My Cool Cats
"Okay, hands in everyone…"
"1…"
"2…"
"3…"
"COOL CATS!" The four men waiting backstage lifted their hands into the air, screaming the band name. The guys had spent months practicing and practicing for this moment, and now they were finally here – the talent show at the local bar.
Cool Cats was formed in Sacred Heart Hospital, the place where all four men worked. Even though they all worked in different fields – janitorial, surgical, legal, and delivery – all of the members decided to put their differences aside and join for one common goal: the water park ticket prize.
The band's leader was a man known simply as Janitor. As the founder, he chose to be the bassist of the group. Ted Buckland, a sad-sack lawyer, was the lead guitarist and Lloyd the deliveryman was the drummer. The newest addition was Chris Turk – more commonly known as Turk… or Turkleton by a certain Chief of Medicine. With his perfect audition, he was hands-down voted as the lead singer.
A short, balding man wearing a set of headphones emerged from the door leading to the bar. "Hey, you guys…" he trailed off, looking at the lack of instruments by the band's feet, "Where are your instruments?"
"Oh, we don't need instruments," Janitor said, smirking at his band-mates.
The man looked at them for a second, but shrugged it off and said, "Okay, you guys are on in five." He then disappeared behind the door, leaving the Cool Cats to laugh at the man.
The Cool Cats weren't like any other band. They had a guitarist, a bassist, a drummer, and a lead singer, sure. But there was one thing that set them apart from all of the other bands in the bar. The needed no instruments to get the music, just a boom box.
They were an 'air-band.'
After the band had finished their giggle fit, Turk stood up straight and said, "Hey guys, we better get out there."
"Yeah," Janitor shook his head in agreement, "C'mon guys. Let's rock!"
"YEAH! LET'S ROCK!" Lloyd yelled, throwing his fists into the air.
"YEAH!" Ted yelled with him.
"Hey, hey! Cool it guys," Janitor scolded the, ahem, 'dorkier' two.
"Okay, acting coooooooooool," Ted tried, lengthening the word 'cool.'
The three other members stared at the hospital 'sad sack', but then decided to proceed onstage (of course, not before Ted could groan his signature 'Awwww!').
"Wait wait wait!" Janitor called before anyone got onstage. "What song are we doing?"
A murmur of 'Oh man' came over the band. They hadn't chosen a song!
"Well, I was thinking 'Devil's Son'," Lloyd said, "I know the drum part perfectly!"
The band groaned – they all knew that Lloyd had a strange obsession with speed metal. 'Devil's Son' seemed to be one of his favorite songs of the genre. Unfortunately for Lloyd, no one else seemed to like it, and actually found it annoying.
"No," Janitor said simply.
"How about 'Charles in Charge'?" Ted asked. Ted was also a part of the hospital a Capella group 'The Worthless Peons.' But, what they usually performed were theme songs of cartoons and old prime-time shows, so the Cool Cats wouldn't want to perform that.
"Okay, new plan: how about ideas that don't suck?" Janitor suggested, obviously becoming impatient.
"I know!" Turk shot his hand up. Realizing that he didn't need to, he lowered his hand slowly and said, "How about 'Superman'?"
The band smiled. The song Turk had just suggested was one of the many songs they had practiced, and all four of the men were very strong in that song.
"Sure," Janitor, Lloyd and Ted said in almost-unison (Ted trailing behind the other's cheer).
"Okay then," Turk said, and then proceeded towards the door.
A few bright lights and a few tables seating bar customers greeted Turk, Ted, Lloyd and Janitor when they got on the platform that could barely pass as a stage. They had to squint slightly to get into place, but soon enough, the four were in position and ready to rock.
Before Janitor could press the 'play' button on the boom box, Turk stepped forward to say something.
"Hey, this one goes out to Vanilla Bear!" Turk shouted into the crowd. Soon after, he could hear the response; "GO CHOCOLATE BEAR!"
Turk didn't have to see the two dark-brown eyes that were glaring at him at the moment; he could feel them boring into his big, shiny forehead. Quickly, he added, "Oh, and Carla and Izzy." He could feel that the angry eyes were now satisfied.
Right after Turk had returned to his proper place, Janitor pushed the 'play' button, and suddenly, a mixture of acoustic guitar and drumbeats filled the room. Ted began to 'strum' his invisible guitar, and Lloyd beat his imaginary drums with nothing but his hands, curled as though drumsticks were actually in his hands. Soon enough, the vocals began, and Turk raised his fist to his mouth and began to lipsync in unison with the words the actual lead singer was singing. Of course, the Janitor began to pluck his 'instrument' a little later, and the band was finally working together.
After a few minutes of 'jamming', the song ended swiftly with its last lyrics, "I'm no Superman." Janitor turned around to turn the boom box off, while Turk, Lloyd and Ted waited for the response of the crowd.
There was a few seconds of silence. Everyone seemed to be stuck, unable to even clap. That is, until one single voice pierced the silence:
"Yeah! WOOHOO! S.C.B! Go Cool Cats!" A man screamed, clapping his hands wildly. Everyone stared at this over-enthusiastic guy, but soon conformed to him and began to applaud the Cool Cats.
Turk, Janitor and Lloyd smiled, and Ted stood stock-still, amazed that he was getting any kind of recognition. The band began to leave, but noticing that Ted was still frozen in place, Lloyd walked over, grabbed Ted under the arms, and dragged him offstage.
"Great job guys!" Turk told everyone as they walked back into the backstage area.
"Yeah," Janitor nodded in agreement.
Suddenly, from down the hall, the band heard a familiar squeal from down the hall.
"Chocolate Bear!"
Turk whipped around and saw the mess of brunette hair and big blue eyes that where his best friend, JD. JD had been the one who had clapped first, and was also the 'Vanilla Bear' Turk referred to.
"JD!" Turk screamed back, and the two ran for each other. Unfortunately for JD, though, his arch-nemesis Janitor was in between him and Turk, and when JD got close enough, the Janitor put his fist out in front of JD. In a split second, JD was knocked back and on the floor, clutching his neck.
"JD!" Turk cried. He ran to his best friend and offered him a hand. He turned to Janitor and glared.
"Sorry, can't help it," Janitor said.
Turk nodded, then pulled JD to his feet.
"Hey buddy," Turk said.
"You guys were awesome!" JD shouted, completely passing by greetings.
"Thanks JD. It means a lot that you think that," Turk said, laughing slightly.
"Oh, whoops Carla. It seems as though Gandhi's groupie has already arrived."
Both JD and Turk spun around to see a tall, red, curly-haired man walking with a Latino woman holding a small baby girl.
"Carla!" Turk exclaimed, and walked over to the woman. He looked down at the baby, and said, "You brought Izzy!"
"Oh, hey Carla," JD waved. He then approached little Izzy and said, "Little Gherkin!"
Carla scowled at JD, but then looked at her husband. "Yeah, I brought Izzy. Who else was gonna watch her?" She asked.
"Alright, I get it. I'm so happy you came to watch Pickle," Turk cooed, calling Carla her new nickname.
"You did great baby," She cooed back, and gave Turk a quick peck on the lips.
"Wait," JD double-took at Dr. Cox, "Why are you here? From the speech you gave earlier, you said that the only thing you would hate more than coming would be spending one more second with me!"
"Yes, Hailey; I made it quite clear that I'd rather be forced to live with Hugh Jackman than see Lurch and Gandhi's performance," Dr. Cox admitted, "But Carla made me come."
Carla smirked, and then said to Turk, "Hey, they're going to announce the winners now. You'd better get out there."
"Oh, right," Turk said, "Thanks Sweetness." He quickly kissed his wife on the cheek, then ran over to Ted and Lloyd, who were watching the announcer intently. Janitor had also heard about the announcement and ran after Turk.
"And the winner is…" The man on stage began when Turk and Janitor had reached the other two. The announcer made a dramatic pause, until Dr. Cox yelled quite obnoxiously, "C'mon! Some of us have more important things to do, like save lives or making sure our kids weren't eaten by our nannies!"
"Fine!" The announcer shouted, "The winners are… the Cool Cats!"
A cheer rippled through the bar. Ted again was frozen in amazement. They had actually won!
The Cool Cats fished their way out of the crowd and onto the small stage (Well, except for Ted, who was still stuck in place). The announcer then continued: "For winning, you guys will receive eight free water park tickets!"
Turk squealed in delight, and another cheer was shared.
The announcer waded through his jacket pocket, and pulled out a white envelope. Janitor snatched it from him and pulled its contents out. He quickly counted the tickets, and then announced, "Yep, there's eight!"
Yet another cheer.
"Well thanks Cool Cats, and have fun at the water park!" The announcer said, and then the Cool Cats proceeded to jump offstage.
"Turk!" Turk heard JD yell as soon as he got offstage, "Is there a ticket for me?"
"Yeah!" He yelled back, "Water Park next Saturday?"
"Of course! You have to see this new water-slide move I made. It's called the wounded duck!" JD said, grinning from ear to ear.
"Can't wait!" Turk said smiling back.
Soon, he heard Carla squealing from behind him. Spinning around, he saw his wife and child waiting for him.
"Congratulations baby!" Carla said, trying to hug him with a child in her arms.
"Thanks Pickle," Turk said.
As this was happening, Lloyd, Janitor, and Ted were watching Turk celebrate with his friends and family.
"We did good boys, we did good," Janitor said.
"Yeah," Lloyd agreed.
Silence.
"Ugh, Ted's frozen still!" Lloyd groaned, looking at his stock-still band mate.
"Okay then… let's get the beavers," Janitor said with a straight face, walking towards the door with Lloyd trailing behind.
Author's Note: Hey! This is my first fanfic I've written for the site. I'm sorry if the characters are kind of OOC. Please be nice; I'm a NEWBIE! :D
Oh, and disclaimer: I own nothing. I wish I did, but I don't.