When The Lights Go Out A/N:
BUT
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This chapter is being posted in honor of the new episode, "Guess who's coming to guest star" which is finally on youtube... in English! Go watch it!
But first read and REVIEW this =)
(oh keep in mind, all our chapters are mack falls references... so sorry if they have nothing to do with the story haha)
enjoy!
Chapter 2: Is It Tyrell?!
Marshall instructed one of the security guards to lock the doors for caution during the storm, but Sonny and Chad weren't worrying about caution when they heard the jiggle of the locks on the door to the prop room.
Sonny's ears perked up. "Freedom at last," she said, shooting up in excitement and beamed at Chad, who could only barely make out her face. Chad's cell phone was the only source of light. Chad even got up and brushed the "dirt" (he told Sonny it was dirt when she asked why he was being so dramatic about his shirt touching the floor about a half hour ago). They had only been in there for about ten minutes, but it was entirely too long for Sonny who just hated being in a small space for a long period of time.
Sonny and Chad scurried to the door and banged their fists on it with all their might. "Help!" Sonny said over and over again.
"Get us out of here! Chad Dylan Cooper should never be treated like this! I will not send out fruit baskets anymore." Chad added, what he thought was helpful, but only earned an eye roll from Sonny. Then he just did what Sonny did; screamed out for help. But the guy on the other side only continued to lock the door, the headphones in his ears blaring.
"Why isn't he helping us!?" Sonny said, and turned to Chad, her face panicked.
"I dunno, maybe someone wants to lock us in here Sonny," Chad said, suddenly turning serious and put on his actor's face. "To make us realize, the very deep underlying feelings for each other. I mean in episode 316, Chloe and Mackenzie's stepbrother were kept in the elevator after it broke down. By the end of the episode, they knew, that they belonged together the very instant the door came-"
Sonny threw up a hand to halt him, but grew annoyed when he couldn't see said hand. "Enough Chad, do you realize you distracted me to the point where THE DOOR DUDE IS GONE!" she cried out.
"Part of my charm, Sonny," Chad replied with ease.
"You know, I would use my phone but you gave it back to me DEAD!" she shouted at him and he delicately wiped the spittle off his eye. "You just had to take it Chad. Also, who uses their cell phone to the point where they can't make calls until their assistant pays off the bill."
"You told me this before, Sonny," he said tonelessly.
"Chad, I don't even have the luxury of having an assistant!"
"Mm, you're missing out."
Sonny sighed out in exasperation. "I still don't understand how the doorman could possibly not hear us. I've talked to Tawni through that door before. It's not like sound proof."
"Maybe-" Chad began.
"No, I'm not gonna believe your little story about someone wanting to lock us in here. That is just ridiculous. Not everything in life has to be backed up by drama," she told him. She went to sit back down, almost pouting and Chad joined her side.
A moment of silence passed by before Sonny looked at Chad and he could make out the worried expression on her face. The cell phone was placed in between them, casting light onto their features. "Do you think the others are gonna come looking for us, like, they can't do rehearsal without part of the cast!"
Chad put his hand on Sonny's arm, attempting to calm her. "Of course, they can't do rehearsal without CDC!" He popped his collar and Sonny even bit down a smile. "But honestly Sonny, you have nothing to worry about." His smile slipped slightly. "Oh, unless..."
Sonny's shoulders tensed once more. They had grown relaxed under Chad's touch. "Unless, what?" she said.
"Nothing," Chad said quickly.
Sonny shot him a dangerous look until Chad couldn't take squirming under her stare any longer.
"Well..."
*
Nico and Grady were both pacing around the rehearsal room, bored and worried about Sonny. They hadn't known of her whereabouts ever since Marshall gathered this meeting, which just turned into a lockdown with nothing to do. They bothered Tawni about where Sonny was, until Tawni grew frustrated and sent a text to Sonny's phone to appease them. They would've used their phones but they kind of left them in their dressing room. Zora was pretty much off doing her own thing.
"I just don't know where Sonny could be," Nico told his best friend and cast mate, Grady.
"Maybe she discovered Narnia," Grady said wistfully. Nico shot him a look and Grady not sure what to do, laughed to lighten the mood. Until Nico snapped out, "Not funny." Tawni stood there next to them, silently fuming.
Zora came up to the group and turned her own flashlight on. Marshall had passed out individual flashlights and had on the back up flood lights, although it was still a dim room. Both Nico and Grady jumped at her sudden appearance and Tawni felt a tad bit relieved.
"Let's tell scary stories," Zora suggested, making little Halloween noises that had Nico and Grady both shudder. Tawni just smirked.
"Let's not," Nico said shakily. "The last time we told scary stories with you, I couldn't sleep all night."
Grady cringed, the same thing had happen to him. Tawni had to sort of console them throughout the night, but for money of course. She needed some incentive.
"Oh come on you pansies," Zora said, shoving both the boys playfully. "Scary stories are best in the dark. And while I would like this whole place to be completely dark, this'll do."
"Hey I know, let's play look for Sonny," Nico said.
Tawni had enough of that topic and decided if she had to lie to him to make him feel better, she'd do so, but it had to be convincing. Her eyes swept across the room for any familiar faces. She brightened up when she found the back of a boy and girl's head, very similar to Sonny and Chad's heads. Ironically enough, those were Sonny and Chad's stunt doubles. Tawni was unaware of this and smiled. Maybe she didn't have to lie after all.
"Nico!" she said, taking his shoulders and turning him around. "I don't know what you were so worried about," she laughed, but to Zora it sounded forced. "If you look ahead, those are clearly the back of Sonny and Chad's heads."
"Oh, yeah," Grady said, taking in the sight. "Yup, yup definitely them."
"Oh, good," Nico said then froze. "Wait, why is Sonny with Chad?"
Tawni rolled her eyes as if she thought his question was dumb. "Hello, Sonny and Chad fight all the time. They're probably in this huge brawl now."
"That's true," Grady agreed.
"Yeah, definitely them," Nico added.
Zora looked at all of them dubiously, but kept quiet.
*
"God, I hate those So Randoms," Portlyn said, looking over at the So Random cast and scowled. "They're always so happy, like all the time." She looked to another Mackenzie Falls cast mate for agreement.
Sure enough, Kimberly parroted her agreement, but only because Portlyn was like the leader of the group. Well when Chad was gone at least.
Portlyn couldn't possibly understand Chad's interest in the main So Random girl, Sonny. What kind of name was Sonny anyway? Who wears a vest over some plaid shirt, like trying to create some new trend? What was the girl trying to pull? She was bold, Portlyn gave her that. But she was also so hotheaded and unable to pull off the cool and calm collected look that Portlyn and Chad practiced and perfected together. Portlyn couldn't possibly understand even in the storm how Chad could just be hanging around her, not even with his own cast. That was so unprofessional.
She glanced at what she thought was Chad and Sonny. They must've been in some fight. They looked very engaged in whatever they were doing. No one even bothered going up to them, but Portlyn was going to change that. No way would this little Southern belle steal her Chad away from her. Not that the young drama actress had a thing for Chad, but they had always been there for each other through the thick and thin. Like that one time, her cell phone dropped into his pool and he thoughtfully bought her a new one within the next moment.
Tyrell looked to Darren, the guy who played Mackenzie's evil stepbrother. "Ya know Chad has spent a lot of time at the So Random studio. Do you think he's like gonna bail out on the Falls?" Tyrell said, with his face scrunched up in concern.
"Dude, it's the CDC, and this girl, Sunny or whatever is not gonna come between him and our show. Not on my watch," Darren told the young black actor.
"I just don't understand, the rivalry between both of our shows, it's so deep. It's been there for three tween choice awards, meaning a really long time," Tyrell said and looked off into the distance pensively. "It just doesn't make sense how this one girl could change everything."
Darren rolled his eyes. "First of all, you're being more dramatic than usual. And second, this is CDC my brother! He dabbles a little time in one girl and moves to the next."
To the side of the friends, Kimberly was trying to stop Portlyn from potentially causing a scene. "I don't think it's such a good idea to go over there, Portlyn," she said. "They [Sonny and Chad] look really concentrated and you always advise against ruining a great scene with the break of concentration."
Portlyn looked at her irritably. "I don't care what they're doing. It's not like they're on the same show so I highly doubt they're rehearsing lines right now."
"But," Kimberly, played as Chloe, began.
Portlyn gasped, about to put her good acting skills to use. "Kimberly, honey, your pores are like showing. It's very revolting. Do something about it immediately." Kimberly's hands flew to her face, as if she had some ghastly condition and scurried off to find a compact mirror immediately. Portlyn smirked, satisfied, brushed the lint off her skirt, and marched over to "Chad" and "Sonny".
*
"You mean to tell me, that we could be waiting here until the next morning!?" Sonny said, getting all up in Chad's face.
"Yeah, that's what I said," he said patiently. "I told you, the last time we had a storm this big, we all gathered in the rehearsal room and waited until like one in the morning."
"I know what you said, Chad," Sonny said, exasperated. "I just don't know why you failed to tell me this in the first place!"
"I forgot, jeez," he said in a flippant tone.
"How can you forget something that big!?"
"Just forget it," he burst out. Sonny was almost taken aback and perked her eyebrow.
"That was kind of loud, you didn't need to shout," she told him.
He pressed one hand to his temple. "Oh and I suppose you're allowed to just shout at me all you want?"
She sighed. "I'm sorry, look, this isn't easy."
"You think this is a walk in the park for me, Monroe?"
"Nothing is a walk in the park when you don't have your agent holding your hand every second." Sonny replied scathingly before walking to the bar at the other end of the room.
Sonny took a seat on one of the stools and looked down helplessly at her phone. She tried to ignore the not-so-comforting fact that Chad had been sifting through her phone for so long that the battery died completely. She wondered if he had seen-- no. It was too horrid to think of.
Chad marched up to Sonny, not even remotely close to being done with this argument.
"Are you suggesting that I behave like a child?" Chad narrowed his eyes.
Sonny sighed and stood back up. "No, I'm suggesting you leave me alone right now before I say something I regret."
"Oh, like what? How you can't help but fall for me in this beautiful mood lighting?" Chad smiled and turned his head wistfully to the side. Sonny's eyebrow creased in confusion at the beam of light that seemed to be shining on him, but upon looking up, she realized they had never filled in that "sky light" they bashed in the ceiling when Chad tried to take over their prop room. She lowered her gaze back down to Chad, who was still standing there, lost in the idea of his own perfection.
"Oh Chad..." Sonny smiled and ran her hand down his arm. Chad, obviously surprised by this gesture, glanced quickly at Sonny, then his arm, then back again. "Do you even realize..." She gazed meaningfully into his eyes. "...how completely deluded you sound right now?!" Sonny cried, irritated, turning her caress into a hard smack to his arm.
"Ow! Watch it, this arm is insured for a grand. Mackenzie goes out for the football team next week." Chad admitted proudly, rubbing his prized, pigskin-throwing arm.
"Well, Mackenzie is going to have a hard time throwing a touchdown pass from a hospital bed." Sonny's menacing and sarcastic smile threatened.
Chad opened his mouth to reply, but instead just grinned, chuckled, and took a seat on a barstool.
Sonny glared disbelievingly at the back of Chad's perfectly groomed head. Loudly mimicking Chad's laughter, she threw herself into the seat next to him. "What's that supposed to mean?" She demanded.
"I just think it's cute you worry so much about how much better my show is than yours. It's not like it's your fault. Our people are just more appealing to the real world." Chad shrugged his shoulders apologetically.
"Your people? The "real world"? Chad, your show is about snooty rich kids that make their money off of bottled water and the only real problems they have is some guy trying to make the water look like urine. Gee, that sounds like something everyone can relate to." Sonny scoffed.
"Aww, so you DO watch the show." Chad smiled sweetly at her, touched.
Sonny wrinkled her nose in disgust of rotting her brain on that trash. She sighed noisily and threw her hands up in the air, giving up on him altogether. She turned on her heel and marched up the stairs, having enough cockiness for one day. Chad leaned against the bar, stretching out in victory. At least, for now. Sonny would never admit defeat, especially not to Chad.
*
"Chad, what on Earth are you doing slumming it way over here?" Portlyn called out to who she thought was Chad. When he showed no sign of response, she took a deep breath to calm herself. He was ignoring her? To talk to that tramp, Sonny? Maybe she just needed to assert herself more.
"Chad, honey--" she began again, reaching out and spinning the confused stunt double around.
Portlyn gasped loudly, shocked. "You... you..." She couldn't find the words. "You... have a spot on your tie! That will simply never do. But don't worry, Chad! I'll find your idiot assistant Bart; he'll get you a new one in no time!" She smiled loyally and stupidly up at Chad's stunt double, Peter, who looked just as confused as Sonny's stunt double, Amanda, standing beside him.
"Um, Portlyn--" Peter tried to correct this misunderstanding but Portlyn put a hand to his mouth.
"No, no, no. After today's incredible performance, you should really be on vocal rest. Now why don't you come over and hang out with your friends?" Portlyn stressed the word, staring disgustedly at Amanda. "Sonny." She acknowledged the girl with a fake politeness.
"Portlyn, I'm not Sonny!" Amanda began to protest.
"You're right! You look like more of a "Gloomy"." Portlyn frowned at her before smiling at Peter and turning on her heel to rejoin her cast mates.
Peter and Amanda looked at each other dumbfounded, and then sadly shook their heads as they went back to their conversation.
"What happened? Why is he still over there?" Kimberly asked, worried, as soon as Portlyn had rejoined the group.
"Don't worry. He'll be back." Portlyn said, trying to assure not only her cast, but also herself.
*
It had to be around there somewhere... she kept two of them just in case. Sonny leaned over the railing of the small top floor and called down to Chad.
"Oh, take that suckas! You thought you could take out Chad Dylan Cooper with one of your little wimpy laser beams? Well say hello to my machine gun/chainsaw which just so happens to double as a rocket launcher. Yeah, that's right, run away!"
"CHAD!"
"WHAT!" Chad never let his eyes leave the screen of his iPhone. "Oh, sorry, didn't see you there little alien. Guess you should pay more attention when I start swinging my chainsaw!"
Sonny rolled her eyes. Video games served one purpose: to genetically program the minds of boys to scream at inanimate objects.
"Have you seen my wireless phone charger? I kind of forgot the power was out when I plugged my phone into the wall charger..."
"Suck on that, ET!"
"It's like talking to a hamster." Sonny sighed and went back to searching. "Except maybe a hamster would give a more intelligent response."
Chad froze, suddenly realizing what Sonny was asking him. She had a portable phone charger around here somewhere? But if she charged the phone he gave her, she'd find out that...
"Sonny!" Chad ran up the stairs and slung an arm around her, pulling her away from her search. "Funny little Sonny, you know I think I have seen that charger of yours. It's uh... it's under that table waaaaay over there!" He pointed vaguely downstairs, on the other side of the room.
The truth was, Chad knew exactly where the charger was. He had seen it in passing on one of his many trips to the prop house. As Sonny ran toward the supposed charger that Chad had pointed to, he tip toed over to a random nightstand and scooped the little device up and into his pocket.
"Chad, this is a stale piece of licorice!" Sonny called back, disgruntled.
"Oh... my bad." Chad smirked and headed back down the stairs.
*
"Where'd they go?" Nico had glanced up from his and Grady's game of checkers to find he could no longer see the backs of Sonny and Chad's head.
"Aha! Check mate!" Grady cried triumphantly, taking advantage of his opponent's momentary distraction.
"Grady... we're not playing chess, man!" Nico shook his head at his confused friend, but went back to his previous problem. "I bet he kidnapped her or something! Dude, he could be holding Sonny hostage right now!"
Grady scoffed and waved a hand to silence Nico's nerves. "Please. I'm sure our girl Sonny taught him a lesson and they're just on seperate ends of the room. I mean look at this place; everyone in the studio is here. It's impossible to find anyone in this crowd. You're just not looking hard enough."
"This coming from a guy playing a game where he doesn't know whether to king me, or to take my bishop." Grady looked away, pretending not to here Nico. "You know what, that's it. I'm calling her."
Nico got up and walked over to a random crew member. "Oh my God, there's a giant spider on your jacket!"
The crew member screamed like a girl, threw off his jacket, and ran away. Nico smiled. "Like taking candy from a baby." He reached down and grabbed the guy's cell phone out of the pocket.
*
All of a sudden, Chad felt something buzzing on the inside of his jacket. He jumped, causing Sonny to stare at him in confusion.
"I...uh..." He stumbled for words. "I have low blood sugar." He blurted out, turning around to mentally kick himself for such a stupid excuse. "Excuse me." He added quickly, walking as swiftly as he could manage in the dark toward the photo booth. He glanced at Sonny before closing the curtain in her face.
"Right. He's not acting weird at all." Sonny told herself, knitting her eyebrows together in confusion. Deciding to not even bother, she simply waved her hands in front of her and headed back upstairs to continue looking for that charger. It was her only hopes of getting away from that maniac.
Chad fumbled for the inside pocket of his jacket. Listening carefully to be sure Sonny was gone, he pulled the vibrating rectangle out into his view. He looked down at the screen for the source of the incoming call. "Caller Unknown" he mumbled out loud before tapping the accept button.
Clearing his throat, he answered the phone in a deeper voice. "Hello?"
"Sonny! Thank G-- wait a minute. You're not Sonny." Nico looked down at the screen to make sure he had dialed the number right. "Who is this?!"
"Who is this? You called me." Chad kept his voice low and deep, trying to stay quiet so Sonny wouldn't hear. His voice came out as a gruff whisper.
"No, who I called was Sonny. And you're not her. Did you kidnap her?!" Nico became frantic at the thought that his theory may have been true. "Because I swear, we will find you and--"
"Relax." Chad rolled his eyes at this annoying caller. He couldn't quite place the voice and the bad reception wasn't helping either. "This is just... Sonny's boyfriend." Chad's eyes grew wide and he was surprised at how easily he was able to come up with that excuse, let alone say it out loud.
"Come again?" Nico deadpanned. Sonny didn't have a boyfriend. What, was she keeping secrets from her friends now?
"You heard me. This is her boyfriend... uh..." Chad searched around for anything to give him a fake name. "Reggie!" He cried out, spotting an old register prop through the slit of the curtain. He cleared his throat and tried that again in his gruff voice. "Yeah. Reggie."
"Well, look here "Reggie". You need to give Sonny her phone back and let me speak to her. Right now!" Nico added, trying to sound remotely tough.
"Well Sonny doesn't wanna talk to you." Chad cooed mockingly into the phone.
Nico responded to this with a wave of incoherent yells and sputtering. Chad sat there and laughed at this guy's unintelligence. "Well, it's been great talking to you pal, but I gotta attend to my woman. Peace out Sucka...ahhhh!" Chad abruptly ended the call, taken by surprise as he looked to his left.
Sonny was standing at the entrance to the photo booth, holding the curtain back with one hand while the other sat impatiently on her hip. A very unpleasant scowl was set upon her face.
"Chad, what do you think you're doing?"
OMG Cliffhanger! Wanna know what happens? REVIEW!
