Yaaaaay! You clicked my story! Good for you. )
This is an old fanfic I did in December last year when I noticed there really wasn't that much in Rise of the Ogre about 2-D's past. It made me curious, so I dug around and got some dates and brief details, like what school he went to and what year it was, what sorts of uniforms that school boys wore back then...and I got to work! This is set in the year 1989, about a several months before 2-D gets hit by Murdocs car at the organ emporium. I haven't rewritten this story enough, so there's some reaaaaaaly rough parts that probably don't make sense...but they will! I promise!!
Give me some feedback, kay? Just one line and I'm satisfied!
I held up my hands to shield my eyes. A violent, yellowish orange light blazed through my eyelids, burning my skin, smoldering the fringe of my dress. It felt as if I was standing in a microwave. My lips chapped, peeled and split as I grimaced through the heat and exposed them to the light.
What is happening? What is this?
It stopped as suddenly as it had begun. Cautiously, I let my arms drop to my sides.
I was standing in a cold, wet street. A very fine mist fell down from the grey skies, cooling my skin. I still felt as if I had been recently on fire, and I shut my eyes to relieve their aching lids.
I suddenly realized I wasn't in the same place. Before the flash, I was in California, in a clothing boutique. Where was I now? I looked around, my heart beginning to beat sharply.
This place was nothing like California. It was so...wet. And drab. The street I stood on was cobblestone, with moss between the jagged stepping stones. There were deep ruts in the center of the street like from a wagon. I knew my history reasonably well, and this place was old. The cold wind bit into my exposed skin. I examined myself, and was shocked. My skin was bright red and chapped. The sleeves and hem of my light sun dress were singed like oven mitts.
What had happened?
I tried to remember, but all that came to mind was the blinding, burning light, so much hotter than the sun. The wind gusted against me, raising goosebumps. There was no-one on the street to see me like this, and I was relieved. I must have looked a fool, because certainly this was no place for a tiny sun dress and sandals.
I caught a glimpse of myself in a store front and didn't recognise myself. My short hair was frizzled and twisted. I reached for my hair and took a step forward to look closer.
Thinking back, I realize it was the slippery cobblestones, but when I felt myself falling, I wondered if I had stepped off the edge of a planet or something. I hit my head very hard on the sharp stone curb. I tasted blood in my mouth. The grey clouds swirled above and I shut my eyes.
I opened them again briefly. I was still on the ground, my head roaring in pain. There were two or three dark figures standing over me, talking quietly. I squinted.
One was taller than the rest. He crouched down and peered into my eyes.
"Lookit, she's awake!" he said, his accent thick. Even through the haze, I placed it as low-class British.
"Isshe?"
"Wot happen', d'you think?"
"Hit 'er 'ead. Lookit the blood. Like a zombie."
The tall one reached out and felt my neck, looking for a pulse. He wasn't very good at it, because it was the wrong part of my throat.
"I don' feel a pulse!"
"Relax. She's breathing."
"Oh, well then we should gett'a 'ome. D'you see a wallet or summat? Look for an ad'ress, Char." he said, issuing commands. The other figures floated around slowly.
"I don't have an address. I don't live here." I tried to say, but all that came out was a groan.
"Ladies don't carry wallets, stupid."
"Jus' look for an address, Char!"
One figure shook it's head.
"Naw, nuffink. Le's take 'er to my place."
"Yeah, outta da wet."
"Awright. Can you walk, miss?"
I tried to shake my head. The tall figure understood. He put his arms around me and clasped them under my shoulders while another figure took my ankles. I swung like a hammock between them, my head lolling. And I shut my eyes again.
When I woke again, I was still wet. Above me, a fan slowly swung its blades, humming comfortingly. My head felt much better.
How had I gotten here this time?
I sat up and rubbed my eyes. I was in a dim room. There were brown plaid couches, a hideous orange armchair, and thick coil rugs on the faded carpet. The blinds were drawn, the source of the dim light. There was a fireplace across the room from me. The flames had burned down to coals.
I was utterly facinated.
Ignoring my aching body, I got up and crouched in front of the fireplace. Growing up in Cali, there was never any use for a fireplace. I had never seen one in action before except on TV.
The embers glowed like rubies, but prettier. Each rocklike chunk of burnt wood was veined with red spiderweb patterns. Any shade of red I could think of was there, somewhere in the pile of coals. They gave off steady waves of heat, and I could imagine them washing over my skin, and then drawing back like an ocean.
The back of my neck prickled and I knew I wasn't alone anymore. I turned around.
A rather tall boy was standing in the doorway. The first thing I noticed was his shocking blue hair. It was combed messily the side, but there was an air of rebelliousness about it. He had short nose like a monkey's, and black eyes. His eyebrows were black also, mis-matching his hair.
"Herro."
His voice was sort of wobbly and high-pitched, but masculine enough. I felt awkward.
"Er...hi. Where am I?" I asked, standing up and playing with my dress. I could see myself in my head, with tousled hair, wrinkled wet dress and muddy sandals. What a wreck. I tried to smile.
"My mate Charlie's pad. How're you feeling?" he replied. He half-winked one eye in a sort of curious expression.
"Perfect. Thank you very much for letting me stay here."
"No problem. You looked a right mess ou' there on th'a street, and we figurred you needed some 'elp." he said, smiling. I smiled back, feeling my cheeks burn.
He walked the rest of the way in and flung himself onto the brown couch. He had incredibly long legs, and they hung over one end. He leaned his head over the other, grinning impishly.
"I bet you're real clumsy. 'Ow'd you fall so hard?"
"I don't remember. I was sort of...lost." I didn't have a better name for it. The orange flash still perplexed me.
"Lost?"
"Yes."
He chuckled.
"So you aren't frum 'ere. You talk funny. You know that?" he said. I giggled.
"You should hear yourself."
He chuckled again, and stopped himself. There were loud footsteps in the hall, and then three more boys burst into the room.
"The sleeping beauty wakes, eh?" cried one, a thin boy with black hair and a long nose. He gave me a wink and sat on the arm of the blue-haired boy's couch.
The other two laughed loudly and flopped on the floor. They were completely identical, from the way their longish hair hung over their eyes, to their matching blue sweaters.
"Don't be rude, Stu. Introduce us!" They chided, crossing their arms. The blue-haired boy kicked one of them.
"Er...well, this one 'ere is Jamie," he began, pointing to the twin he had just kicked. "An' this'un is Will." he pointed to the other one.
"Hi." they chorused.
"Hi." I replied, smiling shyly.
"I'm Charlie." said the long-nosed boy, waving.
"I'm Erin." I said.
Charlie laughed.
"That's a boy name."
"No s'not! Shut up!" said the boy with blue hair. I assumed his name was Stuart, because they had called him Stu earlier.
"You shut up!"
"No, you! 'snot polite to make fun o' a girls name!" said Stu hotly.
"I'm jus' makin' an observation. She looks like a boy, too. Lookit her 'air."
Stu looked at me. I did indeed have cropped hair, but it wasn't that weird. Lots of girls had short hair in California. It was in style. But these boys looked at me like it was a scandal.
"I say!" exclaimed Stuart, widening his eyes. "I thought she had it tied back or summat."
I rolled my eyes. I noticed the strange clothes they wore. Stu was wearing a grey jacket and a white collared shirt, with a black and white striped tie. It looked like a uniform. The twins were wearing blue old fashioned sweaters and khaki shorts, with knee high socks and leather shoes. Charlie was wearing the same outfit as Stuart, but his tie was tied properly and he looked a bit neater. All of them had the same haircut, combed to side. Their formal, old fashioned clothing seemed as if it saw a lot of use. Their pants were wrinkled and lined. Stuart's tie was so crooked it looked like he had slept in it more than once.
I interrupted their argument.
"Hey! Where is this place? Is this Los Angelos or what?"
Charlie stared at me strangely.
"No...this's Crawley."
"Where's that?"
"Wot, you're jokin' roight?"
I shook my head, feeling my head begin to spin.
"We're in England, in case you di'nt know." he said, sarcastically.
I sat down in the orange armchair.
Stuart looked up at me concernedly. For the first time, he noticed my sun dress and sandals, my chapped skin and my frizzed hair.
"You aren't from here a'toll. D'you remember where you come from?" he asked. I nodded.
"Yes. I was in California."
The twins snickered, and Stuart stomped on Will's bottom. "S'not funny, shut up." he hissed. I ran my hands through my hair, hoping to smooth it down. I was still wet, and I shivered. Stuart got up and put his coat around my shoulders.
"Really, where were you?"
I knew he wouldn't believe me, so I lied.
"I don't know. My head is starting to hurt again."
Charlie jumped up and fetched a glass of water. It was lukewarm, but I gulped it down. Stuart squeezed into the armchair next to me with a sigh. His ludcrisly crooked tie came to his attention, and he yanked it back into place.
"I think 'yoo lot should get otta 'ere and let 'er rest." he said, making a shoo motion with a bony wrist. The other boys seemed to sit heavier in their seats, eyeing him mulishly. One of the twins brushed the hair out of his eyes.
"Not unless you go too, Stu."
"I 'ahve summat private to say!" he protested. The others rolled their eyes. Charlie took Stuart's place on the couch and put his arms behind his head. He sighed loudly.
"Well, jus' pretend we aren't 'ere. Easy 'nuff." he said. The twins nodded.
Stuart swore lightly.
"Okay. Fine. I won't say it 'atoll. You can jus' sit there." Stuart said. The boys all glared at each other, until Charlie seemed to get an idea and trotted away. The twins followed. I looked at Stu.
"What?"
Stu looked suddenly embarrassed.
"Well...I noticed your...clothes. They're all scorched, and really, you'd 'ahve to be mighty thick to be wearin' a dress like tha' in this weather. I believe you didn't come from here."
He took a breath.
"In fact, I've never seen anything like you before. You clothes, your name, your 'air, they're all weird. I watch a lot of telly, y'know, and...are you from the future?"
I started.
The future? Does that mean I'm in the past? That would explain the strange clothing.
"I guess. What year is it?" I said, shrugging.
"1989."
"WHAT?!?"
"Wot?"
"That's like, 18 years ago!"
"So you're fum tha future! Brilliant!!!" Stuart grinned wildly. I could tell he was really excited, but me, I just felt lost. How could I get back? What would I do, now that I was stranded in the past with no money or house or family??
I sighed.
"It's not brilliant. I don't have a home or any money. I'm not even from here. I live in America."
"Why, you'll live wif us! It'll be fun!" he said, as if it all made perfect sense. I was grateful, but a little awkward.
"I don't know, Stu...I'm a girl, and you're a bunch of boys. I don't know what people would say."
"They won't say nuffin'! We're not allowed to 'ave people stay in our apartment anyways. We'll sneak you in, and you know tha' lads'll be perfect gents!" he said, grinning. I picked at the hem of my charred dress. Really, I didn't have any other choice. I looked at Stuart appraisingly from under my eyelids, thinking. If they tried anything improper I could just scream and get them in trouble. It's your only choice. Make the best of it.
"Alright."
Stuart jumped out of the chair and did a victory dance, sending his tie askew. I smiled too. Maybe it wouldn't be that bad.
He stopped. "Now, t' sneak you in...hmm. You'll need propa' clothes first..." he said thoughtfully. I nodded.
"Let's see what I can find in Char's room." He opened the door and stepped on Charlie and the twins. They all looked at him startledly and then ran off upstairs. Stuart gave chase, yelling madly.
"I TOLD YOU 'TWAS PRIVATE, YOU ROTTEN SNOOPS!!!"
"WE DI'N'T HEAR NOTHIN'!!!"
"OH, RIGHT, MY FAT AUNT!"
There was banging.
"COME OUT OF THE BATHROOM!"
"PUT DOWN THE YARDSTICK!!!" retorted Charlie, muffled behind a door.
I giggled. It was really going to be fun. Back in California, I was an only child. I had never realized how dull life was until just now. Having a load of these boys around would be truly intertaining.
"Alright, c'mon up Erin. Ah don' think they'll bother us for a while." called Stuart from somewhere upstairs. I followed his voice past tiny cramped rooms all in rather faded colors. He was in the smallest, standing in front of a battered chest. He stepped away and beckoned me to it. I opened it.
It was half full of white collared shirts, sweaters in about every shade of green or brown, khaki pants, a pair or two of jeans and some worn undershirts.
I lifted out one of the shirts, an olive sweater and a pair of khakis. The shirts seemed my size, but the pants were far too short. I held them up to me, and they barely grazed my the tops of my ankles. I looked at Stuart mournfully.
"I guess I could cuff them, so it'll look on purpous."
He shook his head.
"No. You can wear mine."
I blushed. He was very good looking, (in my opinion) and the thought of him caring that much about my image...I smiled happily.
"Okay. Where's your room?"
"I don' live here. This is where Charlie's parents live. He visits a lot, so he still keeps a room." explained Stuart. I nodded understandingly.
"Soo...I'll just wear these until we get to your place?"
"Yeah. I suppose it'll have to do. Go try 'em on."
I shooed him out and closed the door. The khakis were far too short. They looked ridiculous. I folded them up and replaced them in the chest, sighing. Surely he had a pair that were too big or something? I dug down to the bottom and found a pair of faded jeans that seemed a bit longer. They were cut rather narrowly, and the waist came up to my bellybutton. I snorted. No wonder nobody missed the eighties; the clothes were hideous. I changed my ratty dress for the sweater and jeans. They felt alright. The bottoms broke around my ankles, making satisfying wrinkles and creases. Stuart kocked on the door impatiently.
"C'n I come in now??"
"Yeah. What do you think?"
Stuart jutted his head around the door and squinted.
"You look terrible." he said teasingly. I put my hands on my hips, irritated. Had all the eyeliner, mascara and lipgloss come to nothing? I spent hours in front of the mirror!
"Hmmph. I think I look cute." I replied, sticking my nose in the air. He smiled.
The twins suddenly appeared out of nowhere under Stuart's elbow. Their eyes were covered by long, thick bangs but I could just imagine their smug expressions.
"Time to go, Stu. Char's mum is comin' 'ome any minute!" said one, Jamie or Will, I couldn't tell. Stuart waved me on and we all thundered down the stairs.
"CHARLIE!! GET OUT OF THE BATHROOM!!!" bellowed Stuart from the bottom of the stairs, as an afterthought. A tiny door at the top of the hall creaked open, and he stuck his head out. Seeing we were a safe distance away and Stuart wasn't mad, he ran down after us. They were all donning their coats and boots. Stuart handed me a pair of tall black rubber boots. They looked a little big, but I pulled them on anyways.
"Nothin' like a pair of wellies when it's rainin'..." muttered Charlie, who was having difficulty fitting into his. One of the twins gave me a spare coat from the hall closet. It was of medium length, navy blue with plaid lining and smelled like tobacco. I pulled it on too and caught a look at myself in the mirror. I really did look like a cute boy. Stuart clapped a hat on my head and dragged me deeper into the house. Charlie was hopping after us with only one boot on.
"They're home! Hurry, to the cellar!!" He hissed, tearing a door open and half-carrying me down a short flight of creaky stairs. We all galloped across the small, dark basement. One of the twins jumped up onto a coal bin and kicked the tiny window above it open. After crawling out of it, he turned and pulled the other twin up. Stuart went out himself and then held his hand out for me.
I jumped up onto the bin, but slipped. I grabbed his hand just before I fell backwards, and he pulled me up. The other boys were fleeing down the rainy street. Upstairs, I could hear loud voices. A deep voice was yelling for Charlie to get his rear back inside and clean up the mess he had made of the living room, and a shriller voice seemed to be reacting to the missing coat and boots.
Stuart and I ran away as fast as we could...
What do you think so far? Good? REVIEW PLEASE!! I'LL LOVE YOU FOREVER!!
