Author Note:
Alright, some more Max/Amanda love :D This is more fluff than anything, so sorry if anyone's disappointed with the end. I promise I will have more than just Max/Amanda stuff coming very shortly...however, I make no guarantees that those stories won't contain Max/Amanda in them :P
For new readers, if you're interested, there's a link to a fan community in my profile :)
Also, for those new to my stories, I am first and foremost a dialogue writer. I'm most comfortable when writing scripts, but seeing as those aren't an allowed format on this site, I just make up for it with lots of dialogue and lack of really in-depth descriptions. Sorry if this bothers you, but please, do not criticize me for it if you leave a review. You've been warned, and it won't make me change my writing style. I don't want to be rude by any means. I just don't like getting reviews that say I'm not a good writer because I didn't describe in detail what everyone is wearing and what the room looks like and so on.
Disclaimers: I most certainly do not own ANYTHING but an imagination when it comes to True Jackson, VP. I do not claim to believe in the power of Cootie Catchers.
The following takes place during and following the last minute of the episode Firing Lulu, therefore, this will most definitely contain spoilers and references to that episode. Also, if you have never been to the True Jackson, VP and Mad Style, Inc websites on Nickelodeon then you most definitely won't understand some of the references in this story, so sorry! But I definitely suggest checking those out. Hopefully more hits will mean better ratings AND maybe they'll update the sites faster =)
The Cootie Catcher
"Green," Amanda said after shutting the door quickly behind her so no one would see or hear her taking part in True and Lulu's childish game. She still vaguely remembered playing with her own cootie catcher as a school girl, hoping that all of the silly things she had written on the paper from her own imagination would come true. Just like Lulu's cootie catcher, the written "fortunes" were always random ideas of what would happen to her as an adult, namely what she would be and how she would marry.
"G-R-E-E-N," True spelled out and then opened the paper tab to read what it said. As she and Lulu read it, their faces changed quickly, True's to uncertainty and Lulu's to shock.
Amanda tried to lean over as discreetly as possible to see what the paper said. "What is it? What does it say?" Amanda asked in an anxious voice when she saw the two girls' reactions. "You put something mean on there didn't you? You knew I'd fall for it. Why did I fall for it...ugh, I..."
"Amanda...Amanda...Amanda!" True tried to get her attention. "Relax. It's not anything bad. Just a little weird. I guess it's different since you're already an adult and well, we're just kids so these things are like a million years away."
"Well, what does it say?" Amanda thought she understood what True was trying to say.
"It says, you will fall in love with someone you work with," True read it out loud and then looked to see Amanda's expression. It started out the same as Lulu's: complete shock. However, it didn't take long for her to change it to a more dignified look of rationality. "Ridiculous," she snorted a little.
"Nuh-uh!" Lulu protested. "Cootie catchers never lie!"
"And you think you'll be an astronaut?" Amanda looked at her in disbelief.
"Well yeah, if that's what it said," Lulu answered, and True smiled at her best friend's eager belief.
"We did meet at space camp in the first grade," True went along with her friend.
"Right, well, if you want to let your life be dictated by a piece of paper with things you wrote on there yourself then by all means," Amanda rolled her eyes, but she was secretly amused as she recalled her own "faith" in the origami version of a magic 8 ball.
Amanda got up to leave, but True gave Lulu a wink, which Lulu knew meant she wanted her to play along with something. "You know, maybe it's Joe the Janitor," True tried to cover a laugh.
"WHAT!?" Amanda said looking at her in disgust. "I am too fabulous for someone in waste management."
Lulu found this new task of pretend matchmaking too fun to miss out on. "Or maybe it's Danny down in accounting. He did just break up with his girlfriend."
"You mean Mr. I think I'm better than you just because I can count to a gazillion?" Amanda sneered, as she thought about it. "Too much ego, not enough fabulousness." She shook her head, but then a smile crossed her face, "How about a male model? Now that's fabulous."
"Maybe," True nodded, laughing a little at Amanda's obssessive need for all things fabulous.
"So not fair! I want a male model," Lulu exclaimed. Amanda smirked, but before the idea of a male model could really sink in, Lulu brought her back crashing down to a little less fabulous reality. "Ooh, but maybe it's Kopelman."
True couldn't hold back a sudden burst of laughter at the thought. As for Amanda, she literally turned her nose up at the suggestion. "Kopelman?" she repeated, not even sure how to respond. "No, no, no," she finally said. "It couldn't be Kopelman. I mean could you imagine what Max would think if it were Kopelman?" Amanda gave another snort.
"Yeah," True nodded with a laugh. "Instead of Kopelman, out! It would be, Kopelman, Cantwell, out!" True and Lulu laughed, but Amanda wasn't as amused.
"Max can't call me Cantwell," she gasped. "It's so, so..insulting."
"HEY!" Lulu said with an exasperated breath like she had just had a sudden epiphany. "Maybe it's not Joe, Danny, male models or Kopelman. Maybe it's Max!"
"Max!?" Amanda and True shouted at the same time.
"Well, yeah. That way Max doesn't have to worry what to think about Kopelman and Amanda doesn't have to worry about being insulted. Boom! It's all good," Lulu rationalized.
"Ooh, girl, you have got a point," True held out her hand for them to do part of their secret handshake.
"First of all, it's Mr. Madigan to the two of you. Second of all, what?! No. She doesn't have a point. How could she have a point?" Amanda was definitely more flustered by this suggestion than any of the others.
"Well, you heard her. You said yourself that your relationship would have to suit Mr. Madigan, so maybe that means the only relationship you should have is with Mr. Madigan. And besides, how come you get to call him Max and not anyone else?" True pointed out what she thought were reasonable arguments for the case. "Not to mention he's pretty fabulous."
"Well, yes, he is fabulous. But so is a male model. And why can't a male model suit Max, I mean Mr. Madigan, I mean Max...ugh," Amanda had had her fun, but now it was getting a little too unnerving for True's high strung, fellow vice president. "I'll admit it has been, you know, fun, but now it's time to get back to work." Amanda opened the door and left.
"We were just playin'," True called after her. "I think she's a little worked up about what you said."
"Well, she didn't answer the question. Why does she get to call him Max?" Lulu, always ready to stick her nose in other people's business, asked.
"I don't know, Lulu. But I do know she enjoyed herself for a little while, so that's a good start for her no matter what happens with her love life," True said happily. She wanted for Amanda to realize she could have both a great job and friends.
"Yeah, I guess you're right," Lulu shrugged. "Well, I better get back to work too."
"Really?"
"Of course," Lulu smiled innocently, but True didn't buy it.
"Don't you even think about going and asking every single person in this office why Amanda gets to call Mr. Madigan by his first name," True pointed a finger at her friend with one hand, while her other rested on her hip in an authoritative stance.
"Fine," Lulu whined. "Can I at least ask Oscar? He knows everything and he won't suspect anything."
True thought about it for a second before answering. "Okay...but if you find out you have to let me know."
"Okay!" Lulu squealed excitedly and left the room casually, part of her plan to keep Oscar unsuspecting like she promised.
Meanwhile, Amanda had gone back into her own office and shut the door. "You will fall in love with someone you work with," she thought out loud as she sat at her desk and began looking over a project that was on her computer. "It's just laughable," Amanda began laughing at the idea, but it didn't stop her from overanalyzing the subject. "Why shouldn't I call him Max? I'm vice president after all. And besides, I'm practically head of the vice presidents. I'm Max's go to girl. So I..." Amanda stopped and scrunched her nose. Did she really just call her his go to girl? "Am I just his girl Friday? Maybe I don't have any right calling him Max. Maybe I am coming across a little too personal."
Amanda let out a frustrated sigh as she rested her elbows on her desk and her head in her hands. Before True had arrived, things had been simple for her. She wasn't interested in janitors or Kopelman. And Max was simply Max. Now she was second guessing everything she'd ever known, an unusual feeling for the overly ambitous Amanda. Suddenly a bell sound on her desktop sent Amanda upward with a jolt. Gaining her composure, she read the instant message the bell had been alerting her of. She read the message, which just happened to be from Max. "How is the project coming? I have new details. My office, a.s.a.p." She grabbed a few portfolio's and headed for Max's office immediately. "As if this day hasn't been awkward enough," she said to herself before poking her head into the office.
"Come on in, Amanda," Max ushered her into his office with a wave of his hand. "I just recieved new details for the new casual Friday office wear you're working on. Apparently the company wants a preview by the end of the week. I didn't want to answer them until I knew where you were on the project."
"Well, let's see," Amanda opened up one of the portfolios. "I have the finished designs. I could probably get out a few prototypes by tomorrow afternoon for you to look over and then from there it would just be a matter of rushing production," Amanda tried to run down a step by step list not only for him, but for her own sanity.
Max took the portfolio from Amanda to look over her design ideas. "Good. Good. Ooh, I love this one," he said as he studied them. "I don't think these will have a problem getting the okay from me, Amanda. So if you're sure it's not too soon..."
"A deadline's a deadline, Mr. Madigan," Amanda snuck in his name, hoping he wouldn't hear. "So, I guess I should go get started on these then."
"Right. Well, I have complete faith in...wait," Max had heard Amanda say his name differently and now was confused. "What did you call me?"
"Mr. Madigan?" Amanda answered weakly, unsure of how he would react.
"That's what I thought," Max nodded as he handed the portfolio back to Amanda and furrowed his eyebrows, not that they could be seen past his glasses. "Amanda, this is me, Max. What's with the sudden formalities? Did I forget your birthday or something?"
"No," Amanda replied. She hesitated in giving him the real reason. "It's just, well, it was made mention that I'm the only one in the building who really calls you Max, and, you know, maybe it's a little awkward."
"Oh, is that all," Max scoffed at the trivial matter. "Look, Amanda, anyone can call me Max. I'm not a monster, just the boss. And I thought I was a cool boss at that." He looked at her for some sort of approval of his last statement. Amanda quickly gave a smile and nod, not that either were entirely sincere. "The thing is, this is a place of fashion. Everyone wants to be in style and just about no one is willing to strike out on their own trend. That's why when one person calls me Mr. Madigan and then another person calls me Mr. Madigan, after awhile they all do it. And quite frankly, it's rather drone-like. Gives me the heebie-jeebies. That's why I find it very refreshing when you say Max."
"Really?" Amanda had been nodding in agreement, as she was used to doing when Max went into one of his long spews on something, but this part caught her a little off guard. "You find it refreshing?"
"Well, that and sparkling water. That stuff is delicious," Max was known for his random comments and short attention span at times. "But what I'm trying to say is, don't you go drone-like on me too, Amanda. I don't think I could handle it."
"Alright, then. Whatever you say...Max," Amanda smiled, realizing it even felt more natural calling him by his first name.
"See, still refreshing," Max grinned. "Oh, I have another question. How is Lulu doing today?"
Amanda's smile quickly turned into a look of annoyance. "What am I? Her babysitter?"
"Of course not," Max laughed, always ignoring Amanda's negativity. "But I would like you to let me know if anything like Friday's catastrophe happens again."
"Oh, you mean like the sprinkler system ruining my best suede coat," Amanda responded snippishly. "Unfortunately, Max, if anything like that does happen again, you're likely to have a lawsuit on your hands," Amanda said through gritted teeth.
"You would actually sue Lulu?" Max looked at her in astonishment.
"No, not exactly. More like her family would be suing Mad Style when I wring her neck," Amanda answered. She was becoming angry again just thinking about it.
"Honestly, Amanda," Max shook his head. "We need to find a better outlet for your rage."
"Rage? What rage?" Amanda set down the portfolios quickly and eyed Max uncertainly, not knowing how to respond to his attack on her emotions. "Why shouldn't I be upset? That coat cost me a month's salary and that was with the Mad Style employee discount."
"Nothing says suede like a pricey sales tag," Max smiled. A frustrated, but hooked, customer was the highest form of flattery in his opinion. "But, seriously, she's just a girl."
"Yeah," Amanda gave another one of her infamous snorts, "a girl who thinks I should hook up with Kopelman." Amanda's eyes went wide. She couldn't believe she'd let something like that slip. As she slowly turned and saw Max's look of shock, she was immediately thankful she hadn't let Lulu's insinuation of Max slip instead.
"Kopelman?" The shock of her statement caused Max to stand to his feet, still behind his desk. "Lulu really said you should date Kopelman?"
"Well...sort of. It wasn't anything, you know, serious..." Amanda felt completely embarrassed. She shouldn't even have to discuss this with him!
"And what gave her the idea?" Max seemed fixated on this new discussion. Deadlines could wait. Right now, all he wanted was details. "That girl is a magnet for gossip. Are people talking? Is there something between you and Kopelman I should know about?"
"Max, please," Amanda wasn't sure how she should feel being bombarded by so many personal questions from her boss. "I can assure you, there is absolutely nothing between Kopelman and I. The very thought is ridiculous."
"Thank heavens," Max breathed a loud sigh of relief, causing Amanda to give him a confused stare. "But you did high five him. And you were sitting beside him," Max pointed out.
"Are you serious? I was also sitting next to you if you remember," Amanda countered.
"You're right," Max nodded and rubbed his chin a little. "So do you think people are talking about us too?"
Amanda's eyes widened again. "Well, maybe a few are talking," she said vaguely, not even about to mention Lulu and True's other comments. "But people will be people."
"I guess. As long as you have better sense than Kopelman," Max sat back down in his chair.
"Max?" Amanda's head was spinning. At this moment, she almost wished the sprinklers would come back on, giving her a reason to flee the scene.
"Oh, I'm sorry. I guess who you date is up to you," Max realized he was coming across as her boss in an area that was out of his control.
"Well, whoever I date, I promise...it won't be Kopelman," Amanda gave a disgusted look as if to prove it to him. "I'm more suited to male models no matter what the cootie catcher or Lulu thinks."
"What's a cootie catcher?" Max raised an eyebrow.
"You know, that annoying paper thing Lulu is always carrying around," Amanda answered, certain he'd seen it at least once.
"Oh, right," Max knew what she was talking about. "Those infuriating contraptions the girls in school used to use to tell them which of us boys they would marry."
"That's the one," Amanda nodded, childhood memories rushing back to her for the second time that day.
"I always hated those things. I always knew when my name had been uncovered," Max said with a grimace.
"And how's that?"
"It was followed by a loud EWWW and incessant giggles from the other girls," he answered truthfully.
"Aww, poor, Max," Amanda gave him a sympathetic, and slightly playful, pout.
"Yes, poor, Max," Max mimicked her pouty look before moving on. "So what exactly did the cootie catcher say when you played?" Max asked and Amanda looked at him guiltily. "It's okay that you had fun, Amanda," he chuckled a little. "And I'm sure it beats another game of solitaire. So care to share?"
Amanda's jaw dropped just a little. She was a little confused as to how he knew about her playing solitaire, but she decided to avoid it by granting him the answer he really wanted. "Well, it said I would fall in love with someone I work with."
"Aha, so that's where the Kopelman comment came from," Max just couldn't let it go. "And the only person Lulu could suggest was Kopelman? More like poor, Amanda," Max now offered her his playful sympathy.
"Oh, I don't know," Amanda smiled coyly. "There might have been a few other suggestions. But, really, I should get back to working on this project. I think operations downstairs should know about it so they'll be ready to rush production. A deadline's a deadline after all, Max," she grabbed the portfolios and left his office.
"Kopelman of all people," Max said to himself with a laugh after sitting alone in his office for a few minutes. However, his expression suddenly changed. "I wonder what Lulu's cootie catcher would say for me. Or is it a girl only thing?" Max quickly stood to his feet and went to find Lulu.
To his surprise, and relief, Max found Lulu at her desk working on something for True. "Hello, Lulu. Glad to see you working hard."
"Not really. It's actually pretty easy. But Oscar said I should make it look like I'm working hard," Lulu answered, oblivious to Oscar who was making a motion for her to stop talking.
"Oh he did, did he?" Max looked at Oscar, who gave a nervous chuckle and quickly answered one of the phone lines. "Well, then, I guess you've arrived. Everyone in this building is only pretending to work hard...including me!" Max laughed, but upon spotting the cootie catcher on her desk, remembered why he had come to see Lulu in the first place. "So, I've always been curious. Are cootie catchers for girls only?"
"Well, most boys aren't into them. But Ryan plays along all the time. Ooh, and I've got Oscar to do it. And Jimmy. And Kopelman. And..." Lulu stopped when she realized Max wanted to speak.
"What did Kopelman's say?" Max asked curiously.
"Well, I'm not supposed to betray the trust that is the cootie catcher...BUT..." Lulu couldn't pass up the chance to start some hot gossip, or hottgoss as she liked to call it. "It said, you will make everyone jealous at your next school dance."
Max let out a burst of laughter. "Good for Kopelman," he congratulated sarcastically.
"OOH, do you want to try it?" Lulu grabbed the folded paper excitedly.
"Well, I don't know. I am the hottest CEO in fashion. What more could I want," Max pretended to be uninterested. "Oh, alright. Couldn't hurt."
"Yay! Okay, pick a color, but not orange," she winked.
"Why not orange?" Max asked.
"Well, two reasons. A. You die alone and unloved and 2. it's just so hard to spell," Lulu said in all seriousness.
"Okay, well, it's a good thing I was going to say yellow," Max replied.
"Alright, yellow it is," Lulu began spelling out the word as she moved the paper to and fro. She lifted the tab and smiled. "I got this one 3 days ago!" She proceeded to read it out loud, "True love is standing right behind you."
Max naturally turned and looked behind him, but there was no one there. "So...it means I have no true love?"
"I don't really know," Lulu shrugged. "Maybe it means the elevator."
"The elevator? Really, Lulu, I don't think..." The elevator made it's usual ding causing Max to stop and look back at it. The door opened and Amanda walked out.
"NOT EVEN!" Lulu's mouth hung open. "Mr. Madigan, maybe it meant the person in the elevator!"
"Maybe..." Max had to admit it was an uncanny coincidence.
"Hi, Max," Amanda smiled as she approached them, but she was secretly wanting to know why Max was talking to Lulu, especially after their earlier conversation. "What's going on?"
"Oh, I just decided to give Lulu's cootie catcher a go," Max answered with somewhat of a smirk.
"Oh...really?" Amanda didn't want Lulu catching on that she had talked to Max about anything. The last thing she needed was becoming the butt end of the gossip chain because of Lulu's constant chatter. "Now, honestly, Max. You can't tell me you believe that a little piece of paper can tell you your future."
"You never know, Amanda," Max started to say something else, but stopped to yell, "Kopelman! What have I told you about wearing flip flops to work? Take them off!" Max didn't even bother to turn around to look at him. Amanda and Lulu looked at each other in bewilderment as Kopelman, who had been walking by, stopped and took off his flip flops. He started to walk away barefoot, but stopped to look back. "Leave them! And for heaven's sake, put on some socks. You're scaring Oscar with your deformed feet."
"Poor, Kopelman," Amanda shook her head, knowing Max would know what she meant.
"Poor, Amanda," Max responded, playing along, grabbing the cootie catcher and re-reading what his had said.
"And poor, Max?" Amanda added, as she eyed the cootie catcher curiously, wanting to peek at what it said.
"Or maybe not so poor, Max," Max handed the cootie catcher back to Lulu and smiled at Amanda, who could only give him another confused stare in return.
"Poor me," Lulu said out loud, causing Max and Amanda to turn and look at her at the same time. "I have no idea what is going on here, and knowing my luck, it would probably be great hottgoss for my blog!"
"Really, Lulu," Amanda said, which she followed by a tsk, tsk, tsk sound. "Maybe you should just cosult the cootie catcher."
"OOH! You're so right! I pick 8," Lulu began counting out loud as Max and Amanda started back towards their offices. "Two people you know will soon benefit from your matchmaking. Wow! I didn't even write that one! I've got to go tell True and Ryan," Lulu hurried into True's office, leaving Max and Amanda frozen in their tracks.
Amanda looked at True's office as she stood in the doorway of her own and then back at Max. He stood where he was a few feet away, his back turned towards her. "Max?" she said to herself, not sure what to think.
"Amanda?" Max shared in Amanda's confusion. Both of them dismissed the thought and went back to what they were doing. "Good luck with that deadline," Max called back in a fluster as his steps quickened.
"Right..." Amanda entered her office and sat down. "Thanks...Max."