Author's Note: I meant to at least post the first chapter of this story yesterday, since a portion of this chapter takes place on Black Friday, but it never got to the top of the list. No matter, the rest of the story takes place during the Christmas season of that year, so no big deal in the grand scheme of things, but figured I'd make this point, and apologize, for starting it a day late. Now, on with the story!
Pay the Price
Summary: When Angelica shoplifts a dress from Gracy's Department Store on Black Friday, she faces some tragic consiquences, but also learns some valuable lessons as well. Takes place the Christmas season prior to the events of my Fan Fic story, Driving Disaster.
Disclaimer: I do not own the characters from Rugrats or All Grown Up, they're the property of their original creaters. I only own any OC's you don't recognize, while Peter is owned by TCKing12. Also, reference to TCKing12's story, A Kimi Carol is mentioned later in the first chapter.
Chapter 1, Shoplifting
Location: Tommy and Dil's house in Yucaipa, California, Black Friday of 2026
Seventeen-year-old Angelica was sitting in the corner of the living room, glancing at the invitation she had recently received in the mail. It was an invitation inviting her to Savanna's Christmas party, which would be happening on the Saturday before Christmas in late December. Angelica knew deep down she had to go, for several reasons, but most importantly, it would not only be the last Christmas party Savanna would be having, before everybody graduated from high school at the end of the year, but it would be Angelica and Harold's last date together. They had been going out since their freshman year in high school, but sadly, Angelica's dreams of taking him to the senior prom were ruined, because Harold's dad had gotten a new job in Durby, Connecticut, and Harold would be moving away over the Christmas holiday. So this would be Angelica's last chance, to get a kiss from Harold, under the mitheltoe at Savanna's Christmas party, which Harold had to miss the last three years, for one reason or another. But this year, he promised to go with Angelica, and Angelica made up her mind, to go shopping later that day, to buy a new dress to wear to the party, as with it being Black Friday, everything at Gracy's Department Store was fifty percent off. But her thoughts were interrupted when she overheard her cousins and their friends out in the backyard, working on Tommy's latest movie, a Christmas present he was planning to give to Kimi.
"Ok Phil, good, I see you remembered to wear your costume today." Said Tommy, peering at Phil, who was dressed in a green robe, and carrying a torch.
"Ok, let me just get into position." Said Phil, as he took his position near the fence in the backyard, Tommy, peering through the viewfinder of his camcorder.
"Ok Phil, let's take it from your line where you say, I am the Ghost of Christmas Present, look upon me, for as you have never seen the likes of me before! And, action!" Said Tommy, as he went to press the record button on his camcorder.
No sooner had Phil opened his mouth to speak the lines, when a groan was heard from Tommy, and everything through the viewfinder of his camcorder, went black.
"What's the matter Tommy?" Phil asked.
"It's this stupid camcorder. I think it's bitten the dust." Griped Tommy.
"Are you sure it isn't just, the batteries?" Lil asked.
"No! I replaced the batteries two months ago." Tommy replied, annoyed.
"Well, you know, you've had that camera for like, five years. It may be time for a new one." Said Phil.
"What I really want is the super sonic camcorder, complete with multiple angles, hyper zoom, and the ability to record on blue ray discs, as well as mini DVD's. It's too bad I can't afford it though, after spending the money I saved up from working at the Java Lava last summer, on my last seven dates with Kimi." Tommy said with a sigh, looking disappointed.
"You know Tommy, maybe your parents will get it for you for Chanukah or Christmas, and, your movie isn't a total bust, you did get my scene, even if I was dead, and played my spirit, dressing in a white Confederate uniform, which, thankfully, I had a spare gray one we could bleech to use as my costume." Said Peter.
"Yeah but we didn't even get to my scene, I was going to play the Ghost of Christmas Future, and I even remembered my black robe this time." Said Chuckie holding up his costume.
"There's only one thing I don't get. If this movie of yours was going to be called A Kimi Carol, why isn't my sister here?" Chuckie asked.
"Because I want it to be a surprise. Kimi and I have been dating for three years, and I wanted this Christmas, to be extra special for her." Said Tommy.
"I'm sure whatever you get my sister, she'll like. See? I already have a present picked out for Nicole, who I can't believe has been with me for over three years as well." Said Chuckie with a smile, as he dangled a gold chain with a ruby drop on one end in front of Tommy's face.
"Hey, I've got an idea. Why don't we forget about all of this mumbo jumbo and see if my dad will take me out for a driving lesson. I can't believe we'll be taking our drivers tests at the end of January! I'm so excited! Though my u-turns still need some work." Said Tommy.
"You and me both, though I also need to seriously work on my paralel parking, and just driving the speed limit. Heck, I can't even be bothered to have my dad take me out for driving lessons anymore. The last time, he started hyperventilating when I reached the speed limit of thirty-five miles per hour, so I slowed down, and as a result, I got a ticket for driving too slow." Said Chuckie, as he pulled his learner's permit out of his pocket, and started twirling it around in his fingers.
"Hey! Maybe you should see if my dad could give you some driving lessons. I've really enjoyed the work he's done with me." Suggested Tommy.
"That's a great idea Tommy. It sure would be nice to be able to take Nicole out on a date, without a parent or guardian having to be in the car. I mean, I'm like, sixteen-years-old! It's kind of uncool to be seen traveling to a date with your parents." Said Chuckie.
"I know, it's uncool at age fifteen as well. That's why Kimi and I resort to going places where we can travel to on foot or on our bikes, but me? I can't wait to get my license, and hit the open road, and go on an adventure! And just think, we'll get our licenses in time, to go to the Broadway Boys concert that's happening an hour away in Midesco at the end of January." Said Tommy.
Eager to go see if Stu would give everybody driving lessons, Tommy, Chuckie, Phil and Lil all headed inside, to ask him, when Angelica looked up from looking through some Black Friday fliers.
"And just where do you think you younger teens are headed off to?" Angelica asked.
"Oh, we're gonna see if my dad will give us driving lessons, since my camcorder finally bit the dust, haulting the production of my latest movie, A Kimi Carol." Replied Tommy.
"Have fun." Said Angelica, sounding jealous.
"Something wrong Angelica?" Lil asked.
"Nothing I'm gonna talk to you about. Just be thankful you can drive." Muttered Angelica.
"Hey, it's not our fault you decided to take your mom's car out without permission a month ago, right after you had your wisdom teeth out, only to miss the turnoff, and trying to turn around in the middle of the road, getting into an accident, and breaking the right headlight on your mom's car, getting grounded from driving in the process, and having to spend every last penny on getting the car fixed." Explained Chuckie, as he walked out of the living room, to follow his friends down to the basement, to ask Stu if he'd be up for taking them out on the road for a driving lesson.
"Why did Finster have to remind me of that?" Angelica thought to herself, as she went back to admire the beautiful dresses that were for sale in the Gracy's Department Store Black Friday flyer.
Down in the basement, the gang asked Stu if he would be up for taking them out for some driving lessons.
"Sure sports! Let me just screw this leg into the Reptar doll I'm building for the annual Christmas presents for orphins celebration at Christmas Land, and then, I'll be ready to head out." Said Stu, as he continued to screw the leg into the body of the Reptar doll.
"I'll run up and get my learner's permit, and then, I'll be ready to go too." Said Tommy with a smile, as he raced upstairs to his room to get his permit.
"That's my Champ." Stu said to himself with a smile.
A little while later, Stu and the Rugrats were all out of the house, carrying on with their driver's lesson, while Didi and Angelica, continued to look through Black Friday flyers, and Dil was out in the backyard with his best friend since the seventh grade, Lance Gibbler and his good friend since infanthood, Peter Albany, trying to figure out how to make an alien pyramid out of a wod of used gum.
At that moment, Angelica found a red dress that she really liked, so marked it off in her flyer, when Didi called for her from the kitchen. Angelica put down her flyer on the living room coffee table, and headed into the kitchen, to see what her aunt wanted.
"You wanted me for something?" Angelica asked, sitting down opposite Didi at the kitchen table.
"Well, I was looking through some Black Friday flyers, and Circuit City has the camcorder that Tommy really wants for Christmas on sale, but with Stu out giving Tommy and his friends another driving lesson, and the malls being jam packed, as it's the busiest shopping day of the year, I am not all that much up for going out to pick this up myself." Said Didi.
"I'd be happy to pick it up for Tommy. I'm going out there this afternoon to find a new dress to wear to Savanna's Christmas party." Said Angelica.
"You'd do that for us? That's very sweet of you! I'll give you the money, and trust that you only use it, towards Tommy's present." Said Didi, getting her purse and taking out a wod of cash and handing it to Angelica.
"You can trust me Aunt Didi, Tommy's Christmas present, is as good as gold. If only I had a way to get to the mall though." Said Angelica with a sigh.
"But I thought you already had your driver's license." Said Didi.
"I do, but as a result of the accident I was in last month, my allowance and driving privilages have been suspended until the first of December. Oh well, hopefully Carmichael can give me a lift." Angelica said with a sigh, as she left the Pickles house, and went across the street, to ask Susie for a ride.
Susie agreed to take Angelica to the mall, so she borrowed the car keys from her mom, and the two of them, went to the mall. They passed by Stu giving Chuckie his driver's lesson in a nearby parking lot, and Susie, caught a glimps of this.
"You know Angelica, Chuckie's gonna look so cute behind the wheel after he gets his driver's license in a couple of months." Said Susie.
"Yeah yeah yeah." Muttered Angelica to herself, as they finally found a parking space at the mall, and headed inside.
"Now, where to first?" Susie asked, once they were in the mall.
"We have to go to Gracy's Department Store. There's a red dress there that's got my name on it, and I've just got to have it for Savanna's Christmas party." Said Angelica.
"But Angelica, don't we need to go pick up Tommy's Christmas present at Circuit City first? And didn't you promise aunt Didi you'd only spend the money she gave you on Tommy's present?" Susie asked.
"Yeah I guess so, let's go." Said Angelica with a shrug, as they went to Circuit City, and found the camcorder that Tommy wanted, as Didi also thought to send the flyer with them, and marked the page with the camcorder that Tommy wanted. They had one left, and it was still on sale, so Angelica bought it, and after she paid for the item, she and Susie, headed off to Gracy's, which was packed, but Angelica didn't care. She ran to the rack of dresses, and there it was, the red dress she saw in the flyer, and they had one left in her size.
"Awesome! They have one extra long sleeveless red dress left in my size. I've just got to try this on. I'll be right back Carmichael." Said Angelica, as she took the dress off of the rack, and went back to the fitting rooms to try it on.
Forgetting she was still carrying Tommy's present, she set it down in the fitting room, while she tried on the dress. Curious to see how she looked, she left her fitting room, to go get a good look at herself in the triple floor length mirrors that were in the hall outside of the fitting rooms. While admiring how she looked, Savanna walked up behind her.
"Hi Angelica." Said Savanna.
"Oh hi Savanna, I was just, trying on the dress I'm planning to wear to your Christmas party next month." Replied Angelica, spinning around to face her.
Savanna eyed Angelica up and down, to get a good look at the dress she was wearing. The dress fit Angelica perfectly, and the skirt touched the floor, but wasn't so long that Angelica was tripping on it.
"Oooh, that dress totally fits you. You've got to get it." Said Savanna.
"Thank you! I'm going to get it right now." Said Angelica.
"Oh, so I take it you have your allowance back?" Savanna asked.
"No, I don't, but I'm sure I'll have enough come December first, when I get my allowance back." Said Angelica.
"You know, with everything being fifty percent off today, and that being the last dress in your size, how are you sure it will still be here on December first, which, is four days away." Said Savanna.
"You're right, I'll see if Carmichael will buy the dress, and I can pay her back. Come on, let's go show her." Said Angelica, as she and Savanna walked out of the fitting room area back into the store, to go find Susie.
They found Susie, admiring some blue capree pants and a black sweater. She looked up to see Angelica in the red dress.
"Wow Angelica! You look great!" Said Susie with a smile.
"You really think so?" Angelica asked.
"Yeah! You should totally get that dress for Savanna's Christmas party! I mean, nobody looks better in that dress than you do!" Said Susie.
"Great! So, does this mean you'll buy it for me? I'm flat broke until my allowance ban is lifted at the end of the month." Asked Angelica.
"Are you kidding? You still haven't paid me back for the last time I let you borrow money. Sorry Angelica, but the answer, is no." Replied Susie.
Angry at Susie, Angelica stomped off towards the exit of the store, forgetting she left Tommy's Christmas present back in the fitting room, and that she was still wearing the dress. When she realized she was still wearing the dress, she almost turned around to go and change, but kept hearing Savanna's voice say in her head, that if she didn't get the dress today, with it being the last one in her size, and it being fifty percent off, what are the odds the store would still have it come December first. Then, she heard Susie's voice in her head, telling her that because she still hadn't paid her back for the last time she let Angelica borrow money from her, the answer to paying for Angelica's dress, was no.
"Fine! I'm just gonna wear this dress out of the store, it's not like anybody will notice anyway." Angelica thought to herself, as she walked out of the store, still wearing the dress.
No sooner was Angelica over the threshold that took her out of the store back into the mall, when the alarm went off.
"Hold it right there young lady." Said a store clerk, who came over to see Angelica in the red dress.
"Do you have a receipt for this dress?" Asked the store clerk.
Uh, yeah, I do, but um, I dropped it somewhere." Angelica lied, bending down to search for the receipt, which she knew was not there. Just then, the clerk caught a glimps of the alarm piece on the dress.
"You didn't buy this dress, you shoplifted, and I'm afraid for this reason, I'm going to have to call your parents." Said the store clerk, looking disappointed.
Angelica groaned.
Half an hour later, Drew and Charlotte had shown up, and Angelica, while she was back in her normal clothes, had completely forgotten about Tommy's gift back in the fitting room when she changed. Regardless, Angelica had to put the dress back, and Drew and Charlotte, drug Angelica out of the store, and took her home, where they had a firm talk with her about the crime she just committed.
"What were you thinking Angelica? You know steeling is wrong." Said Drew.
"I know, I just, wanted this dress to wear to Savanna's Christmas party, and it was the last one they had in my size." Replied Angelica through her tears, as she was now crying.
"Angelica, you committed a serious crime, and as a result, I'm sorry, but we're going to have to extend your grounding from driving and an allowance for another month." Said Drew.
"Drew, I don't think just extending her current punishment is going to do the job. I think she needs to learn a bigger lesson from all of this here." Whispered Charlotte into Drew's ear.
"Angel, for the next three weeks, you're going to learn just how much work goes into these trendy outfits you just hafve to have. Maybe then, you'll not only learn the value of a dollar, but you'll also learn a good lesson in responsibility, and how to respect other peoples' property. My assistant Jonathan has a taylor who is always looking for people to come volunteer in his shop. I'll call Jonathan right now to set up an appointment." Said Charlotte, taking her cell phone out of her purse and giving Jonathan a call.
At that moment, Didi showed up at the front door of Angelica's house. She went to answer it to find her aunt, standing there.
"So, do you have it?" Didi asked.
"Have what?" Angelica snapped.
"Tommy's present." Didi replied.
It was then that Angelica realized, that she had forgotten Tommy's present back in the dressing room at Gracy's Department Store.
"Uh, I have to go eat now, but I'll bring it by later on tonight." Lied Angelica, as she slammed the front door in Didi's face, and stormed off to her room, more upset and miserable than ever.
Upon getting to her room, she gave Susie a call on her cell, and explained what happened, and asked if she could go back to Gracy's, and see if the camcorder was still in the dressing room, and if it was, could she drop it by Stu and Didi's house, as Angelica was forbidden to leave the house for the rest of the night. Susie nicely gave in, and went back to look, but sadly, she got there, to find the camcorder was no longer in the dressing room, and nobody, was able to track it down.
After getting home, Susie called Angelica back, and told her of the bad news. This caused Angelica to scream at the top of her lungs, as she was angry about everything. For shoplifting, for losing Tommy's present, and now, on top of all of that, she'd have to work each and every day after school, at some taylor shop, sewing together clothes, something she absolutely hated doing, and was not looking forward to. She only hoped she could finish up her volunteer work at the taylor shop come the day of Savanna's party, or she'd for sure, miss her chance, to tell Harold goodbye.
And this, ends chapter 1. So, what will happen? We'll find out, in chapter 2.
Author's Note: I should say, the car accident Angelica was involved in, is something I took from real life, only it happened to my brother, and yes, he was seventeen when it happened, a senior in high school, and it was around the time he got his wisdom teeth out, and, just like in my story, he missed a turn in my mom's van, so tried to turn around in the middle of the road, causing the headlight to get broken. Back when that happened, I kept thinking this might be something that Angelica might do when she's older, keeping in mind, that this happened in the winter of 1999, before All Grown Up was even considered as a spin off show, so part of this story idea, dates back to an idea I had in my childhood days, when Rugrats was barely beginning its sixth season, and the first season, to feature Baby Dil. I was also greatly inspired by the episode of Hey Arnold, Harold the Butcher, and the episode of Full House, Nice Guys Finish Last, when DJ got a ticket for driving too slow, just as I had happen to Chuckie in this chapter, hince, his fear of having anymore driving lessons from his dad. No matter, I hope you all enjoyed the first chapter, and, I shall have the second chapter up shortly.