Chapter Two

Steve limped down the sidewalk to his house. He had been kicked in both legs and punched in both shoulders once by each member of the football, basketball, tennis, lacrosse, golf, and chess team.

"What's the matter, Steve?" asked Jessica, Steve's fourteen year old neighbor/best bud.

"Oh nothing," He sighed, "just got beat up by the entire athletics department."

"Again? Well I know what'll make you feel better."

"Some Icy hot and a bottle of aspirin?"

"No silly," Jessica playfully punched Steve on the arm making him wince in pain, "Ramon noodles!"

"Oh joy." Steve said sarcastically.

"I'm just trying to help Steve." Jessica was getting really grumpy.

Steve's other friends, Christine, Kim, and Ashley, came up. "What's going on?" Christine asked.

"Steve got beat up by the athletics department."

"Again!" exclaimed Ashley.

Joe skipped down the street happily. He was wearing a burgundy uniform and held a baton. He was marching proudly and would be admired by his friends if he weren't being pelted with eggs.

"Hey guys." Joe said happily to his friends.

"Uh Joe," Ashley started, "are you aware that you are being attacked with eggs?"

"Oh, that's just the guys hazing me." Joe explained.

"Hazing?" asked Jessica.

"Yeah," he began, "I joined the marching band and I'm the baton twirler. These football players are just hazing me."

"Why me?" asked Ashley slapping herself in the face.

An egg then flew astray and smacked itself into Steve's face. Another egg hit Kim in the forehead.

"Oh he no!" she screamed and chased after the laughing jocks. The guys, sadly, got away before she caught them.

"Maybe I should get started on those noodles." Jessica suggested nervously.

The six sat around the table enjoying shrimp flavored Ramon noodles. Christine sat next to Joe blushing. It was no secret that she liked Joe, well it was no secret to anyone who had a brain (FYI, Joe never caught on).

When they were all done the four girls and Joe sat on the floor in front of the thinking chair in which Steve resided.

"We need a new idea for the next show." Steve said to them.

Joe raised his hand

"Yes, Joe."

"How about we do one on shapes!" he suggested.

"We've already done one on shapes." Said Kim.

Joe raised his hand again.

"How about we do one on colors!"

"Once again, Joe, we've already done one on colors. We've done one on letters and numbers and friendship and holiday religions. God, what's next? Politics?"

"Yeah," Steve formed the plan in his head, "we could have a mock election and teach the children about the true meaning of patriotism"

"Nah," they all said at once.

"Look, Blue's got an idea." Christine pointed to Blue who was holding up a magazine article about American Idol.

"We should have a musical!" Joe exclaimed.

"Already done." Jessica said sadly.

"No, she means we should make a band." Said Steve, his eyes fixated on the article. This was no ordinary article; I was an advertisement for the brand new American Idol Karaoke Contest.

"Not doing it," Ashley said with her arms crossed, "I despise of American Idol."

"I do too, but we can use it to get rich and famous."

Imaginary dollar signs replaced Ashley's pupils as she accepted.

"Now what are we going to call our band?" asked Steve who had been drawing uniform ideas in his handy dandy notebook. They were in the garage going over the plans.

"We should call it Blue's Clues." Ashley said sarcastically, mocking the thirty-minute television show they filmed each Saturday and sold to Nick Junior.

"Great idea." Said Jessica as she and Kim lugged in the equipment.

They soon set it up and began rehearsal. They, as you may have guessed, stunk.

"We suck." Kim said sadly. Joe and Steve gasped at when the word 'suck' was uttered. Christine quickly covered Joe's ears.

No matter how much they sucked and how much flaming bags of dog crap were discovered during practice, they vowed to never give up. The day approached soon and they waited back stage. They were all nervous and sweaty, all except Joe who was eating all of the food on the snack table.

"Next we have the band Blue's Clues." Simon read, he turned to the fake blonde chick and whispered, "what kind of bloody he name is that?"

"Beats me. They're just a bunch of high schoolers." She replied.

"Probably nerds," suggested the fat black dude.

The band apprehensively walked up on stage and took their places. Joe and Kim were on guitar. Ashley had the drums. Jessica and Christine were backup singers. Jessica was also the keyboard person thingy. Steve, of course, was the lead singer.

"This is a little something I like to call So long." Steve said into the microphone hoarsely.

Ashley did the countdown with her drumsticks and the background music began.

"Now it's time for so long," Steve sang with all his heart and soul, "but we'll sing just one more song. Thanks for doing you part you sure are smart. You know with me and you and my dog, Blue, we can do any thing that we want to doooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!"

Simon wiped a tear from his eye; "In all of my years I have never heard someone sing like you. Kelly Clarkson, Kimberly Loch, Fantasia, Trai Atkins, they would all…laugh at you miserably."

"What?" said Steve astonished.

"Let me put it in words you might understand better. You sucked like Paris Hilton in Chip n' Dale's."

Steve went to sleep that night with tears in his eyes and wondered why Simon had mentioned two innocent cartoon chipmunks.

Thanks to all the folks who reviewed. Hope I get lots more. Till next chapter, this is Jessie Giles signing off !