Well, this is the sequel to Fun With Dick and Jane. Apporopriately named More Dick and Jane Stories. I like sticking with that theme.
Anyway, these next three chapters may be it for a while, only because I've got a serious case of writer's block. I hope you guys enjoy!
Disclaimer: Richard O'Brien owns everything here except the stuff I added.
Chapter One: A New Beginning
Jane sat on the single, cold cement step of the raised ranch, her new shoes a pristine white compared to the dark driveway underneath her. Across the street she could tell a child's birthday party was going on. Bright balloons were tied to a mailbox, and children's laughter seemed to be in sync with the perennial generic party music. She sighed and looked back down at her book. School would be starting again soon, and after the craziest summer of her life, Jane was actually looking forward to it.
It seemed just a tiny bit wrong that things could be so normal, although she could admit that they had wanted it to be. All three of them, Jane, Frank, and Columbia, had moved to a house in suburban fantasyland, which was, unsurprisingly, located scenically inside Denton. The hardest part of it all was that they changed their names. They were posing as a family: a mother, a father, and their doting daughter. Frank N. Furter was now Frank Peterson, and had finally, with much disdain, removed his makeup and garter belt. Columbia was now Carla Peterson and growing her short hair into a chin-length bob. Jane was Janet Peterson, out of respect for her mother. She had dyed her hair from the purple Magenta had given her to a sunny strawberry blonde.
Dissolved in her book, Jane was startled to see a pair of flip-flops containing excessively hairy feet appear before her. Looking up, Jane saw that it was a man who could be in his early fifties jubilantly clutching a chocolate cake on a paper plate with doilies underneath. On it, "Welcome New Neighbors" was clumsily spelled out with pink frosting. A woman with too much botox and platinum blonde hair that was holding a cigarette stepped out from behind him.
Jane tried to smile. "Hello."
The man beamed amiably. "Hey yourself. Welcome to the neighborhood, kiddo." With that, he thrust the cake into Jane's arms.
The woman twisted the cigarette in between her fingers and grinned as much as she could with her frozen face. "What's your name, honey?"
"I'm Jane…et," said Jane, almost forgetting her false name. "Janet Peterson."
The man laughed. "So you're Janette. Do you have an older sister named Jane? Ha, Jane and Janette…they're just like Tupperware!" His wife smiled appropriately.
Jane smiled painfully. This was going to be an uphill battle.
The woman twirled her cigarette again. "We're the Thatchers. I'm Loretta and this big hunk of testosterone is my husband, Jim."
Jim grinned at his wife. "Our son Jimmy's out at another one of his science camp whatnots. He looks about your age…"
Sighing, Jane said, "I'll be glad to meet him later."
Taking a long drag on her cigarette, Loretta asked, "Are your parents inside? We'd love to meet them."
Jane shuddered. "I'll bring them out," she said. Hopefully Columbia and Frank…or Carla and Frank…were ready for this.