know? They moved here so her dad could get away.” She spoke as if telling any old story to him. Sometimes Jo-Jo wondered about her. “You’ve got to be kidding. Alyssa can’t….she’s not…Seriously Mandy, you can’t be right.”
Mandy simply shrugged. “Believe what you want but rumor has it that she’s trying to find a way out of her family. She’s run away quite a few times but always gets dragged back home.” Not bothering to stick around and answer Jo-Jo’s questions, Mandy gave him a smile and wandered off to her next class. Jo-Jo didn’t move.
Even after the bell rang for class, he didn’t move from his spot in the lunch room. So Alyssa was the child of a wanted criminal? It didn’t seem possible. How she dressed, how she acted, how she just was didn’t say to him that she had lived a life like that. It had to be a lie.

As the final bell echoed through the school halls, Jo-Jo prepared himself for the long and lonely walk home. He hadn’t seen Alyssa since he’d screamed in her face at lunch and had all but forgotten her. Then he felt a light tap on his shoulder. Turning to face the one who had interrupted his solitude, he couldn’t believe what he was seeing.
“Alyssa….what do you want?” Her eyes were red from crying but still she smiled at him; holding her orange backpack in front of her. Then it hit him. She had said the night before that she wanted to hang out with him after school. Jo-Jo hadn’t expected her to actually want to hang out.
“Is….is it alright if I go to your house for a little while? Just until dinner…then I’ll go home.” Alyssa sounded almost afraid. Had he really scared her that much? Now Jo-Jo couldn’t say no. He nodded slightly and motioned for her to follow him.

The walk to Jo-Jo’s house was long and silent as always even with Alyssa right behind him. Every now and then she would make an observation and Jo-Jo would respond with either a one word answer or a quick shrug. When they finally arrived at the front door, Jo-Jo wondered what his parents would think of him bringing her home with him. His dad would have a field day with this.
He entered the house without a word and Alyssa did the same, but they had hardly made it in the doorway when they were met by the family. “Jo-Jo! You’re home!” his mother said; giving her son a hug and kissing both his cheeks. She was dressed promptly in a lavender apron and held a feather duster in one hand; the perfect image of a mother. The Mayor was next to greet Jo-Jo with a hug that was hardly welcome to the boy. “How’s my Homie Dawg, yo? Had a rockin’ day at school?” Alyssa couldn’t help but giggle while Jo-Jo shrugged him off and continued his way up the stairs; followed by his chattering sisters.
Alyssa hung back in the doorway. It actually looked like she might just cry at any minute but kept the smile to mask it. “Well hello there Aly! You come over to study with Jo-Jo?” Alyssa nodded slightly. “You want anything to eat dear? You must be hungry after such a long walk to get here.” Jo-Jo’s mother chimed in. Staring into the smiling and kind faces of Jo-Jo’s family finally broke her. Alyssa dropped to her knees and covered her face in her hands. “Alyssa! What’s wrong?” The Mayor looked paniced as he tried to think of a way to comfort the girl.
Jo-Jo watched from the top of the stairs without a single show of emotion toward her. “Alyssa….”

Part 5
It took a good ten minutes before the Mayor was able to calm Alyssa down. She sat in the living room with her knees curled up to her chest and her eyes downcast as if to pretend none of this ever happened. The Mayor’s wife sat to her right while the Mayor sat to her left; patting her shoulders and trying their best to encourage her that everything was going to be alright. The only problem was, they didn’t know what was wrong.
When Alyssa’s choking sobs faded into tiny sniffles, they decided to question her. “Feeling better dear?” Alyssa nodded but made no eye contact with either of them. Jo-Jo had hidden himself near the doorframe to listen in on them. How would Alyssa get away with this one? He looked down when he felt a tiny tug on his sleeve.
Standing beside him was one of his youngest sisters; big blue eyes gazing up at him like a lost puppy would. “Jo-Jo, watcha’ doing?” the little girl asked in an innocent tone. Jo-Jo said nothing, only waved his hand for her to leave, but his sister was determined as ever. She tugged on his sleeve was again until Jo-Jo turned to look at her once more. “Let’s play Jo-Jo. We can have a tea party!” Jo-Jo rolled his eyes and made another motion for her to leave. She was being distracting as always.

Meanwhile, Alyssa was still refusing to tell his parents anything. No matter what they asked or what they said, the girl kept her mouth shut. Jo-Jo just wished she would tell them what her problem was so they could fix it and she could leave. It wasn’t that he hated her, Jo-Jo just wanted her to go home and deal with her problems where she belonged. But it didn’t seem like his parents were going to let her leave without an explanation.
“Is it something about your parents?” the Mayor finally asked as he made the attempt to guess her problem. Knowing that they had figured out a little to much, Alyssa was on her feet in less than a second and walking away. Suddenly, the front door burst open to reveal the massive who that was Greg. His tiny black eyes darted from side to side the way a caged animal would.
“Greg! What a urm….nice surprise!” the Mayor said when he spotted his new neighbor in the front hall.
Greg ignored him however and took a few more steps inside. Spotting what he had come for, Greg loomed over Alyssa’s shaking form in a menacing fashion. Feeling a sudden wave of courage, Jo-Jo jumped in front of her and attempted to glare up at the man. His effort was in vain though because with one swift swing of hand, Greg had knocked Jo-Jo out of the way and onto the floor. The Mayor shifted as if to run to their aid, but he was to late. Grabbing Alyssa by the arm, Greg pulled the obviously scared girl from the house and slammed the door shut behind him.
Jo-Jo had never felt like a bigger failure. “Are you alright?” his mother asked as she rushed to her son’s side. Jo-Jo blinked the stars from his vision and pushed her away without a word. “Look’s like Greg’s having a bad day,” the Mayor stated as he examined the damage their uninvited guest had caused.
Jo-Jo jumped to his feet; hands curled into tight fists as he glared at his dad. “Are you really that stupid? Don’t you get it?” Everyone stared at Jo-Jo in shock. “Alyssa’s dad is a bad man and he’s probably going to go home and beat her like some animal! And all you can say is that he’s having a bad day?!” The Mayor was frozen where he stood. Jo-Jo’s words cut like a knife through him and he was almost positive he would shrivel up and die at any moment. Was this how his son saw him? “You need to get a clue!” With that, Jo-Jo darted up the stairs and into his room. His parents watched him go until they heard the slam of his bedroom door and then the Mayor slowly walked away with a sigh. “He hates me…” the Mayor muttered.

Meanwhile, Jo-Jo once again sat on his windowsill staring up into the darkening sky. As if on cue, the bright twinkle of a star shone through the velvety sky above. The same star as before. Now Jo-Jo couldn’t help himself. “I wish someone would help Alyssa…” he mumbled.

Part 6

The week went by fast for Jo-Jo. Every day he would sit in class with Alyssa right beside him and every day he would have lunch with her and Mandy. The only thing that bothered him was how Alyssa seemed reluctant to say a word. She was always completely silent no matter what the circumstances and had started to wear clothes that cover the majority of her body instead of her summery dresses. What did she have to hide? As the weekend drew close, Jo-Jo’s dad decided just how he was going to spend his time off. “Hey Jo-Jo! Why don’t you invite Alyssa over for the weekend? You know kinda like a sleep over!” Jo-Jo gave his dad another one of his looks and sighed, but the Mayor refused to take no for an answer. He was going to win his son over even if it killed him. “I already called Greg and he’s sending her over right after dinner.” Right on cue, the doorbell rang. Jo-Jo made no move to answer it as he slouched back in his chair and stared at the floor. He didn’t invite her over so why should he have to answer the door? His father, sensing his son’s obvious displeasure, rose from his seat at the table and disappeared into the front hall. Jo-Jo heard the click of the doorknob and listened as his dad invited her in. They walked into the dining room and all but Jo-Jo greeted her in a friendly manner. The Mayor reached out toward her. “Here, let me take you coat,” he stated but Alyssa pulled away before he could touch her. They all looked at her in surprise and Alyssa stammered to explain herself. “I’d rather not take my jacket off….I’m kinda…cold,” she stated quietly. No one questioned her as they welcomed her to eat. Despite how she acted at school, Alyssa chattered away with his sisters in a pleasant manner; smiling and laughing as if everything was as perfect as it could be. Jo-Jo didn’t understand why she would hide how miserable she was. Then again, perhaps she wasn’t miserable at all and it was all in his head. After dinner, the Mayor decided it would be “fun” to play some games before everyone headed off to bed. While Jo-Jo’s sisters didn’t mind, Jo-Jo himself was less than happy. He sat on the couch while everyone else sat cross-legged on the floor playing various board games and having a grand ole’ time. But every now and then, Jo-Jo would catch Alyssa staring out the window with a forlorn look across her face. What was she looking at? “Come on Jo-Jo. Alyssa needs a dance partner!” Both Alyssa and Jo-Jo looked stunned. Them? Dance? The Mayor really was losing it. But with a few minutes of argument, he had them both on their feet learning the steps to a very strange waltz. As Jo-Jo spun Alyssa into the final step, he saw just what she was hiding with her jacket. Her arm slipped out of the sleeve to reveal the bandage that was wrapped up to her elbow; lighting soaked a crimson color. Before anyone else could see, Alyssa grabbed her jacket and tugged it back on. The fun and games ended late into the night and everyone was well ready for bed. Alyssa slept in the only other bedroom the family had which was on the top floor at the end of the hall while everyone else slept in their usual beds. As the night wore on, Jo-Jo was awakened to the sound of footsteps on the roof. Rubbing the sleep from his eyes and stretching his arms a bit, Jo-Jo decided to check out whatever it was that had woken him up. The floor was cold under his feet as Jo-Jo made his way down the hall and up the many flights of stairs. The sound got louder as he approached the top floor and that was when his imagination started to run away with him. Maybe Greg had come to get Alyssa. Or what if it was some other murderer come to satisfy his taste for blood? Jo-Jo quickened his pace until he reached the end of the hall where Alyssa’s door was shut tight and the sound echoed from. Very slowly, he opened the door and gazed into the room.

Part 7
Alyssa’s window was wide open, letting in a frozen chill from the outside. Her bed was neatly made as if she had never touched it and her jacket was hung up on the closet doorknob next to her bags. There was no sign of Alyssa though.
Jo-Jo took a few more steps into the room and took a few cautious glances as if to check for intruders, but saw nothing other than a few shadows cast upon the wall. But where was Alyssa? Once again he heard the echo of footsteps just outside the window and walked closer. Just outside the window, standing on the edge of the roof, was Alyssa; her hands shoved into her pockets and her eyes looking toward the sky. She didn’t seem to notice Jo-Jo was there so he slipped out the window and moved closer.
“Alyssa?” The girl turned around in shock and then smiled when she realized who it was. Her hair fell freely down her back and shifted in the wind as she motioned for him to come closer. “Nice night isn’t it? You don’t get this kind of view at my house….” Her voice trailed off and Jo-Jo nodded in response; following her eyes to the sky. Once again, the only the star he had been wishing on sparkled brightly against the midnight sky and seemed to shine down upon them.
That was when he really got a good look at Alyssa. She had changed into a dark purple nightgown that seemed to be a bit big for her because its thin sleeves drooped over her shoulder and both her arms were identical; bandaged and beaten. He felt like he should ask her about them; get to the bottom of this story and determine what was true, but his silent nature held him back.
She would tell him if she wanted to. “Stop staring…” she whispered. Jo-Jo hadn’t even realized he’d been staring and broke his eyes away in response. “I know what you’re thinking and yes….it was my dad.” Was it really that obvious that Jo-Jo had been wondering about her injuries? Or maybe Alyssa was just psychic? Either way, she had finally brought it up. “Why?” was all Jo-Jo asked without looking at her again.
“Because I’m like a punching bag to him….Anything goes wrong, it’s my fault. That’s how it’s always is and always has been.”
Alyssa was completely calm. Now he understood why she had started crying all those times. When Jo-Jo had yelled at her, she’d felt like she’d done something wrong and probably thought he would hurt her. When she broken down in the front hall it was because she wasn’t used to having a family that actually cared. Alyssa wanted a family. Not just a family that she could live with but a family that truly loved her.
Jo-Jo turned away without a word and went back inside; glancing at her over his shoulder. “You should get to bed Alyssa. Dad’s probably got a lot planned for tomorrow.”

Part 8
Jo-Jo awoke to the smell of fresh syrup and what could very possibly have been orange juice. He sat up slowly and yawned; wincing at the bright sunlight that poured through his window. Why was everyone up so early? Reluctantly, he slipped out of bed and shuffled down the stairs and into the kitchen. He could have sworn he was in someone else’s house.
The Mayor and Alyssa stood in the kitchen and appeared to be making breakfast, but they weren’t doing a very good job. Alyssa was covered in the batter of their very soupy looking pancake mix and his dad was matted in crisp white flower. This was one of those times when he remembered what his mother was for. “What are you doing?” he said with a yawn.
His dad and Alyssa turned to look at him; both carrying a bright grin to greet the day. “Morning Jo-Jo! Me and Little Al here were just making some breakfast.” As if to prove their story, Alyssa flipped a pancake in the frying pan and then slipped it onto a plate. “Want a pancake Jo-Jo?” she asked; holding the plate out to him. Despite how big a mess they had made, Jo-Jo had to admit that it looked pretty good.
He took the plate without a word and sat down in his usual place at the table. It certainly seemed like Alyssa had taken quite a place in his dad’s heart. Maybe that would keep him from bothering Jo-Jo. However, a bit of rejection bubbled in the pit of his stomach. What if his dad completely replaced him with Alyssa? Sure Alyssa deserved a good dad, but not his. Jo-Jo listened to the two laugh and chatter as he ate and sighed.
“Something wrong Big J?” his dad asked while taking the seat beside him. Jo-Jo glanced at his father and said nothing once again.

After breakfast, it was time for the Mayor’s big plan for their weekend. He had worked out exactly how to spend their two days together and have the most fun possible.. It started with a trip to the park.
“Jo-Jo, you’re supposed to catch the Frisbee; not watch it.” Alyssa smiled at Jo-Jo from the other side of the bright green field as Jo-Jo let the Frisbee go by him once again. They had only been there for about an hour and the Mayor was already trying to act cool. “Yeah Jo. You gotta get in the game!” Jo-Jo took advantage of the moment and tossed the bright blue Frisbee; hitting his dad in the head and knocking him backward. While the Mayor lay on his back stunned, Alyssa broke out in a fit of giggles. Jo-Jo had to admit that this was kinda fun. He didn’t have to share his day with his sisters at least. He could handle his dad.
When the Mayor finally sat up, rubbing his head and smiling, he looked for their guest and saw that she had disappeared. “Alyssa?!” He shot to his feet and looked around; causing Jo-Jo to jump back in surprise. The Mayor, using the stamina of a pro-athlete, began to run from one end of the field to the other as he searched for her then stopped.
His head tilted to one side slowly as he spotted the little dark haired Who sitting on the highest branch of a spiny tree. Her eyes were misted over in thought as she gazed into the sky and the Mayor said nothing. He didn’t want to interrupt her. Jo-Jo followed his dad’s gaze and fell upon the same spot. But he saw what his dad didn’t see. The sad expression and the slight formation of tears in the corners of her eyes.

Part 9
After a day of fun and exercise, the three came home to find the house empty. Pinned to the front door was a note written in a very fancy scribe and signed by the Mayor’s wife. “Looks like everyone went out to see a movie….we’re on our own tonight kids!” Jo-Jo never realized how quiet the house was without his sisters around. It was almost scary. He settled himself in the living room while Alyssa and his dad went to go make dinner.
For a moment, he sat in the silence alone. What else was there to do? Go help them with dinner? Jo-Jo pondered this thought for a moment and then sighed; getting to his feet and making his way toward the kitchen. “Might as well….nothing better to do.”
He looked into the kitchen at the Mayor and Alyssa who seemed to be enjoying themselves as they prepared some form of meat. They looked really happy together; laughing and joking around. Jo-Jo wondered what his dad would do if he knew the truth about Alyssa’s life. Would he pity her or just shun her for being the child of such a man? There was no way to really tell considering how unpredictable his dad was.
He leaned against the door frame and watched them in silence; feeling like a stranger in his own home. Neither of them noticed him in the least bit. Maybe his dad really was replacing him with Alyssa…
“So did you have a good day Jo-Jo?” Alyssa asked when they finally sat down to eat. Who did Alyssa think she was? His mother? Jo-Jo gave a small grunt in response and stared at the food they had prepared for him. It smelt good and looked good, but he still didn’t want to eat it. That would be like tempting the two to get closer. Instead, he told them he wasn’t hungry and left the table without another word.
For the next hour, he watched as his father bonded with Alyssa. They played games together that Jo-Jo remembered playing when he was younger, shared stories while playing cards in the middle of the living room floor, and acted like they had known each other all their lives. A mixture of reject and anger began to over flow Jo-Jo until he couldn’t take it anymore.
Stomping angrily to his room, he slammed the door and once again settled on the windowsill. It was quite dark enough for him to see the star he had been relying on so he thought he would just wait and then wish for Alyssa to be gone. He didn’t care where, just not in his life anymore.
“Jo-Jo?…..Are you alright?” His dad stood in the doorway with a concerned look on his face. There was no sign of Alyssa so Jo-Jo decided to tell him. “Alyssa….” A curious expression replaced the Mayor’s previous one and he walked toward his son. Kneeling beside Jo-Jo to meet him at eye level, he tried his best to see just what it was his eyes were saying. “She doesn’t belong here…”
“Jo-Jo, don’t say that. Alyssa is a person and she has feelings. You can’t just say those kind things about a person.” When would his dad get it? Jo-Jo couldn’t stand how he always seemed to avoid what the real problem was. “That’s not what I meant,” Jo-Jo grumbled in reply. His dad tilted his head to one side in thought. What else was there for Jo-Jo to be upset about? “I don’t understand….”
That was it. Jo-Jo couldn’t stand it anymore. He curled his hands into fists and gritted his teeth. “You never understand! You’re so clueless! You can’t even see that Alyssa’s dad hurts her!”
What had Jo-Jo done? It was hard to tell whether the Mayor was shocked by the sudden outburst or what Jo-Jo had said, but it became clear soon enough. They heard a tiny gasp and turned to see Alyssa standing in the doorway.
The Mayor jumped to his feet and rushed to catch her as Alyssa tried to run away. He managed to catch her by the wrist and in reaction, the girl dropped to her knees and cowered in front of his; holding back tears. The Mayor cautiously reached forward and pulled down her sleeve. “Alyssa….You have some explaining to do.” he whispered.

Part 10
Alyssa sighed. This was it. She had to explain herself to them and hopefully not get herself in trouble. If her dad found out, she would probably be beaten to death instead of just senseless. She nervously tugged on the end of her shirt as the Mayor sat down beside her and handed her a mug of hot chocolate. “Alright. Now tell me exactly what it is that’s been going on.”
Jo-Jo watched from a chair on the other side of the room. He couldn’t believe he’d actually told his dad about Alyssa’s secret. Why was he such a jerk? He’d said that just because he was jealous of the time she was spending with his dad and now he’d caused Alyssa to cry again.
He watched as she took a deep breath and began her story.
“Back home….where I used to live, my dad was really important. Everyone looked up to him and treated him like he was the greatest man in the world…but when Candy died…” Alyssa was cut off when the Mayor raised his hand to her. “Who’s Candy?”
Yet another deep breath came from Alyssa. This was really taking a lot out of her.
“Candy was my sister. She was everything my dad wanted in a child but then she was hit by a car. My dad got really mad and started drinking. Then….he killed mom and the neighbors….” Silence followed. “He wanted to turn me into Candy so he forced me to act like her and be her. He beat me. Then when the charges came for what he had done, dad remarried and moved here.”
The Mayor nodded slowly. Things were starting to make sense now. There was only one thing for him to do. “Alyssa….we’re going to call the police and we’re going to get you help.” Alyssa pulled back in shock. “No….No no. If my dad finds out I told you…You can’t!” Once again she made a break for the door and once again the Mayor caught her by the wrist.
She twisted and squirmed to try and get away but the Mayor was quick to restrain her by pulling both her arms behind her back and holding her there. “Jo-Jo lock the door and call the police. We’re going to finish this once and for all.”
Jo-Jo did as his father said and watched as his dad dragged Alyssa kicking and screaming into her room at the end of the hall. The last thing he heard before his dad closed the door was “I don’t want to die.”

Part 11

When the rest of the family returned home, the Mayor was quick to explain the situation to his wife. The authorities would be coming in the morning to hear what they had to say and until then he had decided to keep Alyssa in the guest room. She was quite unpredictable at this point and they couldn’t risk her running off. Jo-Jo couldn’t sleep though. The thoughts of what might happen when Alyssa’s dad was confronted was just to much for him to handle right now. Turning over to face the window, Jo-Jo sighed. And to think, he’d been thinking of wishing for Alyssa to leave. How could he have been so selfish? So far, all his previous wishes had come true and if Alyssa had actually been taken away, he would have never forgiven himself. Just because Jo-Jo was quiet didn’t mean he was heartless. Then he heard something he’d heard once before at around this time. Footsteps on the roof. Did his dad actually forget to lock the window? Practically jumping out of bed, Jo-Jo quickly rushed up the stairs and threw open the door to Alyssa’s room. Just like last time, the window was wide open; curtains fluttering in the breeze. Jo-Jo hurried outside and spotted Alyssa slowly walking toward the edge of the roof. “Alyssa stop.” She did so. Alyssa froze when she heard his voice and seemed to be debating whether to turn and run or face him. Finally she turned around (most likely because she realized there was nowhere to run) “I can’t stay Jo-Jo. My dad….” Her voice trailed off as it usually did; taken by the wind. Jo-Jo looked her over. It kind of made him feel like his father. Here he stood with his arms crossed and his eyes stern as he waited for her to continue. “You don’t have to worry about your dad.” Alyssa wouldn’t take that for an answer and looked him straight in the eye with an expression of desperation lining her face. Her lower lip quivered slightly as she tried to form the words she wanted to say so badly. They refused to come. “You just don’t get it…” Jo-Jo moved forward and grabbed her by the arm. “Come back inside. Tomorrow we’ll have your dad arrested and you can get on with your life.” Jo-Jo led her back into the guest room and waited until she had taken a seat on the bed before shutting the window and locking it. “Don’t do anything stupid,” he muttered before quietly shutting the door and returning to his bedroom. Still unable to sleep, he sat on the floor and pulled a book from one of the lower shelves. It opened with a protesting crack to reveal an abundance of photos. They ranged from his sisters, to his parents, to him as a child and Jo-Jo felt his lips curve into a smile. This was what he did whenever he felt down. Remembered the good times even if there weren’t many of them. After taking a long trip down memory lane, Jo-Jo slipped the book back onto the shelf and crawled into bed. The next morning was far from normal. Once more, Jo-Jo’s sisters and mother left for the day in order to keep them from the chaos that was bound to happen while they remained to meet the police. Alyssa came downstairs without a word when they arrived; dressed in a rather simple pink dress and bow. Throughout the morning, the police questioned every aspect of Alyssa’s life. Where did she live? What did her dad do? What happened to her at home? Alyssa answered every question quietly and without the simplest show of emotion. “Don’t worry little girl. Your dad wont be able to hurt you anymore.” Alyssa and the Mayor were told to go with the police when they went to arrest Greg. They refused to say why other than calling it a liability issue, but they didn’t protest and even brought Jo-Jo along for the ride. When they reached the small house that Alyssa called home, Greg appeared to be waiting for them. He stood on the front lawn with a garden rake clutched in his massive fists and his eyes narrowed as if to fight. The Mayor, clutching Alyssa by the hand stepped out of the car with the number of officers. “Greg Artisan Who, you’re under arrest for child abuse and man slaughter,” one announced to the man as two others approached him with a pair of hand cuffs. Surprisingly, Greg didn’t put up a fight; allowing the police to cuff him and put him in the car, but the glare he had locked on the three was enough to melt the flesh. “You may go inside and get your things Alyssa. We’ll be sending you to an orphanage in the morning.” Once again, tears began to form in her eyes. The Mayor appeared just as shocked as she was and approached the group of officers while motioning for them to go inside and gather Alyssa’s things. Jo-Jo looked around the inside of the house in silence and was surprised at all the photographs. None of them, however, were of Alyssa. They were all of a little girl with pink and turquoise hair. Some were of her dancing, one was her playing a piano, another was her riding a bike. There were so many of this strange girl, but not a single one of Alyssa. “That’s Candy…My sister.” Alyssa whispered as she slowly gathered up her things. “She died a few years ago and then dad…well dad went down hill.” Jo-Jo pulled his eyes away from the pictures and went to help her out; mostly just wandering and staring at the many things her father kept around the house. He knew that after what Alyssa had been through, she wouldn’t be able to handle being in a home. What was he supposed to do though? Part 12 When Alyssa had gather her things (which wasn’t much more than some clothes and a few personal items) she and Jo-Jo exited the house and stood on the lawn waiting to see what awaited Alyssa. She would probably be taken away to live in a place just as bad as the one she’d just escaped, possibly worse. Apparently she was thinking the same way because Alyssa was staring down at her feet sadly. They watched as the Mayor spoke with the three police men who had been left behind to take Alyssa for a moment until he nodded and walked toward them. Alyssa turned to face Jo-Jo with the best smile she could manage at this point. “I guess this is goodbye Jo-Jo….It was fun.” With a slight roll of his eyes, Jo-Jo raised his arms in front of him and motioned for her to give him a hug which she did without hesitation. Now he really felt guilty, but at the same time, he knew he had done the right thing. They broke apart when the Mayor reached them and Alyssa sighed. “Come on Alyssa. You’re going home.” Alyssa looked at him in confusion, but the Mayor simply smiled and held his hand out to her. Even Jo-Jo was mildly impressed with his dad. He was actually going to do it. He was going to take Alyssa in. “There’s always room for you in my home as long as you don’t try running off again,” he added and Alyssa seemed to glow with joy. Unable to hold in her happiness, Alyssa leapt forward and tackled the Mayor into a hug; holding on tight as if he might just leave her there if she let go. Jo-Jo rolled his eyes but couldn’t stop himself from smiling. He could just tell that his little adventures with Alyssa were just warming up. It didn’t take long before Alyssa was settled into their home. It wasn’t all that hard because everyone pretty much considered her one of the family already (not to mention none of them wanting to make her feel the way she had in her old home) However, she wasn’t able to attend school with the constant police visits and lawyers calling. She was home schooled by the Mayor on most occasions and either Jo-Jo or one of his sisters would bring her work from school to her. Jo-Jo was handling it well. That was, until the rumors started up. It was a pretty normal day at school; just like it had been before Alyssa arrived. Jo-Jo sat in the back of the class with his eyes toward the window as always, but there was something wrong. A group of kids a few seats ahead kept looking at him and whispering. In school, that usually meant trouble. He ignored it though and when lunch came, his suspicions were confirmed. “Have you heard the rumors going around yet Jo-Jo?” Mandy asked as she sat down at their usual table. Jo-Jo looked up at her in question as if telling her to continue. “Some kids in my home class have been saying that Alyssa and her dad were taken to jail. Some other kids are even saying that you helped with the murder.” Jo-Jo’s face held the most annoyed expression anyone could possibly hope for. Why couldn’t these kids just keep their mouths shut for once? “You want me to rough em’ up for you Jo-Jo?” Mandy suggested in an all to serious tone. Jo-Jo shook his head. “They’ll stop talking soon enough. Just have to let them get bored with it,” he replied with a shrug. Mandy, respecting his answer took another bite of her fruit salad. “Suit yourself but remember, I’m Whoville’s best hit girl.” Jo-Jo smiled slightly and nodded although the irony of her words rang true in his ears. School seemed to drag on more than usual with the constant whispering at every turn. Jo-Jo was starting to consider Mandy’s suggestion until he finally made it home. “And so if you multiply this by this you’ll get….umm….wait no that’s not right.” Apparently the home schooling wasn’t going well. Jo-Jo walked into the kitchen where Alyssa was half asleep on a math text book and his dad was trying to make sense of the teacher’s volume. He approached one of his sisters who was sitting at the other end of the table with some crayons and paper and glanced back at them in question. “They’ve been like that for a while. Dad refuses to give up on math even though Lysa is supposed to be doing History.” Jo-Jo rolled his eyes. Maybe school wasn’t so bad. “Jo-Jo! What is up Dawg G?” Shoot. His dad had noticed him. Jo-Jo looked back at his dad and said nothing but apparently woke up Alyssa because she shot bolt upright and knocked her books and paper off the table. “Theodore Who!” she shouted before actually taking a moment to look around. Her face tinted red and she made the attempt to laugh it off. “Oh hello Jo-Jo.”

Part 13

Jo-Jo raised his hand in a half-hearted wave while his sister giggled madly beside him. Alyssa did seem to have a talent when it came to his sister. She didn’t even have to try. Since day one they had all gotten along like they family they had recently become. Yes everything seemed to be going perfectly. Alyssa was safe, warm, and not to mention, happy. But there were nights when Jo-Jo would hear her footsteps on the roof and, on rare occasions, Alyssa would sing. Just the other night he had been graced by one of her heartbreaking numbers. Still, there was no denying that happy smile. Alyssa was still in the process of accepting her father’s arrest and seemed to be getting better everyday. All she needed was some attention and she would be just fine. “Alyssa, hurry up! You promised to help me get ready for the concert.” One of Jo-Jo’s youngest sisters was dragging Alyssa off into the parlor; ready for her next piano lesson. “Sit down for a second Jo-Jo. I have to talk to you,” the Mayor stated before his son had a chance to move. Jo-Jo did as he was told, taking the seat next to his father, and waited. What could his dad possibly want to talk about? It wasn’t every day that he was actually told to sit down to talk with him. His dad waited for Jo-Jo to look at him and then glanced toward the parlor where Alyssa and his sister had wandered off to. After a few seconds, the sound of piano music drifted into the room and his dad gave a small nod. Apparently he was waiting for them to start playing so he knew they weren’t listening to their conversation. “Jo-Jo…Your mother and I are thinking about…adopting Alyssa.” Jo-Jo said nothing. What was there to say? It was his dad’s choice what they did with Alyssa and it really wasn’t his problem. Jo-Jo didn’t really care either. He had lots of sisters and one more wouldn’t kill him. Or at least he hoped it wouldn’t. “But you see Jo-Jo…This is going to require us to go to court…We have to take her from Gre-her father. I’m not sure how Alyssa will handle it if she goes to court and sees her father again. She’s just barely getting over losing him.” Now Jo-Jo understood. His dad wanted him to break it to Alyssa that her dad wasn’t coming back. Why didn’t his dad just do it himself? It wasn’t Jo-Jo who wanted her to live with them so why did he have to be the one to tell her? “And you see Jo-Jo…if Alyssa refuses, she’ll be sent to a home until her dad is released from prison.” So it was more complicated than that. Alyssa had to agree to the adoption before they could bring her to court. “And what am I supposed to do?” Jo-Jo asked with a half yawn. His dad glanced at the parlor door again and listened for a moment until hey started to play again. The Mayor was keeping it a secret from her too? Jo-Jo could just see that no good could come of this. “Well you see Alyssa…” He stopped talking when Alyssa stepped into the room; Jo-Jo’s sister right behind her. They chattered happily as they discussed their lesson and the Mayor simply smiled as they walked by. Apparently this discussion was over. Jo-Jo rose from his seat and walked out of the room; wondering just what his father had been about to tell him. Why would Alyssa say no? She had everything here that she couldn’t find anywhere else so why would she want to give it up? His questioned was answered the next morning when Jo-Jo was awakened by Alyssa’s voice. “You think you can just decide this for me?!” The Mayor had tried to talk the adoption over with Alyssa that morning; deciding it was best for her to know and it hadn’t gone well. Jo-Jo entered the kitchen to find her and the Mayor arguing. Well, Alyssa was the one doing most of the arguing while his dad hardly had time to say a word. She shouted and ranted and even threw a dish cloth at the Mayor while his wife tried her best to calm Alyssa down. No one could stop her though. Jo-Jo was surprised at how badly she was taking this. He would have expected her to be overjoyed at the idea of having a new family, but she didn’t seem to be ready. This happened far to soon. Jo-Jo admitted that he hated his family sometimes too but he’d never thrown a tantrum about it. Then again, he’d never thrown a tantrum about anything. He preferred to just harbor a great hate for a while and keep it inside. When Alyssa finally stopped yelling, sitting down and letting her head fall forward onto the table, the Mayor practically fell backward onto the floor in exhaustion. How long had they been at this? “Morning Jo-Jo,” his mother greeted. Jo-Jo Didn’t respond but moved to stand next to her as if questioning what had happened. “Your father has been trying to convince her that she’d be happiest here, but it hasn’t been going well. This is the quietest it’s been all morning.” His mother was as calm as ever. “I told him that he should just let me talk to her, but you know your father. Always wants to do it his own way.”

Part 14
After much persuasion and less talking from the Mayor, Alyssa finally agreed; though reluctant in every way. Jo-Jo’s mother was just that good when it came to making someone do what she wanted and Jo-Jo hadn’t doubted her for a second. They were supposed to meet in court to try and win her from the government later that week and until then, his mother had decided everyone would take time off from school to spend as a family. They knew it was all to try and keep Alyssa from changing her mind but no one was against it in the least. Getting out of school just to have fun was more than welcome to all of them. Well, all but Jo-Jo who would have rather been off working in a coal mine than staying at home for family bonding time.
Their week off took an unexpected turn though when Alyssa came downstairs one morning dressed in full black with a backpack. She came down the stairs with a solemn look on her face and made her way toward the door but the Mayor stopped her at the last second. “Where are you going Alyssa?” he asked with a concerned look on his face. The Mayor had to admit that at first glance he might have mistaken her for Jo-Jo. Alyssa looked up at him and seemed to be debating whether to tell him or not, but then sighed and started to explain. “My sister died today…I was going to go visit her…”
If you listened close enough, you could have heard the Mayor’s heart breaking. Not to mention the slight sniffling that came from his daughters who had hung back in the doorway to listen as Alyssa explained every aspect of her plan. She had wanted to walk to the edge of town and then take a shortcut through the back roads to the cemetery that Candy had been buried in then spend the day there like she had done back at her old home.
The Mayor, being the emotional tycoon that he was, burst out in tears and threw his arms around her; sobbing into her shoulder. Alyssa look shocked and confused at his reaction and didn’t move as she waited for him to pull himself together.
After a few good minutes of uncontrollable sobbing, the Mayor straightened himself up and wiped his eyes. “You would walk all the way to the Eastern Whoville cemetery just to pay respects to your sister… That’s dedication.” he said; almost to himself. As if responding to their father, all of his daughters attacked Alyssa in a hug. “Alyssa we don’t want you to go alone!”
“Yeah something could happen to you!”
“Let us go with you. We promise to be good.”
Alyssa hardly had a choice in the matter as the girls begged and pleaded to let them go as well, but luckily, their mother was on her side. “Now girls, I’m sure this is a personal matter for Alyssa. We should let her go alone.” she said as she shooed the girls away to let Alyssa breath. “Of course it wouldn’t be smart for you to walk. It will be dark by the time you get there and it’s not safe to be out alone at night.”

Before long, the Mayor, his wife, and Alyssa had left for the cemetery in Eastern Whoville; leaving Jo-Jo and his sisters alone in the house. Alyssa really was taking over. Jo-Jo wasn’t quite as jealous because he knew where jealousy had led him last time. Instead, he waited for them to return without a word.
As the hours ticked by, Jo-Jo journeyed up to Alyssa’s room at the end of the hall. The room was very cold, probably because she never closed the window, but was kept very clean. The walls were empty unlike his sister’s walls which were covered in posters and pictures. The only thing that really seemed out of place was a small white book set on her pillow. Jo-Jo opened the book which held a strong smell of perfume and flipped through the pages. The page he landed on was marked June 19 and written in dark purple pen.

“ I thought about it all last night. What if Candy hadn’t died? Would my life have been any better? Would daddy have payed anymore attention to me than he does now or would it have been the same? Daddy never did love me. Candy was his pride and joy, not me. He tried to turn me into Candy but I just couldn’t be her. I learned the piano like Candy, I took dance like Candy, I did it all, but I was never good enough. I was never Candy and I never will be.”
The was when Jo-Jo realized that what he was reading was Alyssa’s diary. He hesitated to put it back on the pillow where he had found it and then hurried out of the room. What he had learned really said a lot about Candy and Alyssa.
When his parents returned home, Alyssa went to her room in silence. Both his parents seemed to have the same expression. “How did it go mom?” Juney, Jo-Jo oldest sister, asked. His mother sighed and glanced up at the stairs just as Alyssa disappeared around the corner and shook her head. “Not what we expected…She hates her sister but she went there to tell her about everything that had happened. It’s terrible what her dad did to her.” The Mayor nodded in agreement.
“She brought this little photo album and there was only one picture of her and Candy together…What kind of parent just ignores one of their children?” he wondered outloud as he leaned back in his chair. Jo-Jo listened from the next room. Maybe the reason Alyssa didn’t want them to adopt her was because she didn’t want them to ignore her like Greg had? Or maybe she didn’t want them to ignore one of the other girls? Someone was going to have to confront this problem and (despite how much he didn’t want to) it would probably end up being Jo-Jo.

Part 15
Alyssa never came downstairs for dinner that night. She even refused to come downstairs the next morning for breakfast. It certainly seemed like the family’s week of bonding was shattering into a million pieces. Jo-Jo lived with it though. He did like he always did; sat in the living room watching the TV without a word. He was fine with being left alone while everyone else did their own thing. His parents were the complete opposite. They were doing everything they could think of to make Alyssa come downstairs. Jo-Jo remembered when they had don it to him. They’d tried bribing him, yelling at him, and hundreds of other things but if Alyssa was anything like him, she wouldn’t be coming downstairs until she was good and ready.
That time came late one night when Jo-Jo was sitting in the living room. He’d stayed up far later than everyone else watching one of his favorite shows and had just started to doze off when he heard footsteps coming down the stairs. Jo-Jo ignored it until he saw who it was. Alyssa crossed in front of the living room door as normally as she would going to breakfast, but there was something wrong. Jo-Jo moved slowly and quietly so she wouldn’t notice him and watched her every move from the shadows.
She was fully dressed in the same clothes he had first seen her wearing and was scribbling something onto a piece of lined paper. When she finally set down the pencil, Jo-Jo watched her leave the room and then hurried to read what she had written down. “No way….”
Jo-Jo darted after Alyssa who had just crept out the front door. He couldn’t believe that she was actually going to try this. Was she crazy? He was lucky and caught her just in time; grabbing her by the arm and practically throwing her to the ground. In his free hand, he held the note she had written. Alyssa made and attempt to get up but Jo-Jo planted a foot firmly on her stomach to hold her down. “Are you really that desperate Alyssa?” he asked in a stern fashion, but Alyssa didn’t respond. Instead, she thrashed to break free and cried out in rage.
It was a matter of seconds before the porch light flicked on and his dad and mom came rushing out the door; both dress in their bathrobes and looking as if they’d just seen a ghost. When the Mayor saw his only son pinning down his soon-to-be adopted daughter, he couldn’t have been more shocked. “Jo-Jo! What in Whoville are you doing?” he shouted. His mother looked just as shocked as he was; covering her mouth to stifle a gasp.
Jo-Jo didn’t say anything, only held up the note Alyssa had written for his father to read. The Mayor snatched the paper from him and scanned the frantic handwriting twice before looking up. “Alyssa….Why would you…How…” He shook his head to try and understand the situation. “Just come back inside Alyssa…We’ll talk this over and you can explain yourself.”

Part 16
This was only the second time that Alyssa, Jo-Jo, and his parents had sat down for one of these discussions, but for some reason the Mayor looked angrier than usual. Alyssa herself looked so small as she slouched in her chair. She had come inside willingly, but now looked like she might be regretting it; keeping her eyes on the ground and her mouth shut. The resemblance between her and Jo-Jo was once again unmistakable.
The Mayor paced back and forth behind her chair for a moment before coming to a halt and slamming Alyssa’s note on the table. Alyssa winced as he did so and only shrank back further into her chair. “What were you thinking?” She didn’t seem to have an answer because she looked away once more; avoiding his eyes at all cost.
“Look at me Alyssa.”
The Mayor’s order was stern and almost unnatural. He had to repeat himself twice before she finally did as she was told and looked up at him. Jo-Jo leaned against the wall behind them with his hands shoved into his pockets and watched carefully. He’d never seen his dad act like this and he admitted that he preferred him when he was happy and annoying. Right now it seemed like her might actually reach out and hit her for what she had done.
Alyssa looked close to tears again as she took in a few quaking breaths and swallowed with difficulty. “You know that you can’t….Your father is in jail for a reason and you wont get anywhere if you had tried that. He belongs behind bars.” The Mayor was trying so hard to keep himself calm but every other sentence he would raise his voice at her. He didn’t mean to but he couldn’t help himself.
Once more, he picked up the letter and glanced over the words before reading them outloud; pacing around her once again. “I have gone to free my dad from jail. I’m grateful for everything you have done for me, but he is my dad and I feel it’s only right that I try to help him. I will make sure he causes you and your family no harm. I’m sorry for everything I have caused and hope you will forgive me. Sincerely…” He paused and leaned over the edge of the table to make direct eye contact. “Alyssa Jean Who…”
Still Alyssa suppressed her tears and looked away only to be told to look at him again. The Mayor was going to get this into her head one way or another and didn’t care what it took. Alyssa was about to try and free a criminal. Not only that but a criminal who had physically harmed her. She really needed to understand just how wrong this was.
“Alyssa you could have been hurt or killed or arrested! You don’t owe your dad anything because he’s a bad man. A very very bad man! The kind of man who deserves to be put in jail for the rest of his life! Why don’t you understand that?”
She nodded slowly; her entire body shaking. “I’m sorry sir….it wont happen again.” That was when the Mayor realized why she wasn’t saying anything. He was acting just like Greg. He was no better than a common criminal. With an almost aggravated sigh, her slumped into a nearby chair and rubbed his head in thought. “Jo-Jo, you should go to bed…it’s late.”
Jo-Jo didn’t move though. He remained where he was as if wanting to say something in Alyssa’s defense, but when nothing came, he slowly slipped out of the room. He stood in the doorway for a moment until he heard Alyssa finally break down in sniffles and sobs. Poking his head around the corner, Jo-Jo watched his dad embrace her and sigh. “It’s alright Alyssa. It’s going to be alright.” Just before Jo-Jo walked away he heard the last thing his father said. Something that seemed rather unlike him. “I hope…”

Part 17
The next morning was much more busy than usual. Everyone was hurrying about; eating breakfast, getting dressed, and making sure that everything was in perfect order. At first, Jo-Jo couldn’t figure out what all the fuss was about and then he remembered what day it was. Today was the day when his parents went to court to fight for custody of Alyssa and apparently they were bringing the whole family. Jo-Jo ate his breakfast quietly and watched his mother as she fixed Alyssa’s hair and helped her clean up for the big day.
All of his sisters where doing the same and looking quite happy about it. Perhaps none of them noticed that they could just as easily lose this case and Alyssa? Jo-Jo Didn’t bother to ask as his dad combed back his hair and forced Jo-Jo into a tie. The day was already starting in a direction Jo-Jo would have rather avoided.

They arrived at the Whoville Courthouse an hour later; just in time for the hearing. Jo-Jo and his sisters filed into the seats to watch while their parents and Alyssa sat down at the table to the far left before the judge. Judge Murry was a fair man so everyone had hope that he would see it their way and send Alyssa where she belonged.
Then came Greg; dressed in an orange jumpsuit and handcuffed to keep everyone safe. Silence fell over the crowd as the huge man lumbered into the courtroom and took his seat at the next table over from where Alyssa sat. Jo-Jo could just feel the tension between them as the two gave each other a quick glance and then turned to face the judge who now stood to observe them.
“The custody trial of Alyssa Jean Who will now come to order. We ask that both parties represent their cases to the jury and from there we shall make our decision.”
It seemed like hours before Greg had finished his testimony. He spoke lies through his teeth and glared at anyone who gave him a questioning look. Greg told them that his wife had died in a fire and that Alyssa was his only child. He spoke of them living happily together for years until he’d started drinking and then being accused of abuse just days after they moved in. So all of what he said wasn’t lies but he was still denying everything they spoke against.
Then came the Mayor’s turn. He and Alyssa stood before the judge; Alyssa seeming to cower back under his stare but the Mayor stood tall.
“Judge….this girl was abused by this man for most of her life. Greg is wanted for murder in another town and once had another daughter named Candy.” The more he explained, the more Alyssa seemed to shrink in her own mind. She was so scared and could feel the hating stare of her father burning into her like a rabid wild fire. She no longer wanted to go back with him. She was certain he would kill her if she remained with him or if he was set free and she feared meeting the same fate as her mother.
Then it came her time to speak. The Mayor gave her an encouraging nudge forward and smiled which seemed to perk her up a bit; enough to make her feel brave in the face of all these troubles.
“My twin sister….Candy was killed in a car accident. After that my father began drinking. He became hateful and cruel and was constantly hitting me and my mother until the day…the day when he killed her and the neighbors who had killed my sister.” Her voice was strong until her sentence ended. The feeling of her fathers glaring eyes grew larger the more she spoke. It was as if she might just fall down dead if they got much worse.
“After that he brought us to live here. He only beat me more after we moved so I took shelter in the Mayor’s home. I don’t want to go back to my father.” Her father instantly shot up from his seat in rage. “What?! After all I did for you?! You’ll never be Candy! Candy was the good child and you should have been the one to die! Not Candy, you!”
There was no denying what the jury decided. From that day forward, the Mayor’s family was gifted with yet another daughter. Making the grand total 96 girls and 1 boy.