Hello readers. I've always wanted to write a FanFiction like this, so here it is. This is set in the summer before the gang go to Walkerville High (which in my mind goes from grades 10 to 12 so they're all roughly 15). And now yes, I know, this storyline has been used a lot but trust me, I will make it interesting. So bear with me. Plus, Dorothy Ann's last name is never mentioned so I've decided to name her D.A. Hoover. It seems suitable.
Here's a little insight as to what happened to get the characters to where they are when the story starts. Obviously, Ms. Frizzle isn't their teacher anymore. But the gang has been drifting apart a lately so they decided to ask the Frizz to take them on a trip before school started and they were split up into separate classes, which wouldn't help the strain between their friendships. The Frizz agreed and that's what brings us to where we are.
Disclaimer: I only wish I were the one to come up with a concept as genius as the Magic School Bus. But, when the Magic School Bus first came out, I wasn't even born yet. I therefore can't take credit even if I wanted to.
Chapter 1
The Storm
"So where does everyone want to go?" Ms. Frizzle asked, already seated behind the wheel. Since the 90s her look had changed drastically. Her hair for instance wasn't so unruly and certainly wasn't done in a beehive anymore. She had it straightened and held back in a tight ponytail at the nape of her neck. She was wearing a deep blue silk blouse tucked into high-waist dress pants. And, believe it or not, she had on three inch stiletto heels. Now she looked like the professional she was.
And the Frizz wasn't the only one who had changed. Though their personalities had stayed mostly the same, the gang's looks had changed monumentally.
Keesha's hair had lightened over the years, leaving her with a nice dark caramel colour. It had stayed curly and she liked it that way. She no longer pulled it back shamefully into a ponytail. She let it fall wildly, framing her face and coming to rest just past her shoulders. Today, she was wearing a dark purple camisole and dark skinny jeans. She pulled it off flawlessly, as she had a willowy frame and flawless skin.
Dorothy Ann's hair had grown out to reach the base of her shoulder blades. Again, like Keesha, the ponytails had been swapped for a more natural approach. Unlike Keesha though, her hair was pin straight and had remained basically the same color it had always been. She was of pretty average height and weight but they way she dressed was anything but average. Her toned legs were accentuated by a ruffled violet miniskirt. She wore an extremely tight-fitting, black, long-sleeved shirt atop that and across her waist, there was a loose-fitting, violet belt.
Tim had done little but get taller and let his hair grow out a few inches to change his look, but somehow it worked. He seemed like a completely different person. He still wore his signature, boot cut jeans topped with and American Eagle polo – today's polo was light blue – but he looked older and wiser and smelled like orange blossom aftershave and cinnamon chewing gum.
Wanda, she had really grown up. She kept her boyish frame and her dwarfish height, only growing about a foot and a half since third grade. But, her hairstyle and lifestyle in general had changed. She wore her hair in a spiky bob that reached her cheeks and had a massive, eye-hiding side bang. She had gone a little Goth on top of coming out as being bisexual. For the trip, she'd taken it easy on the makeup but dressed in black. She had on a black, corset style tube top that reviled about an inch of her midriff before her low-rise, ripped skinny jeans took their place. She had red suspenders on, one on her shoulder and the other hanging down, as well as red mesh, fingerless gloves.
Arnold had also grown up. His hair was tousled and he had swapped his old nerdy glasses for a pair of more slender, stylish one. He was still scrawny and pale, but he had come into his own. One of the biggest changes in his life was that, believe it or not, little Arnold Perlstein had gotten himself a girlfriend. He and Phoebe had been dating for a little over a year now. It was really sweet. Today, Arnold was wearing a pale yellow dress shirt and faded blue jeans. He also wore the necklace Phoebe got him for their one year anniversary. It was a hemp necklace that held a small Celtic knot with an amber stone in the center.
Carlos had grown to an astounding height. His hair fell loosely down past his ears and did this adorable little curling thing at the ends. His usual style included an Abercrombie t-shirt and jeans. Today he wore a deep red shirt and black jeans.
Ralphie's biggest accomplishment since third grade had been loosing his baby fat and almost doubling his weight in muscle. He was the tallest of the group. His hair was cut short and spiked. He was wearing a green t-shirt under his football jacket and jeans.
Last but not least was Phoebe. Out of all the girls she had become the most beautiful by far. She had a girl-next-door look. Her long, brown hair held a touch of red and fell in waves down her back to her waist. She had developed sensual curves and her legs were long and slender. She was often referred to as a hippy in junior high. Today, she was wearing her yellow I support the ASPCA shirt over a forest green tank top with a moss green peasant skirt. She had several PETA wristbands on plus one that said meat is murder. Yes, Phoebe was a vegan and she was proud of it. She had even converted Arnold over to vegetarianism. Speaking of Arnold, around her neck she wore the necklace he had gotten her for her birthday. It was a gold chain with a little gold paw charm embedded with emeralds.
"Let's get intergalactic," Carlos suggested.
"Yeah," Wanda chimed in. "I used to love our trips to outer space."
"It's one of the prettiest places we've ever been," D.A. agreed.
"I'd kill to sketch the scenery of another planet," Tim added.
"And think of the rocks I could bring back for Granite," Arnold said happily, referring to the geologic society he was a member of.
"Sounds like a plan than," Ms. Frizzle agreed. She pulled a few levers and the bus shot up into the air. As they broke free of earth's orbit, the Frizz asked them what planet they wanted to visit.
"Why don't we just float around for a while and maybe we'll pass a planet that looks interesting," Phoebe suggested.
"That's sounds like a good –" Keesha began before Ralphie cut her off.
"It sounds like as good a plan as any," he said, being the only one not to notice Keesha gazing at him affectionately. He didn't even realize she had spoken.
"Than let's put it on drift," Ms. Frizzle said in her sultry voice as she pressed a button on the dash. "Bus, do your stuff."
While they drifted, they all split up into their separate groups. Dorothy Ann was posing for Tim to sketch. Ralphie and Wanda were in an intense debate on whose favourite football team was the best. Keesha stood on her own, looking out into space through the big picture window and Carlos was staring at Dorothy Ann in all her beauty.
Phoebe sat on Arnold's lap in a big, space cadet chair. They were whispering and giggling and acting like they'd been a couple for nothing more than a few days, stuck in that touchy stage.
Carlos came walking over to the couple with a scared but determined look on his face.
"Hey Phoebs, can I borrow Arnold for a bit?" he asked.
"Yeah, no problem," Phoebe replied. "I was just going to go over and check in on Keesha anyway. She looks really bummed."
"Can you blame her?" Arnold asked and the trio looked over at a disheartened Keesha who was glancing at Ralphie on and off out of the corner of her eye. Ralphie however noticed nothing and continued carrying on with Wanda.
"Alright, see you later baby," Phoebe said, sliding off Arnold's lap and planting a kiss on his cheek.
"Yeah," Arnold returned, letting her hand slip out of his and watching her as she walked away.
"What did you want to talk about, Carlos?" Arnold asked when he'd finally finished watching his girlfriend.
"I'm gonna do it," Carlos said, letting out the breath he'd been holding.
"Well good for you," Arnold said, not putting much faith behind his friend's words. This was how all their conversations started yet he never seemed to go through with what he was saying. Carlos had a resolve with a reputation of quavering.
"No, I'm serious this time, Arn," Carlos insisted. "I see what you and Phoebe have and I want it. And so what if she rejects me?" he said, indignantly, pulling a chair behind him.
"I envy your courage," Arnold commented. Here it comes.
"But what if she rejects me?" Carlos whined, plopping down into the chair behind him. Thirty-eight seconds; a new record. "I don't want to ruin our friendship."
"Well, I guess the question you have to ask yourself is whether of not you're satisfied with just being friends," Arnold said.
"I'm not Arn, I'm really not," Carlos admitted. "But I'm too scared to do anything about it."
"Well, if you can't scrounge up the courage to ask her out on just one date, than maybe she's not the right girl. If you won't risk it all to have a chance with her, than she isn't the one."
"But she is."
"Than do something about it. Nice girls will come and go but you only get The One once. If D.A.'s your One than what are you doing beating around the bush?"
"You're so right," Carlos chuckled in defeat. "How is it that you're the only one of the gang that has a girlfriend? I mean, you're The Other Guy. Tim's the quiet, artistic guy. Ralphie's the big sports jock. And me, I'm the funny, charismatic one. We make the girls go wild. You're just that nerd who hangs out with us."
"Thanks for the vote of confidence, Carlos," Arnold laughed. "But I understand what you mean. I am The Other Guy. But girls like Phoebe and D.A. like The Other Guy. They aren't into what makes everyone else go gaga. They have their own style. Phoebe's your typical girl next door. So why not date you're typical guy like Raphie the football player or Carlos the comedian? Because she's her own person and that's not what she wants."
"Great, but if D.A. doesn't like the typical guy, that doesn't help me. I thought you said I was the typical guy," Carlos pointed out.
"No, you're Phoebe's typical guy," Arnold corrected. "D.A.'s typical guy is someone smart who plays by the books."
"Arn, that's not exactly a compliment."
"No, you're not unintelligent in a bad way. You're not unintelligent at all. You just aren't book smart. You do things your way. D.A. does things by the books. She follows the instructions. You experiment," Arnold explained. "Celebrate. You're D.A.'s Other Guy."
"Yeah," Carlos agreed. "Besides, if I can't risk it all to be with her, than what kind of man am I? Certainly not one who can say they've fallen for someone."
"So you're gonna go for it?" Arnold asked.
"I'm gonna go for it. Wish me luck."
Meanwhile, Phoebe was over giving her love advice to Keesha.
"I feel so invisible," Keesha admitted. "He doesn't even acknowledge that I exist."
"And yet you still like him," Phoebe said in disbelief.
"I know, it's stupid right. I should just give it up, but I can't. He's something else," Keesha mumbled.
"Did you ever consider telling him how you feel?" Phoebe asked. "What's the worst that could happen?"
"Ah, absolute humiliation for one," Keesha answered. "I'd rather have him ignore me than laugh at me."
"If you like this guy as much as you say you do, don't you think you should trust him to be understanding? I wouldn't like a guy I thought would disregard my feelings and make fun of me for them."
"But I'm too shy," Keesha sighed. "Maybe this whole crush will blow over."
"You've liked him since second grade," Phoebe snapped. "This isn't something that's gonna blow over."
"He sure as hell had no trouble getting it to blow over," Keesha said, sadly.
"Keesh, he's a guy. It doesn't work the same way. Sure, you guys were practically inseparable until the seventh grade but things change. He joined sports teams and became a jock. You got quiet and withdrawn. You belong in separate worlds now and maybe that's not a bad thing," Phoebe sympathized, wrapping an arm around Keesha's shoulder.
"Than why does it feel like it?" Keesha asked.
"Because letting go is hard," Phoebe murmured. "Change is hard, whether it's good or bad. We like things to be consistent. Nobody likes not knowing. But we've got to get out there and shake it up. We can't stay stationary, no matter how safe it feels. Humans are made to move."
"Thanks Phoebe."
Suddenly, an alarm blared out into the space bus. Red lights began to flash wildly around and a mechanical voice declared a state of emergency.
"Ms. Frizzle, what's going on," Carlos asked, a hint of worry in his voice. Ms. Frizzle had gotten them in plenty of trouble before but this time she actually looked worried.
"There's a wave of cosmic radiation headed our way," Ms. Frizzle announced. "Buckle up kids," she ordered.
But before anyone could comply, the bus was jolted slightly. The group was knocked off their feet and crashed onto the hard floor.
"Phoebe," Arnold called, getting on his hands and knees, scrambling over to his girlfriend. She was in the corner, cradling Keesha. Phoebe had a gash on her forehead and Keesha was holding her wrist.
"Are you alright?" Arnold said, pushing aside a chair that had been knocked over.
"Yeah, just a little banged up," Phoebe replied.
"What was that, Ms. Frizzle?" D.A. wondered.
"Pre-shock," she answered. "I can't outrun it at the rate it's moving. We're going to have to ride it out."
She pushed a button and the same mechanic voice stated that the solar shields were being raised.
"Take a s –"
And then the storm hit. They went flying back with a blast.
"D.A.," Carlos cried, lunging behind her and letting her crash into him instead of the hard wall behind them.
The bus flipped sideways and they went crashing into the wall. Ms. Frizzle was the only one who managed to buckle herself in before the turbulence started.
After a good ten minutes of being jostled around, one final wave struck them and they were hurdled through space. By this time, they had all blacked out.
Keesha was the first to come to. She held her head in her hand and moaned. That last wave seemed to have sent them on a crash course to Earth. Or maybe Ms. Frizzle had steered them home. Either way, they were now all lying outside the beaten bus.
Keesha heard Wanda moan from somewhere over to her left.
"Hey Wanda," Keesha said, looking down at the bruised girl.
"Keesh, where the hell are you?" Wanda muttered, looking directly up at her.
"You're looking right at me silly," Keesha sighed. "Maybe the tumble messed your vision."
"Oh my God, there's something touching my arm," Wanda squealed.
"That's me," Keesha said.
"No, I'm looking at my arm and there's nothing there," Wanda insisted.
"What are you saying?" Keesha giggled. But as she looked down, she realized that there was no hand where her hand was supposed to be. In her shock the air rippled and her hand slowly became visible again.
"Holly cow," Wanda gasped trying to monitor her language. "Keesh, you were invisible!"
"I was what now?" Keesha gulped. But before either girl could continue their freak-out, there was a loud string of profanities yelled from over to their left. Keesha helped Wanda to her feet and they went over to see what was the matter.
They found Tim standing beside the bus, shaking his head wildly.
"I had so many plans," he whined. "I was gonna go to art school, have a crappy apartment, live off Mr. Noodles and Alphaghetti until I finally made a name for myself at which point I'd become a household name and I'd live basked in the glory of my own awesomeness."
"Uh, Tim, what are you going on about?" Wanda wondered. Tim started and turned to face the girls who had seemingly snuck up on him.
"You can see me?" Tim asked, perplexed.
"Please don't tell me you're going invisible too," Wanda moaned.
"Invisible? What, no," Tim said. "I was actually referring to this." He gestured to something under the bus. The girls approached and gasped as they saw Tim's body wedged under the overturned yellow heap.
Keesha warily stuck her hand out and gasped as it passed through Tim's shoulder.
"Oh crap," she uttered. "I don't want to jump to any conclusions, but I think Tim's dead."
"Well there certainly aren't two of him," Wanda retorted. "Do you feel dead?"
"I don't know, I've never been dead before," Tim replied. "I feel sort of dethatched from my body, but still attached to Earth, like I'm floating. I don't think that makes me dead. I don't feel like I'm supposed to be crossing over or anything."
"Maybe it's an OBE," Keesha said. "An out of body experience. Wanda, you should check his pulse."
And Wanda did as she was asked.
"He's alive," she said, disbelieving.
"I'm what?" Tim asked, incredulously. "I can't...whoa, wait, I feel weird."
The words were barely out of his mouth before his spirit body was sucked inside the body under the bus. Under The Bus Tim coughed and his eyes fluttered open.
"I just had the trippiest dream," he muttered, his voice hoarse.
"Did it involve you standing over your body talking to us?" Wanda wondered.
"Yeah, how did you..." he trailed off, getting his bearing, then gasped. "That wasn't a dream, was it?"
"We need to get this bus off you so we can figure out what the hell's going on," Wanda said, reaching down and pulling on the bus as hard as she could, trying to get it to move but it was much too heavy for her. Keesha tried to help, but they still weren't strong enough.
"Go see if you can get help," Tim requested.
"Keesh, you go, I'll stay here," Wanda ordered. Keesha nodded and went off in search of the others. She didn't have to go far before she found Arnold lying on his side, unconscious, as Phoebe fussed over a gash on his arm.
"Phoebe," Keesha called. Phoebe looked up with tearstained eyes and ushered Keesha forward.
"Is he alright?" she asked.
"From what I can tell, he's just unconscious," Phoebe replied. "Where's Ms. Frizzle?"
"I don't know," Keesha said. "I was looking for her, or for someone, to help. Tim's stuck under the bus and Wanda and I can't get him out."
"Help me carry Arnold over and I'll see if I can help."
Keesha nodded and picked up Arnold's legs while Phoebe hooked her arms under his armpits. They drug him over to where Wanda was still trying to get Tim free.
"Damn it, nothing's working," she screamed furiously, pounding her fist against the side of the bus. The metal turned red and melted under her touch.
"Oh my God," Phoebe gasped. "Did you see that? What the hell was that?"
"Something is really not right with us," Wanda breathed, taking in her surroundings. "Where the hell is Ms. Frizzle? Where is everyone?"
"Do we qualify as everyone?" Carlos asked, coughing as he limped over, his arm slung around D.A.'s shoulder for support, his left leg gushing blood.
"Shit, Carlos, are you alright?" Wanda exclaimed, rushing over and supporting him on his other side.
"Yeah, I just gotta sit down," he replied, swaying slightly. The girls led him over to an overturned bus tire that had fallen off and sat him down. D.A. knelt in front of him and pulled up his pant leg. Carlos hissed in protest as the fabric brushed against his open cut.
"Sorry," D.A. apologized. "But I have to check your wound, okay?"
"Nothing I can't live through," Carlos replied, hissing again. "Damn it D.A., your hands are cold!"
"Sorry."
"I hate to be a bother," Tim sighed. "But if we could all just call for help, or at least find some way to get me out from under here. My legs are kinda going numb."
Phoebe pulled Arnold's cell out from his jeans' pocket and scowled. "There's no service."
"I don't even know where we are," D.A. said, frowning. She looked around but could see only forest on all sides.
Arnold groaned and coughed, trying to sit up. Phoebe instantly put an arm behind his back to steady him.
"Hey baby, are you alright?" she asked.
"Killer headache," Arnold replied, taking off his surprisingly undamaged glasses and rubbing his eyes.
"Has anyone seen Ralphie?" Keesha asked, still trying with Wanda's help to move the bus. They all shook their heads no.
"And Ms. Frizzle, is there any sign of her?" D.A. wondered. Again, no one had seen her.
"Guys, this is really starting to hurt," Tim insisted, wriggling then wincing in pain.
"Where's a buff football player when you need one?" Carlos complained, hissing again as D.A. tightened her violet belt around his thigh to stop the bleeding.
"Has anyone actually checked inside the bus?" Phoebe asked. They all stopped and hung their heads. Yeah, that might have been a good idea.
"I'll take a look," Phoebe offered, taking their silence as a yes.
She got up and walked over to the overturned heap, circling around to the back to see if she could get in through the windshield. She sighed, disheartened, when she was that there was a small, person-sized hole out of her reach towards the top of the bus. She tried to climb her way up, but the hood was too slick. Desperate, she tried to drive her nails in and gasped when she heard the metal grind and snap. She pulled her hand back as though it were on fire and gasped as she looked down to see a claw-like hand in the place of her regular, human one.
"This is not normal," she said under her breath, her voice shaking with horror. She lifter her other hand to examine it and noticed that it was completely normal. Hesitantly, she willed the hand to morph, to grow claws like the other. And she watched in disbelief as she saw it happen.
Cautiously, she stabbed her claws back into the hood and began to haul herself up to the opening. She crawled through and landed with a thud on the bus's side, her hands returning to normal with the shock.
"Ralphie?" she called, finally getting her bearings. "Ms. Frizzle?"
"Phoebe, over here," Ralphie called weakly from somewhere towards the back of the bus. She made her way over, clambering over seats, until she found him, slung over a seat tangled in loose wires and ropes.
"I can't get untangled," he said, twisting around, giving himself rope burn, trying to break free.
"Hold still," she ordered, reassuringly placing a hand on his forearm. She went behind him and willed herself to grow her claws once more, cutting through Ralphie's bindings with ease.
"You're all set," she said once she was done. "Have you seen Ms. Frizzle?"
"No," he replied. "Where are the others?"
"Waiting outside. We need your muscles Ralphie, Tim's stuck under the bus," Phoebe explained.
"Holy shit," Ralphie uttered. "How hurt is he?" he asked as he and Phoebe began to make their way back to the front of the bus, to their way out.
"Just some mild discomfort," she replied. "He's not getting squished, he's just wedged in too tight to get him out."
Phoebe sidestepped a gaping hole in one of the seats, causing the bus to shift. There was a scream heard from outside.
"Unless of course we move the bus the wrong way," she exclaimed and she and Ralphie darted towards the exit.
"Phoebe, what the hell did you do?" Wanda screamed as she futilely tried to get Tim out. The bus, as Phoebe had guessed, was trying to flatten him.
"Back up," Ralphie ordered, running over and grabbing the side of the bus. With an easy jerk one would associate with lifting a five pound bag of sugar, he hoisted the bus a good four feet off the ground and threw it to the side. He reached down to help Tim to his feet but then stopped, just realizing that the bus had not weighed five pounds but more to the point of twenty thousand pounds.
"...the hell?" he whispered, looking at his hand, wondering when it had started to be able to pick up stuff that heavy.
"You're not alone," Wanda assured him. "I melted a part of the bus."
"And I was invisible," Keesha added.
"And I left my body, except everyone could see me," Tim continued.
"I grew claws," Phoebe admitted, shuddering at the memory.
"Man, and now I have super strength," Ralphie concluded. He looked to Dorothy Ann, Carlos and Arnold. "Have any of you done anything weird?"
They all shook their heads no.
"Well maybe you just haven't had the right opportunity," Wanda said, offering up her explanation. "I only did...whatever it was I did... when I was frustrated.
"Exactly, it could be stress-triggered," Ralphie said.
"I was unconscious when I did my thing," Tim added as Phoebe fussed over his injuries, noting that the right tibia had been broken in several places and that the only reason he wasn't screaming in pain was an obvious adrenal rush.
"Regardless of what's going on, we need medical attention," Phoebe said.
"And we need to find Ms. Frizzle," Arnold furthered. "God, my head is killing me."
"Does anyone else hear sirens?" Carlos asked after a moment of silence.
The gang listened intently and soon they did hear the roar of an approaching ambulance.
"Somebody must have seen us crash," Ralphie sighed in relief.
"Or the Frizz called it in," Wanda noted.
"But where the hell is she?" Carlos muttered.
They all fell silent and busied themselves with looking at the ground. They were all thinking the same thing. What if she hadn't made it? They remained quite until a chorus of voicing began calling: "is there anybody out there?"
