(19 Months Later…)
Chapter 1
It Starts
Hi, I'm Angie.
You might think you know, but you have no idea…
…Well, actually, you probably do. I mean, you saw the first story right?
Never mind.
Anyway, things since around here since last time. So they brought us all back to tell you something that happened not long after the sharks made peace with the reef.
Now, I don't wanna say to much and give too much away, but I can tell you where this story starts.
Well, I guess I should start with last Tuesday. I'd never seen the Whale Wash so busy. You see, there'd been an oil spill a few miles away just off the reef and now whales of all sizes were coming to the best Whale Wash in the entire reef.
It was pretty serious though. It wasn't just a case of washing off barnacles and slime, everyone had to be careful when cleaning the oil from the victims of the spill.
So, as you can imagine, it was pretty tough day even for me. I had to try to fit in as many whales as I could in one day. But there wasn't time to wash them all. I had to choose the most serious that needed washing straight away and move the rest to tomorrow.
And I wasn't to only one who was feeling the pressure.
"Man, what the shell is an oil spill doin' in our part of the Ocean?" Oscar still complained even when he was on his break.
I would usually nag at Oscar's complaining, but this time he had an excuse for it. It was a tough day even for me.
"You know, just this once, I totally agree with you." I sighed as I checked the number of Whales in and our so far. "The reef's five hundred miles from the nearest oil rig and yet here we are, washing black oil from two hundred foot whales."
"I'm the one who's doin' the whale washin', not you. You've got it easy, Ang."
"Oscar, if I write the wrong name on the wrong list someone could end up sick and I'd be responsible."
"Yeah, you're right. Somehow it's no one's fault but it's everyone's problem."
"But don't forget Oscar, a job shared is a job halved. Everyone in the entire reef's doin' something to help. As long as we all work together this'll all be over soon."
But unfortunately, our problems weren't just confined to the Whale Wash. The oil spill affected every fish in the reef one way or another.
And it wasn't just the South-Side, the oil spill was causing trouble for the entire reef!
It wasn't just the police that were trying to get people away from the spill or the rescuers that were trying to clear the oil.
Train lines were down as a safety procedure. All the hospitals were over crowded in the emergency department because fish were sick from the pollution. Stalls were being contaminated and some had been forced to close.
But there was one place in particular that needed to be closed and Oscar wasn't taking it too well.
It turns out that Sykes had no choice but to close Club Oscar until this oil problem was over.
Though I wasn't there at the time, I can pretty much imagine how Oscar would have acted…
…
"What d'ya mean the party's off? How can you close Club Oscar, man! Come on Sykes. What gives? I though we were partners?"
"Look, I know how dangerous oil is and what it can do. And with all the oil left in that washing area it just to dangerous, alright."
"'Alright'! Man, what's the big deal with oil anyway? We've been scrubbing it for the past eight hours! It can be that bad!"
"Oscar, have you ever seen fire underwater? 'Cause I have. An' let me tell ya, it's not pretty."
"Fire? Come on Sykes, who's ever heard of fire underwater?"
"Look, any sort of heat touches that oil from a light or a faulty wire and this place'll be history. The only option is to close everything down until we open again tomorrow. And we'll proceed with caution just like we did today."
"Aw, man! How much longer is that…that big black gunk in the sky gonna stay there!"
"Hey, so what if the club's closed for a few days? So what?"
"It's messin' with my plans, that's what."
"Plans? What plans?"
"Aw, it's nothin'. It's nothin'."
"No, tell my why you're so desperate to open that club tonight?"
"Well…yu see, there's just a little something I've gotta do. And I need that club open 'cause I can't think of a better place."
"For what? What exactly are you planning."
"Well…I was gonna keep this a secret until I got it all figured out…"
"What?"
"It's Angie…I'm gonna ask her to marry me."
"Well I'll be…"
"Yeah, ain't it great?"
"It's about time!"
"It's gonna be perfect!"
"Oscar and Angie, together at last!"
"So what'd ya think, Sykes? Can you keep the club open tonight? Just one night?"
"Sorry to burst ya bubble, kid. But no can do."
"Come on, man. It's Angie. I need to make this work."
"Sorry, not until the oil's cleared. Look at it this way, if something happened or if the oil an accident it'd do a little more that ruin your perfect night."
"Oh, man. I d'know how much longer I can take this. And I know I'm not the only one with problems, I learnt that lesson fair and square. But this oil thing's messing with my plans. This couldn't happen at a worse time."
"Hey, if Angie's waited this long for you to pop the question I'm sure she can wait a few more days."
"What'd ya mean 'waited this long'?"
"You'd have to be either blind or you'd have to be Oscar not to notice. Come on, kid. You know she's practically loved you forever."
Sighs "I guess you're right. But hey, keep it secret, alright? Don't got spreadin' the word 'round the reef. 'Cause someone might hear something that they're not supposed to hear. You dig?"
"Yu secret's safe with me, kid. Now go home before I have to pay ya for workin' over time."
…
Yo, yo! The 'Oh' is in the house!
How ya'll doin'? Sorry to keep ya waitin'.
Ok, first thing's first, I'm takin' over for Angie while she's away, but #don't worry about a thing#, 'cause she'll be back soon enough, alright?
Now, I know what ya'll thinkin'; 'when's this proposal gonna get on the road?'. Well, ya'll know that oil thing that's gettin' in the way of my plans, right? So, I though that I oughta take care of some other stuff first.
Way before you propose you buy a ring, right? Well, since I'm now a manager I decided I was gonna buy the biggest, brightest, most expensive ring in the entire reef!
But guess what?…
Every singe store was shut, and d'ya know why? Oil damage!
MAN, this oil thing was getting to me! Everywhere I turn it's in my way!
The club, the stalls, the Whale Wash…what's next?
Oh! Oh! Wait! I take it back 'cause I didn't wanna know.
But ya'll about to find out.
Just listen to what I heard on the news…
"Hello and good evening South-Side reef. Katie Current here, keeping it current. The latest reports of the oil carnage have just come in and it looks like we maybe stuck with this oil for much longer as the problems continue."
I was watching the report on the 'Jumbo Tron' in times square with Lenny. All I wanted was some good news. Please tell me some good news.
"Earlier we talked to one of the workers who are endeavouring to move the oil towards the North American current… 'We're doing all we can to clear this spillage before it gets too far in. But unfortunately our efforts are not paying off.'."
"Man, I hate this hunk of gunk." Who could blame me for complaining? And guess what? Lenny was watching the report with me and as it turns out, the oil had even effected the boss of the reef.
"I know how ya feel. My dad's got a finance leek and he thinks that the oils got something to do with it. Ya know, with all the companies shutting down 'cause of oil damage."
"Trust me, Lenny. You have no idea what that hunk o' black gunk's doin' to me. It's messin' with my plans!"
"Plans? What plans?"
"Oh, no, no, no. I've said too much already."
"Come on, Oscar. This oil's getting in everyone's way. I've told you what it's doin' to me and my dad's business. What's it doin' to you? Is it 'cause you having to wash whales again? Or is it 'cause your favourite store's closed?"
"My own dang club's closed."
"Oh. Well, that's not that bad."
"Not that bad? Lenny, I got plans. I need that club open, like, now! And not having to close at all!"
"What exactly are these 'plans' you keep talkin' about."
"Something real special, real important and top, top secret."
"I can keep a secret. Tell me."
"Look, I don't wanna tell to many fish, alright? 'Cause I don't want a certain someone to hear something there's not supposed to here."
"Tell me who that someone is and I promise I wont tell."
"Well…"
"Come on, Oscar. Have ever broke my word?"
"Alright, alright…It's about Angie. I'm gonna ask her to marry me."
"Ooooh…How romantic…"
"That's why I gotta keep 'Club Oscar' open. 'Cause I can't think of a better place to propose. And now that…that slime ball's gonna and messed up the Whale Wash and the club's goin' down with it."
"Oh…Gee…Well, ain't that a kick in the head."
"I'd like to know how it could get any worse." And that's when the TV jinxed me.
"…'And as a result of today's fail efforts, the oil has drifted a further sixty meters towards the reef'."
"Dang! I don't know how much more I can take of this." I moaned again.
"Well, oil spills can't last of ever, right?"
"I hope you're right, Len. Man, I hope you're right."